Shayla's Twilight

Shayla's Twilight.

Author's notes: This take place during Twilight and later, New Moon featuring my OC. I thought it would be fun to put her in the story, to shake things up a bit. The first chapter starts just before Edward introduces Bella to the Cullens. Enjoy.

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Chapter 1: High School (AKA Hell)

Shayla's POV

It's a nightmare being back here. It was like the hundreds of scents teasing me, laughing at me as I forced myself to resist them. Life's unfair. I guessed being near perfect does have its downside.

I caught my reflection in the window and I started to mull over my appearance. I shared the typical vampire traits such as inhumane beauty, pale skin, golden eyes (which darken as my thirst grows) and deep, purple shadows under the eyes (like my eyes, they darken as I grow hungrier). I'm pretty tall around 5'9", last time I checked but not nearly as tall as any of the Cullen boys. I'm muscular like the boys but still quite lean at the same time. I'm not overweight due to being lean which helps me with my speed and evasion. I have long brown hair. I have a number of piercings which I've had to do myself despite my family's displeasure. I have a nose stud, a small nose ring, my tongue done and my ears three times with two studs and one ring in each. My physical age is sixteen but I can pass for fifteen or seventeen even if I tried.

I scowled as I play with the food I cannot eat in front if me. My adoptive brother Emmett shot me a look from my right side, "Why the long face Shay?" he asked, a playful grin upon his face.

I gave a forced smile which ends up being a grimace. I sigh; he knows why I'm somewhat depressed.

"It's just so hard being here!" I growled quietly, as I glared at my untouched food. "I knew that leaving here would be a bad thing!" I stabbed at the pizza on my plate as though this was its fault.

"Easy Shayla," Jasper soothed from the other side of the table. He's sitting next to Alice who in turn is sitting next to me. "Don't cause a scene, I know it's hard but hold out for the day. We'll go hunting later." He leant forward and reaches in front of Alice to touch my hand. I start to feel calmer and my anger dies down.

"Damn your gift Jasper," I whispered but no anger is in my voice. That was Jasper's gift, he could manipulate a persons emotions. I heard him chuckle from Alice's side as he lets go of my hand and leant back across the table. Jasper is the person I turn to in this situation; he knows how hard it is to resist the thirst and the symptoms it brings, the dry ache in my throat, the hollow yearn in my stomach, the automatic tightening of my muscles, the excess flow of venom in my mouth… Except, he prefers to suffer in silence while I tend to blab my problems out if someone asks. Not that I want to anyway. I rather keep my problems to myself.

I stared up at the cracks in the ceiling, imaging my patterns to life. A wolf standing on a cliff top, a bat flying through a cave. I wished I could be free, free of this world called High School. It sucked big time, and here I was, going through it for the millionth time perhaps.

I pushed the brim of my black flat-brimmed cap up as I released my stare from the ceiling just as a familiar scent reaches my nostrils, pushed by the flow of air from heaters. My sense of smell was stronger then my siblings because of my 'animal-senses' as Jasper and I liked to call them. As a human, I was almost one with animals. I learnt to communicate with them through imitation of their sounds and body language. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you looked at), it didn't work on mountain lions. I had been mauled and had nearly died but Emmett found me and carried me back to Carlisle where I became a vampire. So for some odd reason, most likely linked to ability to communicate with animals in my human life, my senses were stronger then my siblings. I could smell better, see better but not hear better. That was a downside I guessed. I could also partly shape-shift but only when I was hunting or had extreme emotions such as anger or fear. But with Jasper around, that rarely happened.

Back to that scent. I recognised it but couldn't identify it, who was it? I couldn't think!

I turned my head and saw who was coming, walking towards me at typical human speed, the brother I haven't seen in months, almost a year.

"Ed!" I called, calling him by his insufferable nickname. My yell was almost lost in the babble of the cafeteria but I knew he would hear me.

My brother glanced up from where he walked and the instant he saw me, his face broke into that crooked grin of his.

"Shayla!" he called back as he strode towards me. I exited my seat to head towards him where he pulled me into a hug, a big bone-crushing hug, similar to what Emmett would give. A few people lift their heads to stare but soon they soon drop back down to continue eating or conversations.

A particular head catches my attention. A girl with a pair of wide, chocolate-brown eyes set in a pale, heart-shaped face with long brown hair tumbling loosely down her shoulders. The daughter of Chief Swan, Isabella. Bella, she would correct everyone who used her full name.

She gave a curious look at Edward and me just as the bell rang. Edward releases me before giving me a kiss on the cheek before sweeping away to meet her. He placed an arm around her as they headed off towards Biology.

"Who was that?" I murmured to Alice as we head off to class. I had English with her. Jasper walked with us until he passed his Trig class.

Alice looks slightly surprised "Oh, you don't know Bella?" she asked.

"How can you be surprised, when you know everything?" I hissed at her. "And I've been back for not even a day!"

"Don't bite my head off Shayla. That's Bella. Haven't you been wondering why Edward is so happy now?"

I frowned as we get to our English room. He did seem happier. But why? Then it hit me.

"Oh!" I cried as we took our usual seats at the back of the room. The teacher, Mr Logan, entered and started to fiddle with his desk. I ignored him and continue talking with Alice.

"Is Bella Edward's…?" I lowered my voice as the class starts to fall silent and because Mr Logan starts to set up a DVD by using a laptop and a projector to show the movie up on the blank wall above the board. The lights are clicked off and I pretend to watch the movie as he shushes the class.

"So is Bella Edward's mate?" I whispered to Alice who is resting her head on the desk. She lifts her head for a second and nods before settling it down again, her eyes never leaving the screen.

I continue with my questioning, keeping my voice lower then the human ears can pick up, but my sister's can. "Since when?"

"Few weeks," murmured Alice "She appeals to him greatly. Her blood and body– it's like a tug-of-war match. When he first met her in Biology, he wanted her extremely but was forced to act like he hated her. He ran away to Alaska for a few days but returned, hunting more, alone, so he could meet her without risk. They talked but then there was an accident."

"What kind of accident? Like a car accident?"

"Something like that. Tyler Crowley nearly crashed his van into her but Edward saved her, tried to convince her that she hit her head when she saw him shove the van out of the way. She didn't buy it and tried to figure him out. Eventually, a family friend Jacob, whose also a Quileute tribe member at La Push, you know where that is right? The reserve where we can't go?" She makes a face and I nod. She keeps going. "Yeah, he told her a story about Cold Ones. In other words, vampires." She lowers her voice more as she leans in closer to me. "She did research on the net and then Edward told her, after he rescued her from some thugs in Port Angeles. He told her about his mind-reading first and then eventually admitted it."

"Why the hell would he do that?" I growled. "How can he be so stupid!?"

"Shay, she made him happy. And he's in love. There's another thing about Bella, Shayla. Edward can't read her mind. We don't know what it is; even Carlisle can't figure it out."

Well that did it. If Carlisle couldn't figure it out, then no-one could.

"Wow," I whispered. "I missed a lot hey?"

Alice nods but then clears her throat suddenly and her voice is business-like but still barely a whisper. "Right while we are on the subject on that, where have you been Shayla Cullen?"

I gulped. "Maybe it's explaining time."

"Damn straight!" she hissed back.

"I'll explain later okay?" I murmured as Mr Logan fixes us with a 'be quiet' look. "It's complicated."

"Shayla…" she said, trying to persuade me.

"Leave it!" I hiss as I kick her chair leaving a small dent in the side. I give it a dirty look before leaning my head down on my desk, close my eyes and fall into a phoney, dream-less sleep.

About an hour and a half later (double periods of fifty minutes, ugh!), the bell goes signalling the end of the school day. Best time of the day.

The rest of my family, apart from Edward, head towards Rosalie's bright red BMW convertible.

I head towards my ride, a black Harley motorcycle. I force my hat into my bag and swing over my back while stepping on the bike. I slip my helmet on, looking more like a dirt-bike helmet then a road bikes', and pull the black goggles down. I rev the engine, earning a disapproving look from some teachers.

"Time to punch out," I growled, referring to a line from one of my favourite movies, as I lift my legs and let the bike roar its way out of the parking lot as I head towards home, closely followed by my siblings.

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Bella's POV

I was meant to be getting a ride with Edward again. However, he was going to be hunting with Alice. But there was something was bothering me. It was about the new Cullen I had seen with Edward at lunch.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward asked curiously. He couldn't 'hear' my thoughts like the rest of the human and vampire population.

"I'm intrigued," I say, glancing at him we stood by my truck. "Who was the girl sitting with your family at lunch? I've never seen her before."

Edward gave a small smile. "Until today, I didn't think I would see her again," he paused; I half wondered if he was debating whether or not to tell me who she was.

"I saw you hug her," I admitted, pressing further for information.

"And you accuse me of spying," He gave a grin. "I wish I could tell you everything about her but I not sure where to start."

"Is she…" I paused, trying to think of the right way to say what I was thinking. "Like you?"

His face went tight and he nods.

"That's all I needed to hear," I said, not wanting to push him any further.

"She's the youngest in my family. She would be nearing thirty-four now."

I purse my lips as I think. "Long-lost sister?" I eventually asked.

"Somewhat. She… she ran away for a while. A typical teenage rebellion. A typical teenage vampire rebellion that is."

"What's her name?"

"Shayla. She was born in 1955 and when she was sixteen, in 1971, she was attacked by a mountain lion," he explained before pausing. "Emmett found her, mauled and near death. He took her back to Carlisle where she… was changed. She's been with us until a year ago when she left. We had no clue where she went. I didn't even know she was back."

He glanced at his watch. "You better start heading home Bella, it's getting late and I don't think Alice would want me to be late." He flashes his sparkling teeth at me.

"Sorry," I said as I opened the door of my truck. "Will I see you tomorrow?" I ask as I climb in my truck.

"Yes, you are coming with me, remember?" he chuckled.

He was right; I had cancelled my trip to Seattle for him. "Oh, right."

"I'll come by tomorrow, you're driving."

I started the engine and turned around to look at him.

But he was gone.

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Chapter 2: Home

Shayla's POV

I pulled up at the beautiful, white mansion. My old home. If I was welcomed back that is. Esme and Carlisle… Mom and Dad… Would they accept me back? I went straight to school when I returned. Alice had seen me return in a vision and told Jasper but the others didn't know until I called out to them before school. After a brief reunion, it was back to normal for us.

I cut the engine of my bike and took off my helmet before just sitting on my bike for a minute, staring up at the house.

Was I welcome back? Would they hate me? Dad, oh I betrayed Carlisle, my own father! Who took me in and I walked out on him!

I hopped off my bike and wheeled it into the garage. The spot where it used to always sit is empty. I bet Alice had something to with that.

I left my jacket, gloves, helmet and goggles on the bench lining the wall at the back of garage, and ran, vampire speed, out of the garage and into the house. I heard Rosalie's car pull up outside. Only her, Emmett and Jasper were in it. Alice and Edward went hunting.

I called out as I stepped into the house. "Esme? Are you here?"

"Shayla?" she asked and I follow her voice by heading to the dining room where blue-prints are spread over the table. She must be modifying the house again. "Is that really you?"

"Yeah, it's me," I mumbled, shame and guilt filling me again. I really shouldn't be back. I'm a terrible daughter.

"Oh Shayla!" she cried as she grasped me and hugged me fiercely. I don't know why she's so surprised, she must of have smelt me at some point. Or maybe she wasn't sure it was me.

I hugged her back though with difficulty. I towered over her 5'6" frame with my 5'9" height.

"I'm sorry, Esme. I shouldn't of left. I'm a horrible daughter and I don't deserve to be forgiven let alone allowed back here." I hung my head, staring at the floor.

"Shayla Cullen," she said sternly. "Of course I forgive you! You are NOT a horrible daughter and you are allowed back here, forever. I love you and don't forget that. I'm your mom and you shall call me that." She hugged me again.

Without asking, she took my school bag and ran up to my room to put it away. She's back in a few seconds. I cocked my head to the side and grinned at her. "You've gotten faster." It wasn't a question.

She smiled. "Only a bit. Did you know Shayla that you're not the first to run away?"

"Hm?" I cocked my head to the side again, in confusion.

"Edward did. He found a girl called –"

"Oh yeah, yeah I know all about Bella, Alice told me," I cut in impatiently, thinking back to English.

"Oh. Did you head to school?" She frowned when I nodded. "I hope you hunted first. When you've been away that long it can be difficult to resist."

"I did Mom. I knew I had to. I'm not stupid." I grinned as I leant back against the dining room wall.

"So you should know all about it. Shayla, I'm so glad you are home! Which brings me to the point, where have you been!?"

I grimaced; I knew I would to explain it sooner or later. And later would be better. "Well, I would love to tell you but I think it would be better when everyone else is here."



Jasper's POV

I could feel Rosalie getting more and more impatient as we sat in the BMW. I was surprised Emmett was lasting this long as well. I ignored them both and focused on the emotions coming from the house. There was guilt and shame radiating from Shayla but now there was relief. Esme had nothing but happiness coming off her.

"Alright, can I drive in now?" Rose cuts in, her voice impatient.

"Yes, it's fine now," I replied as I lean back into the seat.

Rose sped into the garage, almost crashing but stops in time and we leapt out. I'm rather anxious to see Shay. She had been miserable all day, fretting over how she would explain everything to Esme and Carlisle.

"I hope she's okay," Emmett said, slightly frowning. He was worried about Shayla, I could tell.

Esme was looking over her blueprints when we entered, beaming like mad.

"Hello Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett," she said cheerfully. "Where's Alice and Edward?"

"Hunting," replied Emmett. "He's taking Bella somewhere tomorrow."

"Where's Shay?" I asked.

"In her room, I-" she started to say but then the loud, pounding noise of drums came thundering through the house.

Emmett whooped, "Hell yeah I've missed that sound!" before he sprinted up the stairs.



Shayla's POV

I had heard my siblings enter the house and I decided to give them a little 'gift'.

I sped up into my room. God, I missed it. With the poster covered walls, double bed despite me being unable to sleep, desk with my laptop and sketches strewn all over it, my twin samurai swords in the case hanging above my bed, and most importantly, my electric guitar and drum-kit.

I grinned as I sat down at my drum kit. I twirl the sticks in my fingers before slamming them down on the snare, before rocking into a beat, while trying not to break it.

Emmett poked his head into the room with a huge cocky grin upon his face. "Slamin' Shay is back!" he called, referring to my somewhat hated nickname.

"Shut up!" I snarled as I finish with a crash of the cymbals.

Jasper came to the room next. "Do you want to go hunting now?" he asked.

I nodded. "It's been a while since I've hunted with someone," I confessed to him. Jasper smiles thoughtfully.

"Don't worry about it," he replied. "I sometimes prefer to hunt alone. Especially if there are newborns around."

"Hey!" I said, irritably, "I'm not a newborn anymore," Jasper grinned. He's probably remembering the time he first took me hunting…

"Come along Shayla, it's time for you to go hunting," Jasper said as he took my hand in his as he pulled me from the forest floor.

"Err, hunting?" I asked.

Jasper smiled. "Hunting is what we do Shayla. We're vegetarians in a way. Surviving on animal blood is better in a way then drinking human blood." he cocked his head to the side when he saw my confused expression. "Although, I wouldn't mind going the other way." He gave a sly grin. My mouth dried and my stomach tightened as I listen to him.

"Easy Jasper," Alice warned. "Don't temp her. The last thing we need is a newborn running around. You have got to take her deep into the forest where there will be no human scents."

Jasper's grin dropped. "Sorry," he murmured to her. He turned back to me. "Come on. I'll need to show you your instincts."

He took my hand again and we run, faster then anything I've seen before. Jasper then released my hand and I feel like I'm flying. I leapt over an outcrop of rocks, with him closely behind me. Through the air, I start to lose balance. Instinctively, I tried to curl into a ball, but I land on all fours instead, before leaping into the air again and sprinting away, still on all-fours, like a cheetah or dog.

Suddenly, a scent caught my attention. Not just one, but a whole group of smells, each one smelling more mouth-watering then the last. It's a herd of deer grazing to the west, or to my left. I stopped and half turned around, almost running into Jasper. I pulled myself upright and sprinted towards them before crashing through the shrubs near where they are grazing. They panicked and start to flee but I outrun them all. I manage to form them into a tight circle with the biggest buck at the front, snorting and threatening me with his antlers.

I growled and dropped down to all fours, shifting my weight so it felt more comfortable. I bare my teeth and snarl like a leopard just as Jasper ran round to the other side of the herd. The buck goes to turn and rush the herd away but I leap at him. The tips of my fingers morph into long, lion-like claws which I thrust into the buck's neck. It gives a grunt as it tries to throw me but I dig my toes into its rump, smaller but identical claws to my fingers erupt from my toes to break the skin. The smell of its blood reaches my nostril and I bite down hard on the animal's neck, and start to drain it of its blood. It cries out and bucks like a horse, nearly throwing me. I grasp the antlers in my unbreakable grip, snapping them clean off the head. I fall onto the ground and the buck turns to flee in a feeble attempt to save its life. I see Jasper out of the corner of my eye, run towards the buck and he throws himself onto it. I leap up, snarling and bite him on his bare arm. He doesn't growl or cry out but merely leaps out of the way, off the buck.

"Mine!" I growled as I grabbed the buck and held it in my arms while I drained it of blood. I dropped the body and turn to the now-buck less herd. I snarled and run forward like a cheetah again. The herd started to run, away from where I land near them, in the middle. I snatched a doe in my grasp and broke its neck, killing it instantly. I drank greedily from it and turn to seize another. But the herd was gone. I gave a roar of outrage and kicked a boulder which shattered on impact. I sniffed the air, trying to pick up another scent. Jasper came up behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder, calming me for a moment. But I was still thirsty.

I shrugged his hand off and sprinted back into the forest. I tracked the scent of a wild goat to a mountain where I pounced on it and greedily drank from it.

When I had satisfied my thirst with three deer, an elk and a black bear later, I remembered Jasper. I headed back to the river, near where I first drained the buck. Its corpse is till there.

"Jasper?" I called, wondering where he got to.

"Up here," I heard him reply with a small chuckle. He was standing on the branch of a mighty spruce, a fair few feet above me.

"What the hell are you doin' up there?" I asked. He laughed at me and leapt down.

"You were getting a bit territorial for a moment," he said. "I got a bite from you earlier." He gestured to his forearm where a double crescent-shaped moon scar is located. It seems slightly paler then the rest of him. And that's when I notice all of the scars on him. They were all pale and all shaped like double-crescent moons. Vampire bite marks.

"Oh my God Jasper," I gasped and as I gazed at him, the scars start to glitter, just like the rest of him as the suns breaks through the clouds. I then looked at my own skin. It imitated Jasper's, glittering like diamonds were set into it.

"It's nothing," he answered as he stepped back into the shade. I follow him and we lean up against the tree. "All the scars I have are from newborns like yourself."

"I'm guessing a newborn is someone who just became a vampire, right?" I asked. He nodded and I gazed at the scar I gave him. I felt bad for hurting him.

"Don't be upset," he then said as he placed a hand on mine. "It's natural for newborns to fight over their food. It's instinctive."

I rubbed his new scar with one finger, like it would make the scar go away. "It'll fade in time," he said when he noticed what I was doing.

"Do humans see these scars?" I asked as I lifted my hand from his and touched my own, just near the base of my neck. That one was unavoidable; it's where Carlisle had bit me to change me.

He shook his head. "No."

"Okay, but tell me this. Is our venom the only thing that harms us?" I was curious after all.

"Well, it's the only thing that leaves a mark. The venom cannot kill a vampire. You can only destroy a vampire by ripping them apart and burning the pieces. Not pleasant at all."

"Didn't think so," I murmured. There were so many things I wanted to ask him but I knew I couldn't. But one more couldn't hurt...

"One more thing Jasper," I started. He looks at me curiously. "When I was hunting, I kind of grew claws and I could run faster, on all-fours. Is that normal? For vampires?"

His topaz eyes lit up. "It's rare but not unheard of. That may be because you bring your best quality with you when you become a vampire. You were close to animals and so you become nearly one of them when you hunt. But it's rare that you have a gift though like I said," he added.

"Cool," I said as I glanced down at my shirt. It's caked in dirt, mud and blood. It's also torn. I groaned and Jasper noticed.

"Don't worry about it. You'll get better as you hunt more and you'll learn to concentrate better on not spilling it. That being said." He gave a grin. "You're still cleaner then Emmett."

I chuckled as he offered me his hand again and we sprinted back through the forest.

I grinned as I recall the memory. Jasper and me had been hunting partners ever since.

"Alright let's go," I finally said to him and the two of us sprinted outside and into the woods to have a long hunting session.

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Chapter 3: Explanations

Shayla's POV

It was twilight. The best, and worst, time of our endless days. We could do what we want- hunt, tune our vehicles, compose, whatever. But it was a reminder of what we are.

Emmett and Jasper were playing a ridiculous and extensive game of chess near the back wall with multiple boards but of course, I wasn't allowed to play. Rosalie was directing Alice on our touch-screen computer (had to be tweaked by Edward and Carlisle as it was sensitive to temperature) around the corner from the boys on Rosalie's stupid fashion design project. Edward was composing on his piano, a favourite pastime of his. Esme was upstairs, reading in Carlisle's study while Carlisle was doing his night shift at the hospital. I haven't seen him yet.

I came downstairs to see what everyone was doing. I was going to play my violin, something I haven't done in a while, but I then quickly decided that I wouldn't. Rosalie drifted from Alice's shoulder to the couch where she switched through the channels of our flat screen without pausing.

I sighed as I went back upstairs to grab something I hadn't used in a long time, my surfboard. I change into my wetsuit (if anyone was watching I need to wear one) but wore my board shorts and white shirt over it. I needed to use a car though. I wanted to go surfing.

Edward, I thought, knowing my brother would hear.

He paused on the piano; I know that's when he heard me.

I might head for a surf down at the beach outside La Push. Ask Emmett if I can borrow the jeep. I said to him in my mind.

I pushed my flat-billed cap on my head and pick up my surfboard. I also grab a CD that I play in the cars whenever I used one.

I heard Edward call out to Emmett. "Hey Emmett, is it okay is Shay borrows the Jeep?"

"Yeah, it's fine," I heard Emmett call back as he knocks Jasper's knight out. "What's she doing?"

"I'm going surfing," I answered for myself as I leap downstairs, my board underneath my arm. "It's kinda been a while. I'll be back in a few hours. See yas."

I headed into the garage and placed my surfboard in the back and loaded my CD into the player. I started the engine and the CD comes to life, pumping hip-hop tunes that are soon pulsing through the rumbling Jeep. I revved the engine and sped out of the garage, towards the beach.

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Alice's POV

I heard Shayla leave for the beach and smiled to myself. She was a rather keen surfer and being half-Australian; I figured surfing was natural for her.

"Hey Rose, what do you think of this?" I asked Rosalie. She's at my shoulder in an instant, checking the design I made for her.

"Looks good," she said, rather enthusiastically "I love it. Let's order it now!"

I touch the appropriate buttons and charge it to my credit card. "It'll be here by Tuesday," I told my sister who returned to the couch. I shut the computer down and turned around to watch the boys. Emmett has his back to me so I mouth his next moves to Jasper. We shared a grin at each other. Emmett curses as his favourite Castle is knocked out.

I tried to tune into Shayla, to see her future. I knew she wouldn't be at the beach quite yet.

I saw her sitting on her board on the calm water, staring up at the stars. She shifted her weight back and started to paddle; a wave was coming up behind her. She caught the wave and stood up, in a relaxed way; she seemed to lean back and let her feet guide the board. I could hear her singing to herself.

'Cause everything you want, everything you do, you try so hard to be everyone but you. Everywhere you turn, you just gotta learn it's easier if you don't try so hard.

Edward entered the room. He saw my vision and smiles at it. "Try to Hard." I say, referring to the Pink song. "That's her favourite song." Edward gave a grin.

"I see she's holding up well," he notes as he leans against the wall, watching the boys playing their Ultimate Chess game. I nod my head and mouth Emmett's next move to Jasper.

"Has she told you where she's been?" I asked him, but I already knew he would know already.

He frowned "Yes, I do know. But…" He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. I couldn't see what he was going to say. "I really think it would be better if you asked her yourself. But be careful," he warned. "She's a bit touchy about it."

I nodded, mulling it over in my head. I'll talk to her when she gets back. I said to him in my head.

He nodded before disappearing out the door. No doubt to visit Bella again. And I didn't need to have a vision to figure that out. He always went to see her at night.

"Yes!" Jasper cried out suddenly as he snagged Emmett's last Queen.

"Alright, you won this one bro but wait until next time!" Emmett roars as he leaps at Jasper and the two engage in a mock fight. It'll turn into a real wrestling match for sure. Emmett would win, not that I doubted Jasper; it was just that Emmett was stronger. I should help him out when this thing turns real.

Emmett had Jasper in a headlock and was giving him a 'noogie' when I pounced. I had seen that Emmett would release Jasper and then tackle him again.

I crept behind Emmett just as he let go of Jasper. I leapt forward and grabbed Emmett's arm, twisting it up and behind his back while straddling him with my legs and with my other arm curled around his neck.

"Oh great, you're here." He made a face. "Now we know this fight really won't be fair." I leapt down off him and grinned at him.

Jasper takes the opportunity while he's distracted to attack him. He leapt up and pulled him backwards and into a headlock. Emmett reacted by grabbing Jasper and tossing him over his shoulder.

I sighed and back away from them. They'll be at for hours or until Esme or Rosalie tells them to knock it off.

I checked the clock. It's 11:44. Shayla left at 11:10. She would be heading back soon. I see her in my vision. She's realized the time and heading into shore. She will be back by five to twelve.

I head towards the couch and saw that Rose has gone to tune her BMW again, leaving me in control of the TV. I was anxious for Shayla to return, I wanted to know where she had been. I couldn't see if she wanted to tell me or not.

Ten minutes later, I detect the familiar rumble of Emmett's jeep and Shay's hip-hop CD.

She enters the house, her hair wet but starting to dry; it wouldn't knot like humans hair. She would smell of salt for a few days but she would have tried to wash the smell off at the beach's shower that they have there.

I could hear her singing to a song I didn't recognize. But then I realised. It was by her favourite artist Pink (or P!NK).

This used to be a funhouse. But now it's full of evil clowns. It's time to start the countdown. I'm gunna burn it down, down, down. I'm gunna burn it down!

Her voice was bold and confident. She hit the notes right and sounded like a real rock star.

She burst through the door and struck a pose.

Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Fun!

She caught me watching her. She grinned and I giggled at her antics. "Like it? It's Funhouse by-"

"Pink, I know. Your favourite singer," I say, cutting her off.

"You remember!" she cried as she dropped the board and hugged me. "God, I've missed you Alice," she added. She let go of me and stepped back, smiling down at me.

"I hate it that you're taller then me," I said, slightly annoyed. Shayla gave me that grin of hers, the one that reminded me of a Labrador Retrievers smile, with cheek written all over it.

"Oh you'll get over, shortie," she replied, still grinning before picking up the surfboard. "Anyway, I might head up to my room. Catch ya."

I watched her head up the stairs, shaking the water out of hair. Esme wouldn't like that.

But for now, it was time to found out what she has been up to for the last year.

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Shayla's POV

I reached my room and changed into drier clothes. I stood there for a while, gazing around my room. I could see that my stuff is in the exact same place since when I first left.

My room was a large room on the corner of the second floor, with a large window with glass shutters set in the back wall and an identical one set in the right wall. My bed was on the left hand side with a flat screen mounted on the wall across from it. My closet was beneath it. My desk was on the right hand wall with my music collection (not nearly as extensive as Edward's) on several shelfs in the corner just near the window.

I wander to my CD player on the shelf on the top shelf of my CD rack and hit play. Pink's Runaway starts to play and I find myself singing along to it as I sit on my windowsill, leaning against the side.

I've got my things packed, my favourite pillow, got my sleeping bag. Climb out the window. All the pictures and pain I left behind. All the freedom and fame I've gotta find. And I wonder how long it'll take them to notice that I'm gone. And I wonder how far it'll take me…

To run away! Life don't make any sense to me. Run away! This life makes no sense to me. Run away! Life don't make any sense to me. Run away! Life don't make any sense to me. I was just trying to be myself, you go your way I'll meet you in hell. It's all these secrets that I shouldn't tell I've got to run away, it's hypocritical of you. Do as you say not as you do. I'll never be your perfect girl and I've got to run away.

I'm too young to be taken seriously. But I'm too old to believe all this hypocrisy. And I wonder how long it'll take them to see my bed is made. And I wonder if I was a mistake. I might have nowhere left to go but I know that I cannot go home. These words are strapped inside my head; tell me to run before I'm dead. Chase the rainbows in my mind. And I will try to stay alive. Maybe the world will know one day why won't you help me run away.

Life don't make any sense to me. Run away! This life makes no sense to me. Run away!

I could sing for change, on a Paris street. Be a red light dancer in New Orleans. I could start again, choose a family. I could change my name, come and go as I please. In the dead of night, you'll wonder where I've gone. Wasn't it you, wasn't it you, wasn't it you that made me run away!

I was just trying to be myself, you go your way I'll meet you in hell. All these secrets that I shouldn't tell I've got to run away! It's hypocritical of you; do as you say not as you do. Never be your perfect girl, I've got to run away!

Life don't make any sense to me, run away! This life makes no sense to me, run away. Life don't make any sense to me, run away! Life don't make any sense to me. This life makes no sense to me, it don't make no sense to me, and it don't make any sense to me. Life don't make any sense to me…

I finished singing and listened as the next song comes on. I shifted my weight so my legs were half-hanging out the window just as I heard a knock on my door. But I smelled who it was before they even spoken.

"Can I come in?" I heard Alice say.

"Yeah, it's cool," I answered with my voice was barely more than a whisper.

Alice entered, walking like she was dancing. "That was good," she told me. "You're the best singer in the house.

"Thanks Alice." I smiled weakly. She danced over to the CD players and skipped back to Runaway. She fast-forwards to the bridge. "That's my favourite part." She admits.

"I could sing for change, on a Paris street," I sing for her, my face serious. "Be a red light dancer in New Orleans. I could start again, choose a family. I could change my name, come and go as I please." I stand up on my window still; it was tall enough for me to leap off without hitting my head. I grinned at Alice as she has a vision. She gave a gasp. "In the dead of night, you'll wonder where I've gone. Wasn't it you, wasn't it you, wasn't it you that made me run away!" I back-flip off the edge and soar down the side of the three-story house, smirking all the way down, before catching myself on one of the branches of the mighty cedar trees. Noticing that one of the branches arched up towards my other window. I ran up it and slid in the other one, to Alice's disapproving glare.

"Don't do that again Shay!" she hissed. "You could have impaled yourself!"

"Chillax, Alice, I'm not that delicate!" I laughed as I leant against the wall. "You could see I wasn't going to anyway."

"I could see that if you haven't grabbed that branch you would have," she countered.

I frowned, I wasn't that clumsy. "When I was away Alice, I learnt a lot. FYI, I learnt to go faster, be more agile. You should see me hunt now." I gave a smirk at her.

Alice sat on my bed and looked up at me. "Are you ever going to tell me where you've been?"

I sighed. Guess it's time.

"It's a seriously long story. Might go for a few hours," I said before checking the clock. 12: 15.

"Shay," Alice rolled her eyes. "We have plenty of time."

I sat on the bed beside her, cross-legged. "Well, you know that when I first… changed, I had only tasted animal-blood right?" I studied her, trying to predict what her reaction will be. But she her face remained normal and she simply nodded. "Yeah well, I was kind of selfish and for the past few weeks I had been having this ache inside of me. I couldn't figure it out. I tried feeding more but it didn't help," I tried to get my words right, to try and make her understand.

She nodded again and looked into my eyes. But I looked at my hands as I spoke.

"But it didn't help like I said. But I spoke to Jasper about it. He said that he thought I was craving human blood."

"Jasper said that?" Alice said, frowning. I knew she would slap him later.

"Do not blame him for what I did. It was just a theory that he thought up but little did he know that was the reason."

Alice's eyes widened as she listened carefully. She moved as if to hug me but I held up a hand, stopping her.

"I knew I couldn't control it for much longer so I headed up to Alaska for a few days. I stuck to the forests, staying away from human settlements. But once I lost control the first time, it was too hard to resist." My voice is bitter as I speak.

Another knock is heard on the door. Jasper stepped in followed by Emmett.

"Hey, what are you girls going?" Emmett asked us. I gave a snort because he was interrupting us. Jasper tilted his curiously as he glanced at me. He must have heard part of it.

Alice ignored Emmett and spoke to Jasper instead. "Shayla is informing me of where she was for the last year."

"I cannot be bothered to tell them the start again so you wanna fill them in?" I asked Alice who agreed. She whispered in both their ears and when she's done they nodded. Jasper leant against the wall while Emmett sat on the floor, leaning against my desk.

"Okay, anyway…" I started to continue. "I was trying to resist feeding on humans. I drank animal-blood more then necessary, sometimes getting a painful ache in my stomach. But then I came across him and that's when the monster won…" I shook my head and stared at my hands, shame filling me.

Alice leant forward and hugged me. "It is okay, Shay-Shay, keep going," she urged.

"I was outside of Denali when it happened. I came across a lost hiker in the woods. He was close to death and I could have saved him by taking him into town. But if he hadn't been bleeding…" My voice shook. "I wouldn't have done it. But it did feel oddly satisfying."

My voice disgusts me. I'm satisfied with myself that I killed a human, just to quench my thirst! I completely loathe myself.

Jasper moved closer and rested a hand on my shoulder, absorbing some of the shame, disgust and self-loathing that I now felt. "This is my fault," he said quietly. "I put the idea in your head. I'm sorry Shayla."

"No…" I shook my head at him. "I would have figured it out sooner or later. But that man wasn't the first I killed. I still hunted animals but as time went on, I drank their blood less and humans more. . I'm a monster." I held my head in my hands and my shoulders shook as a sob is rocked my bod7.

Alice leans forward and lifts my head from my hands. "Shayla…" she whispered.

I turned away from her and looked out the window, just so I wouldn't look at them.

"Hang on," Emmett said suddenly, frowning. "If you killed people, how come your eyes were normal when you came back?"

"I planned ahead. I stayed in the forest for about a week, up in the mountains. I needed to look normal, well as normal as you could for a vampire. I got my bike from the storage shed place in Seattle and rode back here yesterday," I replied.

Of course I'd taken precautions. I wasn't stupid enough to go to school while thirsty. I wasn't as strong as the others.

I flared my nostrils out as I feel myself getting more disgusted and mortified with myself. I was my own stupid fault and not anyone else's.

Jasper rested his hand on my shoulder. "Shayla, I know how you feel. Remember all those times I've killed? Even though the feeling of guilt never goes away, you know you can prevent it from happening again. You can resist."

"Right Jasper." I'm being rather sarcastic now. "Guilt never goes away. Good advice." I rolled my eyes at him. He dropped his hand and made an angry and annoyed noise. "But I don't feel guilty for killing people. Except for the first man I met, I killed the worst in society. The second person I killed was a wanted serial killer. The third, a mugger. The list goes on. The feeling I have is disgust that I've have stooped that low just to get what I want. I'm selfish."

"No you're not," Emmett answered. "It's… natural to want human blood. I myself fell off the wagon." I raised an eyebrow. This I didn't know. He caught my surprised look. "What? Even the best of us fall off the wagon," he added cheekily.

In response to his cheek, I grabbed one of my pillows and pummelled him with it. He doesn't even attempt to fight back but instead he laughed along with Jasper and Alice. I grinned but I didn't laugh.

"Alright, get of here you guys," I eventually said as I replaced the pillow on the bed before laying back on it. "I need to be alone."

Alice nodded and dances out the door, pulling a less-then-enthusiastic Emmett with her. Jasper follows but pauses by the door. "Shay…" he said. I look up and he's gazing at me, like he wants to say something but doesn't know how.

"Yeah Jasper?" I asked, sitting up again. He hesitated before speaking again. He crossed the room to me and laid a hand on my shoulder. He doesn't try to manipulate my emotions this time though.

"It'll be okay," he whispered. "Everything will be fine."

"Yeah, yeah I know," I replied, my voice almost rude. "Just leave me Jazz, alright?"

I can almost see the hurt in his face as he turned and exited the room, shutting the door behind him.

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Chapter 4: Flashbacks

Shayla's POV

I decided to wait in my room until Carlisle gets back from his shift. Everyone was in their rooms so I could talk to him privately. Well, as privately as you could with a mind-reader in the house.

Luckily for me though, Edward was still at Bella's place.

I get up out of my room and wandered to the staircase, leaning against the top rail as I waited. I closed my eyes and inhaled, breathing in the familiar scent of my family.

"Shay?" A voice asked from behind me. It was Rosalie.

I turned around to find her standing just behind me; her hands on her hips, an anxious expression on her face. But I didn't need to be worrying about her now; I was too busy fretting on how I'm going to explain everything to Dad.

"'Sup, Rose," I muttered and turned back around to peer around the bottom of the stairs. Carlisle would've left the hospital by now, I hoped.

She sighed impatiently and moves beside me, her hand on my shoulder.

"You're waiting for Carlisle, aren't you?" she asked.

I shrugged. "You don't need to be a mind-reader to know that. Or a fortune-teller." I hear Alice make an annoyed noise from her room and I smirk at myself.

Rose smiled too. "What are you going to tell him?"

"No idea," I leant my forehead against my hands, my elbows resting on the banister. "A little help maybe? Oh right, I haven't told you-" She cuts me off though before I can continue though.

"Emmett told me, even though he shouldn't of. But I don't think I can really help you in this situation."

I sighed and lifted my head off my hands. "This…" I growled. "Totally sucks!" My chest rumbled with another growl, an inhuman one this time though, as I turned around and started to stalk into my room. "I'll be in my room."

I don't know why I'm feeling pissed off but whatever the reason is, it makes me slam the door of my room.

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Rosalie's POV

I watched Shayla slam the door with unnecessary brutal force and feel a ripple of anger course through me. Honestly, it wasn't my fault that I couldn't help. I didn't even get to hear the story from her.

I remember the first time I met Shayla- and she has irritated me since that day. Not in the insanely mean way, but she's just somewhat annoying.

I gave a gasp of shock as Emmett ran through the back door of the house, not even bothering to open it. "Emmett, what are you doing?"

"Where's Carlisle?" he grunted, ignoring my question. "I need him!"

That's when I saw what he was concerned about. A mangled and bloodied body was in his arms, her head hanging limply to the side.

Emmett placed her as gently as he could on the coach before roaring out to our father. "CARLISLE!"

"Emmett, what's going-"I started to say but he shot me a look. Then, Carlisle was at his side in an instant.

"Emmett, what's wrong?" he asked.

"She was mauled by a mountain lion in the forest. Save her, please save her."

"What's going on?" Alice asked quietly. She was at my side soon followed by Esme, Edward and Jasper.

"You saved me Carlisle when I was mauled." Emmett growled to his creator. "Now, I'm asking you to save her." I have never seen him act or look so serious.

Carlisle face remained calm as he makes his decision.

"Carlisle…" Alice whispered. "I have foreseen her becoming one of us and becoming a sister to me. Do it… for me."

There is a brief silence but then Carlisle answered. "Alright," he said and he turned to Esme. "Esme, get a wet towel. Jasper, Rosalie, Alice, Emmett, Edward, outside, now."

Alice took Jasper by the hand and they flit outside followed by Edward. Esme returns with a wet towel and hands it to Carlisle who wiped the blood off the girl. I take Emmett's hand and go to move outside but he won't budge.

"No," he growled. "I'm staying right here. Rose, get outta here."

"But…" I started to say. Why was he so determined to be at her side when he had me?

"Now," a voice ordered but it was Esme this time.

I give a huff and stomped outside. I turned around to see Esme hold the wet towel to the girl's head, Emmett holding her wrists down and Carlisle leaning in towards her neck. I ran up into the forest where my siblings are but I am not fast enough to avoid hearing the girl's frantic screams.

Two days later, she isn't any better. She is tough though. She holds her tongue and refuses to scream and instead shudders and haemorrhages worse then anyone I've ever seen.

"It's almost finished." Carlisle said as she began to shudder violently. "Someone will need to take her out into the woods."

"I'll take her," Alice offered. "Jasper will come with me."

"No. I'll do it," Emmett growled.

"Emmett, you've done enough." Esme said. "Jasper, Alice, take her now."

Jasper lifted the girl in his arms and then he and Alice run out of the house just as the girl gave loud, ear-splitting scream.

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Jasper's POV

I could feel resentment, jealousy and most oddly of all, concern, coming from Rosalie. I gave a snort and turned to Alice who was pouring over school textbooks until I snorted. She looked up in concern. "What?"

"Rose is being Rose," I said thoughtfully. "Do you think I could influence her to be just a tad nicer?"

"Don't be mean," she scowled and playfully punched me in the jaw. Though playful, she still managed to dislocate it. I pulled it back in place with a crack and pushed her off the couch.

"Hey!" she frowned as she hops back up. I chuckled and kissed her on the cheek.

Her golden eyes blaze. "Hate you."

"Yeah, I love you too," I replied cheekily. I ducked when she tried to swipe at me.

She giggled but suddenly sat up straight with her eyes glazed over. She was having a vision.

"What do you see?" I asked.

"Just Shayla and Carlisle. It'll go well," she answered.

"Planning to tell Shay?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course I am," she frowned and punches me in the arm. "Don't be an idiot."

I chuckled as she danced out of the room, leaving me alone. I could Shayla playing music next door, Human by the Killers. How ironic.

I started to think back to when I first met her. She was halfway through transforming into one of us when Alice offered for us to take her out into the forest.

I placed her on the forest floor, making sure there are no sticks or stones nearby. She gripped the dirt with her fingers, leaving deep grooves. Her breath is coming out in pants and her heart is beating faster then before.

"Will she be okay?" I whispered to Alice.

Alice nodded. "It'll be much more painful though, since she is holding it in. I have also foreseen who she is."

"Who is she?" I asked, curious.

"Shayla Kara Brown, or Cullen, if she joins us."

I paused. "So she becomes our family?" Alice nodded and I turned my attention back to the girl. She arched her back up and her heart beat accelerates until it sounds like it's about to out her chest. She shuddered wildly and gave a shrieking scream.

And then, nothing. She has no breath, no heartbeat, and no pulse. It is done.

I crept close to her and touched her arm. She awoke with a start and sits up.

"What… What's happening?" she mumbled, staring around at the forest. "Am I, am I dead?"

I glanced at Alice. "Help!" I mouthed to her. She was at my side in an instant, deliberately moving at vampire speed.

Alice bent down close to the girl, Shayla. "Hello, I'm Alice and this is Jasper. Do you remember who you are?"

The girl forms a name on her lips. "Shayla."

So Alice was right then. Not that I doubted her.

There is a silence. I've never had to explain to someone that their now immortal and have to now feed on blood. It was always Maria that explained that to them when I was with her.

"Let's take her back to Carlisle so he can explain," I suggested to Alice, turning so my back was to the newborn.

Alice nodded, agreeing with me. "Good idea."

"Explain what?" Shayla said from behind me. "What's going on?" She tilted her head to the side and looked up into the cloudy sky. "Wow, never noticed that colour before. Has that always been there?"

"She's displaying unbelievable control," I said in a low voice.

"Look, is anyone going to explain to me what the hell is going on?" Shayla suddenly hissed.

Mood swings, great. I can feel that she's scared, worried and confused.

"We will soon," I promised. "We were just going to take you to our father so he could explain.

Alice offered her hand to the girl. Shayla gazed at it and then accepted it, allowing Alice to pull her to her feet.

"Climb on my back," she instructed Shayla. Although hesitant, she hoped on.

"I don't understand," she murmured. I can see she was a good foot taller then Alice.

"Hold on and close your eyes," I told her. She wrapped her arms so tight around Alice that it would have strangled a human, even more so now that she had changed.

And they took off. I heard a gasp from Shayla and I followed, running after them. I caught up to Alice and I glanced at Shayla. Her eyes are open and she's smiling in utter shock. She was stunned at what Alice– and her– was doing.

"Wow," she breathed. "Amazing!"

Alice and I glanced at each other. This was going well.

Soon we reached the backyard of the house. I called out to Carlisle and Esme. But Emmett is the first one we see. A feeling of relief washes over him.

"You're okay," he cried as he goes to step forward. Shayla caught sight of him and fear swamped her. It must have been his size.

"Stay back Emmett," Alice warned. I could've calmed Shayla down but I didn't. I don't want to scare her.

Emmett nodded his head sadly and stepped back. "Carlisle is inside," he then told us.

Alice ran inside to the couch and gestured to it. "Off you get Shay."

"Shay?" Shayla's brow furrows in confusion as she slid off. "How did you know that's what I like to be called?"

Alice shrugged. "Thought it might be a nice nickname for you."

Carlisle entered with Esme, Rosalie and Edward. Shayla instantly shielded back at the unfamiliar faces and numbers. There was one of her and though she had become somewhat attached to Alice and I, she was still outnumbered by the others.

"Shayla…" Carlisle spoke first. He pulled a chair up from the dining table and sat on it. He was trying to act human. "I am Doctor Carlisle Cullen. This is my wife Esme," he gestured to Esme who gave a small smile. "And my adopted sons, Emmett and Edward and my adopted daughter Rosalie. I assume you already know Jasper and Alice," Emmett gave a wave while Edward gazed curiously at Shayla. I know he's reading her mind.

Carlisle took a deep breath, to prepare himself for what he was about to do. "It's time for you to know what you are. You are what humans call a vampire."

"What?" she gasped. "Vampire? Are you being serious? I thought they were just made-up!"

"I can assure you that we are being serious," Carlisle said gravely. "You are a vampire Shayla. I bit you and transformed you. You were so close to death but my son and daughter, Emmett and Alice, convinced me to save you. And here you sit."

Shayla eyes go wide. "Really? That's… interesting... I think. But doesn't that mean I have to kill people?"

Esme spook this time, a small smile on her face. "No, we like to call ourselves 'vegetarians', our little private joke. We only hunt animals, not humans. You are free to go and live your own life but we would like to accept you as a member of our family."

Shayla's eyes lit up. "So I'll have a family? A real family?"

Esme nodded. "But there are more things we have to tell you about… us."

"Like what?"

"Well, for one thing, we are immortal and nearly indestructible," Carlisle explained. "Our bodies are 'frozen' and we cannot grow. It's like we are carved from marble or granite. See?" he lifted her hand and held it in his own in front of her eyes. "We cannot go into sunlight when any human is watching. Step into the patch of sunlight there, go on." He gestured to the doorway where sunlight pooled in.

Shayla slid off the lounge cautiously and took a few steps towards the sunlight. She gazed at the large spot of sunlight before stepping into it. Her mouth fell open in surprise as her skin sparkled, sending spots of light around the room. She stepped out of it and turned to face us. She seemed to be shocked as she gathered her thoughts.

"So what else is there to know?" she eventually asked.

"Why don't you take a look at yourself? Rosalie, can you pass me that mirror please?" Esme caught the mirror Rose threw at her and handed it to Shayla. She looked at her reflection for not even a second before her mouth fell open in complete surprise.

"That's not me," she said so firmly that we all stared at her in surprise. "There is no frigging way that I am that beautiful."

"When vampires hunt human, they are meant to draw their prey in with their face, their voice, even their smell," Carlisle explained as he bent down lower to examine her pale, alarmed face. He brushed her hair back from her face. "You are beautiful Shayla Cullen," he hesitated; he was going to explain everything now. "Your abilities are now enhanced. Your speed, your strength, sight, smell and hearing, is now much more powerful and who knows, you may have an extra ability."

"Extra ability?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Some vampires have extra abilities whether it be a mental or physical power. Edward here can read minds. He has no choice in it. And Alice can see the future. Emmett has super-strength and Jasper can sense and manipulate emotions. Calm down an angry person, excite a lethargic crowd. Rosalie has great beauty and Esme has the ability to love passionately."

"Do you have a gift?" she asked him.

"He is extremely compassionate," Esme answered her. "He saved five out of the seven of us."

Shayla smiled but then her brow furrowed. "Ugh, my throat hurts so much. Is it meant to?"

"Your thirsty, that's why. You have to come with us. It's time for you to feed," Alice answered.

"I'll come too," I whispered to Alice. I had a good feeling about Shayla, like I would know that we would get along.

Alice moved to Shayla's side and offered her hand to her. Shayla accepted it and the two walk out the door with me by their side.

I smiled at the memory. I was glad Emmett had found her. The two were almost inseparable now except for when Rosalie was around whom always wanted Emmett to herself. And she, Shayla that is, was great friend. She was loyal, tough and a protector of the weak. Not that she just protected the weak. She would stand up for anyone that was being picked on by bigger vampires or humans. "Cowards," she would call them, right up to their faces.

And that is why I love her.

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Shayla's POV

I smelled Alice before she had even came to my door. She doesn't even knock when I called out to her. "You can come in Alice."

She danced into the room and stood at the foot of my bed. "I have foreseen how things will go with Carlisle."

"Good or bad?" I asked as I sat up on the bed.

"Good. He'll forgive you. But I didn't need to see that."

I gave her a hug. "Thanks Alice. I know I can count on you."

"That's the advantage of being a fortune-teller" She crossed her arms and pretends to be angry.

"You'll make a fortune down at the carnival." I grinned, ducking as she tried to punch me.

We ended up getting into a play fight. She managed to get on top of me while I'm lying flat on my stomach and I let her push my arm up my back. "How can anyone so small be so annoying?" I remarked cheekily, earning a slap on the back of my head while she giggled.

Suddenly, Carlisle's scent reaches my nostrils. I gasped and leapt up, knocking Alice off. I sniffed, trying to pick up the direction. He was not home yet but he's getting closer.

"Carlisle's coming," I said. "I better… I better go downstairs and get ready to meet him."

I walked out the door and headed to the top of the stairs. "Alice…" I called just as she dances over to her door. She turned around.

"Stay with me..." I pleaded. "Please?"

She smiled, ran up to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Always Shay."

And with her behind me, I ran down the stairs and am on the couch just as Carlisle pulled up.

"Here goes nothing," I murmured as the door swings open.

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Anyone like it so far?

Hey where are the reviews? :P Oh well, your loss.

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Chapter 5: More explanations.

Carlisle's POV

I had just pulled up in the garage when I had smelled her. I ran up to the house at vampire speed because I was so desperate to see her. But if I was mistaken, if she wasn't there… I swear, it would surely kill me.

I entered the house and there she was, Shayla Kara Cullen, my youngest adopted daughter, sitting on the couch with Alice.

"Shayla…" I breathed and she looked up.

"Dad…" she whispered as she stood up from beside Alice.

I moved towards her swiftly and hugged her, holding her gently as though she was a baby. How I had missed her.

She stepped back and looked up into my golden eyes "Carlisle…" she whispered softly. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for running off, for betraying myself and for betraying you. I… I feel absolutely wretched that I did this and I understand if you don't forgive me." I can see the sadness in her eyes as she speaks.

"Shayla, you are my daughter. Although I disapprove of you running away, you did not betray yourself or me. I forgive you."

"No." She shook her head. I must be missing something here. "I did betray you Carlisle. I… I killed people. I drank human blood."

And then she told me. She told of her stay in Alaska, killing the worst of society. She spoke of her gut-wrenching fear of what will happen when she eventually returned. She spoke of her begging for forgiveness from me when I finally stop her by holding up a hand.

"Shayla, craving human blood is normal behaviour for a vampire. I accepted Emmett when he fell off the wagon. The same with Edward and Jasper. I can forgive you and accept it."

She smiled a little bit. "Thanks Dad. I love you from the bottom of my still, frozen, dead heart." She gave a grin and her stance relaxes. She's going back to being herself again.

"I love you too. You are my daughter and forever will be." I kissed her forehead.

"Alright then!" Alice stood up and clapped her hands. I'm surprised that she stayed silent during the entire time. "Shayla, you look terrible, no offence, so you are getting a makeover! I just needed you to talk to Carlisle first."

"Oh no!" Shayla groaned while I laughed. Trust Alice to think that.

"I'll see you later girls, I'll be in my study." I said as I ran up the stairs. Esme is at the top, waiting for me.

"How did it all go?" she asked even though she already knew.

"Fine, I am so glad that she's back. I missed her."

There was a crash from downstairs and I hear Shayla and Alice laughing.

"Hmm." Esme pursed her lips. "I didn't miss her wrestling matches with Alice much though."

I laughed as I wrapped my arm around her and kissed her forehead.

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Shayla's POV

After meeting Carlisle, I was feeling very relived. I went back into my room, and sat on my bed, listening to music until Emmett poked his head in. It was morning now, around 7:30.

"Everything good?"

I gave him an exaggerated thumbs-up and but then I remembered something I saw on the late news. "Oi Em!" I called to him "Get back here!

He walked in, slightly confused. "What?"

"I saw on the news that there is a massive bear running around in the mountains. It's gotten a few people and there's a reward. Wanna go get it?"

"I dunno." He rubbed his hand through his hair. "How do you explain that we caught a massive bear to humans?"

"Forget the reward then." I grinned at him. "I bet you fifty bucks I can get it and kill it first."

"No way! You're on!" He grinned back and I run out of my room to downstairs. He catches up in an instant.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Alice asked us from her spot on the couch.

"Going to go catch a bear," I answered. "And I'm making an easy fifty bucks out of it too."

"No way!" Emmett protested. "You are going to be so sorry that you bet against me."

"Bring it." I gave an evil smirk.

Alice sighed. "Just be back before it starts to storm. I expect Jasper and you too Emmett, would want to play baseball. Oh and Bella is coming over. Edward came back and told me when he needed to change but I did see it already."

I nodded. But I'm worried. Would I be able to control myself? I didn't know. I doubt that Alice would know either. "Cool, baseball. Haven't played that in a while. But would I be able to-"

"It'll be fine Shay. Go hunting," Alice spoke up from the couch. "It'll help."

"Whatever," I replied before turning and running out the door. Emmett is close behind.

We head into the forest. Occasionally we slow to human speed but we didn't talk, which was an unusual change. Until we passed a trail.

I grabbed Emmett's arm and yanked him back. "Check this out." I pointed to some tracks on the trail. They were not bear tracks.

"They just look like tracks to me," he said, sounding a bit annoyed.

"Yeah, but what kind of tracks?" I asked him but I knew his answer before he said it.

"Bear?" He guessed, scratching his head in confusion.

I shook my head. "No and according to the news, it's the same size of the one they're following."

"What are you saying?"

I slap my head and groan. "They are not bear tracks idiot! There are no claw marks and they are too long. This is not normal. But it is something. What, I don't know though…"

"There's blood there as well," Emmett pointed out. He's right. A single drop of blood is one of the tracks. A few more are splashed around further down the trail.

I sniffed the air, not bothering to bend down close. "Its human blood," I realised just as I spotted something further down the trail at a fork. I jogged down to investigate.

A jumbled mess of the animal's footprints and a boot prints is there, obviously a fight had happened. There are shreds of what had been their clothing. There is a mix of scents as well but worst of all…

The puddles of human blood. Emmett placed a firm hand on my shoulder and I stopped breathing, to resist the temptation. If I hadn't hunted a few days before… I don't think I could have stopped myself.

"Let's go Emmett," I said, forcing myself to breathe again and smell the tempting scent. "I can't be here. Forget about the bear or whatever it is."

With his face tight, he nodded and we ran back, full speed.

We got home and Emmett headed inside. No doubt to see Rosalie. I however headed into the garage. I set up my toolbox next to my motorbike along with the turbo I have never bothered to install until now just when Jasper came in.

I turned and face him. "Hey, what's up?"

"You're back early from hunting," he pointed out. We were out there for less then an hour.

I shrugged. "Didn't feel like hunting anything anymore." I started to fiddle with my bike.

"Shayla…" he said, his tone low. I ignored him as I took part of the engine out. He sighed and I focused my attention on him.

"What?" I said irritably.

"What happened out there? Something made you anxious, I can feel it."

"There are no secrets in this house is there?" I muttered. He smirked.

"Idiot," I muttered again, trying not to let him hear. I'm unsuccessful. He shoved me, knocking me into my bike. But I caught it just before it clatters to the floor. "Hey! Knock it off."

Jasper chuckled and gave a grin. "So what happened out in the forest?"

I shot him a glare. "Nothing!" I growled.

"I'll go to Emmett," he threatened.

"Fine! We found some animal tracks and there was human blood around them, happy now?" I snarled at him. I got up and stalked out the door and into the house. He followed me.

"What's wrong Shay-Shay?" he demanded to know as he grabbed my arm, sending waves of calm at me. I manage to calm down just a bit.

"I don't know Jazz. I… I feel like an outcast now, not part of the family anymore. I don't feel like I belong here anymore." I bit my bottom lip like a human would do just as Jasper pulls me into a brotherly hug.

"Shayla, you'll always belong here. You're that annoying little sister who keeps us laughing," he said and I smiled back up at him. He let go of me and I stepped back.

He suddenly stiffened up. "What have you done Shayla?"

"Huh?" I'm confused.

"Your arm? Show me it!" he hissed. His sudden anger scared me for a moment. But then again, even though I tried not to think about it or show it, Jasper scared me altogether.

I showed him my right arm reluctantly. The scar of a fresh bite mark, shaped like double crescents moons, was on my forearm. Although it was already healed, it was still quite sore.

"What happened?" he asked.

I paused, wondering whether to tell him or not. But finally I speak, "Newborn."

"How the hell did a newborn manage to bite you?"

"I was kind of bored and I was hanging around Port Angeles when I first saw what he was doing. He was stalking and attacking women so I decided to teach him a lesson," I punched my right fist into my left hand and cracked it. "He put up a fight though."

Jasper frowned as he examined the bite mark. "When was this?

"Last night," I replied. "I was looking for something to do."

"Thought so," he murmured. "I couldn't smell you so I assumed you were out hunting again. The others were worried but I told them that."

"Thanks," I mumbled. I curled my hand into a fist and tensed my muscles. The scar seemed to ripple across my skin. There was a brief silence.

"But surely boredom wasn't the only reason you did?" Jasper suddenly asked, shooting the question at me.

I paused to think about it. I furrowed my brow as I tried to talk, to try and make him understand. "If I kill a monster, does that make me less of a monster, or more so? I wasn't thinking straight, I was trying to be a hero. I was mucking around but he… he just made me angry that he could just play with those girls, with those, those women and then kill then like they were nothing!" I have never felt so furious in my entire life. "I followed him into the woods near in La Push, he didn't know of the treaty obviously. And I made him pay. He probably thought I was another newborn, showing off my strength." My voice turns into a growl. "So I attacked him Jasper. He managed to get a bite on me but I tore him apart and burnt him before he could really do any real damage. And I do enjoy a real fight once in a while." I exhale out of habit. "I wasn't trying to lose control on purpose but he just made me so mad!" I have a strange impulse to stamp my foot.

Jasper took a few steps back. I think my anger and rage might be overwhelming him a bit. I realised my mistake and try to withdraw my anger.

"Going upstairs. Later," I mumbled lamely and I ran upstairs to my room. I locked the door to insure some privacy but I knew that wasn't possible in this household.

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I've detected a lot of comma errors. Maybe you should edit your previous posts.

Okay, I have gone through and fixed up a few but there wasn't that many. I assume you were talking about the unnecessary ones before the speaking parts right? If not please direct me to them.

Chapter 6: Here comes the human…

Shayla's POV

"Shayla, come downstairs," Esme called from the lounge room. I gave a grumble as I headed to the top of the stairs.

"What for?" I asked grumpily over the edge.

"Don't be rude Shayla," Carlisle said rather sternly, something that he rarely does, as he walks and comes into view. "And to be polite, Edward will be home soon and you are going to meet Bella."

"Okay then. Just let me be decent first." I turned and headed to the bathroom where Alice is located, brushing her hair in the front of the mirror.

"Why so grumpy Shay?" she asked as she hands me my blue brush. I don't answer straight away but merely sighed as I thought about what could possibly happen if I do go downstairs to meet Bella. At the same time Alice realised my fear.

"Shayla, nothing will happen. One, you have much better control. And two, Edward or anyone else will allow it to happen."

I frowned, and looked down. "Yeah, I know. But still, I don't want to risk it."

"Shayla, you are going to meet Bella. I can foresee it."

"The future can change," I retorted back. Alice turned and tried to punch me in the arm as a joke but I grabbed her hand and forced it down with no effort at all. She stared at my hand before raising her head to stare at my face.

"Sorry Alice," I mumbled as I turned away to her to search in my bathroom drawer for a hair band. I could feel her eyes burning into my back. She grasped my shoulder–hard.

"Shayla is something wrong? You never used to react like that."

I shrugged. Alice released my shoulder and turns away. At the same time I lift my arm and traced my scar with one finger. It's still tender.

"Sore?" Alice then asked. I could see her looking at it.

"A little bit, it's just a bit tender. It really hurt when he first bit me though so this is an improvement."

She touched my shoulder again but it a gentler way. "Shayla... Are you in pain?"

I nodded. It did hurt. Not much we could do about it though. Morphine or painkillers wouldn't work on us and I couldn't even swallow a tablet to ease the pain.

"Show me it," she insisted. I allowed her to examine it as I tucked my hair behind my ears with the other hand. "I think there might be venom still in it," she concluded as she drops my arm. "Maybe you should get Carlisle to –"

"He doesn't know," I interrupted her. "And I don't plan to tell him. And you shall not either." I fixed her with a glare. "I mean it Alice."

Alice frowned. "But he'll find out though."

"I know. But I don't want him or anyone else to freak out over this. It's not a big deal."

"But– " Alice started to say.

"Just drop it Alice. Please just respect my wishes."

"Fine then." She goes back to brushing her hair. I go to my room and get dressed. I chose to wear my designer jeans (which Rosalie kindly sent to me from her and Emmett's honeymoon in Paris a few years back) and my favourite plain white t-shirt. I place my black and white Element cap on my head (which Emmett had ordered for me from Australia to make me feel more at home) and head to the staircase. Alice and Jasper had already gone done. I could see all of them in the lounge room. I heard Alice laughing and Bella talking excitingly.

I leant against the rail and just stand there, debating whether I should go down.

Alice made the decision for me.

"Hey Shayla, come down and meet Bella," she called so Bella can hear.

I smiled politely as Bella looked up at me curiously. "Hi Bella."

Jasper called up to me as well. "Don't make me drag you down here."

"I rather jump over the edge then get beaten by you," I retorted while grinning slyly. I saw Edward whisper something to Bella who was glancing between me and Jasper. "Ignore them, they bicker non-stop. They don't mean it though," he added when Bella raised her eyebrows.

"Go on!" Jasper dared me. He doesn't think I will. Well some things change, especially when you've been away for a year.

I stepped out of his view line before charging at the rail. I propelled myself over the rail with one hand and land on easily, but not generally in a graceful way as Alice would've done, on the balls of my feet. I brushed my hair back from my face and grin.

Jasper looks surprised but he then adopts a smile. He seemed to forget that Bella is in the room as he strode towards me to hug me but I, remembering that a human was in the room, sidestepped him at vampire speed before holding a hand up signalling him to stop. A quick look from Alice also does the trick. He looks sheepish and stepped back from me. I decided to introduce myself to Bella.

"Hi, I'm Shayla. It's nice to meet you." I offered her my hand and she shook it. She smiled shyly at me and I smiled back. She seemed nice enough.

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Bella's POV

Shayla defiantly surprised me. As Edward and I drove up here, he warned me about her.

"She can be dangerous," he had said. "She is similar to Jasper in the way that she has limited control. But then again, Shayla is full of surprises. You never know what could happen with her."

But to me, she was just a nice and kind person. After she'd introduced herself, she had stepped away and stood by Jasper and Alice.

"Shayla had only recently rejoined the family." Carlisle explained to me. Edward flashed him a look and hissed something too low for my ears before glancing at Shayla. Carlisle ignored him but glanced at Shayla as well.

"What?" she asked, sounding rather annoyed. "You can tell her whatever you want, I don't really care. But I don't think it's necessary"

"I would like to know though," I said, throwing in my two cents.

"I just met up with some old friends in Alaska, nothing too major." She gave a shrug. "Tried to get rid of a couple of monsters up there but realised I too was one. So I ran back here to my family to beg their forgiveness. I also headed to Australia to find out more about my human life."

"I hardly think you had to beg," Carlisle commented. "We would of accepted you back here no matter what you had done."

"Thanks Dad. That means a lot to me," she smiled at him. I noticed that she always has a grin or smile on her face.

There is a brief silence before Shayla spoke again. "Anyyyyyyyway, moving on from my 'holiday'…"

Jasper and Alice sniggered and Edward coughed, hiding a laugh. I heard Carlisle chuckle and when I looked, Esme was smiling.

"Say Shayla," I began to say. "Edward mentions that each one of you brought your most dominant feature from your human life into this one. I'm curious, what did you bring?"

I heard her chuckle. "Glad you asked. When I was human, I could communicate with animals well, like I was one with them. So, I brought my connection with animals with me which practically morphed into me being nearly one of them. My sense of smell is heightened and I am more athletic then the others like for example, I have more stamina and better agility. Edward might be the fastest but I can run for longer even though I am slightly slower. I can partly shape-shift as well but only when my emotions become too much for me or when I'm hunting. My hearing is worse them my family's as well."

"Why?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Beats me. Maybe someone decided I needed a flaw."

She didn't say anymore. I wondered why. Shy perhaps?

Carlisle's expression distracted me from this train of thought; he was gazing meaningfully at Edward with an intense expression. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward nod once.

"Well, I have to step out for a minute. I'll see you all later," Shayla said from nearby. She shot Edward a look before running outside.



Shayla's POV

I kept running at human speed until I hit the woods. At the first tree, I scaled it with ease and leapt to the next, bounding from branch to branch like a spider monkey. I kept going until I am in what is our usual hunting area. I dropped from the branch I had stopped on and started to walk human-speed through the forest. What I was doing I didn't know but I knew I had to get out of the house. If I acted like my mind wanted me to do Bella… Bella wouldn't be here and neither would I. I would be a pile of ashes in the yard.

I hunted a herd of deer followed by a few small animals to ease my nerves and to calm down. I started to wash my hands in the river when I smell one of my siblings. The scent was too faint to tell who it was but I knew they were looking for me.

"Shayla!" I heard them call out. It was a female's voice.

I wondered whether to respond or not. They would find me anyway.

"By the river," I called, not loudly but as though they were only nearby.

I heard a crash of footfalls and then there is Alice standing in front on me. "Shayla, what are you doing?"

"Nothing. I just needed to be out of the house." I sat down on one of the large rocks lining the river. "Why did you look for me?"

She gave an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes. "To get you to come back, duh!"

She thought I was running away. "I'm NOT running away Alice," I growled. "I am merely staying the hell away from Bella so I don't kill her and my bro doesn't end up killing me in return."

Alice frowned. "That wouldn't happen. You know perfectly well that as much as I, even without seeing visions."

I snorted and stood up from the boulder I'm sitting on. "Alice, I had been drinking from humans for almost a year, and have recently become a 'vegetarian' again! What did you think would happen!? Seriously! Think about it!" I was angry, angry that she didn't understand how hard it was for me to resist and to act like her. She could be around humans and still be somewhat normal. Not me though.

She is silent but I know she was having a vision. She exhaled and said softly, "Calm down Shayla or you'll do something you will regret."

I scoffed. "Like what?"

She narrowed her eyes. Now, I know I'm not Edward but something about her face gives me the answer.

Me hurting her. My sister, my shopping partner, my best friend…

"No…" I whimpered. "Alice, you are my best friend. I wouldn't do that!"

"Shayla, Jasper says your rage and anger is over consuming you. That's why you are going to attack me."

I tried to calm down but I'm shaking. I gripped the rock that I sat on in an effort to keep myself steady but it shattered like it was nothing more than a clomp of dirt. I stood up from the remains of the rock while clenching my fists and staring at the ground. Others of my family are coming now. Do I care? Not really.

"Shayla…" Alice said as she takes a cautious step forward. "Did something happen in Alaska? Is that what is making you angry all the time."

Yes, I wanted to say. Yes, something did happen. Something that had shattered me and that had made me like this. But how to explain…

"He did this to me," I said softly. If I could cry, I would be doing it. Instead a dry sob escapes my throat as I let myself fall to the ground. I curled into a ball and leant my face onto my arms resting on my knees. I stopped myself from breathing.

Alice kneeled down. "Who did this to you?"

I managed to chock out a name. "Adrian."

"What did he do to you? Tell me Shayla."

I looked up and manage to silence my dry sobs temporarily . "I though he was the one, my mate. He became the one to hold me when I had done what I did. The one to comfort me when I expressed my longing to return home but when I knew I couldn't."

"But...?"

"He changed from the boy I loved. He became a bully. He told me that I belonged to him and I couldn't go home. He told me I was a monster and I should rot in hell for killing the monsters." I exhaled as I become angry. "But I knew it wasn't true. One day he tried to abuse me after I tried to leave him but I fought back. I managed to kill him before he could get a bite in. I knew I had to come back there and then. I needed my family, the one which I had left because I was sick of living by the rules. You know the rest of the story."

"Oh Shayla…" Alice reached out to me and rests her hand on my shoulder.

"Leave me Alice," I whispered as I push her hand off.

"But Shayla, you need to come back," she answered as she grips my arm hard. "Why do you think I'm here? We all want to help you."

Now I don't know why but the next thing I know that I do is that I just snapped. All the anger, all the rage that I have been holding in me and that has been building inside of me for months bubbled to the surface. I gave a snarl before I shouted, "Leave me alone Alice!" And I then shove her away, unintentionally with all my strength, from me. She is propelled into a tree, leaving a significant dent in it, before she scrambled to her feet. Shock and horror crossed her face just as Jasper bursts into the clearing. Jasper sees the dent in the tree by Alice and then me in a defensive pose, and he put two and two together.

"Shayla!" he roared as he ran at me. I braced myself for the crash but it doesn't come. Alice has her hand around his upper-arm in a shackle-like grip and is holding him back. Rage crossed Jasper's face. You never attacked another vampire's mate unless you wanted to die or be mauled.

"Jasper, stop it. I had foreseen it. If it wasn't me, it could have been Esme or Emmett or Rosalie," Alice told him. It was true of course. I felt like killing myself. How could I let that basterd of a vampire destroy myself? Hurt my family and friends? He might be dead but I was still wrecked and not me in any way.

And that's when I decided. That man might have broken me, but I will repair myself and make things right. I would return to being me.

"It's not going to happen again though," I stated so firmly that they jumped in surprise. "That was the past. But the future is bright for me, I am home and I will move past from what that bastard has done to me."

They exchanged looks. "So you'll start laughing and smiling like you used to again? And you won't stay cooped up in your room?" Jasper asked. I nod in response.

"And you'll stop being angry and violent?" Alice asked in a cautious voice but I grin at her.

"Hell to the yeah. Hey, I'll race you all back!" I answered before running off. I hear them laugh and they start to follow my complex track back through the woods.

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Chapter 7: Since when did vampire liked baseball?

Edward's POV

Bella and I were in my room. I had told her how I felt about her and how she makes me feel. I was worried that one day I'd say too much and she'll run away screaming. Bella guessed what I was thinking.

"You are still waiting for the running and screaming, aren't you?" she asked.

I felt a faint smile touch my lips and I nodded.

"I hate to burst your bubble, but you're really not as scary as you think you are. I don't find you scary at all, actually," Bella said to me, teasing me.

I raised my eyebrows in disbelief and flashed my sparkling teeth at her in a wide, wicked smile.

"You really shouldn't have said that," I chuckled at her before emitting a playful growl from my chest. I shifted into a crouch, like I was a lion that about to pounce onto a defenceless lamb.

Bella stepped back, glaring. "You wouldn't dare."

I launched myself at her and we crashed into the sofa, my arms held her tight so she was barely jostled. She tried to right herself but I curled her into a ball and held her as tight as I could without hurting her. She looked up at me in alarm but I merely grinned at her.

"You were saying?" I growled playfully at her again.

"That you're a very, very terrifying monster," she answered breathlessly, though I detect a hint of sarcasm.

"Much better," I approved, still grinning.

"Can I get up?" she asked and I laughed in response.

I heard and smelled Alice as she came up the stairs. She paused at the doorway and spoke for Bella's benefit, "Can we come in?" I could see Jasper at her shoulder and Shayla behind him, looking rather impatient and muddy.

Bella struggled to free herself and but I readjusted her so she was more conventionally sitting on my lap. "Go ahead," I chuckled.

Alice danced in, finding nothing unusual about our embrace. Jasper paused at the door, his expression one of shock, but Shayla, she simply bounded in and like Alice, finds nothing unusual about us. She turned to check on Jasper and waved a hand at him, beckoning him forward. He shook his head but Shayla sighed impatiently and tugged him in.

"If I can be in here, you can," she growled, too low for Bella to hear. Jasper growled a response but Shayla jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow, signalling him to be quiet.

Alice ignored them both and announced, "It sounded like you were having Bella for lunch, and we came to see if you would share."

Bella stiffened but I grinned. "Sorry, I don't believe I have enough to share."

"Oh we can change that," Shayla answered, her face and thoughts completely serious. I growled at her and she bared her teeth before giving a grin. "Chillax Edward, I would never do that." I glared at her for being such an idiot and I heard her thoughts response. "I was only playing around Edward." They were regretful and her eyes flickered for a brief second, the look in them was clearly an apology.

"Actually, "Jasper said, smiling. "Alice says that there's going to be a real storm tonight, and Emmett and Shay wanna play ball. You game?"

I hesitated, should I bring Bella?

"Of course you should bring Bella!" Alice chirped up and Shayla nodded in agreement. I thought I saw Jasper glance at them both.

"Do you want to go?" I asked her, rather excited.

"Sure," she answered. "Um, where are we going?"

"We'll have to wait for thunder to play– you'll see why," I promised.

"Will I need an umbrella?"

All four of us vampires laughed at her. Bella looked somewhat annoyed but yet again, still slightly amused.

"Will she?" Jasper asked Alice.

"No," She was completely positive, per usual. "The storm will hit over town. It should be dry enough in the clearing."

"Sweet as kangaroo blood!" Shayla exclaimed while grinning but it dropped as the rest of us stared at her. "What? Its vampire slang from Australia. I went there for a few months to dig up some info about my old family and I met up with some nomads. Kangaroo blood is very sweet in flavour."

I rolled my eyes at her insanely weird lingo and turned back to Bella. "Good then," Jasper said his voice rather enthusiastic.

"Let's go see if Carlisle will come," Alice suggested.

"Like you don't know," Jasper teased and Shayla snickered. And then they were swiftly on their way.

"What will we be playing?" Bella demanded.

"You will be watching," I clarified. "We'll be playing baseball."

I saw her roll her eyes. "Vampires like baseball?"

"It's the American pastime."

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Shayla's POV

"Yo Carlisle! Wanna play ball?" I called out to my father as I bounded into his study. The boys, well just Emmett really, had been teasing me about my gait– they said it was like of a kangaroo, always leaping, always bounding around.

He looked up and chuckled just as Alice danced in behind me followed by Jasper. "I guess I can't say no?"

"Nope!" Alice chirped in from behind me.

"Okay, I'm going to ride there on the bike and go up via the old dirt track," I said. "I'll meet you all there."

Before they could object I am in the garage hopping on my bike while slipping my helmet on. I rev the engine, loud deliberately– I heard Rose growl irritably from upstairs. I gave a small chuckle and I rode out.

Instead of heading down the road, I headed into the woods and find an old trail that is now a dirt bike track. I go over the old jumps, the noise echoing through the woods. I kill time for half an hour and then head to the giant clearing that we used to play baseball, football and other various sports and games in. Surrounded by woods and with a magnificent waterfall nearby, it was truly a beautiful place.

I pulled up at an outcrop of rocks where Carlisle, Rosalie, Esme and Emmett are sitting on. Jasper and Alice are throwing a baseball with their bare hands a few yards away, the ball almost invisible.

"What's up?" I said as I put the stand on the bike down and took my helmet off, pulling my hair out as I go.

"Nothin', just waiting for Ed and Bella to get here," Emmett replied, grinning as he reached up and ruffled my hair. I hate it when he does that.

"Hey, knock it off!" I said as I return it to its normal, neat state. "Rose, hurt him for me."

"Got it." Rosalie slapped Emmett in the back of the head. "Behave Emmett." Though it seemed like Rosalie and I didn't get along, we did. I just liked to annoy her. But I did love her, truly I did. And I knew that she loved me back.

I chuckled and dodged the punch that Emmett threw at me. Carlisle then darted off to make the bases just as Edward arrived, leading Bella out of the woods. Rosalie rose and stalked off towards the outfield with Emmett looking after her for a long time. I ran out to Jasper and Alice while Esme goes to meet Edward.

"What's up with Rose?" I murmured as low as I can but she still manages to hear me and shot a glare in my direction. I respond with my own.

Jasper whispers back. "I'll tell you later, okay?"

"Meh, whatever." I shrugged. It wasn't my business to know. "Right, Bella's here. Whose team am I on?"

"You can be on ours Shay-Shay," he replied. Alice starts to flit over to Edward and Bella. I followed, bounding over.

"Its time," she said to them. I looked up and a deep rumble of thunder shook the forest before crashing near the town.

"Eerie isn't it?" Emmett said to Bella.

We all headed into our positions. Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and I were on the batting team while Alice, Edward and Carlisle were fielding. Esme was the umpire. Alice was pitching and Jasper catching for the other team. To Bella's surprise, we didn't have gloves.

Esme called, "Batter up!" And then Emmett was on the base. Alice was her usually stealthy self and managed to get a strike in but on the second pitch, Emmett smacked the ball with the metal bat, making it sound a lot like thunder, into the outer woods. He would have got a homerun but Edward caught him out. I could hear Esme talking with Bella about the rules of the game and about how we played it. "I keep them honest," she said.

"She thinks we cheat," Emmett said to her, his tone clearly stating innocence. But we all knew better. After all, this was Emmett that we were talking about.

"I don't think you cheat, I know you cheat," Esme shot back and Bella giggled in response to Emmett's rather bewildered look. He soon recovered and laughed at himself and Bella. I turned my back to them and my attention back to the game.

Jasper had managed to hit a ground ball towards Carlisle to avoid Edward and then raced to second base, Carlisle shadowing him. My father and brother then smashed together, sounding like boulders smacking together, but Jasper was still safe. I saw Bella jump up in concern after their crash while I gave a laugh she sat down again. "They are tough Bella," I laughed. "They will be fine."

"My turn," I then said as I stepped up to the plate. I admit I was overconfident a bit. I held the bat in one hand and when Alice pitched, I swung it one handed, and hit the ball over Edwards's head and into the woods. I sprinted around the bases and I smell Edward running back. I was just past the third base when he emerged from the wood, his face discouraged. He saw me and I grinned. I leapt into my 'hunting run' aka, on all fours to everyone's shock. I leapt at the last moment when the ball pelted towards Jasper and crashed onto the base. I moved onto my side and look up at Esme. "So, am I out?"

"Safe," she said after a moment's deliberation. I grinned and pulled myself up, while high-fiving my siblings.

We were up by one. Rosalie flitted around the bases thanks to one of Emmett's long flies before Edward caught them both out, signalling the change over. I jogged out to pitch and we resumed play. Carlisle smacked a magnificent hit; it would've almost hurt my ears if I was human, so he and Edward both get home. The score kept changing to my disappointment and we went through several innings.

Carlisle was up to bat and I was the furthest out, between third and second base. And then, a scent in the forest catches my attention. I whipped my head around, nostrils flaring just as Alice gasped. Edward looked up at her and then at me. I twisted my head back and forth until I'm facing the direction where the smell is the strongest.

I ran back to the base where Carlisle is calmly dealing with Alice and Edward. "Can you make it?" he asked Edward.

"No, not carrying –" he cut short. "Besides the last thing we need is them to catch the scent and for them to start hunting."

"How many?" Emmett and I both asked Alice at the same time.

"Three," she answered tersely.

Emmett scoffed something about letting them come and I relaxed, but only a little. But I agreed with Emmett. "Yeah, there are eight of us and three of them."

No one agreed with me. Carlisle deliberated for a second before declaring us to continue with the game as they were only curious.

Esme asked Edward if they were thirsty and fortunately, they weren't. Esme was relived and so was I. Edward went to referee and sit with Bella while Esme was backstop. We all hovered in the infield and no one dared to hit harder then a bunt. I kept turning to keep catching the scent and to sweep the forest with my sharp eyes. The other kept doing the same.

Then the scent of the other, unfamiliar vampires was strong in the right field. I turned and called out to Carlisle. Everyone ran to him and we swept the forest with our sharp eyes before standing in front of Bella to hide her from view who had since taken her hair down.

"That won't help; I can smell her from across the field," Alice said to Edward.

"I know," he admitted sadly, a hint of frustration in his voice.

I fold my arms and stand protectively in front of Bella as we wait for our 'visitors' to enter the clearing as their footfalls become louder and louder.

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Chapter 8: Tracker

Shayla's POV

I gave a snarl as the three vampires emerged from the woods. The first male fell back allowing the other olive skinned, dark haired male to go forward, displaying who led the pack. The third was a woman with a startling amount of tangled, red hair.

As they approached close I noticed their gait was very cat-like and on the verge of slipping into a crouch. They were dressed in backpackers clothing with button-down shirts and jeans with heavy, water-proof fabrics. They were barefoot and their clothes were frayed with wear. Although the men had neatly cropped hair– the leader was down to his shoulders– the woman's was a wild, tangled mess of orange with leaves and debris from the forest caught in it. She seemed to walk like a feline of some kind.

The first man flashed a smile at us but I never relaxed my stance. I stood with my arms crossed slightly in front of Bella and between Edward and Jasper. Jasper elbowed me in the ribcage and shot me a disapproving look. I dropped my arms and relaxed my pose as the vampires crept forward. They reminded me of lone animals that are approaching a big group of their own kind.

The man in front was the most beautiful; I could admit that. His skin was olive-toned underneath the paleness and his hair a glossy black. He was of a medium build, hard muscled but he was nothing compared to Emmett's brawn.

The women was wilder, her eyes shifting between the men in front of her and the loose group crowded around Bella, her hair ruffling in the breeze. The second male hovered near her, his hand twitched towards hers. His light brown hair and regular features both nondescript. His eyes, though completely still, were somehow the most vigilant.

Their eyes were a deep burgundy red colour. I glanced at Bella to see her reaction. She gave a small shiver. I admit it did look scary; it made them look disturbing and sinister. That was how my eyes once looked.

The dark haired man then spoke. "I thought we heard a game," he said in a relaxed voice, with a touch of a French accent. "I am Laurent and this is Victoria and James." He gestured to the vampires behind him. Victoria gave a small nod of her head in greeting but James simply tilted his head, keeping a steady eye on Edward. I resisted the urge to growl.

Carlisle introduced us, calling us out in groups and not drawing attention to us. Bella seemed surprised that he called her name.

"Do you have room for a few more players?" Laurent asked sociably.

My father matched Laurent's friendly tone. "Actually we were just finishing up. But we'd certainly be interested another time. Are you planning to stay in the area long?"

"We're headed north, in fact, but we were curious to see who was in the neighbourhood."

"No, this region is usually empty except for us and the occasional visitor like yourselves."

I suspected that Jasper was using his gift to calm the situation from a tense atmosphere into casual conversation.

"What's your hunting range?" Laurent casually inquired.

Carlisle ignored the assumption behind the inquiry. "The Olympic Range here, up and down the Coast Ranges on occasion." I flashed him a disapproving look but he ignored me. "We keep a permanent resident nearby. There is another permanent settlement like our up near Denali."

Laurent rocked back on his heels slightly. "Permanent? How do you manage that?" There was honest curiosity in his voice.

"Why don't you come back to our home with us and we can talk comfortably?" Carlisle invited. "It's a rather long story."

Victoria and James exchanged a surprised look at the mention of 'home' but Laurent managed to control his expression better then them.

"That sounds very interesting, and welcome. We've been on the hunt all the way down from Ontario and we haven't had the chance to clean up in a while." His eyes moved appreciatively over Carlisle's refined appearance and that's when I realised what he just said. I opened my mouth in alarm but Esme shot me a look. I get a lot of those.

"Please don't take offence, but we'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from hunting in this immediate area. We have to stay inconspicuous, you understand," Carlisle explained.

"Of course," Laurent nodded. "We certainty won't encroach on your territory. We ate just out of Seattle anyway," he laughed. I bit my lip to stop myself saying something I will most likely regret.

"Well, we'll show you the way if you'd like to run with us– Emmett and Alice, you can go with Edward and Bella to get the Jeep. Shayla, you can get the bike and head with them as well," he casually added as we started to head off. I watched James carefully as he stared curiously at Bella. I didn't like the way he looked at her at all.

Then three things happened at the same time. One, Bella's hair rippled with the soft breeze that came over us suddenly, two, Edward stiffened and three, James suddenly whipped his head around to face Bella, his nostrils flared.

Edward and I dropped into a crouch followed by the rest of the family who darted back. Esme pulled Bella back and Edward bared his teeth, a feral snarl ripping from his throat. I snapped my teeth together and gave a deep growl. Victoria leapt into a crouch beside James and I lined up in her view, blocking Bella from her line of sight. I gave a snarl and she responded with a hissing noise. I feel my hands shake and then my silver, lion-like claws burst out of my fingertips.

"What's this?" Laurent exclaimed in open surprise but I merely hissed at him before baring my teeth menacingly like Edward. None of us relaxed our aggressive poses. James feinted to the side and Edward shifted in response. I flexed my claws menacingly.

"She's with us." Carlisle's firm rebuff was directed at James. I could see Laurent had caught the scent less powerfully then James but awareness dawned on his face.

"You brought a snack?" he asked and he took an involuntary step forward.

I gave a loud growl and removed my gaze from Victoria. "She's with us!" I snarled at him as I stepped forward, ready to rip him to shreds. Edwards snarled more harshly at him, his lip curling above his bared teeth. Laurent stepped back.

"We said, she's with us," Carlisle corrected in a hard voice.

"But she's human," Laurent protested, no aggressiveness in his voice, merely astonishment.

"Yes." Emmett was very much in evidence at Carlisle's side, his fixed eyes on James. James slowly straightened out as did Victoria and I but I could see that James's eyes never left Bella, his nostrils wide and flared. I gave a small snort and bared my teeth again. Edward stayed tense like a lion by my side.

When Laurent spoke again, his tone was soothing– trying to defuse the sudden hostility I guessed, Jasper could of done a better job. "It appears we have a lot to learn about each other."

"Indeed." Carlisle's voice was still cool and calm. How, I would never know.

"But we would like to accept your invitation." Laurent's eyes flicked between Bella, Carlisle and Edward. "And, of course, we won't harm the human girl. We won't hunt in your range, like we said."

James glanced in disbelief and aggravation at Laurent and exchanged a look with Victoria whose eyes were still flickering eagerly from face to face before resting on mine. I glared at her, challenging her for look away. She in turn glared back, daring me to do what I was doing to her.

"Stand down Shayla," Alice murmured from nearby. I gave an exasperated growl and at the same time, Victoria and I turned away from each other.

Carlisle, Esme Rosalie and Jasper were leading the foreign vampires across to the woods which led home. I followed the others, shielding Bella from sight to the other side of the woods. Not bothering to wait, I ran ahead, bouncing off the trees with Edward close behind followed by Alice and Emmett.

I got to the bike and turned to see Edward throw Bella in the back of the Jeep. Alice is in the front and Emmett in the back. I heard Edward growl a series of swear words and profanities before he got in the front seat and stomped on the accelerator.

I leapt on the motorbike and revved it angrily. I followed Edward and over take him as I think angrily to myself, knowing he would hear. I should rip their faces off!

But then, he turned away onto the highway, heading away from Forks. I missed the turn-off and shot past.

Idiot! I scream at him in my head. What the hell are you doing? Oi jackass!

I guess he didn't hear me. I scowled and go faster towards home. When I get there, I skid my bike in, nearly hitting Rose's car and sprinted into the house to find Rose, Carlisle, Esme, Jasper and Laurent.

"Shayla, where's the others?" Rosalie asked as I skid to a stop in the lounge room where Carlisle was having a civil conversation with Laurent.

"Edward's taking Bella away from Forks for some dumb reason," I growled. "And I'm assuming Emmett is helping him, the idiot. Alice won't go down without a fight, I bet." I then realised only one of our new 'guests' is present. "Hang on, where's Victoria and James?"

"I don't know," Laurent said sadly. "I believe James might start tracking the human and Victoria is helping him."

"What the fu-" I start to say but Jasper puts a hand over my mouth to stop my swearing. I gave him a dirty look and he released me. "Hate you Jazz."

He doesn't smile for once. 'What are we going to do about this Carlisle?" he asks Carlisle instead.

"I know what I'm going to do!" I ranted. "I'm going to rip James's face off!"

"No Shayla," Carlisle said. He had a firm grip on my arm. "I know you now consider Bella a member of the family and I also know how protective you are of us but for now we need to consider our options."

"I see only one option," I growled. "Kill him or let him kill Bella. Your choice Carlisle."

"There are other options Shayla," he said again, firm and calm. Esme glanced between us and Jasper placed his arm on my shoulder. I look up at him.

"You agree, right Jasper?" I asked. He doesn't answer which bugs me.

"What are the other options?" he then asked Carlisle.

"We wait until Edward comes home and then we'll figure it out," he said, still calm.

"But that could take ages!" I protested. "Edward is stubborn! He would do what he thinks is best for Bella."

Before anyone could answer me, I flip out my phone and speed-dial Alice. "Alice, what's going on?"

"We are heading back now. Bella's telling her father that she is going home to Phoenix. Jasper and I are going with her while Edward, Emmett and everyone else stays to hunt James," she explained. She knows that I would know that James was a tracker.

"What do you want me to do? Protect or hunt?" I ask.

"Come with us, we'll need you."

I sigh. I wanted to hunt James. "Okay. Are you heading home now?"

"Yes. Shayla, please be careful and don't go after him now."

"I won't," I promised even though I was seriously considered it "I'll see ya soon."

"Bye Shay-Shay," she hung up and I turned to the family. "You heard all that?"

They nodded and we stay silent for a moment until Rosalie decided to speak.

"Why should we help her in the first place anyway?" Rosalie asked. I give a feral snarl at her. Rosalie hissed back sounding like an angry snake. "She is causing nothing but trouble," she hissed angrily.

"Bella is with Edward Rosalie," I snarled, sneering her name slightly. "And I don't know about you, but I protect my family. Even if it does so happen to include a human."

Rosalie bared her teeth and sneered at me. I growled and bared my teeth back at her in return. She shifted into a crouch-like position, a sign that she may attack. Rose and I rarely fought, but when we did, it was horseplay just like I was wrestling with my brothers. But I had never attacked her seriously in an attempt to harm her or worse, tear her to shreds.

I don't adjust my body to an attacking position. Instead I fold my arms and narrow my eyes at her. "I won't fight you Rosalie."

She glared at me and I glared back. "Why Shayla do you need to protect her?" she then asked.

"'Cause Edward would kill me if I wouldn't. You know me Rosalie; I protect my family and friends– even if it means getting injured in the process or even killed."

"You are willing to sacrifice your life for Bella?" she asked, quite surprised.

"Yes," I simply say, bowing my head.

She seems to consider straightening up but instead she shifted forward. I shift into a crouch position, identical to hers. So she still wanted to fight eh?

"Stop it you two," Esme cut in, her mothering voice on. "Fighting isn't going to solve anything."

"It might solve her attitude problem," I murmured, knowing fully well that Rosalie would hear me.

She hissed again and gave me the 'Ice Queen' stare. "Shut up Shayla."

"Make me," I replied, rather immaturely.

"I'll make you," she snarls coldly. Carlisle and Esme glanced between us, wondering whether to intervene or not but they know that once Rosalie and I started to argue, almost nothing will shut us up. She was pigheaded and I was just as stubborn.

"Two words." I give a smirk. "Bring it."

Rosalie launched at me so fast that she's a blur but yet, I still had time to sidestep her easily. Well not sidestep exactly, but rather leaping out of the way. She turned and snarled at me. I growled in response. She tried to leap at me again and that's when I decide to infuriate further.

She threw punches and swipes at me which I dodged easily when I recite my favourite lines from the TMNT movie. "Funny thing about anger… Let it consume and soon enough…" I ducked underneath her outstretched arm and creep behind her, and whispered the next line near her ear. "You lose sight of everything."

She swiped again, spinning around for me but I am behind her again, where I was standing from originally. She glared at me. "You are nothing but a stupid and immature smart-ass Shayla."

"And you are nothing but a pigheaded ***** Rosalie," I countered, dropping my smirk and baring my teeth slightly. This was one of the worst fights we have ever had.

We stared angrily at each other for a long time before Jasper intervenes. "Rose, Shay, stop it now! Fighting isn't going to solve anything. Right?"

I nodded with my jaw tight. "Yeah, yeah, I guess. Sorry Rosalie."

She flared her nostrils. "Sorry Shayla. And you're right Jasper."

I suddenly whipped my head around. I smelled Bella's scent along with Edward's, Alice's' and Emmett's. I also smelled James's but his is further away. I snorted with frustration. "I can smell the tracker. His scent is sickening."

"I know," Jasper says softly. "Just don't breathe."

I hold my breath and the absolutely foul stench disappears almost completely. But the taste-like sensation stays in my throat.

The door flew open and Emmett raced in, clutching Bella. Edward and Alice soon follow. Laurent, who has remained quiet the whole time, rose from the couch. I heard Emmett give a grumble as he set Bella down beside Edward.

"He's tracking us," he announced, glaring balefully at Laurent.

Laurent's face was unhappy. "I was afraid of that."

Alice danced to Jasper and whispered in his ear; her lips quivering from her almost silent speech. They then flew up the stairs together. I decided to fly up as well. Not bothering to use the stairs, I ran towards the wall by the side of stair case and leapt, bound off it, grab the railing in one hand and propel myself over it. I ran into my room, almost breaking the door, and grabbed a backpack from my closet. I stuffed a change of clothes in there and headed back downstairs, slinging the bag over my back as I went.

Laurent was talking again. "Are you sure it's worth it?" He was talking to Carlisle about Bella, no doubt. Edward let loose an enraged roar and I gave a furious growl. I also heard an angry snarl come from Alice as well. Laurent turned to look at me for a moment before cringing back.

Carlisle ignored me, Alice and Edward and turned and said gravely to Laurent "I'm afraid you have to make a choice."

Laurent understood what he meant. He deliberated for a moment. His eyes took in every face, and finally swept the bright room.

"I'm intrigued by the life you've created here. But I won't get in the middle of this. I bear none of your enmity, but I won't go up against James. I think I'll head north- to that clan in Denali." he hesitated. "Don't underestimate James. He's got a brilliant mind and unparalleled senses. He's every bit as comfortable in the human world as you seem to be, and he won't come at you head on… I'm sorry for what's been unleased here, truly sorry." He bowed his head and I saw him flicker a curious look towards Bella.

"Go in peace," Carlisle said formally and Laurent hurried out the door.

The silence didn't last long.

"How close?" Carlisle asked Edward and me.

I sniffed, trying to pick up a scent. "By the river, about 3 to 4 miles out. The female's is further away, around 5 miles away."

I looked at Edward for conferment. Hr nodded at me and Carlisle. "He plans to meet with her."

"What's the plan?"

"We'll lead him off; and then Shayla, Jasper and Alice will run her south."

"And then?"

Edward's tone was deadly. "As soon as Bella is in the clear, we hunt him. Shayla can run back if she's like."

"I guess there's no other choice," Carlisle agreed with his face rather grim.

"No, I think it's better if I stay with Jazz and Alice," I cut in, my face determined. Edward saw this and said no more, before turning to Rosalie.

"Go upstairs and trade clothes," he commanded but she merely stared back at him with livid disbelief.

Bad move Edward.

"Why should I?" she hissed. "What is she to me? Except a menace- a danger you've chosen to inflict on all of us."

I saw Bella flinched back from the absolute venom in Rosalie's voice.

"Rose…" Emmett murmured, putting one hand on her shoulder. She shook it off.

"Shut up Rose!" I suddenly snapped at her. "You're not helping!"

I turned to Edward, knowing of his temper. But he ignored her, and acted as though she hadn't spoken, or even existed.

"Esme?" he asked calmly. Esme would, I knew she would.

"Of course," my mother murmured and then she took Bella upstairs.

I could hear Rosalie arguing almost silently with Emmett. I rolled my eyes and pulled out my mobile. I hit speed dial for my Australian vampire friend, Matthew.

"What are you doing?" Carlisle asked curiously.

I put the phone to my ear before answering. "My friend Matt is in town. I want him to take my bike, so James will think it's a decoy."

I hear a Matt answer the pone. "What's up Shayla?"

"Hey, Matty-boy, how's it going? Listen, I need a favour. We got a small tracker problem and I need you to take my bike for a few days."

He didn't ask for details. "When?"

"Now."

"I'll be 5 minutes," he promised.

"You know where our place is? It'll be out the front," I said as I ran out into the garage and started wheeling the bike out.

"Yeah, okay then. See you soon Shay."

"Peace out bro," I said as a goodbye. Matt and the rest of his friends, both boys and girls, were like adopted brothers and sisters to me while I stayed in Australia for a few months. I heard a small chuckle from him and then the line goes dead. I snapped the phone shut with a twist of my fingers.

"What now?" I asked when I run back into the house. Bella and Esme are back. Esme is in Bella's clothes and Bella in Esme's. Everyone was ready to leave and Carlisle was handing out cell phones to Esme and Alice. He was also was giving last minute instructions to Bella and Edward.

"Will they take the bait Alice?" he then asked Alice. She closed her eyes and became still.

"He'll track you. The woman will follow the truck."

"Will Matt be okay? On the bike?"

She nodded. "He'll head back to his hiding place, a cave in the mountains. I see two girls and a boy with him."

I think before giving a nod. "Ah… Maddy, Tiff and Theo. Theo is his best friend, Maddy is his mate and Tiff is Theo's mate." I turn away from her face and glance out the window, now worried. What if my friends got hurt because of me?

"Let's go," Carlisle walked toward the kitchen.

I walked there with them just as Edward pulled Bella to his side. He seemed unaware that his whole family was watching as he lifted Bella and kissed her with her feet off the floor. I glanced away, feeling uncomfortable and when I glanced back, he was gone along with Emmett and Carlisle. The others looked away from Bella as she had tears coming down her face streaking noiselessly. I walked over to her and held a hand on her shoulder, as gently as I could, to comfort her.

"Bella, it'll be okay," I whispered, even though I didn't know if it would be.

She made no moment or sound to say that she heard me. The silence seemed to drag on before Esme's phone rang. It was at her ear in a flash.

"Now," she said. Rose stalked out the door, throwing a glare at Bella and I. Esme followed but lingered by Bella, her cold hand brushing her check.

"Be safe," she whispered before turning to me. "Take care of her Shayla."

"I will Mom," I murmured. "I promise."

She slipped out the door and we heard the truck thunder for a moment before slowly fading away. Then the roar of my motorbike was heard before it too faded away.

We waited. Alice's phone rang and was at her ear before it seemed to ring. "Edward says that the woman is on Esme's trail. I'll get the car."

I followed her and slid into the front seat. As it slowly backed out, I sighed and threw my head back. She shot me a questioning look while raising her eyebrows.

"I said it would be okay," I mumbled. "I told her it'll be fine. But what if it's not, what if I'm wrong?"

"I don't know," she frowned. "There are a thousand decisions being made by everyone, it's impossible to see."

We stopped then and she ran into the house and returned with Bella in her arms. She slid her into the back seat before following and Jasper slid into the driver's seat.

"Let's go," I said impatiently and we pulled out into the dark night, leaving the bright lights behind us.

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Chapter 9: Waiting

Shayla's POV

The car ride was long even though we raced through the empty freeways at twice the legal speed. It was quiet except for the almost-silent purring of the Mercedes and Bella's occasional sobs and uneven breathing. She tried to evade sleep and during the night, she ended up leaning against Alice; somehow her cold, hard skin seemed to comfort her. Alice's shirt was wet from Bella's tears that had run her tired eyes dry.

'Poor girl,' I thought. I felt terribly guilty and sorry for her. When I felt this as we were entering Phoenix, Jasper took a hand off the wheel and held mine in a brotherly gesture.

"I know," he whispered, so low that Bella wouldn't hear. "I know what you are feeling Shayla, but it's not your fault."

"It might as well be though," I murmured back. "Perhaps if I hadn't defended her like I did–" He cuts me off there.

"Shayla, I know how you feel about her. She's like a sister to you now and you'll do anything for her, right?"

"Right," I sighed as I released his hand and moved it back to my lap. I turn to check on Alice and Bella. Bella was staring out the window, her eyes not focusing on the scenery that shot past us. I flashed Alice a concerned look.

"Which way to the airport Bella?" Jasper asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Stay on the One-Ten," she answered automatically. "We'll pass right by it."

"Are we flying somewhere?" she then asked Alice.

"No, but it's better to be close though, just in case."

I turned back to the front as we were entering the loop of road around the airport. About halfway through, gentle snoring could be heard from the backseat. Bella had fallen asleep. How I'd envied her, I wish I could sleep again and dream.

"How much further?" I asked Jasper.

"There is a hotel nearby. That's where we are going to stay for the time being."

A few minutes later we pulled up at the hotel. Alice paid for a decent room using a fake credit card– Rachel Lee was the name on the side– and we half-carried, half-dragged an exhausted Bella to the room on the fourteenth floor.

As soon as we were inside the small room with the door closed and locked, I lifted Bella and carried her to the bedroom where a queen-sized bed lay. I pulled back the covers and place her gently on the bed before pulling the covers back up over her. I crept to the open door and scanned the other room for her bag. As on cue, Jasper came in the door with it. He handed it to me in silence and I placed it on the dresser. I tiptoe back out and shut the door silently.

I exhaled with relief as I lied down on the plain couch. Jasper sat on the arm and Alice prodded my leg impatiently, wanting me to move. I swung my legs off and instead leant onto the side of the couch, my arms at my side. Alice sat herself down beside me and glanced at me. "Are you okay Shayla, how are you holding up?"

"I'm fine," I replied. "I'm only worried about Bella. And the rest of the family." I added.

"I'm sure their fine," Jasper said. "Alice would have seen if anything would go wrong and they would have called."

"True, but you can't help but feel worried; it's like a gut feeling or something. Do you know what I mean?" I cocked my head to the side, looking at him curiously.

"Of course we do Shayla," Alice patted my shoulder. I tilt my head back, close my eyes and just let the scent of my family and Bella fill my nostrils.

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Jasper's POV

I watched Shayla uneasily. All she was doing was breathing, breathing in our scent and Bella's. So if James even tried to enter Phoenix, Shayla would be onto him.

She was worried and slightly scared, I could feel it. And so was I too. How long could she last here with a human? Even though she had recovered slightly from the incident yesterday in the forest, she was still as uneasy and volatile as a newborn. It was like her first day as a vampire all over again…

We walked back slowly as she was in no rush to go home. We had just finished her first hunting trip. When we got closer to the house by following the river, Alice was waiting on the branch of a huge tree,

"Have fun?" she asked while raising an eyebrow and leaping down gracefully.

"Um… yes?" Shayla answered while giving a shrug of her shoulders.

"Yeah, we did," I answered for her. "She's a natural."

Alice smiled. "Just so you know Shayla, Emmett is planning to jump you when you get back. He wants to have a wrestling match."

"Wrestling?"

"Surprising eh?" I laughed. "He wants to verse someone new because Alice and Edward cheat, Esme gets angry if we really go for it as we usually do and Rosalie won't get her hair messed up."

Shayla grinned. "Alright then, cool. He better bring it then," I could feel eagerness pouring off her.

"Just be careful," Alice warned. "As a general rule, newborns are much stronger in their first year then other vampires because of the human blood still in your body. Human blood makes you stronger then animal blood. Look at your eyes in the river."

Shayla walked to the riverbed and bent down to see her reflection in the water surface. I lent over her shoulder as she peered into the water. She did a double-take when she saw her eyes.

"My eyes… their red…" she whimpered but then she glanced back at us. "But yours are gold."

"Yes, 'vegetarian' vampires eyes are gold but newborn and non-vegetarian vampires are red. Yours will go gold over the course a year, if you keep drinking animal blood."

"Of course, I don't think I could ever kill a human." she replied, shaking her head.

"You would be surprised how many newborns say that but end up doing it anyway," I replied and I felt sadness and disappointment radiate off her. "But with our help, I think you can resist."

Shayla smiled and I can tell that she is happy, nothing but happy. But then that smile turns into a wicked smirk.

"So I'm stronger eh?" she chuckled. "Well maybe I can give Emmett a little surprise."

I glanced at Alice. "She's evil," I joked.

"Diabolical," she answered with a small giggle. "I can see what you're going to do and I must say that's a very useful gift."

"What?" Shayla and I said at the same time.

"Shayla has improved sense of smell and she is more athletic then us. She is more animal-like as well. You should see her agility!" Her words tumbled out and I could feel that her mood was soaring. She was so excited, I swear she could have been hyped up on sugar (not that she would be) and no one could have noticed the difference.

"That sounds really cool!" Shayla exclaimed to our surprise. "I'll have to experiment a bit and find out what I can do." She gave an enormous grin and more happiness flooded off her. "But what I was doing, while hunting… was that a part of my gift?" She tilted her head to the side in confusion and Alice nodded in response. Shayla's grin becomes wider, if that was possible.

Then with superhuman speed, she took off and that's when I noticed her skills for the first time. She changes direction and dodges the trees so fast that it was obvious that she was gifted. The most uprising thing of all was when she came to a huge oak that stood in our way; she simply leapt up it and climbed like a spider monkey through the branches before leaping off and climbing through the next couple of trees. All vampires could climb but when she did it, it was much quicker and obviously easier. When we got to the edge of the back yard she dropped down with ease and landed gracefully. I gave her a small smile and sent a wave of confidence at her.

"Are you doing this Jasper?" she asked me and I nodded. "That's a pretty cool gift but I assume it does get annoying right? Feeling what everyone else is feeling." I nodded again and she gave a smile. She touched my arm gently and all I feel from her is love.

She loved me as a brother. Even though we had known each other for only a few days, she thought of me as her brother and truly loved me. Not just me but everyone else: Carlisle, Esme, Alice, Edward, Emmett and even Rosalie. She loved them all so much, especially Emmett, Alice and I.

Then as on cue, Emmett charged out with the goofiest grin on his face, ready to grab her. Shayla turned smiling too and dodged his swipe for her with ease. Emmett seemed surprised. "You're quick," he noted to which she grinned in response.

"Yeah, cool isn't it?" she said back grinning like mad. "It's weird but for once I feel like I belong somewhere, for a change."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Emmett asked. Shayla hesitated before answering.

"Let's just say that my human life wasn't all that good, let's leave it at that shall we?" Her eyes seemed to fill with sadness when she said this and no one spoke for a while.

"What now?" she then asked, breaking the silence.

"Esme just fixed up your room," Emmett told her. "So you won't have to bunk with Shorty here anymore," he added with a laugh and Alice stuck her tongue out at him.

Shayla chuckled but then stopped short. "Wait did you say, my own room?" She seemed very surprised at the thought of her very own room.

"Yep!" Alice was very excited.

"So I'm like, family now?" she asked. Emmett and I glanced at each other before grinning.

"Welcome to the family!" we exclaimed at the same time and we then laughed at her shocked face which soon turned into a grin.

"Alice, Jasper, Emmett!" Esme called from the house, scowling us. "Stop torturing the poor girl!"

We laughed again, with Shayla joining in, as we entered the house. Esme's mouth dropped as she saw Shayla. She was caked in mud, dirt, leaves and blood. "Jasper, what did you do to her?!"

I chuckled. "Nothing Esme, she's just a natural hunter."

Esme bites her tongue to avoid laughing but I can tell that she's amused. "Well, why don't you have a shower Shayla? Rosalie went shopping for you and bought you a brand new wardrobe."

"I hope she didn't buy skirts or dresses. I HATE wearing them. I didn't wear them as a human and I'm not going to start now."

"Alice looked into your future and said that she saw you never wearing a dress so a disgruntled Rosalie bought you t-shirts and jeans."

Shayla grinned. "Alright then, shower time. I stink!" She ran up the stairs, two at a time.

"Oh, how can she hate wearing dresses and skirts?" Alice exclaimed as she ran in. "I will have to persuade to wear at least one!"

"Oh sure Alice," Shayla said, sounding partly sarcastic. "When hell freezes over!" She gave a booming laugh as she turned on the shower.

I gaze uneasily at Shayla. After a moment, she opened her eyes and glanced at me. "What?"

"Nothing, I'm just worried about you," I answer. She glared at me, which reminded me of Rosalie.

"I'm not a kid Jasper," she grumbled as she turned the T.V and watched it with an uninterested gaze in her eyes. "So stop worrying about me."

She was annoyed. Shayla was a proud person and hated being looked after. It was like me in a way, I guessed.

Alice suddenly sat up and walked to the door of the bedroom where Bella was sleeping. "Bella's going to wake up in a few minutes."

I nodded my head in response and Shayla gave a small noise from her nose. Not quite a snort but more sounding like she exhaled quickly. She was frustrated.

I was used to her ever-changing emotions. It was like being on a roller-coaster that never ended. I had recently taken it on myself to watch her emotions. She was happy that she was back but sad because she missed her friends in Australia. She was frustrated that she couldn't control herself and she was irritated that resisting was so hard.

But now, all she was emitting was worry. She was completely worried about something. I suspected that it was her family. Of course it would be, I corrected myself.



Shayla's POV

The early morning went slow as Jasper, Alice and I watched the T.V without interest and as we waited for Bella to awake. Around 3 AM, Alice announced that Bella was waking up in a few minutes. I exhaled through my nose too quickly, making a small noise to which Alice glanced at me in alarm. I rolled my eyes at her. She tutted impatiently and heads into the bedroom.

"I better go get some food for Bella," I said to Jasper. "Edward wouldn't be happy if she starved."

"Alright," he answered and I exited the room going as fast as I can in human speed.

I head down into the dining room of the hotel. A kind looking women is at the counter of the buffet, placing fresh food in. It looks slightly appetizing but I know I couldn't deal with the slimy, disgusting gunk sliding down my throat only to be thrown up later.

"Hello dear. What can I do for you?" she smiled at me.

"Hi. My friend and I just checked in and we just wanted to get some food," I said to her. I wouldn't have a clue of what Bella would like to eat.

"Oh, of course. Help yourself."

"Well, I would but I'm not sure what my friend would like. Perhaps you can help me?"

The woman takes a platter and stacks on some of the most expensive things on. I resist the urge to snort with disbelief. She handed me the platter back, now covered with a metal dome, and I handed her the small wad of money that Carlisle had bestowed upon me. She took two twenties out and handed me back the money.

"Keep the change," I muttered as I head back upstairs.

"Food is here," I announced as I enter the hotel room, balancing the platter expertly on one hand. I placed it on the coffee table and sat back on the couch, leaning back again. "Anything new?"

"No." Jasper shook his head before he looked up at me with his slowly darkening eyes. "Alice has gone in to talk to Bella."

I nodded before giving a tired sigh and sat on the floor beside the couch near Jasper. I leant against his leg and for once, I didn't try to control my emotions around him. I was so worried, not just about Bella, but about Esme, Carlisle, Emmett, Edward and even Rosalie. I was sorry that I had fought with her and called her a *****. I gnawed my bottom lip, like I was a human again, as I think. Jasper sent a wave of love and calm at me. I sighed again and looked up at him. He places a hand on my shoulder as we watch the TV again, with him sending another wave of calm at me.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on nothing but the calm he sent at me. Jasper was my brother, my best friend, even my mentor in a way. He taught me everything that there was to know about vampires and guided me through my newborn years. I loved him.

His hand moves from my shoulder and I flinch, forgetting he was there. "I love you too Shayla," he murmured to me from the couch.

"You better," I smiled at him.

Chapter 10: An apology

Shayla's POV

Bella and Alice emerged from the bedroom minutes later. Bella sat on the floor while I laid across the couch on my stomach, my feet up on the arm next to Alice; Jasper had since gone to sit at the desk in the corner, as far away from Bella as possible. I would have gone further away but one, I didn't want to be rude, and two, I couldn't really be bothered. A quick look in the mirror told me that my eyes were starting to darken and a dull ache in the back of my throat confirmed that I was starting to get thirsty. However, it was fairly easy to ignore and if I could get a chance, I would hunt at night or perhaps now, just to be safe. I wondered if Alice would agree to this.

She caught my eye and gave such a small nod that it went undetected by Jasper. Usually Jasper never missed those small movements that Alice and I made at each other as a silent conversation.

Bella picked at her food, not really caring what it was. I tilted my head towards her and looked at her for a moment before resting my head back on my crossed forearms to watch the TV. Nothing held my interest and I soon became still, so still that I ceased to breathe.

Alice shifted near my feet and I glanced back around at her to find her looking down at Bella.

"What's wrong, Alice?" she asked my sister.

"Nothing's wrong…" Alice answered with her golden eyes were wide, honest… I suspected Bella didn't trust them. And nor did I.

"What do we do now?" Bella asked.

"We wait for Carlisle to call," Alice answered calmly.

"And should he have called by now?" She was right of course. Carlisle was meant to call by now. Alice's eyes flickered to her silver phone resting on top of her leather bag and back to Bella's face.

"What does that mean?" Her voice quavered but she fought to control it. "That he hasn't called yet?"

"It means that they don't have anything to tell us." Alice's voice was even and calm.

Jasper stood and moved to beside Alice, standing closer to Bella then he usually would. "Bella," he said in a suspiciously soothing tone. "You have nothing to worry about. You are completely safe here."

"I know that," she answered, as she abandoned the food.

"Then why are you frightened?" he asked, confused. Jasper might have been able to read the tenor of someone's emotions but knowing the reason behind them was something different altogether.

"You heard what Laurent said," she said in a whisper that came out sounding like a whimper. "He said James was lethal. What if something goes wrong, and they get separated? Carlisle, Emmett… Edward…" She gulped. "If that wild female hurt Esme…" Her voice rose in volume and seemed to have a touch of hysteria added to it. "How could I live with myself when it's my fault! None of you should be risking yourselves for me –"

"Bella, Bella, stop," Jasper interrupted her, his words pouring out so quick that Alice and I could understand them but I was pretty sure whether that Bella couldn't as easily. "You are worrying about all the wrong things, Bella. Trust me on this– none of us are in jeopardy. You are under too much strain as it is; don't add to it with wholly unnecessary worries. Listen to me!" he suddenly ordered when she turned her head away from him. "Our family is strong. Our only fear is losing you."

"But why should you –" Bella started to say but it was Alice who interrupted this time, touching Bella's cheek with her cold fingers.

"It's been almost a centaury since Edward's been alone," she said softly. "Now he's found you. You can't see the changes we see, we who have been with him for so long. Do you think any of us would want to look into his eyes for the next hundred years if he loses you?"

Her words stuck a cord with me. I had too noticed that he was no longer sullen, no longer unhappy and feeling alone in the house. We were the only ones to not have a mate but I didn't mind, I was too busy being a teenage vampire to notice much. Of course I spent time with my two closest friends/ siblings in the world, Alice and Jasper but when they needed time to themselves, I was always careful not to intrude on them. And it always ended up me and Edward spending time together, being brother and sister. Carlisle once hoped that perhaps I could become Edward's mate– but the feeling remained at brotherly and sisterly love. There was nothing more, and nothing less. I could see first hand of how depressed Edward was.

And I could see how happy he was now. Bella had lit up a light in his life and I was sure as hell that I wasn't going to let some sadistic tracker take it away from him.

I stood from the couch and walked to the door. "Going out for a while, I'll be back before dawn."

I could feel Alice's eyes burning into my back as I left the hotel room.

There wasn't much to hunt in the city. I stuck to the ally ways and away from the streets, fighting my gut instinct to go climb up a fire escape and snatch a defenceless human while they slept. It would be so easy and so simple, but no… I mustn't think that way.

Instead, I found some stray cats near a restaurant exit, fighting over scraps in the dumpster. Their scent imitated what their blood tasted like – foul and unappetising. But it would have to do until I got home. I drained them quickly and hid them down the sewer drains. I still had a dry ache in my throat but it was less noticeable and easier to ignore.

I jogged at human pace through the slowly lightening streets back to the hotel. I slipped in unseen but instead of returning to the room, I headed up to the rooftop and stayed in the shade of a maintenance shed and watched the sun rise. I know I had promised Alice that I would be back before dawn but I didn't want to go down yet.

I flipped out my cell and turned it on. I went to my contacts list and went down it until I got down to the 'Rs'.

Rosalie's name was the only one there. My thumb hovered over the call button as I debated with myself. She needed an apology, a real one this time, not just a mumble. I regretted calling her a stuck-up *****; it was just the heat of the moment. Her words about me though had been spot on. I was a smart-ass and I was immature. Therefore, I was an immature smart-ass.

"I wonder if Alice could see me deciding," I said aloud to no one but myself as I pressed the button.

It rang twice before it was answered. But not by the person I hoped.

"Shayla?" My mother's voice sounded worried as she answered. "What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine Esme," I said quietly, in case anyone journeyed up onto the roof. "I just wanted to talk to Rosalie."

"Of course," she murmured. I heard nothing but silence for a few seconds as she assumingly passed the phone to Rosalie.

"What?" Rose's cold, hard voice blared out at me. "What do you want Shayla?

I sighed wearily. Rosalie could be such a drama queen sometimes. Resisting the urge to bite her head off for being so impatient, I instead said, "I just wanted to apologise for my rude comments. They were spur-of-the-moment and unjustified. My behaviour was unacceptable and unprovoked." I swallow a mouthful of venom before continuing on. "So, basically what I'm trying to say here is that I am sorry. I'm sorry for being stubborn and impatient. I'm sorry for being immature and a smart-ass. And I'm sorry for calling you things which you are not. I –"

She cut me off and gave a hiss of annoyance. "You called me up to apologise for one little fight?" She gave a high pitched laugh and I gave a low growl at her. "Seriously Shayla, are you going soft on me?"

"How can you laugh? I thought you were mad at me?" I snarled at her.

She sighed impatiently. "I was. But with the way you've been lately, I'm surprised that you took it out on me so calmly. You've been crabby even when you're not thirsty, so I decided last night that I could forgive you. After all you're only sixteen."

"Physically sixteen," I corrected her in a hard voice. "But emotionally and mentally, I'm nearing my forties. I should know better."

"As should I Shay. I knew how easy you lash out and I went against my instincts to shut up. I should be apologising too. You are not stupid, even if some of your decisions and choices have not been smart." She paused, probably wondering if she'd offended me.

But I nodded to myself. "Yes, that's defiantly true."

"And you're not a smart-ass. You are quite witty, which I love so much about you," she replied before giving another sigh. "So long story short, I'm sorry. Do you forgive me?"

"I do. Do you, in turn, forgive me?"

"Yes. I love you Shayla, never forget that."

"I love you too. I have got to go now, the sun's coming up. Tell Mom I love her." I glanced behind me at the slowly lightening sky. "Bye Rose."

"Bye Shay." The phone hangs up with a beep and I snap mine shut. I couldn't help but smile at it. Rosalie and I may have had our disagreements, or fights if you will, but we always, always, made up after it.

I head back downstairs and go back to the hotel room. Jasper was on the lounge by himself. He raised an eyebrow as I entered. "So?"

"So what?" I asked, confused as I stood before him.

"You know what Shayla. Alice told me. I can sense that you're feeling relieved now," he answered, lifting his head from the TV to look at me. "Did Rosalie accept your apology?"

I nodded. "She didn't even expect one."

"Because she loves you," he murmured gently. "You have had plenty of fights over the decades. What makes this one different? That it's over your brother and his girlfriend?"

I shrug. "I don't know Jasper, I honestly don't know. You know I hate to fight but if it's to protect my family, I will."

He nodded and hugged me. "I understand."

That's when I notice Alice and Bella are missing. "Where are Alice and Bella?" I asked.

Jasper nodded his head at the door to the bedroom. "Bella went to sleep but now she and Alice are talking about how you become a vampire. Edward didn't tell her and he doesn't want her to now. But Bella wanted to know."

I listened and I could hear Alice talking. "It's not very pleasant."

I walked towards the room and opened the door a crack. Bella was lying curled up in bed with her chin resting on her knees while Alice sat on the end of her bed with her legs crossed. Bella looked up when I entered and I nodded in her direction as a greeting. Alice kept her back to me while Bella spoke. "Edward said it was very hard to do… I don't quite understand."

"We're also like sharks in a way," Alice explained carefully while Bella and I listened intently even though I knew how you could become a vampire. "Once we taste the blood, or even smell it fit that matter, it becomes very hard to keep from feeding. Sometimes impossible. So you see, to bite someone, to taste the blood, it would begin the frenzy. It's difficult on both sides– the blood lust on one hand, the awful pain of the other."

"Why do you think you can't remember?" Bella asked.

"I don't know. For everyone else, the pain of the transformation is the sharpest memory they have of their human life. I remember nothing of being human." Her voice was wistful, almost sad. I wrapped an arm around her and hugged her gently.

And there we sat, each of us wrapped up in our own individual thoughts. I removed my arm from Alice's shoulders and folded it across my chest, staring at the floor thinking hard.

But then Alice leapt up, landing nimbly on her feet. I looked up at her in alarm before leaping off the bed myself. "Something's changed," she said.

Jasper reached the door the same time as she did with me hovering behind her. He guided her to the bed and they began to speak in low tones. "What did you see?" he asked, staring intently into her eyes.

"I see a room. It's long and there are mirrors everywhere. The floor is wooden. He's in the room and he's waiting. There's gold… a gold stripe across the mirrors."

"Where is this room?"

"I don't know. Something is missing– another decision that hasn't been made yet.

"How much time?"

"It's soon. He'll be in the mirror room today, or maybe tomorrow. It all depends. He's waiting for something. And he's in the dark."

Jasper's voice was calm, methodical, as he continued to question her with Bella and I listening intently. "What is he doing?"

'He's watching TV… No, he's running a VCR, in the dark in another place."

"Can you see where it is?" I asked her, keeping as calm as possible.

"No, it's too dark."

"And the mirror room," Jasper questioned her again. "What else is there?"

"Just the mirrors, and the gold. It's a band, around the room. And there's a black table with a big stereo and a TV. He's touching the VCR, but he doesn't watch the way he does in the dark room. This is the room where he waits." Her eyes drifted again before flickering to Jasper's face and then mine before focusing on Jasper's again.

"There's nothing else?"

She shook her head at him. Then they both sat motionless and I wrapped an arm around Alice again, hugging her once more.

"What does it mean?" Bella asked from behind us. She got up out of the bed and moved so she was in front of us.

I hesitated on whether to answer. But Jasper made the decision for me. "It means the tracker's plans have changed. He's made a decision that will lead him to the mirror room, and the dark room."

"But we don't know where these rooms are?"

"No."

"But we do know that he won't be in the mountains north of Washington, being hunted. He'll elude them," Alice added, her voice bleak.

"Should we call? Bella asked us all. We glanced at each other, trading serious looks, undecided.

But the phone rang.

Alice was across the room before Bella could even register that it had ringed. She held it to her ear but didn't speak at first. "Carlisle," she breathed, not seeming surprised or relived. Damn future-seeing pixie.

"Yes," she then said before glancing at Bella. She listened again.

"I just saw him." She explained her vision to Carlisle. "Whatever made him get on that plane… it was leading him to these rooms." She paused. "Yes. Bella?" She held out the phone out to her and Bella ran for it.

I slipped out the door to give her some privacy. Alice and Jasper followed me. I sank into the couch before leaning my elbows on my knees and holding my face in my hands. I ran my fingers through my hair.

"I knew I should have stayed and hunted him," I remarked bitterly. "All I'm doing here is nothing."

Jasper patted my shoulder affectionately. "It'll be fine Shay. With your animal senses and Alice's visions, it would be impossible for James to hurt Bella. You know that."

I scowled at him. "But is that a guarantee?"

He stayed quiet. "No, it's not," he eventually admitted. "But, we do have a fair chance of beating him."

I growled softly at him. Fair chance; I wanted a good chance. A good chance was better then a fair chance.

Jasper growled back at me but Alice cut in between us. She hated to see us fighting and would never take sides. She hated choosing between her husband and her sister. But I would never suggest that she should pick me over Jasper; that was just unfair.

"Stop it you too!" she growled at us. "Fighting isn't going to protect Bella."

"Right," I muttered. Jasper nodded in agreement and I lifted my arm to gesture to Jasper that I wanted to give him a hug. He obliged and I murmured in his ear, "Sorry Jazz."

He nodded at me before handing Alice some of the hotel stationary. She began sketching on it a long, rectangular room with a thinner, square section at the back. The wooden planks that made up the floor stretched lengthwise across the room. Down the walls were lines denoting the breaks in the mirrors. And then, wrapping around the walls, waist-high, a long band. The band which Alice had said was gold.

"It's a ballet studio," Bella suddenly said, having finished talking on the phone.

We all looked up at her, surprised.

"Do you know this room? Jasper asked her calmly but there was a hint of another tone that I couldn't identify. I looked back over his shoulder to Alice's work now. Her hand was flying across the page, making the shape of an emergency exit against the back wall, the stereo and the TV by the right front corner.

"It looks like a place I went for dance lessons –when I was eight or nine. It was shaped the same." She touched the page where the square section jutted out, narrowing the back part of the room. "That's where the bathrooms where –the doors were through the other dance studio. But the stereo was here..." –she pointed to another section of the room, the left corner – "It was older, and there wasn't a TV. There was a window in the waiting room –you would see the room from this perspective if you looked through it."

We all stared at her.

"Are you sure that it's the same room?" Jasper asked her calmly.

She shook her head. "No, not at all –I suppose most dance studios would look the same –the mirrors, the bar." She traced her finger along the ballet bar set against the mirrors. "It's just the shape that looked familiar." She touched where the doors were set.

"Would you have any reason to go back there?" Alice asked.

Bella's head jerked up. "No, I haven't been there in almost ten years. I was a terrible dance –they always put me in the back for recitals," she admitted. I stifled a laugh with difficulty. I could not imagine clumsy human Bella dancing.

"So there is no way it could be connected to you?" Alice asked, ignoring me.

"No, I don't even think the same person owns it. I'm sure it's just another dance studio, somewhere."

"Where was the studio you went to?" Jasper asked in a casual tone. Yeah, as if this was a casual situation. He sends out a wave of calm at me as my frustration goes up a notch.

"It was just around the corner from my mom's place I used to walk there after school…." Bella said, her voice trailing off. Alice and Jasper exchanged a look. I glanced between them. Bella seemed to catch the look they exchanged as well.

"Here in Phoenix then?" he asked her, his voice still casual.

"Yes," she whispered. "Fifty-Eighth Street and Cactus."

We all sat in silence, staring at the drawing. This was bad news. If James was in Phoenix, around the corner from her mother's house… He could quite possibly track Bella. Not that Alice, Jasper and I were going to let that happen.

"Alice is that phone safe?" Bella asked suddenly.

"Yes," Alice reassured her. "The number would just trace back to Washington."

"Then I can use it to call my mom."

"I thought she was in Florida?"

"She is –but she's coming home soon, and she can't come back to that house while…" Bella's voice trembled.

"How will you reach her?"

"They don't have a permanent number except at the house –she's supposed to check her messages regularly."

"Jasper?" Alice asked.

Jasper thought about it. "I don't think there's any way it could hurt –be sure you don't say where you are, of course."

"Couldn't hurt to check though," I added. Without waiting for an answer, I dialled my cell number. It rang and I glanced at the screen, checking the number.

"Unknown number- Washington," I read out. "Yeah, it's safe."

Bella quickly dialled her mom's number before leaving a message telling her mom to ring her at the hotel number. She repeated it twice before hanging up and closing her eyes. She sank down on the couch and started to pick at the half-eaten food. Poor Bella. Were we ever going to get out of this mess?

I watched the news, bored. Bella, Jasper and Alice did too but Bella seemed to be playing extra-close attention.

Immortality grants you endless patience. Even thought once I got up to look out the window before sitting on the floor with my back against the wall, I did not feel obliged to do anything. I stared at the walls, watched the TV or watched Alice sketch the outlines of the mystery room on the paper.

Finally Bella fell asleep. I got up and went to pick her up and carry her to the bedroom but Alice beat me to it. She mouthed, 'I'll do it,' at me and I nodded before sinking back onto the couch.

It was going to be a long night.

Chapter 11: Runaway

Shayla's POV

It was early morning when Bella woke up again. I had spent the night in the bedroom; keeping an eye on her while she slept, as Jasper and Alice watched TV. Alice kept trying to see the future and I could hear their supposably quiet voices. They were speaking quickly and with urgency. I was about to see what was going on when I heard Bella wake up.

She glanced at me as I approached the door before rolling over until her feet hit the floor.

We walked out to see Alice and Jasper sitting together on the sofa, Alice sketching again while Jasper looked over her shoulder. Bella stood by Jasper to peek while I glanced over Alice's other shoulder.

"Did she something more?" Bella asked Jasper quietly.

"Yes. Something's brought him back to the room with the VCR but its light now."

I watched carefully as Alice started draw a square room with dark beams across the low ceiling. The walls were panelled in wood, a little too dark, out of date. The floor had a dark carpet with a pattern in it. There was a large window against the south wall, and an opening through the west led to the living room. One side of that entrance was stone –a large tan fireplace that was open to both rooms. The focus of the room from this perspective, the TV and VCR, balanced on a too-small wooden stand, were in the southwest corner on the room. An aged sectional sofa curved around in front of the TV, a round coffee table in front of it.

"The phone goes there," Bella whispered, pointing.

We stared at her. How did she know that?

"That's my mother's house."

Alice sprang off the couch, her phone in her hand, and was dialling while Bella stared at the rendering of her mother's house. Jasper slid close to her and touched his hand to her shoulder, trying to calm her down I guess.

I could hear Alice talking at vampire speed, her lips trembling as she tried to avoid Bella's hearing. "Carlisle, he's at Bella's mother's house. He was running a VCR in the dark. I'm not sure what his doing but we need to get Bella out of here." I couldn't fully make out what Carlisle's response was but I heard the words 'Edward', 'hide' and 'while'.

She then called out to Bella. "Bella, Edward is coming to get you. He and Emmett and Carlisle are going to take you somewhere, to hide you for a while."

"Edward is coming?" Bella looked surprised, almost relieved that my brother was coming to get her.

"Yes, he's catching the first flight out of Seattle. We'll meet him at the airport, and you'll leave with him."

"But my mother… he came here for my mother Alice!" Bella cried out, hysteria bubbling up with every word that she spoke.

"We'll stay here until she's safe."

"I can't win, Alice. You can't guard everyone I know forever. Don't you see what he's doing? He's not tracking me at all. He'll find someone, he'll hurt someone I love… Alice I can't –"

"We'll catch him Bella," Alice tried to reassure her.

"And what if you get hurt Alice? Do you think that's okay with me? Do you think it's only my human family he can hurt me with?"

Alice glanced meaningfully at Jasper. A feeling of lethargy touched me but it drew back. I watched Bella's eyes close as Jasper tried to influence her to sleep. But suddenly her eyes cracked open and she stood up, stepping away from Jasper's hand.

"I don't want to sleep," she snapped before walking to her room and slamming the door. But this time, Alice or I didn't follow her. She needed to be alone.

I could hear her sobbing in her room. The minutes she spent crying soon turned into hours. The only hope that she had left was that she could see Edward again. Perhaps he could find a solution for her.

She only came out when the phone rang; looking a little ashamed of her behaviour while Alice was talking rapidly on the phone. I paid no attention to her this time though and watched Bella. She glanced at the clock– surprised at the time. It was five-thirty in the morning.

"They're just boarding the plane," Alice told us both. "They'll land at nine-forty-five." So only just a few more hours to wait.

"Where's Jasper?" Bella asked.

"He went to check out," Alice answered her as I gathered up out few belongings and stuffed them into our few bags.

"You aren't staying here?" Bella asked.

"No, we're relocating closer to your mother's house," Alice answered just as the phone rang. Alice answered it before mouthing 'your mother' to Bella. I took that as my cue to leave.

I went downstairs with our luggage to find Jasper. He was waiting patiently in the lobby, sitting on a couch with a car key in his hand.

"Ready to go?" I asked him as I sat our few bags on the ground before sitting next to him. I wrapped an arm around him as he leant his face into his hands, his elbows leaning on his knees. The blonde secretary was giving me the evil eye as I comforted him.

"Let's go back up to Alice," I suggested as a bellboy came to load out luggage onto a golden trolley. Jasper handed him the keys, whispered some hurried instruction before following me upstairs. As we re-entered the hotel room, Alice looked up worried. Bella was nowhere to be seen and I was worried… until I heard the shower in the other room.

'I had a vision," she told us glumly. "We're going to fail… I saw Bella… And James, in the room."

Jasper walked swiftly to her side and began to mutter in her ear. "No we won't Alice. We'll do everything we can to keep her safe. We'll keep a close eye on her. Very close. Nothing will slip past us, I promise."

Alice still looked unsure. Jasper kissed her, while wrapping an arm around her. I heard Bella exit the shower. I heard her ruffle around in her bag just as Jasper handed me a pair of sunglasses. I slipped them on as Bella came out.

Back downstairs, I slipped into the backseat this time, sitting as far away from Bella as possible. Alice sat with her back leant against the door of the car, facing Jasper, but shooting glances at Bella and I every few seconds.

"Alice?" Bella asked indifferently.

She was wary as she glanced at Bella. "Yes?"

"How does this work? The things that you see?" Bella stared out the side window but her voice was curious but yet still somewhat bored. "Edward said that it wasn't definite, that things change?" A wave of serenity washed over us all, Jasper was obviously trying to calm Bella down. Still.

"Yes, things changed," Alice murmured in response, sounding somewhat hopeful. "Some things are more certain then others… Like the weather. People are harder. I only see the course their on while their on it. Once they change their minds –make a new decision, no matter how small –the whole future shifts.

"So you couldn't see James in Phoenix until he decided to come here," Bella concluded while nodding to herself.

"Yes."

We got to the airport quickly thanks to Jasper's driving and it was packed. The plane Edward was on was landing at terminal four, the largest terminal and where most of the flights were landing so it was no surprise that his was as well.

We parked in the huge garage on the forth floor. Bella led the way, knowing her surroundings of the airport better then any of us. We took the elevator down to level three, where the passengers unloaded. Alice and Jasper were discussing the departing flights.

Soon we settled in the plastic chairs by the metal detector to wait for Edward's flight to come in. Bella's foot was tapping involuntarily while Alice, Jasper and I people-watched but every time that Bella shifted or squirmed in her seat, we would glance at her quickly from the corner of our eyes.

The minutes began to pass quickly, something which I had grown used to as an immortal, and Edward's arrival grew closer. At least once every ten minutes, Alice would ask Bella is she wanted to get breakfast. Bella kept telling her that she wasn't hungry and maybe later.

As Edward's flight ticked closer to the top of the board and when he wasn't due for another thirty minutes, there was a change. Instead, his plane would be flying in ten minutes early.

"I'll think I'll eat now," Bella suddenly said quickly.

Alice stood, "I'll come with you."

Bella shook her head. "Do you mind if Jasper comes instead? I'm feeling a little…" She didn't finish the sentence.

If Alice found this odd, she didn't show it. But she did look confused. Jasper stood and guided Bella away to the cafeteria.

"That was… odd," I eventually remarked. "Why would Bella want Jasper instead of you?"

Alice looked a little worried now. "I think… I think we are still going to fail…. I don't know how but I can still see James and Bella in the room."

"Jazz is there," I reassured her and that was the end of it. We sat silent for a few minutes as the arrival of Edward's plane drew closer.

There was two minutes to go before the plane was due to land. We waited anxiously, standing by the terminal but Alice suddenly stiffened.

"No…" she whispered. "No, Bella."

"Alice, what's wrong?" I cried, panicky. I was never one to stay calm in a bad situation. Jasper would calm me down but just the presence of my family was enough to make me feel safe.

"Bella, she's in the sunlight, in a taxi. She's going to the studio," Alice explained, her voice dripping with concern. "She'll get there in half-an-hour. But…"

"It'll be too late," I finished her sentence. "But how? And what are we going to do?"

"Stay here," she ordered. "I'm getting Jasper." As she darted off as quickly and humanly as she could she shouted, "Thirty seconds!" over her shoulder.

I stared after her for a few seconds just as the roar of the plane came into my hearing range. It was very close to landing. I spun around as it landed safely and the passengers started to come out of the terminal. I searched for my lanky brother, trying to see his hair.

I saw Carlisle first with Emmett and Edward by his side. Edward looked anxious, Emmett worried and Carlisle, calm.

"Carlisle!" I called out and ran over to him just as Alice and Jasper returned.

"Shayla!" Carlisle called back as he and the others came closer. I hugged them Carlisle and Emmett first but as I turned to Edward, he stepped back, apparently having other ideas.

"Where's Bella?" he demanded.

I gulped nervously, swallowing a mouthful of venom, before speaking. "She's… she's gone. She took off. We couldn't follow her, she went into the sun."

"WHAT!" Edward roared so loud that several people stared at him. "How the hell did she get away?" He glared at me for a moment before Alice and Jasper came to defend me from his abuse.

"Edward, calm down," Jasper ordered. "It was my fault. Bella wanted to eat so we went to get her food but she needed a… a human moment so I let her go. Next thing I know, she's gone and I managed to track her to outside but by that time, the sun had come out."

Edward looked murderous. "We have to go find her—now. Before Alice's vision happens!"

"No one is arguing with you there," Jasper replied. He quickly explained what Alice had seen to Emmett and Carlisle. Their confused expressions soon turned to shock and then determination.

Slipping into the garage, Alice managed to produce several items of clothing to use to cover our skin and to stop the sun hitting it. I pulled on the long-sleeved shirt and jeans that Alice tossed at me and the leather gloves as well. She helped me tie a scarf around my face before I slipped on the black sunglasses.

"You drive," she then ordered, tossing me the keys. "I keep getting visions and I need to concentrate on them."

I nodded and got it, revving the engine impatiently as Carlisle hoped in the front with Edward, Jasper and Alice in the back. Edward expression kept changing as he analysed each of Alice's rapidly changing visions.

I sped out of the parking lot, going as fast as I could. Like the others, I loved to go fast and when I was on my motorbike, the best thing was feeling the wind in my face as I raced down lonely highways and on deserted trails in the woods.

"Keep an ear out for cops," I murmured to Edward as I ran a red light. A car honked in protest as it swerved to avoid me.

Edward gave an irritated growl. "Not now Shayla."

Alice kept talking as we drove, keeping tabs on Bella and giving me directions. "Go down there Shayla, there's less traffic. Watch out, there's a cop on the next corner… No, Bella, don't…"

It went on and on like this. Finally I saw the street which would lead me to the ballet studio but Jasper put a hand on my shoulder. "Pull over," he ordered.

"What for?" I demanded but I did so anyway.

Edward nodded his head at Jasper. "Good idea Jasper, get that one there." He pointed to a silver four-wheel-drive parked a few spaces away.

I now understood what they were doing. If any destruction happened to the ballet studio, and someone saw the car, we could be tracked down and our secret could be revealed.

Jasper quickly jimmied open the door without causing any major damage and I stuck my hand under the steering wheel, pulling out some wires from beneath the panel under it. I knew my days as a small-time criminal would come in handy one day. I had never done anything major like armed robbery, just a few breaking-and-enterings, car-jacking, and a few protests were I had been arrested for whatever reason. But it wasn't like I did it for the fun of it of course; there was a reason behind every one of my crimes. I only had gotten caught once but, thanks to Jasper and his grand computer hacking skills, my criminal record was clean, completely clean. Carlisle and Esme were not too pleased about my criminal activities though, even with the reasons behind them.

"Got it," I grinned as the car rumbled to life.

"Hurry Shayla!" Alice urged as we took off again.

Everyone was anxious as I skidded to a stop in front of the ballet studio. The blinds were drawn and I could hear the air-conditioner running. An ear-splitting scream echoed from inside it.

"NO!" Edward thundered as he raced inside. We all ran after him. I could hear Bella's sobbing and screams, followed by a sadistic laugh from James. He was dead meat now. Because no one touches my little sister when I'm around.

Chapter 12: Fighting for Bella

Shayla's POV

The scene was shocking in the slightly dark room. Though I could see every detail of it easily, the drawn blinds created an element of darkness and fear.

Bella laid in a pile of glass with her leg at an odd angle and was withering in pain. James was standing over her, smiling slightly.

Edward roared in anger and threw himself at James. James's face snapped up and he met Edward in mid air, grappling with him.

James was strong, far stronger then Edward it seemed, for he pushed Edward into a mirror easily with one hand, and squeezed his throat in a death grip. He smirked.

"You're alone, because you're faster then the others," he growled. He smashed Edward's face against the mirror, shattering it. "But not stronger…"

He couldn't smell us because the air-conditioning was blowing the air the wrong way… and he was too focused on Edward to notice the sound of our breathing.

Edward hissed out air between his teeth and growled, "I'm strong enough to kill you."

He shoved James back and James flew towards a beam before slamming into it. He fell and landed in a crouched position before streaking forward to meet him. They collided and Edward snarled at James before slamming him against the wall with both hands wrapped around the trackers throat. James squirmed against Edward's grip and let out hisses. Edward gave a great roar of outrage before biting down on James's neck and tearing off a chunk of pale, granite skin. James screamed in pain as Edward practically tortured James, showing that he was strong enough to kill him.

Carlisle put a hand on Edward's shoulder as he restrained him slightly. "Stop Edward, remember who you are."

Edward shot a filthy look at Carlisle but my father continued to talk before shooting a look back at Bella who had Alice clutching at her hand and telling her that it would be okay. "Bella needs you. Your brothers will take care of it."

At his words, Jasper and Emmett took James by an arm each and dragged him away from the others to the middle of the dance floor.

"Start a fire, get the floor boards!" Jasper ordered. I ripped up the boards and caught the lighter Carlisle tossed at me. I held it close to the wood and it ignited before I leapt back, dodging the flames.

Edward was crouched over Bella with Carlisle and Alice as the scent of fresh blood tainted the air. Focus Shayla; kill the son of a ***** who hurt my sister.

"Shayla!" Jasper called, needing my help as he pulled James back to his original spot.

"On it!" He started to struggle at my words and lunged out with his teeth bared at Jasper's arm. Jasper shoved James's head back easily as I growled at the tracker. "Oi, back off mate, or you're going to be my next meal!" I didn't know where I was going with the threat, because I was going to kill him anyway, but I knew one thing. It was going to be painful.

I scaled him easily, digging my claws into his thighs and biceps before I paused. His face was contorted with fear as I gave a sadistic smile at him before giving a throaty growl and biting down on his shoulder. He howled in pain as his flesh was torn away when I jerked my head back before leaping off him, slicing his arm off at the same time.

Jasper, who had been holding onto that particular arm, tossed it onto the flames and it alighted at the first touch.

Emmett then pulled with all his strength and together, he snapped James's other arm off while I tugged his body away in the opposite direction, ignoring his screams of pain. The armless James's stumbled away clumsily. I gave a cougar-like snarl as my animal senses kicked in. Carlisle had concluded that when fighting another vampire, a condition known as an 'Animalistic Frenzy' occurred with me. Basically, I became like a newborn, wild, uncontrollable and feral. It made me become somewhat of an animal, and I hated it. But it was useful. It was unpredictable and usually surprised our enemies. I was strong… and I rather liked it that way.

Jasper then dealt a shattering kick to James's in the side, sending him flying into Emmett's arms, who quickly tore off both legs and threw them in the fire. James fell like a football to the ground as Jasper and I reached James at the same time. I bit down on his neck and tore his head from the torso while Jasper tore at his chest like a beast. I tossed his head on the fire and the whole thing billowed up as the main source of venom hit the flames. I danced on the tips of my toes around the fire, kicking any parts we missed into it.

"Got it all?" Jasper called to me as he darted around the fire as well. Emmett copied him.

"Yeah!" I answered as I picked up a finger and tossed it in. The fire flared up for a moment before wafting blue-grey smoke over us, smelling like very strong incense.

And then I saw Bella. It was a grim reminder of what she was— human. Her leg was at an odd angle, most likely broken, her body was beginning to bruise and she had blood pouring out of her gashes and wounds.

And on her forearm, a bite wound. A vampire bite wound. The almost cleared-coloured venom was leaked around it and it sizzled with a hissing sound as it mixed with her blood.

Her blood, it sent my thirst into a frenzy as I stifled a growl. I stepped back, pinching my nose with my finger and covering my mouth with the rest of my hand. I felt so tempted to just lick it up from her arm and just suck on her wound until she was bone-dry. I wasn't thirsty but yet still… I wanted her blood.

"Let's go Shayla," Emmett suddenly said quietly. I hadn't realised that he had wound his arm around my free one. I didn't move as he tugged on it softly.

"Now Shayla," he said, more urgently this time. He pulled on my arm again before picking me up and carrying me out of the room to the foyer. The side windows were open and the scent of Bella's blood was gradually being lost as fresh air blew in. Jasper was by one of the windows, sticking his head directly in the breeze.

I stood by him and kept breathing in fresh Phoenix air, concentrating on nothing else. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out…

Suddenly, an ear-splitting scream cut through the silence. Not a howl of agony like the other cries of pain, but a high-pitched, hysterical scream.

I turned instinctively towards the door as the smell of blood seeped through and the soft sounds of someone feeding. Feeding?! But James was dead. So who could be drinking from Bella? Surely not…

"He didn't!" I gasped out loud. "He's not… he's stronger then that…"

"Shayla, Shayla, its okay!" Jasper told me as he wound his arms around me as I began to dart towards the door. He was holding me back easily. "He's not feeding from her! He's saving her!"

Saving her? "But…" I started to say as my confusion took over my instincts. "But she wanted to be like us?"

"This is not the right way though…" Jasper said but his tone was wistful, almost sad.

He was right of course. If Bella wanted to be changed, there was a right way and a wrong way. This… this was the wrong way. No one should be changed like this, by being bitten by a sadistic tracker. It was like having your life stolen from you, even though this is what Bella wanted.

"I'll bring the car around," Jasper suddenly said as he ran off to get the Mercedes.

"I'm going to help Carlisle," Emmett responded as he ran back into the studio. "You can destroy the evidence Shayla!" he called over his shoulder.

Destroy the evidence? Ah yes, I knew exactly what to do…

Holding my breath, I ran back through the doors to see Edward lifting Bella effortlessly while the nearby fire still blazing but dying down quickly.

I grabbed the end of a plank of wood with the other end alight and ran around the studio with it, holding it so the embers flicked on the floor and the flames licked at the wood. Soon, the place was starting to come alight. The walls started to burn and soon enough, the whole place was filled with smoke and flames. I took a step back as I watched the place burn.

"Hurry up!" Emmett boomed from the car as it revved impatiently from out the front.

I darted out and dove into the passenger seat before slamming the door. The car squealed away and Carlisle drove as fast as we could.

"We are taking Bella to the hospital," he explained. "But if you need it, there is a very shady park with some old buildings nearby. You should be safe there from the sun."

I pinched the bridge of my nose with my fingers because, even though Bella wasn't bleeding anymore thanks to Carlisle make-shift bandages, I could still smell her blood. And it was tempting me. "Drop me off there, I can't stand it!"

Carlisle didn't answer but pulled up the large, shady park just near an old and very dank warehouse. I shot out and into the building.

As I sunk into the darkest corner of the building, I slammed my fist down on the concrete floor, shattering it. Why? Why the hell wasn't I stronger? If I was stronger I could've helped instead of being the baby who has to get whisked away when she can't handle the heat! God, it is so annoying!

Suddenly a figure crouched in front of me and held a hand to my shoulder. A calming influence spread through me and I lurched forward into the arms of my brother. He held me close as he calmed me down.

"Oh Jasper," I managed to finally say to him. "Why am I so weak?"


"You're not weak," he murmured softly. "You're still only young to this life. I am the one who is weak, not you."

I smiled slightly at his reassurances. "But I should be able to control myself better though. If… if I wasn't so focused n killing James…. I'm sure that I would have killed Bella. And I wouldn't be able to live with myself if that happened."

"He wouldn't let you," Jasper replied firmly as he stared hard at my face. "Edward loves Bella too much to let any one of us hurt her."

I sighed sadly. "I know…"

He pulled me towards him and crushed me against his chest. I let out a squeak of com plaint. "Dude! You're crushing me!"


He laughed in response and pulled back grinning. A feeling of pure happiness crashed over me. I grinned back at him before swearing. "Damn it Jasper, can you go for ten minutes without feeling the need to manipulate my emotions?"

He chuckled. "C'mon Shayla, let's get out of here. We're going home."

I jerked my head up at his words. "'Home'? As in, back at Forks 'home'? With Esme and Rosalie?"

"The very same. Carlisle thought it would be best. He's lending you his car, he'll get a rental home – or just steal one." He held out the keys to me as I stood up. "You can go whenever you want. But don't do anything stupid."

II won't," I promised. "Thank you Jasper." I took the keys and pulled my clothes tighter around me as I began to walk towards the door. I turned around suddenly. "Jasper?"

He glanced at me, a questioning expression on his face. "Yes Shay?"

"She will be okay, right?" I asked hesitantly

He grinned at me. "Alice says that she'll be home in about ten days, two weeks at the most."

"Remind me never to bet against Alice," I grinned at him before running outside and into the safety of the car outside. I revved the engine before heading onto the road and speeding back towards Forks, my home.

Epilogue: An occasion

Shayla's POV

Three weeks later…

"Is this really necessary?" I demanded to Maddy as she danced around me, fiddling with my hair. Her oval face formed itself into a grin as she paused to push her long, brown hair back.

"Of course it is!" she eventually admitted. "You are going to be the bell of the ball there Cinderella!"

I sighed and bit my bottom lip. Maddy had convinced me to go to the prom because my family was going despite the excuse that I didn't have a partner. But then Matt volunteered to take me and Maddy had agreed because it meant that she could dress me up. When she and Tiff arrived armed and ready at the house, they had got on like a house on fire with my sisters. My vampire sisters that is.

I considered Bella a sister now. Even though she was a human, a human with blood flowing through her veins, I loved her, not in the way that Edward loved her but the way that Alice did –as a sister.

But even though we did love her, we couldn't help but tease her merciless as Rosalie and Alice dressed her up for the prom. She had no idea where we were going and was quite annoyed about it.

When Maddy was done with my hair –she was straightening it and it felt and looked quite good –before she threw me the dress I was wearing. It was silk and royal blue in colour and was a very simple design. It was a halter neck so it was back less with a long flowing ribbon that went right around me, and went right down to the floor. Around the halter were some gold beads implemented into the design. It was very beautiful.

I was going to protest but Maddy beat me to it. "Don't argue, just put it on okay?"

I sighed and changed into it before Maddy handed me a pair of shoes, silver high heels.

She forced me into a chair as she tied my hair up into an elegant knot up on my head before she began to apply makeup.

"Is this really necessary?" I demanded to her as she applied blush to me. She had already down the lipstick, eye shadow and eye liner.

"Yes," she answered, in a tone that stated the obvious. It was like she was saying, 'Duh!"

Finally, she was done. "Geez, Mads," I complained. "You didn't have to do all of this! I must look like an idiot.

"You don't," she assured me. "Matt's downstairs waiting for you. They all are actually."

"Yeah so hurry up!" Emmett boomed from the living room. I heard Jasper, Alice and Rosalie laugh at his comments.

"Coming!" I called back before I walked very slowly to the stairs. Even though I had terrific balance as a vampire, I could NOT walk in high heels.

I came down the stairs gingerly and approached them all by the front door. The boys were all wearing tuxedos while the girls were all dressed up beautifully.

"Wow Shay," Matt said as I approached him. "You look… you look amazing." He produced a bunch of yellow flowers from behind his back. "Here, I brought some Golden Wattles." He was referring to the flowers and he handed them me nervously. I inhaled deeply at the scent. "I know you love the scent," he added.

"Wow Matt. You know me to well," I answered, brining the strangely-shaped flowers to my face and sniffing them again. They reminded me of Australia. My old home.

"Watch the dress!" Maddy suddenly cried before turning to Matt. "Look after her okay?"

"I will, I promise," he answered before leaning down to kiss her. "See ya later babe."

In a few minutes, we were at the school, after having travelled in Rose's BMW. I had never been to many proms in my time, seeing as I could never get a partner. Once, Emmett took me but Rosalie hadn't stopped glaring at me for two days afterwards.

The gym looked amazing with the crepe paper chains, the balloon arches and the confetti everywhere. There was even a band whose members did look awfully familiar...

Matt bought our tickets and we walked towards the dance floor where Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett were dancing. Alice and Jasper were dancing modestly, almost shyly as though not to cause attention even though the crowd was now hanging around the edges of the dance floor, watching them uneasily. But Emmett and Rosalie, the show-off that she is, were dancing in a waltz that they had learnt for their third wedding, about two decades ago.

"C'mon," Matt laughed. "Let's show 'em what we got!" He winked at me before taking my hand in one of his before poking a finger at the band. "Check out the band."

Up on the stage, Maddy winked at me from the microphone up front while Theo controlled the drums and Tiff did back-up and keyboard. Several others that I didn't recognised were on the other instruments. The bass player was really cute.

"That's Petey," Matt whispered to me, catching what I was looking at. "He's a friend of mine."

"He's kinda cute," I admitted.

Matt chuckled. "He's going back to Australia tomorrow but I'll give him your number okay?"

I hugged him. "Thanks buddy."

He made a clicking noise as he winked at me and tilted his head towards me. "No worries mate. Now let's go show these fools how to dance!"

We laughed before linking arms and darting over to the dance floor. He was a good head taller then me, but despite that, we could dance easily. We swayed from side to side before twirling around, my long dress flaring out from behind me.

"Show-off!" Rosalie hissed as we pirouetted past her and Emmett.

"The original!" I declared back happily just as two more entered the dance floor. I recognised the clunking footsteps.

Edward lifted Bella up onto his feet like a five-year-old and the two swayed around the dance floor. She was wearing a gorgeous navy dress and her hair was curled beautifully upon her head.

"Wow Bells," I said as we danced close to her and Edward. Matt's nostrils flared at her scent but I tightened my grip on him, resulting in a small growl from him. I continued talking though, as if he hadn't done anything. Screw my thirst. "You look really pretty. Alice got through to you?"

She giggled before nodding. "Yes she did. Did she get you too?"

"Nah, his girlfriend did," I answered gesturing to Matt. "I swear Mads only agreed let him come so she could dress me up."

Edward chuckled. "No Shayla, she was just fooling around with you. She loves you like a sister."

Maddy waved at us from the stage. I waved back before turning back to Bella and Edward. "Gotta go guys; see yas round like a rissole!" And with those words we danced over to the stage.

We began to dance less else elegantly with the crowd. Head-banging, hip-hop dancing, generally dancing in a more modern way then what my siblings were.

This was the life. I had the best friends in the world, their coolest brothers and sisters a girl could dream for, and I could live forever, living out my dreams. Even though I battled my thirst every day, it was worth it.

But why? Because, God dammit, I was Shayla Cullen and she might have a bit of a temper issue, some immature tendencies, a small show-off, and could be a bit of smart ass. But none of that mattered to my family or friends. They said I was kind, witty, compassionate and fun. I don't know if any of that is true but it doesn't matter anyway.

Cause this is who I am. Yeah.

THE END

This is all I'm writing for it. I know no one really reviewed it and it took me ages to update it, but I hoped those who did skim through it enjoyed it.