Blood Moon [a Twilight Saga FanFiction]

Another Daughter

Author's Note: Yes, we're finally back with Elizabeth.

Igor returned home before it was safe for Johann to come inside. Instead of joining me with Natalia, he went to check on Johann.
     What had happened?
     "How are you?" Igor asked our son.
     "Fine."
     Johann's voice sounded rather final, so Igor came inside and joined me. Kissing my temple once at my side.
     Ah, his scent with his past. I knew what almost happened to Johann. What Igor saw nearly happened.
     "Where is Verity?" Igor asked.
     "Went for a run to clear her head," I answered. "She'll be back soon."
     Igor kissed me again before moving his focus to Natalia.
     "She's doing well," he said.
     Her scream tore through the air as if refusing to accept Igor's words.
     "She's certainly a fighter."
     "Will you two tell me when I can be by her side again?" Johann asked from outside. The poor boy sounded so weak.
     "Of course," I answered.

Verity got home at the same moment it became safe enough for them to come back inside. Though I was sure that wasn't a coincidence.
     Immediately, Johann took her hand. And with their scents, their pasts.
     "Johann," I said. "Talk to me?"
     "I'm fine."
     "I don't care about your thirst," I said. "I'm more concerned about your worries."
     Igor looked from me to Johann.
     "Talk to me?" I repeated.
     "What if she doesn't like this life?" Johann asked, his eyes keeping on Natalia's scrunched up face. "What if she despises it? You gave me the choice, I remember that. But Natalia... we made this choice for her. What if she doesn't like how we live and she runs off on her own? What if-"
     "Is there going to be a lot of what if's, Johann?" Igor asked. "We cannot control whether or not Natalia will stay with us in her next life, all we can do is teach her what we can before she makes her decision. My only concern about her future, is if she does decide to go her way, will you leave us as well?"
     He didn't answer but his eyes told me his answer. The darkness of his eyes, yet never leaving Natalia. The fear there, fear for her, fear for the future.
     Verity had sat at the bottom of the stairs, watching us all from her distance. But now she stood and went up to her room.
     I squeezed Igor's hand before running up to her. She was curled on her bed in the fetal position.
     "Leave me alone, Mum," she muttered.
     "We're here if you need us."
     "I know."
     So I made my way back downstairs.

On the second day of Natalia's change, we all sat in the lounge room. I was drawing while sitting on the couch, Igor was sitting by my legs reading his favourite war story. Verity was back at the bottom of the stairs, staring off into the distance. Johann hadn't moved from Natalia's side.
     Igor finished his book and got up to get another. Before he came back he stopped at the end of the couch.
     "Is everything okay, Johann?" he asked.
     I looked up from my art, which I had no idea what it was going to end up as yet, and saw Johann. He looked like he hadn't moved.
     "Would she be able to hear us now, right?"
     Igor nodded.
     "If there is anything you want her to know, now would be the time."
     Verity ran to her side opposite Johann.
     "Natalia," she said. Her voice broke. "Natalia, it's Verity. I'm so, so sorry."
     "The pain you're feeling, the fire?" Johann added. "It's almost over. I promise. I..."
     "You might want to focus on the important details," I reminded them and stood with my art kit.
     "Natalia, I'm sorry, but..." Johann's throat broke and he stopped talking.
     "I'm so sorry, Natalia, but you loved the wrong people. It's all our fault. You... you're becoming a vampire. We're vampires, too. Well, Johann is. I'm half vampire but I'll explain that when you wake up," Verity said.
     "We will help you," Johann said. "Verity, Igor, Liz and me. We'll all help you. It's going to be hard at first, but you'll get the hang of it. You're so amazing I know you will. When you wake up it'll be so overwhelming. You'll be so thirsty it'll feel like you're going to die if you don't drink. We'll help you with that. Everything will look, feel, smell, sound different. It'll be scary at first, but you'll get used to it after a little bit."
     "We got you into this mess, Nat," Verity said. "I promise you we will help you through it."
     Verity and Johann explained to her the rules of being a vampire, the Volturi, and how our family doesn't feed on humans instead feeds on animals.
     And that's when her heart and pain kicked up a notch. She screamed and the venom pulled her chest to the sky as it did once for every vampire.
     "I'm sorry," Johann sobbed.
     Verity ran so she was behind Igor and I. Too quick for me to grab her scent to understand her action.
     Until Natalia's heart finally stopped and the loudest sound, the only sound, was Verity's fluttering heart.
     Igor took a step forward and Natalia's eyes shot open and she flipped off the other couch to crouch against the wall. Her teeth were bared and her red eyes searching for danger.
     "Natalia," Igor said calmly. "Do you remember them?"
     Natalia looked at Johann, still exactly where he was when she was laying down. She slowly calmed down and straightened her stance.
    "These are our parents," Johann explained. "Igor and Elizabeth. Liz had a fake name for the town. Nat, I'm so sorry for-"
     "Stop apol..."
     I smiled as she was surprised by her own voice. Then her eyes shot to Verity and her hands flew to her throat. Ah, she got behind us for protection.
     "Remember how I said I was half vampire?" Verity asked. Natalia stiffly nodded. "Well, I'm also half human, that's why I smell off. I'll explain more once you've had something to eat."
    "Eat?" Natalia asked in a huff of her remaining air.
    "Don't worry, we'll help you," Johann said. "All of us, if you want? Or just one? Or two of us?"
     "You," Natalia huffed out again.
     I had to smile as Natalia almost pretty much showed that even in death, she kept her trust in Johann.
     "Alright," Johann offered his hand to her. "Just you and me, I'll take you somewhere we can hunt safely. Just you and me."
    Natalia shot her eyes to Verity, there was a flash of anger behind her eyes before she took Johann's hand.
    Johann looked at Igor.
    "We'll be here for your return," Igor said softly. "Have fun."
    "Huh?" Natatlia asked and looked at Johann.
     "It's okay," Johann said and lead her outside and into the woods.
     We didn't move or speak until they were out of hearing and Verity move back to the stairs.
     "They'll be back tomorrow," she said and sat on the bottom stair again. "She's mad at me."
     "She'll forgive you," Igor said. "She has to."
     Igor rushed to kiss her head before he stood straight and looked to me.
     The look in his eyes made me think that we might be dealing with a more intense newborn than Johann had been.
     Maybe I'd have to call Carlisle and ask him how he dealt with Rosalie's anger and Emmett's... just Emmett.