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𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐑 𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐗𝐈𝐄𝐓𝐘 𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐈𝐗𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐑. Golden eyes. She had never seen golden eyes before. They were all watching her with the same curiosity that had been a constant part of her life, yet it still made her feel uncomfortable, ashamed of her own existence.
Almost instinctively, she clung to Thomas. If she had said before that she didn't need him, now she was showing how stupid her lie had been. And by the way he smiled, he probably knew it too.
"I'm glad you were able to join us, Thomas."
She observed the man who spoke. Pale, as pale as Thomas. Another vampire. His golden hair matched his perfectly golden eyes. He wore a calm, friendly smile. But even though his overall demeanor was welcoming, it didn't reassure Eleanor, who felt like an insect under the scrutiny of strangers.
"The pleasure is mine, my old friend," the vampire replied and then, interspersing glances between the crowd and her, continued. "This is Eleanor, the one I told you about."
The new vampire crouched down to her level. "It's a pleasure to meet you Eleanor, my name is Carlisle and this is my family: my wife Esme, my sons Emmett and Edward and my daughter Rosalie."
Eleanor ran her eyes over them. All vampires. How could it be that vampires had children? Family? Thomas had once said it was impossible.
"We're adopted," another vampire, Edward commented. Eleanor looked at him with a frown. Had she asked those questions out loud?
Carlisle extended a hand toward her. Eleanor hesitated for a few seconds. Searching for Thomas's gaze who nodded in encouragement, she finally took it. Something seemed to glow on the vampire's face at the touch.
"'Warm,'" he said, almost fascinated. "Just like Nessie."
Nessie? Who is Nessie?
"Would you mind if I ask you a few questions, Eleanor?" Carlisle asked her, catching her attention again.
She was about to respond, but something within her stopped her. Why were they all staying there, watching her? Who were these people? Did they have something to do with the Volturi? Thomas hadn't told her where they were going, only that they had to reach Forks, Washington. Was he delivering her to them? Would they kill her? Would they experiment on her? A shiver ran down her spine.
"Perhaps we should move inside," Edward spoke again. "Eleanor looks tired. I'm sure in the house she'll be more comfortable."
"That's a good idea," the woman, Esme, nodded. "I could make you something to eat too," she smiled at her warmly.
Why was everyone so nice?
As they moved forward, Eleanor clung to Thomas' hand and didn't let go, not even when they were inside. If he thought of leaving her there, she would make sure to leave him with a sense of guilt for the rest of his eternity.
The house was overwhelmingly spacious, bathed in an abundance of light. It felt unfamiliar to be surrounded by such openness, as Eleanor was accustomed to the confines of small, dimly lit, enclosed spaces.
"So, Eleanor," the vampires had scattered around the living room, yet they all continued to gaze at her. She had settled in a chair by the window, her eyes nearly hypnotized by the abundance of trees outside. "Do you know what you are?"
She looked Carlisle in the eye. Would he laugh if she answered with the truth? She took the risk. "Part vampire, part human? Something like that, I think. But these were always assumptions. I never met anyone who could confirm it."
She watched the wave of surprised expressions in the room. Had she said something wrong? Wasn't everyone supposed to be a vampire there?
"It's not that. It's just that you speak very clearly for the age Thomas says you are."
Eleanor frowned as before. "How do you know what I'm thinking?"
"I can read minds."
It shocked her.
But it annoyed her even more.
"Well, you don't have permission to read mine."
Emmett, who was probably the tallest and largest person or, vampire, she had ever met in her short time of life, let out a loud laugh. "I like her," he said smirking.
"So you're a year old, with the physical appearance of someone almost reaching pre-adolescence," Carlisle continued. It sounded more like a question than a statement. "This is... I have to take notes."
In the following hours that passed, Carlisle Cullen's family sat there, listening to her story, only interrupting occasionally to ask questions about her growth and diet.
She also had the opportunity to ask them some questions. It was there that she learned that the Cullens were vampires considered "vegetarian" because they only fed on animal blood, hence their golden eyes.
"And your aunt took care of you all that time?"
Eleanor nodded. "She was my mother's sister. I never knew her... My mother, I mean. She died at the time I was born and since then Lucy has taken care of me."
She remembered her mother's voice, when she was still in her womb. The memory never failed to haunt her, serving as a constant reminder that there had been someone out there who had cherished and yearned for her.
And she and her abnormality had ruined it.
"Did she know about our kind? She knew your father?"
"No. Lucy always told me that my mother just showed up pregnant on her doorstep one day, asking for help. And she thinks she also had no idea about vampires."
The Cullens gazed at her with sadness, and she would almost dare to say guilt too, as if they were apologizing for something they hadn't done.
"And you say you don't drink human blood?"
"I did, once," she wrinkled her nose at the bad memory. "It didn't end well. I threw it all up a few hours later."
"And since then you haven't drank again?" Carlisle asked. She shook her head.
Thomas let out a laugh. "Believe me Carlisle, the little monster won't drink a drop of blood even if I open a body in front of her."
Eleanor rolled her eyes.
"It's fascinating, actually," Carlisle said, setting aside his notes. "Human blood has caused a counterproductive reaction in you. I would have never imagined it was possible, considering you're half vampire. Your instinct should be to drink."
Eleanor shrugged.
"We can't say the same for our Nessie," Carlisle smiled at his family, sharing a private joke. "Now, if you'll allow me Eleanor, I'd like to do some studies on..."
"I'm sorry, who's Nessie?" she interrupted, her brow furrowed. She had already heard that name on several occasions while they were talking, but no one had specified to her who it was.
"Nessie is my daughter," Edward explained with a quiet smile. "My daughter and my mate Bella's, when she was still human. Nessie is like you, Eleanor."
It was as if a bucket of cold water suddenly hit her face. Or more, as if she plunged into an ocean, the world around her becoming mute for a second.
Could it be? Had she finally found someone like her? She looked at Thomas to confirm that nothing was a dream. The vampire with red eyes nodded, his smile mirroring the same excitement she felt. Of course, she had forgotten that Thomas had been there all those times she talked about the day when she would finally find people like her.
"Can I meet her?" the question had come out in a whisper, shyly.
"You'll meet her soon," Carlisle assured her, smiling. "She's out hunting with her mother, but she's just as eager to meet you as you are."
Mother. She furrowed her brow, perplexed. How could Nessie have a mother? Lucy had said she had killed her mother at birth. How had Nessie managed to preserve her human mother's life?
"Bella became a vampire after she had Nessie. That saved her."
She looked at the mind-reading vampire and nodded. That seemed to make sense. She wondered what would have happened if her mother had also shared that fate. If someone, her father, had been there with her at the moment of her birth.
A sharp pain pierced her chest.
The Cullens watched her with sympathetic expressions, probably knowing what was going through her mind without needing to read it like Edward. And so, they decided to put an end to the conversation, at least for a moment.
Esme kindly led her to the kitchen, where she served her at least three different dishes. Eleanor wasn't sure if it was due to her hunger, but it was the most delicious food she had ever tasted.
"Why do you have so much food?" she asked seeing that Esme continued to pull things out. "Nessie eats like me?"
Esme chuckled softly. "We tried to get Nessie to eat this food, but she prefers blood. Actually this food is for other friends."
"Human friends?" she asked, intrigued. It was strange to think of vampires and humans being friends, especially after everything Thomas had told her about the need to live with low profiles, away from society, if possible.
"Well, something like that... You'll meet them soon, too."
After a while of finishing her meal, Eleanor succumbed to the sleepiness she felt. She didn't want to miss out on any events, but her yawns gave her away. And when Esme found her leaning on the table with her eyes closed, she took her almost scandalized to one of the rooms, assuring her that she could sleep as much as she wanted.
It felt strange to be in a bed with such a comfortable mattress and soft sheets, but again, everything had felt strange since she had left the only places she knew.
She wondered what Lucy would be doing now. Would she be worried? Would she be searching for her? Or would she be relieved to finally be rid of a burden? Nonetheless, she wished she could tell her that she was okay, that she had finally found the answers they had always sought. Or at least some of them.
Perhaps that would bring her some peace.
She closed her eyes, feeling the heaviness of sleep pulling her in.
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When Eleanor woke up, she nearly jumped in place, completely forgetting where she was. It took her a few seconds to remember everything that had happened, to recall the Cullens, Esme's food, the soft sheets that caressed her skin.
Outside, it had darkened. Eleanor strained her ears to see if she could hear anything, but the house seemed to be in complete silence. Strange.
She put her shoes back on and descended the stairs to the room where they had all gathered that afternoon. It was empty too.
Her heart began to beat fast. Where was everyone? Where was Thomas?
Looking around, she decided to go outside. Maybe she could pick up some scent.
Then she heard a noise. It came from the trees surrounding the house. It sounded like rustling leaves, footsteps and deep breathing. The smell was... She wrinkled her nose. Nothing she'd ever smelled before. She couldn't tell if she disliked it or not, it was just strange.
She let her senses guide her.
Nothing could have prepared her for what her eyes met.
There, in the midst of the night, a large wolf stood tall. It wasn't an ordinary wolf, of that she was certain. Even with her limited knowledge of the world, she instinctively knew that this wolf was special. Its coat, a shimmering hue of silver-gray, seemed to radiate under the gentle caress of the moon's glow.
A gasp escaped Eleanor's lips as she stood in awe. The wolf, sensing her presence, turned its gaze towards her, emitting a soft growl.
But even if its position was defensive, Eleanor didn't back off, too mesmerized by the animal's beauty. With a tentative reach, she extended her hand, driven by an irresistible desire to make contact.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, kid."
Eleanor recognized Thomas' voice and turned to see him, only a few feet away from her. Carlisle appeared at his side in a second, looking slightly worried.
"Eleanor don't be afraid, that's Leah, she won't hurt you," he explained.
"Leah?" Eleanor asked looking back at the wolf. "I'm not afraid. She's... Beautiful."
The wolf growled. Eleanor tried once more to reach for its fur, but the animal recoiled, baring its teeth.
"Leah is actually a person, Eleanor," Carlisle explained concealing a chuckle. "She can transform into a wolf. Come inside, we'll explain everything."
"Oh," Eleanor felt her cheeks burn. On the other hand, it was amazing how some things already seemed completely normal. A person transforming into a wolf. Not crazy at all. "I'm sorry, Leah, I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable."
The wolf didn't growl this time, but it did disappear into the trees. Eleanor turned to follow the adults, stealing occasional glances back, hoping to catch glimpses of the silver fur.
"Where were you all?" she asked them once they were reaching the house. "I woke up and I was alone."
"Sorry kid, we were just discussing some things in private," Thomas answered her. Then he knelt down to her level. Eleanor looked at him cautiously. "Listen... I have to go away for a few days. I need to do a few things. You'll stay with the Cullens, they'll take care of you."
"What?" the question left her lips with more panic than she would have liked. "Where are you going? What do you... I'll go with you."
It wasn't that she didn't like the Cullens. In the short time she had been there, they had been extremely generous. And she had yet to meet Nessie.
But Thomas... Thomas was all she knew.
Her familiarity was limited to him. Her only connection in an unknown world. The thought of him leaving her there with people she didn't know at all, left her feeling almost frightened.
"You can't come with me kid, it might be danger for... Some reasons," he took her hands in his. "I promise I'll come back. It'll just be a few days... Hey, you've been lonelier than that."
But she hated being alone.
Eleanor forced herself to nod. "Okay," she whispered. "But you'll be back?"
"Sure kid, who else will teach you how awesome it is to be a vampire? The Cullens? Bunch of bores," he joked. Eleanor heard protests from inside.
Thomas finally bid farewell to Carlisle with a handshake and vanished into the middle of the night.
Eleanor felt a lump in her throat.
Carlisle put a hand on her shoulder. "Come, there's someone who's eager to meet you."
She tried to calm her mind from intrusive thoughts. She didn't want to appear affected or let the Cullens know how dependent she was on others. She also didn't want the mind reader to get into her thoughts.
Returning to the room where they had gathered before, Eleanor now noticed the presence of three new individuals.
One had the same scent as the wolf in the forest, and their heartbeat indicated his human condition.
The other person was clearly a vampire. With golden eyes like the rest of the Cullens. She looked at her curiously, examining her from head to toe, probably searching for clues about her age, the same thing everyone had been interested in.
"Eleanor this is my wife Bella, our friend Jacob," Edward introduced them, standing beside them. "And this is our daughter, Renesmee."
Renesmee. Nessie.
She gazed at the little girl nestled between her parents, her appearance suggesting she was around six years old—the very same age Eleanor had appeared just a few months ago. Yet Nessie was tall, only a few centimeters shorter than her.
They appeared strikingly dissimilar at first glance, a consequence of having different parents, of course. But, upon closer inspection, Eleanor noticed certain traits that she had believed to be unique to herself, now mirrored in Nessie.
The delicate rosy tint on their cheeks, the melodic pulsation of their heartbeats, a unique rhythm that belonged to them alone. Their eyes, neither red nor golden. Nessie possessed captivating chocolate eyes, while Eleanor's own eyes sparkled like rare emeralds.
Human eyes.
She had finally found someone like her.
"Hi Renesmee," she addressed the girl entirely, forgetting everyone else for a moment. "I'm Eleanor."
Renesmee studied her intently, perhaps searching for the signs that confirmed their shared nature, as she had done.
After a moment, a flicker of recognition crossed her face, and in an instant, she was standing before Eleanor, extending her hand towards her cheek.
Edward seemed to read her confused thoughts. "As I read minds, Renesmee also has a kind of gift. You will see," he explained with a small smile.
Eleanor didn't respond. Instead, she simply let Nessie touch her. A flood of images washed over her mind, vivid scenes that didn't belong to her. Foreign images intermingled with unfamiliar memories.
They looked like images of her mother, Bella. But a very different Bella than the one who now stood behind her. A Bella covered in blood, sweat and tears.
She was showing her how she was born.
"That's sad," Eleanor murmured, feeling how Nessie shared the despair she had felt, a feeling Eleanor could also identify with.
But then the images began to shift. Now, they showed people laughing, looking at her as if she were the most precious thing in the world. Most of them were of Bella and the boy, Jacob.
She smiled, genuinely. "I'm glad you're okay now."
Nessie asked about her family. Eleanor looked at her, feeling a tinge of embarrassment. Compared to the extraordinary bond Nessie shared with her vampire and wolf family, Eleanor's own experiences paled in comparison.
She couldn't help but remember Lucy, with her perpetually disapproving gaze. The hours spent confined in the basement, unsure of when she would feel the warm sunlight on her face again. The tears shed in moments of desperation, when she longed with all her heart to have someone to talk to.
Renesmee didn't know how lucky she had been.
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"Tanya, we don't expect you to fight with us."
Eleanor opened her eyes. She looked at the clock next to the bedside table. It read about four in the morning.
After meeting Renesmee, the girl had insisted on sleeping with her in the house, even though she had her own home with her parents.
But Renesmee had been determined in her decision to want to get to know Eleanor more and so the two had ended up sleeping in the same room, after talking for a long time through the chocolate-eyed girl's rare gift.
Eleanor had decided that she liked Renesmee. The young Cullen had undoubtedly dispelled numerous doubts that had plagued her regarding individuals like herself.
Were they monsters? Kind? Evil? And if they were, would she accept it? Would she willingly embrace the path of becoming a monster too?
But Renesmee was nothing of the sort. She was kind and warm, and she loved her whole family dearly, she had seen it.
That gave her hope. If Renesmee could experience love, perhaps one day Eleanor could too. Maybe she could even have a large, loving family like Nessie's.
"If the Volturi won't pause to listen to our witness, we cannot simply stand by," a voice, which she didn't recognize, said.
Eleanor sat up. Renesmee stirred a bit but continued sleeping.
Another voice spoke. "But if we stay here and watch them mature ourselves, how could the Volturi ignore such evidence?"
Were they talking about them?
She keenly noticed the name, Volturi, standing out once more. Eleanor felt an icy shiver creep through every fiber of her being, sending a chill down her spine. She was still uncertain of the power concealed behind that name and yet an overwhelming sense of fear gripped her tightly.
"Carlisle and Thomas will send more friends in the coming days. Rosalie and Emmett will leave in the morning. We know the wolves are with us." This time, Eleanor recognized Edward's voice speaking. "We just have to make them pause for a moment."
Thomas? What was he doing? Was that why he had left?
Someone sighed. "It is a suicide mission, but it's the least we can do. We are with you, Edward."
What was happening?
Eleanor's brow furrowed, panic beginning to fill her mind. She turned her gaze to Renesmee, who was now awake. Their eyes met with the same concerned expression.
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hi, i started this story forever ago but now i'm trying to continue it. if you want to keep reading, please don't forget to vote or comment! as i said above, it's a good motivation to keep writing.
also, if you are interested in other twilight fics, i have one called "serendipity" that tells the story of my main character anna, set during new moon - breaking dawn. i invite you to read it!
see you in another chapter ♡