Everyone was friendly and played nice when Peter and Charlotte visited the family. The only one who was rude was Edward. He made it incredibly obvious that he was unhappy with their presence in town. He was scolded many times by Esme and Carlisle.
The visiting couple found that even Serafina, who initially scared them when they first met, was more likable. She wasn't necessarily friendly. But she didn't threaten to kill them as often as she did fifty years before. They still couldn't believe she was the same person. They guessed love made a difference.
Jasper nearly fought with Edward in his friend's defense when Edward almost showed them how upset he was. The couple initially planned on staying a week but could only last a few days before they were too annoyed and decided to leave early. Though they didn't openly admit that was why. But the family could guess. The entire Cullen family, minus the two women, apologized repeatedly for his behavior.
Once they left, Edward went to stalk his human in Port Angeles while the family divided for the night. Their parents went on a small date night in town. They would have dinner in town but then take a page from their children's books and head to their private cabin for intimacy. The teens headed off in the opposite direction when that happened.
Jasper was still upset with how Edward treated his friends and wanted to vent some of his frustrations by wrestling. This was what Emmett was built for, so he volunteered to spar with him. Alice wanted to see, plus she was upset too. She wanted to vent by complaining, and if it was about Edward, Rosalie was all for it, so the two went with them as well. They asked if Serafina wanted to join, but she had admitted that she hadn't wandered around town as often as usual and wanted to brush her face around town.
Wandering through town that evening, Serafina saw some of the regular people she saw during the morning. But it was different. People's routines were different at this time than the morning. She found it fascinating.
When walking in front of a supermarket, there was a younger, disheveled vagrant who saw her and looked at her no differently than anyone else, "Can you spare a dollar?" he asked. There was no fear or intimidation. He must have been new in town.
"Why?" Serafina asked. Narrowing her eyes at the man as she stopped to speak with him.
He was already surprised that she had acknowledged him. Most people usually ignored him and passed him by, "I'm out of cash and trying to get to New Mexico. I can't find a quick job to earn enough cash in town," He answered. He put his hand down but answered her.
"And how is a dollar going to help you with that?" Serafina questioned.
"Well, it won't. But I'm hungry," he answered.
"Then let's go get you something to eat," she answered, "You can tell me why you haven't been able to find a job." She began walking away. When she saw he wasn't following, she turned back to look at him, "I thought you were hungry? You can't buy anything with a dollar, so I'll buy you dinner."
The man immediately followed her just a step behind. She took him to the town diner and sat across from him. The townsfolk couldn't help turning to stare. When the waitress approached them, she smiled at Serafina, "Hey there, Serafina. Haven't seen you in a while." She smiled, "Your usual?"
"Yes, please. Thank you, Colleen," Serafina smiled back. She turned to the homeless man, "Burger, fries, and a Coke alright for you?"
"Yes, thank you," he nodded quickly.
"You got it," she noted in her notepad and went back to place the order with the cook.
"I'm Serafina Hart. Who are you, and why can't you find a job? You look reasonably healthy. Are you lazy? Crazy? I'm curious," she asked.
He was silent for a moment, "I'm Malcolm. I used to be in the Navy but was honorably discharged after I was injured in the line of duty. I didn't do too well when I came back stateside." He couldn't help fidgeting, "I, uh, was going to stay with my girlfriend when I returned. I paid for her school, but I found out she was cheating. I found out the hard way. I don't have a family. I didn't have a backup place to go."
Serafina was listening. She couldn't believe the bad luck of this young man. The food was soon served along with her coffee. He looked at her as though waiting for permission. She nodded while pretending to take a sip of coffee, and he immediately dug into his food.
While eating, he told her about his trouble with the V.A. and homeless shelters. He didn't have any specialty training that could transition well to civilian life, so he was also having trouble finding work because of that. He explained how he had moved to Seattle to be with his girlfriend while she was attending college. But otherwise, he had no ties to Washington at all. He was trying to find a place to stay when fleeing from that heartbreak and found himself in Forks.
"Now, I'm curious," Serafina began. She looked up at him once he was done and continued, "Do you want to settle here? Or are you pretty set on New Mexico?"
"I want out. This small-town living is not for me. Plus, my old commanding officer said he could help me with a job and place to stay until I could get back on my feet. I only need to get there. I feel like it's asking too much to ask him to front the cash for me to get there, too," he said with embarrassment.
"I can help you with the funds you need. But do you have anything of value? I don't just go around giving my money to strangers," Serafina grinned. He looked at his plate of food and then looked back up at her with apparent questions in his eyes, "I was taught never to turn away someone asking for food." She responded to his unspoken question.
A small smile tugged at his lips, "I can take you to my car. Everything I own is in it. You can see if you like anything," he shrugged.
Serafina paid for their food, and the two left and walked to a back alley around the corner. This was where his car sat, overstuffed with his belongings. He unlocked it and popped open the trunk. He had several bags of clothes and a few boxes of random odds and ends that she was immediately drawn to.
"May I?" she asked. He nodded his approval. She went straight for a box that practically called out to her. Inside were random stones and crystals. She raised her brow in question to him.
"My great-great-grandfather was a nerd. I think a geologist? He collected rocks and crystals even when he was back in his home country," he laughed.
Serafina could see the value in the stones, "I believe this one is worth quite a bit," she said as she lifted a bluish stone, "but this one, too," she held up another whiter stone. She felt all the stones but singled out three of them, "These three could have pretty high value if you play your cards right."
"You're pretty young, how do you know?" he asked.
"Oh, I know," she said confidently.
"How would I play my cards right?" he asked.
"Well, you'd need to invest several hundred or maybe several thousand dollars to get them-" she began to explain.
He immediately frowned and cut her off, "Which I don't have."
"This is true," Serafina grinned, "I can buy these three from you. I'll give you three hundred bucks for them right now. But I'll tell you right now, I'm ripping you off by doing so."
His frown never left, "And how much could I get from the pawn shop?"
"If they know what they're looking at, they'll probably offer you one to two hundred for the three. If they think you're just selling rocks like you thought they were, they'll probably offer you twenty dollars, and that's more to leave the store. Or maybe they'd even laugh you out the door," Serafina answered honestly.
"Well, you know I am a man and much larger and stronger than you. How do you know I won't just rob you right now?" he asked as he took an intimidating step toward her.
She never flinched or looked up from admiring the stones in her hands. "You're not that type of man." She said.
He sighed as he deflated, "No, I'm not. Nothing else caught your eye? Only those supposedly precious rocks."
"That's right. I'll go up to four hundred. But that's my final offer," she said with a smile.
"You know, I was starting to think you were an angel who came to help me in my time of need. Now you're flat-out telling me you're screwing me over. Are you the devil?" he laughed.
"Don't I wish," she muttered, "then I would be second to no one. Everyone would fear me, and I would fear no one."
"You okay, kid?" he asked. He was looking at her with concern after hearing her mutterings.
"Yes, do we have a deal?" she asked.
"Yeah, even you telling me this. I know I would never have done anything with those rocks. But are your parents okay with this?" he asked guiltily.
She collected the three she had mentioned and handed him the cash, "This is my money, not theirs. We're alright."
Soon, a light shone on the two from the end of the alley. Serafina heard him coming and turned her head slightly, expecting the action. She wasn't blinded like Malcolm was.
"Serafina? Are you alright?" Chief Swan asked with concern. When he saw she was safe, he breathed a sigh of relief, "What are you doing back here? You know this doesn't look good," he said as he left the light on and walked over to the two.
"Hey, Chief," Serafina smiled, still admiring her acquisitions, "Have you come to meet the sucker? I've hit the lottery." She then laughed, "He thought they were rocks." She shook her head incredulously.
"I made a deal with the devil," Malcolm said sadly, looking at Chief Swan.
"I think I need to hear the story from the beginning. All I'm understanding is you made a shady deal with a suspicious individual in a back alley for rocks," Chief Swan said with a blank face, looking between the two.
Malcolm explained what had happened, from panhandling on the street to Serafina taking him to dinner and their sudden deal. To show he was honest, he showed the cash he was just given without being asked, and Serafina showed her rocks.
Chief Swan eyed Serafina. He didn't know the value of the rocks, but he knew Serafina was sharp. He was sure she had suckered Malcolm greatly if she said so. He offered Serafina a ride home and pointed Malcolm to the nearest motel to shower and get a good night's sleep so he could head out of town to meet up with his friend.
While the two sat in the car with Serafina admiring the stones, Chief Swan finally turned to her, "What's the big deal about those rocks? They're pretty big, and I think there's a bit of color on them. But why are you so happy?"
"Because I robbed him blind," she laughed, "I'm pretty sure these are worth a pretty penny. You just can't see because they haven't been cut or polished. But I can get that done," she smiled.
"Cut or polished?" he asked hesitantly, "You're telling me those are actual gemstones? Like what? Diamonds?"
"I'm pretty sure that's what this smaller one is. But that's the least valuable of the three. This one is a ruby. With the size and color, it must be worth quite a bit. But the real treasure is this bluish-purple one," she said, holding up the last, "Tanzanite. Very rare."
"And you're not worried about that man being upset with you for tricking him? And coming back for revenge?" he asked. His discomfort was visible, knowing that the rocks had such a high value and were in his car. He didn't like the thought of something so expensive in his cruiser.
"No, and I didn't trick him. I told him to his face that I was taking advantage of him," she said happily. She unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door to exit the car.
He sighed, "Well, be careful not to go down dark alleys with strange men you don't know. It's not safe. I know you can handle yourself, but still." He waited until she got out of the car, then reached over to the glove box, "Here," he said, drawing her attention back to himself. She looked down through the open window and had a small canister shoved into her face, "Pepper spray. Just to be safe."
Serafina smiled, "Thank you!" She waved goodbye to the Chief. She made it inside and began to put her new valuables away when she got a phone call from Edward, "What do you want?"
"Can you do me a favor, please?" Edward gritted out.
"What's got your panties up in a bunch?" She asked.
"Please, come to Port Angeles and take care of some thugs for me. I can't. But they need to be dealt with." He explained.
"Nope, it's not my problem," she answered. She was about to hang up when he yelled something that got her attention.
"Think of Rosalie!" he said quickly before she could hang up, "It could have been what happened to her. This piece of shit has done that sort of thing before."
Serafina began to feel herself warm up, "Don't pretend you care about Rosalie. These men must have done something to threaten your little human."
"It doesn't make what I said any less true. One had done it before and planned to do it again," Edward answered. He knew he shouldn't do this, but he wanted to kill those men. He knew it was wrong but couldn't help himself. Not when it came to her. But he couldn't do it because he didn't want to scare Bella.
Serafina was still holding the pepper spray can in her other hand. She looked down at it, her glare softening slightly, "Is Bella alright?" she asked.
"I got there in time, but I want to kill them, Serafina, please. I need to make sure she's alright. I can't leave her," he answered.
"I won't kill them for you, but I do want them to suffer. Tell me how many, what they looked like, names if you know them, and where I can find them," Serafina answered angrily.
Edward didn't want her to kill them; he was calming down as well, but he agreed they should suffer. He gave her the requested information, thanked her, and quickly returned to Bella, who had called over Jessica and Angela to let them know she was safe.
Serafina grabbed her white dress and veil and quickly went to Port Angeles. She found the area those men had been in and wandered that area until she heard some young men laughing.
"I don't know, Lonnie, that guy drove all crazy to get that girl. I almost shit my pants," one man said, "Maybe we should call it a night."
Lonnie? This was the worst one of the bunch. The others, Edward suspected, were just drunk and following along. But Lonnie had done that sort of thing before. He'd heard his thoughts and knew how bad he was. He told Serafina all about it, hoping it would spur her into hurting him a great deal.
"Stop being a little bitch. Let's go around a bit more and see if we can find some pussy," Lonnie yelled out boisterously. The others laughed and followed his lead.
Serafina made sure her phone was on silent and slowly walked toward the entrance to the alley the group was loitering in. She knew she had caught their attention. How could she not?
"Hey baby, you are exactly what the doctor ordered," the voice she recognized as Lonnie said.
There was one Hispanic-looking male in the group who looked at her with fear. She hadn't even done or said anything yet, but that automatic response let her know that this young man had been told some scary stories when he was young. She smirked at him knowingly, and he shivered.
"We need to leave right now," the Hispanic male whispered.
"Are you fucking retarded, Ricky Martin? Pussy came to us, you don't walk away from that unless you're a faggot," Lonnie laughed.
"Man, Lon, his name is Chris. Leave him alone," one of the other young men scolded.
The man, Lonnie, ignored him, "She is way prettier than the last," he said with admiration and undisguised lust. Even with the veil, they could all see it.
"No! She's going to kill us!" Chris explained to the group. He specifically pulled the young man who just defended him back and continued to explain, "I'm sorry, but as soon as your friend started to harass that young girl, I knew he was a piece of shit. If he pisses off that woman, she will kill all of us! We have to leave right now!"
"Why do you say that?" his friend asked while eyeing this woman suspiciously. He was surprised at how adamant his friend was being about this. But he had to admit, something was unnerving about this woman who magically showed up.
"He's right," Serafina finally spoke, "I'd listen to your friend if I were you. If you come near me, you will suffer. Lonnie here can't run, though. He's already earned his punishment." Serafina allowed her eyes to glow, which was visible through the veil, and sped to Lonnie, where she picked him up by his throat.
When she disappeared and reappeared in front of them all and had Lonnie held a foot or two from the ground by his throat, they all panicked. They scrambled over each other and fled. They didn't care what happened to Lonnie at that point.
"Your friends left you. You're not even worth saving to them. How does that make you feel?" Serafina asked while never intending to let him answer.
She then threw him into the side of the building, where he landed in a pile of trash. He coughed as he struggled to breathe. He began to crawl backward as he tried to get away from her and toward the alley entrance.
"I heard you like to hear your victims scream," she said as she slowly sauntered toward him, "I do, too," she smiled as she stepped on his leg and broke it. His screams echoed through that back alley.
"Please, let me go," he tried to say while attempting to calm his breathing.
"Let me think," she flashed to behind him. She whispered in his ear through her clenched teeth, "I don't know. Did you ever let those women go when they begged for mercy?"
Lonnie whimpered after hearing that, "Please," he tried again.
"No, how else will you learn? Usually, I'd kill you for this, but I'll be merciful," she said seriously as she broke his other leg, causing another scream before he passed out due to his pain. Sirens could be heard as it appeared one of his friends had called for help. Serafina left her mark on the wall. She enjoyed leaving her mark for people to wonder. It reminded her of the old days.
Serafina slapped Lonnie across his face a few times to wake him up. She was immediately disinfecting her hand with a flame afterward. When he saw her face, he groaned as the pain suddenly hit him. He tried to crawl away from her again, though. He had tears in his eyes as he began whimpering before soiling himself.
"I want you to remember me, Lonnie. Remember what I did to you. Remember why I did it to you. I'll be back if I find out you tried doing it again. And I'll make sure you can never hurt another woman again. And if you think I'll just kill you at that time, that's just wishful thinking." She grinned wickedly and burst into flames with her eyes glowing. She extinguished her fire just before zipping away.
Of course, she would have felt better killing him. But she was trying to cut back on that. Serafina quickly made her way back home. When she heard Alice and Edward speaking at the front of the house, she knew she would have to sneak in through the back to change quickly.
As she was about to cross their backyard to the back door, she saw Rosalie further into the forest, a reasonable distance from herself and their home. But the two made eye contact. Rosalie eyed the outfit with a raised brow when Serafina entered the yard. But didn't say anything so Serafina could quickly sneak in to change without drawing attention to herself. Everyone knew what this outfit meant. Rosalie didn't want them to hassle her about whatever she had done. She would question her about it later. With Rosalie's blessing, she sped into the house and changed quickly.
Serafina didn't have to change so quickly. Edward went to Carlisle's study and told him about Lonnie and his vile thoughts and memories. He explained how he had wanted to kill him but instead asked Serafina to take care of him. Serafina rolled her eyes while waiting on the couch for her reprimanding with a pout. She was upset with the snitch.
But it didn't come. Carlisle commented from his study, "Did you return from taking care of that swine?" Serafina confirmed. Carlisle chuckled, "I'm proud of you both. Neither of you killed him, but I'm glad you taught him a lesson. The streets are a lot safer now," He said.
Serafina was happy she wasn't in trouble but was sure it was only because it was Edward's idea. She narrowed her eyes in annoyance. She decided she would burn one of his CDs later.
Edward sighed. He knew those were Carlisle's true feelings. He would have taken care of Lonnie himself, but Edward didn't want him to have to. He knew that he hated causing any harm, not just deaths. Serafina was different. But he wasn't going to get into it. He needed to hunt for his time with Bella tomorrow. He decided he would just be surprised later to see which CDs had been destroyed by his sister.