Esme grimaced as she heard Amelia's cry of despair. Beside her, Carlisle stiffened. Amelia's cry was too quiet for the Westsmythes to hear, and they continued to chat to the Cullens as though nothing was amiss.
"Esme, Carlisle, please keep the Westsmythes occupied. Amelia is going to jump out the window and run into the forest in about ten seconds," Alice spoke from the library. They heard Amelia's frantic pacing, before she walked over to the window and opened it up. The Westsmythes were admiring the view of the garden from the lounge, and if Amelia jumped out of the window, she could be seen running towards the forest. The sun had long gone, so the curtains had been opened up. The family downstairs wondered how to draw their attention away from the windows. In the end, an unlikely solution presented itself.
Jemima sauntered into the room and sat in front of Daniella, tongue lolling out the side of her mouth. She yapped softly, before edging forward and looking at the visitors expectantly. That dog really knew how to turn on the charm and she was oozing it from every pore of her being. Esme understood in that moment exactly why the Theodores had gotten Jemima for their two year old daughter.
"Oh hello you cutie pie," gushed Caroline, picking up the Scottie, who licked her face affectionately, "Rich, take a look at Jemima."
The Westsmythes' attention was on the dog as they walked back to the sofa, just as the vampires heard a soft thud as Amelia landed on the grass outside her window and took off, streaking into the forest.
"We're going to go for a quick walk," spoke Rosalie, gesturing to her and Emmett as they descended the stairs dressed in appropriate attire for a walk through the forest.
"Be careful, and please be back before dark," said Carlisle. They left, whispering promises of keeping an eye on Amelia while she cooled off. It would be irresponsible to leave Amelia unaccompanied while she was so young and volatile. Humans may smell unpleasant to her, but they had no way of knowing how long that would last for.
Blythe could be heard dropping from the library window and shimmying down a tree. A ripping sound was heard as she completed the ungraceful task of sliding the equivalent of two storeys down the old oak tree that overlooked the library. A disgruntled squirrel squealed angrily at Blythe as she brought a dozen acorns down with her.
"Blythe you have absolutely no regard for fashion!" shrieked Alice, appalled at the massive tear down the front of Blythe's shirt as she stuck her head of her bedroom window and threw a new one to Blythe.
"And just how was I supposed to get out of the house, oh psychic one? Via the front door, past people who think I am in Germany?" she hissed, irked. She glared at the squirrel, "shut up, you stupid rodent! There are plenty of acorns in the tree. Stop acting like I destroyed your food supply!"
"An hours-old vampire discovered that she could jump out of the window. You are nearly 200 years old, with several degrees, most of which are medical in nature, and you decide that instead of jumping out of the window, you'll get up close and personal with the tree trunk of an oak tree?"
"Hush, Mary Alice. This fine specimen of a tree is older than you. Do not insult its abilities," she retorted, throwing the ripped blouse back up to Alice and smoothing the new one in place. She turned her heel and ran into the forest before Alice could reply.
---
Amelia continued to run until she was deep in the forest. She paused, and took in her surroundings - a herd of deer to the south, their hearts beating in a staccato rhythm; birds chirping to one another. She heard flowing water somewhere northwest, and took a deep breath. Several scents assaulted her, but her throat did not burn with thirst when she smelled the herbivores and the lone carnivore a few miles out. She took another deep breath, trying to clear her mind, and took off towards the body of water. She presently found herself at a waterfall, and an overwhelming sense of déjà vu overtook her. She had been here before.
She shifted through her cloudy human memories until she located the correct one. It was from a dream that she had had, after she had been discharged from hospital after her pneumonia infection over her birthday. She had sat down with her father that evening to chat a bit about her future as a vampire. In her dream, she had stood here, and watched her family and the Quileute pack scatter what appeared to be dirt from an urn and then be eaten by a giant squid. In hindsight, she realised that it was her ashes that her family was scattering. In Alice's vision, Amelia had died when her body had finally shut down when the disease became too much for her to bear.
She took another unnecessary deep breath and plopped down on the edge of the cliff. Her mind was in turmoil, trying to accept what was happening. She needed her space, and was grateful for her family allowing her some space. She suspected someone would come after her soon enough. It nearly broke her heart to think of all the people whom she was leaving behind – her friends at school, Daniella, Narcisse and Amy; her friends from the orchestra. Ariané and Simon knew the truth, but Peter, Valerie and the others did not. Her godfather had lost her no sooner than he had gotten her back. She worried about him, knowing that he still carried the weight of her father's death on his shoulders in spite of her constant reassurances. She had written him a letter to be mailed to him upon her 'death'. Alice had sent it to him only that morning, along with letters to the rest of the orchestra who knew her mother, as well as one to Valerie. Her letters to Simon and Ariané were different, and she left with the promise of meeting them one day again. They were both so special to her, and she was grateful that their Haitian upbringing had educated them on the immortals in the world, so that she could keep in touch.
She sighed softly to herself as she relived the pain that tore through her when she heard Daniella walk past her hiding spot, hearing her friend's voice filled with sadness, and wanting only to comfort her. If Daniella was anything to go by, she'd hate to see what Peter would go through. Yes, she was definitely worried about Peter. Rosalie had phoned Simon to tell him as well, and Alice had foreseen him telling the orchestra during their usual Monday evening rehearsal – Valerie crying with Cassandra and Sasha, Peter simply walking away and breaking down in private, Simon and Ariané exchanging knowing glances before walking after him to comfort him. The letter she had written him was simple, but she hoped it would give him closure for the deaths of all three of the Theodores.
Dear Peter,
If you are reading this, it means that I have passed away. In some ways, I welcome the end – I am tired of the pain, of not even being afforded the luxury of drawing in breath, but in other ways I am saddened that my life is over. There were so many things I would still like to do, places I would have liked to see, but not everything goes according to plan. If life were that simple, you would probably be trying to convince me to play the double bass while Mom and Dad drink coffee in the kitchen, just like old times. I'd probably have made you watch 101 Dalmations a hundred times over, and later, perhaps we'd have watched the Harry Potter series. You'd no doubt have introduced me to Star Wars, and we could have argued over Lord of the Rings. Life does not go according to plan, and while it has not been easy, it has shaped me and made me the person I am today.
I know you still carry the weight of my dad's death on your shoulders, and I want you to know, again, that I will never blame you for it. You cared enough for him to let him be free from a life of suffering, if he had survived at all. It was the kindest thing you could have done for him. Even although you did not get custody of me like you should have, it took me on a journey that ultimately led me back to you. For that, I will be forever grateful. My last few months were the very best I could have ever wished for. Performing at Mom's concert was the best night of my life. Thank you for allowing me to be part of it.
I know this is not easy, but please try to move on. You deserve to be happy, Peter. Allow yourself that happiness. You did what was right. Reality is that Dad would never have been able to take care of me, and I'd have been put in the foster care system anyway. Things would have been no different, and eventually I would have been informed as to when Dad finally did pass away. I know you are upset with me for making everyone watch me suffer, but what other choice do I have? This disease has shown its true colours in the past few years. I am grateful that this battle is almost over. It won't be long now. Carlisle estimates that I have six weeks at most. That takes us to the middle of June. Summer always was my favourite time of the year, even if I hated the sun. My new life will be devoid of physical pain, and I will embrace it with open arms when it arrives.
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." Find those moments, Peter. I will always be with you, watching from a distance, wishing that I could hug you and say hello.
I love you to the moon and back, Uncle P.
All my love,
Amelia Grace Theodore.
---
"Amelia!" called Rosalie, growing frantic. The sun was setting, and Amelia was nowhere to be found.
"Mia!" called Emmett, about a mile away from Rosalie. He too was hunting for his baby sister. Alice had obviously seen that they could not find her, as the rest of the family arrived. Renesmee was with Charlie, safely at the cottage, while Bella and Edward joined the hunt as well.
"I can't hear her thoughts at all! She must have gone far out!" Edward exclaimed.
"Carlisle," stated Eleazar softly, his mind suddenly drawing a new conclusion.
"No!" bellowed Edward, "she had not been taken by the Guard! Alice!"
"No, she has not. She'll be around somewhere. Has the pack been called?" called Alice, frustrated with the blind spots in her vision. Amelia had disappeared from her visions, and the shifter pack was not helping her.
"They are on their way," spoke Bella, "Jacob was with us when you called, and he alerted the others. They should be here any moment."
"Where are Carmen and Esme?" interjected Tanya.
"At the house. She doesn't know yet, so Carmen is keeping her occupied," said Jasper.
"Right behind you, actually," muttered Esme, joining the others and glaring at Carlisle as they broke up into pairs and started to scour the area for signs of Amelia, "stop sheltering me from these things, Carlisle. She's my daughter too. I can help."
"I didn't want to upset you," replied Carlisle, taking her hand as they ran through the forest. Behind them, a thud of paws resounded as multiple howls echoed through the forest. A russet-coloured shot past them. The shape shifters were their natural enemies, and as a result, could run faster than them. Seth and Leah in their wolf form also streaked past them, following Jacob. Unlike Jacob, they took a sharp left and sprinted through the dense forest.
"I wonder where she could have gone," spoke Esme, her anger at Carlisle having dissipated as fear started to gnaw away at her. They continued to run, looking for a scent. They picked one up but it was hours old. About ten minutes later, they heard Blythe and Samantha shouting loudly and Leah and Seth howling in unison. The pack replied and everyone followed the noises until they arrived at the clearing where the battle with the newborn army had occurred nearly two years ago.
"She's by the cliff," spoke Carmen.
"She has a new talent," Eleazar spoke carefully, as he led the anxious parents over to the cliff where Alice had seen them scatter Amelia's ashes. Leah, in her human form, turned around to smile at them. Blythe and Samantha nodded, before retreating to the others, satisfied that the situation could be brought under control. Out in the clearing, Jasper and Alice had arrived, and Jasper too moved forward to the cliff.
"I don't see her," stated Carlisle dumbly, after assessing his surroundings for his daughter. Her scent was there, but it was weak, almost like it was days old.
"Look at Seth," quipped Leah. The shape shifter in question was the picture of ease. In that moment, he honestly looked like a giant puppy, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth as he panted softly. To Carlisle and Esme's surprise, his fur began to smooth out in a rhythmic pattern, almost as though someone were stroking him. But they could not see anyone. Suddenly, it stopped and both Seth and Leah appeared to be watching someone walk up to Carlisle and Esme. Esme felt herself being engulfed in a hug, but could not see the person who was hugging her. A soft kiss was placed on her cheek, before Carlisle's expression told Esme that he was undergoing the same experience.
"Amelia seems to have gained invisibility," spoke Eleazar.
"Are you sure it's her?" queried Carlisle in disbelief, "I can't see her."
"Seth and I can," explained Leah, "we can hear her too. She hasn't, and I quote, 'got the foggiest clue how to make myself 'uninvisible' again,'."
"My squirt has invisibility skills? What a badass!" whooped Emmett, bounding over to the cliff in excitement.
"Language, Emmett!" chided Esme, giggling at the expression on his face when he staggered backwards. Seth and Leah were howling with laughter as Amelia threw herself at him and launched a tickle attack on her middle brother, revenge for the many nights of tickle attacks that he had bestowed on her.
"Amazing," breathed Carlisle, "her scent is gone as well. I wonder how this happened."
"Her past perhaps?" suggested Eleazar, "perhaps her desire to be invisible when she was being abused has manifested as invisibility. Leah says that she has not encountered anyone while she was out of the house."
"I attributed her gift of magnetism and duplication to her all-rounded nature – her natural affinity for music, her intelligence and academic prowess. I reckon she would have been quite the athlete had she not been so ill," spoke Carlisle.
"But the ability to develop a power at will is quite different to magnetism."
"Perhaps she encountered someone with the gift of invisibility while she was still a human?" mused Carlisle.
"But she has spent significantly more time in contact with Alice, and shows no sign of clairvoyance. She also shows no shielding abilities, no mind-reading or empathic capabilities either. She is not a healer, at least not up to Blythe's ability, neither does she had my gift or Renesmee's. Amelia, you are one talented young lady. You will also be the death of me," admonished Eleazar playfully.
"She's laughing at you, and sticking her tongue out. She says that you're just jealous because you're not as cool as she is," said Leah. Eleazar jumped when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. Leah and Seth roared with laughter.
"Amelia, that was not very nice," chided Esme as she laughed as well. The look on Eleazar's face was priceless.
"Hey guys, why don't we take this back to the house?" they heard Jacob call, "I'm starving!"
The vampires burst into laughter. There was a rumble of agreement amongst the wolves. Esme's eyes lit up at the thought of cooking for the pack.
"Call your imprints and the elders, we are going to celebrate!" trilled Alice. Seth suddenly got up and streaked away. In a graceful leap, Leah turned into a shifter and gave chase. The rest of the pack followed.
"Amelia and Seth are racing each other to the house," called Edward, laughing at Seth, who was leading the race, "the whole pack has overtaken her, aside from Leah. Oh, Seth has turned back and he's trying to convince Amelia to accept a piggyback from him. Leah's just head-butted him."
---
Author's Note
Many thanks to chantisweety for the advice given on this chapter, and for giving an opinion when I was worried about overkilling Amelia's gifts. What do you think of her new ability? Too much, or too cool?
Also, a few people have asked me if Amelia will find a mate. At the moment, I was thinking of giving her some time to adjust to being a vampire and get used to her new life and her awesome new gifts. Who should be her mate? shawin02 proposed her mate being a human with CF and she saves him when he dies. Someone else proposed that she be Seth's imprint. What do you think? Any suggestions? I will consider them all, but please, she is not going to be mated to Steven Smith, the footballer. Not happening. Nope. Nuh uh.
To all my fellow Potterheads, who has gotten their copy of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child? I literally held up the queue at the supermarket this morning so that I could run and grab a copy. It's been staring at me all afternoon but I wanted to update this chapter first. Have a great week ahead everyone :)