"So, you're going to need at least a pair of heels," Alice muttered to herself.
"Alice," Kamber pointed out, chuckling softly, "it's just a day trip! We won't even need to stay anywhere! I don't even need to pack a suitcase."
Alice looked up from the list she was writing of the things Kamber needed to pack for her Wisconsin trip, "Says who? I might just have Jasper 'accidently' lose your plane tickets back so you two have to spend the night!"
Rose's head perked up right away at that. She was seated at the counter with Hermione and Nevaeh sitting on either side of her, drawing with crayons (which she had forced Emmett to run to the store and get) while Vanessa sat on her lap. The little girl's long hair was half braided into pigtails and Rose was halfway through braiding the second one when she looked up.
"As much as I second the vote for ensuring Kamber's future as our sister-in-law, I think that is a little much Alice."
Kamber looked between the two girls in puzzlement. She wasn't quite sure what was going on and didn't really understand what they were talking about until Eustace spoke up from where he was playing chess with Jasper.
"You're getting married to Edward sis?"
Kamber's face at once turned a beet red and she began to sweat, "What? When did you... I never... what?"
There was the sound of chuckling and everyone turned to see that Emmett, Vince and Glynn had appeared in the doorway, all three of them looking like they had been thrown against a few things but all three of them laughing.
"Just a joke sis," Vince told the girl, wrapping his arms around his sister, "Just a joke."
"That might be a joke," Jasper spoke up from his spot on the floor, "But are Edward's eyes black?"
Everyone spun around to see that Edward had descended the stairs. He was standing on the bottom step, one hand on the rail with a perplexed look on his face. However, it was clear as day what Jasper was talking about. Rather than the golden or pale brown color, his eyes were jet black.
"Edward, you need to feed!" Emmett said, closing the front door, "You cannot go to Wisconsin without feeding!"
"We're leaving in an hour for the airport Emmett," Edward pointed out. "It's fine. If I try to feed before we leave, I won't have time."
"Then just cancel the trip to Wisconsin and go in a few days," Alice suggested. I'll refund the tickets and schedule another flight in three days!"
Edward shook his head, "the only hotel within fifty miles of the address won't have another opening for a week."
"Then I'll go alone," Kamber remarked aloud, "I don't have to feed."
Edward was across the room in a manner of milliseconds and had grabbed Kamber by the arms and was looking into her face intensely.
"NO!" he cried, "Kamber you can't!"
"Why not?" the girl asked, completely puzzled at his outburst, "We'll refund one of the tickets and...."
"No!" Edward replied again, almost urgently, "You cannot go alone."
Kamber at first thought that his reasons were because he didn't want to be left out but then she realized that he was merely concerned about her going to a strange place alone. Smiling sweetly, she nodded and Edward at once relaxed.
"Well," Esme said, clapping her hands and announcing her and Carlisle's appearance, "Now that is all cleared up, since you two will not be traveling this week, Mr. and Mrs. Vicasi invited us on a double date tomorrow night."
A smirk appeared on Rose's face and placing Vanessa on a chair, rose to her feet and stood next to Emmett, "Jasper, Alice. We have a surprise for you."
The two exchanged knowing looks before Rose held out an envelope. Alice opened it and gasped.
"Tickets to Alaska!" Rose cheered, "It's you and Jasper's anniversary this weekend! We're leaving in the morning! WE invited Vince and Glynn to come along!"
"NO WAY!" Alice chirped, rushing over to hug her two adopted siblings.
Just then, Zayne's eyes widened, "But... tomorrow we're going over for a sleepover with Jacob."
"That do...." Rose started but Emmett cut her off with a peck on the cheek.
"Who does 'we' imply?" Kamber inquired.
"Me, Calliope and Antigone," Zayne replied.
Everyone present began to do the calculations before Rose's eyes fell on Edward and Kamber.
"So!" she chirped, "You two will be on babysitting duty!"
Edward looked over at Kamber, not sure what to say at that moment but the girl smiled, "That works with me. That will give us time to work on investigating Harrison Gerasimov anyway."
Edward stared at the girl in wonder. Tomorrow, they would be alone for at least four hours together. Not like they didn't spend time together but since Edward's first excursion into her room, they hadn't been alone together at all....
The next evening, Edward was standing on the stairs in stunned amazement. The parents had been gone for about an hour, Rose, Emmett, Alice, Jasper, Vince and Glynn had left that morning and the other three teens had been at the Black's since noon. Now however, the Vicasi kids were drooping off to sleep one by one like dead leaves falling from the trees. Whenever Kamber finished getting one comfortable on the couch or in one of the bedrooms upstairs, another one was falling asleep.
Edward had meant to help but even if he could move, he wouldn't know what to do. However, he was frozen to the spot in wonderment and astonishment. Kamber came flying down the stairs on silent feet but instead of going down the last eight steps, she jumped over the railing and landed lightly on the ground next to it, grabbing Kenelm who had come out of the bathroom but was nodding off to bed where he stood.
The boy let out a soft purring sound as he cuddled up to his sister's chest and threw his arms around her neck.
Kamber smiled sweetly at him before trotting over to the only empty couch and placing him there so he didn't wake up. She covered him with a blanket and fondled his wavy hair.
The girl let out a sigh and plopped down on the kitchen counter.
"That's everyone," she sighed.
Edward chuckled softly and approached her, finally out of his trance.
"You're used to that?" he asked, leaning his elbows on the counter next to her.
Kamber nodded, "Usually though the others are here to help but there have been times I've had to do it alone. When the others are here, we make it a game to see who can put how many of the little ones to bed."
Edward chuckled, "You're a natural."
Kamber smiled, "I've always had a love for family. Before we moved here, I would babysit our werewolf cousins. One day I wish to have a family of my own."
Edward looked up at this and frowned, "But... as a vampire, cannot you not have kids?"
"That is what I thought for a while," Kamber pointed out. "I was afraid that I hadn't inherited my mother's ability to bear children. But I still have my cycle."
Edward felt his ears go red from hearing that. He had learnt what a woman's cycle was before he got turned into a vampire and honestly, when a woman was on a cycle it was sometimes hard.
"So... you're able to bear... children..." Edward whispered.
Kamber smiled and nodded, not quite sure why Edward's eyes seemed to be shining. "Yeah."
Edward swallowed, not realizing his mouth had gone dry. Kamber let out a sigh and hopped off the counter. However, Edward spun around the moment he sensed her stumble.
Reaching forward, he grabbed her around the shoulders to stop her fall.
"Sorry," the girl sighed, her eyes closed and pressing her face against his chest, "I didn't get enough sleep this week apparently."
Edward smiled, "well rest then. I'll keep watch."
Kamber nodded and letting out a content sigh and smile, she nestled against Edward's shoulder and neck and closed her eyes. Edward's heart jumped as she clutched her hands to her chest like an innocent little child.
Smiling, Edward sat down on the floor and leant against the couch since all the couches were occupied with sleeping kids. Kamber shifted slightly and sighed as she resituated herself against Edward's side. He ran his fingers through her hair and marveled at how silky yet fluffy it felt.
The girl smiled in her sleep and cuddled closer to his chest. Edward felt his heart pound when her cheek pressed against his chest and her breath hit his neck.
"What are you doing to me?" he whispered in a barely audible voice.
Kamber didn't move but what Edward didn't know was that the girl's heart was pounding a mile a minute.
"Kambi?" a soft voice whispered.
Kamber was up in an instant, pushing Edward away, "Oh... Vanessa."
The little girl stood on the bottom step, her eyes blurry from sleep and dressed in a pair of PJ's she had obtained from Alice's room which pooled at her feet because they were so long.
"I had a weird dream," the girl whispered, rubbing her fist against her eyes sleepily. "I saw mommy and daddy."
Smiling, Kamber held out her arms to the girl and Vanessa waddled into her sister's lap, resting against Vanessa's chest just like Vanessa had been to Edward not moments before.
"Want to talk about it?" Kamber asked her little sister.
Vanessa nodded and leant her back against Vanessa's chest, "I saw mommy and daddy at their wedding."
"Who's wedding?"
"Mommy and daddy's," Vanessa replied, puzzled as to why her sister wasn't understanding.
"Huh?" both Edward and Kamber asked at the same time. "But you weren't even born then..."
"Then I saw Glynn's birthday..."
Kamber slowly glanced over at Edward then back at her sister, "Which one?"
"His fifth.... He was so chubby!"
Kamber slowly lifted her eyes to Edward's and all the color drained from her face, "Vanessa... were you really asleep...."
The little girl pressed her finger to her chin thoughtfully, "No... I was in the bathroom getting a drink when it happened. It was like a daydream."
Edward was still trying to comprehend what was going on when Kamber got up from the floor, placing the half asleep Vanessa in Edward's lap.
The girl was across the room in seconds and had grabbed her cell phone and quickly dialed a number. Soon the girl's face showed complete relief when a voice came on from the other side.
"Hi dad.... No everything's fine... but something weird is happening with Nessa."
Edward looked down at the girl who was now half asleep in his lap while Kamber continued to talk to her dad over the phone.
"Well she came down and said she said she had a daydream.... No I know but.... This was weird... Dad, she said she said she saw you and mom's wedding day.... Yeah and Glynn's fifth birthday.... I know! I wasn't even born....Yeah.... she's asleep right now.... Okay.... See you later. Bye."
The girl hung up and placed her phone in her back pocket. She walked back over to Edward and lifting Vanessa off his lap, she placed the girl on the couch and covered her with a blanket.
"Can you help me out? Dad wants everyone out of the living room except Vanessa. He doesn't want to startle the others. He said they'll be back pronto."
Edward nodded and soon, the two were silently running up and down the stairs, carrying the still sleeping kids to Alice, Rose, Emmett and Jasper's bedrooms. Soon, every bed in the house had either one or two kids asleep except Vanessa who was still asleep on the couch.
Kamber was just sitting down when she shot back up again with a cry of pain and clutched her head.
"Kamber?" Edward cried, rushing to her side, "What's wrong?"
"I don't know..." the girl gasped, "But my head is pounding.... It hurts... so bad!"
The front door of the house flew open and the rest of the Cullens and the Vicasi parents charged in. Edward took quick note that Emmett and Jasper were both supporting Vince and Glynn who were both clutching their heads just like Kamber was and seemed weak. Rose, Alice and Esme were carrying Antigone, Zayne and Calliope who looked like they were writhing in their sleep, all three sweating and whimpering in pain.
"When did this happen?" Carlisle asked, rushing to Kamber's side.
"Just a moment ago," Edward replied, "We just finished putting the kids upstairs when..."
Without letting the boy finish, Mr. Vicasi flew upstairs and the sound of doors slamming could be heard before he rushed back down.
"That will only hold them for a few minutes..." he explained.
"What?" everyone but Mrs. Vicasi asked in confusion.
MR. Vicasi didn't have to explain for at that moment, Vince, Glynn, Calliope, Antigone and Zayne woke up. At the same time, Kamber lifted her head and all of them opened their eyes.... They were white!
"Hold them still!" Mr. Vicasi warned.
Edward wrapped his arms around Kamber to pin her down while everyone else rushed to restrain the other kids.
"What is going on?" Rose demanded, helping Alice hold Antigone still.
"We need moonlight," Zayne hissed in a voice that was not his own.
"What is wrong with them!?" Jasper cried.
Suddenly, just when everyone thought they couldn't hold the kids anymore, they all crumbled to the ground. Edward grabbed Kamber before she fell and scooped her up into his arms bridal style.
"What happened?" the girl whispered, looking up at Edward with exhausted and confused blue eyes.
"IT's the pre apocalypse," Mr. Vicasi sighed, "It's my fault that I forgot it was today."
"The apocalypse?" Everyone asked.
Mr. Vicasi nodded, "The day the two of us got engaged," he said, motioning to himself and Mrs. Vicasi, "In one week will be the day the two of us were wed... and will be the day when the kids almost die."