Chapter 26: And It Cannot Be Changed

Okay, so I want to thank all of you who have read this story. Whether it be something you stumbled upon last week or kept up with me for these past six years. You have no idea how much your continued support meant to me. I started this series when I was this lost kid in high school and honestly I was so unsure of myself. I didn't think I could do it, I didn't think I could write a story like this. I thought about quitting so many times but y'all refused. You encouraged me, inspired me and gave me the courage to continue. Helen Hendricks is a part of me now and I don't think I could imagine a world without her. To my longtime supporters Fantasy Writer, Daughter of Opulence and Cutie Bunny you guys are incredible and I am so grateful for your support and friendship.

I would like to make my friend Melanie for making a bet with me, I would like to thank my college roommate for believing in my weirdness. Lastly, I would like to thank Helen for giving me strength when I needed it.

This one's for you.

You live as long as you dance - Rudolf Nureyev

A chair. A desk. A small nightstand near the full-sized bed. A dresser with the bottom drawer converted into a shelf. A tiny closet guarded by a folding white door. There was a window with a small handle, the kind that was used to crank it open vertically. If it still managed to open, she thought about attaching a flower box. The walls were a dull beige and the floors were clearly a linoleum that was made to look like hardwood. The room was very plain, something that Helen concluded was intentional on Ruby's part. Give her as much free reign on what she wanted the bedroom to look like, a type of freedom she was grateful for. The bedroom she had stayed in during her time in Volterra had been lovely, but none of it was her choice and every detail that had been put into place was designed to placate her and keep her content.

Italy had been a beautiful cage, but a cage nonetheless. She would do everything in her power to never be in a cage again.

The drive to Portland had been a long and tedious two-day journey. The longest amount of time she had ever been alone with Ruby and her patience towards the end had all but run thin. Helen attempted to be civil and cooperative, really she did, but Ruby drank more than she needed to and it didn't take long for it to get on her nerves. They had sniped at each other during the entire adventure and pulling into the driveway of the house offered a sense of reprieve they both wanted.

9707 SW Quail Post Rd Portland, Oregon, 97219. That was Helen's new address, or at least that was the address of Ruby's home. The edge of a cul-de-sac with access to a rather large wooded area. The house was a neat one story home with a bay window in the living room, a yellow front door, black brick on the roof and grey siding. The deck opened out to the natural wildlife of the woods, something very similar to her old home in St. Louis. Her bedroom was located adjacent to a neatly decorated living room with a burgundy couch and striped yellow pillows.

Helen hadn't received any more unwelcome summons from Aro, but she felt a dark shadow looming over her as if he was constantly trying to pull her back into his grasp. It still felt so strange to not be near him or even surrounded by the rest of the family. She expected Sulpicia to waltz through her bedroom and summon her to sit with her or to walk down the hallway and receive a narrow look from Caius or Athenodora.

It's incredible how one can get used to things being a certain way. It reminded her of something Aro had once said to her during the first few days of being in Volterra. Confused and disorientated at the large estate and the chilling amount of supernatural creatures around her, Helen had never felt more like a fish out of water. He noticed her discomfort and assured her in a too cheery tone.

"Ordinary is just what you are used to, dear girl. Soon this will feel normal, this will become ordinary."

Aro had never been more right because now she had something else that would very soon become the norm of her life. Helen began to explore the house, feeling her fingers along the popcorn walls leading into the living room which smelled like lavender courtesy of a Sensi plugged into an outlet on an end table. Ruby didn't have any photographs visible, just commercial artwork, nothing that appeared to be something special or homemade. Instead, it looked like the house was being staged for a real state showing. On their second day there, Helen walked into the kitchen and saw that Ruby was heating up microwave frozen mac and cheese in the kitchen.

"I swear I have never wanted this thing to hurry the fuck up before, as much as I do now," Ruby grumbled. Helen laughed lightly and pulled out one of the bar stools from the kitchen island.

There was a beat as Ruby took her bowl out of the oven, wincing as she had to readjust the cloth she grabbed it with. Ruby pulled a drawer open, grabbing a fork and blowing on her food angrily before digging in.

"I should've asked if you needed to stop for food." Helen shrugged and placed her hands in her lap. Ruby shook her head and shoveled another forkful into her mouth. "Kid, I needed to get out of that car so bad I wasn't doing anything to prolong it. I've never broken so many speeding laws before."

Helen laughed as Ruby kept eating her cheesy dinner. When she nearly got finished, her cell phone started ringing. Checking the caller ID, the witch groaned before pressing accept. There was a click as the call went through, Ruby rolled her eyes and bitterly said, "alright Carlisle we made it. I told you I'd call you when we got here but I thought I was allowed to rest my soul for a bit, given that I have just spent the last two days in my car with an angsty vampire."

"She's not in a good mood." Helen deadpanned.

"Yes, thank you, Helen, I was able to figure that out as well." Carlisle laughed lightly. "Happy to hear your travels were safe, of course, Alice said there would be no reason for them not to be."

"Super." Ruby snorted.

"I also wanted to call and see if Helen was doing alright, I know that saying goodbye to your family must not have been easy."

Helen huffed and folded her arms together. She didn't know Carlisle well enough to weigh the odds of sniping back at him, so she bitterly responded. "Mmhmm."

"Wonderful." Carlisle chirped back. "Anyhow, I'll not beat around the bush any longer. The main reason I am calling is due to the situation we are dealing with here. I'm not sure how informed you are on that regard, Helen."

"You mean the vampires in Seattle?" Helen responded, unsure of why Carlisle wanted to talk to her about that. "I thought we were all on the same page that the Volturi were heading there to deal with the issue, you know given they were gonna use that as an opportunity to off everyone I care about."

"Yes, and the case still remains that they might venture to Seattle. We think that the army might have been created to take out my family." He explained. It set off a lightbulb in Helen's head as she nodded.

"Aro had the same conclusion." She added with a shrug. "He thinks it might be someone who's mate you had to kill, someone who tried to attack Edward's girlfriend." Helen wanted to be more specific but her name was escaping her. Becky? Brooke? Brenda? Something with a B.

"Ah, you've heard about Bella." Bella! That was it! "Yes, she's my son's mate. Essentially a tracker named James tried to hunt her and we were unable to stop his mate Victoria from escaping. Although Alice has informed us that she has yet to see her decide to come for us."

Helen shrugged. "I don't know, it was just a theory he had."

Ruby took one last bite of her pasta and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. "Carlisle, as much as I love speculation is there a point to you bringing up the newborn army? I've driven something like two thousand miles in the past three days and I'm running on fumes."

"Yes, there is, Ruby. I am calling because I originally promised Ruby that once you were in the area I would make arrangements for us to meet so that we could start training you as a vampire. I imagine that Aro had already begun doing that, correct?"

"Something like that." Helen cringed at the thought of her previous sessions with Aro. Hours and hours of repetitive projection until she felt emotionally worn out beyond belief. "They would take me out to feed a few times a week but Aro focused more on developing my gift."

"I see." He paused. "Well, what I think would be best right now is for you and Ruby to come here sometime soon. I was going to travel to Portland so we could get a feel for the surrounding area and find the best routes for you to travel down so that you can begin venturing out unsupervised after awhile. Instead, it would be helpful if you could come to me for a short while. This way if and when we have to go to Seattle, it won't have to be at a time when I'm there. I hope it isn't terribly inconvenient."

Helen looked up and Ruby and shrugged. The witch pursed her lips and thought about it for a moment before responding. "I guess. It's not ideal, but she needs to start sooner rather than later. Does Alice know if the Volturi will be close by anytime soon?"

"For the time being, no. The only thing that I was going to tell you was that Aro made a decision on coming to the United States himself, specifically to St. Louis." Helen was shocked to hear that, given that he knew she wouldn't be there anymore, but it made sense considering it was the first place he could start looking. Ruby poured herself a glass of scotch on the rocks and took a sip. She was clearly thinking things through and deciding what would be the best course of action.

"Ruby are you still there?" Carlisle interjected.

"Yeah, I'm here." She took another swig. "Alright, she and I will head up there tomorrow. She's already had a few months to get used to everything so she isn't too inexperienced. If everything goes well maybe we can negotiate coming up during the weekends from now on?"

"Wonderful, I'll tell Esme to prepare two extra rooms. Hopefully, we can get you under control enough to start school in the Fall, Helen." That sentence made her blink in confusion.

"School? Like human school?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "Is that such a good idea?"

"You gotta look normal, kid. We may be in a big city but you still have to blend in. The best way you can learn to control yourself is through exposure." Ruby hiccuped. "Besides it will give you something to do during the day when I'm not here. You're the one who moaned about not being locked away, remember?" Despite how rational it sounded, the concept of going back to a regular school stumped her. Sure Aro had taught her history and the arts while she was in Italy, his own branded information that he chose to tell, but she never thought she'd be back at a high school with other people. Not this soon anyway.

"If you want to, that is." Carlisle opined. "It would help not raise any suspicion but if you don't feel comfortable with the idea we can always find other ways to help expose you in a controlled environment."

"No, it's not that." Helen shook her head. "I just never thought about it as a possibility. I guess we should just cross that bridge when we get there."

"Precisely," Carlisle said happily. "Now that we're all on the same page I will leave you both be. Hope you have a safe drive and I'll see you tomorrow." There was a click as the line went dead. Ruby caught Helen staring intently as though she were in deep thought.

"Burning brain cells, there?" She snarked.

"Don't you think he kind of sounds like a boy scout?" Helen mused with a teasing grin. Ruby spit up her drink a little bit as she snorted. It was too easy of a joke, but she felt like it needed to be said. "Not trying to be mean but he seems like such a do-gooder. It makes me wonder if I should buy popcorn from him." Ruby laughed bigger this time and wiped her mouth again.

"Alright, kid. I guess I'll try to get some more rest before I have to spend another four hours in a car with you." Ruby sighed and took her drink with her to her bedroom. She paused before entering the threshold and gave her a quick look. "For the record, Carlisle is right. You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Helen. Not anymore."

Helen gave her a soft smile before calling her Dad and filling him in on what the plan was.

Just like that, Helen and Ruby had the opportunity to endure each other in an enclosed space again. It wasn't nearly as bad as the drive from Kansas City, but it hadn't been very pleasant either. Once they got closer to the area, Helen was amazed at how breathtaking the Olympic Coast was. Swarms of pine trees that expanded into the mountainous terrain. A large mist had set in and only served to make the region more tranquil. The sky looked as though it was in a constant state of overcast; like the sun was at best an occasional visitor. Helen could see why the Cullen's lived here, it was the perfect environment for vampires. It briefly made her wonder why Ruby hadn't thought of moving her closer, but she suspected it would be so that they could have a separate living arrangement.

They drove through the city limits of a town called Forks, Washington. Population: 3,532. Mostly a lot of diners and ma and pa shops with the occasional bait and tackle store. The kind of thing that would draw a lot of tourists when the weather got slightly warmer. They had their own high school and DPS nestled around what was likely a medium-sized suburb. Ruby drove them right through the sleepy town and eventually off of the main road. Located off of a private road was a large three-story mansion. The place was located at the base of a long and steep hill that seemed far away from nearby hiking trails. It was surprisingly modern with giant open windows and a large wooden deck leading into the forest. Three garage doors but there were two cars out front, a yellow Porsche and an immaculate black Mercedes. She was surprised at how open and exposed the Cullen's lived, how comfortable they existed around humans so close to them.

As soon as Ruby pulled into the driveway, she watched Carlisle and his wife exit the large glass front doors to greet them. Mrs. Cullen, her first name escaping Helen, was just as lovely as she had been during All Hallow's Eve. Curly caramel hair, warm smile, delicate pearls. She had on a vintage black rockabilly suspender skirt with a red blouse underneath. Large, loose puffy sleeves and a gold enamel pin. She looked very Old World and Helen wouldn't be surprised if she pin-curled her hair.

Stepping out of the car, Helen saw the two vampires speed towards them. Pleasant, relaxed, easy-going. They looked Helen up, probably taking into account how different she was since their first meeting. When she saw their gold eyes, she was surprised at how bright they seemed. Like pools of glowing hot amber, light that would invite even the most fickle moth to its flame.

"Ruby, how nice to see you again." Carlisle shook her hand and the witch nodded. "Helen, I don't know if you remember my wife, Esme. She was with me the last time we saw each other."

"I didn't think we formally met last time." Esme smiled brighter and it was very comforting. She was the second vampire matriarch that Helen had ever met, a very strong contrast to Sulpicia. She seemed warmer, more down to earth. Heck, so did Carlisle when she thought about it. Helen hadn't even been inside their home yet but it already felt very different than the environment in Volterra. Aro and Sulpicia loved living in a grand estate that showcased all of their power, kept them hidden and held on to their old era values that would've made them divine rulers over all. The Cullens were very aware of what year it was and liked living in a place where there was no hiding. They didn't retreat to a fortress with pomp and frills, they wanted a home.

"No, I don't think so." Helen smiled back and shook her hand. "Sorry, I wasn't really allowed to make conversation with anyone that didn't consist of lying about how happy I was."

If Carlisle and Esme were uncomfortable, they certainly didn't let it show. "Well, please come in. I hope the drive wasn't too long." Behind her, Helen heard Ruby snort before adding dryly. "It wasn't so much the length as it was the bratty, half-pint newborn with an imaginary brake pedal in the passenger seat."

"Oh, shut up." Helen quipped.

The inside of the Cullen house was just as light, open and modern as the outside. The entire south wall was a large glass window that showcased just how beautiful the woods were. It would be so enchanting to just grab a seat and just stare outside for hours, especially in the rain. They had a very large second story living area, an open floor plan, and very expensive leather couches. A large flat screen television that was playing something on HBO, an electric fireplace underneath. There were several large bookcases that had novels, magazines, art portfolios. This felt like the kind of home that would be in some home and garden article. The Top Ten Most Luxurious Homes for Vampires.

Helen briefly imagined Aro and Sulpicia having a sit-down interview with someone from Buzzfeed talking about the estate. Despite her present circumstances, it made her laugh very hard to herself. Ruby took a glass of scotch from a nearby metal bar cart and began chatting with the two of them about how things were in the area and filled in a few details over the past few days. Helen took this time to continue walking around the room, admiring several old pieces of artwork and walking towards the staircase.

On the large wall behind the banisters, there was a huge piece of artwork in a black frame. Up close, she realized it was four rows of graduation caps mounted on a wall. Carlisle took notice of her staring and walked up beside her. "It's a bit of an inside joke we have."

"Are those all from high schools?" Helen asked, finding the portrait increasingly funny.

"Most, a few are from universities. Every decade or so we enroll our children in colleges around the country, it adds a little variety." Carlisle chuckled sheepishly. Helen snorted and then bit her lip.

Swallowing venom, Helen snarled. "I don't think Aro would've done that for me, no matter how controlled I was." Esme and Ruby's conversation came to a crashing halt. She heard one of them cough awkwardly as Carlisle nervously shifted his gaze back to his wife. Ruby gave her a look, a really annoyed and impatient look. Like how a frustrated babysitter looked at a toddler. It made Helen roll her eyes before she met Carlisle's eyes and apologized.

"Sorry, not trying to be a pain." She admitted. Carlisle cleared his throat before giving her a soft smile.

"It's alright." He replied. "Do you mind if we talk privately, Helen?" She nodded and began following him towards the east side of the house, passing more floor-to-ceiling windows and ancient statues. Carlisle led her to another room, an office area, more than likely his own. There was a very large glass desk with two black swivel chairs. Old letters had been framed on the walls and on the right was a very large espresso colored cross that had been propped up on the floor. It would easily be much taller than Helen when stood straight up.

"From my Father's parish." He explained when he saw her looking at it. "I wanted something to remember him by." Carlisle motioned for her to take a seat as he closed the door behind them.

"Do you still practice?" She asked, smoothing her hands on her shirt.

Carlisle expected her question and smiled. "I do, in a way. Do you still have faith? Or did you have faith before?" Helen shrugged and folded her hands together in her lap now. "I haven't been to church since I was a kid. My mom is Catholic, my grandfather is a WASP, my father is an atheist. He kind of just let us decide what we wanted to believe in."

"It's not what I asked." He said softly. "I won't be upset if you tell me no, Helen. Just because my father was a pastor doesn't mean I'll try and convert you."

"I just don't really adhere to any type of religion." Helen shrugged again. "If I had to pick one, I'd be Jewish like my best friend. I always liked that every one of their celebrations had a meaning and a symbol. Anyhow, I doubt you pulled me aside to ask me if I believe in God."

"No." Carlisle clasped his palms on his desk. "No ,I wanted to chat with you for a bit, alone." Helen exhaled and kept her gaze on him. He seemed to be contemplating what he would say to her and how he should say it. "How much did Aro tell you about my family?" Carlisle said curtly.

"Do you want the truth or something nice?" She replied just as bluntly as he had. Carlisle smiled lightly before answering. "I know what he has said about me and my family's lifestyle. I've known him for a very long time, Helen. We were once very close friends, I even lived in the estate for a time. We regarded each other as fondly as brothers if you can believe it."

Helen nodded, "How old are you?"

"Getting close to four hundred years old, I was born around the 1640s I think." He pursed his lips. "Give or take a decade."

"Well you clearly know my story, so what's yours?" Carlisle expected this question as well and indulges her. "My father was an Anglican pastor who wanted to drive the forces of the Devil from this world. He saw corruption, sin, and evil wherever he looked. He persecuted countless individuals, many whom were innocent. He was too blinded by his own extremism to see how hypocritical he was being. I was very young and wanted to make him proud, so I agreed to help him search for the supernatural. My father's doings ended up with several real vampires crossing our paths. In the ensuing chaos, I was bitten and left to be changed. I knew what would happen if I returned home so I hid and woke up from the change three days later. I felt such shame and disgust towards what I had become, and I so desperately feared for my soul. The thirst would have overtaken my values eventually but I was able to quench it by feeding on nearby animals."

Helen was able to gather what happened next and clucked her tongue while nodding. Carlisle continued. "It was difficult at first but I was able to make myself comfortable with how I chose to feed. After a century, I traveled to Europe where I met the Volturi. Aro was curious about my strange dietary habits and invited me to stay and study the arts with them. He was a very a good and intellectual companion. I enjoyed our close friendship, and I know how important he can make you feel."

She bit her tongue in frustration. "I know that's not the case now."

"Yes." He sighed. "He also kept trying to convert me as he would say. To fix my perversions and make me into a proper vampire, one who could be free and powerful at his side. I suppose he wanted nothing more than to keep me with him, I think he liked having a friend that didn't want any power or influence. But he wanted to trap me, control me, make me belong to him. If he had succeeded, I would have been so ashamed and broken that I would never have left him at all."

"Are you sure you aren't talking about me?" Helen choked out.

"I finally had enough and one night when they were hosting a party, I just ran away." Carlisle ran a hand through his hair. "I was just so terrified and conflicted about what he could do to me, what he wanted me to be. It tore me apart to leave the first family I had ever found since my change. I didn't even have time to grab any of my belongings. I got on the first boat I could find and set sail for the New World."

"Did he send Demetri? Well, was Demetri even there at that point?" Helen asked, chills going up her spine at how eerily similar their stories were.

"He was but he never came for me." Carlisle smiled somberly. "You have no idea how long I kept walking around in paranoia expecting to see a black cloak. After a few decades, I finally relaxed. He sent me that cross around the turn of the nineteenth century, an olive branch of sorts. That's when we began a friendship on such false terms. He is still angry, still hurt over my betrayal. He is convinced that my lifestyle is to blame and imposed an unofficial rule of sorts in the vampire community. Any vampire who follows my example will be subjected to the utmost scrutiny and suspicion. The Denalis in Alaska have already received two unexpected checkups in the past fifty years simply because of it."

Helen just sat there in shock. No wonder Aro was so paranoid when they met or was so unkind to the Cullen family behind closed doors. He was still reeling from a betrayal that he wouldn't even recognize as his own fault. Heck, it even opened her eyes to why he didn't want her to be vegetarian in Volterra. Aro wanted no room for error in how she would feed as a vampire.

"I am telling you this because I wanted to ask you if you would like to feed on animals like my family," Carlisle asked softly, and yet it caught her so completely off guard. "You are already on the lam, I do not know what Aro is planning to tell anyone in the community. If he even is planning on telling anyone at all, because it will look like he is weak and unable to control his household. You will already be the top priority for the guard to seek out and if any vampires who meet you suspect you, it could all be for nothing."

He paused for a moment.

"However, if you want to blend in easier if you would like to be around humans more." He stared deeply at her. "If you would like to be comfortable around your family sooner and with better ease than a vampire who is not, then I would encourage you to consider it."

Helen sat there, facing the weight of everything as she thought deeply about his request. It sounded wonderful, it seemed like the perfect option to get some kind of remnant of her old life back. She could see her family and not be so afraid of hurting them. She would also be an outcast of her own species now, she would have to be even more mindful of not being seen.

She would have to give up the pleasurable taste of human blood and have to fight every instinct in her body not to give in. It sounded petty, like someone refusing to go on a diet or quit using drugs because it felt so good. Still, she didn't know if she could do it.

"I will not lie," Carlisle added. "It is not without difficulty, but with practice, it will make being around humans more manageable."

Helen curled her fingers into her hands, bunching them together tightly in her lap. "What if I can't do it? What if I'm not strong enough? You've never had human blood, I don't think you're aware of how potent it is."

"Helen," Carlisle replied kindly. "All of my children have tried human blood and faltered, as has Esme. I know it is not easy, and if I make it sound easy I apologize. I've had centuries to perfect my control and I use that control to help humans because I have a deep respect for them. But, if you don't want to feed on animals, that does not mean that you are weak or immoral. I do not ask anyone to do more than they are comfortable with."

She gulped. Helen considered herself to be impulsive, to be the brave idiot that bites off more than they can chew. She hadn't had a constant in her life for so long after being taken to Italy until she started feeding on humans. But, she was the one that wanted a new normal, that wanted so much to purge her life of everything related to the Volturi. So she nodded.

"I'll try it out," Helen said bravely. "I will try and if it doesn't work out then I will figure something else out." She was getting choked up again. "You have idea what he has done to me, Carlisle, regardless of your time with him. He didn't just take away my freedom and make me a vampire without my consent, he made me care about him. He made me feel like I could trust him, understand him, love him. He had me betray the very foundation of who I was, and I let him. Everyone wants to tell me that it's not my fault and that I am a victim, but they have no idea what it's like to have to rationalize murder to yourself just so that you can look at yourself in the mirror. I do not consider myself a Christian by any means, but I would very much like it if you would help me absolve the red that is in my ledger."

"I will help you, Helen." He told her kindly. "But, I think if you feel this strongly that the first thing you should do is forgive yourself. You don't have to believe you are a victim in order to be one, and you are far from having red in your ledger as you put it."

She smiled softly and took a beat. "Where the hell are your children anyway? Off earning gold stars for moral fiber?"

He smiled back. "School, of course, they have finals coming up and how often are they gonna get the chance to graduate high school?"

The remainder of the Cullen clan arrived later that afternoon. No one was shocked that Helen was there, in fact, they asked immediately about her when they all piled home in a red BMW convertible. The blonde one, Rosalie, was the one driving and had a very cool aura as she snarkily asked Helen what she thought she was doing wearing brown boots with black pants. She acted very much like the popular older sister she could've been in another lifetime. Alice was the one that brought her an entirely different outfit, insisting that she would look better with blue jeans and a white sweater.

"Your hair is still long." She mused lightly while tying it back in a ponytail. "Interesting."

"I guess I'll understand what you mean later." She snarked back. Emmett was essentially doing his best to act like the funny older brother/cousin he could be, especially after hearing she had two brothers. He kept teasing her about her height and calling her Little Red.

"Not just because of the hair, squirt, we got werewolves in the area." The thought of that made her nearly fall over where she stood. She thought about the run-in she had with one of them several months ago and felt like she managed to seem paler. Carlisle took notice of her discomfort and patted her shoulder. "Emmett loves to joke, Helen. We have an agreement with them of sorts, As long as you stay in our territory they will leave you unharmed."

"Good to know." She deadpanned. Helen counted four heads as she walked in, easy to tell who was mated to who. Rosalie with Emmett, Alice with Jasper, but there was one missing. "Did Edward get lost?"

Emmett chuckled with Jasper at that. "Maybe he got lost looking for Bella's panties." Esme grew wide-eyed and looked at him quite sternly. "Emmett! No!" They briefly stopped before Jasper counteracted. "Or the key to his chastity belt."

Esme and Carlisle both looked quite mortified as the two of them continued chuckling. "I'm so sorry, Helen, usually my boys have better manners." Helen was laughing with them and shrugged. "It's nothing worse than when Wesley and his friends would play Call of Duty. It takes a lot to shock me, Esme."

"Regardless." Rosalie huffed and playfully slapped Emmett's arm. "It's unbecoming to make jokes like that. Edward is spending time with Bella, trying to talk her out of being changed."

Helen blinked. "Talk her out? Wait, she wants to be one?"

Rosalie bitterly hissed and nodded before storming off upstairs. Carlisle sighed as Emmett went after her, already telling her not to let it bother her. Helen was in shock again and honestly saw why Rosalie was upset. She didn't know what her story was, but she could tell they both very much wished that they could turn back time and find a way to stay human. She couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed that there was a person that would want to throw away their humanity so flippantly. Helen didn't know Bella, but she hoped that if the girl was serious about being changed that she was at least one thousand percent sure that was what she wanted.

Late at night, Carlisle took her deep into the woods near the mountains. Everything was so lush and green, it was like she was visiting another planet compared to everything else. He ran her far away from the coastline, despite her protestations to see the beach, before she took the hint that it was in werewolf nation. When Carlisle sensed her frustration at Bella, he offered to have them meet later once she tried feeding on animals so that she could be full when coming in contact with a human stranger.

"I recommend starting with a deer." He explained as they crawled through the trees. "They aren't as fast as mountain lions or even bears. One thing that can help satiate a hunt is that unlike humans, animals have a better chance of trying to run away. I don't know, for Emmett he says that it makes him feel satisfied to have a chase."

Helen nodded and began walking slower as she saw a doe lean down to drink some water from a small pond. It felt strange to hunt animals, she admitted to herself. They had a decent aroma, they weren't unappetizing but they weren't like humans. It felt almost like deciding to go to McDonald's and then ordering a salad, or fruit. It was available but you were weird for picking it over something juicy and filling. The doe was still unaware of what was happening and Helen took this time to practice using her gift. She didn't know if it would work the same on an animal, she had no reason to think otherwise, and the doe's blood started becoming slightly more appealing.

'You never had a chance, Bambi. Well, you're more like Bambi's mom. Heh, now that's a version Disney won't show.'

It only took the briefest of seconds for Helen to wrap her tiny, strong fingers around the deer's neck in one hand and push it to the ground with another. It tried to kick her, to thrash and make those strange yelps that it made. She lowered her gift and felt her mouth flowed with venom as she emitted a deep and throaty growl before biting down as hard as she could into its neck. It squealed and cried out in pain for a minute before it started to get very quiet. It tasted different. It wasn't bad or unpleasant, it was okay even. There was just nothing wonderful or tempting about it, nothing that felt extraordinary to her.

She stopped when she felt full, wiping the deer blood off of her mouth with her hand. She felt fine, her head was more clear and she didn't have a thirst to quench. It just felt so anticlimactic, like she was going to eat a steak and it turned out to be tofu that was trying to look, smell and taste like a steak. She had done it, she had fed. That was about it. There wasn't anything special about feeding on animals to her.

"How was that?" Carlisle asked while helping her cover the dear with some leaves. One thing that was definitely a plus about vegan vampire food was not having to bring anything to depose of the remains. The deer would naturally decompose and it wouldn't be suspicious. Helen shrugged and nonchalantly replied. "Fine. Honestly, that's the only word I can think of, fine."

He laughed lightly as they walked back. "That's what most people say. You did very well, Helen, you made hunt."

"Now all I have to do is worry about Thumper and Flower starting a vigilante squad to come after me." She teased. They began walking back to the Cullen house until Helen decided that another deer would make her feel more full. It was probably normal to have to consume more animal blood compared to human, it just wasn't as satisfying. Still, it felt manageable. It felt like something she could live with and do. For now, that was enough.

When they got to the back doors of the Cullen mansion, Helen smelled it. She. Smelled. It. The absolutely tempting aroma of the most wonderful thing in the world. There was a girl with Edward Cullen, she was a skinny thing with long brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. She seemed nice and Edward was suddenly aware of her being in contact with a newborn vampire. He tensed and pushed her behind him and Helen felt Carlisle grab her right forearm just a little too tightly. The smell of the girl was divine, better than most people she had smelled before. She waited for the venom to flood her mouth, for her vision to go bright red and let her wild instincts take over.

She waited. Then she waited some more. It was starting to happen very faintly, but at that point, it felt meaningless. She shoed it away like an unimportant gnat. Sure, Helen could still give into it and jump the small human if she wanted. But the thing was, she didn't. She didn't want the delicious hot liquid waiting on a silver platter. She was full, and her throat was a little dry, but she could probably hold off long enough to ask the girl her name and what kind of movies she liked.

"Helen," Carlisle called out softly. "Are you alright?" The rest of the Cullen clan had come into view, each of them on edge and ready to pounce on her. She saw Ruby's ring glow slightly as she put down a magazine. Lastly, she saw the brown haired human peek over Edward's shoulder and give her a small wave.

"I think so," Helen muttered out in astonishment, her voice a little weak. "Yeah."

"Do you need to leave the house?" He asked calmly.

"Not right now." She admitted while biting her nail. "I think I'm okay." The entire room seemed to take a breath. The rest of the family seemed to lower their guards slightly and she felt Carlisle's grip on her arm loosen only a bit. Edward turned to the brown-haired girl beside him and she flickered her eyes between him and Helen before nodding.

"Are you sure?" He asked her, holding her hands tenderly.

She nodded again before speaking out in a still voice. "Yeah, Edward I want to say hello." He sighed for a minute before briefly nodding and leading her straight in Helen's direction. Helen gulped and began taking heavy breaths to prepare for the fact that the sweet smelling girl insisted on getting closer. It was painful, she wouldn't pretend it wasn't, but it felt bearable. It felt like something she could pull through. She held her breath when the girl got close, it was a trick Aro taught her whenever she'd smell a servant nearby.

"Hi, I'm Bella. Bella Swan." Ah, so this was her, Edward's Bella. She extended her hand for Helen to shake and it surprised everyone, including Helen herself at how easy it was to reach out and reciprocate.

"Helen. Helen Hendricks." She exhaled quickly. "So you're the one who made Aro lose self-confidence? Gotta say I'm jealous."

"Yep." She nodded with a look. "And you're the teenage vampire princess?"

"Oh good God." Helen groaned. "People better not be saying that I'm gonna throw up if they are." Bella smiled lightly and Helen decided that while she would've liked to continue talking to her, it would probably be best if she started moving away. "Well, this has been fun. I'm gonna go chase a mountain lion, because I kind of need to, now. Nice to meet you, Bella."

"Oh, you too." She replied, watching Carlisle begin to lead Helen out the door. She couldn't believe she did it, she had managed to resist hunting a human that close to her that wasn't someone she cared about. It was way easier around her family, but she chalked that up to her desire to protect them currently outweighing her desire for blood. Not to mention she expected to see them and they weren't around whenever she needed to or was in the process of hunting. Regardless, she felt a little proud of herself now. She felt like for the first time in a long time, that it would be easier to be around more humans.

Soon, this will be normal. This will become ordinary.

Carlisle had them hike to the mountains this time, putting more distance away from the house so that Helen had a chance to calm her nerves. They stayed there for a few hours, watching the cloud bank begin to roll in. She felt at peace, she felt sure of herself. She felt like she was beginning to have certainty in her life, things that she knew for a fact were true in her ever-changing point of view.

'My name is Helen Louise Hendricks. I am five foot two in bare feet. I weigh one hundred and sixteen pounds. I am fifteen years old. I am a vampire. I am free.'

This world was a different one she inherited when she woke up from the change. She was now officially a heretic, on the Volturi's naughty list no doubt. She would not be given mercy now if Aro found her, Carlisle had all but confirmed that. It couldn't be helped, though, she had given herself over to the mercy of complete strangers. So she would move forward, whether it would be her end or a new beginning. Trusting something that went against every instinct that her body was telling her, it was dangerous and it could end with her surrounded by the darkness that threatened to encroach her.

Or else the light.

For those interested in continuing the story, Part Two will be coming out in 2019.