Solstice

Chapter 1: Welcome Home

The sun was nowhere to be found, hiding behind the grey clouds that covered the sky. Good old, dependable Forks. It's been 95 years since I left with my family. 95 years was a long time to be gone away from home, but when you're a vampire, 95 years is nothing. My parents, for all intents and purposes, Carlisle and Esme travelled ahead of time to our old home in the woods to prepare the house. I couldn't believe it still stood, somehow untouched, like us. When I chuckled at this thought, Edward, my husband looked at me with his crooked smile.

"What's so funny," he asked as he slid his hand from the steering wheel to hold mine. After all this time, the touch of his skin still excited me.

"Nothing," I replied. "It's just funny that after all this time, we've come full circle, is all." At that moment, I turned my head to see our sleeping daughter in the backseat. Renesmee. There was no other love that I felt could ever compare to Edward, than what I felt for her. She was very like me in regards to having chocolate brown eyes and long wavy brown hair, but that's where the similarities ended. She looked most like Edward.

"I know what you mean. I just wonder how she'll handle being back in Forks." I was shocked that he had said this, it was as if he could read my mind. Well, actually Edward could read thoughts, just not mine. I too was worried for Renesmee. This marked the first time we'd be back to Forks since Jacob's death, which naturally she did not handle well. My best friend, her husband, loved her till the day he died. Though he was a werewolf and did not age as other humans did, eventually he did age, but he was adamant not to be turned into a vampire. It was hard on Renesmee and me, but we respected his wishes. Edward even went as far to check Jake's mind everyday to double check for any doubt, but there wasn't any.

"I'm worried too, but Renesmee is strong and she'll be able to handle it. After all, most of her memories of Forks were from when she was an infant, her memory isn't as collective as ours." Renesmee was two when we moved away but at the time she looked about 4. Now at the age of 97 (ha-ha) she could pass for 17. "But maybe it'll be good for her, you know change in scenery and people?" One can hope right?

"Maybe," was all my husband could say before his phone chirped. "Alice?" Without meaning to, I listened as Alice was describing a vision she just had.

"Edward, you and Bella shouldn't worry about anything, Renesmee will be fine on Monday. It's a little fuzzy wuzzy, but it looks like she might meet someone at school!" Gahh! Stupid vampires with their active powers. Though my power as a shield has come in handy a few times, still nothing seemed to compare to having the ability to see the future or read minds.

Alice and her husband were following us in Alice's car, a yellow Lamborghini Murcielago. At some point in time, Alice got tired of her yellow Porsche and got the Lamborghini. She liked the Murcielago 'cause it meant bat in Spanish.

Behind her my adopted sister Rosalie followed in her Bugatti Veyron. I love my sister dearly but her and her ostentatious cars attract a lot of attention. While we were living in Germany Rose fell in love with the car and of course wanted one. At first, the auto makers resisted her pleas but she finally convinced them to make a replica of the Pur Sang version. It's French for "pure blood," so she saw it fitting. Of course Rose got it in red. I do have to admit, the car did have the appearance of a vampire car, it was virtually indestructible with its pure aluminum-carbon fibre body and the wheels had a diamond cut finish.

The meaning of their cars were a bit much, but our family saw it as a private joke. Much like calling ourselves vegetarians.

Emmett of course stayed with an off road vehicle, but instead of a Jeep, he followed Rosalie in a Range Rover Sport Supercharged.

My husband loved his silver cars and opted to buy a Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG. He liked it cause it was more "family friendly." I always thought that was hilarious considering our daughter was old enough to have her own vehicle. But there was no telling Edward anything else, though he truly was right. Can you see the faces that the other students would make if we pulled up in Rose's car?