Scents & Trees

Anastasia's date was postponed.

The redhead had received a letter from the Volturi, insisting they visit the Cullen household to check up on her. The news arrived by mail and it got the attention of all the vampires.

"Have they ever done this before? It seems unusual..." Carlisle muttered as he observed the letter. Anastasia racked her mind as she tried to remember the last time the Volturi did something like that, but she couldn't recall.

"They've never done that. Granted, nobody exactly leaves the Volturi in peace either," Ana said and she knew Carlisle agreed.

"Who are they sending?" Emmett asked.

"Probably Jane, Alec, Demetri, and Felix. The Fantastic Four as I call them," she said.

"Were you ever sent on missions?" Edward questioned and Ana frowned.

"Almost never. I think I was sent once on a trip to Greece and I ended up getting lost for a day."

"How can you get lost, you're a vampire."

"You'd be surprised. I don't know what happened," Anastasia drawled as she thought back to when she spent the entire day in the shadows crying because she didn't know how to get back to the castle. Felix had found her still in the dark and eventually took her back to Aro. And she was never allowed to leave the castle walls again.

"Prepare yourself, Anastasia, the Volturi will arrive in counted days it seems," Carlisle said softly. The redhead nodded and glanced back to Jasper.

"I'm sorry I messed up our date," she apologized. Jasper smiled slightly at her and kissed the top of her hands.

"You didn't ruin anything. Why don't we go into town and see if we can buy more of those records you like," Jasper suggested. Anastasia grinned at him and nodded.

"Why are you so cute?"

"I'm not sure ma'am but I would thank my mama."

~

Anastasia loved the little town called Port Angeles. She believed it was because of the people she saw around. She hadn't been socialized with new people in decades. It was like training an energized puppy to behave around others and be taught not to bite anyone.

As hard as she was trying to act as humanly possible, Anastasia just wasn't ready to be around humans. Their enchanting smell hypnotized and possessed her. She would definitely lose control in seconds. The withdraw of human blood was hard on her. Jasper knew that if his mate lost control, he wouldn't be able to stop her. She still had the human blood of her last accidental meals in her system, making her stronger than her vegetarian family. Hesitatingly, he called Jacob Black to ask for help.

Of course, even though Jacob would rather die than escort two vampires on a date, he also knew it was his duty to protect those around him. That included keeping the citizens of Port Angles safe from Anastasia's thirst. He agreed and even Seth decided to accompany them for a stronger scent.

"Can you move up your seat?"

"No," Jasper muttered, annoyed as Jacob continued to pester them from the back seat of his sleek car.

Anastasia bit her lip to hold back a chuckle. She knew Jacob was only doing it to get on Jasper's nerves. It was amusing and she slipped her hand into Jasper's free one to calm him down so he wouldn't hurt the werewolf.

She made small talk to Seth, who seemed to be Jasper's favorite when it came to the wolves. Seth was Anastasia's favorite too. She figured it was the innocence and energy he projected that made him so likable and adorable.

Anastasia began to squirm in her seat the closer they got to town. The thought of humans made her rigid and she was thankful Jacob agreed to help her. She stared out the window to distract herself. Jasper soon pulled into an empty parking space and turned off his car. He opened the door for his mate. Ana held her breath as she stepped out. A human walked by and Anastasia could feel the blood pumping through them. Her eyes turned a shade darker and she gulped. Gripping onto Jaspers' hand, she tried her hardest not to think about the fresh blood.

Jacob noticed her discomfort and took on the other side of Anastasia. His scent immediately whiffed into her nose and she held back a gag. Jasper glanced at her and nodded towards Jacob.

"It's working."

Seth walked in front of her so his scent would hit her straight forward when the wind blew. Together in their strange huddle around the vampire, they headed into the record store. The cashier stared at them strangely as Jasper showed the different records to Anastasia.

"What about this one?" He whispered as he held News of the World in his hand. Ana tilted her head at the art design of the album.

"It looks weird."

"You'll love it, trust me," Jasper convinced before adding it to their pile. They eventually walked out of the store with 7 new albums, all different genres.

"How do you feel, love?"

"Like I don't want to go back and slaughter that cashier," Anastasia said happily. Jacob choked back a cough.

"I'm proud," Jasper said with a small smile.

"I suppose I am too, Anastasia," Jacob said and she chuckled.

They headed back to the car. Anastasia enjoyed being outside and she wondered when she will be able to venture out on her own.

The drive back home was a more comforting one. Seth was free to ramble on about whatever he wanted, the three others listening patiently and attentively. Anastasia glanced at Jasper as he stopped the car, the wolves already leaping out.

"Thank you for baring with my faults," she whispered and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. If Jasper could, he would be blushing insanely. He settled on giving his mate a confident grin.

"You have no faults, my darling. And I am honored to be your mate."

~

Anastasia spent the following days staring out the window in Jasper's room, listening to the records they had bought. Various thoughts about the Volturi filled her mind as the record player changed the song into a softer one. Ana sighed and laid flat down on the floor. She placed a pillow over her head and let out a muffled scream. She stopped when she felt a nudge at her feet. Anastasia peeked out from her pillow and saw Edward staring down at her with a slightly amused smile.

"We're going hunting soon. Jasper and Alice can't make it, they went into town, so you're welcome to join the rest of us," he said. Anastasia nodded, suddenly feeling the familiar burning sensation in her throat.

"I suppose. I am getting thirsty," she mumbled before following Edward downstairs. Joining them on the night hunt was Emmett, Bella, and Esme.

"Carlisle is working late nights and Rosalie is watching Reneesme while we go out," Emmett explained to the redhead. They all took off straight into the night.

Together with Emmett, they made it a game to see who could knock down the most trees... Until Edward stopped them with a scold.

"You're killing the few trees we have around the world. The planet is dying and you two aren't helping," Edward began to lecture but Emmett only mocked his brother behind his back. Anastasia giggled and Edward glared at them.

"You two are assholes."

*unedited*