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THREE; BASEBALL

     "HOW DO I LOOK?"

     Amelia stood in front of the television, earning shouts of protests from Jasper and Emmett. Esme smiled at her daughter.

     "You look lovely, Mia."

     "Lia, for the love of-"

     "Alright, alright," she murmured, stepping away so her brothers could watch the football game. Jasper and Emmett resumed their cheering, while Amelia walked away wearing her new dress. The rest of the family didn't seem to take notice; Amelia bought a new dress almost everyday.

     "You're actually going?" Edward questioned, amused by his sister's enthusiasm. They had attended countless dances before, and Amelia never missed a single one. Even Alice became bored with them in most occasions.

     "Of course," She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "It's prom!"

     "Mia, we're eternal beings. You've been to every prom since I've met you."

     "And what's your point?" She challenged, hands on her hips. She didn't see why her family wasn't as excited as she was when the event rolled around on the calendar. It was a chance to wear a gorgeous dress and mingle with humans, although she would never dance with them. There was a possible risk of Amelia giving out a command she wasn't supposed to say, resulting in a mere mortal wandering out and about on his own, fulfilling what Amelia accidentally asked him to. Carlisle warned her that her power could be dangerous sometimes. It was why the Volturi sought after her.

     "Why do you even bother to argue with her?" Alice chirped, walking past the two with the usual spring in her step. Jasper followed silently behind her.

     Suddenly, Amelia heard it. She angled her head so her ear was tilted towards the roof of their home. She grinned wickedly.

     "Time to play ball."

     It was as if a switch had turned on inside the Cullen home. Everyone was racing towards their rooms, changing into baseball gear to prepare for the game. Amelia loved the sport so much that she bought four different outfits for the occasion.

     The thunder echoed throughout the town. She heard a knock on her door, and Edward's head peeked inside. "I'm going to get Bella. I'll meet you on the field."

     "Should we take bets this time or would it be rude of me to just take your pride?" Amelia raised an eyebrow. Edward rolled his eyes, shutting her bedroom door.

     Although Esme preferred for the family to wear matching clothes, she knew Amelia would be an omission. The girl always loved to make a scene and the game was no different. The blonde bounced down the stairs, wearing a pink pinstriped shirt and black jeans. Emmett chuckled, strapping a baseball cap onto her head when he passed by.

     The family traveled out to the field, waiting silently before a car pulled up. Bella and Edward exited the vehicle, and Amelia felt a smirk crawl up her lips. "Hi, Bella. Are you ready?" She said menacingly, wiggling her eyebrows. Edward pulled her away from his sister.

     Esme looped her arm through Bella's. "Glad you're here. We need an umpire."

     "She thinks we cheat," Emmett teased.

     Amelia laughed. "Oh, everyone knows we all cheat."

     Esme smiled, placing a hand on Bella's shoulder. "Call 'em as you see 'em, Bella."

     "I'm sure Bella can make a special exception for the prettiest Cullen," Amelia teased, earning a slap on the shoulder from Rosalie. The blonde was the first at bat and Alice was pitching. Amelia stood next to Edward, ready to race him for the ball.

     The sound of thunder rang through Alice's ears. She smiled. "Time."

     Rosalie raised her bat, prepared to swing. As soon as Alice's hand left the ball, Amelia was already running. She never liked to say that using her powers was considered cheating, since Edward could read her mind and decide which direction she was leaning towards. Her arm reached out for her brother's, shouting out a command, but he tore his arm away from her grasp.

     She growled when Edward caught the ball, throwing it back to Esme. Amelia was going to tear off that smug look from his face. "Maybe we should've taken bets this time."

     "Bite me, Masen."

     "You've already been bitten, Harlowe."

     The two siblings raced back to see Bella call Rosalie out. Emmett began cheering, and Amelia giggled under her breath at Rosalie's expression. She glared at Emmett, who sighed. "Babe, c'mon, it's just a game."

     "It's never just a game, Emmett!" Amelia exclaimed, shouting with glee. She turned and glared at Edward, who only returned with his signature smile.

     "Try to catch the next one, won't you, sis?"

     Carlisle was next. Amelia observed her father's stance, prepared to catch his ball. Edward wasn't going to beat her this time.

     He swung, and she saw both of her brothers lock eyes with the baseball. They jumped to catch it, colliding with one another and falling down. Amelia rolled her eyes, darting for the ball, but she was already too late. Carlisle scored.

     Edward chortled, Emmett hit him.

     Jasper swung after. Amelia knew that although she wouldn't admit it, Alice's throw was lighter when it came to him. Emmett climbed up a tree just to catch the ball, and Amelia huffed in frustration. "My monkey man," Rosalie grinned. Amelia's face twisted in disgust.

     Rosalie swung again. This time, Amelia didn't try to hide her cheating ways. She pushed past Edward as they both ran for it, but stopped at Alice's voice. Edward knew the vision before she did.

     "Stop!"

     The Cullen family gathered around. Amelia could hear the racing of Bella's heart.

     "They were leaving, then they heard us," Alice informed. Edward rushed to Bella's side, pulling her away.

     "Let's go," he said sternly.

     "It's too late," Carlisle stopped them.

     "Get your hair down," Edward instructed Bella. She was confused by all of their immediate hostility but followed his orders.

     "Like that'll help. I can smell her from across the field."

     "Rose," Amelia hissed, moving the girl away from the couple. She could sense that Edward's mind was already in a frenzy, and Rosalie's bitter side comments weren't helping.

     She saw them. Three figures exited from the fog, coming into view. Amelia narrowed her eyes. Esme wrapped an arm around her as a comforting touch.

     They were only a few feet away. The vampire in the middle held up their baseball, a hint of a smile hidden in his lips. "I believe this belongs to you."

     He threw it back to Carlisle, who caught it swiftly. Usually in situations such as these, Carlisle was the man to talk and negotiate. Amelia's grip tightened on Rosalie's upper arm. "Thank you."

     "I am Laurent. And this is Victoria," he nodded to the redhead beside him. Amelia took an immediate disliking because of her beauty. "And James." The blonde man appeared like he was already a killer before someone turned him.

     "I'm Carlisle," he introduced himself. "This is my family."

     "Hello."

     The three nomads were examining the flecks of gold in the Cullens' eyes, and the family was doing the same with their blood red orbs. Carlisle spoke again. "I'm afraid your hunting activities have caused something of a mess for us."

     "Our apologies," Laurent said. "We didn't realize the territory had been claimed."

     "Yes. Well, we maintain a permanent residence nearby."

     Amelia let out a breathless whisper. "We shouldn't have come out." Rosalie nodded in agreement.

     "Really?" Laurent said in disbelief, glancing at James. The blonde man seemed to be having a staring contest with Edward. "Well, we won't be a problem anymore. We were just passing through."

     "The humans were tracking us, but we led them east," Victoria spoke up. "You should be safe."

     Amelia almost snarled.

     "Excellent."

     Laurent chuckled to break the unnerving tension. "So, could you use three more players?"

     Amelia knew the whole family wanted to reject, but they had to play nice or else Bella's whole life was at risk.

     "Oh, come on. Just one game."

     The blonde smirked and said the words before Rosalie could stop her. "Sure, why not?" Victoria gazed at Amelia, taking her in.

     "A few of us were leaving. You can take their place. We'll bat first." Carlisle threw the ball back to Laurent, but Victoria reached out to snatch it.

     "I'm the one with the wicked curveball."

     Emmett and Jasper snickered. Amelia smiled viciously. "Oh, I think we can handle that."

     There was a brief moment of lighthearted laughter. Amelia thought it would be okay, and Bella would be safe, but she called it too early. A gust of wind flew by, and Bella's scent filled the air.

     "You brought a snack."

     Bella was pushed back as the whole Cullen clan leaped forward to defend her. "The girl is with us." Amelia knew if she tried to get her hands on one of them, a fight would ensue before she could control their mind. This was going to turn into a battle. "I think it's best if you leave."

     "I can see the game is over," Laurent said. "We'll go now."

     He took a step backwards and called for the blonde man to stop. Victoria hissed at Amelia, and Alice had to hold her sister back before she could attack the redhead cruelly. The three turned and left.

     "Get Bella out of here," Carlisle demanded. "Go."

     Bella and Edward fled the scene. Amelia looked at Carlisle. "What are we going to do?"

     He didn't have a response.

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     "Shan't worry, Bella," Amelia said, rushing past the girl. "We'll get you back just in time for prom."

     "Um, I'm not attending prom."

     "Is she joking with me?"

     "Now's really not the time, Mia."

     "We'll rip him apart and burn the pieces."

     Carlisle sighed. "I don't relish the thought of killing another creature. Even a sadistic one like James."

     "What if he kills one of us first?" Rosalie questioned. Amelia took off her top and pulled a comfy sweater over her head.

     Everyone seemed to ignore Rosalie's statement. "I'm going to run Bella south and then lead the tracker away from here," Edward told Carlisle.

     The doctor spun around. "No, Edward. James knows you'd never leave Bella. He'll follow you."

     Amelia threw her arm around Bella. "I'll go with Bella. Jasper, Alice, and I will drive her south. We'll keep her safe."

     "Can you keep your thoughts to yourself?"

     Amelia, who was fond of only thinking about herself and her family, knew this was an easy task. Alice answered for her. "Yes."

     The blonde guided the brunette to the car. She could tell Bella was incredibly frightened but she offered a reassuring grin. Amelia was attempting to be the calmest person in the room. Jasper was assisting her in the task.

     She took a seat next to Bella in the back, while Alice and Jasper rode in the front. Edward came over to say a few last words to his soulmate.

     "Mia." She turned her head to see her brother's stern gaze. "Keep her safe."

     "Don't worry, brother." She leaned over and winked. "But next game, you owe me one."

     Despite the current situation, Amelia could always make Edward smile.

     They took off. Bella began calling her mother, who wasn't picking up her frantic calls. Amelia put her hand on her knee as a sign of support. "Everything will be fine, Bella. We'll protect you."

     "Thank you. I don't know what I'd do if one of you got hurt protecting me."

     "Oh, no need to worry about that," the vampire laughed. Alice and Jasper snickered in their seats. "I'm the strongest Cullen."

     "You wish, Mia," Jasper called back to her. She glared at him.

     "I am. Wanna try me, Jazz?" She pinched his shoulder. Bella could see why Edward and Amelia were so close. She couldn't believe she was jealous of her on her first day at Forks High.

     "We can fight, but you can't use your powers."

     Amelia scoffed, leaning back in her seat. "But that's the fun part."

     The car ride was shortened by Jasper's quick driving. They arrived at a hotel in Phoenix, and stepped out of the car. Alice checked them into the lobby, and Amelia's eye caught a cute boy standing in the corner.

     "Mia," Alice scolded.

     "I'll just be a minute. You and Jasper head on upstairs."

     The blonde moved across the room, her eyes locking with the boy. He had wavy brown hair and striking blue eyes. She smiled, even if she missed Mike Newton a tiny bit. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Amelia."

     "You're very gorgeous, Amelia," the boy complimented. She giggled. "Is there a reason you're here in Phoenix?"

     "Protecting a friend."

     "From what? A deadly ex-boyfriend?"

     Her smile widened. "Something along those lines."

     They continued to talk for what seemed like hours, and his voice reminded her of Richard Amelle. It was an old memory, but a comforting feeling.

     "Mia," Jasper's voice called out her name. She bid goodbye to the human. "Edward called. James changed his course of direction, and Carlisle, Edward, and Emmett are coming here."

     "He changed his course?" She whispered lowly. "How did he figure it out?"

     "Somehow," Alice joined them. "Bella's upstairs packing her things."

     Amelia exhaled dramatically. "I'll go check on her." She motioned to the human, still standing in the corner. "Keep an eye on him, will you?"

     "Oh, Mia."

     Amelia rushed back to the room, making sure she didn't bump into anyone along the way. They would've felt the coldness of her skin, or her powers could lose control once again. She opened the door, her eyes scanning her surroundings. She didn't smell Bella's scent.

     She called out the girl's name, but received no response. Her eyes widened.

     She rushed back down to the lobby. Her hand reached out to touch Alice, and Jasper could feel her mixed emotions before she stepped out of the elevator.

     "She's gone. Bella's gone."

happy thanksgiving!