Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or the characters

AN: No beta, all mistakes are my own. I'm a little nervous about this one, so let me know what you think. As always, thanks for reading.

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Chapter Three

Entering the house, Bella found the same kind of charm on the inside as the exterior suggested. The living space at the front of the house was cozy if not a little formal with a variety of chairs and a wood-burning stove.

Rosalie was already seated in one of the chairs, and Blake walked over to sit next to her.

"Please, Bella, sit down. Make yourself comfortable," Blake suggested kindly. She offered a gentle smile while Rosalie casually looked at her finger nails. "Would you like something to eat or drink? Before we get started, that is."

"No, I'm okay," Bella replied sitting down opposite Rosalie and Blake. The chair was a little stiffer than the amount of cushion would suggest. But then, with only vampires living here, she figured they probably never noticed.

Blake nodded her head slightly to Bella to acknowledge she heard, while looking over at Rosalie who returned Blake's eye contact. Bella had been around vampires enough to know they were having a conversation despite her inability to hear or see their lips move. Finally, the discussion seemed to end with Blake giving Rosalie a quick kiss and taking hold of her hand. They both looked back at Bella.

"Seeing as I'm 'older'," Blake said with an eye roll, "we thought it would be best if I started with my story. Is that alright with you Bella?"

"Yeah, uh, yes, that's fine," Bella answered. "Honestly, whatever is most comfortable for you."

Blake began to tell her story:

I was born near Bristol, England, during the early 1680s. My mother died in childbirth, so I grew up with my father. He was a hardworking man, a blacksmith by trade. We lived in a modest house on the outskirts of the town with a detached structure he used as his workshop and a small farm area to grow our own food.

My father realized quite early he had no real use for a daughter. That was fairly common in those times. But a son would be someone he could train and have apprentice for him in the workshop, easing some of his burden. So, my dad made the decision to raise me like he would a male heir instead of a female.

He dressed me as he would a boy, treated me as he would a son. He instructed me in the art of blacksmithing and had me help on the farm. As I grew and matured, I found ways to hide my more feminine features. The hard labor helped develop more pronounced musculature than was common in women. I wore my hair in a fashion similar to men of the time.

As we lived on the outskirts of the city, we were relatively isolated from most of the populace. We would interact with people when they made a special trip to our homestead or when we had to venture into town. But we had little more than the basic interaction required of us. My father received some pressure from well-meaning individuals to remarry, but he never did for fear of another person being exposed to our secret.

The only other constant presence in my life was a midwife my father hired before my birth to help with the birthing process. She stayed on after I was born and acted as nursemaid, cook, teacher, and so much more. She was a special woman who was in my life until I was turned. The closest thing I had to a mother.

My father died when I was around 16. He had taught me all he could before he passed, and we were equals in the workshop so I kept it running after he was gone. However, I became more reclusive, if possible. I only ventured into town when absolute necessity demanded. It did not help that I was of marrying age and had begun to gain the attention of some of the locals.

Several years passed by much the same as they had after my father died until one fateful night. I had ventured into Bristol alone to deliver a project I had just finished and replenish supplies before the winter. Rather than returning directly home, I decided to stop by a local tavern for a bite to eat. It was good for business to occasionally be seen about town.

Rumors had reached my ears about three sisters that had moved to the area some months earlier. They were supposedly inhumanly beautiful with unique, blood red eyes. I never paid the rumors much mind as their beauty was irrelevant to me, but I was intrigued by three women living on their own with no father or husbands.

That night, as I ate my dinner alone in the bar area, I first encountered the sisters. They were as beautiful as described; the desire of every man and envy of every woman in the place. I even found myself having issues looking way from the trio. They had a magnetism to them, and yet a small part of my mind warned me of trouble.

As it happened, I garnered the attention of the middle sister, Kate. She came over to speak with me, much to the ire of the men sitting around us. When she stroked by arm briefly, I swore I felt a shock. That was enough for me to make my excuses and return home for the night.

I could not keep Kate from my mind, however, and I started to frequent the tavern where we met more often. Kate also sought me out and became an almost regular fixture around my workshop. This gained a lot of attention from locals and rumors started to spread about the state of our relationship.

These rumors did not go over well with the local gang as their leader was interested in the sisters, Kate specifically. One evening, after spending some time with Kate at the tavern, these men followed me on my way home. They drunkenly tried to intimidate me and warn me off from spending time with Kate.

They did not take too kindly to being ignored by me. And, as these things often do, the situation escalated rather quickly and turned physical. It was around this time, as I was being shoved around, that my secret got out. The wrapping I used to hide my breasts became undone and the men realized I was a woman masquerading as a man.

Once my secret was discovered, the men reached a new level of violence. I knew I would not survive the night. They outnumbered me, and being in the middle of nowhere, there was no one around to offer help. When all seemed lost, Kate miraculously appeared. I tried to yell for her to leave, to run and save herself. But she jumped into the fray.

It was that night I learned about vampires. Kate killed all my attackers, but she realized between exposing herself and my state of health, I could not survive. She took me into her arms and ran to where her sisters were staying.

Tanya turned me at Kate's request. She felt guilty that her attention had led to those men attacking me and revealing my secret.

Blake paused here. Rosalie was holding her tightly to Blake's hand. Bella had silent tears streaming down her face.

"I traveled with the sisters after that," Blake continued after a moment. "We became a family and perfected living in places without exposure thanks to help from my gift. We met some vampires, saw a lot of places, and even expanded our family.

"Tanya was the first to learn of the vegetarian diet and decided to try it to help gain more control. We joined her in the pursuit and opted to settle in Denali due to the large animal population."

"Gift?" Bella interrupted. "Is that why your eyes are gray?"

"Yes," Blake answered with a laugh. "As I'm sure you've heard, vampire gifts tend to be a heightening of a quality an individual possesses as a human. Sometimes the gifts manifest as an active or physical ability. Like Alice with her visions. However, sometimes they are subtler, more passive. For example, Rosalie was exceedingly beautiful as a human and now her beauty surpasses that of other vampires."

"Carlisle told me something similar," Bella replied. "So, your talent is a manifestation of…?"

"In my human life, I was a female pretending to be a male," explained Blake. "Another way to explain it is I was trying to blend in as something as I'm not. My gift works much the same way. In its passive, but constant form, it allows me to blend in as a human. My eyes are neutral in color regardless of diet. My skin tone and temperature, while not the same as a human, are not as extreme as a regular vampire either.

"Over the years, and with the help of Eleazar, a member of my coven, I have been able to learn to actively use my gift as well."

At this point, Blake stopped talking and concentrated on Rosalie. Bella watched as before her eyes, Rosalie's skin, while still pale, took on a complexion similar to Blake's. Her eyes shifted from golden to violet. Bella sat there in shock. It felt like she got a glimpse of the beauty Rosalie possessed as a human.

"I can't maintain it for long," Blake said as Rosalie's appearance reverted to its usual state. "But we like using it for dates or in public when we wish to avoid the attention of the masses. One of the benefits when I'm actively using the ability is humans tend to ignore us."

Before anyone could continue further, Bella's stomach grumbled. She blushed in embarrassment.

"Why don't we move to the kitchen?" Rosalie spoke up. "I think Esme mentioned that she had some food in the cupboards."