First Time

I stared down at the dying woman in front of me, wishing I could do more to help all the people dying in the city. Suddenly, she grabbed my hand.

"Save him," she said in a hoarse whisper. The strength needed to speak was a strain on her, and I could see it.

"I will do everything in my power," I said quickly. God only knew what could be done to save the boy from the illness, though. Once someone had it, they died. There was no way to cure them. But I would try.

"You must," she said, and the force of her words surprised me. I wondered then if maybe she would make it "You must do everything in your power. What others cannot do, that is what you must do for my Edward."

Somehow, this woman knew what I was. Maybe not exactly, but she knew I was different. But I couldn't give another the curse I myself had been bestowed.

"Please," she whispered, and I could see her fading in front of me.

I couldn't deny her this. Her eyes were bold and caring up until the last, and I had to give her this final wish.

"I will," I said again. "I promise."

She opened her mouth, gasping for breath, and if it weren't for my heightened senses, I wouldn't have heard her last words.

"Thank you."

Then Elizabeth Masen's hand went limp in mine, and all the light in her beautiful green eyes went out. I heard her heart stop, and I sighed. I no longer pained me to breathe around humans.

I lifted her body and wheeled it to the morgue, careful to see that there was nobody around. It was late, and even during the epidemic, very few doctors were on duty. Those that were were all busy working with patients. They wouldn't notice what I was about to do.

I went back to the room where the Masens had been kept, and I felt a strong pull toward the boy as I looked at him. His eyes were blank and staring, as if he were only waiting to die, waiting for the inevitable.

I reasoned with myself that if, by chance, I did kill the boy, I wouldn't be doing anything that nature wouldn't have done soon anyway. If anything, I would be saving him the suffering of the rest of the illness.

Suddenly, his eyes left their place on the wall and locked with mine. I instantly saw the resemblance to his mother. His eyes were not only the exact same shape and color, but they held the same warmth and boldness, too. Weak as he was, there was something beautiful about the boy.

Resolve took over, and I no longer questioned my motives. I leaned over and lifted the boy into my arms. I quickly took him to the morgue. He was too weak to ask what I was doing, and I was glad of it.

When I got to the morgue, I used the back entrance intended for the coroner, and as soon as I had it shut behind me, I was gone. I thanked God for my gift of speed as I arrived at my apartment within minutes. It was halfway across the city.

I took him in and laid him on the bed that I kept in case I would ever have visitors. I generally kept to myself, but I was cautious. Centuries of experience had taught me that it was better to be safe than sorry.

I thought through everything that I had learned about creating a vampire, and I realized that I had no idea what I was doing. Nobody ever spoke of the way to do it; they simply did what they felt like doing.

My mind traced back to the night I had been changed, and I thought of everything that that vampire had done to me. I knew only that the wounds he caused me had caused my change.

I decided that the only way to be sure that I was doing the thing properly was to recreate my own wounds. Deliberating, I watched him for another moment.

His heart was slowing, and his breathing was shallow. Somewhere along the journey here, he had lost consciousness, and I knew that the longer I waited, the less chance there was that he would make it.

Leaning over him, I bit into his neck. The burst of blood on my tongue hit me like a brick wall. I had never tasted human blood before. Maybe I should have been more cautious, but it was too late now.

With a strength I didn't know I had, I forced myself to release my hold. I quickly created the rest of the wounds I myself had received, and then all that was left to do was wait.

I was glad only for his unconsciousness, so that he wouldn't be afraid of what he saw in me, the monster I had repressed for so long. I sat by his side the whole three days.

He gained consciousness occasionally, but all he could do in those times was scream out in pain. The neighbors probably assumed I had someone with the Influenza in my apartment. Even if they had known the truth, they would not have believed it.

I felt sorry for him, remembering the pain I myself had endured, and knowing that he was experiencing the same burning sensation that made you wish only for death, so you could finally be at peace.

In those waking moments, I held his hand, hoping to ease the pain however I could, and spoke soothing words of comfort. They would mean little to him, but it was all I could do.

Toward the end of that third day, I heard his heart rate speed up, and I knew the end was nearing. I gripped his hand harder, this time for my own comfort as well as his.

My own memories of that time before my life had truly begun came rushing back to me with all the force of the first time. I gasped as I remembered what it was like to open your eyes and truly see the world around you.

And then his heart gave one final thud, and Edward Masen opened his eyes. I smiled down at him, finally at peace with my decision as I saw the utter lack of pain in his bright red eyes.

A/N:

Right, so this is my first Twilight fic, and I'm kinda pleased with it. I'm thinking of doing this for all of the vampires that Carlisle changed. I know I'm going to do Esme's, but I don't know about the others. Anyway, let me know what you think.