Chapter 1

"Dad, why can't I be a singer? You know I'm good!" I shouted at my father who was being very difficult. He rubbed his face like he always does when he's annoyed with me. "Allie," he said softly. My father never yelled at me. He was always calm, never infuriated. "You know why you can't. Your only seventeen years old." He places his hand on my face, caressing it. "That's not a reason. A lot of singers started when they were seventeen! Hell! Some started when they were five! Look at June Carter! She was so young!" I gnashed my teeth. "Allie, first you were insisting on becoming one of us, and now this? You can't have both, because if you do people will see that you're not aging and that you're not normal. Do you see why you can't be a singer?" "Yes, I see your point. But I don't have to be a vampire!" Yes you heard me correctly. Vampire. My parents are vampires. My siblings are vampires. I was the only human. My father is a doctor. When my biological mother was giving birth to me, she had an aneurism and died. My biological father picked up and left after my mother told him she was pregnant with me (I made that part up. We have no idea what really happened to my father.). She was younger than me when she was pregnant. So Carlisle Cullen had taken me in, and cared for me like his own. I was glad he did, or else I would be in an orphanage. "Please?" I pleaded with him. This was something I wanted more than my soul. My brother Edward came in and chuckled. "Your soul? So, you would sell your soul to the Devil to sing, if that was your only choice my dear?" I rolled my eyes at him. Edward was the oldest, and very talented. He could read minds. So he always knew everything. "Shut that trap of yours, Edward." I said playfully. His eyes narrowed like he wanted to come after me. "You're the one who planted the thought in my head in the first place, remember?" My father looked at him. "Is this true?" he asked him. Edward raised his head up high with pride. "Yes, Carlisle it was. But it was just an conceited thought. You know how I am with music." My father shook his head. "Carlisle?" my mother said walking into the room. I stared at her with such envy. Though I loved her very much, she was so pretty. I could never get over that fact that being a vampire, a bloodsucking creature from hell, could make you so dazzling. "Let her have a chance." My mother said softly. "Let her have her chance to be good at something, more than just school work, and art. Let her be what she wants. In the next few months we cannot keep her from doing such things." He gave her a sigh. "Alright." "YES!" I jumped to his side at once. "Carlisle, no." Edward said. "As long as Edward will be in the band." "Oh man!" I said storming to the next room. "Great!" I heard him say. "You want me to be in the band?" "You can sing just as well as she can. It would make me, your mother and your sister very happy." He sighed and walked into the kitchen. "Fine, Alexandra! I'll tour with you!" Yeah you heard him say it. My name is Alexandra, but my father calls me Allie. "Fine, but I want Emmett to come with us." He nodded.

"Okay, you know little girl its four dollars for a recording." The owner said. "Sure, we have it." I said. "Emmett?" Emmett was my other big brother. He was tall, with dark curly hair and huge muscles. He handed the owner the money. "Whats your name little girl?" I rolled my eyes and said; "Alexandra Cullen and I'm no little girl. I'm seventeen years old." His eyes widened. "Alright show me what you got." I took a deep breath and started singing a song I wrote about Edward. The boys joined. The whole time the owner was stunned. When we finished he made us sing it over and over again, and finally sending us home with a copy of our record. Once in the house, Edward, Emmett, and I looked at each other and than started screaming. "I'm going to be a singer!" I sang into the house. "Listen Dad! Rosalie! Momma!" They listened to it and clapped when I sang it live. "My tour starts next week!" I told them. I quickly ran upstairs and started going through my clothes. I found all my best clothes, and shoes. I'm going to be touring with Jerry Lee Lewis! June Carter and the new Johnny Cash! I couldn't believe it.

While packing my clothes I over heard Edward say to my parents that the record deal was only for me. The tour only wanted me, and not them. Edward said he thinks I would be just fine on my own. Both of them, Edward and Emmett, had taught me enough self defenses to kick anyone's butt. So they agreed to let me go by myself.

"You have your money?" Momma asked. I nodded. "You know to call us every time you stop to eat and go to the bathroom?" I nodded again, afraid my voice would betray me on how sad I was to be leaving my family. "You'll be fine little one." My sister said. She was more like my second momma. I love all of my family so much. I never thought of leaving them. "We'll come to your shows when we can okay?" I nodded and got in my car. "Thank you guys. For everything." I said before speeding off. I was on my way to Nashville, Tennessee. I didn't stop to eat or sleep. I just kept going. I really didn't need to stop to eat because my momma packed me some food. But when I got to Nashville I found a hotel and called the show managers to let them know I was there. Then I called my parents.

My first show was that night. I was up after Johnny Cash. "We got a special treat for you guys." The announcer said. "We have a fresh new singer, besides the handsome Johnny Cash. She's from Atlanta, Georgia. She's seventeen years old, Alexandra Cullen." I came running out on stage and everyone was clapping and whistling. "Hi guys! I'm Alexandra! I'll be your entertainer so sit back, relax and enjoy the view!" I said before turning to the boys behind me. "Ready?" I asked. They nodded. The whole time they were engrossed in the music. After the song was over, I ran off stage with such an adrenaline rush. "Wow!" I said to myself. "Nice job, Alexandra!" June Carter said. Jerry Lee hugged me. Johnny Cash just stared at me. "Didn't know that a seventeen year old girl could sing like that, did you?" I asked and walked away. I went to my dressing room and changed into something less formal. I called my parents who seemed thrilled. Edward was telling me that I was a little shaky and needed to practice a little more. After hanging up with my family I went to the diner down the road. I walked since it was a nice night. "What can I get you?" The waitress asked me. "A root beer, please?" I said handing her some change. "Do you mind?" some one asked from behind me. I looked over my shoulder. It was Johnny. "No," I said turning back to my pop. "You were very good tonight, coffee." He said to the waitress. "Thank you. You weren't so bad yourself." I said smiling. I looked at him, and he was staring at my face. "You're beautiful you know." I chuckled, though I did not find that funny at all. "What?" he asked. I pulled out my small picture book and took out pictures of my family. "This is why I laughed. My parents-Carlisle and Esme Cullen- my brothers-Edward and Emmett- and my sister-Rosalie. They are all beautiful. Not me." I said putting them down on the counter so he could get a better look. "You don't look like any of them." He said holding the picture up to my face to compare. I blushed, because I knew why I didn't look like them. "I was adopted." I said quickly, knowing that I wasn't lying but because I was afraid to put my family in danger more than what they already are with me. "I got to go." I said getting up quickly. "I'll walk you to your car." He said smiling. "I didn't bring my car. I walked." He frowned. "Well why would a beautiful girl like you, want to walk in to the dark with all kinds of goofs walking around?" he asked persuasively. He had a point. But he had no idea about the goofs I know about. "Let me walk you back to your hotel room." So we walked and talked about each others families. He told me about his brother Jack and his accident. I told him about my biological mother and father. I even told him my theory about why no one knows anything about my father. I've never told anyone outside of my family that detail about my life. No one at school even knew. When we reached my room, we stood there staring at each other for a moment or so. "Well I'm a bit tired so I need to go." I said finally. "Sure. Um…Will I see you again?" he asked. I smiled and said. "Of course. We're touring together." I said and turned to go into my room. I didn't sleep that night. It was too much. Have I fallen for the "Man in Black"? Have I flirted with the handsome Johnny Cash?

Days later Johnny and I were inseparable. Before or after shows we were always together. Laughing and goofing off. We did our tours together and it was so much fun. "Do you know how to fish?" he asked me one day. "No." I laughed out. That was totally random. He grinned and grabbed my hand. "Wait, where are we going?" I asked. "Fishing!" he said pulling me down towards the woods. When we reached the lake he grabbed some sticks and really long string. "Okay your going to put the worm on the hook, and put it in the…" "Brooke," I said before he could get the word out of his mouth. "How'd you know?" he asked. "I'm good with words." I said smiling. "Aw! I love it when you smile!" we laughed. When we were done fishing and Johnny dried off, from falling in the, we went back to the hotel. "Will I see you again?" he asked. He'd ask that every night. "Of course." I would say and close the door. I always heard him walk away singing. I smiled and turned back to the song I was writing. This was our last night until our next tour in a few weeks. So I had to finish this if I wanted to sing it tonight.

"Again ladies and gentleman here's Alexandra Cullen!" I ran out on stage and gave a huge smile. "Can you guys do me a favor?" I asked the crowd. They clapped and wooted. "Can you tell me what you think about this song I just wrote?" I asked and they all screamed. "Good. You too Mr. Cash, I want you to tell me what you think about it when I'm done." I looked back stage. "Okay, it's called See You Again (not Miley Cyrus)." I said smiling. Johnny looked at me intently. As I was reaching the second verse Johnny came out with his guitar and started strumming the tune. I just kept singing, looking at him. As soon as we were done the crowd went wild, but we couldn't keep our eyes off each other. He bent down to kiss my forehead when I heard some one calling out my name in a familiar voice. I look and it was my family. I blushed and ran off the stage. They never saw me like that before, I was so embarrassed. "Alexandra!" Johnny ran after me. "Whats wrong?" he asked. "Nothing, I uh, saw something, that's all." I said quickly. "Um…my family is here. Would you like to meet them?" I asked. He smiled and nodded. I went and changed and went to go meet my family.

"Darling!" My momma said. I smiled. "Momma! Dad!" I said running into their arms. I haven't seen my family in at least six months. I was traveling with Johnny and the other singers; we went to a lot of different states and places. It was fun, but I missed my family very much. "How have you been Sweetheart?" Dad said. "I'm doing just fine, you?" I asked. "We're all alright. We listened in every night to hear you sing." I smiled. I realized than that they were supportive about my singing career. "Yes Alexandra. You know we would never put you down!" Edward said. We kept talking until some one put their arms around my waist. "Hey Johnny!" I said excited to see he found us. "Momma, Dad. This is Johnny Cash. Johnny this is my Momma, and Dad. My sister and brothers, Rosalie, Emmett, and Edward." I said. He went to reach my brothers hand but Edward didn't take it. So Johnny just went to the next person. Everyone except Edward shook his hand. I grew irritated. How could you Edward? I asked in my mind. He looked at me when I said that in my head. How could you be so rude, and embarrass me like this? Do you have any idea how much Johnny means to me? I knew I sounded ridiculous, but it was true. I shoved Edward backwards. "You just know how to be a jerk, don't you?" Really, how can my own brother make a fool out of me? Johnny caught my mood. "Alexandra, you okay?" Johnny asked. I shoved Edward again. My father sighed. "I'm very mad…more than mad…I'm infuriated! Livid! Annoyed! Angry!" I growled. "I hate you Edward!" I said pushing him before storming away. "Alex!" My brother yelled. "Alexandra Rose!" he yelled again. I turned around. "What do you want Edward Anthony?" two can play at the infuriated name game. We only used our middles names when we are very mad at each other. "Come back here." He said. "No. Johnny, come on. We don't need to be here with him. He can die for all I care." I said storming off into the direction of my hotel room. "Look what you did Edward!" I heard Rosalie say to him. "You just ruined the whole thing! You just ruined the perfect moment for her! Why can't you just be nice for once?" Rosalie was still going on when I heard something like rocks hitting each other. Rosalie must've hit him, or Emmett stepped in before they could go at each other. As we walked away I started to cry. "Alexandra! Whats wrong, Baby?" Johnny stopped and turned me towards him. "Look at me." He said. I didn't. "Come on, Baby. Look at me." I did this time and his face was full of concern, worry, alarm, and distress, anything you could think of. But there was this one look on his face I couldn't quit understand. I wasn't sure if I was reading his facial expressions right but it looked like love. Could that be what I was seeing? "Why are you crying, Alexandra?" He asked smoothing my hair. "There's no need to cry. I'm here. Don't cry, please?" He said wiping the tears away. "You're too pretty to cry." I smiled and we walked back to my hotel room. He sat on my bed, and I sat on the chair. He seemed very upset about before. So I quickly said I was sorry. "Sorry? Sorry for what?" he asked. "I'm sorry that my brother Edward was rude. I didn't think he would be like that. I expected him to be understanding, like the rest of the family." I shook my head and let another stream of tears out. After awhile Johnny spotted my guitar and started playing it. "This is for you." He said strumming a beautiful tune that was unrecognizable. "I've been working on it. I wrote a few songs for you." I watched as he played and sang to me. I smiled at him and let a few tears fall. "Thank you." I said hugging him. "Would you like to help me with the duet I wrote?" I asked pulling it from the inside of my guitar. He raised an eyebrow. We sang all night until we fell asleep.

When I woke up I was lying in Johnny's arms. He held me tighter when he realized I was awake. "Good afternoon sleepy head." I smiled. "Afternoon? Wow." I said getting up to stretch. "I wrote another song last night while you were sleeping." "You did? Can I hear it?" He shook his head no. "Why?" "Because it's for the next tour. You'll have to wait until then, love." Love? He called me love! "Do you want to know when my birthday is?" I asked gathering my clothes to get in the shower. "When is it?" "June 6th!" I said closing the door. "Really?" he called back. "Yeah." I hollered. I showered quickly knowing I had to get on the road. When I came out Johnny was standing there waiting for me. "No wonder why your sister said your brother ruined your perfect moment." He said pulling my lips to his. I pulled away quickly. "Johnny," I started to say but he cut me off by kissing me again. When he released me, Johnny sighed and held me closer to him. "You know you could get in trouble for doing that, right?" I said alarmed because he started to laugh before I finished my sentence. "You are already eighteen! Yesterday was your birthday!" he said chuckling. "No, its still May." I said. He shook his head and taking something from the table. It was today's news paper. I read the date out loud. "June 7th, 1956." My eyes widened and I dropped the paper. "Alexandra?" "I can't believe I forgot my own birthday!" I said loudly. Johnny shook his head. "When you said June," he shrugged his shoulders. "I thought you meant today, until you said the 6th." I smiled and brought his face back to mine, knowing he won't get in trouble for this. "You want to come home with me and meet my family?" he asked. I nodded and went to go pack my things. When we got outside my parents car was in the parking lot. Great, they're still here. I turned to Johnny and gave him an annoyed look. "They stayed last night." I said. "They just love you." He said kissing my forehead and taking my stuff to the car. I walked down to their car and stopped short to see that they were standing next to it. "Allie," Dad said. I turned my back to him, because Edward was standing next to him. "Allie, please Edward wants to apologize to you." He said. I turned back to him and when he saw that I had tears threaten to come, Edward quickly pulled me in a hug. "I'm so sorry Alexandra! I really am! You know I didn't mean to hurt you." He buried his face in my long hair. I took a big sniff. I loved the way vampires smell. They were so appealing and-even though it's supposed to be an attractive scent that scares humans- it was my security blanket. It was my favorite smell in the world…next to my momma's grilled cheese sandwiches. Edward chuckled at my thought. "You and grilled cheese." He said kissing my head. Even though Edward was my brother…he loved me in a totally different way. You see when Carlisle –my father- had the idea of adopting me; he also thought that when I was old enough Edward would take me as his bride, so that he wasn't lonely for eternity. But I had refused that when I was told this. I thought of him more as a brother than a husband, and Edward knew that. But he felt the opposite. No wonder why Edward was being the way he was last night. "Baby!" Johnny called from the car. "I got to go." I said. "I'm going to meet Johnny's parents." I said and hugged my father. "I love you." I said to Edward. "I…" he couldn't say the last words. "I know." I said running off. Johnny insisted on driving. "So what was that about? It kind of looked like you guys were having a mental conversation." I laughed. "Like that could ever happen." I looked behind us and they were fallowing. "I guess they want to meet your folks too!" I said giggling. Johnny leaned in and kissed me. "You're the only one for me." He said and started singing. When he was done with his song I started singing a song I haven't sang since I was fifteen. I wrote it too. He laughed. "You really like to write, don't you?" he asked. I smiled and kept singing.

It was late at night and it was raining. "Maybe we should pull into a hotel." I said getting nervous. "Um…yeah…If I can find one Alexandra, we're in the middle of nowhere. Where do you see a hotel?" I rolled my eyes. "Obviously, if we can't find a hotel, we can pull over and sleep in the car for the night. My parents wouldn't mind." Like they sleep any ways. We kept going for a few more miles.

Suddenly there was screaming and I didn't know where it was coming from until I realized it was me. We were spinning out of control and the car was flipping over. I hit my head off of my window, and then there was no sound.

There came more screaming. I couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from. There was two different screams. One was a male, the other female. "Alexandra!" the male voice screamed. The voice wanted me. Then I realized it was Johnny. What was wrong with him? Why was he screaming? I didn't understand. What was going on? I was so hot. Like, I was in hell. Was I dead? Did I do something that bad that I had to go to hell? After a while I realized the female voice screaming was me. I was begging whoever was around to kill me. So was Johnny. He kept screaming; 'I'm sorry Jack! I'm sorry I wasn't there!" I wanted to cry out and hold him. What happened to Jack wasn't his fault. It was an accident. [The warmth beside my heart got more and more real, warmer and warmer. Hotter. The heat was so real it was hard to believe that I was imagining it. Hotter. Uncomfortable now. Too hot. Much, much too hot. Like grabbing the wrong end of a curling iron-my automatic response was to drop the scorching thing in my arms. But there was nothing in my arms. My arms were not curled to my chest. My arms were dead things lying by my side. The heat was inside me. The burning grew-rose and peaked and rose again until it surpassed anything I'd ever felt. I felt the pulse behind the fire raging now in my chest and realized that I found my heart again, just in time to wish I never had. To wish that I'd embraced the blackness while I'd still had the chance. I wanted to raise my arms and claw my chest open and rip the heart from it-anything to get rid of this torture. But I couldn't feel my arms, couldn't move one vanished finger. The fire blazed hotter and I wanted to scream out {more than what I already was.} To beg for someone to kill me now, before I lived one more second of this pain. Burying me in the flames that was chewing their way out from my heart now, spreading with impossible pain through my shoulders and stomach, scalding up my throat, licking at my face. All I wanted was to die. To never have been born. The whole of my existence did not outweigh this pain. Wasn't worth living through it for one more heartbeat. Let me die, let me die, let me die. {Through all this pain I hear Johnny again; "Alexandra!" he screamed. Johnny did not scream for what I was screaming for anymore. He was screaming my name to comfort me. While I screamed for death.} Nothing else, not even time. So that made it infinite, with no beginning and no end. One infinite moment of pain. The endless burn raged on. It could have been seconds or days, weeks or years, but, eventually, time came to mean something again. Two things happened together, grew from each other so that I didn't know which came first: time restarted, and I got stronger. I could feel the control of my body come back to me in increments, and those increments were my first markers of the time passing. I knew when I was able to twitch my toes and twist my fingers into fist. I knew it, but I did not act on it. Though the fire did not decrease one tiny degree-in fact, I began to develop a capacity for experiencing it, a new sensitivity to appreciate, separately, each blistering tongue of flame that licked through my veins-discovered that I could think around it. I had just enough strength to lie there unmoving while I was being charred alive. My hearing got clearer and clearer, and I could hear my father explaining to Johnny what was happening to him. To us. He said we had gotten into a car accident and that we were going to die if he didn't do what was happening to us. If he didn't put venom in our system we would be dead…nonexistent anymore. He said he couldn't bear to lose me, so he knew I couldn't bear to lose him. I counted the shallow breaths that gasped through my teeth. I could count the low, even breath that came from beside me. These moved slowest, so I concentrated on them. They meant the most time passing. More even than a clock's pendulum, those breaths pulled me through the burning seconds towards the end. I continued to get stronger, my thoughts clearer. When noises came, I could listen. There were light footsteps, the whisper of air stirred by an opening door. The footsteps got closer, and I felt pressure against my wrist. I couldn't feel the coolness of the fingers. The fire blistered away every memory of cool. "Still no change?" "None. {Did you check Johnny?}" The lightest pressure, breath against my scorched skin. {"There's still the scent of the venom left."} "I know." "Alexandra? Can you hear me?" I kept screaming for Johnny. "Listen to her heart, Edward. It's stronger than even Emmett's was. I've never heard anything so vital. She'll be perfect." "And her-her {cracked skull}?" "Her injuries weren't so much worse than Esme's. The venom will heal her as it did Esme." A broken whisper. "She must be in agony {the way she's screaming}." Faint pressure inside the crease of my elbow. Another whisper. "Alexandra, I…I love you, and I'm sorry." Then there was no more pressure. "How much longer?" Edward asked. "It won't be long now," an unfamiliar voice said. "See how clear she's getting? I can see her so much better." She sighed. "Still feeling bitter?" "Yes thank you for bringing it up," she grumbled. "You would be mortified, too, if you realized that you were handcuffed by your own nature. I see vampires best, because I am one; I see human okay because I was one." {So she was a vampire.} "Focus, Alice." "Right. Alexandra's almost too easy to see now." There was a long moment of silence, and Edward sighed. It was a new sound, happier. "They're going to be fine." "Of course they are." The Alice girl said. "Could you concentrate for me? On the clock-give me an estimate." Alice sighed. "So impatient. Fine. Give me a sec-" Quiet breathing. {I heard Johnny next to me. He was still screaming, but not as much. I stopped, because I actually knew what was happening to me. No one needed to explain it to me.} "Thank you, Alice." His voice was brighter. How long? Couldn't they at least say it out loud for me? Was that too mush to ask? How many more seconds would I burn? Ten thousand? Twenty? Another day-eighty-six thousand, four hundred? More than that? {I heard Edward chuckle at my thoughts. "Soon enough Alex, soon enough."} Was all he said. "She's going to be dazzling!" Edward growled quietly. "She's always has been." Alice snorted. "You know what I mean. Look at her."

It was twenty-one thousand, nine hundred seventeen and a half seconds later, the pain changed. On the good-news of things, it started to fade from my fingertips and toes. Fading slowly. {I wonder if it felt like this for Johnny.} But at least it was doing something new. This had to be it. The pain was on its way out…. And then the bad news. The fire in my throat wasn't the same as before. I wasn't only on fire, but I was now parched, too. Dry as bone. Also bad news:The fire in my heart got hotter. How was that possible? My heartbeat, already too fast, picked up-the fire drove its rhythm to a new frantic pace. "Carlisle," Edward called. His voice was low but clear. I knew my father would hear it, if we were in or near the house. The fire retreated from my palms, leaving them blissfully pain-free and cool. But it retreated to my heart, which blazed hot as the sun and beat at a furious new speed. Carlisle entered the room, Alice at his side. Their footsteps were so distinct, I could even tell that Carlisle was on the right, and a foot ahead of Alice. "Listen," Edward told them. The loudest sound in the room was mine and Johnny's frantic heart, pounding to the rhythm of the fire. "Ah," my dad said. "It's almost over." My relief at his words was overshadowed by the pain excruciating pain in my heart. My wrist were free, though, and my ankles. The fire was totally extinguished there. "Soon," Alice agreed eagerly. "I'll get the others." My fingers twitched. The room went silent besides the jackhammering of our hearts as they all stopped breathing for a second in response.] My chest convulsed and hit the table when the thrumming of my heart stopped completely. "Allie? Can you hear me sweetheart? It Dad, honey." He said with such caution. I opened my eyes to a new world. One I had wished for years ago. My father was standing above me, looking down to see if his daughter was alright. "Honey?" he asked. I sat up and looked with new crystal clear eyes. "Dad?" I said, my voice cracking like diamonds hitting the floor. I smiled. "How do you feel?" Someone asked to my left. I knew they weren't talking to me. I looked over at Johnny who was sitting in an upright position, looking around franticly. "Johnny?" I asked. He turned around to look at me. "What happened to me? To us?" he asked. His voice was a beautiful melody. "We died." I said. The ach in my throat wouldn't let me get past a few words at a time. My hand flew to my throat where I rubbed it…like I was trying to smother a campfire. "What do you mean we died?" He asked getting up so fast that he should have blurred, but I saw him clearly. My father explained it to him again. "Vampires?" he asked. "You really expect me to believe that?" I shook my head. "Johnny, my father is telling you the truth. The burning in your throat should give you more evidence, including that horrible pain we just went through." "So the car crash?" he asked. "They got us out and brought us here to your home?" I nodded. "Johnny…" "You never told me you were a vampire!" "That's because I wasn't! Only my family was. Speaking of family…I didn't recognize the voice of some one. I think her name is Alice." I said puzzled. A short girl came dancing behind Emmett with a tall blond boy trying to hold her back. His face was ravaged, his arms are the same. There were scares on every inch of his body. "I'm Alice!" the girl chirped. "And this is Jasper. We are your new brother and sister." She said giggling. Her eyes were a strange brownish burgundy, and so was Jasper. "Yes well, they decided they didn't want to drink human blood." Edward said. Johnny sighed when he heard that. "Really? Congratulations." I moved toward Johnny who looked anxious, worried, uncomfortable and disoriented. I hugged him. "It'll be okay," I whispered to him. "We'll get through this." He leaned down to kiss my hair. "Hunting." Edward said to us. "You should go. Um…Carlisle would you take them?" He nodded. "Come you two. Let's go out and get something to relieve that pain." It was dark out, meaning it was the perfect time for us to go out. I grabbed Johnny's hand and we ran along side my father. "Wow, this is so," he paused to think. "I don't know what to call it." "Call it fun." I said tugging on him to get him to run faster. I was so excited that we were okay. But what I'm not excited about was that I had to drag my boyfriend into this mess. Yeah, sure I wanted this…but that was forever ago. This also means we can't be famous singers anymore. We have to stay in hiding. Johnny stopped, which stopped me at the same time. "Dad, wait!" I hollered to him. "What is it?" "Were you thinking out loud?" he asks. "We can't be singers anymore?" I shook my head no and then stopped short. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" my voice rose a couple of octaves. "You read my mind?" "I though you were thinking out loud. Do you really consider me your boyfriend?" he asked with a smile. I smiled back. "Yes, I do." "What is it Allie?" my father asked reaching us. "Johnny here seems to have a talent. He can read minds, just like Edward. But I think there's more to it." "Yes, of course. No two talents are alike." He said pacing back and forth. "What do you mean Carlisle?" Johnny said. "Well, Edward can only hear whats going through a persons mind at any given moment. I'll have to explain soon enough who the other is…but Aro can read minds too, though his works totally different. He has to touch you to read the thoughts in your minds. But Aro collects every thought you ever had, every memory, every thing you remember belongs to him. Nothing is private after he touches you." Dad said with such respect. I knew who Aro was…I needed no explanation. Aro was our kind's royalty along with his brothers…that's why I said I was already putting my family in danger just being with them. My father kept babbling, and my throat was aching so much. I needed something. "Uh, Carlisle," my father stopped pacing. "Hmm…?" "I think we should save this for after hunting…Alexandra is getting a bit anxious and thirsty." Johnny said. I smiled at him. 'Thank you,' I said to him in my mind, knowing he could hear me. "You're welcome," He said. We ended up hunting for wolves; they smelled more like human, then deer. "Now that your thirst is under control," my father said pacing again. "Let's figure this out."

Johnny and I sat on the ground (though we had no reason to. We could've stood for years without needing to sit.) Johnny kept picking random thoughts out of my head and laughing. "No more grilled cheese sandwiches?" I was thinking about how sad I was that I wasn't able to eat human food anymore-meaning no more grilled cheese. "Do you find it nice to get into my mind, or is it just automatic?" I asked. "Automatic," he said. "Really? Weird." "Okay," my father said. "Johnny, come here." Johnny was at his side in a twelfth of a second. "What am I thinking?" he asked. "Strange things I have in head that will hand, which must be acted ere they may be scanned. A quote from Lady Macbeth." Johnny recited my father's thoughts. "You feel very interested in something. I can't really get a feel of the rest…is that shock?" My jaw dropped. "You can feel emotions?" I asked. "How? Jasper already has that talent," my father was astonished. As soon as he said it, my brain instantly made the connection. "He's a copier," I stated. "Johnny can take any talent and apply it to himself." My father nodded at my theory. "We should wait to see if he has a vision like Alice. She can see the future," my father was looking Johnny over like a buyer looking for a horse. "Hey!" Johnny said. I laughed. "I'm not a horse!" I stuck out my tongue and darted the opposite direction of him. I could hear him behind me, and I knew I couldn't switch directions because he'll know. "Yes, I would know," and then I was on the ground with him. "Caught you," he said. His eyes were now a crimson red, and he was paler then before. He was a new Johnny, and I was not going to get over how beautiful he looks. "No," he said stroking my face. His fingertips were like silk against my skin, it's soft and warm. "You're beautiful." I didn't laugh this time, instead I smiled. I actually believed him this time, because I was beautiful. I was a vampire, an immortal. "You should have believed me before, you really are beautiful…and this vampire thing is not what changed it." Tears should have fallen right there and then, but that was never going to happen.

Johnny and I just laid there in each others arms talking about what we were going to do now, we can't sing, we can't go see his family, we can't stay here; we needed to leave. "But where are we going to go?" he asked. "My family has a lot of residence in the states. So maybe Oklahoma or Washington…I don't know." I changed the subject. "This is a faint memory, but do you remember what you said in the car to me as we were pulling away from the hotel?" Johnny thought for awhile. Then he leaned in and kissed me. "You're the only one for me," he recited. I smiled. Do you mean it? I asked him mentally. He brushed the hair from my face. "Yes. Now I get to have you for forever." He replied. I smiled. My father had gone back to the house to give us some privacy; I wanted to be alone with Johnny. The last time we were alone was very hazy, I couldn't really see it. Johnny pulled me closer to him, his arms around my shoulders. "Do you love me?" I asked him. Johnny just looked at me, his eyes looked far away. He stayed like that for a moment and then shook his head. "Weird," he said. "What?" I asked frantic. What happened to him? Why did he look like he was recounting his far away memories? "It wasn't that," Johnny said. "For some reason I saw you, me, and the rest of us at a table, with food, not eating. We had gold eyes and no one talked to anyone, though there were people around." I shifted myself in his arms. My Dad said Alice has visions of the future. So what Johnny just saw was not right now. Neither one of us had golden eyes yet. Therefore he saw the future. "I think your theory came true," Johnny said listening to my thoughts. I nodded. "And to answer your question, yes I do love you. How can I not? You share the same passion for music as I do. You're understanding, fun, beautiful, goofy, smart, and just extraordinarily lovable!" I laughed. "Is that why you love me?" He nodded. "And I already know why you love me," he reached down to kiss me. The sun came up and I pulled away to look at it. "Whoa!" Johnny said. "I'm sparkly! Why?" I laughed again. "This is why we have to go into hiding. All the vampire myths about the sun burning us to ashes aren't true. We just shine like diamonds in the sunlight, it would scare humans. I always went with Edward to an open meadow when the sun was out. We used to sing to each other." I smiled faintly at the faded memory. "I usually came back with bad sunburn," I said. Johnny lightly touched under my right eye. "You really love your brother. You look up to him, he's there for you when you need him, though he loves you for a different reason," he whispered. He must have felt that when we were at the house, when Edward was talking to me while I burned. "Yes," he answered my thought. "But you're mine. I don't want to share you." His voice turned territorial. Vampires are always territorial with their mates. It wasn't a surprise when he said that. "I don't want to be shared." I said. His hands tangled in my hair and kissed me. It was different from before. Our kisses were more passionate, longer. His lips felt like satin on mine. I love you. I whispered in my mind. "I love you, too," he said breathless. I smiled and he kissed me again.

Johnny pulled me up to my feet so that we could go home. We fallowed my fathers scent back to the house, our fingers knitted together. When we got in the house I told them about Johnny and his talent. My father was fascinated with the new discovery. In the process I was exhausted—mentally— and I wished for a chair. There was a scratching noise and a chair appeared behind me. I jumped back in shock. Everyone just stared at me. What just happened? Did I do that? I did want a chair. So had I brought the chair to myself while thinking about one? Edward answered my questions. "I think that's a very accurate assumption, Alex. It seems you can control objects with your mind. Can you but up a shield to block me from coming towards you?" I shrugged. "I don't know," I said. "Think about blocking me, picture yourself doing it." He said. I closed my eyes and concentrated on "blocking" him.

"Owe," Edward said. I opened my eyes to see a faint shimmery shield was near Edward. He was rubbing his chest. He tried again to walk to me but the shield pushed him back. Edward grunted. Johnny shifted his weight and was leaning against the wall, staring at me intently. Edward didn't take the very well. He leaned into his defensive crouch as if he would attack him, Johnny automatically did the same. The both of them growling and snarling at each other. They were having mental conversations; it must have been angry because they both lunged. I flitted in the middle of them before they reached each other. I held out both my arms, my hands on their chests. "Stop it!" I yelled over their animal noises. It was weird to see Johnny like this, though it came naturally to him now. They shoved against my hands, but this time I forced a shield—happy we discovered it—towards the both of them. "You're being animals! Stop it! [You can't hurt each other without hurting me!] So just stop and talk this out like civilized people!" Edward was still trying to get through the shield, Johnny stopped trying. Jasper came into the room and a wave of calm swept through the room, I was greatful. My tenses muscles relaxed, as did Johnny's. He wrapped an arm around me in a very possessive way. Edward stopped pushing against my shield, but still letting a low growl rumble deep in his chest. I felt it. I made the shield shove him, he moved back just a little. "Stop." I said sternly. "Now tell me what the problem is." Edward spoke. "Your man here was thinking of your time in the woods this morning," Edward shot frightening glares at him, Johnny didn't flinch away, but I did. I looked at Johnny, who shrugged. "What was he thinking?" I asked Edward. His face should have turned red from how mad he was. "He was thinking that you would put a shield up next time he kisses you. He didn't want me to pull you away," I frowned. I wouldn't want Edward pulling me away for Johnny; it wasn't any of his business. "Yes it is my business!" Edward yelled at me. "The heck it isn't!" Johnny said. "She's not yours!" Johnny's arm tightened around me. "Alexandra is mine!" I rubbed my temples. "Edward, how is it your business?" I looked at him, and he looked away. "Because you were meant for me, not him." Edward whispered. I sighed shaking my head. We went over this a million times. I'm not his, it was just a thought my father had. It didn't go the way he planned. Edward was more of a big brother then a lover. I didn't think about him that way, I couldn't. I grew up around him, thinking he was my brother not my future husband. I never fanaticized about him that way. He was my brother. My best friend. Nothing more. "Alex," Edward said. "No. You know way better then to pull this crap! You're 55 years old, grow up!" I yelled. Johnny laughed. "55 years old? That's how old you really are? Wow," I elbowed him in the ribs. It sounded like rocks hitting each other. "Owe, that hurt." He said. "It was meant to," I sighed. "This is the final time I'm going to say it Mr. Cullen! Get a grip on reality; forget about me as your mate and finding something better to do then wasting your time." Another wave of calm was sent out. It came from both sides of the room. Jasper and Johnny were calming us. I took a deep breath. "Edward," my tone was softer. "You know I love you. You know you'll always be mine, but as my brother. You're just not positioned in my heart that way. It'll never work, Honey." I removed Johnny's arm and walked over to Edward, he still wasn't looking at me. "Please, look at me?" I whispered. Slowly his head turned. His face was torn with pain, and I felt a prickly feeling in my eyes. They wished to cry, but I didn't have that reaction anymore. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I don't mean to hurt you; I just want you to understand. I love Johnny, I always will. But I'll also always love you, you know that," I put a hand on his face. "Please," my voice cracked. "Don't be sad." I pulled him into a hug. He tearlessly sobbed into my hair. Johnny, why don't you go talk to the family in the kitchen. I need to be alone with him, please? I heard him sigh and walk away. "Come on," I said pulling away. "Lets sit on the couch," We sat down and I pulled him back into my arms. I "cried" tearlessly, too. I was hurting him, and I don't mean to. I just don't think I could ever love him that way. Edward pulled me into his lap, pressing his face into my hair, still "crying". "Please, Edward. Please," I whispered. I couldn't bear it. It was too much pain to see. I never seen him like this. Maybe it was better if they let me die in the car crash; it would have been easier then hurting my brother for eternity, him watching me be with someone else. I heard a snarl come from the other room. Johnny heard my thought. Stop listening to me. I said to him. I pulled back to look at Edward. His face was twisted with different emotions. My eyes were in pain from so much prickling. I let a sob escape my lips, kissed Edward's forehead. Good bye, I love you. I got up and ran through the front door. I just kept running, not caring where I was going. I couldn't stay there, not with this pain. I wanted to die, I should have died. I shouldn't be here. Being here only puts Edward in pain, pain he didn't deserve.

I was deep in the woods, I've been running for hours but I wasn't tired. I stopped at an opened field. I ran all the way to the meadow me and Edward go to soak up the sun. It didn't look the same, it was dark and weary. The sun set an hour ago. I went and stood in the middle of the meadow, with my face in my hands, and let it all out. The sobs were very loud, I was glad I went to a secluded place.

I don't know how long I stood there for, but warm hands turned me around and into their arms. Maybe it was Johnny, or Edward. Possibly my father. I pulled away to see who it was and was stunned to see Jasper. Jasper was holding me, calming my sobs. I just flung myself back into his arms, and we both collapsed to the ground. Jasper's hands rubbed my back, and "cried" himself. I guess feeling all my pain made him cry too. "It's okay," Jasper whispered. "Everything is okay," I shook my head. "Nothings okay. I hurt Edward," my voice was muffled in his shoulder. He pulled me back to look at him. "Edward was crying because you were right. He needs to let you go. He realized that," He brushed my hair away from my face. "You should come back. Both Johnny and Edward are going nuts," I shook my head again. "I don't think it'll be wise for me to go back. I don't need to hurt anyone anymore. They're better off without me." Jasper sighed. "Do you know how much you mean to that family? To Johnny? To me and Alice?" I looked at him. "Yes, Alice and I are already attached to you. But do you know?" I sniffled, though there was nothing to sniff. "No," I responded. "You are the very heart of that family. You are what binds them together. You bounded us to your family just by us watching you change. Alice had visions of you before we came. I felt their love when they opened the door for us, don't you see?" His ravaged face was looking at me, full of love and understanding. I just sat there, still feeling bitter. They do love me, but how could Edward love me when I caused him pain for 18 years?

Rosalie once told me that Edward had refused to go along with my fathers plan. He said he was not interested in an arranged marriage, and certainly not interested in a little girl.

But as I got older Edward saw how attached I was to him. He was my role model. He taught me to sing, write, play, and read music. He taught me all I know. Edward was there in school when I was being bothered by some boy, who wanted me to go out with him, but I turned him down many times, and he kept going through with it. Edward told him to leave me alone. Not once had he called me his sister when talking about me. He'd call me "Alex" or "Alexandra", never "my sister".

"Alexandra," Jasper said pulling me off the ground. "You can't run from this, whether or not you like it, it's always going to be there. You just have to balance life." His voice was full of wisdom. "Why do I have to have the bad end of the stick?" I asked him. "You don't, you just have a bump in the road." He pulled me into another hug. "Now let's go home, shall we?" I nodded. We ran all the way home. It didn't take long. The only reason it took me all day, was I just ran in different directions, absentmindedly looking for this particular place.

On the way home I was curious. "Jasper?" "Yes?" I thought for a moment. "Why did you come, and not Edward or Johnny? I was expecting them, maybe even my father. I know Emmett wouldn't have come…he's scared when I get upset. It completely freaks him out." I said babbling. I frowned at myself. You sound like an idiot. "I did feel that when I was with him in the kitchen. He kept pacing." Jasper said. "But why did you come and not the others?" I repeated. He sighed. "I already think of you as my sister." He said. "I studied you, while you were trying to control Edward and Johnny. You weren't acting out in anger, frustration, or irritation. You acted out in love, and it amazed me to see and feel that emotion." He shook his head. "Even Alice's love for me doesn't touch what I felt from you. I was drawn to you; I love a good emotional climate. I can't ignore it. I was in the war and I was surrounded by so much hate and sorrow, it was impossible to feel anything else." I looked at him sympathetically. "I went through years feeling depressed, every human I hunted, their pain just made my existence worse. I didn't know emotion liked this existed until I met Alice," he said her name with so much love and pride. He really loved her, and most likely would do anything for her. "Then when she told me about the visions she was having about your family, and then about you, we persisted on finding you. We wanted to share your passion for humanity." We stopped running and walked the rest of the way. "You said Alice had visions of me, what were they?" I asked. He kept walking. "Your car crash," he said. "We alerted your family, and on your birthday they left to see you perform. We listened on the radio every night. You're quite good," he said. "Thank you. But they never mentioned anything about the car crash, or even my birthday. I even forgot," again Jasper shook his head. "They didn't forget. They had a surprise setup for you, but Edward was being difficult, was he not?" I nodded. "So they didn't get to do anything before you left." We walked up the porch steps. "But I saw them before heading to see Johnny's folks; they could've told me then, couldn't they?" Jasper nodded. "They were more concerned with what happened with Edward at the moment, then the crash. Carlisle wanted to make sure you two made up, just incase he was too late save you. They thought it was going to be later, not the same day. They thought they had time to tell you," Jasper bent to kiss my forehead, a brotherly gesture. Someone grabbed me from behind. I screamed. Not because I was scared, but because I didn't know who it was. I turned and pinned the attacker to the porch, my teeth reaching for his jugular. A furious snarl welled up in my chest "Owe! Alexandra!" It was Johnny. Jasper was laughing. "That was funny," he said walking inside. I quickly released my defensive hold. "Johnny, I—" I started, but he cut me off. "I know. You're sorry." He wouldn't let me go. Johnny just held me, his fingers running through my hair. I laid my head on his shoulder, breathing in his scent. The feelings I felt for him were so strong, they were close to indescribable. No word could fathom what I felt for him. My world revolved around him. When he decided he loved me, Johnny became the center of my universe, where I could see him shining as bright as the sun. "What are you thinking?" I whispered. Johnny's fingers twisted pieces of my hair. "Nothing," he said. "Just listening to your thoughts, you're adorable when you think." My fingers were tracing patterns on his biceps. I should have known he'd be listening. I smiled at the thought. At least he knows how much he means to me. "Yes, at least I know how much I mean to you." I moved up on my right elbow resting my head on my fist. I stroked his face; I was so engrossed in his features. He was so handsome. His short brown hair lay softly on his head, his eyes a blood red—they used to be a light brown—, looked at me with so much love, his dark hair made him look paler then what he is, though he was already too pale from the change. Johnny wasn't hulky like Emmett, but wasn't under toned. He had muscle that were toned, but not detailed. They were just right. His broad shoulders made me feel protected when he hugged me. Johnny was just the perfect man for me; he fit directly in my life. We connected perfectly, like Leggos. I smiled at him, and he smiled back. "You're beautiful," I whispered. He chuckled. "You're eyes were looking me up and down. And you were praising my looks in your head. I'm not as beautiful as you, honey. You surpass all that is beautiful, nothing outshines you." I laid my hand on his cheek. "You're still warm too," I said. Johnny turned his head to kiss my palm. "You're still soft," he whispered into my hand. I used that hand to push his face back so he was looking at me. "I love you," I whispered. Johnny picked up his head and kissed my lips.

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