The room is dark, small and damp. A small window lets me see out at the world I fear I will soon be leaving. How had it come to this? Wasn't I immortal? And yet I would die here in the enemy's cave.

Perhaps one day I would be found, my ashes mixing in with the dust on the ground, and they would mourn my life, my death. I would die in peace if I could just see my baby's face one more time.

Instead I sit, cowering in a corner, hiding from a black moon come to take me away.

1.

The sun was setting, casting a red and purple glow over the little living room where I sat on a couch with my husband. He had his arms wrapped around me, my head snuggly on his chest, as we watched a movie he'd chosen. I was paying no attention to the comedy, instead concentrating on the rise and fall of John's chest and the soft pattering of rain on the roof. Cheery music came across the speakers and I glanced at the TV screen, where credits slowly rolled by.

John moaned softly and stretched his legs and arms.

"Hello, snuggle bunny," he whispered in my ear, kissing the top of my head softly. I smiled and turned my face up to his, shifting in his arms so I was turned towards him. I put my hand against the back of his head and slowly pulled his head down until our lips met. He kissed my lips softly, sending a tingling sensation down my spine. I kissed him back deeply and felt his arms tighten around me as he returned the kiss. The music continued on in the background, but all I could hear was the rain and our breathing.

John unlocked our lips and pulled me up onto his lap. I slid my arms around his neck and looked into his soft eyes. A smile turned my lips up. "Hello," I said breathily.

His arms snaked around my waist as he pulled me closer to him. I bent my head down to meet his lips.

We sat like that, kissing, for what felt like ages. A small bead of seat trailed down his forehead, transferring to my cheek where it touched his. I pulled back slowly, climbing off him. With a smoldering look on his face, I took his hand and winked. "Shall we do this?" I asked him sweetly, inclining my head towards our bedroom.

A grin flashed across his face and he winked back at me. "Yes, ma'am."

A soft sound pulled me out of my daydream. My eyes opened, sunlight stealing away the darkness behind my lids. I had been sitting on the armchair in our little cabin's living room, dreaming up that beautiful scene. A sad sigh left my lips as I realized it was just a dream. I had been lapsing into these dreams, loosing myself in my head, a lot lately. Very little had improved in my relationship with John and I found myself filling the void that left with those little moments of bliss.

My thoughts returned to the sound I had heard, the one that had pulled me out of my daydream. I glanced at the sun. John would be getting up soon. I must have heard him moving around on the bed. I pulled myself off the couch, but took no moves beyond that. I pushed my hands through my hair and let out another sigh. Life had been so difficult these past months. John and I were like two strangers, forced to live together, a small though lingering in the back of our minds, reminding us we used to be in love. No, we still were in love. It was just so awkward.

My life had changed dramatically the night of my car accident. On my way to meet my husband in Port Angeles, pregnant with our first child, she had kicked my belly and without thinking, my eyes moved away from the round and down to my swollen tummy. I heard the horn before I saw the lights, piercing through the pouring rain. I had no time to think, so I jerked my wheel and slammed on the brakes, causing my car to flip over, flying over the 18-wheeler. The lights below me were the last things I could see before my head hit the windshield.

I woke up in a strange room, where seven strangers told me I had lost my child and would forever be one of them, living as a vampire. They had saved my life, but it felt like the worst day of my life.

As time passed, I came to accept who I had become, including my little "gift" of connecting with other people's abilities. The longing in my heart to see my husband again had grown to a desperate point. I could no longer stand it, and I begged them to find him for me. Some days, I regretted that decision. It hadn't taken him long to find out what I was, what the Cullens were. All hell had broken loose and he had run away. The Volturi, who were like the royalty of the vampire world, had shown up to contain the situation. We had fought them on that hill and dragged a half-dead John back to the Cullen's home.

For a few weeks, we hadn't spoken a word about what had happened that night to John, and no one ever dared to mention the "V" word when he was around, or anything to do with it. We were together, but it was nothing like it had been before my accident. Until a couple of months ago, John and I had lived almost separate lives. I cooked and kept our little cabin neat, where he sat cooped up for the first few days, but we hardly spoke.

Lately, it had become quite a bit better. He seemed to like being around me again, greeting me cheerfully and sometimes showering me with kisses. We talked every morning as he ate his breakfast, discussing the day. He usually spent it at the Cullen's, while I went about my tasks for the day. At night, he would kiss me and eat dinner. We would watch a movie or read until he finally pulled himself to the bedroom to sleep. Sometimes I would join him for a little bit, snuggling against his warm body. It was a fraction of the like we had lived before, nothing close to what it had been or what I dreamed it could be. But I faced every day with a smile, hoping that every day brought us one step closer together. I wouldn't let this get me down. He was still the only man I truly loved, and I was always reminded of that.

Esme had been as sweet and thoughtful as ever those first few days after John had come back with us. She had built us a little cabin in the woods, on the other side of the house from where Edward and Bella's was. John had been relieved to be able to get out of the house, though now he spent most of his time in the Cullen's house anyways. Though it was nice that he could get away at night to sleep undisturbed.

I glanced towards the bedroom door, which was still closed, and made my way to the bathroom to make sure everything was in order. I folded the towel neatly and placed it on the small rack beside the shower. I checked to make sure there was still enough shampoo and soap left in the bottles, noting that my husband was getting low on shaving cream. I made a mental note to go out today if it was rainy and get some more.

I slipped silently into the kitchen and pulled out the eggs and the packet of bacon, along with a skillet. Over the last few months I had grown desensitized to the food smell, though I was careful not to inhale too deeply when I was cooking. As the scrambled eggs sat cooking in the pan, I looked around myself. The little cabin I shared with the love of my life had become one of my most favorite spots in the world to be. I glanced around the tiny but cozy kitchen, at the stove and fridge that were used to cook and hold food for him. I smiled happily to myself, pushing away all the cobwebs from before, and began to hum, pushing the eggs around with a wooden spatula.

"Good morning, sleepy eyes," I called cheerfully to John as he stumbled out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. He walked over and wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing me softly on the neck. A warm feeling fluttered up my spine and I smiled. "Good morning," he whispered groggily into my neck. His hot breath on my cold skin gave me shivers; it was the best feeling in the world to have him so near to me after those three years apart.

I pushed his food unto a plate and poured him a glass of orange juice, setting it down on the counter that was attached to the front of the kitchen. He scarfed down his eggs hungrily as I put carton of eggs and juice away.

The sink was located behind the counter where he sat, and I looked up from the pan I was scrubbing. "What are you going to do today?" I asked him curiously.

He looked up at me and smiled, ignoring my question. "You look beautiful today," he said with a wink.

I laughed softly. "I look the same way every day."

"Well, you know you look beautiful every day, but sometimes you look especially beautiful." He glanced down at the purple v-neck shirt I was wearing. "You look good in purple," he said softly with a smile.

I grinned. "Thank you, and you look good in pj's," I added with a wink.

He looked down at the gray shirt and sweat pants he was wearing and grinned sheepishly. He hopped up out of the chair, put his dishes in the sink, and walked off towards the bathroom. "I'm gonna hang out with Emmett today," he finally said in reply to my earlier question. "There's a big game on tonight, babe."

Of course, it was Sunday night football. How could I forget, I thought as I rolled my eyes, though smiling inwardly. I was happy to see John getting along so well with Emmett. He had been very quiet the first few days we had come back from the encounter in the clearing, keeping mostly to himself. But Emmett had pulled him out of his sadness like only Emmett could, and now the two were hard to separate.

We had grown into a routine that felt as old as time. Every morning, before John woke up, I would make his breakfast. Then at lunchtime, he would put together a sandwich or something for himself, and at 6, I made him dinner. He always took a shower after breakfast, and then went out to hang out with one of the boys. And every night, after John had drifted off to sleep, I would sit and watch him. Sometimes Alice would come over and we would talk in the little living room until the sun rose. The nights she didn't come over were the nights that I would slip into the daydreams. I hadn't told anyone about them, though I was sure at least Edward and Alice knew about them. The fact that Edward could read minds never left him in the dark about anything, and if anything was going on with me, Alice was the second to know, either through her visions or through Edward telling her. They hadn't mentioned anything to me though, so I figured it wasn't that big of a deal. This is what I told myself whenever I started to wonder if I was loosing my grip on reality.

I had started teaching dance classes a few months ago when Alice had begged me, telling me that she had seen it happen in a vision. Though she thought it was her pleading that had made me do it, I knew I would have done it even if she'd simply asked or suggested it. The local dance studio had been abandoned years ago because there were not enough students; or teachers, for that matter. The woman who had started the place was nearly 60 now, too old and frail to dance. So I had started a few classes a few miles from town, close enough to get local kids, but also far enough away so that city children could come too. When I had told Esme about my plan to open a studio, she told me she had taken a few dance lessons when she was a teenager and would love to help me.

"Really?" I'd asked in complete surprise. "I never knew!"

She had laughed. "I never really though about it, I suppose, until now."

"And you could have been dancing with me and Alice all this time!"

She smiled. "Yes. I am kind of bummed that I missed out on those lessons."

"Well, you can join me anytime," I added with a smile.

That night I had gathered everyone together in the living room and told them about my plans. Alice sat next to me, wearing a silly girlish grin the whole time I talked. When I was done, she clapped her hands and cried out happily, "Oh, isn't it grand?"

Everyone had laughed softly. "It sounds like a great plan, Lisa," Carlisle said. "Though you know you don't have to work. You're welcome to our money."

I smiled sincerely at him. "Thank you, Carlisle, but I want to do this."

He nodded. "Good," he said softly, a smile tugging at his lips as he glanced at his wife with a knowing look. Apparently she had told him she was going to be teaching with me.

Bella smiled hesitantly at me. "I would help you but we all know I would probably be worse than most of the kids you'd teach."

Everyone chuckled and Emmett elbowed her in the side softly. "At least you wouldn't be able to break your legs."

"Don't worry, Bella, I wasn't going to torture you by asking you to help."

She looked relieved. "Thanks."

"And if you need any help with the rowdy kids," Emmett spoke up, patting his muscled arm with a wink. "I'm here to set 'em straight. As long as you don't put me in a leotard."

I heard Rosalie let out a snort as an image of Emmett in pink tights and a tutu filled my mind. "I don't think they have any in your size anyways."

"Will it just be you?" Edward asked me.

I shook my head. "Alice and Esme are going to be teaching with me."

Everyone except for Carlisle and Esme looked shocked. Jasper turned to Esme with a look of true astonishment. "You can dance?"

Esme chuckled softly. Bella asked her why she'd never told any of them. Esme simply shrugged and smiled, "I didn't think there was any need."

Alice, who I was sure had known about this, though I hadn't told her, clapped her hands again. "Oh, what joy!" I heard Edward chuckle softly and I wondered what sort of party Alice was having in her mind.

We had found a building exactly where I had wanted the studio to be. After a lot of renovation, we had three separate rooms lined with mirrors and a front office and sitting area for the parents. We had purchased three cd players for each room along with props and mats. Flyers had been sent to every home in Forks, Port Angeles, and the surrounding areas.

And so far, everything was going great. Alice taught the youngest students, while I taught the more advanced age groups with Esme. Alice had five little girls in her ballet class and 7 in her jazz class and they all adored her and her fun-loving spirit. Esme taught the ballet and jazz classes, both containing 8 teenage girls, while I taught hip-hop and contemporary dance. I had an even number of girls and boys in my hip hop class, five of each, and 6 girls in the contemporary class. On the first day of classes, the parents of almost every child had come up to me and thanked to me for starting this, telling me how their kids had begged to take dance and how they had not wanted to do the trip to Seattle every day. The kids' love of dance shone through in their bright smiles and extreme concentration.

Though we only had class three times a week, we were now at the studio almost every day, practicing for a little performance we were putting on at the end of the year. The high school in Forks had promised to let us use their gym. Alice was beyond excited about the show, and the rest of the Cullens felt her excitement, which drew them in until almost everyone was helping out in some way. Esme promised to help us decorate when the day came and the boys said they would help set up the stage and the chairs. Edward and Renesme were busy rehearsing the seemingly endless list of songs on the piano, while Alice had Bella and Rosalie making and painting the backdrops and simple props. Alice took over completely as the brains behind the whole operation, and willingly I let her take full control over all the planning. I had never been any good at planning anything and I was glad to have that taken off my hands. I was busy teaching the students, practicing daily with them. Esme and I had taken over teaching Alice's classes while she was occupied with the other stuff.

One night as Alice and I sat in the little living room in John and I's cabin chatting, she said something about costumes.

I gasped and put my hand over my mouth. "Oh, Alice," I groaned into my palm. "I didn't think about that at all."

She shook her head at me in disbelief. "Well, don't worry, I've got it covered." She glanced at me, trying to look slightly annoyed, though I saw the small smile threatening to turn up the corners of her mouth. "Aren't you glad you have me to take care of that stuff. Honestly, Lisa, sometimes I don't know where your head is."

I chuckled under my breath and whispered, "Neither do I."

As she turned to look back down at the notepad in her lap, I saw the smile spread across her face. She ran down the list of everything that she had written down once more.

"You thought of everything," I reassured her. "You've gone a little bit overboard, even."

"A little," Alice said with a chuckle. She glanced over at me.

"Yeah," I giggled. "A little." Alice had thought of everything that would be needed for the performance and a lot of stuff that was not needed but would just be nice. She was going all out with this. Esme assured me that Alice never did anything halfway and I knew now that it was true.

The room began to grow lighter and I glanced up and noticed that the sun was almost up. John would be awake in a few hours.

Alice had noticed the changing light too. "Don't worry about the costumes, Lisa," Alice said as she stood to leave, stretching out her legs. "I'll find the perfect ones." And then she was gone, leaving my head spinning with everything she was doing. I would have never been able to pull off half of what she was attempting.

And, true to her word, Alice found the perfect outfit for every single child in the production a few days later. She dropped by the studio the next day to show off the outfits. Everyone was excited when she showed them, some of the little ones promising they would wear them every day until the show. I smiled as I watched Alice eat up all the excitement, a smile stuck on her lips the whole time.