Emmett smiled, Edward glared and Carlisle enjoyed watching it all unfold. They were in their clearing, a thunderstorm raging up above. The boys wanted some much needed practice while the girls were away visiting their friends in Alaska. Emmett wound up and let the ball go, the small form hurling towards Edward's bat. Edward reached back and prepared to hit the ball when he suddenly dropped the bat. He caught the ball before it flew by him and turned.

Emmett straightened. "What the hell? Edward? Come on! You're the one who-" He froze as well and turned the same way Edward just did.

"Guys? What's going on? Why are you-" Carlisle stopped mid-sentence. "Did you hear that?" He asked over a rumble of thunder. Edward and Emmett nodded. "What's around here?"

"There's an old cabin in a clearing several miles ahead. Nobody's lived in it in years." Emmett told them.

Edward nodded. "It's coming from there then." He looked at his family and they took off at a dead sprint.

They reached the edge of the clearing only a couple minutes later. A small cabin sat in a small clearing, a faint glow coming from one of the windows. Carlisle eased forward and cringed when the shrill scream pierced the air once more. Edward was growing agitated, but Carlisle psychologically told him to keep his head. There was definitely a vampire in that cabin, and from the sound of it, a very frightened human as well.

With a nod, they all headed to the cabin. Emmett made the grand entrance as he slammed through the door. Edward and he attacked the raging vampire, shredding his body into rock hard pieces and throwing them into a pile. The girl screamed frantically at the horrific sound and retreated further into the shadowed corner of the cabin. When the ripping stopped, Carlisle started forward.

"It's okay. We're here to help. We won't hurt you." He murmured. He saw her huddled in the corner, clasping her right arm to her chest. Her t-shirt was shredded, her jeans ripped and she didn't have any shoes on her feet. Carlisle stepped closer. He reached the only light source in the room, and as soon as the lantern hit his face the girl let loose with a strangled cry and tried to get to the door. Carlisle quickly assessed that she was injured in multiple places, as he noticed when she tried unsuccessfully to limp to the door. He quickly cut off her escape by wrapping his arm around her waist and hauling her against his chest. "Edward!" She struggled against him. "I won't hurt you. Please, stop fighting me."

The girl didn't give up. "No, please. Let me go!" She flailed helplessly, hitting him the best she could. Carlisle didn't flinch one bit. She couldn't hurt him, but her terror was really playing on his emotions.

"Edward!"

Edward hurried over. He stilled the girl's arms and quickly met Carlisle's gaze. "Carlisle, she's bleeding." He held up his hand that was drenched in blood. Both of them pushed aside the nauseating feeling to feed and focused on restraining the girl.

"We need to get her back to the house. She's loosing a lot of blood and she's probably hypothermic." The girl had dissolved into quiet sobs now that she knew that she couldn't escape Carlisle's hold. Edward nodded and quickly went to help Emmett burn the remains. Carlisle headed off towards the house, the girl sobbing quietly in his arms.

""""""""""""""""""""""

Carlisle placed the girl gently on the kitchen table, which was now laden with towels and blankets. She immediately curled into a small ball, trying to protect herself. He hurried and got all the supplies he needed. When he got back to the table, she had stopped crying and was staring at the wall.

"What's your name?" He asked her softly.

"Kris. Kristin Wiles." She whispered.

"Kristin, my name is Carlisle. I meant it when I said that I won't hurt you."

She met his eyes. "That's what he said too."

"He can't hurt you anymore. You're safe now." He walked closer. "Would you mind if I examine you?" At her shocked look, he smiled. "I'm a doctor. I need to stop your bleeding."

She slowly nodded and sat up. She looked away as he lifted her arm and examined the wounds. "That bastard." There were several moon shaped gashes in her arm and all had blood flowing freely from them. He had seen these marks several times, on Jasper and on Bella.

The girl's eyes welled up with tears. "It burned so bad. It felt like my arm was on fire."

Carlisle nodded sympathetically. "Our venom does that." She jerked and his eyes met hers. "I know you know what we are. Edward, Emmett and I are fine with humans. Edward and I more so than Emmett, but his tolerance has been building steadily. My other son, Jasper, will be here shortly. I advise you to tread lightly around him. He's still working on his control." He checked her arm some more. "Is there any more of that burning sensation?"

She shook her head. "It stopped when he sucked it out." She shifted slightly. "He did something to my leg too. It really hurts."

"I noticed when you tried to make a break for it." He started to clean her arm. After the wounds were flushed and clean, he bandaged it and moved on to her leg. "It seems like a small hairline fracture. We'll brace it for now and take you to the hospital once my sons get back."

"Do you do this often? Save people, I mean?"

"I told you. I'm a doctor. It's my job to save lives." Carlisle heard the door open and looked up to see Edward and Emmett enter the house, Jasper was trailing further behind. "I'd like to make some better introductions. Kristin Wiles, meet my sons, Edward, Emmett and the one back there is Jasper. Around town, we're known as "the Cullens."

Kris looked at them. "Hi," she said weakly. They all nodded in her direction. As Edward started forward, she shrank back. He froze and stared. "S-Sorry."

Edward cocked his head slightly. "Carlisle, did she tell you why she's here?"

The girl stiffened and looked away. Carlisle noticed. "No. Why? What did you hear?"

"When I approached her, the first thing she thought was "Don't hurt me. I've just escaped one horrific problem after the next. God, and I thought the rape was the worst."" At Edwards words, Kris's eyes widened. She looked at him and then the other three men in the room and suddenly it dawned on her. There were no women here. Oh God. Edward shook his head. "We're all married. Don't even think that."

She shook her head and slid off the table. "I-I j-just want t-to go. P-Please." She backed towards the sliding doors leading to the porch. How did he know what I was thinking? How did he get that so perfectly? She thought as she backed further. The one the doctor called Emmett stepped forward. Carlisle held him back.

Jasper stepped forward and his eyes narrowed on her. Edward watched him and then looked to Kristin. She shivered and stepped further back. "It doesn't work. My abilities don't work on her."

Carlisle seemed stunned at this bit of news, whatever it meant. Edward looked like he was about to launch himself at her and Emmett was still fighting to get to her. Great. Just what she needed. Four crazy males alone in a house with her. And they were vampires nonetheless, who could read minds apparently.

"Kristin," Carlisle started. She flinched at her name. "Kristin, please. Calm down. We will not hurt you in any way."

"How d-did he k-know what I was t-thinking?" She stuttered. Kristin hit the glass doors and grappled for the handle. "Even v-v-vampires c-can't do that."

Edward sighed. "I'm different. My wife is different. Our daughter is very different. My family and me, we're not like others of our kind."

Kristin froze. "You have a d-daughter?"

He nodded. "I do. She's human, but with some vampire traits. Her mother was human when she gave birth."

"Was human?" She blurted.

Carlisle nodded solemnly. "We had to change Bella. Nessie was killing her and she was bleeding too much after she gave birth. She's in Alaska right now visiting friends. She's happy about who she is."

Kristin looked shell-shocked. "I c-can't believe this."

Emmett smiled. "We're as real as you are. We've just been around a lot longer."

Kristin finally made it onto the porch. Her back hit the railing and she scrambled onto it. "Please. Just let me go. Pretend you never saw me in the first place."

Edward hurried towards her. "Carlisle, she's seriously considering jumping."

Kristin took one look at the ground. It was covered in leaves and branches. She heard Carlisle moved forward. And she jumped.