~ Part 1 ~

T. 1,020

LEAH CLEARWATER

She recalls when love was warm. Remembers when looking at Sam, she felt the sun beat straight upon her heart, and the heat of love turned the leaves to red with blazing passion months before October weather.

But now the sun never rises with the same heat. Never reaches her in this horrible freeze of winter. She cannot look at Sam without tears streaming down her eyes—little chilly water—and when she sees the leaves they are frostbitten, and fall beneath her feet with sickening crunches.

Yet she knows she would not trade the memories for all the sun.

EDWARD CULLEN

It wasn't just words that made people's thoughts, it was music. Beautiful, flowing, marvelous music. It was everything. People singing in the school play, children humming, radios blasting, MP3 players endlessly clicked to different songs and everything eternally repeating lyrics inside their heads.

To think how much had changed since he was born! It made his mind boggle. Yet when he sank into his soul, the only place that was ever silently private, he heard the rustic singing of his Mother's voice, singing a lullaby to him as a child…and that was all the more wondrous than anything made today.

VICTORIA

It's not a motivation, a goal, or an ambition. It's just her only reason to go on living. Her only reason to move onwards though the foggy haze which has become her existence. And through it all the only thing that reaches her though the pain and the outrage is the sent.

It forces the images of James back easily, letting her mercifully forget. And for just a few seconds she's grateful for the violent release, letting the memories sink into nothingness as her nose leads her to her destination.

When death finally finds her, she does with a smile.

CARLISLE CULLEN

Carlisle had never given a second thought to Edwards's decisions until now. Edward was the logical one, calmly looking at things from all sides, before acting. Of all his children, Carlisle had the most faith in his eldest son's abilities.

Yet still, as they packed, he couldn't help but wonder if Edward was doing the right thing. Everyone in the family had seen the changes Bella had made in him. And they all knew that Bella Swan would forever be special in Edward's mind.

Maybe Edward was wrong now? Maybe calm, collected Edward was making some rash and emotional decisions?

SAM ULEY

They say the universe doesn't revolve around one person. After he imprints, Sam knows their wrong. Because there can't possibly be anything besides Emily.

Every time he kisses her - the world disappears piece by piece around them. Nothing matters but his lips as he presses them against hers, her hands around his neck, twinning into his hair, and his heart…which beats so much harder whenever he thinks of her, whenever she is near, whenever anything reminds him of her.

Not even Leah matters now. He feels bad for it, but he cannot reverse love.

And he knows he wouldn't…

EMBRY CALL

Though it seemed to concern everyone in the Pack, Embry couldn't possibly care less who his father was. Well everyone else was busy choosing between whether he was a Black, a Uley, or a Clearwater, he was much more interested in which flavour of ice cream to buy at the store. Chocolate or vanilla?

Maybe it was just neglect. If you stop thinking about something, it can't hurt you. That had to be the case. Because as a child he had cried rivers over the subject.

But maybe it was only the fact that he had used all his tears?

ALICE CULLEN

The visions come and go, and she doesn't decide when they do so. But lately they've become horribly frequent, no longer sporadic. She used to see all sorts of things - like the weather, or the next town she would stop in… but now all she sees is him.

At first she would wonder non-stop about why she saw him, and who he was. But that no longer mattered. He had become so much a part of her existence that she saw him whoever her eyes closed, or her thoughts drifted.

Regardless, he was all Alice could think about anymore.

CLARIE YOUNG (?)

Her first grade teacher asked Claire, quite curiously, what she thought happiness was. The little girls answer had been quick and had surprised her. But to Claire it made the utmost perfect sense.

Quil was happiness.

Quil who picked her up from school on Tuesdays and Fridays, and gave her shoulder rides that made her feel she was the tallest person in the world. Quil who brought her ice cream on summer days, and played hide-and-go-seek with her. Quil who caught her fireflies in a jar, and placed them on her dresser, so she wouldn't be scared of the dark.

EMMETT CULLEN

He had brute strength and size on his side. But Edward was quicker then a cat, liquid grace in movement. Plus, he had the ability to read thoughts, the cheater! But it was always an awesomely good fight. For every move that Emmett made, Edward blocked. And for every move Edward made, Emmett felt no affect on his body.

These play fights could last minutes, or hours. It all depended on their moods. But both boys always agreed that this was what brought them together as brothers. And it gave them a purely male comradeship that most would never understand.

MIKE NEWTON

He turned this way and that in the mirror, feeling like an idiot, trying to find a flaw. Their just had to be something wrong with him. At night he wondered if the problem was in the inside. He didn't notice anything, but there was something. He was sure.

There had to be.

Because he tried so hard, and so often. And failed. He just didn't understand why she didn't like him. He had tried to be there when Edward left, tried to be a comfort to her…

And Bella didn't even notice him…

There had to be a flaw!

Revisions: 10-23-12