PREFACE

This was supposed to be a special time, a time when a new family finds itself and grows. It is supposed to be a time for love, for joy, for looking to the future. Instead, because of these people, it has been filled with fear and loathing. They have tried to steal this precious time and for that, I shall make them pay!

AFRESH

If there's one thing I never thought I'd experience again after becoming a vampire, it's a first day at school. I guess I never believed, after all I'd already been through in my short time in this second life, that I would partake in anything normal ever again, at least normal by human standards. It seems that at least for some vampires, looking and acting just like everybody else, even though you're not, is a way of life. I guess I should already be familiar with this concept. Fiona, after all, lives a very human existence as a doctor and returns to a house every day after a long shift. That she runs the eighty miles to and from work every day and has blood bags in her fridge is beside the point. I know most vampires are a little more free-spirited, living with nothing but the clothes on their back with few possessions and feeding off of random people they encounter. I followed that existence for a time until I met Fiona and Dermot. They taught me that being a vampire didn't mean being an animal, a predator, that it didn't mean I'd lost my humanity, but I was torn from them. If what had transpired between myself and the Volturi had not occurred, I would have gladly stayed with them. With the exception of my late sister, they were more family than I'd ever known. However, I've learned the hard way that wanting definitely doesn't mean getting most of the time.

It was with that sad realisation that I decided to give yet another family a shot.

After staying on the run through most of Eurasia for many months and finally losing the Volturi, I decided that the Americas would be my next destination. I thought that if I could hide in the remotest of wildernesses, the Canadian Arctic, the Nevada Desert, or the Amazon Rainforest, I would lose Aro and his evil coven forever, and Fiona and Dermot would remain safe. The fact that there was an ocean between me and them brought me additional comfort for some reason. As I came down through the Canadian Rockies into the US with all my options laid out before me, I decided that the Amazon would be my home for the foreseeable future. I would never be found in that nearly boundless jungle, there were millions of potential hiding places and just as many animals to feed upon. It seemed perfect and as I imagined losing myself in the endless green, I was content with my fate.

It was then that the unexpected occurred.

I encountered vampires. I sensed them coming at me from all sides and among them was a beast I could not identify. Had they found me? Had they been following me the whole time? How misguided I was to think that I could ever lose them, the foremost coven among all vampire-kind. However, when they made their appearance, I did not see the enemy I feared. Sure, my instincts told me they were competition for the bear I'd just killed, but my better judgement told me they were not hostile. It wasn't because I believed that being vampires that they wouldn't show any interest in the bear, that they'd be more interested in the local townsfolk, but because they shared my peculiar eye colour. Those golden eyes told me they were animal feeders like myself. I was a little put-out, thinking I'd been the first to discover this particular alternative lifestyle, but it was certainly reassuring. I was rather stunned to find what I presumed to be an overgrown wolf in their company and the fact that they could speak with it and have it respond really put me off balance right then. Yet, despite that, I wholeheartedly accepted their leader's invitation to stay. Taking a chance with them appealed a lot more to me than spending an indefinite time trudging through the jungle alone, feeding on monkeys and capybaras.

Right from the get-go, I knew who to befriend and who to avoid. I was greeted quite warmly by one named Alice and almost as much so by a big hulking male named Emmett. Their leader, Carlisle, was genial and polite so he also put me at ease. On our way back to their home, I was introduced to the other three who had kept their distance. Another male named Jasper was also polite but in a stiff, formal sort of way, and he seemed very wary. The other male's name was Edward. He, too, was civil, but very guarded and didn't engage me in conversation after our initial introduction. Rosalie was the beautiful female with the flowing blonde hair and long legs which I had noted with much appreciation. She, however, did not appreciate my ogling one little bit and had to be introduced by Carlisle. She gave me a steely-eyed glare and ran off ahead of the group. I suddenly feared residing in the same house as Rosalie, thoughts of my legs being torn off when I least expected it being the primary reason. When I discovered a few minutes later that she was Emmett's mate, I shrank away from him in fear of reprisal. He just laughed, though, and complimented me on my good taste. Nevertheless, I still felt a little mortified, and I think that Emmett's good-humoured response made me feel worse on some level.

I didn't see the wolf again. I listened out for its footfalls but only heard those of several humans in the direction that it went. To be honest, I wasn't totally sure what I'd heard. For humans, they were still moving at a fairly brisk pace, and somehow I doubted that this remote area sported any world-class athletes.

It wasn't long before we came upon an unpaved road encroached upon by the surrounding forest. I saw tyre tracks running along it and wondered how anyone could get a car up this narrow, muddy pass. It twisted and turned through the woods for a good few miles which we covered quickly. Finally, the forest thinned out to reveal a meadow that looked somewhat manicured and thoughts of a massive garden began to bloom in my mind. The great cedars in the surrounding woods still shaded the whole clearing, right up to the house which stood among them. The house was three stories tall, painted white but not a stark white, just a gentle coat on the walls. It was rectangular and well-proportioned and gave a sense of great age. It could very well have been more than a century old, the doors and windows which fit seamlessly into the structure definitely spoke to that. This place was definitely a lot more stately than Fiona's little cottage back home, but I guess there were a lot more residents to accommodate.

I felt the blackness stretching out to investigate my new surroundings.

Tendrils winded out from my mind, felt the shape of the clearing, the house, and the forest out for several hundred yards. The meadow was indeed a garden but more like a lawn and a perfectly trimmed one at that. I discovered that it continued down beyond the shade of the cedars to meet a wide river behind the house. I did not pry too much within the house, but I did sense the presence of others within it besides Rosalie. I noted that one of them had a heartbeat, one that was not quite human but was held within a human form. I was finding many mysteries, and I was sure that answers wouldn't be immediately forthcoming. That fact left me a little peeved. After I retracted the tendrils of blackness, I noticed Edward staring at me wide-eyed with a sort of wild look on his face. His eyes flitted back and forth to Carlisle and he, too, looked at me gravely. It was bizarre, like something was passing between them. I suppose Carlisle wasn't exaggerating when he said there were talented vampires in his coven. That peaked my curiosity once again and the blackness unfurled from the place in my mind where it resides without me even thinking about it. I saw Edward's face fill with renewed apprehension, and I reeled the blackness in, looking down at the ground. It was better than meeting the stares that ranged from warily speculative to almost fearful.

We eventually made our way up to the porch and the front door. Despite what had transpired moments ago, obviously they'd sensed something about my ability, Carlisle opened the door for me and ushered me in. The outside of the house did not prepare me for the inside décor. The main room was very open and airy with the furniture, carpeting and walls all in shades of white. The ceiling, too, was white and the effect was to give this room a sort of peaceful serenity. The south-facing wall had been entirely replaced with glass and it gave a stunning view of the back lawn running down towards that river I'd sensed earlier. The west side of the room featured a massive spiralling staircase that I thought was a nice touch and to my left, there was an amazing grand piano upon its own raised platform. All in all, I felt great calm in this room and a great deal of my anxiousness flowed out of me. It was in that moment that I met Esme. She walked first to Carlisle and wrapped her arm around his waist, and he reflexively put his arm around her shoulders. She sported caramel-coloured locks that fell neatly around her heart-shaped face. She was slender and just as beautiful as the other women but her figure was more rounded than the angular physiques of Alice and Rosalie. He introduced me. "Jason, I'd like you to meet my wife, Esme."

She said, "It is very nice to finally be meeting you."

"Thank you and you, too, I take it Alice has already filled you in."

"Indeed, new arrivals tend to excite her."

Alice threw a wink at me and nodded her head happily. Edward still had that expression on him like he was passing messages among the group. Esme caught his eye for a moment, and she gave him a look of admonishment, which left him exasperated. He even sighed. I grew uncomfortable once more until Esme smiled at me and said, "Would you like to see your room?"

"My room?"

"Well if you'll be staying with us you should of course have your own space."

"I feel like I'm really imposing."

"Nonsense, you'll have Edward's old room. He rarely uses it anymore, and all his belongings are at the cottage he shares with his mate."

"Oh, Alice, are you and Edward…?"

Alice put on an expression of consideration and said, "Hmm, what a concept. So what do you think, Edward? Are we a pair?"

Edward replied, "Alice, please."

"I understand. You wish to discuss this in secret where our official significant others can't hear. Shall we pin down a time and place?"

Emmett added, nudging his brother, "Geez, Edward, I didn't think you had it in you, having two ladies on the go at the same time. I admire you're stamina, especially in regards Alice."

Alice put on an offended expression and said, "Now what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Now, now, Alice, don't be so crude. I was only referring to your vigorous and spontaneous nature. Your mind is so in the gutters."

Jasper even chimed in. "Edward, might I have reason to be concerned?"

Edward grew increasingly grouchy after that exchange, one which everyone else found quite amusing, though Carlisle and Esme seemed slightly discomfited by the innuendos flying around. I noted as well that Edward's distaste sky-rocketed shortly after Esme announced that I would be taking up residence in his room. I think that struck a chord.

Esme escorted me upstairs and showed me around. The stairs were a beauty with its honey-coloured wood panelling and exquisitely smooth railing. She pointed out Carlisle's office, Emmett and Rosalie's room, Jasper and Alice's room. She led me to the end of the hall and pushed open the door. What greeted me was far more impressive than I had expected. There was a wide luxurious leather sofa to my left and shelving took up the whole wall to my right. It was empty now but it seemed to be the kind of shelving you could store endless books and CDs upon. What got my attention the most was the view. There was a meandering river set in the vast, pristine forest with the mountains in rear but seemingly very close. I was mesmerised by that view for what seemed like an eternity. It had probably been only a few minutes in reality but it was just that breath-taking. I suppose it's hard to appreciate the beauty of a place when you're passing through on the run. I noted the whole south-facing wall was glass just like the room below. I wondered idly whether the whole south side of the house was glass and, of course, the blackness jumped ahead and found out for me. Tendrils seeped into the structure of the building and confirmed my speculation. I retracted it immediately with a jump when I heard Edward from the corridor. "Bella, we discussed this."

"No, you told me, which I didn't appreciate, mind you. We'll have words about that later."

"At least do that other thing which I asked."

"Oh, fine."

Their argument, despite its apparent seriousness, had a playful note to it. Bella entered the room and stood beside Esme. She was stunningly beautiful with straight, dark hair, a slim and well-proportioned frame, and she moved with such an easy grace that seemed to surprise even her. She wore a simple white dress that hung so perfectly. All the others had been dressed more casually in t-shirts, blouses and jeans. I noticed Edward was a little overdressed as well, and I wondered had I interrupted something, giving Edward even more reason to dislike me. Bella's voice was like a soft bell sound and she said every word without fault. "Hello, Jason, I'm Bella, Edward's wife. Alice has been very excited about your arrival as have we all."

"Thank you, it's very nice to meet you."

"How do you like the room?"

"It's amazing, but I feel like an invader."

"Nonsense, Edward and I hardly every use it anymore. It might as well go to someone new."

"Thank you, I promise not to be a messy houseguest."

Esme replied, "Oh thank goodness, I absolutely abhor untidiness. Now, if you need any clothes or shoes, we have a tonne of them in storage. I think you're about Edward's size so his old stuff should fit you." Edward grumbled quite audibly. Esme sighed, turned towards the door, and said, "Do grow up, Edward. It's not like any of it is of use to you."

"I may wish to wear them at some point."

"Oh you mean the stuff you bought that still has labels on them for the past decade? Do be reasonable."

Bella added, "And why are you lurking out there in the corridor? Come in here."

"I'm sorry, Jason, may I have permission to enter?"

Esme made a very indignant sound and said, "Now that is quite enough. Have at least some common courtesy, Edward. You're bordering on childishness."

While this was all going on, I had sensed what at first felt like another presence in the room. The blackness reached out in the form of tendrils once more and began to systematically sweep the whole space. I scanned over Esme and Edward with some haste, not wishing to be too invasive. However, when I tried to reach out to Bella, the blackness was deflected. I sensed a barrier that was totally impermeable, solid and perfectly smooth. Even solid rock faces have microscopic fissures that the blackness can penetrate. It reminded me a little of what Sophia could do, but I felt that this barrier was infinitely more powerful, totally unassailable. Yes, this was something entirely different, and it was somewhat novel to feel something totally opaque to the blackness. So without thinking, I decided to apply a bit more pressure. I hardened one tendril and pressed against the barrier that surrounded Bella. It caved inwards slightly but otherwise the force I was applying had little effect. Bella, though, seemed to be aware of what I was doing. Edward caught something passing between us as we exchanged looks of surprise. However, before I could say a word, Edward had, in a lightning move, interposed himself between myself and his wife. He was right up in my face glowering at me with a faintly animalistic expression of rage. My instinct to defend myself forced me to respond in kind. He growled and said, "Don't ever do that again."

I did not respond but retracted the blackness back into its recess. He stormed away urging Bella to follow him. She did so reluctantly but looked back apologetically and with wonder in her eyes. I looked to Esme at that point and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset anyone."

"That is perfectly all right. I'll bring you some of those clothes now. The ones you're wearing seem a little worse for wear." I hadn't even noticed the dirt and rips and all the twigs that had got snagged in my clothes. I felt slightly embarrassed by my state of attire, thinking I looked like a wretched vagabond. She continued, "I'll also bring you some towels if you wish to use the shower. Is there anything else I can get you?"

"No, thank you, you've already been so kind."

"It's my pleasure. I'll be back shortly."

And so, I was alone, standing in front of that serene view and wondering how I had managed to create such a tumult in my first hour here.

After showering and changing into fresh clothes, I spent the night just resting on the sofa, not that I needed it, but it felt good to do absolutely nothing after all my travels. I was not disturbed for the night and indeed, even by morning, the house seemed very quiet. Eventually the appeal of inactivity began to wane. My mind stopped endlessly cycling through everything I'd experienced and, more importantly, everything I'd sensed the previous day. My encounter with Bella especially peaked my interest, but there was little that constant replay could tell me about it. I grew restless, bored, and when thoughts of my past, of Chloe, started to surface, I grew increasingly agitated. I paced considerably, trying desperately to shake those morbid thoughts that I knew would pull me down into the deepest depths of despair. I was totally unprepared for this onslaught of emotion. Between my confrontation with the Volturi, exacting my revenge upon Sophia, and the months of running and evasion, I had not given myself much time to grieve. I eventually curled up on the sofa and began to weep to myself as quietly as I could.

It started to pour outside, sheets of rain beating against the glass. I must have been crying for half the day. I felt emotionally drained, weak, I just couldn't bear to relive all that horror. More than that, I didn't want to think about how much I'd utterly failed my sister. It crept in regardless. Thoughts of Jane ringing her neck, burning her to nothing, my overwhelming grief-fuelled rage, her being taken from me in the first place, being made into a vampire, made to kill, that she had to witness all those deaths that she carried out with her own hands, all the lives horribly ended as vampires, also. Even when she was still human, losing our family, our home and me when I became a vampire and had to leave, one thing after another which all came back to me. This was all my doing and I would suffer for as long as I lived for it, and that could be a very, very long time. The rain continued to slap remorselessly against the window, and the clouds were depressingly dark grey. Nature seemed indifferent to my suffering. Perhaps these people were, too. I had been alone for coming up on forty-eight hours with only a few of the Cullens coming and going. The house remained vacant and painfully silent the majority of the time, even to my ears.

I couldn't take it anymore.

I was just as alone here as I was out there and at least running gave me something to think about other than my miserable past and my ceaseless remorse. I'd probably ruffled too many feathers anyways. What had transpired between me and Bella stopped just short of a violation and was probably what they were all off discussing. It seemed a foregone conclusion what decision they would come to. They would ask me to move on because I was too dangerous to have around because of my ability. My past history with the Volturi probably wouldn't win me any votes either. I certainly wasn't going to wait for them to come and tell me that, though, to very apologetically tell me to get lost. So I decided I would pre-empt that rejection and make my way south as I'd originally planned. It was just at that moment as I got to my feet that Carlisle appeared in my doorway. Casually, he asked, "Leaving already?"

"Mr. Cullen, I…"

"Please, call me Carlisle, I've never really enjoyed being addressed as "mister"."

"Carlisle, I'm sorry, I've encroached upon your territory and your home and I've caused nothing but tension and argument. I think it's best that I move on."

"If you believe that then no one here will stop you, but know that none of us see you as an interloper or a nuisance as you seem to think."

"Edward and Rosalie would disagree, and I think the others are just too polite to side with them."

"Are you suggesting my son and daughter are ill-mannered?"

"What? Oh God, no! That's not what I meant…" Dear God, Jason, can you do anything right? Shut up, just shut up!

"Relax, Jason, I was joking, and I know my children, they aren't always angelic or indeed courteous."

"Okay but still, what happened with Bella…"

"That was a misunderstanding, one which has been corrected. It is clear that curiosity got the better of you, and Edward is fiercely protective of his wife. He may not treat you with any geniality any time soon, but he at least concedes that you were not trying to harm Bella."

"Perhaps, but Carlisle, my ability can be dangerous. It's so powerful that sometimes it surprises me with what it can do. Sometimes I can't control what it does."

"You speak of it as if it were separate from you?"

"In some ways, it is."

"Hmm, Jason, would you follow me to my office?"

"O-kay…"

I followed him down the hall to his office. It was quite a grand affair I thought, very ornate, very scholarly like an old library or a college dean's office. The walls were literally lined top to bottom with all manner of books. Where I could see the wall, it was panelled with dark wood closely matching the mahogany desk. Behind it was a large leather chair which had been turned towards the tall west-facing windows. I had walked passed him, gazing around like a stupefied idiot. His voice gave me a bit of a jump. "It is this that I brought you to see."

I turned to look upon the wall just to the left of the doorway. This one was not obscured by bookshelves but an array of portraits. One seemed to be of a medieval town, another was a dreary, almost forbidding meadow in autumn colours with a peak in the background. "Look at this one," he said, "Tell me what you see."

The painting he indicated was very broad, almost twice the width of the door beside it. It featured a chaotic scene of robed figures hanging off pillars and over balconies. It appeared to depict Greek mythology or perhaps something biblical. On the uppermost marble balcony stood four figures looking down upon the assorted mayhem below with an eerie sort of calm as though this was what they wanted the world to be. The painting was exquisite, very colourful, very vivid. Three of the men standing foremost caught my attention, one white-haired, the other two black-haired, Caius, Marcus, and Aro, the leaders of the Volturi. Something snapped within me on seeing those faces, and I felt the blackness ready itself to destroy this heinous image. The last figure, though, almost standing to the side, almost winded me. This golden-haired man looked almost exactly like Carlisle, it was Carlisle. The blackness seared the inside of my head, craving some outlet with which to expel my rage. Was Carlisle one of them? Had I been tricked? Was this the extent of Aro's deviousness, his desire to attain me and my gift, that he would set this most welcoming of traps? A family of vampires willing to take me in, I'd been so blind. Perhaps, I thought, I should act immediately to make good my escape before the others returned. I was just about to focus the blackness when Carlisle spoke again. "This was painted during my time in Italy, a time I spent with the Volturi. It was merely a few decades but it taught me quite a bit. I learned about Aro's lust for power, and abilities were at the centre of his desires. They're actually quite civilised and refined, but they view humans as they might view cattle, as nothing more than a food source. I did not share that belief and so I moved on and came to the New World."

"Aro let you go?"

"I was a curiosity to him. My feeding habits were peculiar and fascinating to Aro and the others. He tried to "cure" me of what he perceived to be a perversion of the natural course. We debated on other issues of a purely intellectual and philosophical nature also and that certainly kept him entertained but, ultimately, I was of no particular value. I have no abilities that would cause him to want to possess me, so I couldn't really contribute to his never-ending quest for power. To be honest, I consider myself fortunate not to be gifted in that way. I think you can understand why."

"He would have you even now."

"Indeed, and I think you know he has means of persuasion. In time, I might even have thought I wanted to be there."

"What did you do after that?"

"That is a long story that I'm sure I can regale you with at some other time. For now, the point I'm trying to make is that we are not the Volturi."

"I never thought you were."

"Not consciously but you fear involvement with them and us for the same reason, your ability. The difference is you know Aro will try to control you, use you, and in our case, you fear that we will fear you and eventually, cast you out. I will not lie to you, there are those among my family who think that's what's best for us. I overruled them because I think you deserve a chance at happiness, at being part of a family. Do you really wish to wander alone forever?"

"How do you know this about me?"

"Don't forget, Jason, we have abilities, too, and we have learned much about you already. You may even come to see that we've discovered things about you that you don't even fully understand."

"How?"

"My children's abilities can give them a much broader perspective than most. So, I put it to you, Jason, what is your decision? When we met, I made an invitation, one which I didn't make lightly. I do believe that we have much in common and much to learn from one another. We are a real family, Jason, one with memories, loyalty, camaraderie, and most importantly, love. I want you to be a part of that. We all do, even those of us who claim otherwise."

It was a rather rosy invitation, but I could sense the sincerity in it and after all I'd been through, a rosy picture was very inviting. So, for the second time, I said yes to staying with the Cullens.

It was at least a month before I really settled in. My room was sort of bare and Esme insisted that I come shopping with her in Seattle to find suitable knick-knacks to decorate it with. She insisted on shoving money into my hands and telling me to buy whatever I wanted to stock up the empty shelves in my room. Most sixteen year olds would certainly not object to that, but it just added to my sense of imposition. Finally, more so to please Esme than myself, I did buy a good selection of CDs, books, a lamp, a few assorted ornaments, an artsy poster or two, an MP3 player, an Ifone, a Samsung tablet, and so on, so on. I was just deliberating over a fairly decent sound system when I did a double-take at how many bags I was carrying. I found a bench near the centre of the mall and started adding up all my receipts. My total came to two thousand and fifty-five dollars and ten cents. I was flabbergasted. I'd never spent even close to that amount of money in one go, probably not in my whole life. Why had I been so blasé about spending today when I'd been tighter than a sailor's knot up until a few hours previous? It was then I spotted Alice accompanied by Jasper coming out of a nearby clothes shop with a trolley load of men's attire. I said, "I didn't know you two were here."

"Esme called us about two hours ago, said you were being difficult."

"Difficult? I was being polite."

"When it comes to shopping, it amounts to the same thing. Now I took the liberty of selecting a few things for you…"

"A few?"

"Well I wasn't certain if you were a trend follower or if you had your own style, so I just got one of everything."

"How practical of you."

"Thank you." She hopped about a pace closer to me, looked intently at my bags, and said, "So what you get?"

"Loads, I don't know how I let myself spend this much money."

"Oh, that was Jasper's doing."

"Sorry, I don't get that."

"Well, when Esme called saying you wouldn't buy anything, we drove up and followed you around the mall. Every time you saw something you liked, Jasper could sense it, but then your pesky "politeness" kicked in, so he used his ability to loosen you up."

I narrowed my eyes at him and said, "You amplified my greed?"

"Not per se, I simply toned down your reserve."

I made a disgusted sound whilst Jasper failed to hold in a grin and Alice rooted through my bags. After she spent a few minutes rummaging, she said, "Well, I suppose this will do for starters. I was hoping you'd go a bit wilder, but I guess your hesitant streak is stronger than either of us expected. Jasper, we'll have to work him harder next time."

"Next time?" I asked.

"Of course, did you not see the size of your room? This won't even fill a tenth of those shelves. Now, come with me."

"Why? Where are you taking me?"

"Back to the clothes store, we need to make sure all of these fit. I could only roughly guess your size, you don't have very typical proportions."

"All of them?"

"Yes, oh, Jasper, there's a tailor here somewhere, isn't there? We need to get him measured for a few suits and a tux perhaps."

At that point, self-preservation kicked in and I got up to run, but I had no sooner had the thought than I completely lost my willpower and suddenly felt all mellow and compliant. My memories of the rest of that evening involved such tedium that it made me want to cry, yet I floated around after Alice like I'd been dosed with tranquilisers, courtesy of Jasper who trailed behind.

After I'd recovered from the ordeal at the mall, I found time to organise my new belongings. I decided to work from the window back with books, CDs and all my gadgets nearest the glass and clothes on the next set of shelves. Alice had been right, I'd barely taken up any of the shelving, in fact, my haul looked rather meagre sitting in the corner with the rest just empty space. However, I intended to spend the next few decades filling them up, not Alice's plan of doing it in the next few shopping trips.

I had thrown the lamp on a locker beside the sofa with a few of those ornaments scattered around. The first was an exquisitely crafted wolf with a pale coat that I placed in front of the window. I'd found a silver photo frame with a bear in its upper left-hand corner. The frame itself had been cast into that shape so it just flowed effortlessly into the form of the bear. I planned one day to have a picture of my sister to put there. I had no idea what had happened to our house or our belongings. I really hoped that a picture of her still existed, that our few albums had survived and been passed to our distant relatives. I keenly remembered her, of course, but only as a vampire. My first recollections when I turned were unfocussed and all I could think of was blood, even Chloe's. Thinking of her during her change was just too painful and after that, she was still Chloe but not the innocent girl I sought to protect always, too much had happened to her at that point. I wanted to see a picture of her human and happy. For the time being, though, a simple message had to suffice. I went into a tattoo parlour at the mall and pretended that I wanted something done up. The tattooist handed me the message on white card, and I said I'd have to think about it. I inserted the card into the frame, which read in beautiful script, "Chloebear, forever in my heart". I would never forget. I would never let even my foggy human memories slip away. They were all I had for the time being.

Exactly four weeks after my arrival, I was informed that I'd have to attend Fork's High School. "It's just how we play things." Carlisle informed me. "We move around from time to time but when we come to a new place, I find work as a doctor, Esme takes care of whatever home we happen to be in, and all the children attend school as if they were the ages they appear to be."

"But Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett look like they could be over twenty."

"Technically, yes, they were turned at around that age, but we vampires can pass for younger. Generally, they start as seniors, Edward and Alice start a year below, and when Bella starts school again, she'll probably enter at the same level as Edward. We mix it up a lot. We don't like moving around so if we can get them all started at the same year, we can stay in a place for a decade or more, pretending once they've finished school that they're off to college. With you, however, the dynamic has changed."

"How so?"

"Well, you were only sixteen when you turned, and now you're a vampire we could possibly pass you off for a year or two younger. It'll be the first time we've had a freshman in the family. It means we can stay in Forks longer and anywhere else we choose to go."

I felt subtly used at that point, but I went along with everything. Carlisle decided that since everyone in town already knew them and that all the others had already graduated that they'd say I was his nephew, having moved here after his estranged sister had suffered a fatal accident, a car crash to be exact. I'd heard more original cover stories, but something told me the people here weren't the suspicious kind.

The day came and I actually found myself feeling nervous. School, to me, equalled hell. I had no positive memories of school in Galway, and my memories of Kilkee National School were vague and I couldn't draw comfort from them. Plus, this was an American school, it was a different grade system, a different curriculum, and different people, too. I was totally unprepared. I couldn't go, I just couldn't. It was then I started towards a full blown panic attack. When I hadn't come down from my room at the said time, Esme came knocking. I answered hesitantly and peeked out. She had an expression of motherly concern on her face that was somewhat comforting. Esme reminded me a lot of Fiona. She took care of everything practical and was there for everyone she cared about. It was impossible not to let her in, to trust her. She asked, "Are you okay, Jason? It's nearly time for you to be leaving."

"I'm not sure I can."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"I'll be honest, the idea of going back to school terrifies me. Even now that I'm a vampire, I don't want to subject myself to that again."

"May I come in?"

I stepped aside, opening the door wider, and she sat on the sofa. She invited me to sit beside her, and I did. "What troubles you, Jason?" She asked.

"This whole thing, going head first into the unknown, it's too much. I have few happy memories of being at school, and I don't mean I found the work hard or boring, I was bullied constantly, I never made friends, not since my best friend died."

"Tell me about him."

"Am, well, his name was Fionn. We were childhood friends in my first school. That was in my hometown of Kilkee but when my parent's moved my sister and me, we drifted apart a bit. We stayed in contact but it wasn't the same. It was when I finished in my new school that I ran away back to Kilkee to see him and my other friends. I found our usual playground in ruins. I thought he'd moved on and that hurt. It was in that trip that he died when I discovered my ability. He died because of me. I later learned from his mother that he'd never forgotten me, that he missed me at least as much as I had him. I used to see him in my head when I became a vampire. I think it's just how my ability communicates."

"He sounds like he was a very good friend."

"He was more like a brother. I never told him that, though."

"You're very mature for your age, Jason. That was a very adult sentiment, but I believe that he knew and felt the same. What you have to realise is that not every place and not every person is the same. You expect school to be a prison in which you are trapped with the worst humanity has to offer. It isn't necessarily like that, though. I think you'll find Forks surprisingly like your old home and, if you open yourself up to people just a bit, you might discover there are more people like Fionn out there than you think."

"I should at least find out, right?"

"I think Fionn would want you to."

"I suppose no one can really hurt me anymore, at least not physically, and I always have a home to come back to."

"And a family, you're part of that now, no matter what, we will be here."

"Thank you."

She placed a hand on my shoulder fondly and said, "Now, are you ready for your elder cousin to drop you off?"

"Well, can I be dropped off up the street from the school, just for my first day?"

Esme laughed warmly and replied, "I'm sure your driver will have no problem with that idea."

I followed her downstairs. I'd donned faded dark jeans, a white t-shirt, and a leather jacket with a hood. I also had some sturdy boots and I realised I'd worn proper attire. It was miserable outside, pouring from the heavens with a good gusty wind blowing. I quickly zipped up the jacket and put my hood up as I stepped outside. Esme waved me off before quickly shutting the door. My vampire strength allowed me to resist the strong wind and keep my path straight as I stepped off the porch. I sort of cheated, though. I focussed the blackness and formed a sort of bubble around me, which deflected both the wind and rain. I opened the door of the shiny Volvo pulled up outside the house and got in hurriedly but completely dry. It was when I felt eyes boring into me that the blackness reacted in a not so passive way, seeking out the threat. In the driver's seat was Edward, all hostile and gritting his teeth. His revulsion for me was clearly accentuated when he spoke. "Let's just get this over with, all right?"

Suffice it to say that that was one of the more uncomfortable car rides I've ever had. Thankfully, it was over quite quickly for Edward drives like someone trying to escape the cops in a car chase, no, not good enough, it was more like he was trying to outrun an oncoming tsunami. He didn't slow down either when we reached the town, so I didn't see much of it other than a blur of houses and businesses before he came to an abrupt stop just before a sign that said Forks High School. Being a vampire, I was at no risk of serious injury if we crashed, but some lingering human sense of self-preservation left me taken aback by Edward's race-car-like driving. I needed a second or two to collect myself but he wasn't having any of it. "Well, you wanted to be dropped off just down from the school. Here we are."

I was about to make a clever retort about how saying "get out" would have saved him a lot of breath but thought better of it. Instead, I smiled politely and said, "Indeed I did. Thank you, Edward, for the lift."

I, too, could have spared myself the effort and said "go fuck yourself" but I noted much to my satisfaction that my even response infuriated him and so, I got out with a very satisfied grin, one I ensured he saw. I think after that he bent the steering wheel out of shape. Still, I let myself have a little petty fun and used the blackness to let the air out of all his tyres. It was a slow leak but given how he drives, he wouldn't be making it home. I somehow doubted that he'd have four spares in that little Volvo.

After he'd sped off, I took a deep breath and walked slowly towards the school. To be honest, had I not been dropped off here, I would never have guessed that this was the school. Of course, the sign would have eventually given it away, but it just looked like a collection of brick houses. I kind of liked it, though. It had none of the markings of the institution like my old school in Galway. It reminded me a great deal of my primary school in Kilkee with its less formal, more inviting appearance. Though I had automatically drawn up the blackness to defend myself from the onslaught of the truly atrocious weather, I suspected it might alarm people if raindrops were stopping short of me and my hair and clothes weren't rippling with the wind. So, reluctantly, I let down my bubble and allowed the vertical sheets of rain to drench me. I tried my best to maintain a human pace as I sprinted for the nearest building, which had a small sign over the door reading "Front Office". I hurried inside and wiped my feet on the mat. The lights were bright and the room was a tad overheated. There were some chairs immediately before me, a waiting area I presumed, and a long counter split the room in half with desks directly behind it. I noted that there wasn't an obsessive tendency towards neatness there. A loud, ticking clock and a smattering of awards and notices cluttered the walls. There were houseplants everywhere, and flyers were stuck randomly to the front of the main counter. A red-haired woman manned the foremost desk and I walked over to the counter with some apprehension. She saw me approach and dropped her glasses slightly with a look of appraisal. She seemed to know who I might be, maybe assuming from my appearance that I was related to the Cullens. That was definitely what I was aiming for. She said, "May I help you, young man?"

"Yeah, I'm Jason Culhane." I decided to keep my own second name since my cover story was that I was Carlisle's sister's son.

As soon as I said my name, confirmation of her deductions literally lit up her face and she said, "Just one moment." She rooted through a stack of documents and lost a few off the top to the floor. She continued to rummage until she found a few stapled pages and handed them to me saying, "This is your schedule and a map of the school. Bear with me a minute while I go over this with you."

She explained fairly thoroughly my classes and what were the best routes to take to get to them. When she was finished, she smiled and wished me well on my first day. She had been very friendly but I'd been warned about the level of gossiping in town and this woman was one of the prime gossipers. It was nothing I was unaccustomed to, in small towns, everybody's business is everybody else's business and secrets are practically non-existent. As I perused my schedule, I began to calm somewhat. The classes weren't noticeably different from what I'd had back home. I had English, mathematics, biology, chemistry, Spanish, government. There were going to be some differences I knew but I didn't let it freak me out like before. I ran around the school to Building 3 to go to my first class, English. It wasn't hard to spot with the big number three on the wall. I started to realise that I stood out. I was the only one not wearing a hood or a hat and my skin was paler than even the very fair-skinned natives. I got a good number of stares and my head started to dip more and more the closer I got to the door. I fell into a queue outside the small classroom. I noticed everyone putting up their coats on hooks just inside the door and I followed suit. My head was a bit damp but the jacket had kept the wet off my top. I had a slip that I had to get each of the teachers to sign. Mr Mason was my English teacher, a tall, balding man, and it made me nervous standing at the front of the class with him and all eyes on me.

Please, please don't make me introduce myself.

Luckily, he just signed off my slip and sent me to a desk. I was dead-centre in the middle of the classroom, it was impossible not to catch someone looking at me. It was the start of the year so the class was largely introductory. The teacher droned on about the course content until the bell rang. I hurriedly made my way to my next class, Spanish, without having anyone approach me. I didn't know if I looked standoffish or if my appearance was off-putting but the other students seemed content to observe from afar. Mrs Goff was my Spanish teacher and she seemed less interested in me than Mr Mason had been. She just assigned me a seat near the front which had the benefit of sparing me the stares of the whole class. I hadn't studied this language before and it was refreshing compared to the typical choices of French or German in most Irish schools. As the class progressed, I could feel eyes on my back the whole time, but I knew that the students on either side of me were staring, too. I glanced to my left once and I saw a thin guy with glasses who looked vaguely Asian. He averted his eyes immediately when I turned. I then looked to my right and did a double-take. It was the same guy on that side, well, no, obviously they just looked identical, they were twins. The one on the right spoke to me as class ended. "Hi, you're the new guy, right?"

"Yes but aren't we all new?"

"You know what I mean, new to town. Cool accent."

"Thanks, I'm Irish."

"Really cool! I'm Joshua, that's my brother, Isaac. You might have noticed we're twins."

I smiled weakly and said, "It's nice to meet you both."

"You, too, where's your next class?"

"Biology, Building 4."

"Excellent, we're there, too. We can walk over together."

"Sure, better get going then."

"Right, don't wanna start off on the wrong foot with these teachers."

Joshua was definitely the dominant twin. He was outgoing, talkative to put it mildly, and always had an opinion. Isaac was far more reserved, more curious, though, especially about me, but he was too quiet to ask unless prompted by his brother. They were an interesting pair and Joshua was a bit eccentric and loud, drawing even more attention my way, but I felt better walking around in a group rather than alone. I was relieved when I arrived after my biology teacher, Mr. Banner, signed my slip that the three front desks were free. I thought the twins might take the opportunity to sit together but they left me the middle seat. Biology was also largely introductory as Mr. Banner went over all the different areas we'd be covering this year. After that, we made our way to the cafeteria building for lunch. The three of us took a table not far from the windows, and I noticed with some amusement that it might well be the table that the Cullens used to sit at when they attended the school. We weren't left sitting alone for long. Two girls who were also freshmen came to our table. Their names were Jenny and Madelyn. Jenny looked very bookish with thick glasses and curly black hair tied back severely with rather plain features. Madelyn was somewhat more dolled up with perfectly straight brown hair, some subtle makeup, and a silver locket hanging from her neck. Jenny was very covered wearing a cardigan over a t-shirt with blue jeans whereas Madelyn wore a sleeveless top with an above the knee denim skirt. Joshua introduced them to me and they took their seats. Each of them had a tray of food except for me with my bottle of water. I found the intense odours of some of the cooked food such as battered fish, beef burgers, and greasy chips rather unpleasant but tried not to show it. They all eyed me suspiciously, as I pretended to sip my water. Inevitably, the question was asked and Carlisle had me well prepared to answer. It was Madelyn, who seemed a bit inquisitive to put it nicely. "So like what's up with the low-cal diet?"

"Sorry?"

"Just a bottle of water? That's all you're going to have?"

"I can't eat regular food."

Joshua asked, "Oh really, why?"

"I have serious allergies."

"Such as?" Madelyn inquired with a sceptical tone.

"I'm gluten-intolerant, lactose-intolerant, and I'm deathly allergic to citrus, nuts, and a few other things. There's very little I can safely eat. I have to have all my food prepared at home."

"Well, can't you just bring a packed lunch?"

"Nope, too much risk of contamination."

Joshua, somewhat confused, asked, "But couldn't that happen at your house, too?"

"We have air-recycling and water purification systems in the house to keep stuff out, and we don't bring any normal food products into the house. We wouldn't anyways, we all have food allergies, it's a family thing."

"So are you safe here?"

"As long as I don't eat or drink anything I'm all right."

Madelyn raised her eyebrows and stared at her fish very intently with obvious incredulity. The others seemed to accept what I'd told them and did their best to keep their trays as far from me as possible.

After lunch, we had Gym which I feared above all else. I hated it in my old schools, even in Kilkee, as I was eternally clumsy and hated sports in general anyways. Coach Clapp was the instructor and I was immediately supplied with a uniform, as was everyone else. Coach Clapp was big into volleyball, a most inane sport in my opinion, but told us we wouldn't be playing today. With that rather dreary introduction to our PE schedule, my first day ended. I made my way out of school with my newfound friends towards the main road. Would you believe that the sun had come out when generally in autumn Forks is supposed to be shrouded by monsoonal rain and battered by Pacific storms. Don't get me wrong, it was still mostly overcast, which was lucky because my skin turning into a lightshow might have startled some of the students. Nevertheless, I kept to the shade as much as possible. I wondered who'd be picking me up. I knew it wouldn't be Edward after this morning. Snapping me out of my speculations, Joshua asked, "So, have you any plans this weekend, Jason?"

"I'll have to get back to you, but I don't think so."

"Well, if you're free and not having a reaction or going into anaphylactic shock, you wanna come to the beach with us?"

The others smiled and Madelyn did so in a very satisfied kind of way. To be honest, I thought his sense of humour needed some work but he was a friend, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt and gave him a playful shove. He went a little further than I intended, though. I'd have to work on that. He said, "So what you say?"

"I'll say yes for the moment, but don't hold me to it."

"Okay, so it's a definite, right?"

I laughed as convincingly as I could. "Yeah, okay, where is it?"

"It's about fifteen miles from Forks. Don't worry, my mom will pick us all up and bring us out. So we'll see you then."

"Later."

I waved them all goodbye as they made their way to their respective rides. I looked around for mine but couldn't sense the presence of any vampires about. I suppose if I had to make my own way back it wouldn't take long. I could just walk to the edge of town and run full throttle, cutting across the woods. It was then that a patrol car pulled up in front of me. A middle-aged police officer with a moustache stuck his head out the driver's side window and said, "Are you Jason Culhane?"

"Yes, is there a problem officer?"

"Well, first off you can call me Charlie seeing as we're family and secondly I have a warrant for your arrest."

"I don't understand."

"Vandalism, my son-in-law is convinced you slashed his tyres."

So this was Bella's father. He seemed like a very imposing man with a no-nonsense attitude so I wasn't sure if he was joking or not. He continued, "Don't worry, there's insufficient evidence. Get in, I'll drive you."

I did so with some apprehension, even though I had nothing to fear. He pulled out and drove towards the Cullen's house at a more sedate and legal pace than Edward had. I asked out of curiosity, "So what did Edward tell you?"

"Well, I'd only stopped by for a visit while I was on my rounds. Edward was storming around the place with Bella and his parents trying to calm him down. He wasn't very coherent but when I approached, I got him to cool off and explain what had happened. All his tyres went flat on the main highway. He swerved and smacked into a tree. I mean the car is totalled, I don't know how he walked away from that without a scratch. Anyways, he tried to convince me you two weren't getting along and that you were responsible."

"What did you say?"

"I said I'd give a look at the car as a favour. His parents wanted to resolve it themselves which I was more than happy to allow, but Edward was pretty pissed. Anyways, I looked at the tyres and it took me ages to find the punctures. They were tiny so unless you stabbed them with a knitting needle, I don't see how this could be anything but a freak accident."

"I can promise you I didn't do anything untoward."

"Well good, I've enough troublesome kids to be dealing with."

He dropped me off at the porch and said he had to be off again but to give the Cullens his best. I wasn't sure what reception I'd receive. What I had done was a childish act and was exactly what I told myself I would avoid for fear of rejection. Nevertheless, what was done was done so I squared my shoulders and walked in to face whatever awaited me.

They were all there.

Edward stared at me venomously from the sofa as Bella tried to comfort him, but she seemed to be holding him back somewhat, too. Jasper and Emmett stood on either side of me with their arms folded and Rosalie, Alice, Esme, and Carlisle stood in front of me not far from the sofa. I was a little surprised by this show of force, but what did I expect? If Edward had been human, what I'd done could very well have killed him. However, when I examined their expressions more carefully I noticed that most of them were resisting the urge to smile and failing. Only Rosalie and Edward could maintain any semblance of seriousness. Even Bella was trying to hide her face from her husband. I wasn't sure what to do until Alice, beaming as ever, came right up to me, and said with mock admonishment while waving a finger at me, "Jason, you've been a very, very bad boy…but that was inspired."

They all couldn't contain themselves anymore and burst out in laughter. Edward threw his hands up and left. Rosalie was not far behind.

About twenty minutes later when all the guffawing and falling around had ended, every one of them crowded around me eager for me to tell them about my first day. I started with a fairly innocuous recount of my classes, the teachers, who I'd met, and so forth. Bella seemed particularly excited that I'd made friends with Joshua and Isaac, the Weber twins, who were her friend Angela's brothers. It was all going smoothly, especially when I described in detail my car journey with Edward and exactly what I'd done to his car, until I mentioned the invitation. I hadn't made anything of it, just some friends getting together on the beach, but their expressions all changed when I told them about it. Carlisle asked, "Jason, where exactly is this beach that they want you to go to?"

"He didn't give me any details other than it's fifteen miles from Forks."

"Oh dear." Bella said softly.

"What is it?"

Bella looked passed me to Carlisle and said, "Do you think it's time we told him? He's already seen Jacob anyway."

"Who?"

Carlisle responded, "He can't grant Jason access. That's down to the Uley Pack."

"Are you two talking about that huge wolf in the clearing?"

"Yes, Jason. It is hard to explain, you'd have to see it for yourself. Well Bella, you probably know what's best here. What do you think?"

She considered for a moment and looked doubtful. I honestly didn't understand what was going on but funnily enough, my main concern was whether or not I was allowed to go hang out with my friends. Bella stood and said, "I'll go to Jacob. Maybe between us, we can figure something out."

I said, "Thanks, Bella, I still don't get it, though. Why is this up to him?"

That's when Emmett jumped in. "The beach you're talking about is called La Push, man. We don't go there. That's wolf territory."