Title: The Day The Earth Stood Still
Author: Sare Liz,
Beta: Colleen P. Because she rocks.
Disclaimer: The Twilight Saga belongs to Stephenie Meyer, and I am grateful that she allows us all to play in the sandbox of her construction. Thank you, ma'am.
Continuity: Midnight Sun, EPOV, Canon pairings, Canon ontology, AU.
Rating: Teen, for now. It strikes me that the way Ms. Meyer writes Edward's perspective is not necessarily nor exclusively for a teen audience, as Edward himself is inwardly about as far from a teen as one can get. But my rating is teen, for now, subject to change.

Chapter One: First Sight, part two

No… No you're messing with her head, right? You're just like, really bored, right?

My smile turned into a grin and as I gazed downward at the desk, I shook my head slightly, but significantly.

No fuckin' way! We don't get crushes, Edward. It's part of the package – it's all or nothing, bro.

I looked ironically down at the textbook, and nodded my acknowledgment. Leave it to Emmett to put to words in an instant the very thing I would have danced around for several months.

Nooo… shiiit! But… she's human!

I couldn't resist looking over at him just briefly to roll my eyes. Of course she's human. Did he think I could have possibly missed the fact that I have apparently fallen in love with a human? While I was looking at him, I gave him a significant look. He was human once, too.

Well, okay. True. I was human when Rosalie found me, and admittedly I was not at my finest when she fell for me…

While I was at it, I gave him another significant look. If Rosalie could fall in love with him, instantly, half dead and resembling nothing so much as dinner, then I could certainly fall in love with Bella, taking a hundred times that long while she was looking extraordinarily beautiful. I didn't see what the problem was.

But I wasn't human for long, buddy boy. Before I knew what was going on Carlisle got me, and once I got my head out of my ass where food was concerned, I looked up into Rosie's beautiful eyes and the rest is history. She had two hours of me as a human and a year of me as a newborn. Then we had eleven years of sex. Wow, that was a good time, man…

I kicked his chair. I was more or less used to the long mental reenactments of his private time with Rosalie, to say nothing of having to witness them first hand, but that wasn't where my mind wanted to be just now. It was utterly impossible to hear Bella over Emmett. He needed to shut the hell up.

Right. Well. Where was I? Oh yea. She's human, Edward. She looks pretty healthy, too. You gonna wait until there's a near fatal tragedy and have Carlisle change her, or you gonna just ask him to do it now? It's gonna be weird, bro. I mean, we're going to have to move, you know? And you're going to have to explain it to her, and let's hope she doesn't take it like Rosie did. But hell – what else can we do, right? I mean, this is it. You found your mate. No taking it back, not if Carlisle's theories are right. This is the one big change in your life, bro, and an irreversible one in hers, too. Well, shit, man. That's a lot to think about. I'll leave you to it.

I was stunned. Emmett had just put into words all that I never wanted to, and my mind was blank.

Oh, hey! Congratulations, too. It's about damn time you found your mate, Edward. Good for you.

I nodded woodenly. I'd found my mate. I'd found my mate. It had taken over eighty years – less time than Carlisle took to find Esme, but significantly longer than Rosalie or Alice took to find their mates.

But I couldn't stand the thought of Bella as anything other than exactly the way she was right now. I couldn't bear to go there right now. My mind shifted away from it, and I searched for her voice, the comfort of her mind that I just wanted to drown in.

I wonder what kind of food Charlie has in the deep freeze. I should have checked before I left this morning. Heaven knows the only things in the refrigerator were some eggs, and the steaks I put down to defrost before I left for school. Maybe I'll go grocery shopping after school tomorrow, if that's okay. Dinner, dinner… Steak… and potatoes, if there are any. And then after dinner… Edward.

Oh no, I guess this means I have to introduce Edward to Charlie. Wow, I really have no idea how he's going to react, she thought, of her father. Well, I don't suppose he'll get out his shotgun or anything. Maybe he'll be fine with it. I hope their family hasn't ever gotten into any trouble in Forks. This could be ugly with Charlie, if so. No, I'm sure it won't be a problem. They all seem so quiet and reserved. Besides, Edward is… well, even Charlie is going to be able to see how kind and gentle Edward is.

I smiled again, relaxing. La senora called on me, and I picked the answer out of her head, adjusted for familiarity and dialect and gave back my flawless version. And… yes, that would be the last time she called on me this week. She thought I was showing off. Actually, I just didn't want to be her guinea pig, which I could tell is what she really wanted. I'd rather intimidate her than be her favorite.

We had to dumb it down in gym for obvious reasons, and painful though it was, I could see the logic of it. College athletic recruiters were notorious for their tenacity, and they remembered names as well as they remembered faces, and they remembered faces a very long time, for humans. College academic recruiters, however, really didn't give two bits, and remembered nothing. In gym, therefore, I would tone it down, but nowhere else. High school had always been boring enough without having to pretend to be an utter idiot.

I smiled. High school seemed significantly less boring, now.

Spanish floated by, but I was none the wiser, being cradled in the gentle sway of Bella's thoughts. She really hated gym. She imagined herself so clumsy as to be nearly disabled. I almost laughed at the thought. She wondered what I was like, what it was like to grow up as an adopted child, but with two loving, responsible parents. It made me wonder what her parents were like, and what it was like to only have one of them at available at a time. I couldn't actually remember my own childhood, of course, not even tiny fragments of memories. I remember vaguely wanting to be a soldier, and I remember what Carlisle has told me.

Carlisle. Esme. Esme was going to be over the moon. She'd wondered if I'd been changed too young – not a child vampire, but not quite an adult, either. But maybe too young to be able to have a mate. Not, apparently, the case! Esme, sweet Esme, the only mother I ever really remember having, for all that she is younger than I, Esme could finally be at peace about this.

And then the bell rang, and I was gone before it stopped ringing. I could hear Emmett laughing behind me, but I didn't care as I walked back to the gym to be at the door before she could leave. It was close – she was the first one out, directly after the bell, as she didn't have to change. I was leaning against the building right where I'd left her an hour ago, when she turned and saw me.

Oh! "Hi."

I quirked my lips into a half smile and responded in turn. "Hi."

Oh, that crooked smile. Yes, please. "You have a fascination with the gym, or something?" Or me, maybe? I don't suppose… you maybe might be fascinated with me?

"Or something," I said. It was getting harder to respond simply to what she said, and not the combination of what she said and thought. I'd really have to watch myself. "Really, I just couldn't wait until tonight, not when you were only a building away. Forgive my impertinence, and let me walk you to your locker?"

"Sure. Um, but I have to go to the main office." She brandished the sheet of paper all of her teachers had signed throughout the day.

"Of course. Shall we?"

It was too soon to hold her hand. That's what I told myself, and that's what I kept repeating to myself. I'd only just met her two hours ago, and it was too soon to hold her hand. Tonight. I could hold her hand tonight. Maybe. At the end of the night, just before I said goodbye.

The thought of saying goodbye at all was crushing. I tried not to think of it and instead dived in her thoughts, amorphous and soothing, which is why I suppose I didn't see Eric approaching with his camera, until I heard the click.

Oh, no. Oh, this is my nightmare.

"That was great! A great candid – can we just get one more?"

We stopped in our tracks, and while I wasn't pleased that Bella seemed to think this was a waking nightmare, I had to admit that I didn't mind the idea of having of photograph of the two of us together. Since she didn't seem naturally amenable to the idea, I decided to play dirty.

I shifted my stance so that I was facing her, and her face slowly followed my movements. I was closer now than I had been before, and I bent down, toward her. She looked up. Our bodies were angled all wrong, but they were very close to one another. Our faces even closer.

"Come on, Bella," I said to her in my most reasonable tone. It was the voice I used with humans when I wanted to get my way. I smiled, and felt it go all the way to my eyes. I leaned in just a little more and breathed on her. I really was playing dirty. I saw her eyes glaze over and I watched her dazed fantasy of the two of us kissing. Sweet Bella, soon. Soon.

She opened her mouth as if to gasp, and then exhaled gently. In turn, I parted my lips and breathed in her scent and almost closed my eyes in pleasure. "Take your picture, Eric," I murmured, and heard the click of the camera only moments later. I'd have to pull him aside tomorrow morning and ask for a copy. This one gets framed.

"Whoh. That was like, the best picture I've ever taken. Thanks, man. I owe you one."

Yes, yes you do. And I'll have you pay up, tomorrow.

Bella blinked and shook her head, almost imperceptibly as I leaned back and stood away.

You… Did… How… Her eyes narrowed. "You tricked me."

I smiled. "Tricked you? That's a little harsh, I think." I held open the door of the main office for her and watched her awkwardness as she went through it. She wasn't used to having doors held for her. She'd get used to it, in time. I continued on without missing a beat in our conversation, however. "I simply asked you very nicely to reconsider your position, and with great grace you acquiesced. And Eric got a beautiful photograph of the two of us. That's all."

She was confused. There was something wrong with what I had said, but I couldn't place it. "No. That's… I mean, you said – what you said wasn't… Oh, never mind." But her thoughts continued on where her eloquence had escaped her. Reconsider my position? What position? I didn't say anything! What position was I supposed to be reconsidering when chess club Eric sneaks up on me and takes a picture without asking permission and before I know it the Beautiful Edward Cullen moves in, dazzles me into a puddle of goo and acts like he's going to kiss me! Reconsider what?

She continued on, but I internally recoiled. Stupid, Edward, very stupid. She didn't say she didn't want her picture taken, she only thought it. I mentally kicked myself. This was just the sort of thing I shouldn't be doing. I should be more diligent than this. But then again… she was my mate. She was going to find out about all of my abilities sooner or later.

I held the door open for her again and looked down at her as she scowled into the ground. "Bella," I called to her sweetly and her eyes reluctantly were drawn back to mine as we continued on our way. "Don't be upset with me. I was excited about the thought of a photograph of the two of us. I couldn't resist."

She sighed and thought, Stupid, beautiful, totally charming boy. Don't think you can always get your way, just because you're wonderful. "It's fine," she said, and I could tell that she meant it. I was forgiven.

It was a good feeling.

We walked in silence to her locker. It was down the hall and on the opposite side as mine. I held her bag for her as she took a mental tally of which books she would need for this evening. The thoughts swirling around us were some measure stunned, some measure vitriolic, but such was the student body. I ignored them, as they really didn't matter at all. When she was finished, I zipped up her bag and slid it back on her shoulders, without my fingers so much as grazing her shirt.

"Do you have a ride home?" I asked. My brothers and sisters could run home. Rosalie wouldn't like how it looked, but I really didn't give a damn.

She pictured the disturbingly old red truck in the parking lot with fondness. "Yea, my dad got me a truck." I marshaled my features, but didn't have it in my to smile. It was a death trap. No airbags, only basic restraint. Admittedly it was sturdy, but it was also probably on the verge of utter collapse. I bet she didn't have a cell phone in case of emergency, either. I wonder how quickly she would accept a new car as a present. Next week would probably be too soon. Could I get away with picking her up tomorrow morning? Probably not. Shit. Shit.

Oh, wow. I wonder what's eating him. Surely he can't be upset that I don't need a ride, can he? Well, he's going to have to learn sooner or later that I value my independence.

Duly noted, love. I still think you riding around in a death trap is not the best idea in the world. I'd rather you drive around, complete in your independence, in a car with the highest possible safety rating.

But that's silly. It's probably something else. He wouldn't be able to offer me a ride, anyway, what with all his sisters and brothers. And him being the youngest, it's probably not his car, even if they take two.

Okay, I could smile at that. I'd have to think about an excuse to drive her back and forth to school from now on. I couldn't risk damaging her car, though, not until I had her permission to replace it. I doubt it was in her father's budget to have the old Chevy fixed if I did some damage to it.

Hm. Rosalie. There's an idea that probably won't come to fruition…

We walked outside, and this time it wasn't just the thoughts of the student body that were all trained on us, but I could hear them murmuring, and so could Bella. This would never do.

Oh, great. Just great. Before they were all staring at me, but now they're whispering, too. I guess what Jessica said was true, about Edward never dating before. And he is, bar none, the most beautiful boy in school, even among his brothers who are also stunning. I thought that maybe she'd been exaggerating. But good heavens, why wouldn't he date? He could have anyone he wanted. And probably will, as soon as he figures out how incredibly dull I really am.

I heard her sigh as we walked toward the parking lot. I noticed that my brothers and sisters were waiting for me at the car, but I made no motion to join them. I would walk Bella to her car and see if I couldn't reassure her.

She never mentioned the fact that everyone was whispering, so I didn't bring it up either, and when we'd gotten to her truck in relative silence, she didn't move to open the driver's side door just yet, but I noticed that she'd locked it. She stopped and unslung her backpack to dig out her key from the front pocket.

"Thanks. You know, for walking me to my car, and everything." I heard her mental whine follow just after her words. I don't want to go. Everyone's staring though, and it looks like his family is waiting for him. Good Lord, is that their car? No, wait, of course they have both looks and money. But that's pretty much how the world works, or so I've noticed. And hey, I didn't this notice before – they don't dress ostentatiously – but their clothes definitely hint of designer origins. Great. One more strike against me – working class, through and through. I wonder if his parents are going to be against this. Then again, his parents let their foster children date each other, so maybe they have different standards. She started to wonder vaguely what that must be like at our house after lights out, but I didn't want to keep her waiting with too much silence as I listened intently to her very amusing thoughts.

It was difficult to answer her spoken words and not her thoughts, but I did anyway. "Thank you. This has been the most pleasant, interesting day of my high school career, which really, seems to have dragged on much longer than just three years. I look forward to your call, tonight. You won't forget?" If she lost her nerve and refused to call, I'd be climbing the walls.

She smiled at me then, and I felt relieved. "I won't forget." I'll have no idea what to say, but no, I won't forget. If I got hit by a truck on the way home and suffered from amnesia, I still wouldn't be able to forget you.

Did she have to mention getting into a car accident? Maybe I should follow her home, out of sight, just to make sure she gets there okay. No, no, that might scare her and make matters worse. Hm. I'll just run by and check on her, maybe, if I can get away from Esme.

If.

Maybe I'll have Alice look into it, instead.

I watched her get into the cab of her ancient truck and resisted the urge to touch the window of her door, just where I could see the delicate curve of her cheekbone. I took a deep breath instead and walked away, back to my car. Rosalie was scowling, and obviously no one was arguing the shotgun position with her, though we were fairly certain the only one to actually bear a shotgun while sitting in the front passenger seat of a motor vehicle was Emmett, and that when he'd been human. I ignored Rosalie, which was my plan, and I hoped to follow it for as long as it was feasible. The others I didn't care to ignore. Alice was bouncing on her toes, Jasper was grinning – all sense of his earlier struggle gone from his features – and Emmett high-fived me (gently, so as to avoid a scene and the sound of two boulders crashing together) as I passed him on my way to the driver's side door.

Everyone got in the car but me. I turned around and leaned against the door, watching her pull out of the parking space ever so carefully. I caught her eye as she passed, driving very slowly through the lot. The farther away she got, the more difficult it was to hear, until even though I strained, it was for naught. By the time she was 120 feet away, there was nothing but silence from the cab of her truck. Strange.

I got in my Volvo and started the engine. It purred – a far cry from the dull roar of Bella's ancient Chevy. I think that truck might actually be older than Alice and Jasper's marriage.

Everyone in the car was silent, verbally, but dear god their thoughts were running rampant, and with no Bella around in which to sink, I was at their mercy.

What does he think he's doing?! Of all the stupid, idiotic, moronic, asinine…Rosalie was furious.

That's my boy! I always knew he'd come around. Aw, yea! Edward's got a girl, finally! And what a sweetheart. She's going to make an awesome sister. Ah, Emmett. Never thinks anything he wouldn't mind saying, if only he could get a word in edgewise.

Alice was humming to herself, flipping through Bella's near future. Doing homework, cooking steaks, staring at my number, the two of us walking along the road, sitting on her front porch, sleeping in her room with me in the forest outside her home, me at the piano, tomorrow, the next day, the next, the next. Alice just kept going, flipping through the images, like dexterous fingers flipping through a card index. Day after day, nothing disastrous, no car accident, no accidental death of the human who now meant everything to me, just her – peaceful, calm, beautiful.

Jasper was the most surprising of all. His thoughts were a calm lull, amorphous and gentle with the particular timbre they took when he was alone with Alice. There was no hint of the burning thirst and accompanying thoughts that had been there for the last four days, the thirst which almost met the tipping point today at lunch with little Whitney, the thirst which had probably kept Alice completely focused on him the entire day.

Edward – if you're listening. Thank you, thought Jasper.

I twitched my head over to one side just slightly, to show him that I was listening. My eyes fell on the radio, so I reached out and skipped over the song that was currently playing to get to the next track.

Thank you. You have no idea how much easier it is to… to deal with it when I'm surrounded by people who are broadcasting joy as strongly as you are right now. And your joy is reflected and magnified by Emmett and Alice. Yes, there's Rosalie, but, well, Rosalie's rage isn't as deep as you'd imagine, though she's really quite pissed off. But thank you.

I could feel Jasper's own joy flood the car, and even Rosalie calmed slightly, now only glaring out the window, her fingernails tapping against her jean-clad thigh.

We were home before long and I pulled the car in between the Rose's Z3 and my Vanquish in the garage building out behind the house.

"I call telling Esme!" Emmett shouted as he sprang from the car and sprinted to the house. I didn't have it in me not to grin. I couldn't help it.

"Tell me what?" we all heard Esme respond calmly from her second floor office. We could hear her get up from her flooring samples – she was redecorating the house in Connecticut, again – and walk down stairs to meet us in the living room as we all came home from school. It struck me in that moment as an odd parody of a 1950's stereotypical home life, only with vampires. I shrugged it off. Esme beat out June Cleaver any day of the week, and twice on Sunday.

When we were all inside, our props neatly stowed on a shelf by the door, dormant until we needed to complete homework assignments for tomorrow, Emmett crowed out in happiness. "Edward's got a girlfriend!"

Alice laughed and pulled Jasper into a waltz near the piano and they swept around the room, both laughing. Rosalie had her arms folded across her chest as she glared at nothing. Esme's eyes grew round as she slowly walked toward me, her arms held out, her hands reaching for my face.

"Edward, is it true?" she whispered, not daring to hope, not daring to smile. Have you really found your mate, you sweet boy? Have you bonded with someone, finally? Are you whole, now?

She stood before me now, holding the sides of my face gently in her warm, soft hands. She looked deeply into my eyes and I realized just how much it meant to her, how much it meant to the family that I'd been so alone for so long, entering into deeper isolation, experiencing more profound apathy. I really… I hadn't realized. Or maybe they worked to keep it from me. They did that, sometimes, but usually without much success.

I smiled again. I seemed to be doing that a lot, since lunch. I smiled, and I felt my face transform to display the joy I felt.

"Her name is Bella," I said softly, slowly, letting the words, letting her name curl around my tongue.

God bless Bella! Esme cried out in the happiness of her thoughts as she threw her arms around me and held me closely. Oh, Edward! I'm so happy for you! Are you going to tell Carlisle? You should tell Carlisle. He'd want to know. Call him. You need to go call him, right now. Go. Shoo, she thought releasing me. You can tell us all about it when he comes home – it should only be a few more hours, now. Oh, I can't wait! I wonder what her favorite colors are. Hm. This could change everything in Connecticut. Well, enough time for that later. Oh, Edward, this is wonderful!

"I don't see why everyone is so deliriously happy that Edward chose a healthy, human girl to fall in love with." Are you just going to kill her, Edward? Is it that easy for you, to subject someone you love to this half-life we lead? Forever stuck in high school, never growing old, never able to leave our mark on the world, never to have children or grandchildren – no legacy, no trace, no one who remembers us fondly at all? Forever the ghosts, hidden in the shadow of society, doomed with the desire to cannibalize that which we once were? How could you, Edward? How could you be so selfish? How could you?

I looked down, my eyes glazed over, not really seeing the floor. Rosalie's rants had never really affected me before, but Emmett wasn't the only one who was able to speak directly to the heart of the matter.

It felt hollow inside. The joy was gone. I didn't notice Alice and Jasper stop moving, but I heard his gasp, vaguely in the background of my sudden misery. I don't know how I was able to form the words that eventually whispered from my lips. It was like someone else was saying them, not me.

"I would never force her."

I spoke so slowly, so softly, no inflection in my tone at all.

"It would be her choice."

All of my deepest fears about who we were, ontologically, existentially, and most importantly, theologically, rose to the surface, now that there was no joy to keep them at bay. It would have to be her choice, because honestly, I wasn't certain… I wasn't entirely convinced that Carlisle's philosophy bridged the gap between myself and the God I secretly believed might actually exist. Honestly, I wasn't sure there could be a bridge over that gap.

If anything, it was Bella that might convince me in the end. Honestly, if she could love me, perhaps that was proof that God hadn't utterly forsaken me, as I had always supposed.

But it would have to be her choice. Utterly her choice. She would have to know everything, every bit, know it and accept it, choose it. I prayed that there would be no sudden accident, something that would take her too soon, something that would force my hand, because I would live in regret for the rest of eternity, because, well… I could be wrong. I could be wrong about God. I could really be forsaken. And I would rather know her, love her, and allow her humanity to run its course, knowing that it was her choice that it do so, I would rather live with the consequences of that, than doom her against her wishes to a life she loathed and feared.

"Oh, sure, Edward. You say that now, but what if she chooses to remain human? Hm? Are you going to be content when she looks every bit 45, and you could still pass for 15? What about when you have to go out in public, pretending she's your grandmother? Your great grandmother? Hm? What if she wants children, Edward? God, what if she wants to have sex, Edward? Hm? Think you're going to be able to do that without killing her? What's in a vampire's ejaculate, anyway? Do any of us actually know? Venom, I'd be willing to bet. You're not even going to be able to kiss her. She wants to stay human, maybe, and you say okay, but how are you going to work the logistics on that one, Edward? How are you going to maintain a healthy bond, a healthy relationship, if you can't give her anything she needs?"

"I would never choose for her. And…" Oh, it hurt so much to say. "The moment she wanted me gone, I would be gone." Just imagining it felt like being torn apart from the inside out. It just hurt.

"That's enough!" Esme's voice was overloud in the space and rang in my ears.

"Rosalie…" Esme took a deep breath and controlled her tone. Still, her words were precise, and clipped. I took refuge in them, all the same. "Edward has found his mate. She is now your sister. Whether she remains human or becomes in due time, a vampire, changes nothing. Your brother has found a mate. It is involuntary. It is mutual. And it is permanent. Just like you and Emmett. Just like Alice and Jasper. Just like Carlisle and myself. There is no hurt in the world that she can endure that Edward cannot sooth. There is no pain in the world that Edward can feel that she cannot understand. If she finds her future hard to bear, it will be Edward and no one else, nothing else that will make it bearable for her. It will be Edward and Edward alone that will make life worth living, if it comes to that, because they are mates. You know this, Rosalie, as much as any of us do." If not more so, she finished in her thoughts.

Rosalie sighed and hung her head. She walked very slowly to where Emmett was standing, the stiletto heels clicking against the hard wood of the living room floor. As she passed him, facing away from us, she reached out and put her hand in his. She stopped there. She held it.

Her choice? You promise? She asked. She sounded broken.

"I promise," I whispered.

You really will be the only thing to make her life worth living, in the dark times, Edward. She… I don't think she'll be able to resent you. No matter what.

So be it, she thought. I could hear her take another deep breath.

"So be it," she said aloud, her voice stony, the armor raised once more. And then she walked away from us, back out to the garage.

There was silence for a long space of time, after that. We simply stood there. Eventually I could feel Jasper gently lifting the mood, coaxing it back up again, back to a baseline of normal. Except, my baseline had changed, somehow, and even Rosalie and her worst case scenario couldn't alter the fact that my new baseline was a much pleasanter place to be.

Bella. I thought of her chocolate brown eyes, the soft, soothing comfort of her thoughts, her compassion for others, her adoration of me. I thought of her. I let myself fall into it. I adored her, from afar. I could feel it with my whole body, and I held onto the feeling.

I smiled, again. I could hear her melody, the one that curved and swirled around the tenor of her thoughts and I wanted to sit down at my piano. I needed to. But I needed to call Carlisle first.

I pulled out the little silver cell phone and pressed and held the 2 key. He was able to pick up immediately. He must have been in his office.

He gave no greeting, he never did when one of us called him, just in case.

"I, I have good news, Carlisle," I said, and I knew he would be able to hear the smile in my voice. "I…" I hadn't yet put it into words. It was harder than I thought. I really had given up any image of myself finding someone else to share eternity with they way the rest of my family had. But I did. I found her. I found my mate. I found my mate! "I found my mate."

I heard Carlisle's gasp. "Edward," he whispered, stunned. "That's wonderful!" he crowed, only a moment later, much louder, and clearly overjoyed.

There was noise in the background. Clearly Carlisle wasn't in this office like I'd thought. I could hear him as he took his mouth from the microphone and explained to his audience. "My youngest son just got early acceptance into Dartmouth! I have to go home and celebrate! Goodbye, everyone!"

Hm. Excellent, Esme mused as she wandered back up the stairs to tidy her office. She never liked to leave it in a state of disarray, if she could help it.

Alice and Jasper walked hand in hand out the front door and disappeared. I had every faith that they would be back in fourteen minutes when Carlisle walked in the front door.

Rock on, Edward, Emmett thought, as he wandered out the door, towards the garage.

I, for my part, went to my piano. I touched the keys as gently, as lovingly as I would touch the fragile skin of her face. This would be how I would know what pressure to use, when I did touch her skin. I could trace her jaw with the force of a pianissimo. I would hold her hand with the gentleness of a piano. I would hold her body against mine, embracing her with no more exertion than I would elicit to coax a mezzoforte from her nocturne.

And so I played. I started with the simplicity of the earliest melody that had been dancing in my head all afternoon. Then I layered the harmony in, a soothing bass that complemented the higher tones. I smiled as I remembered her little glances at me, the thrill I would feel, her racing heartbeat that pounded steadily in my ears, and the melody began to pick up complexities, and variations on the theme. I played steadily. It was unfinished, only a first rough effort, the creative outpouring of a newborn love only hours old, and yet this was the melody that would be the basis of a much larger work. Perhaps a symphony. Perhaps several.

I smiled.

There was time.

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