A/N: Right, so this fits into the story, but most of it really isn't needed. The Chapter 3 I had was unfinished and didn't fit, so I've just thrown this together. It's mostly people sulking, though. Still, enloy! And review people! I know you're reading it!

Alice.

Why was it so hard to send her a message without just saying it too her straight and hurting her? For the last three days, I had been trying to tell her that I wasn't interested in her 'fun'. It was testing my patience, and I was on the verge of just telling her it straight, but I don't think I could stand her moping and sulking around the house for weeks on end. That could end in more regular wrestling matches with Emmett.

And god knows we didn't need more of that. Whenever I won, he would sulk, 'cause he got beaten by a 14-year-old (well, 29, actually, but that's not the point) vampire who is way smaller than him. I can see why that would be humiliating, but why he can't just get over it, is beyond me.

Like now, for instance. Almost 24 hours, one day, and he still hasn't recovered. He sulks and makes excuses, and tries to convince me to have a rematch, but frankly, I'm not in the mood. Even after I got annihilated by Jasper in wrestling, chess, cards...the list goes on, he still can't get over it. And it is annoying. Like a little fly buzzing in your ear, and you just can't get it to go away. Annoying.

"I'm going hunting," Emmett mutters to Rosalie. He thinks I can't hear him when he mutters obscenities and such under his breath. That's what I call an incompetent fool, who wants to lose his life, but I have never voiced this opinion. Only Jasper would have the slightest idea of what I meant, if at all.

Emmett stalked out of the house and into the forest, scowling at me as he passed. I just grinned back at him, trying to get on his nerves. Annoying Emmett, now that's what I call fun!

Unfortunately, Rosalie caught me doing that, and glared out the window at me, underneath my tree, which is now very comfortable, after a bit of pounding into shape. I stared back until she grew tired of playing with me and turned back to whatever she was doing. Carlisle and Jasper were playing chess or something, though I doubted the game would last very long, and I was almost certain that Carlisle would be losing. It was impossible to beat Alice at anything, and of course she was helping Jasper cheat. At least she had found something else to occupy herself with, though there would be no harm in Jasper learning to win by himself.

Esme was upstairs, and I knew she was watching me, but I ignored her. She had offered to help me find something to keep me busy when the human...Bella...was around, but I had told her that my book would do, and that it wasn't that bad. I was good at lying, I knew that much. It was bad, hard, and painful even, made worse by the incessant thirst that never seemed to leave.

He had her here today, now, at this very moment. Thinking about the thirst only made it worse, close to unbearable. There were no words to describe that, though I'm sure Carlisle has tried. That would be typical of him.

I slammed the book shut. It was impossible to concentrate on it now that I had allowed my mind to wander onto that topic. Heading inside, I pass Rosalie, who gives me the death stare. If looks could kill, I thought to myself, silently laughing at my own little joke. It didn't affect my face though, and my blank mask remained, hiding my thoughts and emotions. 15 years was more than enough time to practise that.

I decided to pass Alice, even though I had no intention of going that way. When I was right behind her, I had an idea. Jasper should learn how to play by himself? Maybe I could help that along.

I shoved my elbow into her back as I passed, making her stumbling into the room, causing a fair amount of noise. She turned around and looked at me, not very happy by my spur-of-the-moment decision. Finally, getting my own back on Alice.

As I wandered away, I could hear her explaining herself to Carlisle with a string of lies. It almost made me laugh, and she was planning revenge. Ah, well. Can't say I didn't expect it.

I was getting sick of hanging around with all the matched sets. It wasn't every day I came across one of those in my travels, let alone four of them. Some would think it was depressing, but not in my case. Just annoying, and sometimes it made you want to puke.

I decided to take off, where I would go, no one knew, not even myself. As soon as I was out the front door I was running, desperate to get away. Jasper especially was getting on my nerves, projecting emotions by accident, just a little too much for me. Of course, I wasn't going to tell him that, he already knew I was more sensitive to it than the others, and I didn't feel like talking much at the moment.

It was a quick hunt, with the elk serving their new purpose of life to satisfy my never-ending thirst. Call me crazy, but hunting yesterday only worked for a couple hours.

The house was deserted when I got back. Not completely deserted, since Alice and Edward were talking upstairs when I came in. I didn't even want to know what they were talking about, and I had a pretty good guess anyway. The others were somewhere close by; I could just feel their presence somewhere. Too vague.

Before I could seek them out, Alice just about flew past me, closely followed by Edward. I had no idea where they were going, and neither was kind enough to stop and share it with me. I guessed the sudden rush was Alice's doing; Edward looked bored, but then again, wasn't that how he always looked?

"Have you seen Alice?" Jasper's deep tones echoed behind me, making me flinch. It was frustrating that they could sneak up on me just like that, and I didn't even notice. Hadn't I learnt to watch my back? That was the primary rule of survival – watch your back. If anyone sneaks up on you, you'll be dead. Especially if they know how to fight, like Jasper.

"She just disappeared off with Edward, to where I will probably never know," I tell him, watching closely. It was unlikely that he, of all people, would attack me, but this had happened once before. I'd almost lost my head over that fight, because I lost my temper. Actually, I lost my temper a lot. It was a miracle that I hadn't lost it over something here yet.

Jasper grinned at me, making me groan. How did he know, when I had absolutely no idea? I was usually the first one to know these things!

"Emmett is playing with his food," he explained. That made me laugh loudly. Typical Emmett! Playing with his food.

"What sort of food?" I ask. Emmett likes quite a few types of food.

He chuckled. "Grizzly bear."

I made a face. Grizzlies were just that: grizzly. They just didn't taste right. Of course, after living off humans, I probably couldn't complain. I had a craving, and I wasn't allowed to have it, and it made everything taste worse.

"You'll get used to it, eventually," he said.

"You figured that one out?"

"Alex, it wasn't even hard."

"I should stop humouring myself. It's not worth even trying with all these perceptive people around."

"Do you want to go and find the others? This should be interesting."

I nodded, and he set off, leading. It's wasn't even hard to keep up, despite the huge height difference. And they called Alice small.

They were all there, lurking around the edges of the clearing. Emmett was out in the centre, glittering in a rare ray of sunshine. I had never been in the sun; I tended to go out at night most times, or stay under shade.

I didn't last to long. The bear was bleeding in several places after a while, and even though I was disgusted by the taste of it, well, blood is blood. No use fighting Emmett over spilt blood.

I thought I might as well go chase some animals or something. My throat was already starting to ache, apparently not satisfied with the elk. It was so inconvenient, the way it always came back, even if I gouged myself. A never-ending cycle, no matter how you looked at it. And there was no way I could stop it.

No one noticed me leave, or at least, I don't think they did. None of the others bothered me, and Edward was staying well clear of me, probably of my erratic thoughts, which are hard to get a good grip on for more than a few moments, if that. Humans would call it a nervous disorder. I call it crazy.

Running was a relief. This was a way to get away from my horrible life, for a while. Being on the move meant that no one could catch me, and I was as quick thing, as fast as quicksilver. The sun filtered down through the forest leaves overhead, a sunny day. No wonder everyone was at home.

One stray beam caught my bare arm as I ran, just for a moment. But one moment was long for me to see it shatter off of my cold, stone skin and onto the trees around. Most would think it was wonderful, or beautiful, or something like that, but I thought different. It reminded me of who – what I am.

I slowed down. Running held no enjoyment for me now. My head was still reeling with that sight, that one picture, dancing around my head, along with the other strange and horrible things that had collected over the course of 29 years, though only a few were human. There hadn't been much to hold onto from there.

I sat on a rock. I hoped Edward got in my head when I returned. Almost certainly, when he was finished, he would begin to look like the old man he should be. Now that would be a sight to see.

If I returned.

I was torn. I didn't like the travelling, but this human was making this situation even more difficult. Hurting them wasn't something I wanted to do; I'd already done it once. They considered me a part of this family, even if I didn't. I didn't deserve to even know them, and I certainly didn't deserve Carlisle's kindness, or Esme's forgiveness, especially after I let her down once.

Alice, my friend. She was still my friend, even after I let her down. Jasper, he helped me in those first months, but I was a burden to him now. Emmett, well, he just enjoyed using me for fights, since he couldn't beat anyone else, and he only enjoyed it if he won. Rosalie, she wouldn't mind if I left.

Then there was Edward. Did he hate me? I thought he did. Even after he...saved...me, he couldn't help. Neither could Carlisle. I don't like thinking about that, but it was the key to solving the puzzle, if I wanted to solve it.

I knew what I wanted to do. It would hurt them, but I had to do it.

I had to leave.