Author's Note: I just wanted to take a second and thank all of the readers who posted comments and have given me encouragement. I also want to thank the people who have put my story on alert: you have no idea how happy that makes me. I have this story written up to the 6th chapter. After I post that, it will probably take me up to a week to post subsequent chapters. I am a perfectionist and don't want to settle for posting anything other than my best. Also, the song at the beginning of this chapter is "A Martyr Of My Love For You" by the White Stripes. It reminds me so much of how Edward felt about Bella during the human years of their relationship. Just because I'm writing a story about Emmett doesn't mean I'm not completely in love with Edward and Bella!

Enjoy!

______________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 3

CatPOV

I could stay a while
But sooner or later I'll break your smile
And I can tell a joke
But one of these days I'm bound to choke
And we could share a kiss
But I feel like I can't go through with this
And I bet we could build a home
But I know the right thing for me to do
Is to leave you alone

I let the music flow over me. This song always has the power to make my heart stop. The lyrics were… perfect. I would swear it was not a man that wrote this. And just as I was about to completely lose myself, forgetting completely that I was walking my dog in Portland late into the night; I was rudely torn from my fantasy.

"Dammit, Chance! What the hell?!" He had pulled so hard I almost let go of the leash. His deep bark took me off guard. What the hell could he be barking at? I hadn't seen another living soul since we left the downtown area.

I squinted hard in the dark, not being able to see anything. Chance was still tugging relentlessly on his leash, towards the bushes that lined the park. I thought I saw them shiver, but then again, maybe not. I yanked hard on the leash, and it got Chance's attention, though he was still growling softly.

"Chance! What has gotten into you? Come on, we're going home," I pulled on his leash with authority. Chance finally fell in step with me, reluctantly. He was constantly looking behind us. It made me nervous. Did he see something I did not?

My pace quickened and we reached the apartment. Chance ran ahead of me a little too quickly. I tripped and landed hard on the cold stone steps.

"Shit! Damn second floor apartment," I muttered as I pulled myself off the steps. I fumbled with my keys, noticing that my right hand was a little bloody. I hurried inside and shut the door, still feeling a little spooked from earlier. But mostly, I was mad.

"Chance! Don't ever do that again! You had me so scared…" I stopped. Chance had taken post at the front window, watching every shadow and every movement. It made me nervous as his scarred tail swung ominously back and forth. His ears were thrown back and a soft growl was present in the back of his throat. I could almost swear I saw him bare his teeth.

He was warning the shadows that this was his domain and they had better think twice before coming in. I had never seen Chance as a guard dog before…

I walked into the kitchen and found his box of treats. I was still a little nervous to go near him, not knowing exactly how wound up he was. I slid the treat across the wooden floor. The sound of the soft scratches seemed to break his trance, and he happily pounced on the treat and ate it quickly. He walked over to me with his tail wagging friendly.

"Thanks," I muttered, still very conscious of the fact that I was talking to a dog. He licked the palm of my hand, and we turned to head into the bedroom. I turned around one last time to check the locks on the front door. Better to be safe than sorry.

I walked into my bathroom, and turned on the light. I looked horrible. My right palm had numerous scrapes. There was also a shallow, yet bloody gash on the side of the same hand. My knee also took damage. My jeans were torn and my left knee had an ugly scrape where my knee had connected with the edge of the step.

I cleaned my wounds and bandaged them. I felt a wave of exhaustion run across my body, and I threw myself into the bed. Chance had already fallen asleep and was snoring loudly. The sound made me smile, and I fell asleep within minutes.

EmPOV

Everyone was waiting for an answer, but I couldn't get my thoughts straight. All I could do was stare and let the realization hit me over and over like a ton of bricks. I almost killed someone. I almost killed that girl. I looked at my family's faces, one by one. Their faces were distorted and twisted with confusion, anger, and doubt. I couldn't bear it. I was the strong one, the one you could count on to take care of the family. The thought of them no longer viewing me in that role filled me with sorrow, and my throat constricted, wishing it could sob. I couldn't let them see me like that.

"I'm so sorry…" My voice sounded weak. It was so foreign to me. It felt like years had passed before anyone spoke up.

"Stop beating yourself up, big brother," Alice said with a slight smile on her face. Her voice hung in the still air. I turned to Rose. Her face was filled with pity, and I hated it. I hated knowing she knew how weak I could really be.

Edward told the family what happened. He and Bella were returning to the car. I guess I hadn't realized how long I had been walking in the wrong direction. They noticed that neither I nor Alice and Jasper had made it back yet. Suddenly, he saw in Alice's mind a vision of me killing a girl with curly brown hair. He grabbed Bella and they immediately started running in the direction I had left the car earlier that evening. Once they caught my scent, they ran even faster. Not a single human eye would have been able to see them. They caught sight of Alice and Jasper first; then they saw me. They were able to tackle me into the bushes just moments before I would have attacked. He left out my memories of the girl's scent and how it commanded my attention.

"I just don't understand, Emmett. Why?" Rosalie asked with utter bewilderment laced in every word she spoke.

"There was something different about her… about her scent. I don't know; I couldn't control myself. She just smelled so…good," I said with a voice low with shame.

"Well, they all smell good!" Rosalie was pissed. She just couldn't understand, and it seemed that I couldn't articulate it properly.

I turned to Edward, knowing he knew exactly what I wanted to say. He felt it in my memories, the feeling that girl gave to me. Please help me make her understand.

"I think, what he's trying to say, Rosalie, is that she smelled extra good," he said slowly.

"Stop speaking to me like I'm an idiot, Edward!" Rosalie was about lay into Edward when realization clouded her eyes. She turned to me, now with a touch of fright written in those beautiful amber eyes. "You mean she smelled to you like Bella smelled to Edward?"

"Um… I don't…" I couldn't complete the thought. I never really knew exactly how Bella's scent affected Edward. I never thought to ask him.

"Yes, Rosalie. She had the same effect on Emmett that Bella had on me." He quickly added, "In terms of the way she smells, of course, not in any other way."

The fear left Rose's eyes, and I understood. No one could ever take your place, I tried to tell her with my eyes. I would have to make sure I remind her again tonight.

"So, she was a singer?" Bella asked.

A singer… otherwise referred to as la tua cantata. It was a phenomenon that occurred, although rarely, in the vampire community where a human's blood "sung" a vampire. The song sounded something like, "I smell good, please come eat me."

I now looked at Edward with new reverence. He was able to resist his singer, and subsequently fall in love with her. When I smelt that girl, nothing but death was in my mind.

"It's okay, Emmett," he said with reassurance. "Every other vampire in the world would have reacted the same way you did."

I saw his eyes flash to Alice, who had a blank look on her face. I knew she was having a vision, but I couldn't care any less. I had to make sure Rose understood me. I had to make sure she still loved me.

"Rose… please understand. I don't know what happened, but I promise I won't do anything to jeopardize our living here. Right?" I asked as I turned to Alice.

She had a sparkling look in her eye that told me that she saw something in the future that she really liked. I didn't want to hear about it.

"Don't meddle, Alice," I said with a stern voice.

"Don't you want to know whether or not you will hurt her? And I don't meddle!"

I sighed with resignation. "Yes, Alice. I just want to know whether or not we can stay here."

She beamed as she nodded her head.

I turned to Carlise, who was deep in thought. "Can we please stay? I'll probably never run into her again, and I don't want to be the reason we move again, and I don't want Rose to have to quit her new job." I tried to pack in as many reasons as possible as quick as possible before Carlise could think of a reason for us to leave. I didn't want to hurt my family even more by forcing them to pick up and leave. Moving was so hard on all of us.

He let out a long breath as the rest of us held ours.

"Okay, we'll stay."