(A/n) This story starts when Bella is first moving to town. I didn't note this in the first chapter sorry. This will be AU, some characters will be OOC, and of course the OC's will be prominent.

The moment the door closed behind her, a coldness descended upon the room in which she stood. The living room was fair sized with wall to wall beige carpeting that ended on the threshold of the small kitchen and dining room. Lilith took in a deep breath and sighed heavily, her breath easing out in one long silver stream. Something groaned above her and a clunking noise could be heard across the ceiling, as if something were being dragged.

She set her briefcase down along with her purse and her eyes trained on the very center of the living room. A few shadows had begun to appear at the corners of the room, the neutral spirits of the Allu that liked to follow her. They seemed to hesitate from drawing closer to her like they wished, the power of the anger that radiated from this spirit was enough to keep them at bay.

The clunking noise had grown even worse and goosebumps prickled along her arms and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. This was a normal human reaction, one that she relished. It was a reminder of her origins, a simple statement to the fact that her body was still alive in its most basic form. Fear normally would have followed suit, especially when the white walls of the living room began to drip with blood. It oozed slowly from every crevice as the air grew colder. Oh dear, this was an angry spirit...

Without warning, a body fell from the ceiling and down to the carpet in front of her. It was a woman or what was left of a woman. She raised her head, the left side of her face was bloodied, the remnants of a gunshot wound still visible in the pale moonlight that streamed in through the bare windows. The woman rose unsteadily to her feet, blood dripping from her face and to the carpet. She took one step and then another, her dead, white orbs focused on Lilith. Another step and the next thing Lilith knew, the woman had appeared in front of her and reached out to her, her hand disappearing into Lilith's chest.

Lilith flinched at the foreign intrusion and winced as the ghost proceeded to squeeze her slow beating heart. The pain was intense but she had lived through these attacks before. She wasn't a member of the Guard for nothing...

"Die..." The woman croaked before she twisted her hand in an attempt to twist Lilith's heart. At that moment, memories of the ghost flitted through her mind: A small girl cowering against a corner as a man moved toward her, pulling off a thick leather belt from his pants... A teenage girl getting shoved against a brick wall as a group of men surrounded her... A young woman, battered and bruised, wearing a beautiful smile on her face as she held onto a newborn... The woman smiling more as she lifted a toddler into the air, the child's laughter squealing with joy... The woman crying herself to sleep beside a hospital bed, a young boy rested in this bed, he looked gaunt and pale, a telltale sign of a shadow looming in the corner of the room... A tiny funeral, the woman looked broken and lost... A dark room, a bottle of whiskey beside her thigh and a gun in her hand... Tears streaming down her face as she took the gun to her head and pulled back the safety... Pain and then nothing...

All of these memories appeared in rapid succession through Lilith's mind, the Guard catching every detail as she saw the woman's life. Despite how her life had been, she had been a good person. Lilith's heart began to ache...

What happened next stunned the ghost as Lilith's gaze focused on the woman. The member of the Guard reached out and gripped the woman's wrist gently and a flash of crimson light erupted from the contact. The ghost stared at Lilith in surprise as she gave the ghost's wrist a comforting squeeze, warmth and relief spreading up the ghost's arm. The ghost began to tremble as she gently released Lilith's heart. She sighed in relief as she held onto the ghost's wrist, her heart giving a strong thump with life.. The hand, which had been as solid as Lilith's own flesh, began to grow more transparent as Lilith moved her hand to gently intertwine their fingers.

The ghost's dead gaze focused on the milky white eye and then the healthy, earthy one. Her own fear was felt as Lilith's voice spoke in a calm and gentle manner. "I would appreciate it if you refrained from grabbing my heart. It does hurt a great deal..."

"You..." The ghost of the woman pulled her hand from Lilith's grasp as she studied the caramel toned skin of the member of the Guard, listening to that slow heartbeat. The ghost stumbled back a few steps as she stared at the live woman, the blood on the side of her face still dripping from her wound. "You're a Hand of Death... The Red Mother..."

Lilith was not surprised that the woman had known her, she was surprised the ghost had known the name by which the other members of the Guard had called her. Maybe it wasn't a name to tease her with anymore... She sighed heavily as she rubbed her chest and gave a single nod in confirmation.

The ghost of the woman began to tremble though from what Lilith could not be certain. It wasn't until the woman had fallen to her knees that Lilith made a move toward the angry ghost. By this time the walls had ceased in flowing with blood though the shadows still lingered in the corners. The ghost had wrapped her arms around herself, her anger turning to sorrow. "Of course. I had sinned greatly when I took my own life... The Red Mother herself is here to claim me with the guilt I feel... It has burned me for years now." She looked up at Lilith, her once dead eyes now bearing orbs of quiet hazel. "Why did you wait so long to claim me?"

Lilith kneeled in front of the woman and gently shook her head. She reached out to brush the blood from the ghost's face, the illusion growing weaker from the touch. The wound was nothing more than a dark hole now. "I have not come to claim you Celia. You have done nothing to warrant such a fate."

"But... but I have sinned!" She cried, the look in her eyes desperate as she reached out to cling to the other woman. It was strange to be able to touch another person, one who was still alive in a sense. She was so warm... The ghost named Celia closed her eyes as she leaned in close to rest her head against Lilith's breast, where her heart beat once every few moments. It was a testament to the strange life in which the Red Mother lived... Barely alive and yet not fully dead, able to walk as a member of the Guard of the Realm. She had heard of her from the ghosts that sometimes wandered through the forest, souls who had lost their lives to wild animals or the elements, but had not believed in her existence till now. "I had taken my life... That is the greatest sin."

"You had taken your life but you forget what life you had led." She reached out to grip the cold cheek of the ghost and lifted her gaze so she could look in her eyes. "You were a wonderful mother, an understanding friend to those who loved you. Your child had lived a happy life while he had and you were a good person despite the darkness that lingered around you."

"Why was he taken from me? Why?"

Lilith's heart ached even more, having hated this question from the very start of her training as a Guard. Why... She did not have the answer, no one did. Not even the Lord of Death himself had that answer. There was never a set plan to how life went, things happened for a reason and whatever that reason happened to be was always beyond Lilith's own understanding. Even in death, the answers to the why and how were never easily answered.

She pulled the ghost close against her, her life warming the cold sorrow and cooling the heated anger that gripped the ghost named Celia. By this time, the woman's form had become more transparent and silvery in color, a gentle mist lingered about her feet. Lilith allowed Celia her comfort, allowed the heart wrenching sobs to fill her own heart. The woman's own guilt and anger had been her suffering, it was time for her be with her child. "Do you want to see your son?"

Celia lifted her gaze and looked at the Lilith, her quiet hazel eyes filled with ghostly tears. "You... you know where he is? I can see him again?"

Lilith gave a nod as she pulled away from the bone chilling cold of the spirit. Her body had begun to tremble, an adverse reaction from being in the mortal world. "If you so wish, I can take you to him. I would hope that it was all right that I could stay here in your home. I wished your permission before you decided to leave..."

At this Celia nearly laughed and nodded happily, all too eager to see her son again. "Of course, please! Stay as long as you like, I don't care for this place. I always thought I was doomed here to be alone but now I that I know I can see my son again. Please, I'm ready..."

Lilith gave a nod and settled herself so that she say back on her heels. She closed her eyes as her body suddenly grew stiff and chill rose from her form. Her breath eased out in silver puffs and her slow beating heart grew softer in its thumping. A inkling of a trembling, silvery form emerged from the body and Lilith's spirit form took shape. She opened her eyes and reached out a hand to Celia, her smile was kind. "Come, let's cross the border..."

Celia, feeling a gentle touch of fear at the power this woman possessed, cautiously reached out to take the woman's hand. A moment passed and then everything was a blur of color as Lilith's spirit form shot up through the ceiling and into the night air. Celia let out a cry in surprise as she glanced down, seeing the cabin's metal roof, the roof of the garage and the guest cabin. They climbed higher and higher and she looked out, taking in the sight of Forks off in the distance, the lights from the town were twinkling. She looked in the opposite direction toward La Push, seeing the reservation's own lights, more subdued than the town. She could see the light of a bon fire somewhere on the beach. They climbed for a moment longer before the scene of the home she had known disappeared and they were bathed in warm light...

…

Alice's eyes snapped open, taking in unneeded gulps of air as she glanced around her room. She was safe on her bed, safe in her and Jasper's room. She was home...

"Alice..."

Her golden eyes flicked toward the doorway of her bedroom and she saw Edward standing there, his face was set in a gentle frown. He was a pale as she was with a tousle of bronze hair that seemed to always look as if he had just gotten out of bed. His own gold eyes were revealing the concern he felt, the worry...

"What was that?"

Of course he had seen it, his mind reading abilities were quite attuned to his sister because of her visions. This vision was like nothing he had ever seen before. Alice looked away and closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around herself as if trying to ward of the chill that remained. She heard Edward's quick steps as he rushed to her side and wrapped her within his arms, holding her close. He had seen the vision, had felt the fear...

"Is that woman gone?" His velvet voice was soothing, trying to ease the confusing pain his sister was feeling. Ever since Carlisle had returned from the hospital, Alice had been having strange visions of shadows, soul numbing coldness... In the center of this was a form, pulsing gently and very slowly with life, a warm light amidst a sea of utter finality. It was death, true death, something that not even vampires could escape. It centered around this woman, She was a doomed soul, death was focused on her no matter what choice she made and this death followed her wherever she went.

"I don't know... I feel she's still alive but just barely... I don't understand it. Carlisle had said nothing was wrong with her and yet I have trouble seeing her. There are shadows around her, no matter what it is I just can't focus on her..."

Alice was frightened of this death, frightened for the woman it followed. Whoever this woman was, she had already touched Alice to the core and there was no way of keeping the pixie from meeting her if she was truly alive. They would have to find out on Monday when school started...

Edward sighed heavily and held his sister close, trying to think of anything that could distract her from the sadness that lingered in her eyes. He remembered something a week prior, a vision she had had before this trouble. He rubbed her small shoulders as he pressed a kiss to her short, layered dark hair. "Have you seen anything else regarding the new student we'll be seeing Monday?"

At this, he began to feel Alice relaxing against him, the change of subject bring a much needed calm to her. She had been having visions of a human girl coming to Forks High, a pretty thing with a heart shaped face and thick brown hair that fell about her slender shoulders. The image of those chocolate brown eyes had haunted Edward from the moment he had seen them in Alice's mind. He smiled as he began to listen to Alice's musical voice as she went into detail of her last vision of the human girl...

…

Lilith gave a gasp as she took in much needed air, the thin ice that had formed on her skin cracking and falling away as her blood began its normal, slow flow. She sighed and looked around the living room, the heaviness of the Celia's sorrow and anger had gone away with her. There was nothing now but an odd sense of peace, a lingering feeling of happiness, even the shadows had retreated for awhile... Celia had found her son waiting for her the moment they crossed into the border. It had been a heart breaking reunion and Lilith had been glad that the mother could now finally enjoy her afterlife with the only love of her life.

She glanced up at the ceiling before she slowly got to her feet, ignoring the pins and needles feeling in her legs. Again, she relished the fact that her body still retained some semblance of humanity. After all that she had seen and done, she needed it as a reminder as to what she truly was. She slipped off her sneakers and socks before she left the cabin and proceeded barefoot out into the quiet night.

The moon was still shining beautifully and she took in a breath before placing a foot behind her and called the shadows to gather her close. The Allu shadows appeared beneath her feet, heeding her call as they lifted her, awaiting her command. She focused on the perimeter of her nearly ten acre of land, pinpointing the line that her land began. She leaned slightly forward and took off without a sound, gliding silently and quickly between the trees. She startled many birds, many small animals, and even a few herds of deer as she began marking the land at several points.

On the trees, the ground and between, a boundary was set against everything that she did not wish to pass. Her personal mark flared with crimson light, a circle with a six petaled flower within. It was Silvan who had appointed the mark to her, a testament to the life that still beat within her despite the death that followed her. This marks were tiny upon the physical land but it would keep all supernatural beings from crossing, be they dead or otherwise.

As she neared the point where she had started her boundaries, a prickling along the back of her skull alerted her to the presence of something already crossing before she had completed. She hummed in frustration, her alto voice keeping to a soothing tune as she neared the starting point. The marks flared with crimson light, connecting the imaginary lines of her land to something more substantial in the physical sense. With that done, she turned and glided back toward the cabin, sensing whatever that it was was moving quickly along the driveway. On the boundary of the trees, she settled back on the ground, the shadows retreating form her and merging with the darkness around her.

On the air, she caught the scent of sulfur and mist and she immediately relaxed, knowing that scent from anywhere. She walked slowly along the grass toward her cabin, catching an unfamiliar dark shape waiting for her on her front porch. As she neared, she caught sight of a pair of burning yellow orbs and the smile reached her face before she could stop it. "Dip, you're human."

The hellhound grinned in reply, revealing perfectly white teeth that were glowing slightly from the fire that burned within him. He was not quite as tall as Silvan but he still stood a good foot and half over her. His hair was the shade of black as his fur and hung in frazzled waves about his broad shoulders. His face was handsome in a rugged and wild sort of way, it suited his true nature. His skin was the same shade of caramel as her own, which she thought was funny. She had seen his human tone lean more to a darker shade the previous times. He was dressed comfortably in a pair of black slacks and a gray shirt that remained unbuttoned. He was barefoot and he leapt off the porch to land on the grass a foot from her.

She didn't react and simply laughed as he leaned forward to sniff at her neck. He wrinkled his nose at the scent of the vampire doctor that lingered over her clothing. "You smell too sweet." He growled as he leaned back away from her and studied her beneath the light of the moon. His gaze was lingering on her milky eye, an unreadable look crossing his features.

"You have no problem with Silvan's scent."

"Silvan's not a true vampire. His scent lost its potency countless centuries ago."

She walked past him and into the cabin, pulling off her coat and bloody sweater. The skin on her ribs was slightly bruised from where the car has plowed into her but it was healing nicely. The damage she sustained, though painful, never lasted for more than few hours to a day. It was a blessed thing she was able to pull her glamour up before those medics got to her.

She could hear Dip's dark chuckle as he followed behind her, knowing that he had seen her get hit and had been laughing his head off. She frowned as she made her way to the small laundry room off the side of the kitchen. "Shut it Dip before I send you back across the boundary."

She didn't really mean it. Like Silvan, Dip had been her guardian since her training had begun. Unlike the old vampire, the hellhound had been more fierce with his charge, her training with him having been intense. Her affection for him was deep though. The training that had left her close to death in the physical sense had prepared her for the trials she faced later on. It was no secret that he bore an intense hatred for the human when she had first arrived on the scene but over the years that hatred became layered with grudging respect. He disliked her but he tolerated her presence more than he had in the beginning. The fact that he was even here in the same room with her spoke measures.

"Why are you here anyway? Silvan left not too long ago." She threw her dirtied clothing into the washer, threw in some detergent and turned on the machine. She glanced back at the hellhound, catching his gaze lingering on the swell of her breasts. The bra she wore was stained with her blood and she watched as he inhaled the scent of her.

"Dip."

His burning yellow eyes snapped up to meet her gaze but he didn't look apologetic. There was no need for him to apologize for the lust that radiated from him. He was a hellhound not a human. "Day watch. Silvan can't come for obvious reasons so I'll be near during the waking hours. I'll be playing big brother and making sure you keep your guard up." That explained the skin tone, if he was going to play the older brother he would need to look the part.

"You won't be able to follow me to the school, they have a strict no pet policy." She smiled at the sight of the fire that sparked in his eyes and moved past him. She made her way to the master bedroom, seeing nothing but carpet to keep her company for the night. She sighed, noting the furniture and clothing she would need to acquire to make this place livable. She heard the heavy footsteps of Dip and didn't blink when he leaned in close to blow his hot breath against her ear. He reached around her and help up a plastic card, it looked like a bank card.

"I've set you up with an account at the local bank. You have enough to get you started. When you need more just ask."

She took the card without complaint and glanced back at him to see that his yellow orbs were now the same shade of earthy brown as her own. "Thanks. Playing as my twin?"

"Liam Holloway." He smirked at the name as he took a step back from her. "I'll be living in that guest cabin to keep up appearances."

"Nice to know you care about my reputation."

"Just following orders," he growled as he turned and made his way back to the living room. He always got defensive when someone teased his concern for her. He didn't want to be seen as weak, she knew that better than anyone. She was still glad that he cared even a tiny bit. "I've got a few things to take of before tomorrow. I left the truck outside for you and spare clothes for tomorrow."

She followed him through the living room and back outside. Sure enough the rusted white Nissan was sitting in her drive, the tires filled with air. She could see a small pile of clothes on the hood and she smiled at him as he looked at her. "Thanks."

"Make yourself forgettable."

She understood right away and gave a nod, watching as he ran off toward the darkness of the trees. His human form wavered and he shifted into the huge black wolf she knew. The sight of the embers that flowed from his open mouth always sent a shiver through her. He was a hound of death, a member of the Guard like her, and she was glad that she remained on his good side.

...

"You wanted to see me Carlisle?"

He glanced up from his paperwork to catch the sight of Alice standing in the doorway to his study. She looked worried and the doctor wondered what visions were plaguing her now. He beckoned her closer as he set his pen aside and reached out to grab a few papers that rested as far from the others as possible.

Alice noted the slight frown on his face as he glanced at the papers and she studied his face as he looked at her. "Take these with you tomorrow." He held out the papers and Alice's golden eyes flicked down to catch the sight of the name. Lilith Holloway...

They were forms for the woman to sign, AMA forms for refusing care. Alice was confused, why was Carlisle giving them to her? Of course the woman had not signed them, Carlisle said she had been in a rush to leave. The woman was supposed to be the new school nurse but there wasn't going to be a reason for Alice to see her. It was impossible for her kind to get sick...

She froze as a familiar tingle made its way across the front of her skull. A vision filled her mind and blocked her senses: There was a small white room with a single window... Two small beds on either side... Jasper was sitting on one of these beds and he looked confused. The woman was there with him and standing by the window, the memory of that earth and pine scent washed over her. Alice couldn't see her face but Jasper's was as clear as a bell. He wasn't tempted, the usual strained look on his face was completely gone. She was helping him with something...

The vision was gone as quickly as it had come and she blinked once, her eyes adjusting to the here and now. She looked down at the papers and caught Carlisle watching her with his calm, golden gaze. He had fed earlier and he looked better than he had when he came home. She smiled as she took the papers, feeling slightly hopeful as she glanced down at them. The woman, Lilith, was going to help her Jasper tomorrow. Something was going to trigger his need and she would help him.

"What did you see?"

Alice looked at her father and her smile grew, she was going to meet the nurse. Carlisle had given her an excuse and Jasper was going to be ok tomorrow. "I'll be meeting her tomorrow for sure. I couldn't see her well but she's going to do something good for Jasper."

Carlisle looked faintly surprised at this and his face grew thoughtful. Silence passed before he found his voice. "Will it change anything?"

Alice sighed and shook her head. "No, not really... Whatever she's going to do will help him for tomorrow. He'll still struggle with other humans but I sense that he'll be comfortable around her."

"That's a good thing. She has a way of hiding her scent completely, I don't know how."

"You had smelled her though..."

"I can't remember her scent. It was too quick for me to place to memory. She's not a normal human."

Alice's face grew thoughtful, her beautiful features enhanced by the concentration. "Do you remember her heartbeat? It had been very slow when she was hit, was it normal when you discharged her?"

He thought back on his encounter with Lilith, recounting the sound of her heart when the nurse had been checking her. He remembered now, he had been so caught off by her scent and the strangeness of her, he had nearly missed it. It had been slow, inhumanely slow. It had only beat once every few minutes despite the very healthy appearance of her. Her slow beating heart was of one who was moments from death. Carlisle looked at his daughter and shook his head, the alarm bells going off in his head.

Alice looked crestfallen at this and she glanced at the papers in her hand. "She is all right, I've seen it for myself..."

"Something is off about her though," he said, not liking that this strange human had such a strong affect on his daughter.

Alice gave a nod as she looked at Carlisle. "Death always follows her."

Silence followed this and the two vampires remained quiet, their thoughts remaining within the confines of their minds.