Summary: Edward has been unmanageable for years and his home situation has gotten out of hand. Eventually, social services finds him a new home with his aunt and uncle. But is a change of scenery really what's needed for a change of heart?

Saints and Angels

Chapter 4

I briefly glanced at the little brats. The smaller two, introduced as Alex and Julie, seemed to be about the same age, probably twins. The other, Dean, seemed a few years older than his siblings. They all looked alike, brown hair, brown eyes, very ordinary. Julie had given me a tiny wave when Esme had introduced her and I fixed her with a cold glare. Better lay down the law to these kids from the start before they would see me as their new playmate.

When Esme realised I wasn't going to speak, she broke the uncomfortable silence. 'You're allowed to play if you want,' she smiled softly, indicating to the piano. 'Alice was taking some lessons years ago and demanded the only piano that should be played was a grand. Of course, being much younger, she quit a few weeks after we bought it. Now it just stands around being decorative.'

'I don't play,' I hissed angrily and stormed out of the room and the house. I made my way across the law to the river. There was a slight drizzle, but I refused to go back inside and get a coat. I hadn't touched a piano since that day and I promised myself I never would again.

At the river I dropped down on a large rock. I gathered a hand of small stones and skipped one every now and then on the water, trying to reach the other side. It had years since I thought of those happier times that had been stolen so abruptly. The recital I had been practising for in the memory induced by that piece of firewood would have been my first... I never went.

Before long I felt someone coming to stand next to me, watching my stone skip to the other side of the river, just short of the other bank. 'Cool!' a little voice exclaimed. 'How did you do that? Can you teach me?'

'Go away,' I growled.

'Cookie?' Dean offered, holding one of Esme's freshly baked cookies while munching one of his own.

'You eat it,' I growled again. Didn't that kid get that I wanted to be left alone.

'You don't know what you're missing!' Dean protested. 'Esme's bakes the bestest cookies ever!'

'You're right, I don't know, so I can't miss it,' I snarled. 'Just eat the freaking cookie already. I don't want it.'

'You're loss,' the boy shrugged and started munching on the second cookie. I skipped another stone, ignoring the little boy beside me. Maybe if I ignored him long enough he would go. He didn't, I don't know exactly how much time passed, but he still stood beside me in the rain, watching me skip stones. How little it took to entertain these small town brats.

My salvation came in the form of Esme's voice. 'Dean, come inside before you catch a cold,' she called from the kitchen door. An apron was now covering the front of her clothes, apparently it was almost time for dinner. The little brat dragged his feet as he walked back to the house. 'Edward, you too,' her voice reached my ears.

Dean's head immediately snapped up from being hunched over to show his reluctance and he looked back at me. I ignored them both and just stayed where I was, skipping another stone. 'Edward, please,' Esme's voice pleaded and I looked back at her again. Dean had reached her now and she was helping him out of his jacket, though her eyes were fixed on me.

My stomach grumbled softly. I had to admit I wasn't going to say no to a meal and dry clothes would be preferable. Slowly I got up and made my way to back to the house. Esme smiled at me before turning her attention back to Dean.

'...and Edward didn't want his cookie, so I got to eat it,' Dean finished whatever story he had been telling.

'You were only allowed one cookie before dinner,' Esme berated him. 'You should've saved the other for after dinner and shared it with your brother and sister then.' Dean looked only she slighted bit guilty. 'But, I guess I can let it slip this once, if you eat all your vegetables at dinner.'

'Ew,' Dean shuddered, sticking his finger in his mouth.

'Dean,' Esme scowled. 'You'll eat your vegetables otherwise you won't get dessert. Now go play with your brother and sister until dinner.'

Dean sped out of the kitchen and I went to follow him to change into some dry clothes. 'Edward?' Esme's voice stopped me. 'I know you didn't know Dean was only allowed one cookie before dinner, but next time, please don't let him eat it?'

'Whatever,' I shrugged and left. As I passed the living-room I noticed Alice had come how and was playing some sort of dress up game with Julia and some dolls. Dean had joined Alex on the ground and they were building a castle or something from Duplo. Even though her game with Julia seemed to take up all Alice's attention, she was still managing to keep half an eye on the boys. Well, I definitely wasn't going to watch these kids, especially not if it meant joining in their childish games.

I quickly went upstairs and changed into some dry clothes. I picked up my ipod and sprawled out on my bed listening, to my music. Fifteen minutes later there was a knock on my door, which I ignored. A bit later there was another knock and the door cracked open. Carlisle stuck his head in and smiled at me. 'Dinner's ready, are you coming?'

I nodded and got up from my bed. Apparently hoping that Carlisle had gone ahead was too much to ask, because he was waiting for me. He motioned for me to go down the stairs first. I felt an uncomfortable prickling in my neck and when I snuck a look over my shoulder, I found Carlisle studying me with a weird expression on his face.

At the dinner table I put a pork chop on a plate and dragged the placemat away from its assigned place to one of the seats at the corner, as far away from everyone as I could get. I noticed the looks I got, but no one said anything. They left me alone during dinner, at first.

'Dean, I warned you. Eat your vegetables or you won't get a dessert,' Esme told the little boy.

'Edward's not eating any vegetables either,' Dean protested.

'Edward, will you please eat some vegetables?' Esme asked me politely.

'I'm not a rabbit,' I replied. Honestly, I didn't even think I could finish this pork chop on my own.

Dean smiled triumphantly at Esme and kept ignoring the vegetables on his plate. Esme shoot me a pleading look, which I ignored. From that moment I kept my eyes on my plate, eating slowly and taking little bites, even though my food soon turned cold. I heard some of the plates being cleaned away and dessert being place on the table.

'What about me?' Dean asked in a sad voice.

'You didn't eat your vegetables,' Esme replied pointedly. 'If you eat them, you can get ice cream too.'

'And Edward?' Dean protested.

'Isn't getting any dessert unless he eats some vegetables either.'

Moments later Dean made a sound of disgust. 'They're cold,' he protested.

'Then you should've eaten them when they were still warm,' Alice pointed out. Apparently Dean must have soldiered on, because Esme praised him and went to get his bowl of ice cream. I cut of another piece of cold pork chop and stuck it in my mouth. When I finally swallowed it after extensive chewing, my stomach protested. One more bite and it would all come back up for sure.

Esme came back into the room just as I shoved my plate away from me. 'Aren't you going to finish that?' she asked as she handed Dean his desert.

'I'm full,' I muttered.

'You hardly ate anything and you're much to skinny as it is,' Esme protested.

I looked up at her furiously and opened my mouth to tell her to mind her own business, and not so politely either, but Carlisle beat me to it. 'Esme, leave it,' he told her gently. Something much have convinced her to listen, though it was obvious she didn't like it. Then Carlisle looked at me and though he tried to hide it, the pity was still clear in his eyes.

I got up and fled back to the one place in this house where I would be left alone. That night, I fell asleep in my clothes on top of my covers again.

When I woke up the next morning the blanket from the day before was covering me again. I looked around the room and the wet clothes I had thrown over a chair were missing. Slowly I got out of bed, pulled out some clothes for the day and went to get a shower. The clothes that I had left on the floor yesterday morning had been moved to the hamper and I found my now dry clothes draped over the side of the bath. Whoever had placed the blanket over me must have placed housekeeper.

After a quick shower I went downstairs to get some breakfast. The house sounded quiet somehow. The energizer bunny must have already left for her shopping trip and Bearmett must either be still sleeping or off to somewhere. I just didn't see him as the type to be able to keep this quiet when awake.

As I neared the kitchen I heard whispered voices talking.

'But it's been almost seven years,' Esme's voice sounded disbelieving.

'Some people never deal with things like that,' Carlisle voice replied. 'And was there really something else to be expected?'

They were talking about me, I realised in outrage. Quickly I stormed into the kitchen to cut their conversation short. They had no right talking about me behind my back, especially not about that. And Carlisle was obviously pretending to know everything, but he didn't, not even close.

I felt their eyes on me and I started to get myself a bowl of cereal. I didn't have to look at them to know they were trying to determine how much of their conversation I had overheard, because it was clear I heard some. My anger flared even higher when Esme put the milk carton next to the bowl I was filling.

'I'm not a baby! I can take care of myself you know!' I snapped at her, a look of pure shock was on her face for a moment, then it was replaced by hurt. Good, served the meddling bitch right. Forcing themselves into my life while they had no right to, they couldn't honestly have expected that would have gone over well with me. I wasn't going to sit up and give paw.

'You're right,' Esme replied in a subdued voice. 'I'm sorry.'

She left the kitchen and Carlisle followed close behind her, but not before shooting me an unreadable look. At least they finally got the message and left me alone. I just wondered how long that would last.

A/N: See, I can update faster. This chapter was a lot easier to write than the last one. Though you do have little Dean to thank for that. Hope you liked it. Please tell me what you think. I've decided to speed up time a little, since I know what I want to happen, I just need to find a way to get there.