Chapter 4

(***** means a time jump, ***** ***** ***** means a change in point of view)

*Elizabeth's song for Edward inspired by Yiruma's "When the Love Falls"

We all stood absolutely still to watch the exchange between Edward and Elizabeth. Rosalie had forgotten all pretense of caution and rearranged her beautiful features into an expression of incredulity. Jasper, whose hands were resting on Alice's shoulders, was close to dry sobbing himself. Poor Jasper- the emotions must be overwhelming. Emmett was... well, there wasn't any good way to describe him. He was shocked, for sure, but there was something else in his eyes. Recognition? No, that was impossible, I was mistaking it for something else that I wasn't familiar with.

The two siblings fell to the ground as if the weight of their reunion was too much for either of them to bear. Elizabeth was leaning into Edward's chest, still clinging to him for dear life. Edward leaned his cheek on the top of her head, one hand stroking her long hair soothingly, the other was wrapped firmly around the nape of her neck. He kissed the top of her had for a long moment.

She looked up at him with her radiant face and placed her hands lovingly on either side of his face, barely touching him. It looked as if she was afraid he would disappear in a silvery smoke. His hair, messy as it was, was hanging in his eyes. She brushed his bangs out of the way while tilting her head to the side fully taking in his face for the first time.

I heard her speak again. The sound was so beautiful that I almost didn't care what she was saying, but I forced myself to pay attention.

"Why did you leave me, Edward? Where did you go?"

"I'm sorry, Lizzie. So, so sorry... I- I didn't think... I mean.... I was a monster- the thirst! I couldn't....."

Elizabeth's grip tightened around her brother's tortured face. I felt salty tears leaving warm trails down the sides of my face.

She whispered to him, barely loud enough for me to hear, "It's okay. It's okay, Ed. It's okay...."

*****

An hour later we were all back in the Cullen house, with one new addition; Elizabeth Anne Masen. She and Edward were now at the piano, talking, her leather travel bag and pea-coat forgotten by the front door. Her dog was playfully nipping at Emmett, but it seemed that my big teddy bear soon-to-be-brother-in-law wasn't in a very playful mood.

I sat on the couch with Alice and Jasper, trying not to intrude upon Edward's and Elizabeth's privacy but it was too tempting for me not to listen to Elizabeth's voice. I guessed Alice and Jasper simply wanted to know what was going on. Jasper was on the phone with Carlisle and Esme, explaining the situation but I wasn't really listening to them- I was too preoccupied with Edward and Elizabeth.

Edward was sitting on the piano bench. Elizabeth was leaning gracefully against the baby grand, her arms crossed with one elbow propped up on top of the piano's glossy black surface.

My angel's hands were poised above the ivory keys. I knew what he wanted to play for her. It was his apology for forgetting about her, for leaving her behind. I didn't know why he didn't just play it- she would understand what he was saying. But soon he removed his hands and stood up.

He caught her gaze with his eyes. He was telling her something silently. She seemed to agree to whatever he was asking because she uncrossed her arms and took Edward's seat at the keys and she began to play.

It was beautiful. Even the dog sat down and listened. It was a sad song full of longing and loneliness. It sounded like she had lost something. The melody was airy and ethereal. For the second time that day I began to cry. Her body moved with such passion as she played that the song was transformed from a story to an extension of herself that couldn't, for some reason, be expressed with words.

She slowed towards the end and stopped for a moment. Her hands were perfectly positioned above the black and ivory keys, her lavender eyelids closed. Her brow was furrowed ever so slightly. A nearly undetectable frown was tugging at the corners of her lips. Then, with overwhelming tenderness and passion, she played the last triplet of notes.

Her shoulders relaxed and her eyes opened. I took this moment to realized that her hands were also the same as Edward's with long willowy fingers, but more feminine with well manicured nails cut just barely longer than her fingers. There was a long scar on the inside of her left hand between her thumb and index finger. It disappeared beneath the sleeve of her jacket.

She turned her onyx eyes to her brother. I could quite plainly see that she desperately needed to hunt. For a moment my thoughts ran away with the possibility that she could easily turn around and sink her teeth into my warm throat that was pumping with delicious blood. But I assured myself that my vampire family wouldn't have let me so close to her if they weren't absolutely certain she wasn't a threat to me.

Slowly she stood up and spoke, her voice barely above a whisper, "That was the first piece of music I wrote after I was changed. While I was still human, I practiced everyday with the hope that somehow you might find me if I kept playing." Edward looked as if he could cry.

"Please, my dear sister, tell me of your life after I was gone." My angel sounded as if he was begging. There must have been hesitation on her face.

He looked so dejected standing there, his eyes overflowing with guilt. I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around him and kiss him senseless; I wanted him to know that everything was okay. But this was too private. Turning to Alice I opened my mouth to ask if we should leave to give them some time alone. She must have already seen what I was going to ask because she scooped me up immediately and left the room with Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett close behind. The dog, however, didn't move from his position on the shaggy white rug in the middle of the living room between the couch and the love-seat.

I stretched my neck over Alice's shoulder to get one last look at my angel before I was forced way from him. Elizabeth had sighed and turned away from him, once again crossing her arms, her weight shifted to her left foot. Even from the one fleeting glance I gave her I could see there was pain in her eyes.

***** ***** *****

She turned away from me, a torturous pain emanating from her eyes. Surely she needed to go hunting by now, especially with Bella's tantalizing blood so close. My mind took note of my family leaving the room, Bella in Alice's petite arms. My dead heart softened for a brief moment as her mahogany hair moved with each of Alice's steps. My Bella's eyes were wide in sympathy as she watched my sister cross her arms. Tears were trailing down her pale cheeks. I was angry with myself for causing her pain. What a monster I am.

I had tried numerous times since our reunion to read her thoughts but, like my angelic Isabella, I could not. I was in too much of a shock to really care that I wasn't allowed into my own sister's mind. Really I don't think I would've have invaded her privacy in such a way even if I were able to. Elizabeth was far too precious- I wanted to hear every thought and memory of hers only if she wished to tell me.

After too long a moment (actually 684 seconds, but who was counting?) she spoke, not bothering to face me.

"Do you really want to know? It's a very long story," she said in her beautiful voice. I wondered if it had always been so beautiful, only enhanced by the venom that made us all so enchanting. Slowly, she shifted her weight so that she spun around to face me but her head was turned to the piano. It took me a second (figuratively) to recognize the emotion in her face: a refined mixture of shame and sadness.

Taking a step forward I said, "Please, please tell me. I need to know."

"I am afraid," she began, biting her bottom lip (a forgotten human memory was dragged up from an unknown place in my mind of a nine-year-old Elizabeth performing the same gesture).

"Yes?" I prompted.

"I am afraid you will become... angry," she finished, looking up at me. There truly was fear in her eyes. I started to shake my head at the absurdity of the idea but she stopped me with her words. "Angry with me and others. Edward, as a child you were my whole world, my hero. I did everything I could think of to please you. I forever sought after your approval. All I wanted then was to be the best little sister I could for the greatest big brother a person could have. But the things I've done.... there are things I've done no one would be proud of. I try not to think of those parts of my past, but they haunt my every thought."

"Lizzie," I breathed, "I need to know your life. I need to feel that I know you. You were only twelve, thirteen when I.... died? Please tell me."

She sighed and let her arms fall to her side. I could see a battle within her eyes, contemplating what to tell me, or perhaps wondering where to begin. Even my breath stopped with anticipation of her words, though I didn't need the oxygen anyhow. A side seemed to have won her over as she walked to the window and sat down cross-legged on the dark wood floor. Her furry traveling companion pranced over to lie across her lap. Absentmindedly she stroked his black and tan fur.

"What is his name?"

"Sargen," she replied automatically. I raised an eyebrow in question. She looked up at me with a hint of amusement in her eyes. "I couldn't decide between Sergeant or General, so I mixed the two."

I smiled and sat down in front of her. Sargen's ears perked up and he turned his red-brown eyes to my face. My sister's lovely face was turned to the forest behind the house. The soft light caught the subtle glow of her skin- she was so much more luminous that others of our kind. I could only imagine how many men she's had to fight off..... I suppressed a growl at the thought. Again she sighed.

"I don't quite think I know where to begin," she said, earnestly.

"How about when you were changed- how old were you when that happened?"

"It was two years after I thought you had died. I was fifteen."

Only fifteen! She certainly didn't look fifteen. Curse it all she's probably fought off every male in existence!

"Fifteen... such a short life," I commented.

"For a human, anyhow.... I know I should be grateful for the long life I've had, but...."

And then I saw it- her left hand had reached under Sargen's head to scratch behind the other ear while her right arm was draped over his back. On her ring finger was an old-fashioned engagement ring with delicately entwined strands of white gold and in the middle were two perfect off-white pearls flanking the single flawless white diamond. Without thinking I reached out for her hand and drew it close to my face. I probably only did this because a part of me couldn't really believe that it was there. She didn't protest. Instead she looked intently at the floor in a way I imagined the human Lizzie might have looked when struggling to hold back tears.

I took her hands in both of mine- her hand was noticeably more delicate than mine. I rubbed the back of her hand in what I hoped was a soothing manner.

Softly, I asked, "Who?"

"I'll get to that part in a while, but I think it is a good idea to start at the beginning..."