"And you live off of animal blood." Alex asked in amazement.

"Yes" Esme answered. "It is not a bad existence if it is all you know. There are those of us who voluntarily choose this life. We are outsiders, but it is a choice of morals. We think the destruction of human life is wrong."

"That is a wonderful way of thinking. I have to admit I am surprised by all this. My only experience with vampires is the dark underworld. Not your world where you mix with everyone else and live just like everyone else. Your family is very diverse but they all love and respect you like a mother and a father."

"Yes." Esme agreed. "They are all my children including Bella; Edward's wife. She is our newest member. Her daughter Renesme brings us so much joy."

"Renesme is a vampire human hybrid. I didn't know there could be such a thing."

"We didn't either, until she was born. She's very special."

"How old is she?"

"Only one year old."

"What?"

"Vampire children age and mature in a different way than human children. By the time she is four years old she will be fully grown and have matured to adulthood."

"How long will she live?"

"There is only one other hybrid in the world and he is only in his twenties. We don't know how long she'll live. She may be immortal, but on the other hand she may not be. We do know that she does not carry the venom that her father does."

"Venom?"

"It is what causes the change from human to vampire. If a human is bitten and has a heartbeat the venom causes the change to happen and a new vampire is born."

"What if the human dies?"

"Then there is only death." Edward said walking up to them followed by a very distraught Carlisle.

"How is Nick?"

"He's angry, but I can understand his anger."

"He will accept it with time." Esme offered.

"I don't know. Nick is a hard man with a soft heart."

"What you need to understand about Nick is that he is very protective of his family. He needs to for lack of a better word always be in control of what happens to them. He's lost a lot in his life; his mother, father and brother all to the dark forces. He protects people from the dark forces every day and this goes against everything he believes in."

"We are a dark force, I understand. The damned walking the earth." Carlisle said. "Yet we are friends of the Legacy and fight for the good of mankind."

"That's pretty much it in a nutshell."

"And now his sister is going to join us and he feels betrayed by us." Esme offered.

Nick burst into the hallway.

"Fix it." He growled.

"There's nothing I can do." Carlisle said. "It's far too advanced."

"You can reverse this. You've done it before." Nick said taking a step towards Carlisle.

Edward moved between them. "He told you there is nothing that we can do. With Bella it was different. The change had only just begun."

The sound of the loud alarms on the monitors broke through the silence. Carlisle looked at Edward and they rushed into Anna's room.

"Her heart is failing." Carlisle said starting CPR.

"Get the bag from under the cart and put the mask over her face. Count to ten and squeeze it at eleven."

Edward nodded.

"What's happening is she changing?" Alex asked her voice filled with worry.

"She's dying." Carlisle said. "If she dies before the change is complete then she will die."

Nick's hands balled into fists.

"We need to finish this, now." Edward breathed.

"Nick." Carlisle asked.

They all looked at him. They could clearly see his anger. His body trembled and the candle flames from the chandelier burned like the fury within him behind his eyes.

"Do it." He whispered and quickly walked away.