James let loose a low growl and shifted so he was slightly in front of her, in a protective stance. His eyes were still black, and his lips curled into a snarl, giving him a deadly appearance. Andrea growled quietly as well, uncomfortable because James was. But the vampires coming towards them ignored their angry sounds and merely stopped several yards away and waited for them to quiet down. It took a moment, but recognition finally flickered in Andrea's predatoral mind. She eased her tense muscles and stared at the arrivals.

"Edward? Edward Cullen?" She asked one of them.

The boy gazed at her evenly, dark gold eyes hard. He just stared at her for several seconds, and she remembered Carlisle telling her about his ability to read minds. Was that what he was doing now? At her exact thought, Edward smiled slightly.

"Yes, that's what I was doing." He answered and glanced at the two vampires beside him - Emmett and Rosalie.

James growled lowly again and crouched. "What do you half-vamps want?"

"Carlisle wants to talk with Andrea."

"Not happening."

"What does Carlisle want?" Andrea interrupted curiously.

"He wants you to be with us, or like us at least. He doesn't want you to live like this."

"You mean he wants me to live off animals, like you?"

"Yes."

James hissed, crouching even lower, body tense.

Andrea glanced at the three vegetarians, and then gazed at the vampire beside her. "Why isn't Carlisle here then?" She saw Rosalie glance at Emmett, who only shifted.

"He sent us." Rosalie spoke now, voice hard. "So make up your mind."

"Rosalie," Edward interrupted gently and turned to Andrea again. "She means that time is limited, and your James seems to be growing more nervous by the second." He ignored the low snarl that erupted from James' chest. "Just try it, Andrea. Try being one of us. You don't have to hide from people, and avoid civilization; you can have a nearly normal life. Just moving around from time to time, but you can even be adopted into our family if you'd like. You'd survive, Andrea, but be safer."

"This isn't safe?" Andrea was confused by the scene before her. Things with James had been fine, and he seemed to enjoy the life-style.

"It's not as safe as we are. Look at all of this." He gestured to the scene behind her, in the house. "What will happen when other humans find them?"

"You know just as well as I do that they never know what happened." James interrupted with a snarl. "Animal attacks or another human, maybe. They never suspect us."

"But the Volturi aren't naive, James. This is quite a mess and there are bound to be more, aren't there?"

"They know newborns take time. I can take care of her."

Edward chuckled softly. "I'm sure you can. Just like you took care of Victoria?"

"Andrea, you don't need to listen to him." James purred softly, ignoring Edward's taunting. "Do you really want to be an outcast in an already outcast world? That's what being one of them will do to you. You know it will."

"I know James, I won't-"

"We might all be part of an outcast world, Andrea," Edward interrupted. "But with our way, you can fit into the normal world better. It's easier. It will take time, but you've got eternity ahead of you. Don't waste it on being a murderer."

"Surviving is not murdering, half-vamp." James growled again.

"It is if it can be prevented." The pale boy focused on Andrea again, faint smile on his lips an attempt at being reassuring. "You can survive perfectly without killing innocent people. This creature you're with, this murderer, he wants you to think you need humans to survive, so he can teach you, control you, and bond with you. Then when things are working well, he'll leave. He'll disappear or save himself the time and kill you. Us vampires are known for traveling alone for a reason."

"Stop messing with her head, you yellow-eyed bastard!" James snapped, a savage snarl beneath his voice. He could feel Andrea growing uneasy, and scared. She was believing what the stupid boy was saying.

"Oh but I'm messing with your head, James, not hers. I can read minds, don't forget. I know what you plan."

"What?" Andrea stared at the deadly blonde man beside her, red eyes wide. "James, is this true?"

"No! God, no! He's lying, I swear to it. He just wants you away from me."

"W-Why?"

James paused and tore his gaze away from the trio ahead to meet her frightened eyes with his ebony gaze. "Because then they can get rid of me." He turned back to the intruding vampires, voice harsh. "So the silly mind-reader can get revenge for me wanting to go after his girl. You've still got her weak and human don't you? At least I change those I want to have around."

Edward snarled and Emmett growled in response, only Rosalie remaining calm. "You know nothing about that, monster." Edward snapped, settling his body into a crouch finally.

Andrea had been staring at Edward since James first spoke, her red eyes blazing. "You want to kill him? You want to kill James?"

"Andrea, we never said that-"

"You're not denying it either!"

"He was going to kill Bella, Andrea! He was going to kill you! Don't you remember how scared you were? Don't you remember how close you felt to dying when he pulled you out of that car?"

Andrea growled shaking her head. "Get out of my mind, you freak! I'm not going with you! You're not having James! He's mine and I'm his!"

Edward growled disapprovingly. "Andrea, you can't stay with James."

"Why not? I have a choice, Edward. Now leave."

"Carlisle wants you with us, Andrea."

"Carlisle? This hardly seems like Carlisle."

"How could you know my father? You've hardly ever met him."

"I've met him long enough to know he wouldn't demand something like this." Andrea hissed. "I've made up my mind. I don't want to be anywhere near your damn family. I don't want to give up human blood just to be moral. I want to stay with James."

Edward sighed and glanced at Emmett and Rosalie. "Fine then. We've got no other choice." He nodded just so slightly, only vampire eyes could have seen it, and then Emmett was on James. Vicious snarls exploded from both of them, and they rolled for a moment until James flung the large vampire off of him. Emmett landed with a crash several yards away, but was back on his feet in an instant, white teeth bared. Rosalie than appeared on the other side of James and swung, her fist knocking him back. The distraction was enough for Emmett to grab James' throat, the large hand easily surrounding it and squeezing, slowly breaking the stone-hard skin. James gasped and clawed at Emmett's arm, useless against the larger man's power, and soon his feet were lifted off the ground.

"James!" Andrea screamed and then turned to Edward with a furious roar. She knew the boy could hear her movements right when she decided to make them, so she didn't decide anything. She attacked blindly, irrationally. The older vampire had far many more years experience than her, but she had strength on her side. Edward dodged her first lunge, and grabbed her arm, pulling it behind her back. Andrea snarled and yanked it out of his grasp, turning around and slamming her fist into the side of his head. The boy stumbled, surprised for a second, and then growled and grabbed for her throat as well. Andrea avoided his grasp and instead slipped behind him and shoved him to the ground. She then jumped on top of him and grabbed his head, holding it tight between her hands. She didn't move though, had enough self-control not to kill him imediately.

"Make Emmett let him go." She hissed.

"Emmett!" Edward yelled and Andrea heard the strained gasps behind her start to even out.

Edward didn't say anything more, and she twisted his head. "You know I can break your neck. And then I'll tear you apart." Her voice a growl and her own blind rage nearly had entire control of her. "Hurry up."