Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight.

Thank you to Simaril for helping me go back and give this story a good polish.


Chapter 11 – Doubts

Carlisle

"Rosalie is a singer?" Dale asked, clearly confused. "What's a singer anyway?"

"A singer, or a blood singer, Dale," Esme replied "is a human whose blood calls to a specific vampire in such a way that it almost sings to him. What the woman Carlisle and I saw today said was that this Bella girl is Edward's singer."

"Got it." Dale nodded and then turned to me. "And what you're saying is that the woman you saw must be Rosalie?"

"Yes," I answered. "It seems to be the logical conclusion, even though I do not know how it is possible, considering the fact that Alice saw her die as a human. For the sake of the argument, let us refer to that woman as Rosalie, at least until we can prove otherwise," I suggested.

"I don't know if we should simply take this Rosalie's word for it," Edward intervened. "Why is she so certain that this human is my singer?" His tone was doubtful. I couldn't blame him for it, finding one's singer was a very rare occurrence.

"I'm not saying that we should take her word for it, but I do think that caution is advised," I said.

"Edward," Alice called him.

They shared a silent moment with their eyes interlocked. I assumed that she was showing him or telling him something using her thoughts. Whatever that was, it must have been something Edward did not expect, because with each passing moment I saw his eyes grow wider and his mouth drop open. He even took a step back before whispering, "Alice, that's impossible!"

"What did she show you?" Esme asked, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Edward did not seem to have heard her, his eyes were focused entirely on Alice. "It can't be..." He shook his head as if to rid himself of an unpleasant thought.

"No!" Alice shouted and crumbled to her knees, a look of utter terror on her face.

"Alice!" Jasper cried, he was immediately by her side, holding her rigid body next to his.

I looked at Edward and found an equally horrified expression on his face. He was staring at Alice, unblinkingly, while she was looking into the future in her mind. David and Dale watched the two with amazement and confusion written all over their faces.

A full minute passed before Alice finally broke the silence, "You have to leave." Her voice broke, and she looked like she would have cried if she could. "Please," she whispered.

"No." Edward's expression hardened and he straightened his shoulders. "I will not allow myself to be driven away by a mere human girl," he spat.

"A human girl who is your singer," Alice reminded him, despair written all over her face. She was still on her knees being held by Jasper. His face portrayed the fact that he was hurting just as much as his mate.

"We don't know that," Edward argued.

"How can you still doubt it?" Alice cried in pain. "I am not lying!"

"I didn't say you were," Edward snapped. "All I'm saying is that we are all capable of making mistakes." He shook Esme's hand from his shoulder.

"Alice, please tell us, what did you see?" Esme pleaded with both hurt and concern in her tone.

It pained me to hear her hurting, and I felt my temper stir and anger at Edward rising within me. He had no reason to be rude to her.

"She saw several possibilities." Edward was the one to answer. "Most of them are impossible."

"Not impossible, Edward, and you know it!" Alice scolded, rising on her feet. "It's all up to you."

"Will someone tell us what the damn pixie saw? Or are we going to continue with the cryptic remarks forever?" David demanded.

"Watch your tone, David," I warned, my voice never rising above the normal. No one raises their voice to a member of my family. For some reason, when I thought about my family now, the picture that came to my mind included not only Alice and Jasper but Esme as well, and even Edward and Dale.

"I saw Edward with Bella," Alice answered despite the glare Edward was giving her. "I saw him—"

"Alice!" Edward growled, and Jasper was immediately in front of Alice in a protective stance.

Alice ignored them both. "I saw him falling in love with her."

"With a human?" David was shocked.

"Edward in love with a human?" Dale boomed with laughter.

Esme was stunned, her beautiful golden eyes filled with sadness, love, and just a twinkle of hope.

I approached Alice and put my hand on her shoulder, asking her to look at me. "That's not all you saw, Alice. There is more." I was certain of it.

Her gaze was tormented. "He will either love her..." She hesitated, glancing at Edward.

"Alice, Don't!" he said through gritted teeth, but he did not come closer.

"He will either love her, or this will end with more than one life lost."

"Alice?" Jasper turned to her, worry in his tone. "Who else?"

"All of us," she mouthed, looking at her mate with the saddest eyes I have ever seen.

"What?" David spat.

I glared at him. With every word that came out of his mouth he made me like him less and less, and I was about to reach my limit.

Esme quickly stepped in between us. She placed one hand on my chest, but she looked at him when she spoke. "David! Behave yourself!"

She then turned to me with an apologetic expression. The look in her eyes and the touch of her hand served to calm me instantly. She touched me; she touched me, and it felt right.

"I knew you'd be trouble, boy," he hissed at Edward. "From the first day I met you, I knew nothing good could come from a Volturi Elite."

Instantly, Edward closed the gap between them, and his face was now mere inches away from David's. Fury darkened his eyes to onyx black. Volturi Elite? That's an interesting bit of information.

"Just the fact that I understand why you hate everything related to the Volturi does not mean I won't tear you into pieces, reattach them, and tear them again before I burn you to the ground if you ever talk to me in that tone again."

"You wouldn't dare!" David challenged him.

"Oh, believe me, I would do more than dare," Edward said in a very quiet and cold tone. The calmness in his words was more threatening than a shout would have been. Every nerve in my body knew that he was more than capable of acting on his threat, and with his training and talent, David would not stand a chance.

"Please, let us all calm down," Esme pleaded, looking at her two brothers. I heard the heartbreak in her voice.

Edward, please. He's not worth hurting Esme, I pleaded with him in my thoughts. His head snapped to look at me. I understand that you're angry. I would defend my family in the same way, but this is not what we need at the moment. I thought in a firm voice, showing him that I was equally mad at David for behaving like that. Edward looked me in the eye and gave a small nod. His eyes were slowly regaining their golden hue.

"I left the Volturi two years ago, Jasper." Edward looked Jasper in the eye as he spoke, apparently answering his thoughts. "It is true that I was a member of their Elite Guard, but my loyalty lies with my family now, and I will never betray them."

Jasper nodded, accepting his words.

I couldn't help but wonder whether or not Edward included David as part of his family. Things looked strained between them. I saw Edward shake his head infinitesimally and realized that he was answering my question.

Dale and Esme?

He gave me an even smaller nod.

I will not let anything happen to either one of them, I promised him. He raised a brow at me, and I continued to answer him in my thoughts. I can't explain it, but I feel very...protective of Esme. You and Dale are clearly dear to her; therefore, I will stand by your side. Edward seemed pleased with my reply.

"Well, I won't let you tear this family apart Edward," David barked. "You are no longer welcome in my house."

"David?" Esme stared at him, shock on her face.

I saw in the corner of my eye that Edward kept his expression blank. Dale stared at David, trying to figure out whether he really meant what he said.

"I think you are the one who is tearing your family apart," I told David. "I don't think that this is the answer." I tried to be diplomatic about the situation.

"No, Carlisle. I think this is exactly the answer." David didn't bother to look at anyone other than Edward. "I never want to see your face again."

Edward didn't say anything; he folded his arms over his chest and stared at David.

"In that case, David," Esme said in the same cold tone that Edward had used earlier, "I think it is best that you leave now. I will come back to take whatever belongs to me later today, and you will not see my or Edward's face ever again."

She's a protector, I thought, like a lioness protecting her cubs. I saw Edward's lips curve lightly at the edge of his mouth, and he closed his eyes for a second, conveying his agreement with my observation.

"You don't mean that, Esme," David told her, his voice harsh. "You can't survive on your own. The last time you were on your own a single newborn was too much for you." His tone was mocking now, and I felt a growl build inside my chest. How dare he?

"That is no longer your business, David," Esme said curtly.

"Fine!" he snapped. "I'm leaving." He turned and began to walk away. He paused after a few steps and looked back at Dale who was still standing next to Edward. "Dale? Are you coming?"

"No," Dale said firmly. It was the first time I saw his face filled with rage. "Edward never deserved the way you treat him, and Esme does not deserve to be treated like that either," he said. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

David gaped at him for a moment before his features contorted into a furious frown. "I saved your life! I taught you to survive! And this is how you thank me? By betraying me?" he shouted.

"You are the one doing the betrayal!" Dale shouted back. "Esme has been with us for more than fifteen years, and you are willing to throw her to the dogs as though she was nothing but a meaningless ragdoll. You are the traitor."

It was a fearsome sight. Dale was a foot taller than David and twice as wide, with muscles clearly evident under the thin T-shirt he wore. I did not know if he was talented, but even with just his strength at his side, he was a force to be reckoned with.

I was a man of peace and normally would have intervened, but at that moment, I agreed with every word Dale said. David decided to abandon his family in the face of a threat. This is the worst kind of betrayal.

"Who do you think you are?" David slammed into Dale, sending both of them crashing into a tree.

I was about to go and break them apart when Edward ran over to the two vampires and threw David away from Dale.

"Is that how you treat your brother?" Edward hissed.

"I gave him his life, and I can take it back!" David retorted.

This time when David tried to throw himself at Dale, he was met with not only Edward but Jasper and me as well. "David!" I called his name in warning. "You do not want to turn on your own family."

"I think my family," David mocked, "has done the turning for me." He gave us all one last glare and turned his back, muttering, "You're not even worth it," before disappearing into the trees.

Esme turned to Edward, sobbing. He held her tightly in his arms, his eyes focused on the place between the trees where David was standing just moments ago. There was anger in his face, fury, and disgust, which were all understandable, but I also saw pain in the back of his eyes. He was desperately trying to conceal it, but I was certain that the betrayal had hurt him just as bad as it hurt Esme and Dale.

Dale was huffing, clenching and unclenching his fists, his chest heaving with labored breathing. His eyes, just Like Edward's, were glued to the forest.

I walked over to him. "Dale, calm down. Give him time to think. I'm sure he did not mean what he said." I tried to soothe him. I could not believe that David would simply abandon his family like that, without a second thought.

"I don't care. He's dead to me," Dale muttered. "And please don't use that name again. I never want to be called Dale again. It was the name he called me by."

"Emmett is better?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Edward, Esme, Emmett, you are all welcome to stay with us," I said, and just like before—when Esme had touched me—this felt right. It was as though this was something that was supposed to happen years ago. I guess I'm letting my imagination run wild on me, what with Alice's visions of having all of them with me...

"I don't want to impose..." Esme started to object.

"You won't, I promise," I cut her off. I did not want to give her a chance to convince herself otherwise. I needed her. "The house is big enough for everyone, and I would love the company," I said, speaking from the heart.

Edward, I will take a detour to the house. I don't want to risk crossing Bella's scent. Singer or no singer, I think we have had enough drama for one day, I told him.

"I agree, Carlisle," he replied. "I think it is best to let things calm down a bit."

"I hate it when you do that," Dale, um, Emmett, muttered.

I glanced at him, surprised.

"You were talking with him in your head. Esme and he do it all the time; it's annoying," he explained, but he was smiling again, so I knew he was not truly upset by it. It was funny how he could brush things off and regain his smile back so quickly. "So what did you tell him?" he asked.

"I said I will lead the way home."

"Fine," he replied. "We'll be right behind you."

w.W.w

Edward

I left Esme and Dale with Carlisle and went for a run. It always made me feel better in the past, and after the day I'd had, I needed to release some steam. There was something about the feel of the wind on my skin that made me feel truly free.

David was an idiot. I still found it hard to believe that he could turn his back like that on Esme and Dale—I mean Emmett...can people stop changing their names? I'm getting dizzy!

I hadn't been at all surprised that he had turned his back on me though; in fact, I had been half expecting it for a while now. David and I had never gotten along too well. I knew that it wasn't personal. I knew that it was my past associations with the Volturi that had made him nervous and on edge. I had been suspecting that he would turn his back on me at the first opportunity he got since the first moment we had met. Today's events had only served to prove me right.

I was halfway to Canada before I finally allowed myself to slow down. I sat on a cliff edge overlooking the Pacific Ocean and watched the reflection of the sky in the waters. It was beautiful. The sky was littered with thousands of tiny lights and the moon was just a thin crescent in the sea of stars. I loved the nighttime. It was much quieter than it was ever during the day, people-wise, and that meant that I got some peace and quiet inside my own mind as well—a rare occasion for me.

I kept pondering Alice's visions from earlier. The grim images didn't scare me; they bothered me, true, but I wasn't afraid of them. It was the happy visions that gave me the creeps. Seeing myself in Alice's thoughts holding a human girl in my arms, kissing her...It was mind boggling. Was Bella really my singer? I couldn't help but wonder. It didn't seem likely; finding one's blood singer was very rare, and with Alice seeing me being...intimate with her, I doubted it even more.

Well, there is only one way to verify it and you know it, I said to myself. It was a split second decision, but my feet were already carrying me back to Forks. From what I'd seen in Alice's visions, I was pretty sure that I would find Bella's house without much difficulty. She was the daughter of the local chief of police; there weren't many houses with police cruisers parked in front of them in a small town like this.

I approached Forks from a different direction than the one I left, and as soon as I was inside the city, I caught the sweetest scent I'd ever smelled. It had the sweetness that I had once associated with strawberries and freesias; it smelled like the most delicious exotic fruit and the most familiar flower. My throat began to burn with thirst. It didn't matter that I had hunted only hours earlier; the scent of human blood always had such an effect, and this scent was worse than anything I'd ever tasted before.

I grew closer to the white house at the edge of the city, and the burn in my throat worsened. I grimaced at the growing ache as it seemed to prove what the mysterious Rosalie was saying. Looks like Bella is indeed my singer.

I stood in the forest next to her house with less than a mile separating me from the warmth of her body and the sweet aroma of her blood. There wasn't any doubt about it anymore, and once I took a deep breath, my entire body was thrown into a frenzy of thirst and need.

Drink. Feed. Take. Kill.

I fought with the monster that was speaking from within my mind. The demon was thrilled, anxious. My inner beast wanted to drain the human dry, taste the warm sweetness of her blood on my tongue and in my throat. The man inside me was losing the battle to the vampire, and I could barely hold on to my reason.

She's only a girl, I reminded myself. She can't be much older than eighteen, the same age I was when I was changed. I stopped breathing and listened to the thoughts coming from the house. I easily caught the thoughts of her father. He was dreaming and as dreams went; his thoughts were mostly a blur of pictures, water and fish and the need for patience. Fishing, I guessed.

It took me a few moments to realize that I wasn't getting anything from the human girl. I could hear the thoughts of her neighbors, as well as the TV playing from a house down the block, but nothing from the girl.

Maybe I was wrong and she's not there?

I knew it couldn't be the case, but I took another breath or air, tasting it.

Yes, she is there.

The raging beast inside me roared and shook the bars of the cage I forced it into. It took every ounce of my self control to keep my muscles locked in place and not to succumb to the call of my singer. Years of training as a soldier, decades spent working on my self control while living with Aro and the overwhelming guilt that only the past two years were able to ease—those were my only aids against the monster that demanded to be satisfied.

Focus on the thoughts.

I tried, but there was nothing coming from the house other than her father's dreams. There were no thoughts, not even blurry fragments of a dream coming from her.

Maybe if I got closer?

I took a tentative step forward, testing myself with every shift of my body.

Can I handle this? Can I move without going in for the kill?

I didn't dare take another step before I knew the answers to those questions.

Twenty minutes had passed before I cleared the distance to her back yard. I could hear the beating of her heart from where I stood under what I had assumed was her bedroom window, but there were still no thoughts.

Interesting, this young human girl must be a very powerful shield if I can't hear a thing from her.

Only Renata was this good at hiding her thoughts, and even then she had to concentrate very hard to do so. If Renata wasn't focusing on her mental shield, I could usually know what she was thinking about, even if I couldn't hear the exact words. Listening to her when she wasn't focusing was a lot like listening to dreaming humans.

This Bella is more powerful in her human form and while sleeping, than Renata is on her best day. As that realization settled in my mind, three things became apparent to me.

First, Aro could never know about her. Bella would be too desirable for him. He would not hesitate to change her and add her to his "collection".

Second, if changed, Bella would be one of the most powerful vampires I'd ever seen. She would be something to be reckoned with even without joining the Volturi.

And third, I was intrigued.

That last one was the most dangerous for the both of us. Bella, as a human, should never want a vampire to be intrigued by her, as it will only lead to her death. I, as a vampire who had found his blood singer, was in real danger of being the one to cause her death. But that wasn't the only reason why this seemingly harmless human who had triggered my interest was dangerous to me; it was Alice's vision that made me desire her in more ways than just her blood.

It was ironic. The burning ache in my throat was equal to the burning curiosity in my mind. Maybe this was what would save her life and maybe even my soul—if there was still such a thing left in me.

Bella was a human girl whom Alice saw me falling in love with, a human girl that Alice also saw me kill and feed upon. Bella was a human whose death would bring about the death of me if I believed Alice's visions, and I had no reason not to, not anymore.

So, my dear Bella, it seems as though we have a future to share. I liked the sound of that in my mind already. My Bella.

Be it death or love, there is no escaping it now.

Love, it is such an odd emotion. I saw love and lust in the minds of vampires and humans for the past nine decades. I saw what the two emotions were capable of doing. I knew strong vampires who would turn to putty in the hands of their mates. I had witnessed covens being torn because of the lust of one of their members to the mate of another. Love was just as capable of destruction as hate.

The thoughts about love led me to think about the look I saw Carlisle give Esme today. I heard his thoughts and the emotions in them. He was falling for Esme, fast and hard. His inner being recognized her as his mate even if his mind hadn't registered the thought coherently just yet.

I didn't know how I felt about that just yet. Carlisle seemed like a decent immortal; he stood up for his family—Alice and Jasper had only been with him for a few months, and he already felt very strongly about them, very protective. Esme deserved to have someone to take care of her and love her the right way. I was never that for her, and it wasn't just because I sired her or that she was nine years older technically; it was because we never felt that way for each other. I filled the emptiness she had felt after the loss of her son, and she was the mother I had been missing in my immortal life. Esme deserved to be loved in a way I could never feel for her. She deserved to be happy.

Esme hadn't been happy for much too long. Even in her new lifestyle, she was content but never truly happy. Today made me hope that Carlisle might be able to fill that void in her life—a lover and a mate.

I was happy for her, but the thought did accentuate the lack of happiness in my own life.

Will I ever find someone to fill the void within me?

If I were to believe Alice, then I was standing close to that someone right now. According to her visions, I didn't even need to worry about telling Bella about my true nature. Alice had seen me sitting with the girl in a sunny meadow. I was sparkling like a bloody girl's toy, but Bella wasn't frightened or apprehensive; she was sitting right next to me and we seemed to be engrossed in conversation.

What are you doing here? Alice hissed in her mind. She was close enough for me to hear her thoughts but not her footsteps.

I waited for her to come closer before I answered her. "Hello, Alice."

Have you lost your mind?

"No," I replied calmly.

Then what—?

"I wanted to see if she really was my singer." I shrugged.

She shook her head. You are one stubborn vampire.

"Thank you." I smirked.

I didn't mean it as a compliment.

I could see the pout in her thoughts and smiled wider. "I know."

It solidifies. I don't know what has changed, but the vision solidifies.

I saw the images play in her mind. Some of them were ones I'd seen earlier today—Bella and me in the sunny meadow, the two of us in a restaurant, me playing on a piano with Bella sitting next to me, Bella in my arms, our mouths intertwined in a kiss. Some were new—me laying next to her on her bed, watching her sleep, the two of us sitting in a classroom and sharing a table. Another vision showed her in my arms again as we were dancing; Bella's eyes locked with mine, and the expression on both of our faces was of pure joy and love. This was something I had craved for years: to love and be loved in return. Alice's vision was like a tap into my heart's deepest longings.

Loving a human, Edward? I asked myself. Bella's love wasn't the only thing that called me to her; I desired her blood just as much. I needed to know that I was capable of being with her before I allowed myself to hope. I needed to know that I was strong enough, because everything inside me craved to hope, almost to the level of inflicting me physical pain. I deliberately took another deep breath, and this time I welcomed the burn in my throat.

It will get worse when you're in the same room with her, Alice warned me. There will not be fresh air and wind blowing to ease the burn.

"I know. But it's a start," I said confidently.

It would take a while. I would need time to adjust myself to her scent before I could stand being in the same room with her.

Jasper and I are starting school in two weeks' time. Jasper will be posing as Carlisle's nephew. I think you, Emmett, and I can pose as Esme's foster kids.

"How will we explain why we're all living under the same roof?"

We were all living in Chicago when Jasper's parents were killed in a tragic accident. Esme's sister was married to Carlisle's brother. Both of them, as well as Esme's husband, died in that same tragic accident. Carlisle had offered Esme that we all live together as a family.

"I almost believe you myself." I chuckled.

It will work. People will be curious, but it will be fine.

She showed me her vision of our first day in school. It was a bit blurry on the edges but things seemed to be going well as far as she could see. I knew that I couldn't rely on it too much—there were many variables—but it gave me something that I needed at the moment. Hope.

You will need to familiarize yourself with her scent during these two weeks.

"I know. Any ideas on how? I already feel like a bloody stalker standing outside her window."

Then you'll feel even more of a stalker when I suggest that you take an article of her clothing tonight. She will be doing her laundry in two days, so you'll have to put it back by then, but you can take another one after she's done.

"You're right."

I usually am, but what about this time?

"I do feel even more of a stalker."

But you'll do it! she chimed in her mind.

"Yeah, I will." I shook my head. "I don't want to kill her on our first day of school, so I might as well go with your plan."

It's going to work too.

Another vision played in her mind. It was again our first day of school. I saw all of us—Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and me—walking out of the main office and then taking our separate ways to our classes. I seemed to be having English first period. I saw myself walking inside the classroom, and after a few minutes, I saw that Bella sat down next to me. The vision cut off there.

"I hope you're right, Alice," I murmured. "I hope you're right."


Wow, David leaving took even me by surprise! But there we have it; our Cullens are finally back together. I know that I've missed them, so I'm sure you did, too. What do you think of our Edward? Is he strong enough to endure the call of his singer?

Have a wonderful weekend, and as always, thank you for reading!

Alley Cat.