Carlisle POV

The joy of having Connor living with us was extraordinary. Occasionally, I would see Esme looking longingly at him and I wondered if she was wanting her own child. While my bloodlust for humans was nil, I knew she would struggle but only for a few weeks. Luckily, she was the only one who did act like she wanted a child. Alice and Ana kept to themselves about it. I think Alice refused children-knowing that she wasn't a motherly figure and Ana, though she loved Connor, shrieked from any duties that involved daily care.

It was strange indeed and I knew if we were caught things would escalate quickly into something we couldn't control or talk our way out of. Every time the Denali clan came over- with Eleazar and Carmen being the exception-Rose and Emmett would stay at their cabin. We had strategically placed it where we couldn't hear Connor's tiny heartbeat. Being his 'grandfather' I was honored to be his physician. He was an unusually healthy baby. Rose smugly said it was because he had exceptional care.

I had to admit, Connor looked similar to what Emmett used to look like. He had his same blue eyes and dark hair. Maybe it was a coincidence; maybe it wasn't. With my 'children' you never know. Ana and Henry left shortly after the New Year, but they promised to return.

Esme and I had hope. On a few walks with Henry I learned more about him and how his life before he met Ana. How he was stuck in a routine that living and being around us was refreshing and kept life interesting. He found that he preferred life this way. It wasn't a hard life, but it wasn't easy. Being who we are compared to our other vampire brethren kept things difficult with control. From what he told me, he had exceptional control and hadn't taken a human life in centuries.

This meant that he could easily adjust to our way of life. He seemed happier living here. He had always kept to big cities but found living in the woods, like we were, refreshing. It was as close as he could be to living at home in England.

On Connor's first birthday, we celebrated. The last birthday party we had was Emmett's and it wasn't as fun as celebrating a human birthday. Little Connor shoved his face into the cake that Rose and Esme made for him. Rose was becoming the mother she had always wanted. She was learning things that she dreaded she would never learn. Especially cooking. She and Esme spent an inordinate amount of time in the kitchen relearning how to cook.

This child, was by far, the most spoiled child in the history of humans. He received everything he ever wanted, but he would have to be taught to actually be grateful for the things he received. No one talked about what to do when he got older. What we would tell him, what we would tell his friends and what to do for schooling. No one wanted to talk about it yet. We pushed it on the back burner and forgot about it. We would deal with it when the time came. For now we were enjoying little Connor.

As promised, Ana and Henry returned to Fairbanks just a few days before Connor's birthday. With them, they brought their entire studio that we hurried to make room for. Both of them were independent enough that they would continue to work. Ana was the artist and Henry was a writer-for at least another decade or two. While we Cullens try to keep as far under the radar as we could, Henry didn't.

He was well known and had been on several book tours, but lately as he 'aged' he declined more and more. Stating that he was a recluse that didn't wish to be bothered. It had worried me for a short time, but he promised that only his editor knew anything about him. It was the same as Ana's foundation knowing about her but nothing more.

The 'children' were out hunting, leaving Connor with Esme and I. We were enjoying our time being 'grandparents'. Connor was past crawling and was moving around the room with swift ease. He was into everything but tiger Rose, we had baby proofed the living room. It was the only room that we had baby proofed. He couldn't get upstairs to the main rooms. Though, he tried climbing the stairs several times.

Rose and Emmett had slowly come to breakaway from the hovering new parents that they were. From what we could tell, Rose was the one that had the most trouble. Emmett, like with everything, took things in stride. I believe it had something to do with her trying to make things perfect when no child raising is perfect.

Soon enough, the doors burst open and everyone came striding back inside. A warm Alaskan wind blew into the house, but Edward firmly shut the door preventing Connor from wandering off. The poor child had escaped his parent's eye more than once and we all knew better than to leave a door opened. Esme and I smiled seeing the 'children' coming back in fresh from a hunt. They seemed relaxed and shoving each other.

Before I could ask, Alice shrieked startling Connor who was trying to climb onto Edward's piano. He was fascinated with the keys and Edward often played for him; even letting him bang on the keys. Which is something I thought I'd never see him do. Just as I predicted, the banging of keys drowned out whatever Alice was going to say.

"What is it darlin'?" Jasper asked helping her to sit down.

"I saw her." she breathed.

"Saw who?" he pressed, taking her hand gently.

"Edward's mate."

The music stopped abruptly and Edward rushed in carrying Connor. Handing him over to his parents, he crouched down in front of Alice and looked in her eyes. I could tell she was playing back the vision she had. Seconds later, he crumpled on to the ground. Pushing back the coffee table and knocking over several toys.

"What? What is it?" Emmett demanded twirling Connor.

"I saw her too. She's alive…" Edward gasped tearing at his hair.

"Dude...that's freaking awesome! Where is she?" Emmett boomed from across the room. Rose made a 'shushing' noise to remind him of his vocal level. He gave her an apologetic smile and made a funny face at his son.

"She's...little. Maybe two or three." Alice spoke up looking around at all of us. Her eyes were worried but I knew why. She was worried for her brother. The one that had been alone for so long that he knew his mate was finally alive. I could see the concern in the eyes of all of my family. Esme's grip on my hand reminded me that I needed to try and reassure Edward.

He stood up abruptly and walked out the room. Jasper and Henry stood up to chase him down. Emmett handed Connor to Rose and followed them. It was wonderful that all my 'sons' stuck together like they did. Supporting each other like the girls did.

We watched as the room emptied but the girls and Esme and I. It was silent for a few minutes before I turned to Alice, "Did you see where she was?"

She closed her eyes and thought back on the vision, "Not really. She is very young. Things can change as she grows up." she shrugged and leaned her head on Anna's shoulder. "It wouldn't matter now, we couldn't go to her anyway…"

"It would torture Edward to be around her at such a small age. It would be best to wait this out, Carlisle." Ana said looking at me. I was Carlisle for this conversation. Ana had given up her co-leadership when she found Henry, but she was far older than I and so her opinion counted.

"She's right, Carlisle." Esme spoke up looking softly at me. "Edward's waited this long...A few more years won't hurt him. He knows she's alive. I'm sure Alice will keep an eye on her."

Alice nodded vigorously. "I can. It won't be every day but I can keep track of her when I think of it."

"She's human...You know this can't turn out well." Rose said taking a seat and letting Connor loose.

"We have no choice, Rose. If this human is truly Edward's mate, then we have to prepare to support him however and whatever happens." I said firmly. Her lips were in a thin line but she nodded anyway.

A while later, the boys came back with a forlorn Edward in tow. They must have talked to him, telling him the same thing we had talked about with the girls. He didn't look happy. He look like he wanted to leave to find her and keep a close eye on her. I was worried that it would be too much for him to deal with. While he would listen to me, he would also listen to reason with his brothers. Even Henry, being the newest, but the oldest in our family could give him insight that no one thought to give him.

The years would fly by for us and Edward's mate would grow just as Connor would grow before us. He would soon start school, make friends, and being to learn about life and they ways of the world in the best way that his parents could teach him. Esme never spoke about wanting a child, but I knew it was there. Bothering her in the back of her mind. I would give her anything she ever wanted-including this.

The years did fly by and we watched as Connor grew. Ana and Henry's 'bridal years' were finally waning and things were going by smoothly. Except Edward. Every year, he would ask about his mate and every year Alice would give him the same answer. He would have to wait. She was growing quickly and would soon blossom into the woman that he would have in his life.

Fairbanks, AK-Chicago, IL 2014

Another decade was upon us. We were slowly working our way of the early part of the 21st century when Ana made a mention about Edward being the last one to receive the decade gift. I know that everyone enjoyed the gifts but I knew they would think of something else to do. Edward had volunteered to retrieve Connor from school and the 'children' and Esme and I gathered around the unused dining room table.

"So, this is the last decade we're doing this. I asked Henry if he wanted a gift, but he told me that being mated to Ana was enough." Rose said tapping her nails against the table. "And it's Edward's turn. Anyone have an idea?"

"I do." Ana said tentatively, never looking at any of us. Everyone turned to look at her. She was sitting close to Henry, her face buried in a sketchbook. "Edward's human home in Chicago."

Alice gasped and nodded excitedly. Apparently, this was the gift to give. "I thought he owned it?"

"Nope! While he came into his part of his inheritance, he lost the house to an auction while he was spending that first year as a newborn." Alice said bouncing up and down in her seat.

"So how do we get it back?" Esme asked excited at the prospect of renovating the home if we could acquire it.

"Find out who owns it now and buy it back." Jasper said trying unsuccessfully to calm his mate down. "If it was left alone, it's going to need a lot of work."

"Well it is summertime and I'm sure we can have the whole house redone before Christmas." Esme said. I could see her mind calculating the work and time needed to have this ready for Edward. It would be a wonderful surprise for him. Right after finding his mate, that is.

It was decided. Now to find out who was going with Esme to check out the house. It couldn't be Edward, it was his gift. Ana, was the only other person that handled ht finances. She would have to sign off on it or go with Esme. Henry didn't like the idea much that she would be leaving for a few days, but she promised that it wouldn't take long. All she needed to be there for was to sign her name endlessly.

I wasn't much of a fan of letting Esme go as well. The thought of the distance made my chest ache. I know Henry felt it as well as the girls were discussing trip details. Jasper volunteered to find out who owned the property and Esme and Ana would go to make an offer. Alice volunteered herself and Rose to help furnish the home once Esme had to renovated.

When Emmett asked what he, Jasper, and Henry would be doing; Alice grinned and told them they would help restore anything that could be saved. Ana was in charge of restoring all the artwork-if any was found. The only person that was left out was me. Part of me was elated that I wouldn't but the other half saddened until Alice had an idea.

"You know what would make it better?" she asked, stopping all the trip planning. "Returning it to it's original state."

"Meaning that we keep as much original detail as possible and make it look it was when he was a human?" Henry asked, frowning.

"Yes!"

"Is that possible?" Emmett spoke up from the computer. He was busy trying to order material to restore furniture. Everyone looked at Esme who was our deciding factor.

"It is. As long as I know what it looked it before Edward was changed." she confirmed. Then everyone looked at me. I was the only one who knew what his human home looked like. Well there was my part.

"Carlisle, you were the only one that was ever inside the house. I know you remember what it looked like. Show me what it looked like and I can sketch the rooms."

"I'll give them a finer detail." Ana quipped. "It won't be hard."

"Can you manage to do both?" Henry asked her softly. She gave him a kiss and nodded.

"I can. The artwork-if there is any will be the hardest to do. I'll have to order an art restoration kit."

"On it!" Emmett said smugly, never looking up from the laptop. "I'm ordering the best one out there."

"We need to move funds to a private account so that Edward doesn't know about it."

"If he asks, we can blame Alice.." Rose snickered at her hyper-active sister.

"Yea...she wants a new wardrobe!" Emmett laughed and kissed Rose on the cheek.

"Fine...fine…" Alice grumbled, smiling. "Blame it on me. How much do you think we need?"

"Maybe a million?" Esme surmised. "That's for everything. You know what would be nicer? Opening the Chicago house for Christmas this year. That way, we don't have to fly down there to surprise him."

"That's a great idea love." I beamed at her. I was already on the phone calling the local utility district and cleaning services to open the house. "You and Ana can open it up while you are there."

"Why not have Jasper and Alice do it? It's not hard and won't take but a few hours." Esme offered.

Alice and Jasper silently communicated but nodded at us, "We can. Does it have enough rooms for everyone? You know this family has grown since you guys have lived there?"

Esme gasped, furrowing her eyebrows and thinking quickly. "You know I hadn't thought of that. I hope we have enough. I know we didn't spend long living there."

"That should be enough." I added remembering the inner workings of the house. It was large four story brownstone in the center of Chicago. Everyone would have enough room. Jasper pulled out his laptop and pulled the blueprints for the house.

"Well good news is that everyone will have a room. The bottom floor has a private room. The second floor has a bedroom and a-" he raised an eyebrow but shrugged, "make up room."

"No way...A makeup room….how posh." Rose remarked looking excitedly at her sisters.

"The third floor." Jasper continued, "has two bedrooms and the fourth has a bedroom and a home office."

"The home office can be turned into a temporary bedroom for Connor. Since I know that you and Emmett will want the fourth floor." Jasper said nodding to Rose.

"We'll take the second floor!" Ana said peering over his shoulder. "It has a fireplace." she cast Henry a lusty eye. Pulling her close to him, we ignored the tender moment and whisperings.

"So that means, that Alice and I will take the third floor with Edward. I take it that you and Esme want the garden floor bedroom?" Jasper asked, looking at a smiling Esme who was already planning to redecorate.

"That works for us. We'll be far enough away from everyone that it will be like a vacation." I said before nuzzling into Esme.

"Hmm...a vacation." she mused, breathing me in. "That does sound like a good idea."

Everyone continued to ignore Esme and I. The talk around us continued but we were lost in a vacation that we could be planning shortly. I was happy to take her back to Isle Esme and spend a few weeks alone with her. We could trust the 'children' for a few weeks to not burn down any houses.

"Now, this is imperative. We have have have to keep this from Edward. So everyone try not to think about it. Don't tell Connor about the gift. You can make a mention about Christmas in Chicago, but that's it!" Alice implored, her heated gaze directed at everyone.

We all nodded and set out to take care of what we needed. Taking Esme's hand, I led her outside for a very private hunt.

Just as predicted, the trip to Chicago for Esme and Ana proved to be painful for Henry and I. He and I tried our best to stay occupied but wound up wandering around the property and causally hunting. It was difficult to keep our thoughts away from the gift and away from Edward, but we prevailed. Instantly, he was suspicious about what we were up to o when he arrived home with Connor that afternoon, but said nothing.

His eyes would wander to everyone occasionally, hoping to glean information out of us. But no one gave him anything. He questioned us a few times, but we diverted his interrogation as much as we could.

Alice and Jasper left a week after Ana and Esme-who had returned safely to happy arms and relieved mates-to open up the house in Chicago. Removing the sheets and updating each room according to Esme's specific instructions. Everyone had sent a list of what they wanted for their own personal rooms. I knew they could handle it and be back within two weeks. Modern furniture with an outdated-much to Esme's dismay-scheme. She would rectify it once Edward's present was underway.

That was a challenge in itself. Finding out who owned it took Jasper a few days to track down. Once he did, a man named Malcolm Blackstone-age 65, was all too happy to sell it to us. A mere $450,000-according to Esme, a steal. The house was worth over two million but she said that it would take more to renovate it than it would be to sell it for that price. The man agreed and the deal was set with the house being in Edward's name.

The house wasn't in ruins but it had a clear state of disuse. Esme, already knowing that it would take an ample amount of construction, had already called a company and within a day they were out there putting holes in the walls. She told them she wanted to keep as much of the original woodwork as possible.

Shifting through the storage, they found art, furniture, chairs, lamps, etc-all dating back to the early 20th. Much of it ruined but several pieces could be saved. Shipping the woodwork furniture as well as the paintings back to Fairbanks, the girls returned. Ana, with her part already done by signing all the necessary paperwork, she hand delivered it to Jasper who mailed it to Jenks.

Esme would have to travel back and forth to make sure they were doing the house justice. I would go with her each time. I wanted to see the house and how it was going to turn out under my mate's careful eye. I knew she was going to make it extraordinary. When asked, Esme told Edward that she was restoring a house in the lower half of the country. It seemed plausible to everyone and he didn't question her further.

At the beginning of December the construction was done and all the furnishings were bought. It needed one last cleaning before we could move everything in. Ana had restored four of the six paintings and would try to finish the last two before Christmas. With Alice's and Rose's help, the rooms would be furnished in the style of the early twentieth century. It took days of hunting down the appropriate furniture but when they came upon an antique store in Chicago, they flew out to purchase.

The boys had the broken furniture repaired and shipped it back to Chicago to be added. Our own house was open and waiting for us to arrive. Once Edward's house was restored, Esme took to our home like a hurricane. In days, she had every single room repainted and the flooring replaced. As well as all the water pipes and electrical wiring. When enough money was thrown at someone; things tended to get done quickly.

Finally, as Edward's house was completed, Alice threw herself into shipping all our Christmas decorations to Chicago and decorating the house that we would be staying at. She and Jasper flew back and had the whole house decorated in two days. Keeping this a secret was becoming tiresome and for once I wished the holidays were already over.

"Everyone pack!" Alice shouted as she and Jasper returned from Chicago.

We were all sitting around the living room enjoying the quietness of the house without Alice's hyper-active energy. All the females were curled into their mates. Connor was in my office finishing last minute homework before we would leave and Edward was at his piano playing softly.

Looking up at them as they walked in, I set my journal down and turned to everyone. They were sitting up looking at Alice as well. "Alice, we're already packed."

"Oh, well that was easy. I figured I would have trouble on my hands." she mused skipping over to a vacant chair. Taking a seat, Jasper sat on the arm of the chair and ran his fingers through her hair.

"Where are we going again?" Edward asked coming in from his piano room.

"To a vacation home. It's going to be a bit warmer than it is here and I know that Esme is tired of the mountains of snow." I replied, lying easily. It helped that Esme nodded to confirm my story.

"I know everyone is hiding something and I don't like it." he said frowning at us. "You never hide anything from me."

"Well maybe this time we have a reason to hide something, Edward." Rose snipped, her eyes narrowing at him. Out of everyone here, she was the one that refused to deal with his moodiness.

"Fine! I'll finish packing." he yelled from his room. He had moved quickly that no one saw him leave. The door slammed shut and we heard the door snap from the sudden slam. Esme growled at him and we heard him muttering an apology.

"Are we taking one plane or two?" Ana asked lifting her head from Henry's chest. "Mine can hold seven people. As long as someone flies, we should be fine."

"Ours holds seven too." I replied, giving her a shrug.

"I can fly, if you want me too." Rose vocalized from the downstairs study. She had gotten up to check on Connor after Edward stormed out of the room. "I don't mind. My pilot license is still activated."

"That'll work! Come on people! We have a plane to stock!" Alice said jumping up from her seat. Her whole body buzzed with excitement and I saw Jasper shaking his head at her.

Everyone groaned, but got up anyway. Retreating to our rooms, we grabbed our luggage and met back downstairs. There were varying degree of luggage in the living room. The girls had the most luggage but it seemed that they boys could rival them.

"Everyone, we're only going away for a few weeks…" I reminded them eyeing the luggage.

"We know, but that place doesn't have my Xbox and it's games." Emmett complained.

"Or my sound system.." Edward added.

"Or…." Jasper started.

"OK, we get it!" I chuckled throwing my hands up at them. "Let's pack the trucks and leave."

Packing the truck would have taken ages had it not been for Alice already seeing how to organize them. In mere minutes, we were packed and I was locking up the house. Arriving at the airport, we loaded the cargo hold until it was going to burst. All Christmas presents had been sent along with Jasper and Alice earlier, so there wasn't a need to fight for space.

Hours later, we were landing in Chicago. Edward's gasp at where we were made me smile. Had he figured out what we were doing for him, I wasn't sure. He just knew that we were here for Christmas. There was plenty of things to do but the hunting would be less. There were plenty of nature reserves, but Chicago and the surrounding areas were all urban.

"Don't worry about hunting…" Alice whispered to me.

"What do you mean?"

"Ana, Rose and I packed plenty of bottled blood to bring with us. There's enough to keep us satisfied until we get back."

Well that was one less thing to worry about…

We had learned that while bottled blood would work, it left us hungry for the hunt. The thrill, the chase and the pure dominance over another species. Rose jokingly said it was akin to a Formula 1 racer being designated to a sedan instead of his race car. The analogy was correct in so many ways.

It took a moment to unpack the plane and leave instruction for it to be refueled. Climbing into the SUV's that were rented, we traveled from the airport to our home on N Orleans St. It was located in the East Lincoln Park area. The house was built in 1876 and with Esme's renovating, it would price for over two million-if we ever decided to sell it. The city passed us by and thankfully it was a cloudy day. It had been a long time since we've lived in Chicago and I was excited to be back here. The last time I was here was when Edward had been changed. Had it been a century already?

My how time flies….

Parking the row of SUV's, everyone exited the vehicles and stood before our Chicago home. Maybe we could move back here for a few years. Those that haven't been here yet was impressed with the home.

"You know, I've been part of this family for almost two decades and I still can't get over how lavish your homes are…" Henry muttered, holding Ana close to him. She smiled and kissed him but nodded in agreement.

"If you think it looks lavish outside, you have to see the inside.." Esme said smugly. Oh, now I know we're in for a treat. Following her up the salted stairs, she opened the door to the entrance. The house was painted in a cream color with hints of brown that bordered the ceiling. On the first floor, was the master bedroom for Esme and I. A living room adjoined our bedroom; creating a larger space.

The next floor held another living room with a large fireplace and a dining room that separated the room with the pristine modernized kitchen that normally no one would ever use but Connor. It was in shades of white with a black and white backsplash. It was every human cook's dream kitchen. From the living room was a small deck that I knew Esme and I would enjoy.

The 'third floor' held the makeup room and a bedroom that Henry and Ana had claimed in Alaska. Whoever took care of the house cleaned out the fireplaces. I had noticed a large stack of wood on the deck from the living room. The bathrooms were spectacularly modernized and spacious for every mated couple.

The 'fourth' and 'fifth' floors held the last three rooms and the home office that was converted into a bedroom for Connor. Every bedroom was white or an off-white color with hints of blues, reds, browns. All the earth tones that Esme loved to have in her homes.

"Mum, you have seriously outdone yourself…." Ana muttered in awe. Esme looked at us smugly and I pulled her close to me. I kissed the top of her head and chuckled at my mate's smugness.

We all broke apart to retrieve our things and unpack. The whole house seemed to groan underneath the mass hysteria of the 'children' running up and down the stairs to their rooms. Once Emmett and Rose were unpacked, he was in 'children's' living room to set up the Xbox.

Christmas came fast for us. We were spending an inordinate amount of time having fun and exploring the city during the dark days of winter. If we were in Alaska, still, it would be completely dark by now, but here; it was still cloudy with only a touch of sun. The weather called for massive amounts of snow and I feared that we would be stuck here for a long time but Alice saw us being able to leave right after the New Year.

None of us wanted to go back to Alaska. We had spent almost two decades living there and the 'children' were ready to interact with humans again. Be apart of life once more. I had to agree with them. I missed practicing medicine. All it would take would Jenks forging more documents for us. But we needed to have a place to live. We had multiple homes across the Northern half of the US, but it was Rose who mentioned to move back to Forks.

Had it been that long since we've lived there too? We left about the time that Alice and Jasper joind our family. It was amazing how fast time flies when you live an existence like we do.

Forks would be ideal for us. It was cloudy over two hundred days a year and rained for the most of it. The 'children' would go back to school. Though, Rose and Emmett were exempt this time. They would enroll Connor and stay at home to pursue...whatever they pursued.

Connor had found out about us when he turned ten and realized that his parents weren't aging like his friends. For a few days, he was constantly asking questions, but eventually stopped. He wanted to tell his friends but a firm word from Emmett and myself; he promised to never speak of our secret. Now we were waiting on the day that he wanted to join our family indefinitely.

"If we're going to school, I'm definitely going!" Ana said plopping down in the dining room chair. I had called a meeting to discuss our next home. This would be a first for Henry, who hadn't the pleasure of moving around like we did.

"Really, Ana…" he drawled, rolling his eyes at her. Apparently, going to high school was not on his list of things to do. He understood why we did it, but it didn't mean he liked it.

"Yes, really. I haven't done a round of high school since the nineties. It was right before I left for Oxford." she replied, narrowing her eyes at him. She could understand his discord, but he didn't have to take it out on her. She could feel his emotions and almost rolled her eyes at his own immaturity.

"I'm in." Alice chirped taking a seat beside her sister.

"I suppose I can follow…" Jasper added taking another seat.

"You better!" Alice smiled at her mate, then looked at Ana-she nodded as if they were having a conversation.

"Forks, Washington is where Rose suggested. It's cloudy almost eighty percent of the time and it rains...a lot." I frowned, but continued. "It's a small town, we have a home out there. I don't know how well it is…" I trailed off looking at Esme.

"It will be fine. It just needs a quick furniture change. I had it repainted two years ago. The rooms are fine, but the basement is open…"

"I call part of the room!" Ana interrupted. "For my studio and a work space for Henry. Maybe a small ballet studio?"

"And I call the rest. It can be used as my at home lab…" I added to finish the rest of the room before anyone else could snatch it.

"It can work. There's enough space. Whatever we can't fit into storage, we have an attic. Now the garage has enough room for four cars." Esme continued as if she hadn't been interrupted. "And, no, we are not expanding it…" she said sternly much to Edward's and Rose's chagrin.

They begin to protest to try and convince her of its uses, but was immediately cut off by her low growl. Both became quiet much to everyone's amusement. Looking around the room, the only one that hadn't talked was Connor. To him, it didn't matter where he lived. Edward would go where we went and Emmett would follow his small family.

"So is it settled? We are going to Forks?" I asked the room. Everyone nodded enthusiastically.

"If we're going to pick what grade we start, I want to graduate first. Maybe start off as a Junior?" Ana asked hesitantly.

"I'm with Ana…" Henry spoke up, taking her hand, "I've never done this so the first go around I want to do as little time as possible." Ana raised an eyebrow at him, and cocked her head to the side; her eyes questioning him. "No, it's not that I'm afraid I'll slip up, it's just I'll be surrounded by teenagers."

"We all will brother…" Jasper said. "At least you don't have to feel their emotions." he shuddered remembering how teengers really acted.

"Henry," I said gaining his attention, "I think I get how you feel and I know Ana does. Being nearly five centuries old, teenagers aren't what you used to be. It's going to be a huge change, but everyone here-I mean everyone with the exception of myself and Esme have done this before. You could always choose to venture the collegiate route, but I don't think you could be that far from Ana…"

His face pained and I knew he was remembering how she left for four days to buy the present for Edward. It had been difficult for him to function without her. Grasping his mate's hand, she nodded at him. He looked around the room at his family, who all nodded to him. He sighed a little and sat back.

"If that's the case," I said returning to the original concern. "Alice and Edward can start a sophomore year while Ana, Henry and Jasper take the Junior route. I really don't want to split Alice and Jasper up, but he looks told old to be a sophomore."

"OK people…" Alice started impatiently "tomorrow is Christmas...and everyone needs to get in the Christmassy mood." Everyone groaned her over-cheerfulness of the situation. Of course, we all couldn't dread tomorrow. We had worked hard to get Edward's gift ready in time. There are times I was grateful that we didn't sleep and this was one of those times.

Everyone departed the room to spend quiet time with their mates except Edward and Connor who dragged him to the Xbox. Esme and I disappeared downstairs to our private area where we spent the rest of the night wrapped in each other's arms.

The next morning, we heard the familiar thundering of feet down the stairs indicating that it was time to get up and face the music. The day had begun and there was almost a foot of snow on the ground. Taking Esme's hand, I led her upstairs to the living room. Every room was adorned with Christmas decor and mistletoe. Taking a seat on the couch, Emmett came in behind us and started a fire.

"Just in case we need to burn gifts…" he muttered co-conspiratorially with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

Chuckling, I pulled Emse close to me and inhaled her lovely scent. The room soon filled with the rest of the family and I smiled as everyone took a seat. The presents were soon passed around with Emmett pretending to throw his gifts from Alice in the fire which resulted in a smack to the back of the head from Rose. The laughter that floated through the room made life wonderful. Everyone was happy; even Edward who was perpetually moody.

Finally it was for the last gift. For it being the last time we would do this, Alice had suggested that Esme and I present the gift. I was touched that she suggested and everyone agreed. Edward was my firstborn and the son that Esme wished had lived. So, in all, it seemed appropriate.

"Edward," I said grabbing his attention. He, like Rose from her gift, snapped his head toward me and frowned. I kept my thoughts to myself and gave him a smile. "The rest of your siblings have decided to end the decade's gifting. You are the last one to receive the gift."

"And it took everyone in this family to have your gift ready by Christmas." Esme continued for me.

He looked at everyone but no one gave anything away. How to do this? The package was sitting behind the pillow beside me. Inside it held a key to the house. It seemed the easiest. Reaching behind the pillow, I pulled the package out. I watched him curiously as I handed the thick envelope to him.

Raising an eyebrow at everyone, he shrugged and proceeded to open it. Pulling the few sheets out, he peeked in again and saw a key. Tipping the envelope over, he caught it deftly in his hands and examined it. It was an antique brass key with a blue ribbon attached.

Reading over the first paper, his eyes widened and looked at all of us. A smiling splitting over his face. Just as Alice predicted, he would love it. Astonishment crossed his face, but he quickly recovered and smiled again.

"You're serious? This is what everyone has been hiding from me?"

"We are. It's been renovated to be livable. Do you wish to see it?"

"Yes!" his smile lit up the room and everyone scurried to put on coats and scarves. Rushing out the door, we piled together against the cold. It was only a twenty minute walk for us and I knew our steps would be brisk.

There were few people out on this cloudy Christmas morning. Stomping through snow, we walked down Sedgwick St. The lights and trees from the homes made the season much more cheerful. Esme huddled close to me as we watched Edward lead the pack of us. Alice was just as excited as he was. The only one I worried about was Connor, but he assured me that this cold wasn't anything like Alaskan cold.

Turning onto North Hudson St. Edward was a blur till he reached the front of the house. Waiting impatiently for us to catch up, he paced back and forth. Behind me, Jasper chuckled at Edward's impatience. I couldn't blame him. It had been almost a century since he's been inside his childhood home. Finally, everyone was surrounding him. His hand gripping the antique key before he slipped it in the keyhole.

With baited breath, we stayed back and let him walk in first. We watched from a distance as he darted from room to room inspecting. Then he rushed up the stairs and we heard the subtle sound of doors opening and closing. This took all of five minutes before he was standing before us smiling.

"It looks the same as it used too!" he exclaimed happily. Motioning for us to come inside, we left the chill of the outdoors and embraced the less cold of the house. Leading us to a parlor, everyone found a seat to take.

"It was Alice's idea to decorate it from your childhood." I explained to him taking a seat and pulling Esme with me.

"Everyone...and I mean everyone had a part in this." Alice chirped, giving him a huge smile.

"Where did you find everything?" he asked, looking around at us.

"There's a storage room underneath the house and we scoured the rooms to find things that needed repairing. Your brothers took care of repairing things, Ana restored the artwork that wasn't completely destroyed. Rose and Alice hunted down the correct furniture-with a bit of Carlisle's help." Esme explained for all of us. "I'm sure you can guess what I did." she teased gently.

We sat there and talked for several hours before we left. Edward took one more look around the house before locking it up. I knew he would be back here to re-explore it without us poking around. Heading back toward our home, the snow drifted around us and the 'children' wanted to go ice skating. Millennium Park was close by and, even though, it was going to be full of humans; they wanted to go.

Esme and I decided to join them but we were not going to ice skate until Esme talked me into it. We had to be very careful. Vampires are far more graceful than humans and we had to pretend to mess up occasionally.

As we arrived, the Ice Rink was full of humans, but we would stick close to each other. It was the plan at least. I had hope that everyone would follow it. Edward and Connor paired up while the mate's coupled off. Emmett and Rose still kept an eye on their son, but knew he was in safe hands with his uncle.

We skated, laughed, and just enjoyed the cloudy afternoon. Being the last ones to leave, we headed back to the house and do nothing for the rest of the day. It was Christmas day, after all. Crowding around the flat screen in the living room, we spent the evening lazing about and watching Christmas movies.

New Years was different. The 'children' had different ideas on how they were spending the night with their mates. Alice and Jasper decided to spend their night at The Breakfast Club where they could indulge in mock gambling. It wouldn't be fun for everyone else if Alice kept winning. Emmett and Rose were going to the NYE Hard Rock Hotel. Partying like they did in the eighties, they would spend their time there. Plus, they had a DJ that played 80s music-much to Emmett's delight.

Ana and Henry took a different route. They were spending their night at The Drake Hotel where they would be attending a black-tie affair at Palm Court. Ana was in a dark blue evening gown and Henry in tux-they looked amazing. I knew that-they being the oldest-they had no intention of partying like their siblings.

Edward was the only one that I worried for. He kept trying to push Esme and I off to travel with Ana and Henry but I was adamant. Esme and I would spend the New Year at home together. We would keep an eye on Connor. IT was hard for him to be the unmated one in the family, but everyone tried to convince him to go with them. Henry told him that where they would be going would be quieter than the rambunctious venues that the other four would be going too.

They had even gotten him a ticket just in case he said yes. With enough persuasion, he caved and dressed in a tux to go with them. I know it saddened Ana that he would be going alone, but she promised that she would force him to dance with her.

As the 'children' left, I turned to look at Esme and sighed. Silence. For the first time in ages, a house was quiet. Connor was up in his room and wouldn't bother us unless he needed something. I know he was a bit disgruntled that he was spending New Years with his 'grandparents', but a firm word from Emmett hushed him up.

She and I laid in bed for several hours before we went into our private living room to watch the ball drop. It was 2015. A new year of discoveries, life, and love. Kissing her deeply, I pulled her back to our room to really celebrate.

(end chpater)

Soon enough, we were packing up the house to leave. Esme had spent the past few weeks getting the house in Forks ready. It was easy considering that she didn't have to update the house. Just a mere redecorating. Whatever was bought in Chicago, was packed up and shipped to Forks. Alice had wanted to go on a shopping spree here, but Rose and Ana talked her into waiting until they could go to Seattle.

Plus, everyone was on edge. We were ready to hunt. Truly hunt the way that we had been denying ourselves for the past few weeks. Bottled blood did it's job but it took so much from drinking blood. With the amount of bottles that we brought, Henry and Jasper donated all the glass to a recycling center-once the blood was washed out.

The Olympic Peninsula would give us the hunting grounds that we longed for. Give us our sense of being vampires back. Plus our house led into the forest. It couldn't be better. Leaving ahead with Esme, we took a commercial plane, leaving the family plane with the 'children' who would follow us a few days later.

Arriving at Sea-Tac, I took a breath smelling the heavily sedated rain that threatened to pour in a few short hours. Esme and I would already be home and finished hunting before the rain came into Forks. Grabbing our things, we loaded them into the rental.

A couple of hours later, we saw the welcome sign to Forks, and I squeezed Esme's hand. She was thrilled to be back as well. It had been a very long time since we've been here. Pulling into the long drive to our house, I took a look around as we stepped out of the rental. Nothing had changed-much.

Esme had cleared out several walls and turned them into large windows. In fact, there were more windows than there was walls. It would let natural light in and this is a place that we could be ourselves without prying eyes. Her eyes were alight with excitement, but realizing that we were finally alone, she came close to me and wrapped her arms around me. Holding me close, I breathed her in and my eyes blacken knowing what she was thinking. Taking my hand, she led me inside for a very private tour.

A few days later, we were interrupted by the loud sounds of engines and laughter. The 'children' had finally arrived. While they were gone, I had enrolled the five of them at Forks High School. I know that Jasper and Henry weren't looking forward to it, but we needed to blend in. I found myself working in the ER at Forks Community Hospital. While I being hired on, Dr Gerandy and I heard a loud commotion. Apparently, there were several nurses quitting on the spot. While he didn't realize what was going on-I did. These women were of the Quileute Nation.

They wouldn't be caught working in a place where a vampire was working. I was a threat to them and to their way of life. As they passed us, each and every one of them glared at me and I could hear their whispers of 'cold ones' returning to Forks. I kept my face pleasant but the anger that was rolling off me was something new.

I wouldn't normally let this bother me, but this was a hospital where the sick came to be treated and five of the nurses were walking away from that. Of course, they didn't realize who I was. How the smell of human blood didn't affect me. How I had no thirst for it. I would be calling a family meeting tonight. My family must know about this.

When I arrived home, the house was in a quiet uproar. Sounds were coming from every part of the house it seemed. Jasper, Connor, and Emmett were in the living room playing video games. Edward was at his piano. Alice and Rose were upstairs tearing through Alice's closet. Ana and Henry were nowhere to be found.

Esme had found a small cottage on the property and turned it into a separate home for Emmett, Rose and Connor. If Rose was here, it meant their cottage was up and running and now she was here helping her sisters out. Though, I'm not sure how much help she could be with meager luggage that was brought with them.

In a voice no louder than a whisper, "Family meeting, now!"

The entire house went quiet and everyone stopped what they were doing and I heard the soft footfalls of Rose and Alice coming down the stairs. Emmett, Edward, and Jasper moved swiftly and were already in the unused dining room before Connor could get up. While I waited for everyone to arrive, I looked for the missing two.

"They went hunting, I texted Ana. They will be back in 30 seconds." Alice answered my unasked question.

As she finished her sentence, they entered in from the back porch and took a seat. They didn't look to confused, but I could see the questions in their eyes. I must have interrupted a fruitful hunt. They could get back to it afterwards.

"Carlisle, what's wrong?" Esme asked placing her hand on my arm, taking me from my thoughts.

"There was a problem at the hospital today." I begun. Edward, already hearing my thoughts frowned and looked at Alice who confirmed it.

"Should we be worried?" Jasper asked evenly.

"Not yet. While I was getting ready to have my tour, several Quileute nurses quit. As they were leaving, they whispered about 'cold ones' coming back to Forks. They will be telling their tribal Elders about this."

I watched the faces of my family and I could see the concern written on their faces. Henry and Connor were the only two that held confusion. "I'm sorry for my ignorance, but who are they?" Henry asked quietly, his hand in Ana's.

"They are the local Native American tribe in this area. We have a longstanding treaty with them. We don't harm them or the locals. We aren't allowed on the Reservation and we are to never bite a human." I begun to explain to my still newest son. "They are supposedly descended from werewolves."

His face paled at my words. "Ar- are you sure it's safe to be here? I've seen werewolves in action and they can easily shred us."

"Be calm, Henry. These Natives are shapeshifters. They are not true Children of the Moon." I looked at him evenly, giving him a sense of trust. "I understand your concern, but since we've been gone, I'm sure the gene had become recessive. The last time we were here, there were three of them."

"That's three too many!" Emmett snarled. He wasn't allowed to be around the Quileutes when we were first here. He was still a newborn. Ready to fight and kill.

"What if the gene becomes active again? What will we do then?" Jasper asked, looking at me with alarm.

"Young, volatile werewolves close to the human population is dangerous dad." Ana added.

"We will deal with that if it happens, Jasper and I understand Ana, I do. But I don't think they will become werewolves as soon as we arrive. There has to be a catalyst." I tried to keep a calm face, but I was just as worried as my family was. It didn't help that Jasper's gift was pushing out the fear to everyone.

"So for now, I'm going to try and contact the Pack leader and see if we can come to an agreement and reenact the treaty. They need to know that none of us hunt humans. I remember where the treaty line and I'm sure it won't be long before we're contacted anyway." I told them, trying to ease everyone.

"They won't like our numbers. When you first encountered them, there was only four of you. Now our family has added six people." Jasper said, his strategic mind working overtime. "They must, for no reason whatsoever know about Connor."

"Why not?" my grandson protested loudly.

"Because you're human, Connor. They won't take lightly to a human living in the house with us." Edward explained to him.

"Then change me before this meeting is set up."

"Absolutely not, young man!" Rose growled at her son. Connor looked at his father, but he backed down when he saw that he wasn't going to defend him.

"I have to agree with Rose on this Connor. Sorry, but you're far too young to be changed and that's a talk you have with your parents then us before a decision like that is made." I said, agreeing with Rose for once. She looked at me sharply, but nodded her head at me.

"Everyone here does just fine…"

"We are controlled, but you don't know the ways of a newborn." Jasper said angrily. His eyes darkened and his own past coming to the surface to haunt him. Alice stood quickly to calm him down. It wasn't exactly a tender moment, but as she wrapped her arms around him, he began to calm down.

Connor paled at his uncle's words, "What's that like?" he asked in a small voice. He was truly hurt by Jasper's tone. I agreed with Jasper, but he could have been in more control.

"Uncontrollable thirst. Frenzied. You have to relearn how to do many things again. You're stronger, your emotions are all over the place. You will have no patience to learn control for several months afterward. Your friends won't be your friends, you'll see them as food." Edward answered him in a dull voice.

"You could kill your best friend and not think twice about it…" Henry added quietly, his eyes downcast. Ana reached over and kissed him gently, giving him a soft smile.

"You won't think of nothing but blood…" Ana added just as quietly.

"It's a very trying time to be a vampire, Connor." Jasper finished for the family. The ones that spoke were the ones that had hunted humans. "Do you think you could handle that at thirteen? Fourteen, fifteen?"

"Alice and I were changed at nineteen…"

"Eighteen," Ana and Rose said simultaneously.

"Seventeen…" Henry and Edward said.

"I was twenty…" Emmett said looking at his son. "I'm the oldest biologically, but Henry is the oldest out of everyone here. Ana is the second. Henry beats her by maybe forty years. Honestly, kiddo, I don't think any of were actually ready at the ages we were changed. Not that we would change anything about it." Rose huffed, but said nothing.

"So that's why our answer is a definite no, Connor." I said, giving my grandson a sad smile. Connor didn't say anything but he let the information sink in.

"None of you act like teenagers, though. I mean aunt Ana & Alice has her moments and so does Dad, but the rest of you act like adults." Connor said looking at all of them.

"Years of living through human history. Learning from our mistakes and making sure we don't make them again." Jasper said.

"Learning to pick your battles." Henry added.

I was surprised by how my 'children' explained what it was like to be one of us. At least in our first few years. I remember clearly everyone that I had changed and Iremember how they were in the first few years. It wasn't exciting. It wasn't as romantic as the movies portrayed. It was trying and exhausting.

"Now that's covered, school starts for everyone on Monday. You have the weekend too…"

"SHOP!" Alice exclaimed loudly, as she began to thrum with excitement.

Everyone eyed Jasper pitifully, but I chuckled, "Yes, well. Shop is one of them but you have the weekend to hunt and gather yourselves before you start on Monday. I am starting Monday as well. Now, I have everyone enrolled and I'm sure Rose and Emmett have taken care of Connor," they nodded at my assessment.

Monday rolled around quickly. True to her word, Alice dragged Ana and Rose to Seattle to shop. The boys, not wanting to be left behind, traveled with them. I immediately felt sorry for them. Alice and shopping was hectic and it would take the apocalypse to stop her-even then I don't' think it would. She would just walk over the dead humans and tsk about their lack of style.

Saturday night, everyone went on a long hunting trip. No one returned until Sunday afternoon with the exception of Rose and Emmett who returned Sunday morning as Connor was getting up. He had told them before that they didn't' have to hurry back, but they refused to listen to him. It was great to be back home. Emmett had his bears back and Edward was grateful for the surplus of mountain lions.

The 'children' left for school on Monday and I, for the hospital. I was shown around the hospital again and a tour of the ER. Having operating experience helped tremendously. I would be a welcomed set of hands. My job was the same as ever. Nothing changed about a doctor's routine, I just received great pleasure of helping others. It's why I decided to become a doctor.

That night when I returned home, I was barely three steps in the house, when Alice screamed from her room. Feet thundering up the stairs, we came to a stop when we found her wrapped in Jasper's arms, in dry sobs. The rest of the family was in turmoil. Everyone was asking questions and demanding answers. It was chaos.

"What's happened?" I raised my voice over everyone, diminishing the noise.

"She says our futures went black. She wasn't sure what's wrong with her visions…" Jasper said gravelly. The silence in the room was deafening. Nothing like this had ever happened to us. We had no clue what it meant.

"What do you mean, 'went black'?" I asked the obvious.

"I-I don't know! I was scanning our future for the rest of the year, when my visions went black. Something's coming, I think." Alice whimpered from Jasper's shirt.

"Volturi?" Ana asked, panicking. Henry grabbed her tightly to himself. She turned and buried herself into her chest. I tried to keep my eyes on Alice, but I saw Ana trembling.

"I don't think so. I believe I would see them." Alice confirmed, easing some of the tension in the room.

"Then what?" Rose asked, impatiently.

"Someone's here!" Edward hissed, rushing from the room. Everyone followed him down the stairs and through the house until we were on the porch. "They will come through the trees in a minute."

We wait patiently. I could sense that Jasper's mind was working overtime just in case we were ambushed. He was standing close to Henry-they were furiously discussing strategy. Edward and Emmett were preparing to fight, if necessary. Esme ushered Connor in the house and turn up the radio. Loudly. Hopefully it would drown out his heartbeat.

Three men walked into our backyard from the trees. They were of various ages. One was in a wheelchair. Two of them were elderly, had shoulder length black hair and dark eyes. The last was younger, with short cropped hair that was also black with dark eyes. These were the Quileutes. I could have breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe they weren't here to fight us.

My family was edge, but I unreleased Esme's hand and quickly went down the stairs. Emmett, Jasper, Henry and Edward following me. Leaving the girls alone on the porch. Stopping about a room's length from them, we stood there staring at each other. No one wanting to make the first word.

I had eternity and I could stand in the same spot forever, if I needed too. I didn't even have to breathe. My sons behind me were ready to fight. Edward was listening to their thoughts, I was sure of. I felt a wave of calm pass through me and it was a smart move on Jasper's part. I dared not look around at Esme, but my heart wanted too. I could hear the quiet thumping of the stereo in Edward's room, but couldn't hear Connor's heartbeat.

We waited for a few more minutes, I could tell that they were assessing us. Trying to figure out if we were the legends their people told about. Finally, I couldn't stand it. Relaxing my stance, "I'm Carlisle Cullen. Behind me are my sons, Edward, Jasper, Emmett and Henry. The ladies on the porch are our mates."

"I'm Billy Black. Elder of the Quileute Nation. WE heard that you have returned to Forks. We want to know why." he said gruffly.

"We're here to live for a few years. Several of my children are at Forks High and I'm at the hospital." I explained.

"To live! Ha!" he scoffed. I instinctively knew what he was really thinking. "You must be the same Cullen my father met in the 1930s."

"Yes, I am. Myself, Emmett and our mates were with us at the time. Jasper and his mate joined us before we left."

"And these two?" he indicated toward Henry and Edward.

"Edward left for a few years and returned to us. Henry is mated to my daughter, Annlisse." I explained calmly to him. I didn't want to start a war with these gentlemen.

"What about humans? I know your….kind hunt humans." he lowered his eyes at us.

"We don't. None of do. We hunt animals. The vampires your ancestors met had red eyes. Ours are golden." I indicated to everyone that was present. He nodded his head at us, remembering the stories that his father and grandfather had told him.

"There is an issue of the treaty…" I began slowly.

"You want to reenact it." It wasn't a question, but a clear statement.

"Yes, we do. We are peaceful and would like to keep it that way."

He quietly looked at the other two and sighed. They began whispering about reenacting the treaty with us and if it was worth it. We had been here for several weeks and hadn't harmed a human. One would say we're in the clear, but you never know about humans. Would I even consider them actually humans?

Glancing at Edward from the corner of my eye, he nodded his head perceptively. They were going to leave the treaty valid. I took another risk and caught Esme's eye. Her eyes were hard but when she caught mine, they softened. I could see the other two girls, readying themselves in case things turned to worse. I know they were hearing the conversation, but none of them could read the Quileutes minds.

My thoughts went back to the earlier conversation when Ana brought up the Volturi and how she trembled in Henry's arms. It was another puzzle piece of my daughter's life that was shining like a neon light that I couldn't figure out. Had she had a run in with the Volturi before she met me? Had they harmed her in anyway? The thought made my stomach churn and I felt sick.

The Volturi were harsh in judgement, never gave second chances, kept our species in order but they weren't sadists, were they? Aro and I found a kinship, but he kept his distance from me. Preferring to study us from a distance instead of forcing us to live in Volterra. At least, Aro wanted to study us. Marcus didn't voice his opinion but Caius wanted us dead for denying ourselves for what we were.

"We will keep the treaty with you Carlisle Cullen, but remember what the treaty states." Billy Black threatened lightly. "You're still not allowed on the Reservation, nor cross the treaty line. And you will not bite a human. Is that clear?" he voice was low with malice. Talking to me like I was a child.

"Yes, things are clear. My family and I intend on keeping our half of the treaty." I said without trying to be petty. Really, it was hard sometimes!

He nodded and they turned to leave our property. No one breathed until Edward let us know they were out of hearing range. In quick flashes, the girls had wrapped themselves around their mates. Kissing their mates quickly, Alice and Ana then turned on Edward and hugged him. I chuckled at their antics but I know it meant something to him.

"Ohhhh Edward!" Emmett squealed like a fangirl. His eyes were wide and full of mischief. "Let me love on you baby!"

"Emmett…" Edward growled, slowly backing away. "If you value your life, you won't!"

Emmett attempted to lunge at him, much to everyone's amusement and Edward's displeasure. In a blink of an eye, Edward had disappeared from his spot and was standing on the porch away from Emmett's reach. Emmett squealed once more and jumped on the porch and commenced to chase Edward around the house. Our laughter drowned out Edward's vile threats on Emmett's life. Henry and Jasper were on the ground and the girls were barely holding it together.

This was the reason why I wanted a family like this. The lightness of their laughter brought a deep warmth to me. Esme took my hand and led me back into the house. I would be working for the next few days and I wanted plenty of alone time with her while I could.

The rest of the school year passed fairly quickly for the children. Soon it was summer break for them. I knew they were ready to spend time away from the humans for a while. Jasper and Alice decided to take a vacation. Rose and Emmett were taking Connor to Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH for some ''killer coasters' as Emmett described it.

Even Henry and Ana were leaving to spend time in London for a couple of weeks. It was going to be cloudy for the two weeks they were going to spend in London and then they were headed to Kent. Ana wanted to go to Ascot this year, since she said she's missed the past few years. Henry, like every mate wanting to please, agreed they should go. Alice was ecstatic and tried to push Jasper to go as well. I could see Rose eyeing Emmett, but I knew she wouldn't be able to push past the thrill of roller coasters. Jasper, always wishing to please Alice, finally said yes. Alice commented that it would give her a chance to learn about part of her heritage.

Ana was on the phone for several hours making sure they had a post there. She said with her human family's connections, it wasn't necessary to have tickets. After some persuasion-they agreed to let her use their box. It would be more convenient than running around the inspection rings, track rail, betting places or restaurants. Since none of ate human food, it would be suspicious if they didn't order anything.

In order for her to be able to be admitted to the Howard box, she would have to take on an extinct title. The man she was talking too would have to pull some strings to have it reactivated. Once she hung up with them, it gave Emmett ample teasing ammunition. She retaliated by threatening to destroy his Xbox. He relented quickly and profusely apologized.

The family was separating for a few weeks. It hurt Esme, but I knew they would be back. Everyone would come back with tales of their time away before a new school year would start. We had finally established ourselves in the community. Alice, Jasper and Edward kept to themselves at school, but I know that Ana wouldn't be able to resist integrating herself with the human population.

She took an art class on the side and encouraged everyone to do something productive, but they all declined-including Henry. Refusing to interact didn't appeal to everyone at the high school, but I know they needed a break. A few weeks alone with their mate would do everyone some good.

Esme and I decided to stay in Forks. I would continue working and she found a new house to work on. It was 17the century home that was in desperate need of remodeling. Once it was done, Esme concluded that it would be part of a historical home society.

When the 'children' returned six weeks later-Rose, Emmett and Connor arrived earlier-they were full of tales from their trip. The only alarm they had was that someone said they recognized Ana and Henry from their frequent trips to London. Alice talked about the 'incredible' shopping London had to offer before she and Jasper went to Paris. The girl brought home more clothes than her closet could fit.

When Edward was asked what he had done, he said he rented a cabin and hid away from the world for a few weeks. He said it was the quietest the world has ever been for him. I think he planned on going again next summer. While it saddened us that he went on a vacation alone, he never seemed more relaxed around us. He spent the rest of the summer in laughter.

Esme asked Ana to paint a mural on the living room wall-which prompted everyone to ask her to do something for their own rooms. Overwhelmed with demands, she promised to do one room at a time, but Esme asked first. My mate gave everyone a smug smile and they sat down at the laptop to find something she liked. Once found, Ana ordered the paints and Emmett and Henry moved the furniture away from the wall and laid down the protective covering for the floors. It was a summer project. Henry went back to writing on his book and everyone scattered to work on various projects.

Before we knew it, school was starting in a week. It was going to be Ana and Henry's senior year. Alice, Jasper, and Edward would be juniors. They hoped it would be an uneventful year. Something that would pass the time until we could leave again for somewhere else. Maybe we would and maybe we wouldn't leave. Alice kept saying that something was coming but couldn't pinpoint it. She had finally given up looking at Edward's mate a few years ago. She had gone too far for Alice to keep an eye on.

She never told Edward; she knew it would anger him. And I knew it would. She confided in me, feeling like she had let him down. I reassured her that was the case. We know the girl was alive and well. I think Alice would know if something tragic happened to the dark haired girl. But nothing had happened as of yet, so we stopped looking for her. Knowing that when the time was ready, she would come looking for Edward.