I watched Faith dance around the garden, her skin glinting off the sunbeams in a waterfall of shining rainbows. My skin was doing the same as was Israel's. She patted my hair and ran the brush through it. I sighed and wrung my hands.

"I know it isn't okay," Israel said. "But it will get better."

"I figured as much," I replied. "Besides, I have to be okay for Edison. He's just too… he won't understand, and I don't expect him to."

"Do you think we should go?" Israel asked tremulously. "Go to Iceland, I mean?"

"Well…" I said, my voice troubled.

I honestly didn't know what I wanted to do. I had to keep things normal for Edison, but I really didn't want to face Vick or his new bride. I had no idea how I would react. Did Vick even remember me?

"How did it happen?" I asked. "All of it."

I waved my arms in a big circle for emphasis.

"Well," Israel started, "I think it started when you didn't come home for so long. He got worried, and wanted to go out looking for you. He wanted us to send out a whole team of the guard to search the world for you. Alec didn't like that, and neither did Skander or Azure. I was kind of with him, and so was Jinx. We were just so nervous and you hadn't sent any word."

"I'm sorry about that," I said quietly. "I know I should have sent a card or letter or something, but I was just so discouraged, I wasn't thinking normally. I'm so sorry."

"It doesn't matter now, Alice," Israel said gently. "So, Vick wanted to go look for you, but Alec didn't want him to. He said it would be useless, that if he left, we would just have to go after him later. Eventually, Jinx and I agreed with him, and Vick was told no.

"He left it alone for a while, but he was talking to Destiny. He convinced her that it was the best thing to do. And Alec will say yes to Destiny no matter what she asks him for. He didn't this time. At first he flat out refused, and wouldn't hear anything about it. But Destiny persisted, and kept telling him that he gave her an Immortal Child, why shouldn't he let Vick go out looking for… his true love. I won't tell you the whole speech she gave him about coming in the way of love, but Alec finally said yes.

"Jane and Dustin came home from their honeymoon after he left, but that's going to come into play later.

"Anyway, Vick sent us letters every time he left one country and went to the next. When he went to Iceland, that's when he began to speak of Annelynn. At first he would tell us about a vampire who had wanted to help him on his search. But as the letters came more frequently, he told us he still hadn't left Iceland, and the tone of the letters changed.

"He started telling us stories of Annelynn, of the fun they had, and he always ended the letter by saying how much he missed us, and you. But you could tell…

"Destiny took it hard. She was the one who let him go, and she felt that… it just wasn't fair to you. I knew it wasn't. He didn't send a letter for a few months, and just two weeks ago was when he sent that invitation. We don't know why he did. As if he thought we would want to come see him married to someone who wasn't you. I guess he just had no other way to tell us.

"And Jane and Dustin don't know about you and Vick. They think this is wonderful, and they want to go to the wedding. Alec and Destiny don't want them to go alone, and…"

"It was me," I whispered, my heart aching. "I never told him how I felt. I held back, I…"

"You didn't know when he asked you!" Israel said, her voice suddenly angry. "It wasn't your fault! Now listen to me, Alice. You are a wonderful…"

"Do not call me a wonderful person, Israel," I said darkly, not looking at my blonde friend. "I'm no wonderful being. I'm just me. I'm just… Alice."

"That is exactly what makes you so great! You're so unique, and you have different ways of seeing things. You are like no one else…"

"Isn't that the case with everyone?" I said, my voice strained. "Wouldn't Alec say the same about Destiny? And Skander about you, Azure about Jinx? It's all the same! 'She's different than the others.' It's a never changing story."

"But I'm not saying this as a lover, Alice," she said. "I'm saying from an honest perspective, a trustworthy friend perspective. I've met girls like Destiny, all sweet and blonde and pink. Hell, I half am one! I've met sulky girls like Jinx; in fact, I've eaten things that weren't as dreary as her! And then I have you. You're sweet, but intimidating. You're loyal, yet you stand up for what's right, even if it's not agreeing with who you love. You're strong, but caring. You're clever. Almost to the point of manipulative! But you're motherly. You are so many different pieces, Alice. You are never one set thing. You think things through, and you try to do what you think is best."

"But… Israel," I said.

"It's true. And I love you."

"I love you, too."

Israel kissed my red hair and stood up.

"Faith! Let's go in now, darling," Israel called.

The little blonde girl plucked one more daisy and jumped into Israel's arms. Is looked at me.

"Coming with us?"

I shook my head and waved my hand.

"No. Go on in. I'll see you both later."

After Israel and Faith went inside, I hopped the tall, stone wall and dropped into the forest surrounding the castle. I took off running, my chest still having that dull ach. But I had to get over it. I had a son who was going to be a vampire in less than 72 hours. I didn't go that far, but far enough to escape the sounds of my loved ones.

I stopped and knelt down, hugging myself close to a tree trunk. I didn't feel any tears come to my eyes. I couldn't cry, I was just too vain. I couldn't will myself to deny the invitation of Vick's wedding.

I wanted to go. I wanted to go so I could tell him I loved him, see his face, and then congratulate him on his new bride. I wanted him to feel horrible, and I suddenly wondered what came over me.

Oh, I could hold a grudge, but I had never thought it would have been at all like it was, so vengeful.

Of course, I had never been in a relationship before, never even kissed boy, yet. It suddenly occurred to me that it had been a good thing. For I wasn't the sulky, sad, "Oh! He left me!" kind. I was the angry "Forget You!" Cee Lo Green explicit version type. Quite frankly, I was pissed. I wanted to… freaking rip up some pillows and listen to angry songs and cuss and scream and choke someone! And I had better do it before Edison woke up.

I rushed back to the castle, and ran upstairs. I clocked Jinx in.

Where is Destiny?

She's with Alec. What is it?

IMA MONSTER! HAHAHA!

Al…

I clocked her out before she even thought my full name. I ran to my room, and saw Destiny rubbing Alec's shoulders as he watched my son change. As I saw his sweet, changing face, almost all my anger melted. Almost, but not quite.

Destiny turned to look at me. Her face changed as she saw my expression. I was smiling excitedly and maybe even a little maniacally.

"Show me something I can destroy," I said. She jumped up, her expression weary. I ran and grabbed my radio and Jinx's mp3.

"Let's do this," I said, taking her hand and dragging her from the room. Destiny looked at me.

"You are not okay," she said bluntly. I nodded vigorously.

"I know…"

"Um, we don't use the fourth floor because it's…"

"Never mind why! Let's go kill it!"

We ran to the elevator and went to the fourth floor. I dodged out and plugged in all the music stuff. The most delicious break-up song came on and I sent that damn floor to hell starting with "Kick in the Teeth" by Papa Roach.

I was at it for hours, ripping doors off their frames, kicking walls, punching holes in them as well. I tore wall paper with my long, sharp nails. I broke a few beds and used the remains to body slame on the rest of them. I took chairs and chucked them around until the whole lot was a huge mess.

When I was done, it had been longer than I had thought. Guess time fly's when you're having fun. I felt so much better, almost back to normal. All the rage and emotions had gone out the window with all the hell-raising and destruction and angry, furious music.

In fact, I felt so giddy afterwards; I gave Destiny a big hug. She smiled and laughed.

"You could have joined in if you wanted," I told her, and she laughed harder.

"Oh, I didn't want to be the thing between you and those chairs. Or those beds… or the walls… or the fourth floor."

"But I feel so much better now!" I said, elated. "And I want to go to the wretched wedding, too!"

"Maybe you feel a little too good," Destiny giggled. "But now that you have all your anger out, are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure! I'll have Edison to keep me sane, won't I?"

"Speaking of which, do you have any other names for him? You said that the people at Martyr's just called the boys that until they got adopted. And now he is so…?"

I thought for a second.

"Well, I had been thinking of a few names. I like Louis, Galaxy, Sinclair, and Starling. I've been thinking about the name Ezra, too. I don't know. I like Edison a lot."

"I like them all, too. But I think you should come up with one before he completes the change."

"I know I should, and I will. But right now, I think what I need is a nice, hot, cup-o-blood. It's like tea, only blood."

Destiny laughed and we headed downstairs. We got my blood and she said she had to go back up to Alec. I waved to her and leaned against the hard stone walls, sipping my cup. I wondered when I would have to clean up the hell-hole that was now the fourth floor. I laughed, in spite of myself. I could live another day, and maybe my anger would return, but I would just go to the fourth floor. Life was good. Until I found out we were having another ball.