Chapter four: Meaningless eye contact.

It was Wednesday, and boy was it freezing. There was no rain, just a chill in the air. Here I thought we were going into summer! I wasn't a big fan of the sun, don't get me wrong, since it basically made my sentence for staying inside worse; but I didn't like it this cold. Not because it affected me. I didn't feel the cold all too much; it was just the fact Gary didn't like the cold.

"I'm freezing my nipples off." He would say, or "Nipples are icacles."

The list went on with how he expressed how cold he was. But, it was his idea for us to go out. I hadn't really put up much of a fight because I enjoyed going out. Especially with the big guy. Be it just a random drive around the town, or a walk in the park, or hanging around his house. I enjoyed it all. Today, though; he wanted to go for a 'cruise' around. The highway was endless, and truthfully; I had no idea where he was taking me.

I also had no idea why he was wearing sunglasses, if he was so damn cold. It wasn't bright, but it wasn't dark either. It was just cold.

It was just nice to get out of the house, and head to the city. That's where I figured we were going. Chickasaw, or Mobile in general. I wasn't too sure, but I knew those were Gary's favorites. With my hand resting on the door, since I'd put the window down - if I didn't, it would get far too stuffy. Gary liked to crank up the heat in the car - and the tunes playing on the radio; I was content. I was happy. Happy as I'd ever be, probably.

"Is it sad that I'm already packed?" said Gary, cutting in from the songs on the radio.

"Packed for what?" I turned my head towards him. He glanced to me for a second. I could see myself in the reflection of his sunglasses. "The week at College?"

"Hell yeah! I can't wait for it, Roo!"

I could share with his excitement. Time away from the parents was always going to be a big thing, especially for him. Gary hadn't had the pleasures that I had in travelling without my parents. The longest he had spent away from his parents had been a weekend, and even then; that was to visit family. This would be his first real experience being away from them while getting the feel for college. It was a big step for him, so the excitement was to be expected and shared. Because I was getting to be there with him for it!

"The only thing that sucks is the fact the boys and girls are being split up," he then said, removing one hand off the wheel and resting his elbow on the window ledge. "Coulda' been a slumber party."

I scoffed, idly moving my hand with the wind outside the window. Making small dolphin movements as the landscape around me flew by.

"You could always sneak in our window." I suggested with a grin.

"Oh yeaah. Sure that'll go down well. 'SURPRISE GIRLS.'" Both his hands moved into the air to wave, while he made some ridiculous happy face. He got the reaction he'd set out to get from me. Laughter. His hands returned to the wheel while he chuckled along with me.

"Honestly though, d'you actually believe we're gonna be sleeping at this place? We're gonna be too busy having fun, and finding you a man."

Gary's smile grew larger, but I could see the hesitance in that smile. Putting it like that... I myself didn't like it. It was kinda like he was finally letting go of Nick, and although he should move on, it was hard to think about. Finally saying goodbye to the person you were holding onto.

"Hey," I said, turning my body to face him. He glanced to me and then back to the road.

"What?" He laughed. "Giving me that creepy look."

I smiled sadly, leaning my back against the door. "I love you, carebear."

"I love you too." He replied without any hesitance.

"And Nick loved you."

The smile faded from his face. I could see through it all. The smile, the laughs, the jokes. They were all a front when it came down to Nick. He was hiding the pain, and it was then that I realized he hadn't moved on. He was just ignoring it. He had pushed it to the side, and was pretending it hadn't happened.

"He would want you to move on, y'know."

He didn't reply again.

"You know he would. Lemme think of something he'd say..." I pursed my lips, averting my eyes to the ceiling of the car. Well, I say car, it was a Nissan pickup truck. What would Nick say... What would Nick say... Oh!

"Listen here, Gary. Stop your mopin and grow the hell up. Take the bull by the horns and ride that puppy till there ain't no tomorrow. Ain't nobody gonna give you sympathy forever. You gotta get up and move on, kay? Now quit your whining and go get me a beer."

Gary broke into a laugh, though it was crackled and strained. Slowly, but surely, Gary nodded his head. "That is something he would say. Damned hillbilly. Y'know, our first date was a rodeo?"

"I didn't, no." I grinned, bringing my legs up and crossing them under me. "But I'd love to hear it."

"Alright, but it ain't no sappy love story like yours... So it was summer and-"

Gary went on to tell me everything. The day he met Nick, and how it had become the most magical day he had ever experienced. One that he would never forget. The story was full of laughs, of arguments, of painstaking cringe worthy moments. But it was exactly what Gary had said it wasn't. It was sappy, and beautiful and downright cute.

Nick and Gary truly had been in love. Just two simple kids, uncaring to the whole 'gay' thing. In their eyes they were supposed to be together no matter what the gender. They ignored all the friends they lost due to their relationship, they ignored the disappointment their families came to feel - because before Gary, Nick had been straight. He had a girlfriend at the time, but there had been a connection between him and Gary. Gary had unlocked a part of him that caused him to throw caution to the wind and just go with it.

Nick's parents had been surprised by the news that he had split with his girlfriend, and had become an intem with Gary. It would be surprising though, wouldn't it? Nick had seemed to be everything a typical American boy was. Good at football, outgoing, funny, carefree, had a pretty down to earth girlfriend, a close group of friends - that included Gary - and had plans of settling down. Gary and him had just been friends to begin with, but something happened. Something clicked between them one night, and everything just seemed right. Eventually, Nick couldn't stand it anymore and ended it with his girlfriend; came to Gary and demanded that they went on a date. And that was the beginning of that.

Somewhere in the story, Gary had stopped the car at a side stop. We were just sitting there, talking. Or, he was talking and I was listening. Sure, I gave my input here and there when it was needed. Nodded my head at the acceptable times; but other than that I just listened to him go on and on.

I could actually listen all day.

"And don't even get me started on the ex girlfriend!" He rolled his eyes, a large smile on his face. "She went crazy! Crying, screaming, just in total hysterics. I felt bad for her really. I mean, when she asked him if it was her who 'turned' him that way.." He sighed shaking his head a little. "Poor girl. But we couldn't help it, y'know? We just... Got eachother."

He was letting it all out. He was letting it all spill out, getting it out in the air. Maybe now that he had someone to listen to him, who was willing to hear what he had to say, it would get better? Gary had just bottled it all up; and eventually it was bound to explode. I couldn't let him break down, so I was easing him into it. Getting rid of some of the fizz, so to speak. Easing the pressure.

Gary suggested we go for a walk along the road. There weren't many cars, and it was a straight road. This part was pretty safe anyway, so leaving the truck unlocked with the windows down was acceptable. He just took the keys out, and held out his hand for me. I took it and entwined our fingers. Gary continued with his story as we walked along the road. We made it to the end of the side road, turned back and headed back towards the car. Ten minutes in all it took to walk down, so another ten up the way was more than enough time for him to finish the story.

"I thought we were living the fairy tale life," Gary mused. "Thought we'd graduate College together, get a house... Maybe even tie the knot one day. Adopt a kid, grow old and saggy together. Though, course it would take a while for me to get saggy." He winked down at me.

Even in such a sentimental moment, Gary could be such a clown.

"What about you?" He then asked, turning his eyes down to mine. "You're going through the same as me in a way. Talking about it helps."

Ah, so it did help him! Ten points to re-

I bit into my lip with my unneeded thoughts.

It might've helped him, and I was glad for that. I envied his strength. He was so open in talking about Nick, and it was amazing to hear so much about him. He was a strong person for being able to even speak his name, let alone go into stories about them together. The mere thought of... his name made me hurt. I couldn't even voice his name without feeling empty and dead inside, let alone think about what it would do to me if I were to tell stories about him. The time I had spent with him had been the best of my entire life.

Wait.

Gary was right. It would help to talk about it. He didn't know Alec. He didn't know anything about him, he had only seen a picture and heard a vague story of our beginning. Of how I met him. But I didn't go into how it made me feel. I kept it all bottled up, and I refused to even look back at my memories with Alec.

If they were the best memories of my entire life, why would I hide them away and not look back? It was a crime. For things that brought me so much joy, they deserved to be shared. They deserved to be heard; didn't they? Sure, it might hurt to talk about, to think about; but I'd be letting off steam.

"You sure you want to hear?" I asked.

"I've been nibbling your ear off for a good long half hour now, Roo. Think its your turn. Go for it, lets hear about this guy."

I took a deep breath. I couldn't believe I was actually doing this. But... Here goes.

My lips parted, and I began my story.

—xXx—

This was bad. This was really, really bad. They weren't supposed to be down here. They weren't supposed to see what was going to happen; but she couldn't leave him here. Not if it turned out Damien wasn't gifted. If he wasn't, Ryan would intervene. Delilah couldn't lose him. Not not, not just after getting him back. They had only endured five months together. It wasn't enough. She needed him forever. She would always need him forever. He was the only one who understood her! Who knew what she went through! What she was still going through!

The newborns were all lined out like pigs to the slaughter. Another reason why Delilah let the others upstairs with them; was so they couldn't inform the newer groups what they would have to endure in order to go upstairs. Those who weren't gifted never made it, but they didn't know that.

She would separate them. The gifted from the ungifted. The gifted one side of the room, and the not at the other. Then she would allow them upstairs; while she finished with the ungifted. It was a brutal scene, Delilah could imagine.

And currently, that's what Lilianna was doing. She already had the attic lot slowly waking up, waiting to be moved to the basement. So it was time to separate them. It was as if they were cattle, the way she had them. Picking off at them after asking them if they had noticed anything different about them. The ones who didn't were none the wiser as to what was about to come. Lilianna moved down the line. Ryan was standing beside Delilah, ready to pounce for when she came to Damien. Mary and Scott were upstairs, keeping an eye on the eleven who had made it upstairs. Ryan wasn't fearful of her, and Delilah envied that. Because Delilah was. Delilah was scared of Lilianna. Of what she was capable of. Of what she had done to her.

Lilianna finally came to Damien, the last in the line.

"I remember you..." She frowned coming to a halt. "You were in Seattle. How have you come this far being undetected?"

"I'm good at hiding." He shrugged.

"And why have you come out now?" She questioned.

"Got found by someone." Damien's eyes flicked towards Ryan.

Damien had been turned a week ago. He had been the last person Lilianna had picked up in Seattle, so how he had managed to evade her completely made Ryan's hope's pipe up. Perhaps that was his gift! He could hide from people he wanted too, like Scott?!

"And was this because of something?" Lilianna cut to the point, basically asking if he had been using a gift on them.

"Nope." Damien shook his head. "I'm just skilled."

Lilianna's jaw clenched. "To the left."

"No!" Ryan hissed, shooting forward and standing in front of Damien. "He's staying!"

"He is no use to me, Ryan!" Lilianna snarled back.

Was it possible this could be happening?! Her coven leader going against her best friend? That's what seemed to be happening. Delilah couldn't breathe with the panic rushing through her.

"Calm down, jeeez." The voice came from Damien, and in that moment; a wave of calm washed over each of them. The panic evaporated from Delilah; the anger seemed to vanish from Ryan and Lilianna. Even the two separate groups of newborns were calm.

That must be the reason why everything had been so quiet. So calm and peaceful. Damien did have a gift. He was a sedative, of some sort.

Lilianna's eyes widened as she realized this. Ryan's widened in compliance as he turned to look at Damien, standing there nonchalantly as if it were nothing.

"To the left then?" He asked, arching an eyebrow.

Lilianna quickly shook her head. "To the right. I was wrong."

Damien shrugged his shoulders and scooted over to the right; finding a wall space and leaning himself against it. Ryan followed to stand beside him. The pair of them looked like a match. Ryan with his blood stained 'I'm okay, trust me' t-shirt; which Delilah had complained for him to change - but he wouldn't. She'd even pleaded for him to at least wash it, but he refused. He said it had a hint of hilarity now with the blood stains. And Damien, with his 'this is a t-shirt' shirt.

They were quite the odd looking pair. Obviously Ryan had befriended Damien when she had been 'gone' because she couldn't remember ever setting eyes on this boy. This tall aloof male who was completely calm and unaffected by things around him.

Lilianna turned to the group on the right, did a head count - which was four;including Ryan .

Taking the newborn count upstairs to a fifteen.

"Delilah, take them upstairs."

Delilah nodded quickly, and motioned her head in a jerk for the group to follow. She walked up the stairs with the four of them following her. As soon as the door closed behind them; Delilah knew that was when it was going to happen.

"You're free to move around the house. Stay out of the attic. Do not go outside unless told to do so. Follow these rules, and everything will be okay." Delilah said the monologue piece she'd heard Scott say a few times.

"You'll be taken out to hunt very soon. In the meantime, make yourself at home..." She turned to look to them watching her closely. "And try not to break anything." She couldn't help but add in.

A few of them broke into a smile and made their way into the house to meet the others.

Damien ran his hand through his hair, cleared his throat and then began to scratch at his adams apple. "So hunting'll help it?"

"Yeah," Ryan was the one who answered. "It'll ease up in due time, dude. Don't worry. I'll make sure you're the first to go out hunting."

Damien nodded his head. "So can I go... Walk around?"

Ryan nodded his head, taking the reins on this one. Delilah just stood and watched.

"Catch up later, yeah?" Damien asked. His attention was solely on Ryan, and Ryan alone. He was oblivious to the fact there was prying eyes watching him from the kitchen. A young girl who had been picked up three days ago watched him closely, longingly.

Ryan agreed. Damien moved away into the other room and Delilah noticed the girl who had been watching him followed. Following her with her eyes, Delilah couldn't help but smile. As cramped as this place was becoming, it was nice to see it being so lively. The days when it had just been her, Scott, Mary and Lilianna had come to an end. This was a new era; and their family was extending to great lengths.

But these people weren't family. They were pawns. Lilianna was going to use them for something. Something that she wasn't entirely sure what it was. But she'd find out. It was a bad habit of hers, after all. Finding out things that didn't concern her. Knowing things that she shouldn't.

"Try not to break anything?" Ryan scoffed, his dark shaded iris's were on her. "You think of that yourself?"

Oh, he was mocking her. The little shit. As much as she wanted to be annoyed, Delilah found herself grinning. With Ryan here, things seemed to be alright. Things seemed to be... Well, right again.

"Haven't lost your cheek. Here I thought you'd grow out of it." Delilah rolled her eyes at him, the smile still growing.

"Can't lose something thats part of the package, darlin'"

She got butterflies for the first time since she had been turned. The first real emotion other than fear ran through her and all because he had called her 'darlin' again.

"C'mon." Ryan nudged her arm with his shoulder as he passed to go into the main room where Scott and Mary were no doubt sitting. She watched him walk off, and bit into her lip.

Those butterflies couldn't just meant nothing. They must've meant something. Taking a mental note, Delilah decided she was going to ask Mary or Scott the next time she got the chance. Agreeing with her mental state, Delilah walked in after Ryan. Damien was there, sitting on Delilah's chair. But she didn't mind.

Mary was sitting on the armrest of Delilah's chair, talking to him. Scott was on the sofa, his feet up on the coffee table; also conversing with a newborn. Ryan was next to him, mimicking his pose and laughing. Seeing him smile, seeing him laugh, made the butterflies ten times worse. In the corner, the girl who had been watching Damien sat silently. Delilah frowned and decided in that moment, she wasn't going to ignore it. She would have hated to be alone when she first woke up as an immortal. Although it had bugged her just how freely Scott and Mary spoke to her in the beginning, she was thankful for it.

This girl wasn't going to fade into the shadows. She made her way over and crouched down to her. The girl automatically looked up and stared right at her in fear.

"Are you alright?" Delilah asked.

The girl nodded swiftly.

"Is it your throat?"

The girl shrugged her shoulders.

"What's your name?"

The girl parted her lips as if to speak, but nothing came out. She looked down again and closed her eyes. A heavy sigh was all that followed.

"You can tell me you know? I'm Delilah." Delilah held out her hand.

The girl didn't look up one bit.

"She doesn't talk."

Delilah looked over her shoulder to the voice, recognising the muskiness instantly. Damien was sitting up, watching them both. Had he been watching the whole time? Delilah wasn't sure, but the look on his face gave off a protective vibe. In fact, now come to think of it.. Delilah did feel a little anxious. Not overwhelmingly, but tense. Ryan looked the same, as did Mary and Scott. Hell, everyone in the room looked tense. Damien... Damien was doing it. He was protective over her.

It became clear that Damien had the ability to project what he was feeling emotionally wise. No matter what emotion it was, they could feel it. It was usually a calming vibe, for nothing seemed to bother him, but now.. It was anxiety.

"Her name is Shay." Damien continued. "She was mute as a human. I was trying to help her in the basement. Told her she'll be able to talk now that she's... Well this."

Delilah took a few seconds to process the information, then eventually turned to look at the girl with her head still lowered.

"If she can't talk, how'd you know her name?" Ryan scoffed, arms crossed from his seat on the sofa.

"Because she showed me." Damien shrugged as an answer. "She can show you her past, or see yours by just touching you."

Almost instantly, Delilah scooted a little further from the girl. Her past was her business. She didn't want this girl knowing the things that she did.

"Is that true? You don't talk?" She asked in a whisper, though everyone else could probably still hear anyway.

The girl nodded her head slowly.

"Would you like us to help you try?"

The girl looked up and the hope that lingered in her eyes was almost enough to blow Delilah away. She nodded frantically, a smile appearing on her face.

Delilah grinned back in return, shifted herself to stand and about turned to face the others. "Well, Damien. Looks like you've got extra professors in your quest in helping her speak. Where do we start?"

Damien's lips curved slowly, and the anxiety washed away. A sense of relief and happiness washed over them all.

—xXx—

It hurt to begin with. To let him hear everything - minus the whole living dead vampire thing- that Alec and I had gone through. The adventures, the scheming to get Nathan Newton, the way he had been there for me when Ivy and I had argued.

The more I found myself talking about it, the more easier it became. In truth, the only part that hurt was the flashes of the memory. It was true what they said, y'know. The brain did replay memories over and over with a desire to relive them. Because truthfully, there was nothing I wouldn't give to return to the moment Alec first told me he loved me. When there had been no drama, no problems. Just two teenager - or one teenage hybrid and one extremely old immortal - finding what they wished for in one another.

At some point in day trip, we'd given up on going to the city and just lounged in the truck. Drove around, spoke more of Nick and Alec, laughed at memories. Compared stories between them. And now, we were sitting in his truck outside his house as the sun slowly descended from the sky.

It had been a long, long day; but it was worth it. Talking about him made it all easier. It made it... Better to look back on. I no longer found myself flinching when I looked back on things. I didn't flinch when I spoke his name, or even thought it. Instead, I was smiling.

A gust of wind blew through the open windows, ruffling through my ringlets. Again, my eyes flashed and I zoned out from the story of Nick being stuck up a tree for three hours as a kid.

"Leaving so soon?"

It was a soft, gentle whisper. Right into my ear. I could feel the presence right behind me causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up. I gasped and turned around instantly; only to be surprised at how close he was. A few inches closer and my would of been on his. My lips would have been on his...

I quickly pushed him away. He backed up with a chuckle, obviously amused by the reaction he had gotten.

"You have got to stop doing that! It's... creepy!" I scolded, trying my damned hardest to calm myself. "Hey... What are you doing here in the first place. You were out hunting."

"You know, the wind is such a beautiful thing. Sends so many scents and smells right to your nose. Things I have grown to ignore in the many years I have lived. Though, who would want to forget your smell," he put a hand out, gently taking a curl of my hair and fixing it so it wasn't out of place. I was so stunned by his moves... his words I felt as if I could have fainted there and then. Hell, I wished I had, because the thoughts I were having were like a traitors. This guy was the enemy. If it wasn't for him being here; my family wouldn't have to be splitting up!

I blinked out from my daze. Gary hadn't noticed, he was still talking and grinning to himself. What kind of a person would I be if I were to tell him I hadn't paid attention? He was so lost in moment that I couldn't even bring myself to stop him, let alone tell him I hadn't been listening. So, instead; I let him continue his story. I let him rant on and on. I laughed with him in the bits I did understand, and gave a sympathetic smile when he came to the conclusion that he felt like he was betraying Nick by moving on.

Although he did have a wandering eye, he came to realize that now... Now he didn't. He didn't even so much as look at any other boy, and when he tried; he felt nothing. It was understandable. He was going through heartbreak. It was too soon to probably think about another person taking Nick's place, but they would never take his place. Nick was his first love; and no one could take that from him. You always remember your first love, no matter how long ago it was.

I didn't look at guys the same way as I used too. In all seriousness, before Alec, I'd viewed Nathan as a piece of meat. I practically drooled at the mere sight of him, hung on every word he said, listened to every piece of gossip about him; and then Alec came along. Of course, even with Alec there, I still somewhat acted in that way... But things had changed. The more time I had spent with Alec, the more I matured as a person and became who I was today.

I had him to thank for that. If it wasn't for Alec, I wouldn't know what it was like to be in love. If it wasn't for Alec, I wouldn't have been able to make the choice I had. I was a mature young woman now and I had done what I had for him. I just hoped one day he could thank me for it.

"C'mon kiddo," Gary finally gave in; taking the sunglasses off his face and setting them onto the dashboard. Hometime already? Well, it was getting pretty late and Gary did look pretty tired. Now that I could see his eyes, the tiredness was there. I knew he hadn't had a real good nights sleep for a while; so the sooner he got to bed the longer he'd have at trying to sleep. "This memory trains coming to a stop. You up for hanging out tomorrow?"

"Of course, though I gotta make sure it's alright with the parents. I'm sure they're taking me to visit my cousins for the day."

Gary nodded his head and started the ignition and reversed. Once he turned and began down the road, he spoke. "The pretty cousins in Chickasaw?"

"Yep." I scoffed.

Gary had a run in with the Denali's once. They had come to our home for some small get together and he had decided he wanted to come surprise me with a visit. Unfortunately, he walked up to the door just as Eleazar was walking out. The look that had been on his face when Eleazar escorted him in to me had been priceless. He had a thing for people who were tall, and Eleazar was really, really tall.

"Take me with you?" He turned his head to bat his thick eyelashes. I broke out a laugh, unable to hold it back.

"I thought you said you didn't look at other guys the same!"

"I don't! But that man is not a mere guy!" If anyone else had said this, alarm bells would be ringing in my head. But anyone who Gary found attractive wasn't human. Oh no. They were... Well, wait for it. "He is a god!"

There it is. You can imagine his reaction when he had met my father and uncles, right? Not to mention Rosalie. He had even swooned over her. Supermodel quality as he had addressed it. Well, Rosalie was really beautiful. I'm sure the fact Gary found her attractive could play on her ego, the fact a gay guy had drooled over her.

What was it dad said about her thoughts again? A shallow pond, or something like that? Ugh, I couldn't remember. I just knew he viewed her to be big headed and didn't think much about others, other than herself, Emmett or me. But, when it came to family she was always front line and center.

The landscape around the small civilization began to filter out, leading to turn in the road. A tunnel of woodland and trees, past a large gate and into the estate Carlisle had purchased. It was connected to the civilization - a mere few minutes from Gary's house - but it was technically still in the forest. We were still well hidden.

Gary moved into second gear, slowing the vehicles speed as he travelled up the long gravelled driveway. The house up ahead was grand in size. Three floors and steps leading up to the front door. It was white - since that was the color Esme had fallen in love with - with a porch running around the whole of the house. The window shutters were a rich shade of blue. The roof above the porch had fairy lights hanging from it, that Esme always turned on at ten o'clock. Just because we were technically supposed to be night creatures didn't mean we were to live in eternal darkness. That was her logic, and boy did I love it.

Either side of the porch stairs, running the length of the house, were rose bushes. All ripe and in bloom. Gary let out a small breath as it all came into perspective.

"I'll never grow tired of seeing this house," he admitted. "D'you inherit it when your parents pass, or does one of the older ones get it?"

Yeah, the lie we were currently going with... Esme and Carlisle were my adoptive parents and my actual parents, uncle and aunts were my adoptive brothers and sisters. It was weird having to call my grandmother and grandfather 'mom and dad.' It was probably something I'd never get used too; but it worked. I only had to live with it for a couple of years anyway, since we would no doubt pack up and leave at some point in the future.

"I don't know. I don't think we'd really want to live in it after they go.." I was just playing along. As if any of them would die. We were immortal. We'd never die unless we were killed; and recently there was no threat of that. No Volturi interfering. No inevitable doom facing us. We were just the usual typical vampire family.

"Oh," Gary nodded. "Can I have it?"

He was kidding, obviously. That's what I loved about him. Never taking anything seriously, and always finding a place to slide in a joke. "Sure, I'll have them write the papers."

"Good. I'll need a bachelor pad soon."

"So my parents are going to have to die soon?" I laughed in fake disbelief as he come to a stop. He leant down and pulled on the handbrake, securing the truck completely.

"Well, I'm not putting a time limit on it; but if they're willing to speed up the process I'm keen."

I rolled my eyes and ran my hands over my face. "You're unbelievable sometimes."

"That's what makes me so darn cute."

The laughter died down after a number of seconds, and both of us just sat there. Quietly smiling at one another as we relished in the absence of words. There was never an awkward moment between Gary and I. I felt as though I could tell him anything, go to him for anything. I could tell him things I couldn't even tell Ivy. If I even breathed a word about Alec to her, she would rant and rave about how I deserved better than someone who just let me walk away.

But the thing was... He had tried to stop me. He had practically begged me not to leave him. Now that I think about it, he had even apologized. That was something Alec never did. Well, not seriously anyway. But he had, and the look in his eyes was of complete and utter seriousness. He was desperate for me to stay. God, I had wanted too. It too everything within me not to turn back and go to him.

Even in the car, I'd almost asked my father to stop countless times. Edward would look up and look at me every now and then, the same look in his eyes as always. Questioning me if I was sure on what I was doing. I had to be. I had to put everything behind me for him.

I don't think he knew I had saw him. Standing in the window, watching us leave. As the cars pulled away; I saw him watching. It killed me, and that was the closest I came to getting out of the car. I had even put my hand on the door handle. I'd been so close... But I couldn't.

It was better this way. He was safe this way. He would move on... I hoped.

"I think we should make another pact." Said Gary, drumming his hands on the steering wheel.

"What is it with you and pacts?" I smirked, though I'd be lying if I said my interest wasn't high. It always was when he had something to say involving us both.

"I like to have motivation for things. If you hadn't of agreed to come along to the college, I wouldn't have gone. Now I have too." He explained with a shrug. "So, same goes with this. We should make a pact that when we're older, and if we're unmarried. We should marry one another."

Wait, what? Older? Oh, crap. Oh crap. Alarm bells. Alarm freaking bells! I wouldn't get older! I was going to be stuck like this! In the body of a eighteen year old girl, though I still looked sixteen! I hadn't changed in the slightest since I was eighteen, other than my facial features enhancing creating fuller looking lips and defined cheekbones.

"You want motivation to go out there and get a guy... Or you'll have to marry me?" I blinked, trying to find some way to get out of it. I should find it highly offensive, but I didn't. I found it somewhat flattering. If he didn't find the right guy, he was willing to go against his sexuality and be with me. That, and he wanted to use me as a motivational subject to actually go out there. It was highly flattering. To me, that is. To someone else, it could be a different story.

"Yeah. I mean, if I get a guy... Cha-ching. But if not.." He pursed his lips and looked to me once more. "Then I've got myself some smoking hot girl. Not too shabby for a gay guy. Plus, you've got the cash and the drop dead gorgeous family. Meaning if I got drunk one night and we ended up sleeping together-" I had to hold back the urge to cringe. I didn't like the thought of sharing my body with anyone else. Anyone other than... "-then you've got the good genes for my kid."

"And what do I get out of this?" I arched an eyebrow, smirking all the way.

"One hell of an fabulous husband."

"Tempting, but I think fabulous is a little short on what you look for in a husband."

Gary chuckled and nodded his head. At least he agreed with that.

"Yeah, but... Look at it like this. We know everything about each other."

Well, he everything other than the fact I was half blood thirsty vampire, and my family were full fledged vampires.

"We get along well, we never argue... Other than what movies to watch."

Hey, I still say the notebook is better than PS I love you!

"And... We obviously care about one another. I could fall in love with you after being with you for a while, and I'm too awesome not to fall in love with after a while. You never know. You could become my exception to the gay world. The only girl I'll ever go for."

He was just so full of charm, wasn't he? Filthy little sweet talker!

Whatever was running through my head, maybe the fact that it could be possible that I could fall in love with someone other than Alec and stop this never ending pain, I had nodded before I realized what I'd gotten myself into.

"Great. So, what age? I was thinking maybe around 38? Maybe 40. So we're not too old to start popping out kids."

"Forty is good." Not that it would ever come to it for I'll be long gone when you hit forty, I thought idly.

"Forty it is." He smiled, nodding to himself. He seemed pleased. Had he set out to do this for a while? I wasn't sure; but it was cute none the less. I, Renesmee Cullen, had a backup. It was a shame I'd never actually be able to go through with it though.

"Right, text me if you're heading to see your family tomorrow. That way I don't show up here when you're out."

"Why would you show up?"

"Because some buddies are mine are coming to this college week thing too. Only found out last night. So, you'll get to meet the rest of 'em."

... Well, that made sense. I didn't really want to be stuck in a place where I didn't know anyone; where as Gary would be the social butterfly. Ugh, who was I kidding. That was going to happen anyway. "Alright then. I'll text you."

I leant over and pressed a kiss to his cheek, while he did the same to mine. "Better do."

"I will. G'night Gary! Drive safe!" I slipped out the car and shut the door. The engine came to life and Gary began to turn.

"Always do!"

I stood waving as he drove off down the road until he vanished. Nothing but the sounds of the birds chirping their final songs of the day sounded. At first, I thought maybe my parents weren't home. Since I couldn't hear anything. But focusing my ears, I could hear subtle murmurs from inside.

Huh, so they were home. I turned and walked up the steps. Reaching out for the door, I was stopped when it opened and my father stepped outside. Panic written all over his face.

"Dad?" I blinked, clearly confused.

"Renesmee," he breathed. "Come take a walk and have a chat with me?"

What? A walk? I had been walking all day! I had been talking all day! I was tired. I needed food, and I needed sleep.

"Renesmee, please?" He pressed.

Something wasn't right. Something was completely wrong here, and it was beginning to worry me. I folded my arms over my chest firmly and shook my head. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, I just want to have a talk with my daughter."

"You're lying." I said. "There's a reason you're not letting me inside that house."

"Renesmee-" He needed to stop calling me by my full name. It was only adding to the worry. He only ever used my full name when he was being serious. "-Ren-" He obviously heard that. "-You really don't want to go inside. Trust me."

"You really musn't know me. Because I'm tired, and I just want to go to bed.." I tried to step around him, but he moved to stand in the way. I crossed my arms again. This was getting annoying. "Either tell me what's going on, or I'm going in there and finding out myself."

Edward looked stressed. He looked... Ill, actually. He looked to the door and then back to me. His jaw clenching tightly, and his eyes shifting to the floor. A heavy, sad sigh fell from his lips as he brought his head up once again and slowly nodded his head. "It's best if I show you. Don't... Be upset. It's just business. They're leaving as soon as a few things are cleaned up."

What? What the hell was he talking about? Edward clearly heard my thoughts because he took hold of my arm by the elbow and opened the door. As we stepped inside, he closed the door and replaced his hand around my waist; guiding me inside.

The house was unnervingly quiet besides the murmurs becoming more clear with each step I took. Getting closer and closer to the main room. That was when it struck me. Right in the face, hitting me like a wrecking ball and breaking down everything I had put up to protect myself.

Cinnamon.

The main room opened up before me and my eyes instantly found him. Alec was standing in the corner, his face impassive and blank. His attention on his sister as she spoke to Carlisle. A second ticked up, and his attention turned to me. His eyes found mine, and every ounce of air left my body.

He was here. He was looking at me. And then he looked away.


A/N:

I'd like to apologise for the lack of updates as of recently. This isn't a new excuse, but I have been severely busy; to the point I haven't been near a computer/laptop for the past two weeks. However, here is your update. I will try to work my butt off writing the next one to get it up for you guys.

Again, my apologises. Your reviews and continuous support throughout this whole series have been amazing.

I love you all.

-C.H