Chapter 13: A Fragile Friendship

A story by Yellow Smoke

All right's belong to their rightfull owners.

Year 1956

Willow took a deep breath as she closed her eyes, while she tried to compose her thoughts, as there was a lot to take in. Although she felt as though she could comprehend all of it for once. She just needed to work through it, until she reached some kind of understanding.

For once she wasn't even scared, although some of this information should scare her, but they didn't.

And slowly Willow opened her eyes to stare at the water in front of her. The strange mixture of green, blue and grey in her eyes seemed to match the color of the river perfectly, and she smiled as she felt the wind against her face, pushing her honey brown curls backwards. All while she enjoyed the silence between her and Edward, while the boat rocked ever so slightly on the top of the river, like a mother cradles it's child.

Willow had been rather unsure, when Edward had invited her to take a trip down Wenatchee River, despite all his smiles and assurance. She hadn't left the house for over a week, almost two, and since it was Friday Edward had claimed she needed to let loose, and have some fun. She had been hesitant, while Edward had tried to push her, and Esme had supported her son, claiming it would be good for Willow. Carlisle was the only one who had taken her side, saying it was Willow's choice, but Willow knew he only said that to be on her good side. And because tomorrow would be Saturday.

It would be the second time without any kind of pills, and Willow dreaded it, but had promised herself to forget about it, at least for now. It was one of those situations where there was nothing Willow could do, and so she might as well ignore the problem.

But due to Edwards puppy eyes, and Esme's hopeful smile, Willow had agreed to take a trip down the river in their expensive speedboat. Willow's biggest fear had been that someone would see her, but Edward had assured her there wouldn't be anyone, and she had reluctantly agreed to go with him.

And so she had sat down on the blue leather seat in the small speedboat, while Edward had sat down beside her, before he brought the engine on with a roar. Willow had never been on a speedboat before, but she was pretty sure a person wasn't supposed to sail as fast as Edward had, but nevertheless he did. Willow was fascinated, as he looked completely calm while he navigated the boat down the river, water splashing behind them.

The boat itself seemed to be expensive, as anything else the Cullen's owned, and the top of the boat was made of red wood, while the bottom was white, and Willow could swear the seats were made of real leather. She didn't dare ask for the price, and instead she and Edward began to talk as he lowered the speed to a slow pace.

For some reason they had actually talked about vampires, and all the things Willow hadn't wanted to know for days. Edward had told her things she didn't think were possible, yet a part of her was trying to absorb all of the facts, as Edward actually had managed to prove some of his claims.

Willow had watched in fascination as the sunlight had reached through the skies for once in Leavenworth, and she had been in awe as the sun touched Edward's skin. It had begun to sparkle, like diamonds sparkle, and to Willow it had been so strange and fascinating she had to touch it. Edward had been patient, as he allowed her hand to touch his cheek, while she carefully looked at him, afraid it might disappear. And it did, as the sun once more left Leavenworth after a few minutes, but Willow knew what she had seen, and she couldn't argue against it. For some reason vampires glittered in the sun, although there was no explanation.

She couldn't help but smile, as she looked at Edward, in his dripping wet state. His once blue shirt was now ruined, and his reddish hair was filled with water, as though he just had a shower. The truth was he had been rather busy proving to Willow everything he said was true, and he had showns Willow things she didn't think possible. Among those he had jumped into the water, and had disappeared in a blur in front of Willow, only to swim a mile up the river, and just seconds later he was back inside the boat. Never once turning the engine off.

And once more Willow had no choice but to believe him.

It was just another proof out of many, and Willow was left amazed, as she stared at the beautiful nature ahead, while she tried to organize her thoughts. Everything she had seen felt so surreal, yet she had seen it, and would have to accept it.

A part of her also recalled they were surrounded by ghosts, which only could be seen by her, so maybe Edward was right. Maybe she had to accept the world she lived in was far more complicated than she thought, and everything was possible.

Water was now dripping down on the seats, and Willow had been slightly worried Edward might get sick, until he reminded her he was dead. It wasn't really possible for him to suffer from illness. Willow noticed he didn't even seem to care, despite the fact he was dripping wet, and she felt herself smile as she looked at him.

"So," She finally said, as she had gotten her thoughts somewhere under control, and Edward's golden eyes looked towards her. Clearly ready to listen "You are far stronger than any human being I have ever seen," Willow began, recalling how Edward had pulverized a stone before her eyes, and Willow had no choice but to mark it as being true. "You are so fast my eyes can't see you," she continued. "You look like a diamond in the sunlight… is there anything i have missed?" she ended, although she knew there were a lot of things she hadn't been told yet. There was a whole world of things Willow hadn't seen yet, and she knew most of what Edward had told her today were the basics of being a vampire.

But she had to accept vampires existed, and she had done so. But by accepting their existence, she would also have to accept they were different, although she still was on the fence with the whole mind reading thing. But strangely enough Edward had never told her it was a joke, and Willow began to suspect he actually meant it, although it didn't make it true.

"I have enhanced senses," Edward reminded her, his voice smooth and calm, while he sent her a handsome smile. Willow was slightly scared of his driving abilities, even though they were on a lake, as he never seemed to actually look at where he was going. But he seemed so calm about the whole thing, and Willow wanted to believe he was in control. "I can hear everything you say at a great distance, even if you whisper. And i can see small details your eyes never would be capable of, not to mention I would be able to smell you from miles away," he told her seriously, although Willow had a hard time believing all of it.

He had proved his hearing, as he had placed himself far away from Willow, while she whispered a sentence to him. Which he then retold her as he flashed back to her, something Willow wasn't going to get used to. Willow simply had to trust him on the whole smelling thing and his sharp eyes, but if one sense was enhanced, the same could probably be said about the rest.

But a part of Willow couldn't help but think about the enhanced hearing. What it really meant was that their whole family could hear her at all times, which meant Willow had no privacy, and everything she had said had been shared with everyone.

"So you are essentially a dog?" Willow asked with a small laugh, as she tried to forget her fears, at least for now. If nothing else the sour face Edward gave her helped, and Willow broke out into a smile, before she got serious. "But really, like you don't burn in contact with the sunlight, or sleep in a coffin or something?" she asked, as that was what vampires did. Or at least that was what all the books and legends said, and if it wasn't for their diet, Willow wouldn't say they were vampires.

But her question clearly humored Edward, who chuckled, although he for once looked at the waters ahead.

"Well you just saw me in the sunlight, so tell me Miss Cross, did I go up in flames?" Edward asked her, teasingly.

Willow had changed a lot since Edward began to befriend her, although she couldn't explain just when it had happened. But somehow Edward made her smile, despite how horrible her situation was. No matter how angry she was, or how much she had cried, he somehow made her smile each time, and Willow almost felt like another person when she was near him. A normal person, hanging out with her friend.

"Not really," Willow admitted sheepishly, as her cheeks became red. Because that had been a stupid question. "But what about the whole coffin thing? Are they in your basement or something?" she then asked, as Edward hadn't said anything about that yet, and some of these legends had to be true.

Although Willow had a hard time seeing them inside a coffin, especially someone like Esme, or that tiny one called Alice.

"No Willow…" Edward sighed, as though she was the stupid one, although her question was valid. "We don't really need to sleep. Actually it's impossible for our kind to go to sleep…" he then slowly admitted, and for a moment Willow swore he almost looked sad, as though he desperately wanted to sleep once more.

And Willow stared at him in shock, as her mouth slowly opened and closed a few times, as another crazy fact settled inside her head. Was it even possible to look alive without sleep? Although Willow supposed it made sense, seeing as they were dead already.

"So... you haven't slept since 1918?" Willow asked slowly, although it was a crazy thought. Edward had been awake for longer than Willow had been alive, yet his eyes were still open, and he looked somewhere alive. Almost happy at the moment, although a part of him seemed saddened by the thought of all those sleepless nights.

"Well it sounds strange when you put it like that, but no i haven't…" Edward admitted, and then once more settled his eyes on the river. Something he always did when things got serious. At least on his part. "Although it's one of the few things i would like to be able to do. I recall it as rather peaceful," he said with a small smile, although it looked bitter, and Willow understood.

At the moment sleep was everything to her. It was her only way to gain enough energy to live on, and the peace she got through her sleep was vital. She would have ripped all of their heads off if she wasn't able to sleep, as there would be no break in her life from all of the madness.

"I don't know what i would do if i weren't able to sleep, i think i would go insane," Willow said in sympathy, and it was true. Without sleep she would probably be able to kill someone, and to her it sounded like torture to be awake forever, whenever one felt tired or not. "Don't you even feel tired sometimes?" She asked curiously, as she found it hard to imagine a person never felt tired. It sounded impossible to be honest, and Willow almost considered adding it to her impossible vampire traits list, which so far contained mindreading. But she began to suspect this was true.

"Physically, it is impossible for my body to get tired," Edward told her in a somber voice, and still hadn't looked at her, as he watched the quiet water running down the river. The boat was still going, but at a slow pace, as there was no hurry. "But sometimes my mind feels overwhelmed, but it's just not possible for us to go to sleep, at least not like humans…" he trailed off, and Willow raised her eyebrow, curious.

"But you can get into some sort of sleep-like state?" she questioned, but Edward shrugged his shoulders in response. Never once looking at her.

"Not really… It's complicated," he answered, and clearly didn't want to explain further, but the silence between them forced him too. As Willow refused to say more before she got a useful answer. "But we can meditate I suppose, and empty our minds," he added with a sigh, although the answer was of little use to Willow.

"Meditate? I don't think i have heard of it before…" Willow mused out loud, and Edward looked at her with a raised eyebrow, although it didn't surprise him. It was an old Indian practice, which hadn't reached America, although movements over time had blossomed, but they had died once more. Carlisle was the one who introduced it to Edward, as he had seen it on one of his many journeys, and Edward had found it soothing. Although he never had done it for religious reasons.

"It's about sharpening one's focus, and thereby pushing other things away" Edward tried to explain, although he knew it was a vague description, but it was hard to describe to someone who hadn't tried themselves. "Maybe it could be useful for you?" he then suggested, knowing it might give Willow the same peace it gave him, although he doubted she would be willing to try.

And he was right, as Willow completely ignored him, almost as though her brain was trying to block it. As if to protect herself. If nothing else it was a reminder of the horrible day she would have tomorrow. And so Willow pretended she hadn't heard it.

"So do you guys have fangs?" she asked instead, as she stared into Edward's golden eyes, with a small warning. She didn't want to talk about it, and Edward sighed, as he opened his mouth in annoyance.

"Look at my teeth Willow," he said. It should be obvious he didn't have fangs, or he wouldn't be able to go to High School. "Does it look like I have fangs?" he asked, and raised an eyebrow in response to her question, almost offended.

"No" Willow admitted, as there indeed were no fangs, but Willow still didn't understand how they couldn't have fangs. "but… how do you… like… how does it work when… you know?" she tried to ask, as she stumbled over her own words, unsure how to ask. Edward had explained to her how his family lived of animal blood, which to Willow made a lot of sense, although she knew Edward couldn't have lived of animal blood his whole life. His ghosts suggested that much. But it explained why someone like Carlisle only had one ghost, his father, and why Alice had none. Not to mention it made sense why there weren't more ghosts, as they had been vampires for quite a while.

Edward hadn't gone into details about their diet, but it had soothed Willow to know they didn't kill humans. She hadn't really thought of it before he brought it up, but no one wanted to live with people, whom they knew killed others on a daily basis.

"When I feed?" Edward asked with a small laugh, and clearly found it funny Willow couldn't get the words past her lips. She was still so new to all of it, and some of the information was still being processed inside her head. "Our teeth and skin are stronger than diamonds. I suppose it would be the same feeling as if you tried to bite into a piece of butter. It's easy, and takes no effort," Edward tried to explain to her, while Willow couldn't help but laugh at his comparison.

"So biting into me would be like biting into a stick of butter?" she asked him teasingly, while Edward gave her a glare.

"That's a morbid thought," he told her plainly, and clearly wasn't as amused as Willow was, at the thought of biting her.

"Yet it's valid," Willow argued, and Edward sighed as she shook his head. Willow was pretty sure Edward wanted to say she was impossible, but he refrained from doing in, and instead changed the subject slightly.

"Does it ever scare you to be around us?" He asked her curiously, and continued to explain himself, as Willow's eyebrows knitted themselves together. She wasn't sure just how she should answer that question. "To be fair you know what we are, you have seen what we have done in the past, and any of us could kill you by accident," Edward tried to remind her, and it was true.

They all knew it was a risk, as one of them could slip, and accidentally kill her. Edward had tried to tell Willow about their diet and craving for blood, but he wasn't entirely sure she understood just how primal their instincts were, and how easily something could go wrong. It was one of those things that was hard to explain to a human, and although none of them wanted to kill Willow, no promises could be made.

Willow's only luck might be that her blood wasn't that tempting. It wasn't as though she smelled bad, as any human with blood pumping through their veins was a treat, but some human blood was intoxicating to vampires. And they could only be thankful that Willow was pretty standard.

A silence occurred between the two, as Willow tried to think. She wasn't entirely sure just how she was supposed to answer Edward's question, as she hadn't thought of it before now, but was she scared? She had sure as hell been scared just a week ago, but did she still feel the same way about them?

A part of her knew the monster's she had thought them to be didn't exist, as she had gotten to know them. No one had tried to kill her yet, and they had been nothing but welcoming and friendly toward her, which didn't fit with her previous image of them. Yet a part of her still knew they were killers, some of them mass murderers, and she shouldn't be near them. But for unknown reasons she hadn't tried to get away.

Willow almost feared she was the one who was turning insane, as she had begun to befriend a murder, but for some reason she coudln't picture Edward as a Jack The Ripper. Despite all the dead bodies that surrounded the river, each and everyone of them bleeding, Willow still didn't see a psychopath when she looked at Edward.

"There is a part of me that fears what you are, and what you could do to me, accident or not," Willow finally said, and it was the best answer she could give, as things were complicated. "But with that being said none of us really asked for this, I mean we are all caught up in this situation, and there is nothing any of us can do about it." she added wisely, and it was true. None of them had asked for Willow to break down at school, just like she hadn't asked for them to be vampires. "Also, it's not as though I got anywhere to go," Willow muttered under her breath sadly, but it was the truth.

At the moment the Cullen's were her only option, and it made Willow feel conflicted, as she wasn't sure whenever she actually wanted to be there or not. Edward must have sensed her sadness, and as there was nothing he could do, he grabbed her attention once more.

"Are you scared right now? Of me?" he asked carefully, while his golden eyes studied Willow carefully, almost curious. But Willow immediately shook her head.

"No… not right now," she muttered, but Edward didn't look pleased with her answer, as it proved she didn't understand the dangers of vampires. Despite everything she had seen and knew.

"You do realize I could snap your neck in a second, and drain your body?" Edward asked her seriously, while the boat gently sailed them down the river. His question however provoked Willow slightly, as she didn't understand what he wanted her to say. She understood living with them could be dangerous, but at this point none of them had a choice, or at least she told herself so.

"And I could run out in front of a car and die tomorrow," Willow reminded him, as she gave him a sharp glare, her anger showing itself just slightly. Truth to be told she had already run out in front of a car once, because of them. "That's one of the risks we take to live, we never know when we are going to die. If you killed me, I would like to believe it was an accident, just like a car accident," she tried to explain, and although Edward didn't seem satisfied with her response, it was hard to argue against. It all came down to people's intentions, and even he couldn't deny they had no intentions of killing her.

But he was still curious.

"You were rather afraid of us on the first day… and after that, what changed?" he asked her, and it genuinely confused him, as she had been given no reason to stop fearing them. At least not in Edward's eyes. "Why are you not running out in front of cars anymore?" he then added, meant as a tease to lighten the atmosphere. He could sense Willow's temper was about to show, and there was no need for that, at least not right now.

"Well…" Willow said slowly, as she tried to sort through her thoughts, and verbalize them. "I am not running out in front of cars anymore, because I got to know you… at least just a bit," she continued, and took a deep breath. She was scared of calling what they had a friendship out loud, as Edward might not see her as a friend. "In the beginning I was scared because all I saw was dead people, people who claimed you had killed them…" Willow trailed off, just as Edward cut her off.

"You do realize those claims are true?" he asked her seriously, once more trying to make her realize vampires had a dangerous side. Willow knew this, yet it seemed as though she didn't want to acknowledge it. Carlisle might claim it was due to all the stress, but Edward feared she simply didn't understand the danger behind their nature. "We might live on animal blood now, but I haven't always been like this. Those people died because of me, Willow," he told her, his voice almost pained, as though he suffered himself because of what he did.

"I am trying to ignore that part," Willow replied without thinking, while Edward groaned slightly in frustration.

"It's not really going to change the facts," he sighed, but Willow was done with this conversation.

Truth to be told she was really trying to ignore all of the horrors, and she was starting to sense their conversation was going in circles. Therefore Willow took a deep breath, as she allowed all of her anger to seep away. There was no point in discussing it any further, but Willow really enjoyed Edward's company, and wanted their conversation to go back on track.

"What about reflections… Can you see yourself in the mirror?" she asked him curiously instead, and Edward looked annoyed for a second, as he realized what she was trying to do. But he also knew there was no point in continuing their previous conversation, and their friendship was far too fragile to stand through an argument.

"I think Alice would be mortified if she couldn't see her outfit in the mirror," he simply answered with a chuckle, and made Willow smile slightly as well.

"Would you die if someone pushed a wooden stake through your heart?" Willow then asked, as she didn't want to create an awkward tension between them, and so it would be best to fill it out. And it made Edward laugh.

"It's a myth," he told her with a smile. "A wooden stake would break if someone tried to kill me with it. Are you planning to kill me Miss Cross?" he asked her teasingly, and Willow gasped for a moment, before she played along.

"Maybe…" she replied teasingly, but she had far too many questions to reply with any more jokes. "And the cross? Does your eyes burn if you look at a cross?" she asked curiously, as she had heard about that, but as she looked at Edward she realized it was another myth. He almost looked annoyed, although the smile didn't leave his lips.

"Willow, Carlisle has a huge cross on the wall in our hallway," he reminded her, and made Willow feel slightly dumb for asking. As he was speaking he finally turned the speedboat around in a fast move, as it was getting dark. The sun was about to leave the small town once more, as the sky turned yellow and red. "Now enough of your questions, if you want any more answers, I want answers as well," Edward demanded, and thought it would be fair.

There were a lot of things he wanted to ask Willow, which he had been dying to ask for some time, but he knew he had to step carefully. Their new relation was fragile, and he couldn't risk going too far, or he would break the friendship they had. He would have to restrain himself, but for once he had information's Willow actually wanted, and so this might be a good chance to get started. Not to mention Carlisle was interested in these informations as well, and Willow refused to talk to him.

"I didn't know we were taking turns," Willow said, and tried to make it sound as though she was teasing him, but she was anything but. A part of her knew it might not be a good idea, to give away information like that, because she knew what Edward wanted to know. But at the same time there was some knowledge she wanted herself, and her mother had always taught her nothing came free in life.

"Well we are," Edward said with a smirk, and tried to keep the atmosphere light. "So now Miss Cross, it's my turn, and I would like to know why you suddenly seem so interested in our kind?" Edward asked, and tried to ask a question that wasn't too related to her ghost problem, knowing she would refuse to answer. "Just a few days ago you didn't want to know a thing. Claimed curiosity killed the cat if i recall correctly," he reminded her, and even Willow smiled a bit.

And Edward had made his first move, and he had moved well, as even Willow couldn't see any harm in that question. A part of her knew what he was trying to do, but she saw no harm in answering his question, and in relief she smiled, as she answered.

"I think the cat sort of realized it didn't have nine lives as it was dead, and would like some answers," she replied, and continued to use the metaphor, as it was easier to talk about the cat, than actually talk about herself. Not to mention Willow hadn't really died, but she was starting to realize her old life was over, and nothing was going to be the same. Therefore she might as well try to understand the world she had been thrown into.

"Maybe it just means you are settling in, and starting to relax?" Edward suggested kindly, almost hopefully, although Willow shrugged her shoulders, as she was unsure.

"Maybe," Willow admitted, although it was hard to say. She wasn't even sure whenever she felt relaxed at their house. A part of her simply didn't want to discuss it any further, and so she quickly changed the subject. Not to mention she had answered Edward's question. "Now my turn, can garlic ward off a vampire?" Willow asked instead, and although Edward looked slightly annoyed, he chose not to push her further on the subject. But it was clear to everyone he rather would speak about her than himself.

"No Willow," he sighed, although he couldn't help but smile. The question was almost silly to him although the myth existed. "Garlic is disgusting to my nose. But all human food is that," he then added, and Willow looked surprised at him. She knew they didn't eat human food, but for them to find it disgusting, well that was slightly surprising.

"What does my food smell like to you?" she asked curiously, although Edward shook his head this time, and did not intend to answer that question.

"You are really bad at taking turns," he told her with a laugh, and Willow looked down in defeat. A part of her had hoped he wouldn't notice her small maneuver. "Now my turn, how long have you been able to see ghosts?" he asked her curiously, and he knew it was a risk, but it was better than nothing.

And it was a risk, as silence dominated the air once more, while Willow began to debate with herself whenever she should answer or not. The question in itself wasn't hard, and it seemed innocent, but Willow knew the questions would get harder and personal. She also knew answering this question was an invitation to more questions, and she wasn't sure whenever she could tell him these things or not.

In the end it was a question of trust. Willow had never been able to trust anyone in her life, not even her mother, who far too often acted on her own selfish instincts. So the question was if Willow could trust Edward? He was by far the best and only candidate there ever had been, but Willow had never told of these things to anyone before.

But a part really wanted to trust him, and to tell him the truth, liberating herself from her own vow of silence. And for once, that part of her triumphed, as she with a sigh decided to answer his question.

"When I was four I began to talk about it, and it was the first time my mother realized something was wrong, but I suppose I have seen them since the day I was born. I don't really know to be quite honest," she told him in a somber voice, and it was the truth. Willow wasn't sure whenever she had been bestowed this curse upon birth, or she had attracted it like a disease with age.

But Edward seemed almost happy, not because he thought what she was saying was worth smiling, but he felt relieved she wanted to answer his question. Thankfully he kept his face neutral and pleasant, although Willow could see the happiness in his golden eyes.

"Do you think your mother sees them as well?" he asked her curiously, and Willow was almost going to answer, before she realized he was trying to cheat as well.

"Well here I thought it was my turn to ask a question?" she asked sharply, although she sent him a playful smile.

"Humor me, I have answered more than you have," Edward begged, which was true. He had answered for more than Willow had, and even Willow couldn't argue against it.

"Fine…" she sighed, knowing she had lost this game, if it were possible to lose. "And the answer is a huge no, trust me my mother does not see ghosts," Willow told him firmly, and was sure of it. No person who saw ghosts would try to sleep with so many strangers, or even seek a relationship, of that Willow was sure.

"And your father?" Edward asked softly. In response Willow raised her eyebrow, as she knew it was her turn to ask a question, but Edward just sent her a sheepish smile, which made Willow roll her eyes. Nevertheless she answered.

"I… I don't really know anything about him." She admitted softly. "My mother never talked about him, and I can't recall anything about him. He probably left before i was born… do you… do you think this is something that runs in the family?" Willow asked curiously, and slightly horrified. If this was something that ran in her blood, would that mean her children might inherit it too, and would this mean her father might be the one to blame?

"Well it's hard to tell. In my world what you are capable of is called a tallent…" Edward trailed off, unsure how to explain it. There was still so much Willow didn't know, and there were several things she wasn't ready to hear about.

"Like your mindreading?" Willow asked teasingly, to which Edward was the one to roll his eyes.

"Exactly," he said in a serious voice, and gave her a stern glare. "There are however a lot of theories as to why people have these gifts. Carlisle thinks it has something to do with our human life. Most of us don't have such visible powers like you as humans, but during the transformation some of our skills and characteristics are heightened." he told her, and Willow listened carefully, curious even, if not horrified. "As an example I couldn't read people's thoughts before I became a vampire, but Carlisle thinks I was good at reading people when I was a human," Edward explained, and Willow nodded slowly.

But the explanation scared her slightly as well, if it were true. As things were right now, her curse was far too powerful, and fear crept through Willow as she thought of what would happen, if she were to become a vampire. Willow had no desire too, but the thought of what that would do to her curse, well it sounded like hell to Willow.

"And do you… do you think it's a question of skills and characteristics?" Willow asked carefully, as her face had gone slightly pale. Edward didn't seem to notice though, or at least he was kind enough not to comment.

"I think it's a combination, but i also think it's possible to pass something on genetically." Edward told her honestly, and left Willow silently for a few seconds.

It had never occurred to her that her father might have passed this on to her, but it scared her to know she might be able to do the same. If Willow ever had wanted kids, she surely didn't want to anymore, as she wouldn't want to pass this onto anyone else. Willow had never wanted kids, knowing she wouldn't be a good mother, how could she be with her own mother as her only reference, but all dreams had certainly been crushed now.

"So you think my father might have passed this curse onto me?" Willow asked softly, and if she didn't hate her father already, she certainly did now.

"Or your mother," Edward pointed out, but Willow immediately shook her head. That thought was insane.

"Trust me, you don't know her. She does not see ghosts. I am not sure she sees much at all," Willow said with a dry laugh, although there was nothing to laugh about, because at times her mother didn't even see her.

"Your uncle just mentioned you were sick like your mother, i heard it from Carlisle's thoughts, and i just sort of thought, that maybe… maybe that was why she left Leavenworth?" Edward asked carefully, and Willow chose to ignore the part where he said he got it from Carlisle's thoughts. He sure was good at pretending. But she still shook her head once more, as her uncle hadn't meant it like that.

"She was a wild spirit. I just don't think Leavenworth was big enough for her ego," Willow told him honestly, as she knew how much her mother had hated this town. "I don't believe any of us was able to fit in, but for different reasons… which is what my uncle call's sick. Anyone who is different is sick to him…" Willow muttered, sad, as she knew how her uncle viewed her.

But thankfully Edward didn't ask her further questions, as he sensed Willow needed some time to think, or perhaps simply mourn her past. To the Cullen's, her life at their house certainly seemed better than the one she came from, but from Willow's perspective things looked different, as she had been ripped from everything she knew.

And so Edward chose to give her some peace, as he sailed the boat back home, while the sun slowly disappeared behind the mountains. When they finally reached Cullen's home, the sun was almost gone, leaving them in darkness. It was only the house that seemed to light them up, as Edward helped Willow onto the porch.

"Are you scared about tomorrow?" he suddenly asked, as he held onto her hand, while they stood outside. Willow wasn't sure why she still held onto his hand, but she liked it, and didn't want to let go. At least not right away.

She knew what he was referring to, although she had tried to ignore it throughout the day.

"Well… yeah… I am terrified actually," Willow muttered, knowing she wouldn't have any pill to keep her calm tomorrow. And she felt Edward squeeze her hand. "I… know it's not that bad, I shouldn't be, but I just, it's just so much worse than you actually think," she tried to explain herself, although it didn't make much sense, at least not to her.

"A lot of it is a question about how you chose to think about it," Edward tried to persuade her, although it meant little to Willow, to her it was almost empty words.

"Well that's easier said than done," She said with small glare, but it only made Edward turn his whole body toward her, as he let go of her hand, much to Willow's disappointment.

"Willow, I only want to help… please," Edward begged, as he leaned slightly closer to her. He was taller than her, and so Willow had to look up at him, while his golden eyes looked down into hers. There was no anger in his voice, only frustration, as though he really wanted what was best for her. "Or let Carlisle help you. You could really learn to control this," he tried, as he gently placed a hand on her cheek, and Willow felt his cold fingers against her warm skin.

A part of her wasn't entirely sure what was happening, just like she wasn't sure just how she should react, or even feel about it. But his fingers against her skin was enough for Willow to forget everything, and it took a moment for her to collect her thoughts, as she stared into his golden eyes.

"You are simplifying something that can't be simplified," Willow whispered, as she found it hard to talk all of the sudden, while her chest almost stood still, as if she wasn't breathing.

She wasn't sure why, but she wanted this, whatever it was, and she felt herself lean slightly forward, while her hand suddenly rested on top of his shoulder. As if she needed his support.

"I think you are overcomplicating something that is simple. If you would only focus… " Edward breathed, but he himself had lost his focus, as he stared into her eyes.

No words were said, as they looked upon one another, and Willow felt as though an invisible force was pulling them closer to one another. She wasn't sure just what was happening, but she felt how her heart stopped, while the whole world seemed to disappear around them.

She really wanted this, this thing she didn't dare think of, but she wanted it. And she knew he wanted it too, as their noses almost touched for a second.

But then somehow the moment was over, as the both instantly moved away from one another, as though they had been burned. Willow couldn't explain what had happened, but suddenly their eye contact was broken, and they both looked down.

She didn't even see Edward leave, but she felt a small wind brush her face, and as she looked up Edward Cullen was gone.

While Willow began to wonder just what had happened.

What a chapter! So this chapter was most a get to know each other chapter, mixed with some confused teenage feelings! Anyway, i know these last few chapters have been very much talking, and not very much action. But Willow sort of need's to settle in before i mess further with her! But i promise next chapter will bring some drama, as it's going to be saturday in the next chapter!

Anyway, thank you to everyone who has left a review or comment, and thanks for continueing to do so! It means a lot to me as a writer!