Edward's P.O.V.:
"Hello?" A soft angelic voice called through the house.
It was Halley; I'd recognize her voice anywhere.
Well, and not only that, but I already knew it was her because of the images of that flooded in Carlisle and Esme's heads.
She still sounded somewhat the same; she's still soft-spoken. However, she could just be scared, not knowing where she was.
"Yay! She's awake!" Alice happily announced, ready to pounce.
"Alice, wait. We don't wanna scare the poor girl anymore than she already probably is right now. Let Esme and me check on her first. Until then, wait here." Carlisle sternly told Alice, who pouted in return.
"Yeah, ok." I told Esme before she could ask what was on her mind.
She wanted me to give her the pendant so she could return it to Halley so that she could return it to me herself—if she even remembers.
"Hi there. Oh, I'm sorry; we didn't mean to startle or frighten you." I heard Esme apologize after Halley jumped a little.
"I don't know if you remember us; we found slumped against a tree. My name is Carlisle, and this is my wife, Esme. How are you feeling?" Carlisle calmly explained.
"Your cats: Bubby, Buttons, S'mores, and Snickers, are all here. They're safe—as are you. This fell out of your pocket or something after you passed out and we brought you home. It's very pretty." Esme gently spoke, holding the pendant to Halley.
Through Carlisle and Esme's eyes, I could see that Halley was very rigid, apprehensive, scared, and confused.
"Jasper, do you know how far you can radiate your calming ability?" I asked, watching Jasper.
"A good ways, why?" He responded.
"They are in the area between the living room and the stairs upstairs. Halley is about to panic. Esme really wants her to stay. Could you do something?" I pretty much begged Jasper.
"Esme wants her here? Or you want her here?" Rosalie condescendingly asked.
"Well, apparently I must want her here because Alice is already planning all sorts of things." I fired back.
Jasper just walked away, stood behind a wall, and did his thing.
It took a minute, but Halley calmed down—at least a little bit.
"Thank you." She softly thanked, taking the pendant back, holding it close to her chest.
"Your name is Halley, yes?" Carlisle asked, watching Halley.
"Umm… Maybe: it sounds familiar." She nervously answered, unsure.
"She really doesn't remember her own name." I couldn't believe it.
I know I sure as hell didn't believe it when they first told me. But now…
"It's perfectly ok because we'll get everything figured out. Oh, please stay calm; we're not going to hurt you—or make you drink human blood. I don't know if you remember us saying we don't drink human blood; we drink blood from wild animals. As ironic as it is, we call our diet the "vegetarian" diet. We have five other adopted kids—well, they're teenagers. Well, not even that; being vampires, they're a lot older. But we're a family nevertheless." Esme explained before she started babbling—something she rarely does.
"She really must want Halley here." Alice noted as she listened in.
"That's just great… Protection duty." Rosalie grumbled, pissed off.
"We'll teach her how to defend herself. And just think, Babe; now, Edward will have someone he can hangout with instead of always being a pain in your ass. He won't bother you as much. Eh? Eh? Eh?" Emmet told Rosalie with his dorky smile.
"And we'll have a new sister: everything will be equal then with four girls and four boys." Alice happily announced.
"You're not counting the cats?" Rosalie asked, watching Alice.
"Of course, not. According to Carlisle and Esme—and Bubby, Bubby's the only one who can talk; Buttons, S'mores, and Snickers cannot." Alice replied.
"Whatever; I'm out. I'll be in my room if any of you need me. So, don't need me. That girl is not going to be my responsibility." Rosalie stated, annoyed before walking away.
"What do you say?" Esme asked, looking at Halley.
"I don't understand." Halley replied, confused.
"They want you and your cats to stay here—in this house—with all of us. I'll be in my room." Rosalie told Halley, walking to her room.
"Rosalie, wait a second, please." Esme called, pleading with Rosalie.
"Fine…" Rosalie groaned, turning around.
"Halley, this is one of our daughters, Rosalie. Rosalie, we're pretty sure this is Halley." Esme introduced the two.
"But you're so young." Halley told them, more confused now.
"Thank you. Umm… Rosalie and our other kids are all adopted." Esme replied, unsure of what to say as she and Carlisle exchanged concerned looks.
"That's so very nice of you. Everyone deserves to have a nice, loving home." Halley replied with a small smile.
"Edward, can't you read her mind?" Alice asked, looking at me.
"I can—but there's really nothing on her mind except confusion and that she wants a white cake doughnut with some kind of icing and sprinkles—and a plain chocolate shake. I mean—it looks like there's rows upon rows of file cabinets or something with locks on them. And they're all locked; I can't seem to access them." I answered.
"Dude, I'm sorry. But a doughnut and shake sounds good right about now." Emmet replied before walking away.
"Ooh, Emmet; come meet Halley." Esme insisted.
"Are you going somewhere?" Rosalie asked, watching Emmet.
"Hey." Emmet greeted with a smile; Halley just stared at him, blinking a few times.
"He's a big happy idiot—maybe with a big kind heart." Halley thought to herself, tilting her head to the side a little.
"Halley, this is one out of three of our adopted sons, Emmet. He is also dating Rosalie. It's a big, long, complicated story we'll explain later. Emmet, this is Halley." Esme once again introduced them.
Halley looked from Emmet to Rosalie, back to Emmet.
"They seem like a happy couple. The big happy guy with a strict real-life princess barbie doll." Halley thought to herself, watching her surroundings—and I just lost it.
I'm sorry; I just couldn't help myself and started laughing, disappearing behind the counter.
"Edward, are you ok?" Alice asked, concerned, kneeling next to me.
"Oh, yeah; I'm just fine. Sorry. It was just something on Halley's mind. She certainly knows how to tell what a person's like." I answered before whispering the rest in her ear.
As hard as she tried, Alice couldn't stop herself from laughing just a little bit.
"Emmet, are you going somewhere?" Rosalie asked again.
"Yeah. I was going to run into town and get some doughnuts—and maybe some chocolate shakes." "Ooh." Emmet answered, getting a reaction from Halley.
God—seeing her face light up like that.
"I'll be back." Emmet replied, waving before leaving.
"Edward—can I go meet her now? I promise to behave." Alice excitedly asked me.
I couldn't very well tell her "no" when I knew they were going to meet eventually.
"Yeah. Go ahead." I replied, knowing better than to try to tell her not to be herself; she won't listen.
"I'll keep her in check." Jasper assured me, putting my mind at ease—at least a little bit.
"Where is she? Where's my new sister?" Alice was way too excited.
"Remember: don't scare her." Jasper told Alice, holding her back just a little.
"Oh, my God; she's so adorable!" "Yep. Yep. Yep. She's the one. Hahaha." Alice exclaimed before thinking to herself, sharing visions with me.
Oh, God… Halley, I'm so sorry.
She just stared at Jasper and Alice, TRYING to figure them out; she didn't know what to make of either of them.
"Stoic and hyper—maybe. Mmm… Eccentric may be a better word. Both kind, though. Very eccentric." Halley thought, watching them; she hit that nail in the coffin.
Alice is most definitely one of the most eccentric people I've ever met.
And Jasper. Yeah, he can seem stoic—but once you get to know him.
"Halley, these are two of our other adopted children, Alice and Jasper. They, like Emmet and Rosalie, are a couple. Alice, Jasper; this is Halley." Esme introduced them.
"It's so nice to finally meet you!" Alice happily exclaimed, immediately pulling Halley into a hug.
"Alice… You promised him, remember?" Jasper told Alice.
"Aww! Poo." Alice playfully complained, pulling away from Halley.
"Hey. Sorry about Alice; she's just—very social." Jasper calmly spoke.
"You and I are going to be best friends. We can do each other's hair, do each other's makeup, go over wardrobe, and all sorts of other things." Alice happily told Halley.
"Oh, I don't wear makeup; it makes my face itch." Halley softly spoke.
"Oh. Well, that's ok; we'll have plenty of other things to do together." Alice happily insisted.
"Ok, Alice; ease up a little, please. Uh, Halley; we have one more adopted son for you to meet. And then I have a call to make." Carlisle firmly told Alice before calmly speaking to Halley.
"Ok." Halley replied.
"This way! Come on; you're just going to love him! He'll be your absolute favorite!" Alice happily exclaimed, grabbing Halley's arm and started dragging her this way.
"Well—we tried." "Sorry, Edward." Carlisle sighed but with a smile before apologizing directly to me.
"Here he is." Alice told Halley, pointing her in my direction.
"Halley, this is Edward; he's been with us the longest. Edward—Halley." Carlisle was the one to introduce us.
Halley just stared at me, squinting here and there, desperately trying to place me.
And then there were dozen of flashes of us when we were younger.
"Edward?" Halley softly asked, taking a step forward, wild-eyed, shocked, and confused.
And then she went down and completely blacked out…