Edward

Rochester New York 1933

I had been back with Carlisle and Esme for a few years now. It had been a struggle to adjust back to Carlisle's vision of not hunting humans. I still felt a strong pang of guilt every time I had thought of that day I left.

"Carlisle, I'm leaving" I told him one fall in 1927. The leaves had started to change color and the air was smelling crisper. After our talk with Siobhan, I had struggled with the thought I was missing something with my difference in diet to other vampires. I felt deprived even though I understood absolutely why Carlisle lived the way he did.

"Son, what do you mean?" Carlisle stared at me is disbelief, though I heard in his mind he knew very well what my intentions were, he just didn't want to believe it.

I took a deep breath, I didn't want to hurt him but I need to discover what I had been missing.

"I mean, I am tired of this life, this abstinence that was brought on me. I did not choose this life or how to live it. I'm going off on my own from now on. Thank you for all you have been to me, but I can't deny myself this any longer" I tried to say as gently as possible, but it till felt harsh, cruel when I said this out loud. The pain in his eyes was fierce, I had been his first companion, his son and here I was leaving. He had Esme though, he would get over it. I turned then to walk away running into Esme as I turned.

"Please don't go, Edward" My leaving was bringing back the pain of her lost child. She would lose her second one as well. She looked ready to cry. I'm sure she would be had we had the ability to.

"I'm sorry Esme, I can't stay here any long" Without a second glance back I walked out the door and took off in a dead sprint. I had decided even if I was changing my ways, I would not harm the innocent, no my target was the very worst society had to offer, that at least I could do.

I sighed as I finished off the deer I had been hunting. I had not drank from another human since my return, I still felt the guilt just as strong however. Satiated after my hunt, I ran back home deciding to catch up on some reading on a few books.

It was only a few hours after arriving home that I heard the sound. It was the fast paced heart beat accompanied by the strong scent of blood. I rushed downstairs to find Carlisle holding a blonde figure. The blonde figure of Rosalie Hale.

"Carlisle, what is this?" I demanded at once.

I couldn't just let her die there. A waste," he had answered me. I could see the warring going on in his mind, sorrow mixed with guilt. He laid down the blonde on the couch in the living room, I could see the bite mark on her neck and instantly knew what he had done.

"Rosalie Hale? Really? You couldn't pick a more prominent figure could you?" I exclaimed exasperated.

"I couldn't just leave her" he once again stated.

"I know you couldn't dear" Esme came up to us and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Rosalie hale though? The King's family will send out a search party, even though nobody would suspect him. Not her soon to be husband" I scoffed, I had read into Rosalie's mind and understood what had happened. He had gotten drunk, and with the help of his friends assaulted the poor girl. This did nothing to take the edge off my frustration. I let out a long sigh. I couldn't and didn't want to argue with Carlisle. But I sat down as we discussed what was to happen next. Every so often Rosalie would let out a scream of agony. It became less frequent as she came closer to her transformation completing. It reminded me of my own transformation all those years ago. We would need to teach her the ways of this life and once her newborn stage was over, she could go anywhere she liked if she did not wish to stay with us.

1935

It was only a few years later, I was playing the piano while Esme was upstairs working on a new sketch design and Carlisle was bent over a book. Rosalie had gone out hunting, alone as per her usual. I was glad to get some peace and quiet from her moping around. I felt for her as this is not was not the life she would have chosen. I was just tired of her constant string of complaints, both verbally and mentally alike.

The sudden sound of rushing footsteps took me by surprise as did the faint heartbeat I heard. Soon I could smell the blood that accompanied Rosalie's scent. I rushed out to meet her at the same time Carlisle did. I was vaguely aware of Esme departing the house as soon as the smell of blood hit. I probably should have followed but I did not, I was perfectly under control of my thirst.

The first thing I noticed was rose was carrying a giant of a man, who had looked like he had been mauled by an animal. Rosalie, covered in so much blood her dress was saturated and a dark red, looked wild eyed to Carlisle and begged him to save this stranger. Carlisle took the man and set him carefully down on the kitchen table and examined him. At once he realized there was nothing he could do for the man.

"Please save him" Rosalie shrieked to Carlisle.

Carlisle looked defeated as there was nothing he could do to heal this man. I suddenly saw in her mind what she meant. She didn't want to heal him, she wanted to turn him. Even though she hated this life, there was a strong desire for this man, she needed him for some unknown reason.

"Carlisle, she means she wants you to turn him" I rapidly relayed to him.

His eyes filled with a sudden understanding and shooed us away knowing it would not end well if we had stayed. I pulled rose's hand and ran with her to the river. AS we sat together, she relayed that he had almost been mauled by a bear but she managed to rescue him before it was too late. She was just as baffled as I was by her intense reaction.

It was only a few days later we heard rushing through the forest. Carlisle step out from the trees in greeting. We both looked up expectantly up to him. I saw in his mind how it had gone, the big man was going to be ok and he was nearly at the end of his transformation.

"The transformation is almost complete. It is safe for you all to come back home now. He would be waking of this afternoon." Carlisle informed us with a gentle glance towards Rose.

We both stood up and followed Carlisle back home. We had entered this clearing as just acquaintances but were leaving as brother and sister ready to meet the newest addition to our family.

Bella

Indiana 1935

It had been 4 years since I had left the Denali coven. For the most part I had been a nomad wandering the northern part of America. Eleazar had informed me of the wars down south and warned me to steer clear. I had stayed in a few small towns for about 6 or 8 months at a time working odd jobs to keep my cash at a reasonable level. The Denali's had provided me with a decent amount, but I still needed to work if I would keep my stock up.

Currently I am residing in a small town in Indiana. I never moved too far away from Chicago, in case I wanted to go visit Edward's and I's graves. I had decided I wanted to settle down in an area for just a little while longer than usual, because I wanted to start taking some college courses and working towards a degree. I had decided on a literature degree, as I loved to read and knew it would be a more interesting degree to start off with. I had bought a house on the edge of town far enough away from the humans but close enough as well as the advantage of being close to a forest in case I needed a quick hunt.

My classes began a week from today, and I was looking forward to it. I'm hoping it will give me the distraction I desperately need. Ever since I left the Denali's 4 years ago, the pain came back full force. It had never gone away really, but it had lessened some, to which I was grateful. The Denali's are the closest thing I have to a family right now. I would have stayed longer but I felt a strong desire to travel and explore. This is giving me the perfect opportunity to grow.

Until classes started I could do nothing except relive my memories. I fought hard to keep them as clear as possible, I didn't want to lose him for a second time. By now the memories of my parents had faded quite a bit. I could still remember how smooth his voice sounded, how piercing his green eyes were, his bronze hair that was always so beautifully disheveled and how I could never stop myself from running my fingers through them constantly. I sighed as I clutched my engagement ring. I never wore it on my finger, instead I kept it on a chain tucked into my shirt so he would always be by my heart for the rest of my existence. I desperately wished I had him back but I knew that was an impossible wish. The Spanish influenza had taken him from me and James had taken away my ability to die with him. I sighed again for what felt like the thousandth time.

A week later it was time for my first class. I only had a few classes signed up. Literature 101, Writing 103, and English 95. I figured these would be a good few starter classes. I had toyed with the idea of trying to publish fiction works of me own under a separate identity as to not track it down to me, but I knew I needed to learn how to be able to write well, as it had been decades since I took any kind of educational class and even those were fading due to time. I had taken the necessary precautions before going to class. I had spent the whole night hunting and making sure I was well satiated. I had waited so long to even attempt school in order to make sure my self-control was near perfect. I didn't want to risk killing an innocent or exposing myself and bringing down the Volturi on me somehow. I shuddered again as I recalled the stories Eleazar shared of his time with them.

When I arrived to class that morning it was Literature 101 first that day. Our teacher was middle aged man in his 40s or 50s. Mostly back hair with a little bit of gray starting to peek through. He wrote his name on the checkboard which read Mr. Meeks. Our first section of books were already sitting on the desks and I picked them up one at a time "Romeo and Juliet" "Taming of the Shrew" and a "Midsummers Night Dream." All good stories that I have read multiple times by now. I could tell I was in for an interesting semester so far. I did feel better now that I had a distraction and something to focus on.

1936

I had been in school for several months now and had successfully completed my first year. Being around this many humans for as long as I was, to my surprise, wasn't as difficult as I imagined it would be. I found at first I had to hunt more often than I used to as I was constantly surround by the smell of blood, but it did not take me long to be able to handle it. I did well in all my classes and I very much enjoyed my experience and it was a pretty good distraction during the day, however I found it was hardest at night when I had no one, I craved his presence more than anything. I found myself very lonely at night without anyone to spend it with. I desperately wished I could sleep. If I could sleep I could dream and be with him even if just for a night. I had picked up an instrument to try to keep me occupied at night. I had discovered the violin, it was small and portable, perfect for when I have to move every few years. I have been able to pour my heart and soul into and take me to a better place and I felt more at peace with my life. Edward had played the piano and I had always loved to listen to him play. He was such a wonderful composure and I missed hearing the lullaby he had composed for me. I wish I could play it myself, but no matter how hard I tried I could never get the notes just right. I needed a companion, but the one I need the most I can't have.