Old Nightmares Follow New Dreams

(In this chapter if the words are in italics – it denotes Alice's vision. The * denotes a break in the memory. Also for the part of Mr. Fabien, I decided that the character of Colonel Tavington played by Jason Isaacs (at least the looks from the movie) would be the perfect villain here)

For days after her dream, Aurora felt as if she were walking through a mist. She couldn't quite see anything clearly, nor could she express her feelings clearly either. Her rational side told her it was a dream, and as strange, exotic, alluring, exciting, and terrifyingly real it seemed, it was only a dream. She rationalized that she was attracted to the doctor and that he was indeed mysterious, ethereal, and unattainable, hence the dream. But no matter how she rationalized and no matter how she explained it all away, she couldn't explain her crying when she woke up. The feelings she felt the morning she woke up weren't. It felt as if daggers were puncturing every part of her heart, slicing it to pieces. As the days passed, the dream began to slip away from her. Each time she tried to remember it; it was as if she were trying to catch a wave crashing upon the beach. Each night she'd dread going to sleep, but she never dreamed of Carlisle again since that night.

While Aurora wrestled with her dreams, Carlisle was forced to wrestle with his reality. That morning when Carlisle made what he knew now was the foolish choice of toying with the woman's dreams, he was now faced with the task of explaining to his children that his worst fear was realized. Sitting around the brightly lit living room, Carlisle stood in the middle of the room as his children all stared at him, though Alice seemed to be the only one who had a smile on her face.

"I need to tell all of you this, and it has to come from me," he said sternly, eyeing Alice. "I know that we had decided that we would try to avoid the newcomer, Aurora Francise, but it seems I did not hold up my own rule. I…did meet her in the forest, though it was not intentional."

No one said anything or moved. Edward cleared his throat, waiting for the explanation. He was confused as to why Alice seemed so giddy. This was no time to be excited or happy.

"I also made the mistake of inadvertently entering her dreams and…" Carlisle trailed off.

Alice giggled a little at this, while Rosalie sent her a glare.

"It wasn't exactly inadvertent, and it wasn't a mistake," Alice announced triumphantly.

Rosalie rose from her place, stalking over to Alice.

"Do you have any idea of what this means, of what this could mean for us? Of what it could do to our coven?!" she shrieked at Alice.

Alice didn't seem to mind her sister bearing down on her.

"Aurora is not a danger to any of us. And if my visions are correct, she will…"

This time it was Alice who trailed off, eyebrows arched at Carlisle. It was Emmett and Jasper's turn to chime in. Both vampires looked stunned and shocked.

"Wait, hold on a minute here, yes Alice's visions may be one thing but aren't we forgetting the small detail that she is a human?" Emmett asked.

Rosalie nodded in agreement before Carlisle stepped in.

"I do not intend to turn her, nor do I intend to pursue this matter," he said emphatically. "I made a mistake and I failed you all. I will not make another mistake and risk you all and the coven in order to trifle with this idea. Emmett is right, she is a human, which settles the matter. And Alice, yes, I know that your visions, your gift can give us insight into the future, but that is only subjective to the choices we make. I made my choice."

Carlisle winced at his own words as they felt cold and distant. He could barely look at his family as they all looked back at him.

"Carlisle is right Alice, the future changes based on the choices made, if Carlisle chooses not to pursue her, then your visions won't come true," Rosalie said more coldly than she meant.

Alice shook her head, looking down.

"Yes but, you don't understand, what I've seen is that Carlisle will be with Aur…" Alice was cut off.

"I will not be with her," Carlisle boomed.

It was the first time he had raised his voice in decades. Everyone gasped as his voice and words hung in the air. He shook his head.

"This discussion is over," he said before stalking off.

Edward, who had stayed silent the entire time ran after Carlisle, as Carlisle made his way to the car outside.

"Do you love her?" he asked pointedly of his father.

Carlisle stood with his back towards his son, his hand on the open car door. He sighed, his entire body seeming to slouch.

"It doesn't matter Edward. My priority is to protect this family," he said slowly.

Edward glared at his father's back.

"Do you love her?" he asked again.

Carlisle turned and looked at the youngest Cullen.

"I do," he said meekly.

Edward could see the depth of his father's pain as he watched him get into the car and drive off. As he stood outside, Alice came to stand behind him.

"Edward, I think Aurora might be in danger," she said in a low voice in case Rosalie might overhear.

Edward turned to her; his eyebrows arched, and his eyes narrowed at her small frame.

"What are you talking about?" he said in bewilderment.

Alice held out her hand to Edward, her eyes wide and fearful.

Aurora stood in an expensively furnished room. Modern art that hung on the high walls adorned every corner of the place. End tables were adorned with fine porcelain china and heavy statues. She had a camera in her hand, her head bent as she toyed around with the settings. She turned around to see a rogue handsome man with devilishly blue eyes and long auburn hair that was tied neatly behind his back. He was beaming at her as he held a glass of amber liquid in a whiskey tumbler.

"All ready for your photoshoot Mr. Fabien?" Aurora asked.

The man took long strides before he was standing nearly eye-to-eye with her

"I am always ready for you Aurora," he purred.

Aurora smiled, though it did not reach her eyes. She backed away a few paces, keeping a safe distance between them.

Aurora placed the camera down by her side as she looked to her subject, motioning for him to move a bit to the right. The man, bowed deeply, almost in an animated way, as he obliged. She smiled tightly and raised her camera once more.

The man was now holding Aurora's camera looking at the pictures she had taken, while Aurora, standing off to the side, was packing her equipment. He clicked his tongue, holding another glass of amber liquid.

"You know Aurora I will never understand how you make me feel sooo vulnerable when you're taking my photo. It makes me feel almost… naked," the man said in a low and sly voice.

Aurora looked up at him, her eyebrows raised. She tried to diplomatically shrug off the suggestive comment.

"We're all vulnerable Mr. Fabien, even eccentric and powerful business moguls as yourself," she said. "My job is to shoot what's behind the veil."

The man strode over to her, again mere inches away from her. A devilish smile playing on his lips.

"And what makes you vulnerable Aurora? Hmmm?" he said in a growling voice. "What is behind your veil?"

Aurora's entire body was pinned against a heavy wooden desk, her hands painfully tied behind her back with zip ties. Her face was streaked with tears and a bruise was forming on her right cheek. Her lip was split open as blood pooled on the desk underneath her. She screamed and howled as the man behind her holding a large hunting knife in his hand. His other hand slammed her head back down into the desk as she protested.

"Let's see what makes you vulnerable, shall we?" he cackled in an almost animalistic howl.

Aurora tried to kick him away, but as he swiftly kicked her shins, she buckled underneath the pain. Through strangled sobs, she tried to choke out a plea.

"Please. Please. Please don't do this, please let me go," she sobbed

Another maniacal laugh erupted from behind her.

"No, no my dear, letting you go is the last thing on my list today. First, we must break a wild horse, then we train it," he sneered.

Aurora craned her head to try and see behind her shoulder. The man's eyes seemed to turn into little dark coals of evil. His eyes met hers and the knife in his hand slowly made its way to the back of her jeans. With a flick of his wrist, the jean belt loop was cut. He motioned the knife upwards, slicing her shirt as if it were melted butter.

"Now I must warn you Aurora if you move, I may just slice that pretty skin of yours," he whispered hoarsely.

Aurora could feel the knife blade tracing her up to her spine.

She closed her eyes tight as his hand grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her into him. The smell of liquor and cigars made her want to vomit as she felt his mouth centimeters away from her neck.

Bloodied, bruised, and screaming, Aurora ran down the sandstone steps of a massive mansion. She continued to run in the direction of her car, only whipping around to see a figure following her. He hobbled awkwardly trying to catch up to her, only to collapse on the steps, streaks of blood trailing him as a large knife handle stuck out from his thigh. Aurora got into the car and tore out of the expansive driveway.

A man sat in a car. His hair was cut short, but the same cold blue eyes stared out at the parking lot of a diner. He smirked as he eyed his surroundings.

"Forks, what a bucolic little hide-away you managed to find yourself Aurora," he crooned.

Edward staggered backward from Alice as he took his hand from hers.

"He's here!" he said breathlessly. "He followed her here."

Alice nodded; her eyes sullen.

"Carlisle!" Edward yelled. "We have to tell him!"