Trials of School

Cullen Residence

Music filled the Cullen home. Notes upon notes hung in the air. They played over and over; crescendos to decrescendos, fortissimos to pianissimos. They were played so often; the family went about their day to its beat. The music was pleasant, but one particular vampire had had enough of it.

"That's it!" Rosalie Hale was that vampire. "I can't take it anymore! I'll destroy that piano if it's the last thing I do!"

"Calm down Babe," her husband was literally holding her back. He had her by the waist, but she kept flailing her arms and legs.

She stopped. "Ok, I'm calm. Thanks Jasper." Emmett let her go and Jasper stopped sending his calming waves. "Seriously, though. I thought he was over her. Why is he still playing that music? Jazz?"

"He is completely over that bitch, but now he's obsessed with finishing the piece. I think completing the piece will make it feel final for him," the blond vampire explained. Jasper Hale looked over to his wife who was reading a magazine, he felt annoyance from her. "Is someone wearing the wrong shoes Alice?" 'Her fixation with fashion knows no bounds.'

"No. I mean yes, but that's not what has me upset," Alice sighed. "It's that vampire that changed Bella, I can't figure out why someone would just bite her and not try to feed on her. Why change her? What's the purpose?"

"I thought we weren't talking about her anymore," Emmett complained.

"Sorry. It's just ever since that happened, our futures have been slowly disappearing. I mean I can still see us, but there are these dark areas where my visions can't reach."

"That's certainly peculiar," Jasper commented. "I take it you believe it has something to do with that rogue vampire?"

"Yes, but it's only a theory," Alice kept a pensive look.

"Is there something else?" Her sister asked with concern.

"Our futures are blurry, but Edward's is almost completely black."

Their mother came into the living room then, "Is something bad going to happen to him?"

"I don't think so," Alice replied. "In the few spots I can see, he is overjoyed. Almost as if he'll never be sad again."

"Well that's good isn't it?" Emmett chimed in.

"Of course. I just want to know what those spots mean."

"Well, you can figure it out at school," said Esme. "Is Edward coming with you today?"

"No. He's staying home. I can see him clear as day right now. It's us that are blurry, maybe we shouldn't go."

"We should go," stated Jasper. "We need to see who or what is making our futures disappear."

"Jasper's right. We're going to run into whatever is causing this anyway. We might as well go and face the music," Rosalie concluded. Another tune began to play. "Because if I have to stay here and face this music, I'm literally going to kill Edward and then we won't have to worry about whether or not his future is black."

"Come on Angel, let's go. We can get there early so we can watch the other girls go green with envy as they pass you by. I know you like that," Emmett encouraged Rosalie. Their siblings sniggered. They got in Emmett's jeep and headed to Forks High to literally face the darkness.

Esme was concerned about all her children. It was a frightening thought to think that suddenly their future wasn't visible. Somehow even with skin as hard as stone, she got goosebumps. She went to meet her husband in his office before he went back to the hospital. "Hello my wonderful husband." She sat on his lap and gave him a chaste kiss.

"Hello my beautiful wife," Carlisle responded in kind. "Have the children gone to school?"

"All but one."

"Edward."

"Yes our eldest seems to have turned his anguish to obsession for the music about his anguish."

"At least he's moving on," he smiled. He saw the concerned look on Esme's face. "Don't worry my love, we'll have our boy back in no time."

"I know it's just Alice…"

"She had a vision? About Edward?"

"It's more like the opposite. It seems that Edward's along with the rest of our futures have black holes, but ours are more blurry while his has nearly vanished."

"That is strange."

"What do you think?" She looked to her husband expectantly.

"It's too soon to make any sort of conclusions. We should wait this out a bit," Carlisle got up to collect his briefcase and headed out the door. "What are you going to do today my love?"

"I found this beautiful cottage a little ways from here. I'm thinking of renovating it. Then, maybe I'll drop by Charlie Swan's house to leave a home cooked meal."

"Very well. Oh. When you're done with that cottage, maybe we can use it for getaways from our children and we could…" He whispered profanities to his wife.

"Dr. Cullen, one shouldn't say such things to a lady," she smirked.

"Forgive me my love. On my honor as a gentleman, I'll make it up to you in the most lavish way possible," he exaggerated.

"Just go to work fair doctor and save lives. When you return, there will be a reward for you in our bedroom," she spoke suggestively. Carlisle gave Esme another quick kiss and drove straight to the hospital where he anticipated his return home.

Swan Residence

Edie was in her room brushing her hair back in a French braid, trying to catch the stragglers that were brushing against the tribal tattoo on her back. She put on the light blue blouse she had bought the week before with a knee-length floral pleated skirt with, of course, a petticoat underneath and nude flats. She thought of her lover and friend while she held her rings attached to the leather band. She put on light make-up and then walked down the stairs to meet up with Charlie.

He stood in the kitchen with his coffee in hand and with his police blues ready to go. "Don't you look nice?"

"Why thank you Chief Swan," she said in a curtsy.

"You do know that you don't have to dress like this for school right? I don't even think most girls your age wear skirts anymore."

"Lots of seventy-year-olds wear skirts," she said naively. Charlie gave her the "brow". "I know what you meant Charlie, but I never got to wear clothes like these."

"You know Bel–" He looked down to his coffee. Edie hated seeing her friend looking like he's about to cry all the time. She wrapped her arms around him to comfort him. The hug only lasted for a few seconds, but it put some of the color back on Charlie's face. "Come on we need to get you to school. Tell me again why you're wasting your time at the high school."

"I'm going there because the Cullens go there. It's a lot easier to meet your target on equal ground than to go straight into the lion's den."

"Aren't you afraid of running into him?"

"Terrified, but you gotta do what you gotta do."

"You got everything in your bag?"

"Yup. Oh wait!" She vamp-sped to her room and back. "I almost forgot these." She held up the bottle containing her liquid contacts.

"Why are you taking those to school if you already have them on? I thought those things lasted for a month."

"They do; it's just you never know." Truthfully, she needed the bottle. She expected to get very emotional today. They headed out the door and Edie stopped before entering the cruiser. "Charlie, don't you think arriving to school in the cruiser would send the wrong message?"

"No, it says 'I'm not walking and what Charlie says goes'."

Defeated, "Fine, but can I at least drive?"

"Hell no. It's illegal for two reasons; one, you're not a cop, two, you don't have a license and for good reason."

"Oh come on. That deer came out of nowhere and you know it," Edie whined remembering the ill-fated driving lessons.

"The law is the law," Charlie said unwaveringly.

"Yes Chief Swan," she saluted him.

Edie and Charlie drove to the high school in comfortable silence. Both of them had things on their mind they'd rather not say. Really it was one thing for Charlie. It was the same thing that caused awkward silences: Bella. It was the little things like her favorite cereal and big things like her truck. While Bella was the lead actor in Charlie's mind at the moment, Edie's mind centered on entering high school for the first time and at the same time it was the first school she had ever really attended.

Edie's grandmother homeschooled her for months at a time until it was time to move on. After a while, they just moved too often to actually sit down and study, so Edie enrolled in online classes. Obviously online and reality are two separate things; she couldn't just sit down on the sofa and use her tablet to do her work, no, Forks High School was an actual building with actual students and teachers where she had to interact with real humans. Edie's never been around so many humans in her life.

"What's up?"

"What?" Edie barely caught Charlie's voice as he spoke.

"Your legs are getting restless; they keep moving up and down. Anything on your mind?"

"It's just that this is the first time I enter an actual building to go to school."

"Oh so this is literally your first day of school." She nodded. "Maybe I should've packed you a lunch." She looked at him with wide eyes. "It is too late to write your name on your clothes? Do I still have time to attach a paper with my phone number on your blouse? Maybe I should hold your hand when you go to your first class." He appeared serious, but then Edie saw the smirk on his face. "You should see your face," he laughed. She smacked him on his arm. "Hey, no hitting the human!"

"I thought you were serious," she smiled. "Thanks for that, I needed it."

"You're going to do fine. You have your mission, remember?"

Forks High School

"Yeah." The cruiser stopped at the front doors of the school. Already students were surrounding it. "I told you it would cause unnecessary attention," she reminded him.

"I know, but was the rule?"

"'What Charlie says goes,'" she sighed. "Can I go now? I think the principal is about to come out to see what the commotion is about."

"Yeah, get out of here." Edie stepped out of the car and sure enough everyone was staring at her. 'What? Haven't they seen a girl come out of a cop car before?' Edie thought she had been home-free when she reached the top of the stairs then, "Give 'em hell, Kiddo!" Charlie yelled out of the cruiser.

Edie face-palmed herself, 'Dammit Charlie! Give them more ammo why don't you?' Still, she laughed quietly at her friend's antics. First stop, front office. "May I help you," the receptionist with nails that were way too long asked in a disinterested way.

"It's my first day," Edie politely answered.

The lady finally looked up to look at her. "Yeah, I heard about you. You do know–"

"Yeah, yeah. Only two months, why bother coming at all. I heard it many times." Normally Edie would be more civil, but the people staring at her through the window was getting to her. 'This is gonna take some getting used to.'

"No need to be touchy. The counselor gave me your schedule. She also said you forgot to fill out your emergency contact." She handed Edie a pink paper.

"Oh ok," 'Might as well put Charlie as my contact.' Edie handed the form back to the receptionist and got her schedule back in return. "Thanks."

"Good luck," Nail Lady said as Edie went out the door. The bell rang. 'Time to get to class.'

When the Cullens arrived to the school they saw the flock of sheep around the front steps. They heard a car door open and they saw a tall russet-skinned girl come out. A few seconds later, they heard the person inside the car yell, "Give 'em hell, Kiddo!" They felt sorry for her, she looked really embarrassed.

"At least the attention won't be on us for a while," Emmett noted. Jasper, staring at the girl, seemed deep in thought. "…Jazz…Jazz. Jazz!" He snapped out of it. "You ok bro? Is the blood getting to you? Do you need to go?"

"Have you noticed her smell," Jasper queried.

"Is she one of your Singers," his wife asked with concern.

"Let's go Jazz, we can't have you exposing us," Emmett urged his adoptive brother.

"No! Stop it," the blond vampire exclaimed while taking his arm back from Emmett. "She's not a Singer. Just put up your noses and smell." All three did so trying to understand what their brother was saying. They took a big whiff. All their eyes, except for Jasper's, widened a bit. It was intoxicating. The vampires were so enamored by the new scent, they didn't notice the cruiser pulling out of the parking lot.

"What is that," Rosalie wondered. "She smells like lilies and cherries?"

"I'm smelling leather and oranges?" Alice chimed.

"It is roses and bananas for me," remarked Emmett.

"To me she smells like oil and apple pie," Jasper noted.

"How are we all smelling something different," marveled Rose.

"We're not actually," Emmett observed. "I mean yeah they're all different things, but they're all sweet and earthy smells."

"You're right." Jasper exclaimed. The bell had rung. Time for class. The Cullen siblings' interest in the Native would have to wait while they endured another day of high school.

Edie got lost three times on her way to her first class. Luckily a nice guy named Mike helped her get to her Pre-Calculus class with Mr. Warner.

"Yes," her teacher asked.

"Hi. Sorry I'm late. I got totally lost on my way here."

"Oh, you're the–"

"Yeah, I'm the weirdo who decided to enter school two months before it ends." She laughed. Edie heard giggles around the room. Even Mr. Warner laughed.

"You may have a seat in that empty desk behind Ms. Weber." A girl with a small build and kind face raised her hand

'She seems sweet.' Edie got to her assigned desk. Though they didn't make it obvious, at least to human standards, Edie observed that most of the class was peering at her. It was mostly boys and some girls. She saw an empty desk behind her. 'I wonder who sits there.'

The bell rang before her thoughts could get any further. The teenager, identified as Angela Weber, turned to face Edie. "Hi, I'm Angela."

"Hi Angela, I'm Edie."

"Do you need help getting to your next class?" The brunette human offered.

"Oh God yes! You're a life-saver!" Edie hugged Angela.

"It's no problem," she chuckled. They walked the halls for a while. There were still stares; more like glares from the girls and gaping from the guys. "Wow you sure are getting a lot of attention."

"I know. It's a little uncomfortable. It can't be just because I'm new, right? Is there something in my hair? My teeth."

"No. It's because you got dropped off by the Chief. Oh and the rumors."

"Because of Charlie? What rumors?"

"There's one that you got kicked out of the reservation. The one where you're a supermodel. The one where you're sleeping with the Chief. There's also the one about the Chief kidnapping you from the Rez to replace Bella with you…"

"Oh my God! Who would say that? Charlie is my friend. He offered me a place to sleep when I didn't have anywhere to go. He didn't kidnap me and he certainly isn't using me to replace his daughter. And yes, I'm a Quileute, but I didn't get kicked out. I've never even set foot there."

"So you are living with the Chief."

"Yeah. Only until I graduate."

"Can I ask why? I mean why didn't you have any place to go? Did your parents kick you out or something?"

"No, nothing like that. Let's just say certain circumstances forced me to come here." They finally got to their destination. "I think this is my stop. Is your class nearby?"

"No actually my class is all the way across the building."

"Then why did you offer to take me to mine, you should have gone to yours. I don't want to get you in trouble."

"You looked like you needed the help." Angela smiled sweetly.

"Angela Weber, you are a true lady. Thanks for your help."

The human blushed at the compliment, "Thanks and no problem Edie. I'll see you around ok?" She jogged away to reach her next class on time.

"Yeah. See ya!" Edie entered the Chemistry lab. Again with the stares, only this time, whispers followed. 'Take a breath. You can do this. Just ignore them.'

"Over here Edie!" She recognized that voice.

"Oh Mike! It's you." She sat on the lab table behind him. "Thanks for earlier by the way."

"No prob. Did you find your way okay?" He showed her his charming smile. However, Edie was oblivious.

"Yeah you gave me great directions." She turned towards the window on her right. 'Another empty seat?'

Jasper was going mad, well madder than usual. There were a lot of emotions involving the new girl. Jealousy, Lust, Pity, Hate, just to name a few. He used his gift to calm himself. A familiar set of limbs attached themselves to his back. "Hey Jazzy. Guess what I heard about the new girl?"

"What did you hear?"

"Apparently she got kicked off the reservation for posing for an adult magazine and she was forced to live with the police here because no one else can handle her. I also heard this one about her being an undercover reporter, looking for evidence of a new drug in circulation. None hold merit. Have you gotten anything off her?"

"I haven't really met her, so no. Although the moods around her are very intense. What about you? No visions yet?"

"No. I keep seeing black."

"I'm sure we'll figure it out soon."

"I hope so." The bell rings. "Come on let's go meet Rose and Em in the Gym."

Chemistry wasn't so bad. Edie mostly kept herself busy wondering about the empty seat. The material in the book is pretty outdated and many of the theories in the text were disproven. It amazed Edie how much more she actually knew than what was in it.

She was currently walking to the Gym with Mike Newton and Eric Yorkie. They were both pretty decent looking guys. Though neither one compared to Marcus. They left Edie at the door of the gymnasium and left. She walked up to someone who looked like he was coach.

"Excuse me sir?"

"Yeah?" 'Bear,' Edie thought. It was Emmett Cullen. 'He's huge!'

"Um are you the coach?" Emmett looked at this girl. 'She must be the new one.' He looked at her topaz eyes. 'She's a vampire.'

"Nah kid, you're looking for that guy over there," he pointed to a slightly smaller man with a small gut and great leg muscles.

"Thank you. Um…?" Edie feigned knowledge.

"Emmett, Emmett Cullen," he introduced.

"Thank you Emmett." Edie walked away towards the coach.

"Is that the new girl," his wife asked.

"Yeah," he said still staring at Edie. "She's a vampire."

"What? How do you know?"

"She's a vegetarian," he said pointing at his eyes.

"Who's a vegetarian?" Alice came into the conversation with Jasper.

"The new girl," Rosalie responded.

"Oh that's nice."

"Not a regular vegetarian, a vegetarian vampire."

"How do you know," Jasper wondered.

"Ask Emmett."

"Emmett?" Alice looked at Emmett curiously.

"She had gold eyes. Plus she looks like she was cut from stone."

"Oh?"

"That's not the weird part though, she looked at me like…"

"Like what?" Rosalie asked, quickly getting jealous.

"Like she knew me."

"Do you recognize her," Jasper questioned him.

"That's the thing, I know I haven't met her before, but she looks very familiar."

"Well now's our chance to get to know her better." Jasper pointed at the bleachers where Edie sat. Alice was already half-way there.

The coach let Edie sit this period out seeing as she didn't bring clothes to change into. She placed herself in a corner in the bleachers and searched for the other vampires, but instead they found her. "Hi, I'm Alice." Pixie.

"Hi," Edie responded.

"Hello, my name is Jasper Hale." Soldier.

"Hello."

"What's up?" Bear.

"Nothing much."

"Hello. I'm Rosalie Hale." Puma. She extended her hand.

Edie shook it. "I'm Edie Ward."

"Is that your real name," Alice interrogated.

"Officially."

"And unofficially," Jasper questioned.

"I'm just Edie. Last name forgotten," she lied.

"You have nice eyes Edie," Emmett complimented.

"Thank you B-Emmett."

"Enough with the pleasantries," Rosalie was getting impatient. "We know what you are. What are you doing in our territory?"

"Are you always this crabby to strangers?"

"Forgive Rose," Alice interrupted, "she's just very protective."

"It's understandable," Edie assured her. "I'm new in the area and you're trying to see if I'm here to cause trouble. I'm not by the way." The coach blew his whistle.

"Why don't we continue this later? We have lunch next period."

"What a coincidence, so do I."

"See you then." The Cullens went to go change. Edie didn't have time to process meeting the four characters from the stories her grandma told her when-

"Edie!" 'Pixie beckoned.' Edie climbed down the bleachers to meet them. They all walked to lunch together and it might have been the worst decision of the day. There were more whispers. 'She's with the Cullens. Figures, all the beautiful people get together. Damn! The Cullens are stealing another new kid.'

'That's it,' Edie was pissed. She turned to the crowd behind them. "Speak up! I can't hear you. If you have something to say to me, do it now to my face instead of hiding like cowards! 'Oh look there's the new girl.' Oh look, she's different.' 'She's walking with the Cullens.' Who gives a shit?" Edie took a moment to collect herself. The crowd remained silent. "Now that that's done, please forgive me for yelling and cursing at you. A lady shouldn't do things like that in public or to people she doesn't know, but you all were annoying and you needed to be told so." Edie grabbed a tray and put herself in line.

"I like her," Rosalie approved.

"Me too," Alice agreed.

"She certainly has spunk," Jasper observed.

"She sure told them off! I've been wanting to do that for years," Emmett grinned.

They grabbed their food and went to where Edie was standing and led her to their table. Emmett gave her a fist bump to congratulate her on a job well done for telling off the humans. After all the drama that morning, Edie was hungry! She all but attacked her food. She looked up. More stares, but this time from the Cullens. "What? Didn't I just finish reprimanding people for staring?"

"Forgive us. It's just that you're eating a pizza."

"Don't you guys eat to keep up appearances?"

"Yes, but we don't enjoy it." Rosalie gave Edie a confused look.

"Oh. Um. Well, that's part of the mystery that is Edie. I'm not exactly a full vampire. I mean I have all the abilities, but I don't sparkle and I can eat human food and enjoy it."

"How," Jasper inquired.

"I don't know. I lived underground for a long time, so I'm not exactly sure. I think I can better explain somewhere private."

"Ok, let's go." Rosalie led the rest of them into the forest deep enough so no one would see. "What do you have to show us?"

"First, can Emmett and Jasper close their eyes? I'm not exactly comfortable stripping in front of men." The boys followed suit and Edie began to unbutton her blouse and took it off. She covered her front with it. Rose and Alice had taken notice of the leather necklace she wore with two platinum rings attached to it. "Okay you guys can look now." They did so. "You guys have heard of the Quileute Tribe right?" The four of them gave her a perplexed look. She turned around and pushed her hair out of the way. While her back was turned, the Cullens' jaws dropped.

Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, and Alice couldn't believe their eyes. It was Emmett who spoke. "You're a wolf?"

"Yes, but no."

"Explain yourself," Jasper had his Officer voice on now.

"I am a descendant of the tribe on my mother's side. I was turned after I had already phased." Edie redressed herself.

"Can you control your shift?" Alice wondered.

"Yes." Lies, all lies, but Edie knew this was the way it had to be.

"Why you come here," Emmett asked.

"I heard about you guys. About Carlisle Cullen and the Olympic Coven. I was wondering if maybe I could have an audience with him."

"Let me call him and see if he can," Alice began dialing her adoptive father.

"So you're a mutt," Rosalie queried.

"Half-mutt," Edie answered with a smirk.

"Is your 'situation' the reason for your smell?"

"Yeah. I've been able to hide myself that way."

"Have you gone to see the tribe," Emmett wondered.

"Not yet. I'll do it later." She half-smiled. "I thought maybe I would check on them and see who's phased." He gave her a puzzled look. "You didn't know?" Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie raised an eyebrow. "You guys being here is forcing them to phase."

"Ok, Carlisle said he'd be able to see you at nine after his shift ends," Alice interrupted.

"Cool." The bell rang. "I guess I'll see you guys then." She bowed her head. "Thanks for hearing me out."

Edie left the Cullen kids stunned. They didn't know what to believe. Oddly, it was Rosalie who said something, "I like her. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about her that I can't help but want to be around her. You know despite the whole dog thing."

"I can't believe she's a wolf," Emmett stood puzzled. "I see what you mean though, it's like being around her just suddenly makes things cooler."

"She's nice. I hope we can spend more time together," Alice exclaimed.

"I will admit I have a slight aversion because of her heritage, but she's like sunshine in a dark place; you sort of gravitate towards her. Though, doesn't she look oddly familiar," Jasper queried.

"Right?!" The three other vampires chorused.

"But who?" Emmett inquired.

"Well we can't sit around here and discuss who she might or might not look like, I have English. Today we're discussing the Scarlet Letter and I just love a good book with a scandalous love affair."

Edie had been walking and trying to process how things were happening so rapidly. 'They're all like Grandma described them. Bear is built like an ox, but sweet in nature. Pixie is small and very active to say the least. Soldier is a polite gentleman with a curious streak, and Puma is beautiful, but fierce and protective. There was one person missing though. Where is…?'

Alice "raced" through the halls and caught up to Edie. "Hey Edie."

A bit stunned, "Alice. I'm headed to English Lit. Where are you going?"

"Same. Do you have Rochester?"

"Uh..." Edie looked at her schedule. "Yeah I do."

"Yay! We can go together. Today we're discussing the Scarlet Letter."

"Cool." Edie smiled. 'I wonder how Soldier keeps up.'

Alice and Edie sat together. Edie watched Alice actively participated in the discussion of forced marriage versus true love in those times. True love wins the war, but forced marriage is victorious in battle when it comes to the Scarlet Letter, that's what they concluded. After English, Edie met another empty seat and Jessica Stanton in History. Her next class was an elective and she had to go downstairs to get to it. On the way, she met Mike again. Tried asking her out. He wanted to get her before "the other Cullen" could.

"I appreciate you helping me today Mike, but I can't go out with you."

"Why?"

"I–" Edie didn't know how to answer Mike. Behind her, this boy was speaking very expressively to his friend with his arms flailing everywhere. One of the arms hit her on her head and she was falling down the stairs and taking blows to her head until she landed on the floor below. She could easily get up from this sort of injury, but there was too many people. She heard Mike yell, "Somebody call 911!" She left her eyes closed until she got inside the ambulance she was feigning her incoherence when they told her she was headed to Forks Hospital. They put her on a bed when they arrived and she heard them discuss the incident. She opened her eyes in a fluttering manner so as to mimic a concussion victim. When they were fully open, she saw a young blond doctor. He looked like he was in his twenties. He had such a kind face. His eyes were…gold! He had to be Carlisle Cullen.

Forks Hospital

"Hello Ms. Ward, do you know where you are?" Dr. Cullen took notice of the girl's scent. 'Is this the girl Alice was talking about? I can feel her warmth. I wonder if she has skin like ours or if she's more wolf than vampire.'

"I'm in a hospital–" Edie heard doors slam open and then Charlie's voice.

"Edie! Excuse me can someone point me to a friend of mine, she's about five foot nine and she has long black hair–"

"Charlie, I'm over here." He hurried to her side.

"I can't leave you alone for a minute can I?" He looked at her with obvious worry. 'This is how it began with her.'

"It's not my fault trouble finds me," she smirked.

"Isn't it the other way around?" 'At least I know that she's not actually hurt,' Charlie remarked.

"Yeah, yeah. Details aren't all that important."

"Hello Charlie," Carlisle said in a smooth voice.

"Carlisle," there was no malice in Charlie's voice, but he was still too upset with the doctor and his family to give the good doctor a proper greeting. They were part of the reason his daughter decided to leave.

"I assume you are Ms. Ward's emergency contact? May I ask how you know each other?"

"I found her after Bella left. She's been staying at my house ever since."

"Very well. Charlie, there are some forms you need to fill out for Ms. Ward's treatment. I assume you'll be covering the cost for her stay?"

"Yes–" "No!" They said at the same time. "Charlie you can't pay for his. I won't let you. I'll pay for it myself. You've already done too much."

"Don't be ridiculous Kiddo, I have insurance and you don't. I have money and you don't." That wasn't exactly true; she could hack into her grandma's secret accounts and withdraw whatever amount she wanted.

"But–"

"What's the rule?" He asked her face to face.

"It doesn't apply here," Edie stubbornly said.

"It sure as hell does. What's the rule?"

"'What Charlie says goes.'" Carlisle watched the two bicker and couldn't help chuckling a bit. 'She must be really special if she could make Charlie act like this after what Bella put him through.'

Charlie went out to fill out the forms for Edie's release and Carlisle took the opportunity to talk to her. "I'm sure you've figured out who I am, I wasn't expecting to meet you until later on tonight. Tell me, how much does Charlie know?"

"Nothing," she lied.

"Good. Keep it that way, we wouldn't want him in any danger."

'He sounds just like Grandma said, like you know he won't ever harm you maliciously, but he will rip you apart at the first sign of danger.' "Right."

A nurse came through the curtains. "My friend Derek is going to take some blood from you as a precaution, it is standard procedure." He then whispered so only she could hear, "Don't worry, I'm not going to put it in the system."

Nurse Derek then took out rubber gloves and a syringe. "NO! GET AWAY FROM ME! I WON'T GO BACK! YOU TOLD ME YOU WERE DONE. NO MORE NEEDLES! NO MORE NEEDLES! PLEASE! I'LL DO WHAT YOU WANT, JUST PLEASE LEAVE ME ALONE! NO! NO! KAH! GRANDMA! MARCUS! PLEASE MAKE THEM STOP! DADDY!" The nurse immediately pulled back. Charlie came racing back to Edie, wrapping his arms around her, trying to calm her down.

"EDIE, EDIE! Calm down Kiddo. It's okay, they're putting the needle away. It's okay, it's okay." Charlie rubbed her back to soothe her. Carlisle and Nurse Derek left them to have their private moment. Charlie's uniform was getting soaked with her tears. After fifteen minutes, her erratic breathing stopped and she started taking normal. "Are you ok now?" She nodded. "I thought you told me everything."

"There's some things I didn't want to ever talk about again."

Charlie reached inside her backpack, got the contact solution, and handed it to Edie. "Here, you better put this on before Carlisle gets here." Edie put the drops in her eyes and the gold color returned. "We'll talk about this later ok?"

"Ok."

Sure enough Carlisle came back to check on his patient, "How are you doing Edie?"

"Fine Doc, I just hate needles you know."

'Yes, but what about the rest?' "Everyone has their phobias." He paused. "Edie, we still need to draw blood from you."

"Are you crazy?" Charlie looked at Carlisle in amazement. "Didn't you see what just happened not even thirty minutes ago?"

"I know Charlie, that's why I'm going to use this," Carlisle took out what looked like a flashlight pen. "We normally use this to check blood-sugar levels, but I think it will work in your case too." He sat down beside Edie. "You won't even see the needle."

She whispered to Carlisle so only he could hear, "I hope you're using a needle made out of tungsten carbide or else you aren't getting anything."

"Of course, what kind of doctor do you take me for?"

"Just checking if you're not a quack, Doc."

Carlisle smirks. "I've practiced for hundreds of years and I assure you that I am no quack."

"Yeah, yeah, just stick that needle in me."

"Already done." Carlisle says at a normal volume and shows her the vial of her blood.

"How? When? I thought you were going to use the little pen?"

"A simple sleight of hand," he smiles victoriously.

Edie gives him three slow claps. "Clap, clap, clap. Well played Dr. Cullen. You're definitely no quack."

Carlisle couldn't help laughing at the antics of the young woman in front of him. "Ok Ms. Ward, you don't seem to have concussion. You may go home."

"Thanks Carlisle."

"Yeah, thanks Doc." Carlisle watched the two leave for the Swan residence. His concentration went heavily with the young woman. 'She is a peculiar child. Her scent…even now I can still smell the grain and peaches even as she rides away from the hospital.' Carlisle looked at the vile of blood he had produced from Edie. He was going to safely throw it away in a hazard bin, but as Marcus said, Carlisle has always one of the curious sort. He pocketed Edie's blood, not knowing yet what he was going to do with it.

Swan Residence

Charlie turned off the cruiser in front of his house. He didn't get out. Edie wanted to know what Charlie was thinking, so she just sat there with him. No radio, just the sound of their breathing. "So," he started.

"So…"

"Are you going to tell me what just happened back there?"

"Yeah." She there was a pregnant pause. "Do you remember when I told you the Volturi wanted my blood?"

"Yeah you said they used it to mutate vampires so they could be stronger and more powerful." He saw the sullen look on her face. "They did more than just take your blood didn't they?" She nodded slightly. 'Crap. Just what did this girl go through?' "You don't have to say anything." Charlie was never good with emotions. He was a fist bump and two cold ones during a game type of guy. "You look like you could use a drink."

"Isn't it against the law to serve alcohol to a minor, Chief Swan?" Edie looked at him through her peripheral vision. "It isn't even past five yet."

"We'll use your real age for today and it's after eight somewhere." Charlie remarked.

"What about the station? Don't they need you?"

"I told them I had a family emergency and that I'd be gone the rest of the day. They probably think I'm drinking anyway, so who cares?" He smiled mischievously.

"Ok." She gave him her wolfy-smile.

They entered the house and Edie went upstairs to change out of her school clothes. Charlie went to his liquor cabinet to get the scotch out and a couple of shot glasses. There was a knock at his door. He looked out the peephole. It was Billy Black and Sue Clearwater with their kids.