I spent the duration of writing this chapter panicking because I thought I forgot what color Daniel's eyes were, so I ended up going back through the whole fic to find it, but then I realised that I hadn't assigned him on and I hadn't forgotten a fact about my own character. Lol.

HAPPY 2016 ALL!

Is it really a new year already? These three months have flown by faster than I can keep up with, I swear. I'm so sorry about the delay, honestly. It seemed more like three weeks than three months. I had a little bit of a writer's block, and to be honest I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter either, since I feel like I've kinda gotten out of the groove of writing Edgar, but making you guys wait wouldn't have been fair either.

Edward is fucked. I know he's fucked. You guys know he's fucked. He himself does not know he's fucked. Despite all appearances from this chapter, it's gonna take him a gajillion more years to realise is own feelings, and a gajillion more to acknowledge and accept them. Don't expect anything exteme soon.

Thanks to all who kept reviewing, even when I wasn't updating. I love you all 3 And an update schedule? I don't know what that is haha.

Hope you like it :)

Review?


Chapter XV - Celadon


"Good morning Daniel." Edgar greeted, as soon as she saw who it was that opened the door.

He stood in the threshold, and if Edgar had to assign him a mood, it would be purple, because discontentment veritably rolled off him in waves. A toothbrush was held in one hand, as he stared balefully at her, celadon coloured eyes half-closed. His blond hair was sticking up at all ends and he seemed to still be in his sleeping clothes, if her assumptions were correct.

"Its quarter to seven, Edgar." He told her, voice heavy, and she gave him a perplexed look, because she failed to understand why he felt the need to tell her that.

"I am perfectly aware of the time, Daniel." The black haired girl said patiently. "May I come in?"

He stared at her for a long moment, before sighing in what seemed to be resignation and stepping to the side. "Sure."

"Thank you." The house was quiet, something she wasn't used to, considering Mrs Smith was always doing something or the other whenever she visited. "Is your mother not home?" She asked, following Daniel into the kitchen.

"She's gone to work." He said, taking a glass from the cabinet and placing his toothbrush inside. "Do you want some breakfast or something?"

Edgar nodded gratefully, -she'd forgone her morning meal in her rush to get to the Smith residence- and took a seat on a stool by the kitchen island.

The fact that Julia Smith had a job was an unexpected revelation. The woman was always home, and though Edgar had never really spared more than a passing thought to it, she had just assumed that Mrs Smith was a stay-at-home mother. "Where does she work?"

"She owns a restaurant up in Port Angeles -goes there every once in a while to see if it's still standing." He murmured, raking out two bowls and placing them on the counter, followed by two spoons. Edgar nodded in comprehension. It seemed fitting -Mrs Smith loved to cook.

"Fruit muesli, Coco Pops or Cornflakes?" He asked, looking at her expectantly.

"Coco Pops please. I like how the milk slowly blends into a different colour. Its fun."

A short while later found her nibbling quietly on the cereal Daniel had kindly provided, watching the male in question look like he was about to fall asleep in his bowl of muesli. Perhaps he hadn't gotten enough sleep and was feeling the effects. Or maybe he didn't like to wake up early, much like herself.

"You didn't come yesterday," he said through a mouthful of cereal. Wrinkling her nose in disgust, Edgar turned back to her own bowl.

"My father said he called your house to explain my absence."

The shrugged. "Maybe." Daniel hummed, twirling his spoon around. "My mother didn't tell me where you were, so I was curious."

"I went for a job in La Push." She told him. As the name came up, she also remembered a request that had been made of her -one that she was at loss at how to fufil.

"Oh."

When Edgar looked closer, she saw there were dark circles under his eyes, and his face looked paler than usual. She frowned, chewing thoughtfully. Could it be he was stressed?

"Stop staring at me. Its creepy." Daniel muttered, hunching forward, shoulders tense.

She did as told.

As soon as they finished eating, Daniel went up to his bedroom with a gruff "wait a moment, I have to get my violin", before leaving her to her own devices.

Reluctantly, she did as told, despite the fact that she'd have to get going soon because she had an appointment with Adonis -Edward Cullen, she corrected- and wasn't sure what time he'd arrive at her house.

When her host came back down, case in hand, she was hit with an idea. "Daniel," she started, following him into the living room. He gestured vaguely for her to take a seat on the couch. "Do you think you could help me help an eleven year old boy help his sister?" She asked, taking off her leather satchel and placing it on the ground by her feet.

He stopped in the middle of extracting the bow from its cover to give her a look of confusion. "Excuse me?"

Clearly, he needed an explanation. "Well, when I went to Port Angeles yesterday, the younger brother of my client requested I teach him how to paint, so I agreed. But I think I might need your help." She told him.

He continued staring at her, even as he took his own seat. "You need my help to teach a kid how to paint?" He asked, to which she nodded in agreement. It wasn't so much the painting problem, as it was the teaching, especially since she was terrible with children of all sorts.

Daniel snorted. "No." She watched in disappointment as he lifted the instrument to his lap with no other word. She didn't liked feeling disappointed.

Edgar gave a sigh. "I don't know why I did it."

"You don't know why you agreed to helping a twelve year cheer up his older sister?"

"...No."

Daniel paused in the tuning of his violin to give her a disbelieving look, both of his eyebrows lifted. "Maybe, it was out of the kindness of your heart?" He proposed, sounding as if what he'd said was the only logical conclusion, and there could be no other. Edgar frowned thoughtfully. Had she agreed because she was feeling uncommonly generous? Was it really an act of kindness? She thought back to the previous afternoon, when Seth has asked her, thought back to his pleading large brown eyes -a sharp contradiction to his puffed up chest and demanding voice.

But the more she thought of it, the more she knew that, no, she hasn't said yes out of pity. Edgar didn't like Seth, and doubted her feelings would be changing any time soon. He was a brat and he was annoying, but his childishness amused her, if she was being perfectly honest with herself. She figured that if he could get her attention, there must be at least one thing interesting about him.

And if there wasn't -well, the impromptu lesson would only be something like an hour long. She could survive that much.

"I've never taught anyone before." Edgar eventually replied. The blond male huffed in what seemed to be defeat, shoulders slumping and his instrument hanging limp between his knees. His reaction was a little much, because it wasn't as if they were fighting or anything, and as far as she knew, she hadn't said anything bad. Unless admitting her inexperience was considered a faux-pas, but that confused her any more because she was just being honest.

Though her father had told her multiple times, that sometimes, honesty wasn't the best policy. And yes, maybe if she thought hard, she could understand. People were easily insulted, she'd learned.

He spoke again, after a lengthy silence, interrupting her thoughts. "I think you'd be a terrible teacher." He stated. Her hair bounced as she nodded in acknowledgement, because really, Edgar thought so too.

"I think it might be an interesting experience." Edgar said. Perhaps that was why she's agreed. Out of curiosity.

He snorted. "Right." The skepticism was clear in his voice.

She ignored it, because she'd already reached her conclusion, and continuing the conversation would be useless. Shrugging, she gave a noncommitant hum, standing up from where she'd been seated on the couch, and draping her leather bag over her apron. "Give your mother my apologies, Daniel." She declared adjusting the strap. "I have prior engagements arranged for the day, so unfortunately I will not be able to work on her portrait."

Daniel nodded without looking at her. "Sure, no problem." He said. She stared at him a moment longer, watching how he fiddled with the strings of the instrument unconsciously, obviously thinking about something important. Idly, she wondered what it could be. He'd seemed out of sorts since she'd arrived. Perhaps, he was worried about his own problems -whatever they were. Or maybe it was the fatigue. Either way, she wasn't going to ask about it.

"My grandmother requests a phone call soon." She told him, remembering her own phone call the previous evening. All she got was a vague murmur of acknowledgment as he placed the violin in position on his shoulder with the ease of long practice.

Giving him one last long look, she turned on her heel, and left the Smith house, the sound of Capriccioso opening twenty-eight starting as soon as the door closed.


Loopholes, Edward found, were interesting things. They were ways to circumvent specific orders without actually doing anything wrong. For example, when Carlisle had warned him and his siblings not to go actively searching for one such Edgar Beauregard. It was just pure coincidence that they'd had multiple encounters, none of them Edward's fault.

It was what he'd told his family after school on Tuesday, after announcing the fact his science teacher had assigned a posted project for the ten day break. Well, he hadn't so much announced it...more he had been compiling a set of handwritten notes from memory to use as reference (between his multiple stints at highschool, medical degrees, and his father, it was safe to say he knew almost all there was to know about Cells), when Emmett had marched in, bright grin on his face and football in hand. However the grin had instantly disappeared as soon as he caught sight of his brother writing.

"Come on Edward, we have ten whole days to do our homework!" Emmett had announced, shooting the papers a dirty look as if they were a direct insult to his being.

"Unfortunately Emmett, I actually have a paired assignment and I have to meet with my partner tomorrow." His brother's face twisted in displeasure.

"I hate those. The humans are always to scared to actually do anything." He rolled his eyes, spinning the football between his hands. "Who's your partner then? Can't you just, work through correspondence?"

"Firstly, its you're own fault everyone is too terrified to work with you, considering you take pleasure in terrorizing them during classes." Emmett's shrug was unapologetic, and it was Edward's turn to give an eye roll. "Secondly, we've already set up the time and place, so canceling now would be rude." Alright, so he had lied a little bit, but what Emmett didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

His brother huffed in exasperation, the ball spinning faster in his hands until smoke started to appear from the friction. Emmett didn't notice, "You could say you've suddenly been hit with sickness." He'd proposed. Edward scoffed.

"Not even she's oblivious enough to believe that."

"She?" Jasper asked, appearing next to Emmett in the doorway, looking interested. "I'd think you would have been eager to find an excuse, considering every female at that school behaves like a stallion in heat whenever you're in the vicinity." He and Emmett laughed, while Edward inwardly cursed Jasper for being so shrewd. His thoughts told Edward that he knew perfectly well what Edward was doing.

"Not every female."

"Most of em." Emmett chuckled, finally giving the charred ball a break by tossing it up in the air. "Tell us who it is, so we can laugh at you." His grin was impish, catching the ball expertly.

"You're already laughing." Edward had deadpanned.

"For later." Jasper quipped.

"Edgar Beauregard." He told them with a weary sigh, because he just knew they wouldn't have let him in peace had he not relented.

His two brothers went quiet, all signs of laughter erased from their faces in the place of disbelief. "Edgar Beauregard? That weird chick with the freakish talent?" Emmett breathed out, his mind filling with images of recollection from the few encounters that they'd had.

Edward scoweled because she wasn't weird, and he certainly didn't appreciate Emmett's comment. "Don't call her weird, Emmett."

Jasper, quickly picking up on his tension held up his hands in placation, though he didn't forcefully calm him. "We're just a little surprised, Edward. Carlisle explicitly told us not to go searching out for her."

"I didn't," Edward told him, running a hand through his hair in frustration, because he was honestly getting tired of this whole conversation. "The teacher was the one who assigned the partners. I wasn't even aware of the assignment."

Jasper was frowning. "Though you have been spending awful lot of time with her lately. You even accompanied Esme to her house on Sunday." Emmett nodded in agreement.

"Most of those occasions were purely coincidental, like the time Emmett and I stumbled upon her in the hallway." He looked at his brother in question who simply shrugged.

"Maybe." The black haired male said.

Looking back to Jasper, he continued. "And it's not my fault Esme suddenly wanted to go see Charles Beauregard. I could hardly say no."

Emmett and Jasper exchanged looks, debating the credibility of his explanations. Eventually though, Emmett relented, "You're lucky Rose and them have gone up to Denali, otherwise she would have massacred you, no matter what you said." Emmett said. Jasper nodded in agreement.

Edward sighed, but he couldn't argue with what he'd said.

"Anyway, are you gonna come play or not?" Emmett eventually asked. Shooting a look at the abandoned papers on his desk, he found he wasn't in much of mood to continue.

"Let me just get changed."

As he parked his car in front of the Beauregard house, at precisely eleven am, he couldn't help but wonder if Carlisle would disapprove of him taking advantage of said loophole. Of course, in his father's own words, he had said that if they found themselves in a situation where interacting with her was unavoidable, then it just couldn't be helped.

(Left unsaid was the fact that Edward Cullen had already been planning to interact with Miss Beauregard regardless, partnered project notwithstanding)

He sighed, picking up his backpack from where it had been sitting on the passenger seat and getting out of the car. Well, it was too late to turn back now, he thought.

As always, it was raining in Forks, not all that hard, simply a light drizzle though the raindrops were still cold. Cold enough that he could actually feel the chill, vague as the feeling was. And coupled with the upcoming winter weather, he had no doubt it would start snowing soon -he didn't Alice to figure that out.

Hurrying up the driveway at the fastest speed he could reasonably get away with, he stopped at the large stained glass door, raising a hand to the doorbell.

He didn't have to wait long, Edgar heard it on the first chime and soon the almost non-existent sound of her footsteps met his ears, though he had to strain to hear.

Despite himself, Edward found himself far too eager to see her, smiling at the prospect of getting to spend a little more time trying to figure her out -figuring out if she really was different from all the other humans he'd known.

The door opened, revealing the girl in question, and at first all he could do was stare, because she looked different, and it took him a moment to realize what it was. She was still wearing her signature apron, and she had a smudge of purple paint on her forehead, but for once, her hair was tied up in a bun, with only a few strands hanging about her face.

"Ah, hullo, Edward." She greeted, voice a soft breeze as always.

And it struck him at that moment, -like really, really struck him because it felt like he'd just been hit by Emmett's punches- how absolutely lovely she was, with her silver eyes and porcelain skin. He'd never really paid attention to her appearance before, or at least nothing more than a superficial once-over, but now he had to wonder how he could have missed it.

"Good morning," he managed eventually, and he felt like a fool as he listened to her wonder thoughtfully as to why he had taken so long, because had he really been so obvious?

Nevertheless, she stepped aside, holding the door open. "Come in, we should begin as soon as possible. There's much to do."

As Edward walked through the door, a part of him, deep inside, was telling him to stop. Stop before it became too late, whilst he still had the chance for freedom, but that part was ignored, because where was the danger? Everything was perfectly normal far as he could see, there was no reason at all to be weary.

Little did he know, that the worst kind of danger was the one we could't see at all. And so, thus began, Edward Cullen's defeat at the workings of his own heart.