Disclaimer: I do not, nor will ever, own the Twilight Saga, or any of its characters and plots.


TW: This story will contain references to child abuse (physical, mental, sexual), self-harm, and suicide attempts (both past and present).


Ash

He took one look at what he was wearing, who he was surrounded by, and where he was, and let his head fall back against the wall.

"We're so not cool." He groaned.

The blonde blinked in surprise, moving back just a bit so he could actually breathe.

"Ash, it's wonderful to meet you." Edward said neutrally, looking entirely at ease kneeling on his other side.

"Isn't it? Hey, do me a solid, and help me up, will you?" Quieter, he muttered, "Stupid girls and their stupid skirts."

The short girl at the top of the stairs perked up.

"Let's get you changed, then!" She squealed.

Ash shook his head, leaning back against the wall after Edward had pulled him to his feet.

"Nah, I'd better get home. The parents will be so pissed if I don't answer their call."

He lifted his left hand to run his fingers through his hair, only to pause when his arm felt like it was being ripped from its socket.

"That blows. What did she do, go cliff diving onto some rocks?" He laughed off the pain.

"Flew from the back of a motorcycle, actually." Carlisle said, stepping into the doorway.

"Oh, wicked!" Ash exclaimed, grinning. "So, what's the diagnostic, Doctor? Will you have to sentence me to 'no extraneous movements for eight weeks'?"

"Close. It's looking to be more like six, though I will have to check your arm again." He replied easily, and Ash sighed.

"Oh, woe is me. Looks like I won't be accomplishing my goal of walking on my hands for a while."

He shook his head, smiling when he received a few chuckles for his effort. A little thrill went through him when the door downstairs slammed shut.

"The human is taken care of." The blonde girl sneered as she came into view. "Next time, don't make me clean up her mess."

She waved her hand in Ash's direction before stomping off to her room.

Ash frowned, fidgeting with the hem of his short skirt.

Why had they chosen to wear this outfit on today of all days? Why couldn't they have gone with a more… gender-neutral look? Were they so insecure in their own identities that they had to prove to everyone that they were indeed female? If anything, they should've been more relaxed in the body.

"On that note, let me drive you home, Ash." Edward said his name with emphasis, making sure to meet his gaze.

"Well, if you insist, Red, but I am choosing the music." He replied, waving to the others as they walked down the stairs.

"Visit us again soon, Ash… Though please under different circumstances." Carlisle called after them.

Ash just laughed in response.

"Can I ask you something?" Edward asked when they were settled in his silver car.

Apparently, the Jeep belonged to his "older brother", the large and muscular one. He said a name, but Ash's mind forgot it almost immediately.

"Yeah, but you could probably just pick the answer from my head anyways." He replied, and Edward laughed quietly.

He didn't say anything as he started the car and pulled away, somehow already knowing how to get to Ash's house.

"… You are more aware of the others, aren't you?" He finally asked.

Ash hummed in agreement, his hand dropping from the radio dial as it landed on some lo-fi station.

"If you're going to ask me how many there are, I honestly don't know. Sometimes, there are more than others, but only seven of us are consistent." He said, pulling his hair back into a tight ponytail.

Edward glanced at him.

"Are you the only male?" He asked, and Ash shook his head.

"There's Dolan and Sylas, both of whom identify as male, and then Onyx is gender-neutral. You've already met the girls, yeah?" At Edward's nod, he continued, "Onyx doesn't like to Front, as in take control of the body, so they usually are asleep, or in the back of the mind. Isla is the 'host', so to say, and Izzy and I are her 'protectors'. Dolan is a trauma-holder, and Sylas is… well, young, so Onyx tries to keep him away."

He paused, looking out the window. The music swelled into a chorus, vibrated the seats in its intensity.

"And what about Eden and Onyx?" Edward asked.

Ash bit his lip, but not hard enough to make it bleed. Wouldn't that just be a perfect ending to the day? Eaten by a vampire because of a bad habit.

"Eden is a sexual alter, and Onyx… Onyx is our persecutor. Whenever either of them Front, it usually ends in disaster. Which reminds me – what happened earlier? How did I 'fly off the back of a motorcycle'?"

Edward sighed and stopped the car. Surprised, Ash realized that they were already at his house. How fast was Edward driving?

"Eden came to the 'Front' sometime during the school day and proceeded to kiss Jasper during lunch. A teacher confronted her, the argument escalated, and long story short, she got on the back of Jared's motorcycle after consuming marijuana. He was going too fast around a turn, and she flew off the back while he smashed into a tree, killing himself on impact." He said quietly, meeting Ash's eyes.

Ash flinched and looked down.

"Oh." Was all he could say.

Edward glanced at the house, his eyebrows creasing together.

"Your phone is ringing."

He had barely finished the sentence before Ash was out of the car, racing to the front door. He fumbled with the keys, flinching a bit when Edward appeared at his side, taking the keys, and opening the door smoothly.

He ran into the kitchen, snatching the phone from the wall.

"Hi, Collins' residence, Ilyssa speaking." He smoothly said into the receiver, glancing up at Edward as he walked into the room.

Wait. He mouthed to him.

"Ilyssa, where were you?!" His mother barked at the end of the line.

"Oh, hello, Mother. How is Japan?" He responded, ignoring her question like he knew she would ignore his.

"Did you not get my message, you little bitch, when I deactivated your card? You are grounded!"

He pulled the phone a few inches away from his ear to avoid permanent damage.

"And next time we're woken up by your teachers calling to say that you've missed yet another class, I will send your ass to that military school your shrink suggested."

Ash rolled his eyes, leaning back against the counter. When he spoke, he made sure his voice was passive, mimicking Isla as best as he could without triggering her out to the Front. There was no way he was making her deal with this shit.

"Yes, Mother."

The call ended after a few more cold exchanges, and after he hung it back on the wall, Ash turned to Edward.

"It's deplorable how she treats you." Edward said, glaring at the phone.

Ash shrugged.

"Yeah, but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

He paused, frowning a bit as he tried to phrase his question. How could he ask Edward to look after him to make sure he didn't try to join Jared in the afterlife? Then again, it wasn't truly him that was going to kill himself, was it?

Eden adored Jared, and Ash worried about how deep her devotion to him went.

"In a few days, someone might have a suicide attempt." He said slowly, lifting his eyes to Edward's face. "Since you can see into our mind… can you stop us? A-and if it's too late, if there's no other option… could you change us to be like you? Isla doesn't need to suffer any more."

His voice broke on the last word, his eyes burning as tears threatened to fall. He blinked them away, looking down again. It was hard to focus on someone's face, especially one as intent as Edward's.

"I will do everything in my power." He said after a moment, and Ash didn't have to be looking at him to know he was sincere.

A cold wind blew through the kitchen, and when Ash looked back up, he was gone.


A/N: Thanks for reading!