Chapter 7

""It is nice to meet you as well Esme," Eliza answered softly and gave the woman a smile. "I do apologize for all the trouble. I promise, I won't be here long."

Before Esme could formulate a response, Jasper's voice cut through the silence. "I think it perhaps time that the rest of us go on a hunt. It was nice to meet you Eliza," He stated and swooped in and lead Esme away and they, along with Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett made their way out the dining room window. Leaving Eliza and Carlisle alone in the house.

'And then there were two,' Carlisle's beast thought as it mulled over Eliza's last statement. Throughout the encounter he was able to turn the tables on the poor doctor and was out of his cage. 'Like hell will I let that happen.' "

Third person POV

The absence of the others did not abate the tension in the room as the two vampires left stood at opposite corners of the room. Eliza felt stifled by it. Truly, things have not gone as she had expected. When she made the decision to come, she thought it would be to morn the death of her brother and to quietly understand what transpired that lead to his suicide. She knew she would have to face Carlisle eventually, but, selfishly, hoped for the briefest of encounters. However, nothing has been going on as planned and Eliza began to regret not taking Magnus' and John's offer to join her.

'I don't think I can do this,' She thought as her mind began to race and she watched him watch her. Being this close to him again, without the distractions of other humans, her brother, or his other coven members reminded Eliza of how much he drew her in. From his classical looks, his educated gaze that gave him a more worldly aura, to, what she later discovered, was a tragically kind heart that had to confront a world that was too cruel at times. They were things that made Eliza desire him, both as a human and vampire, and what made the pain worse as she repeated the mantra that served to keep her gift in check. 'You must want for nothing. You cannot desire anything. Apathy is peace'

Carlisle wasn't fairing much better as he struggled to regain control of his mind while his beast surveyed the object of his desire unchecked. Jasper was smart with leading the other away when he did, at this point there was nothing he wouldn't do to make sure Eliza was within his sight and the idea that she, or someone else, would cause her to leave would not be tolerated. Part of him wanted to whisk the woman away, away from all worldly distractions, so that he would not have to share her with the world any longer. 'I have already lost so much time.' However, the good doctor reminded him that Eliza would never be strong-armed into anything and being closeted away would only serve the opposite effect. No, their Eliza needed to be part of things, to make them better, to make a difference. It was something that they had in common and something he wanted them to do together. 'But we can't if she leaves.'

Slowly, like a cat stocking a mouse, Carlisle began to make his way over to her as beast and doctor slowly began to merge. Eliza didn't move, didn't breathe, didn't make a sound as the distance between them diminished until they were within arm's reach of each other almost as if any such thing would cause the spell to break and the world to shatter.

"Eliza," Carlisle whispered and the sound of her name on his lips cracked her resolve some as well as the touch of his fingertips on her chin as he leveled her eyes with his. Those peculiar reddish-brown eyes that perplexed him so. "What happened?"

A simple question that could only be met with a complicated answer. An answer that Eliza feared the most. Not due to its nature, no that was something she made peace with a long time ago, but due to it changing how the man in front of her would look at her. It was one thing to leave the man you loved behind, but it was another to see them look at you with disgust in their eyes. It was something that Eliza couldn't bear. Not from him nor her brother.

"I-I can't tell you," Eliza answered, equally as softly, trying to turn her gaze but being thwarted by the steal caress of those fingers. No, Carlisle spent decades not being able to see those eyes, he would keep them longer.

"Why?"

"It-It will change everything." She answered and that feeling of shame resurfaced in their fragmented bond. The good doctor was able to take more and more control back as the seconds ticked by and stroked his thumb along her jaw in what he hoped was a comforting motion.

"There is nothing you could say, or have done, that would change anything. I promise you, Eliza. Things needn't be different than they were before," Carlisle answered trying to pour the honesty he felt into his words. Truly, Eliza could have told him she slaughtered an entire city and his thoughts and feelings for her wouldn't change and he imagined Edward and Rosalie would feel similarly. However, Carlisle immediately knew something went wrong with his words as he saw a cold resolve wash over Eliza as she slowly took his wrist to pull him away from her. 'No! What happened?' his beast cried behind his bars.

"Things cannot be as they once were," Eliza stated taking a step back, the distance making it easier to use her gift on herself. "As I said to your wife, I apologize for the disruption my presence has caused. I promise to minimize the disruption as much as possible through the course of my stay. It won't be long."

Before Carlisle could respond, she was gone. He knew running after her would only serve to make things worse, though he was sorely tempted. "As I said to your wife…" Carlisle could have kicked himself. Eliza was under the impression, though Rosalie's letters he imagined, that he and Esme were happily married and mated. Referring to the time where he and Eliza were courting, and she acted as his wife to the mortal world, could be seen to anyone as distasteful. Heck, he remembered, back in his time, such statements would have been seen as inviting another to be taken on as a mistress.

'What have I done?' Carlisle thought as he sat down on the couch reflecting what had happened.

"I don't think it was you-not entirely. She was hiding something," Edward spoke as he seemed to materialize by the door. He must have dropped Bella off and come straight back home. Part of Carlisle was please that he returned as quickly as he did so that he would not have to be alone with his thoughts, but a part of him was angry he did not come back in time to stop his sister from leaving.

"But what? What could she possible have to hide from me-from us?" Carlisle mused.

"I think she has a gift. When I went to the hospital, I was hoping to talk to you. I saw a memory from Rosalie. Eliza told her she left because she discovered she had a gift. That she left because she didn't want us to be affected."

Carlisle could not help but remember Annie and the sudden change in her demeanor when Eliza spoke, and Edward could not help but remember her effect on Charlie. "Call it charm" she said to him. 'Is that what you are calling it sister?'

"Why would that matter? You have a gift- and with Alice and Jasper joining us- it is not like we wouldn't have understood." Carlisle mused and Edward too was at a loss. His gift manifested right away after he was turned and his sister was well aware of it.

Edward's memory

The burning in his body finally began to subside and he could almost cry for the mercy of it. 'Is this what dying feels like?' Edward thought as he began to test his limbs. Starting with his toes and fingertips before opening his eyes. If he was dead this was not what he pictured heaven to look like nor did he expect to feel so thirsty. The dark musty air hung over the dark damp stones of what he imagined was a cellar somewhere. The dust coming into such clarity in the air that Edward could have mistaken it for a snowstorm. 'Where am I?'

His thoughts were suddenly disrupted with the bombardment of sounds. Some of them were screams or moans of pain. Quiet whimpering's and cries from mourning loved ones. Prayers. It all seemed to come from everywhere at once. However, one voice seemed to be becoming louder and louder by the second. He was both pleased and worried when he recognized the voice as that of Dr. Cullen. The man who had become a recurring name in the Masen household and the last person Edward remembered seeing before the burning pain started.

"Oh, god what have I done. Why did I do this? And leaving him here- there are too many temptations here. What was I thinking?" Edward heard as footsteps approached. A cool dread washing over him as it became louder.

'What did he do to me?' Edward thought as his limbs suddenly became alive and he scanned the area to find something to defend himself, zeroing in on an icepick not far away. It felt lighter than Edward thought it would be when he held it. 'I have to get out of here. I have to find mom and Eliza.'

"You know what you were thinking. You wanted to fulfill your promise. You didn't want them all to be taken away from her." Edward continued to hear as the door creaked open and he tightened his grip on the ice pick. Soon Edward came face to face with a, now surprised, Carlisle who raised his hands up in a non-assuming gesture. The door to the room closing behind him with a strangely loud bang. "Well, I knew he would reacted badly, but I was not expecting this."

"I don't care how you expected me to react. What did you do to me? Why am I here?" Edward yelled as he swung his weapon at the man who caught it with a wince. Edward was surprised by the man's reflexes while Carlisle was surprised he was able to catch it in the first place. He knew the boy was going to be faster and stronger than him for quiet a while yet.

"What are you talking about?" Carlisle asked curiously, not expecting those to be the boy's first words.

"You just said that you didn't expect me to react this way. How else did you expect someone whom you drugged and kidnapped to react!" Edward screamed as he ripped the ice pick from the doctor's hand and swung again but was surprised when the man dodged and moved to the other side of room.

"Edward, please calm down. I didn't kidnap you; you are free to leave, just please let me explain first." 'You need to know you are a vampire and what that means.'

"I-I am what?" Edward asked, stunned, and was met with a confused looking Carlisle.

"Excuse me?"

"What do you mean I am a vampire? They aren't real. It is just stupid story!" Edward screamed. His mind racing. This man was clearly crazy. What was worse, this crazy person was one he knew his sister and mother trusted. 'Like hell I am going to let him near them now. I don't care how much Eliza likes him.'

"Edward… how did you know that?"

"What do you mean… You just said it."

"No, I didn't. While yes, it is true. I wouldn't be that untactful in telling you. I want to test something. I am thinking of a number between 1 and 100 hundred. Can you tell me what it is?"

'This man is insane,' Edward thought before answering "Is this a joke?"

"Humor me, please," Carlisle asked. "23."

"23," Edward answered, and a look of shock came over Carlisle. "Now, can you please tell me what is going on?"

"Yes, but first I imagine you are thirsty. Please drink this and I will explain," Carlisle answered and presented Edward with a mason jar full of thick red liquid. Part of him was disgusted because he knew that that liquid had to be, but another part of him saw it and felt ravenous. Edward snatched the jar out of his hands and as he drunk Carlisle began to explain what happened and the gift God decided to curse him with.

Edward's Memory Ends

"I am not sure. Eliza has always been incredibly stubborn; it would take a herculean effort to change her mind about something when it was made up. If she found out she had a gift and felt like she had to leave- something about it had to convince her that we wouldn't understand, or it would put us in danger. She always cared about other people more than she did herself," Edward reasoned, unlocking memories of his sister that he locked away for so long. 'If she thought we would be in danger than she would probably try and…. Take herself out of the equation,' Edward thought with a strange sense of puzzlement and realization.

"But what gift could she possibly have for that to be true?" Carlisle asked at a loss and Edward didn't have an answer to give him. He just hoped that the letter in his hand might help give him a clue.