They gave her a day and a half. A day and a half before she got the polite request to join the Cullen family for dinner. Dr. Cullen had apparently asked if Lily would join, he and his family for dinner. It sounded just as weird now as it felt when Sarah had first told her. She had agreed, because Dr. Cullen had supposedly learned about everything Lily had done for the hospital's children, which included several of his patients. He had started working back at the hospital, and they were entirely too happy taking him back as a provider.

Sarah had agreed for Lily, as Dr. Cullen and his wife Esme had always been such wonderful people. Lily had been toying with what she wanted to do with her future, so Sarah thought some one-on-one time with two extremely accomplished adults would be a great influence on her.

Lily had smiled, thanked Sarah for letting her know, and promptly returned to her room. Once the door was safely closed, locked, and she was alone she screamed into her pillow.

She had been invited to dinner, or was she invited for dinner? Maybe she was over reacting, but she was only 17 years old. She was surrounded by mythological stuff. She was intitled to a very hysteric.

Lily decided to text Leah. She knew Leah was still going through so much, but she needed to ensure someone who wasn't completely out of the loop would know where she was at just in case.

Lily wasn't even worried about Carlisle and Esme. She was worried about Edward. He was the one she felt caused her the biggest threat on her life. He already showed how recklessly he had been with her, Bella, and an unknown amount of other people.

Bella.

Lily hadn't received a summons from the Chief of Police, so she wasn't sure if she was in the clear there. She did assault the girl technically. Maybe Bella had lied about what had happened. The more and more Lily thought about the choices Bella had made, the angrier Lily got. It wasn't just running away to Italy. She thought she was saving someone from suicide, and Lily could never hold that against anyone. She was upset at the carelessness Bella had for absolutely anyone and anything around her.

Lily may never have had a crush or her teenage true love phase, but she knew that love didn't cause you to hurt so many people who cared about you. Or, it didn't in good stories. Love like Romeo and Juliet never appealed to Lily. Withering heights was another story she couldn't stand. Pride and prejudice was a secret love Lily held close to her heart and under her pillow, but with that same thought she didn't enjoy Sense and Sensibility. Jane Austen was a woman she could follow. The thought of all consuming love distracting you from everyone and everything just rubbed Lily wrong.

Shouldn't someone who loved you want the best for you? To let you fly, or find a way to help you there? Love should be like nature. It is messy, and receptive to the energy that is put into it. Sometimes it is as beautiful as it is deadly. Other times it could be understated. But it should be allowed to grow to its best potential. That, Lily felt, would be a much more wonderful type of love than this all-consuming passion everyone else seemed obsessed on.

But what did she know. She had never been in love. She loved her friends, her new family, but she had never felt like she had been in love with anyone before. After seeing Leah, Sam, and Emily as well as the Bella and Edward fiasco, she really wasn't thrilled with the idea of having that type of passion in her life. Seeing the gentle friendship that existed between John and Sarah seemed much more desirable. They had been together for almost 20 years. They argued and screamed. But they always made up. He would leave little offerings throughout the day after an argument, and sometimes even just because. Every time Sarah found one of the little things, he had hidden for her, she would smile. First, it would be a small one. Then, it would grow with each item found. A pressed flower, a short note, or maybe even a pretty rock would consist of the things John would leave for her, hidden everywhere. By the end of the day, she would have a collection of trinkets John had found and placed just for her. He could come home from work, look at her sheepishly, smirk at the last second, and whatever they had been arguing about would be over.

That seemed much more like the type of love Lily could get behind. He saw all her qualities as she saw his. They complemented each other without ever seeming overbearing. Sarah had probably destroyed more cooking wear than any other human alive, but john would give her a new set whenever it happened. He would steal her electronics to fiddle with, with mixed results of workable success.

Lily could go on and on about the daily life of her household, but instead she smiled at the memories. She loved them, like one would a much older group of siblings. They are what she would want if she ever found someone. She was in no rush, but just in case any higher form of being was listening, she asked silently for a friend. A friend who would lover her for who she is, wanted the best for her, but never trying to force her to be anything more than herself. Who respected her wishes and desires. Someone who took what she said into account. A partner. A friend.

The other girls can keep their all-consuming flames of passion. Lily was content in herself to know she didn't need that.

Lily decided she had daydreamed enough and needed to get ready for her possible last meal. After showering, she decided to wear something she could escape in if she needed to. She wore sensible but comfortable flats, a skirt that was the right length to be appropriate but not so long that it would hinder her from running or climbing, and finally a short that was pretty enough. The key with the shirt was that if her wings made an appearance, it wouldn't be too revealing. Lily wished she had practiced getting those to come out, but it had only ever happened once. She wasn't even sure if the wings were just for show like a penguin or if she would even be able to fly. Lily hoped tonight was not the night she would have to test that theory.

Leah hadn't mentioned anything she could use to protect herself from vampires in any of the stories she had been told. Lily decided that distraction was the best method of survival. She would have to play it by ear if anything happened. Nothing should, as several people knew she would be there. But it never hurt to be cautious just in case.

Deciding she had procrastinated enough; she went down to say goodbye to Sarah. John had been busy with the guys trying to heal from the passing of Harry Clearwater, so Sarah was spending the night to herself. She claimed she could use to peace and quiet from everything, so she wouldn't be joining Lily. Lily secretly thought that Sarah was trying to hook her up with one of the Cullens, but she couldn't prove it.

The drive to the Cullen's house resembled a funeral procession than the manic anger filled drive from the other day. Lily kept trying to do her breathing exercises. No need to look like an angry ball of stress and fangs in front of her hosts. She wondered how vampires even fed if they didn't grow fangs. But then again, why invite a human to dinner if they don't eat human food…

Wrong types of thoughts again. Lily pulled into the driveway, a little later than invited but she was there all the same. Thankfully, Bella's truck was missing for the evening. She wasn't familiar enough with the family to know what everyone else drove specifically. It didn't matter, she decided. She had made it this far. A few more hours wouldn't hopefully kill her.

She walked up to the door carrying one of the Orchids she had grown. It was a beautiful representation of its species. It was blue that bleed into white with several blooms budding. She knew she would have normally brought wine or a dish, but she felt the flower would be better received. It at least could have a function for the family unlike the wine.

Esme had opened the door once she had knocked. She seemed just as stressed as the last time lily had intruded on her doorstep.

"Good evening Mrs. Cullen. I apologize for being late. I'm not the most comfortable driver so I had to take the roads with more caution."

"Oh, that's quite alright dear, we are just glad you made it safely." How come her voice sounded so musical? That cannot be natural.

"Thank you, Mrs. Cullen. I brought you one of the flowers I grew. I hope you enjoy it more than any wine I could have brought."

Esme loved the orchid. Lily wasn't sure if she genuinely enjoyed the flower or if she was trying to distract herself from the wine comment. Lily supposed she should never have brought it up, but she wasn't good at small talk, especially when she was nervous.

"Please, come in! It is way too cold to be standing out here all night. Call me Esme, please by the way dear. I would much prefer that." Esme said kindly, as if it was a request rather than a threat.

Maybe Lily had been freaking out internally just a little too much.

Esme had shown Lily to the dining room, where the rest of the family appeared to be sitting except for Edward and Bella. She wasn't surprised as she hadn't seen Bella's truck outside. The faces that looked at her were covered in a range of emotion.

The small one, who had spikey black hair seemed excited, practically bouncing in her seat. The blonde male next to her was staring at Lily so intensely she was starting to get concerned. The blonde female next to him was gorgeous. There was no other word to describe it. Hat seemed out of place was the small almost unnoticeable smirk to the corner of her lip. The big guy next to her was another story. He was built like a brick house, and probably just as strong as steel.

"Hello everyone, I found Lilliana! And look at how beautiful my flower is!"

Maybe Esme was just a kind woman regardless of her diet. If she really was a vegetarian, how mean could she really have been?

"About time, we thought you had gotten lost or run away as fast as you could after the other night." The big one stated. He seemed like a jokester.

"Well, seeing as I'm the one with fangs I should think I wouldn't be the one running away. Where are your pearly whites' big boy?"

Oh Lily, she thought to herself. Why or why would you antagonize someone who could squash you like a bug. The blonde female snorted at the ridiculousness that had just occurred, but otherwise remained silent.

"Children, please. Lilianna, please join us at the table. Thank you again for meeting with us." Came from Dr. Carlisle Cullen. He exhumed kindness and grace. No wonder he and Esme were together. She wondered how long he had been a doctor, but felt it might be rude to ask.

"Lily, please Dr. Cullen. My full name is a bit of a mouth full." And with that Lily sat down in the only empty chair directly from the male blonde who hadn't stopped staring at her.

"Please, call me Carlisle then just as my darling wife asked you to call her Esme. Let me introduced my children to you. The young lady on the far end is Alice. My youngest son Jasper is next to her. Next to him is my eldest daughter Rosalie, and my son Emmet is next to her. You met Edward the other day, but he will ne joining us later on. He is with Bella at the moment."

"That's alright Carlisle, I know he may not be pleased with me all things considered."

Esme interrupted at that point with the most delicious looking roast chicken dinner Lily could remember seeing. "That's enough now, what's done is done. Please, Lily dig in. If there is anything else you would like just let me know. I so rarely get to use my kitchen."

"You made this? It smells amazing!" Lily couldn't believe the vampires had cooked for her. She had assumed it would have been easier just picking up a grocery store premade chicken than putting in all this effort.

"It was nothing dearest! We wanted to apologize for what happened the other night. Edward should never have hurt you, and he has been grounded thoroughly. Once he arrives, he will be apologizing to you personally."

Lily hadn't realized that was how the night would go. "No, Esme it is I who should apologize. You had just come home after what I can only assume was an awful ordeal. The last thing you needed was some random human barging into your home and causing a scene."

"Oh, that was the best part though! I can't believe someone as tiny as you hissed back at Edward!" came from Emmett.

"Well, I still apologize for the window. I'm glad it was able to be replaced so quickly. I hope I didn't leave too big of a mess to clean up."

"Lily, I am surrounded by patients all day long. A little bit of blood is nothing. I was alarmed to learn you hadn't gone to the hospital however. If you would be allowed me, I would like to give you a physical to make sure you really are alright." Came from Carlisle.

Lily took a few bites of her chicken, before answering. "Thank you, Sir, I would appreciate it. Would you also maybe be able to do a check of my heart or tell me how I could schedule that without Sarah knowing?"

"What's wrong with your heart? Are you experiencing any chest pain or shortness of breath?"

"No no, nothing like that. I just wanted to get a baseline of where it is at. Its for personal research you see. I feel fine, but I want to make sure I can compare my results to any future results to confirm something."

"Well, I can of course get you tested. Its an easy thing. I will have to schedule it with the hospital, but I'm sure we can find a way to keep Sarah from finding out."

"Thank you, I really appreciate it Carlisle."

"Of course, dear. I do have a few questions though. We are familiar with our neighbors being able to change I suppose you could say. Are you a member of the tribe?" Now the dinner invitation made more sense. It was an investigation.

"No, I am not a member of the tribe. I am close to several members, but I have no known ancestors from the area."

"How long have you been here dear? Do you know where your parents are or where they were from?" This came from Esme. It felt odd being the only one eating.

"I am a foster child, as I'm sure you've already been told. I have been here for a few months. I don't know my parents or remember anything about them. I was dropped off when I was four years old and that was the end of that. I didn't exist prior to that moment according to records."

The questions of Lily's past kept coming, but Lily either wasn't comfortable enough to answer them to strangers or didn't know the answer to most. It wasn't until Rosalie broke their train of thoughts.

"What are you then. You don't seem like much of a threat, but we need to know. So, what are you? "straight and to the point, Lily hadn't expected anything else from the woman who tried to imitate an ice wall.

Lily took her time answering that question. She finished the last of her dinner, swallowed some water to wash her throat, and looked right at the beautiful blonde. She looked her in the eye for a moment before stating in the most deadpan voice Lily could muster a response in.

"A pigeon."

Emmet lost it. His laugh echoed around the room as he failed repeatedly to bring himself under control. Rosalie looked pissed off. While the rest of the family looked on with a bemused expression.

"Emmett, stop laughing! This is serious! She could be a threat to our family!"

"Sorry babe, but come on! Look at her! I just was imagining her with wings in front of a fountain cooing." And with that, Emmett started laughing all over again.

Once things settled down again, Lily cleared her throat. "I'm not sure. This all started a few months ago. I have no idea what I am or what's going on. Some of the tribe have been working with me to help figure it out. So far that is the only thing we have come up with."

Esme tried to comfort Lily, covering her hand with her own. "That was a great place to stat though! If any group of people know about transforming, it would be them."

The front door slammed open at that moment.

Edward had returned.