David roomed around that forest in silence, chasing another rumor that the Cullens lived in that city. He's been feeding on animal blood for a few weeks now, but he had no idea how hard it would be. All his knowledge was useless to control the burn in his throat consuming his sanity away.

The sweet aroma in the air is like a call to him—the ring of a bell, promising relief. There is a human, collecting flowers carelessly, just asking to be greeted by his teeth. The burn is intense now, and he can only think of the moment the blood will touch his lips, but her smile looks… familiar.

—What are you doing here? She jumps up, and the feeling intensifies. Those eyes full of fear seem to recognize what he is, and she turns around to run, but there is something there.

—Do I know you? He needs a better look. —You know what I am? How could she know? Is it the red in his eyes?

—You're a vampire. You shouldn't be here. Her face is severe, but her voice is full of fear. Her warning makes him even more curious as she speaks like he is the one that should be careful.

—I'm lost. I'm looking for someone. She knows what a vampire is, so maybe she knows about the vampires that live around here. He's at a loss to find a human that knows about them, and it's still alive.

—Who? She's looking behind him like she's waiting for someone.

—Carlisle Cullen. Do you know him? That glow in her eyes is unmistakable. She knows who he is.

—…No. Please let me go. Liar. Her heart is beating out of control behind that expressionless face.

—What is that smell? She smells like something he never experienced before: her wrists, arm, and even her hair.

—HELP! Her scream startles him. He can't fight the vampire with her in his current state. He could barely keep himself hidden while entering this city due to the fatigue.

He carries her as far as he can to the top of a tree. Fear of dying always makes humans talk, so this is the fastest way to get answers.

—Whom did you scream for? What do you know? How many are with her right now? Are the Cullens even here?

—I don't know anything, let me go! He can feel her tremble, but this human won't talk even as she hangs her from the edge of the tree branch.

—Where is Carlisle Cullen? He just needs to know that.

—I don't know who that is! Why won't she talk?

—Liar!

He senses something approaching and realizes what she is doing. He pulls her back to the top of the branch to pay more attention to what's coming to him now —Vampires. An alarming number of them and whatever smells like her.

—Is that them?

—I don't know. She's buying time.

—Stop lying! I can't control myself if I keep lying! He wants to rip her throat out as it is, and if she keeps lying, this won't end well for her.

Like your typical human, she found a way to fall from the tree to her death. He could let her fall and run away, but his body moved first; he grabbed her and put her safely on the ground.

—Get away from her! The vampires are here now. They look ready to kill him, so he pulls the human closer as she appears to be why they are mad.

—I don't want trouble. And he really didn't. He just wanted to find Carlisle Cullen.

—Then let her go. Now. Like that will happen.

—You'll kill me.

David has his eyes firmly on the giant wolf growling at him. He's never seen such a creature before, and the smell coming from him is the same as the one coming from this human. When other wolves join them, David is sure he has nowhere to run. He pulls the human closer, hands on the base of her neck, ready to snap it and run for his life. They might be surprised long enough for him to run away.

—Don't do anything stupid. If you kill her, we'll definitely kill you. You can't run away from here. How did he know? How did he repeat his plan perfectly like that?

—You're Edward Cullen. Of course. The mind reader Sette blabbed about nonstop, but Padrone wouldn't let him fight.

—I want to learn from him. How to control the thirst. He can find her if he can manage it, but he must keep his thoughts empty. It's much more difficult with all this happening, but he had to stay calm.

—Let her go first, then we can talk. They must be kidding. The moment he lets her go, they'll rip his head off!

—I can't… breathe. He held her neck a little too firm. You can never tell with humans just how much they can take.

—Sorry… He wasn't here to hurt her, and he didn't forget how she seemed familiar to him.

—I want to talk to Carlisle Cullen. Even if he does see him, can he get himself out of this mess? Would they even speak to him after he threatened their human pet's life?

—I'm here. Finally, the person he wanted to see is here, so he explains his reasons, hoping not to die before he can find who he really came for. Dr. Cullen also tells him to let go of the human.

—If he said we'd talk, we will. Just let me go, and I promise we'll hear you out, ok? She's negotiating her life. She held it together so far, not kicking and losing it as most humans would, and her calm is praise-worthy, but can he really survive after letting her go? The warmth of her fingers in his arm is nostalgic. The blood on her cheek makes him feel the burn coming back, so letting go of her seems the better option, so he loosens his grip. She runs straight to the arms of a woman as soon as she's free.

—What if I tell you I can help you find Padrone? One last bargain to keep his life; that's all he had.

—I remember you now. You're the girl he experimented on, aren't you? David can't believe that is her. He found her with the Cullens, as the rumors said. She really survived, and Padrone went ahead with his plan even after he ran away from the lab. She reacts to his comments angrily, and the wolf blocks his view with his body. Is he her protector or something?

They agreed on discussing his proposal, so he left town for now. This is a big win in his book. He finally found her.

—We'll accept a trade, but you have to follow our rules. David was willing to do that much for the chance of redemption.

Again, she was with that severe face like she could see behind his eyes. As if she remembered, but she couldn't; it was impossible.

The wolf blocks his view again, and David starts to understand the situation here.

—Needless to say, she's out of limits. Edward Cullen is his biggest problem right now. He must control his thoughts near him.

They give him a small dusty storage room to stay in, but this is a beginning. John would be proud of him for finding this place by himself, and he'll make him even prouder by controlling his thirst and correcting his mistakes. He can't be sure of it since he died, but that's what he wants to believe in, what he needs to believe in to live with himself.

The interrogations are restless and the training even more. Dr. Cullen is a rigorous teacher and won't give him a break, but he knows the process was supposed to be trying. His math was precise, and this should be a linear process, but, in real life, it feels like going in circles.

—I tripped! They come back to the house after hearing the screams. To David, the scene doesn't make any sense. He thought they were all in agreement, but they seemed to be doing this only because of John's daughter. Is their relationship that… deep? If he heard it right, she completed the plan and took Renesmee's information to Padrone, then why did they keep her, and even more strange, why does she have a voice in all of this?

—How did he know where to find my parents? They didn't stay in houses before I was born. This is not the same girl he experimented on. She's much more daring than he remembered, and her questions are a little too specific.

—I don't know, all right?! They take her away after he gets a little too angry. The lack of blood is putting him on edge.

Listening to her go about her day like this is a relief to him. The small talk and how she seems to enjoy living here make him feel a little less crappy about what he did to her.

The guilt memories seem much more overwhelming under this animal blood diet, and he's very… anxious. She seems to be having so much fun…

—Ahm… sorry, but I could use a distraction. I'm not feeling very well, if you know what I mean. Can I talk to her again? I won't scream, I promise.

He can hear them discuss inside, and when John's daughter calls his name, it's like he can hear his friend again.

—You came. He almost killed her, but she came.

—I'm sure you'll get the hang of it. Her encouragement is unnerving. She's just like John. He also seemed random and impossible to follow, but he always thought about everything behind his severe facade.

—They call you Anne here, right? He heard her name only once when Mirania asked to be responsible for bringing her back. Padrone could've used another disposable experiment, but she insisted.

She wants to know what we… what I called her when I opened her up at that table.

—E67.

—67?

—That's how many tires it took… to make it work. She visibly shakes and holds onto the animal next to her, so David changes the topic.

—Is he a shape-shifter? He had little interest in them, but seeing one living so close to vampires was at the very least intriguing. The wolf also seemed strangely protective of her, even though he was sure all of them hated vampires.

—You're a bit of a scientist, huh? She made the exact same question as Carlisle. Just how close are they anyway? Is it to the point that she calls them family? Even after what Padrone made her do to them?

—How long was I in that tube? There it is again. She's like a dog with a bone.

—I'm not sure. Now it's not the time. When he can resist human blood, he'll tell her.

—Yeah, he was a jerk. Her smile is just like John's too. Can he even tell her what he did?

He lost control today. A dead body floating in the water created such thirst inside him that he returned to the animal he was when John found him.

David lived in the gutter when they met, killing every human he saw coming his way, hoping some Volturi lapdog would end his misery. But, instead, John came to him. He offered his hand, and David ripped off his finger, but John kept coming, talking and trying to make him answer until one day, when he didn't show, David looked for him, and he was around the corner, waiting with clean clothes and a proposal of friendship.

—David, the reason. What's the reason? Carlisle's question is hard to answer. The reason? Guilt? Remorse? He couldn't tell.

I'm trying, my friend. I'm trying.

They are here. David could tell a shadow was approaching the house; after all, Padrone tortured him to find a way to replicate his talents. If anyone could feel them, it was him. Luckily, Padrone couldn't get them to last much longer, so the vampires would lose strength after using the power for a certain amount of time and become an easy target.

They are here for Anne, he knows.

I'll have to carry you, or they'll hear us. He takes Anne out of the house to the farthest corner of the forest he is allowed to go.

—He's removing loose ends.

—You mean me? She looks angry. This is the first time he can tell what she's feeling by the look in her eyes. She must really resent Padrone, maybe even more than him.

—So, no one knows I'm here? They'll think something happened. We have to go back. If they come back now, she'll be killed. He revealed his powers to them, so he might have to leave but not before making sure she was ok. He couldn't let her get killed; he wouldn't run again.

—You're bleeding. He could feel the aroma again, calling his name like a song.

—David… He got close, running his fingers over the small mosquito bite, and it was like he could see the blood escaping around the edges. He can hear her heart pumping it, calling to him.

—You have so… much. Just give me a sip, just a taste. Her skin is so warm, and the pumping of blood so tempting. Just a bite, and he'll stop. Just for a moment, so his lips can touch her and feel it, taste it.

—I'll be gentle. He opens a cut, small enough to keep the flow under control.

—It hurts. She's scared, but he can't stop. He wraps his arms around her body, feeling every inch of skin, the warmth, the softness. No, he can't stop. He waited too long to touch her like this.

She tries to threaten him with expulsion, but there are worst things. Walk away from her now, for example. He would rather fight them alone if he could continue to feel her touch like this.

—You mean, Seth will kick me out. That animal shouldn't be near her. They could explode anytime and kill the people around them. What kind of sad destiny is that? No, she should be safe, close to him like this.

—I won't tell if you don't. It's now. His lips are about to rub onto her neck, and her hands on his chest make it even more pleasureful. She's about to be his.

—What's the reason, David? Remember the reason. The reason. She was the reason, and now he can tell. Guilt, remorse, all that ate him inside, but she was what brought him here. He never forgot her, not even for a second.

He stops and looks into her eyes. They are full of courage and determination. He was about to drink her blood, and she took control of the situation as she did in the woods. What is she thinking? Why isn't she screaming? He can't read her eyes, but he hears her heart. She's trying to control herself, keep calm. Her lips are slightly apart, and suddenly, he's aware of just how close he is to them. Would a taste of them be enough to calm down the thirst? It would certainly be enough to calm his heart.

The foul smell and loud growl distract him from his perfect fantasy. The shape-shifter is there, looking like he could kill him with his eyes. His fur danced around his body, hating to his core the vampire touching what was his. He could fight him, take her away, and be with her for all eternity.

He steps away, ready to fight, but she pulls his shirt, keeping him still.

—Don't. He'll kill you. Her words are hard for him to hear. She might sound worried about him, but he can tell she's thinking about Seth first. He just nods and does what she says.

—Seth, are you listening? He wasn't familiar with shape-shifters, but he could tell the animal in front of them was just that, an animal. There seemed not to be a man in charge behind those murderous eyes.

—Anne… He reaches for her shoulder, and the wolf jumps closer. She doesn't even flinch, and her heartbeat is calm like she's in perfect control of what's happening, but David is starting to feel uneasy about this. What if they fight and Seth hurts her? Maybe he should take her out of here; perhaps he could squeeze another run.

—Don't… move. They are all here now—all the monsters in one place, waiting to kill him. Anne puts herself in front of him, protecting him from Seth's teeth.

—Seth, you can't attack David. I… don't have a good reason why; I just don't want to see you fight. I want to get out of here. Please. There she goes again, pleading for his life like he deserved it. How could he be honest with her after this? After realizing what his reason was?

—Don't move. The others will be here soon. She's angry. Of course, she is. Her voice is cold, and she won't look back after leaving with Seth. The Cullens arrive right after, and David already feels what's coming.

The first punch is from Esme. He didn't expect her to be the first or that strong, but… ouch.

—What the hell do you think you're doing? If it were possible, he would be bleeding right now.

Jasper also takes a swing at him and makes sure to intensify the pain with a pinch of fear and despair.

—I saved her life. David ignored the real question and stuck to being a prick. He was… annoyed that Anne had left with Seth.

They drag him to the house, waiting for Anne to come back to decide what to do. The way they tip-toe around her is getting annoying. They are hiding everything and pretending she's the one making the decisions and talking about protecting her. He was right to think she was their pet; the thing is, she's not a human, nor she's someone he can ignore.

When Anne comes back, David is back at the same spot again, hiding behind her kindness.

—He didn't attack me. But he did. He tried to drink her blood, to take her away.

—You never slipped before? When you stopped drinking human blood, you were never controlled by your thirst? Her tone was scary. She sounded different, more determined, more like the vampire she was.

—I regret every second of the day of what I've done to all of you. I wish I could take it all back, but it is impossible. I never meant to hurt anyone, but I did, and I have to live with that. So that was their relationship. She loved them and saw them as a family but couldn't shake the guilt. She was just like him.

—What about David? When Renesmee arrived, they all moved to block his way, but Anne continued to worry about him. She had her father's compassion, even for someone like him, that didn't deserve it.

They seem to be suggesting Anne will help him control his thirst, but it must be another scheme to keep her eyes away from the truth. He had to tell her sooner than later. These lies will get out of control fast.

When vampires get too old, they start to think controlling life is a matter of practice and believe they can get the outcome they desire by pulling the right strings, but David knew this only caused hurt to the people different from them. Anne doesn't have the coldness of a vampire in her. She has hot human blood running in her veins and can't be expected to think calmly or be patient like a vampire.

—What is she doing here? They really let her come. How can they let her come here after what he did? Even now, all he can think about is the smell of her skin and blood, so why did they let her come? What kind of sick game are they playing?

—I'm here to help. To help? He can only think about grabbing her and leaving, but she's here to help?

He can't keep near her without some blood, so he goes ahead and looks for anything that can calm him down. At this point, a mouse would do the trick.

He finds a deer, but the image of him drinking its blood in front of her is frightening. She'll see the monster behind the mask.

—This is not gonna work.

—Sorry, I was too noisy. I'll be quiet. This is really not going to work. Looking at her try her best to help him is too much to bear. Why can't he say he's sorry? Why is she not angry at him? How can she stand in front of David as if nothing happened?

—Say it aloud then.

—Get out of my head. Edward's powers are the ones he hates the most.

—I won't do it with her here. He can't drink blood with her looking at him like that, but he can't take her out of his mind once she leaves.

He goes back to hunting, but he mutilates the animal like the first time. The anger mixed with thirst made him lash out at the poor animal.

Back at the house, Jasper makes sure to announce his humiliation, as he always does, before letting him walk back to his prison.

—C'mon! I'm… angry *grrr* David is in disbelief. How can she just let it go? Is it because he didn't drink the blood? Was that the line? Because he cut her neck open and was very clear about what he wanted to do, but because he didn't actually do it, it didn't matter?

—Argh! You cut my neck open and now won't talk to me, huh? Dine and dash, HUH? I saved your butt out there!

—I didn't ask you to! David didn't think he deserved it. He was lying to her face every day.

—My bad!

—Just go away already!

—You better take responsibility for it! I'll get a scar, you know! Why won't she just go? "I don't judge "almost" mistakes." John's words echoed in his mind. That's right. She's that man's daughter; it shouldn't be strange she can't hold a grudge.

—I accept your apology. You can also apologize for saying that the plumber was better than Aliens Attack III. Her smile broke his serious face in a second. She had much more control over him than he thought. When did it happen? When did he start to be a puppet, following every moment of her fingers?

—YOU MONSTER!

Sam has his hands on this collar, lifting him in the air, ready to kill for reasons David could not name.

—What the hell, Sam!? He squeezes Sam's arm tighter after he pushes Anne. He's doing his best to avoid killing him, but it's… challenging.

—They seem to have decided it's my fault. All the eyes in the greenhouse are accusing, and they don't even move a muscle to stop Sam from attacking.

—Look at his eyes! They are not red like before! Carlisle, tell him!

—It takes time for them to change. Even Carlisle, the teacher he learned to respect, was suspecting him.

—Let go! David looks at Seth when the shaking gets dangerously strong, and he pulls Anne away from Sam, far enough so she won't get hurt if he transforms.

—Where is it? Sam doesn't even bother apologizing to David after they find the real culprit.

—In the forest with Jasper and Emmett. We are going to question him now.

Anne takes a step forward, saying she'll interrogate the vampire.

—You can't- Seth grabs David's hand, and he can see a glimpse of the wolf inside of him, ready to rip him apart. His grip is tight, and his intentions clear, but Anne is still walking away.

—You're staying here, all three of you, and that's final. Esme's words freeze her in place until they leave. The amount of control Esme has over Anne is unbelievable to him. She can be reckless and stubborn, but she becomes someone else in front of her.

—We are finding Padrone right now. The gleam in her eye is so much like John's that David gets confused for a second.

She is as skillful as her father and already gathered all this information by herself while they underestimated her and hid the truth, but she wouldn't just sit down and wait. No, not his daughter.

—What'll you do? Are you just going to tell them? She couldn't just deliver this information and let them retake control of everything. This was a chance for her to make them talk, even if it meant he had to tell her the truth.

They came back, but Padrone wasn't there. David heard it all, but Anne made sure to tell him in person. Somehow she walked to him alone this time. They might be loosening their grip after she got angry, but they haven't told her about her father and him.

—You didn't get hurt did you? She looked fine, but she had the power to heal herself from deadly injuries. An ability he activated on purpose many times so she wouldn't die every time an experiment failed.

—No. Mirania has a tight grip and sharp nails, but she didn't attack us. He would like to be closer to her, but after what he did, it's impossible. If these shape-shifters don't stop him, one of the Cullens will. Since they can't trust each other, there is no way he could ever touch her again.

He can see Seth sleeping on her lap, grabbing her close to him, and he looks away. It's not like he has the right to say anything, but it doesn't mean he's not upset by it.

—Seth, Leah is trying to reach you.

—Go. We'll be quick here. Seth holds firmly onto her shoulder and threatens David with his eyes, holding in the words he can't say before Anne without making her angry.

—I need batteries; Seth the… oh, right. David is just in front of her, but she turns around without a second thought, without care. He can feel the urge coming again.

—You're overdoing it. He's been telling her that for a while now, but she's stubborn and tries to prove her worth, but they shelter her, isolating Anne from them.

They did it until she exploded at the greenhouse and are doing it again, but she's more hurt by it this time. She's trying to compensate for not finding Padrone.

—Where's Jasper?

—I'm… not sure.

—Weren't you sharing information?

—We are. He's… gathering data. He'll tell me when he finds something. She can't even look him in the eye. She's aware they are hiding things from her but won't do anything. Why? What is she afraid of?

—David? He can hear Carlisle calling his name, but once he hides and keeps quiet, no one can track him, not even a shape-shifter. He can see in their eyes that they never trusted him. The only person he cared about was being cast aside by these people because they were too selfish, afraid she'd leave them.

That's what this relationship is. They are so afraid of losing each other that they can't be honest; they can't trust. If she falls back into the same cycle of hiding her worries until she explodes, they'll never stop obsessing about keeping this castle of glass whole. If they can't let go, they can't be a real family.

—Then you're what? Family? Equal to them? You're working your butt off for who? Renesmee? She's not even here! She's safe in her house while you're out here, getting hurt. He can see the pain coming through her now. John was the same. Although he was gentle with everyone, he was never gentle to himself.

—You crawl around people that won't accept you because you can't be like them. You can't do anything for any of them. You're a burden, worst, an immortal one. She had to refute his words. Find why he is wrong and understand what she's doing to herself.

—Shut… up. He could feel the pain of that slap. She used her strength to hit him, and she must be in pain now.

Her screams and cries are ripping through his skin. It's like he's back at those days; the days she would scream on that table and grab onto his hand to make the pain stop. He begged Padrone to give her anesthesia, but he said they couldn't tell if it worked if she didn't scream. Now, he knows it must've been a lie. He just enjoyed it.

Emmett's punches are nothing compared to her cries. He knew she needed to hear the truth, but he's regretting it now. Was it not enough all he did to her, and now he was the one responsible for more pain? That's not what he wanted to be to her. This is not why he was here.

They are blaming him for making her leave, but they were the ones that couldn't let go of the fear and tried to take control of her life. They are the ones that pushed her away.

—Did you tell her about her father? How could he? She was going to hate him, ask him to leave.

—Seth took her himself. Of course, he did. That's all he does; takes her away.

—I'm not going anywhere. It's more accurate to say he couldn't go anywhere. His legs wouldn't move unless she told him to walk away.

She's back, and he can't contain the happiness inside. He made her cry like that, but seeing her comeback still makes him smile. David can hear her end the secrets but can't feel happy for what's about to come; it might be his last moment with her.

—Why are you here? He can't be perfectly forthright. He said it was because of guilt, but now, it's because of her.

—It wasn't you. But, it had to be him. Padrone told him it was him; he looked inside his mind.

—He's the original liar, David. So he just wanted to torture him? Just for the sake of it?

—So, what are you going to do, David? What is he to do? —You don't have to redeem yourself for anything. I know you feel responsible for the experiments, but they would've happened even without you there, and I know you had no choice, so I'm not holding you accountable for it. Now, what are you going to do?

What is he going to do? He didn't think that far because he thought this was it for him. But, if it is a choice, then he chooses her. She's the only one that he wanted forgiveness from and the one that can tell him to stay or leave. Even if he can't read her face, his heart tells him she wants him to stay.

—I'm finding Padrone, and I want to stay… here, with you. Could she see in his eyes? Could she tell what he meant?

Even if he couldn't act on these feelings, being there for her was more than he could hope for. He shouldn't be feeling like this after what he did, but… it must've started that day. The day she apologized for making him scream after she healed herself from another failed experiment. That was the day he decided he would hold the pain in so she wouldn't look at him that way again.