The Cullens knew it was just a matter of time before the Volturi and other vampires heard about what was happening in their house. The Volturi were quieter than expected, but others were already agitated. Such a familiar situation to the one that marked the history of vampires forever feels like it's about to repeat itself.
Alice saw Tanya and two other women coming to the house that night. Carlisle gathered everyone immediately, but the girl needed to be oblivious to all this.
—What does she want, Alice? Esme asks, worried.
—They want to talk. I don't think they are here to fight, but things can get out of hand quickly, you know that.
—What do we do? Emmett feels anxious too. No one wants to see history repeat itself. They might not be as lucky this time.
—We act like nothing is wrong. We laugh, talk, and wait until Anne goes back to her room, and then we lock her inside, just to make sure she won't come downstairs while they're still here. After that, we… make our case to them.
His plan sounded good to everyone, but Tanya might not be so easily convinced.
They talk for many hours. To Anne, the conversation is about everything and nothing. She can't hear the real questions under their whispers. Finally, she goes upstairs to sleep. Tanya and the others will arrive at any moment, so Alice locks her door and window and activates movent sensors around her room. Nothing can scape their eyes today.
When Tanya approaches the door, Alice hears the bell sounds coming from Anne's room and curses through her teeth. She forgot to shut off her robot. Esme glares at her, and she whispers an "I'm sorry." Now there's no fixing it; Anne knows they got visitors.
Tanya goes inside, and as always, she looks displeased with everything. Since what happened with Renesmee, she hasn't been in touch with the Cullens. Their alliance was temporary, and so were the pleasantries. She looks to all five vampires in the room, and before even saying hello, she tells Emmett to leave and stay at an "appropriate distance" away from the house.
—Let's keep the numbers even, shall we? She's cold and analytical like Jasper.
Emmett and Rosalie look at Carlisle; he nods his head, asking him to leave.
—Now… what the hell is happening here, Carlisle? Tanya was never the type to talk first, and Carlisle doesn't think she'll fight them but never say never.
—Always good to see you, Tanya. He answers, greeting her and the other two women.
—It's a mistake to keep a human here. Her anger grows at every word.
—She's my mistake. Esme says, stepping forward. —And she's not going anywhere.
—Why is that? Why must she stay? Tanya asks.
Esme doesn't answer her question, and she can see Tanya starting to lose it.
—Perfect. She says, running her hands through her hair, trying to control her anger, but her voice comes out way too loud anyway. —Isn't it enough what happened last time? Are you really that naive, or just dense?
—Tanya, let's keep things civil, please. Alice tries to keep everyone calm. She can hear Anne's heart beating out of control upstairs. She's listening.
—You really think you can handle this? No one is safe! One of the women with Tanya steps forward too. Her voice is also too loud, and things are getting tense. Tanya puts her arm in front of her, and she looks away from Esme and to the second floor, where Anne is. Esme walks forward like she's about to attack the woman, and Carlisle holds her back. All of a sudden, everyone looks ready to fight.
Things escalated as fast as Carlisle predicted. He knew Tanya wasn't there to understand the situation but to ensure this wouldn't affect her family again.
—All right. Let's just… calm… down. Alice pronounces each word slowly. How she wishes Jasper was here!
—You're alone this time. I'm not doing this again. Tany finally controls her anger and speaks more calmly now. —I came here to say that. Whatever is happening here, we are not interfering this time.
—We understand. We won't ask too much of you, just that you keep this to yourself. Carlisle says, feeling Esme relax a bit.
—I won't go around gossiping if that's what you mean. Goodbye and… good luck. They leave the house and somehow avoid conflict.
Emmett comes back inside after Tanya leaves. He heard everything, so there's no need to explain. Esme looks more shaken than he thought.
—I'm sorry. Esme is reaching her limit. All she did since Anne arrived was worry that someone would take her away. She wouldn't rest or feed well; she could only think about the girl and how to keep her safe.
—Don't worry. We'll be fine. We're together. Carlisle hugs her. He understands how much the girl means to his wife. Esme has always seemed satisfied with the family they created, but he knew whom she missed. Whom she was thinking about when her eyes stared sadly into nothing. But, since the girl arrived, Esme seemed to have recovered her soul. Her face was full of life, and she smiled all the time. He's never seen her that happy before, so yes, he'll do everything in his power to keep them together.
—I don't want to put our family in danger. Esme knows her requests are selfish, but she can't help it.
—We are in this together. Alice says. Esme is not her birth mother, but she's family. She'll always be family.
—So, what do we do now? Emmett asks, hugging Rosalie's shoulders. She hasn't said a word, but he knows she doesn't hate Anne. She just wants to protect her family.
—We wait for Jasper to come back. That's all we can do. Alice looks outside the window to the dark forest. She really wishes Jasper was here.
When Alice told Seth Sam was looking for him, he thought they had to discuss something or hunt a random vampire. He took Alice's car and hid it in the forest before transforming and running to meet them. Thanks to Edward, transforming had become infinitely more convenient. He got them a special uniform that would hide under their fur without ripping apart, so it looked like he was wearing jammers when he returned to his human form. Much better than walking around butt naked. He tied up his clothes to his leg and went to meet Sam and Jake.
When he arrived, they told him the plan.
—Tanya is coming. Jake says in his thoughts to Seth.
—She's here to question Carlisle. Alice assured me the girl didn't suspect anything and that they'd keep her away from them. Sam can feel Seth getting anxious.
—I'm going back. He turns around to return. He could trust the Cullens, but he can't leave Anne alone near other vampires.
—No. We are going to watch for afar. Quil, Embry, Paul, and Leah are also protecting the border. We'll keep our distance and observe the house. After they leave, we'll follow them until they are out of the city. Jacob had everything planned. Alice let him know as soon as she saw Tanya approaching. He can't let Seth near them in his current state, but he knows he can't keep this from him either.
—What does she want? Seth asks.
—Alice is not sure, but she doesn't appear hostile. She helped us last time, so I don't think she will attack them. Sam knows of their history, but a vampire will always be a vampire.
The three of them go back to the forest near the Cullen house and stay hidden, observing. Seth can see the lights inside Anne's room and hopes nothing happens.
After Tanya enters the house, Seth can tell Anne is agitated. Her lights are still on, and her heartbeat is elevated. She's afraid. He's pacing back and forth, looking at her room, until she turns off the light and seemingly goes to sleep.
When Tanya finally leaves, he moves towards the house, but Sam has other plans.
—We are following them outside the city, remember?
—Why? Seth asks anxiously.
—Because it's our job and… you need a minute or two to calm down. Sam can feel the boy shaking, and it's too risky to let him go back now.
After making sure Tanya is out of the city, Jake lets Seth go back to the house. He rushes back, but he can feel something is wrong when he goes inside.
He runs to Anne's bedroom, and her door is open, Alice standing inside the room looking worried at where her bed is. He drags his feet, afraid of what he's about to see. He can hear the beep of machines as he looks inside.
Anne is lying down on the bed, her face covered in sweat, and her features are distorted like she's in terrible pain.
—What happened? He asks Carlisle. The doctor is by her bed, checking the equipment.
—I'm not sure. Last night, after Tanya left, something happened to her.
—I came to check on her, and she was fine. Esme's voice is weak. —I… I didn't notice anything until now. If Esme weren't a vampire, Seth would say she was crying.
—Then what do you know? Seth asks, starting to sound impatient.
Carlisle takes a deep breath, out of habit, before answering Seth.
—She has a 103 fever and is unconscious. I'm monitoring her heartbeat and breathing, but both are unstable. Also, by the look of it, she's having a nightmare.
—I think she heard part of the conversations yesterday. Alice says. —Anne is a very… psychologically frail human. Any problem seems to make her sink into a spiral of panic, and not having any memories doesn't help as well. I'm not sure what she heard, but she reacted very intensely to it.
—She needs time. Carlisle says, adjusting her IV. —The drugs should make her fever go down soon.
Seth kneels down on the opposite side of the bed from where Esme is. He holds her hand, just like Esme, and stays in silence. Her hands are cold, and just the act of breathing looks incredibly painful to her.
They spend the whole morning that way, in silence. Sometimes, Carlisle comes back to check on her, but he never seems to have good news.
—Her fever is at 102. Heatbeat and breathing are still unstable bit a little better.
—I thought you said the meds would kick in fast. Seth is angry and anxious. She's still suffering after all this time.
—Carlisle knows what's he doing, Seth. She'll be all right. Esme doesn't look at Seth, but her tone is impatient like his.
—Her body will recover when it's ready. She's not going to die, is that's what worries you.
He doesn't answer Carlisle. After checking everything, the doctor leaves the room and meets Alice and the others downstairs.
—No changes. Her fever is down a little bit, but the atmosphere in that room is what worries me.
—No joke. Alice says. Nobody but Carlisle seems willing to enter the room.
—They haven't moved in six hours. Emmett is worried that Esme hasn't fed in a while and is sharing a very tight space with a wolf.
The rest of the day drags itself as they wait. The girl won't get better, and the sun is about to set. Esme and Seth are at the limit of their patience when Carlisle enters the room again.
—Fever at 101. Heartbeat seems to be improving, breathing too. Although it should sound like good news, he's very disappointed. He treated her with the best drugs he could get, but she won't respond. He's also very… concerned by the situation.
—You said she was going to get better. Esme says, her eyes are dangerously dark.
—Esme, you should… recover your energies. Carlisle can see how on edge she is.
—What I need is for her to wake up. Esme stands up, looking to Anne and then to Carlisle.
—This is not about you. Seth says, standing up too —This would not happen if she weren't living here.
—What do you mean? Esme can feel the anger growing inside her. She takes a few steps around the bed, getting closer to Seth.
—I mean, she's not safe here. Never was, and never will. He has a defiant tone and walks over to her.
—And where would she be safe? With you? They are both dangerously close to each other by the foot of the bed.
—Okay. Carlisle says, getting between them and making Esme take a few steps back. —What we all need is a little space. Esme, you are coming with me, and Seth, Alice called Jake. He's waiting for you outside.
—But, what if she wakes up? Esme asks, looking at the girl.
—Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie will be right here. Carlisle gets closer to her. —She'll need you when she wakes up.
Esme takes one last look at Anne before agreeing to go with Carlisle.
—You too, Seth. Or will Jake have to come upstairs and drag you out?
Seth takes a deep breath before following them out of the room. He knows being awake for so long made him…cranky.
As Carlisle said, Jake is just outside waiting for him.
—How is she? Jake asks.
—Still no change. No one knows why she won't wake up. Seth answers, frustrated.
—C'mon. You need some rest.
They go back to their house right away. The boy could use a few hours of sleep.
Carlisle and Esme go out so she can feed and rest a bit before going back into the house. They rest a bit before heading back to the house.
Alice and Emmett take Rosalie as far from the house as possible. She kills three deers before she's able to speak.
—How you're feeling? Emmett asks, worried. He can't believe Rosalie attacked the girl.
—Like I'm finally myself again. Rosalie is covered in blood, and the pile of corpses is just a few feet away from her.
—What in the world was that? Alice asks, angry at her, or maybe at herself. The girl has the annoying ability to mess with her visions. At least, she's not as bad as the complete darkness of the wolves.
—It was her. That thing did this to me. When she looked in my eyes…. I never felt such thirst in my life, Alice.
—Anne made you? Do you mean shorty made you feel thirsty for her blood? Rosalie's words sound absurd to Emmett, but the body pile is pretty real.
—Rose… think harder. Are you sure? Alice also thinks Rosalie is confused.
—Carlisle said she's weird, right? There you go. This is how big of a freak the little thing is.
—He said he couldn't analyze her blood, not that she had the power to incite thirst in a vampire, Rose.
—Whatever, Alice. This just proves my point. She shouldn't be here. I feel sorry for Esme, but this can't continue.
—If someone you lost came back to you, what would you do? Alice's question floats in the air. —Because I know exactly what I would do.
They are all in silence. Of course, they have the same answer.
Emmett checks the phone in his pocket. —Carlisle is calling us back.
They'll have to deal with the deer carcasses later. There is a more pressing matter at hand now.
Seth's sleeping like a log when Quil enters the house, very out of breath.
—We have a problem. He says, looking scared.
—Shh. What happened? Jake wants to keep it down so Seth can sleep.
—It's the human. She got attacked in the house. The smell of blood is everywhere.
Seth jumps out of bed and grabs him by the collar.
—What did you say?
—Calm down, man. I don't know what happened. I was making my rounds when I smelled blood, and it looked like there was a fight. I…
Seth doesn't wait for Quil to finish his story and runs towards the door, just to be tackled down by Jake.
—LET ME GO! Seth screams, trying to get rid of Jake.
—DO NOT CHANGE! Jake orders Seth to keep his human form, but the boy keeps fighting him. Sam grabs some chains and ties him up as tight as he can. As long as Seth doesn't change, the chains should hold him down.
—Quil, Embry. He's your responsability. Jake says, pointing to both of them —Do not let him leave under any circumstances. If Leah comes to free him, you stop her too. Sam and I will check out what happened. Understood?
—Are we really leaving him here? Quill asks, looking at Seth struggling on the floor.
—We can't risk him transforming in front of the girl or attacking the Cullens. Jake looks at Seth. —I'm sorry, man. We'll be back as fast as possible.
Jake and Sam can still hear Seth's screams as they transform and run toward the vampire's house. They can clearly smell the blood now, but they need to be sure before raging war against the Cullens.
After a strangely calm conversation with Anne, Esme and the others are cleaning out the mess in the kitchen. Emmett carries half of the massive table out of the kitchen while Rosalie and Alice clean out the pieces of the fridge. Esme is cleaning the floor as well.
—That table was almost a hundred years old. Esme sighs, looking at Emmett carrying what once was her favorite piece of furniture. They have another one, but it wasn't as beautiful.
—Exactly, "was." Carlisle helps Emmett maneuver the huge wood piece through the door and towards the garage.
They all stop when they hear Sam and Jacob enter the house. They look ready for a fight, but the Cullens are all too tired for that.
—Hey! Sam, Jake! What's cooking? Emmett's light-hearted tone makes Sam even angrier.
—What the hell, Carlisle? Sam screams.
—Top of the night to you too. Carlisle says, keeping his voice down.
—Sam, take it easy. She's alive and sleeping upstairs. She's still a human. Jacob tries to calm down Sam, but he's also concerned about what happened.
—What about the smell of blood? Just how much blood did she lose? Sam still won't calm down.
—It was an accident. Well, something like that. Alice puts as many pieces of metal as she can on top of the carrier and sends the robot to the garage.
—Accident? Sam asks sarcastically.
—We can't explain exactly what happened. Esme says. —For some reason, Rosalie, out of her normal state, attacked Anne and cut her hand. Before the attack, Rosalie had just fed, and there was no blood on sight.
—So what? She just snapped? Jacob asks, looking at Rosalie.
—No! That thing made me attack her. Rosalie points to Anne's room upstairs.
They all exchange uncomfortable looks before Carlisle finally says something. —We don't know what happened.
—Then, what do you know? Sam asks through gritted teeth.
—That she's ok and she's safe. Esme answers. —Also, she ahm… knows everything.
—And how did she react?
—She was calmer than we expected.
—What did she say? Will she leave the house?
—I don't know. We gave her a choice, and we'll follow whatever she decides. Esme is hopeful for Anne's decision, but she'll do whatever she can for her sake. Even if it means she can't be with her.
—How's Seth? Alice asks.
—He's angry and tied up. It'll be hard to be around him for a while. I don't want him to come back, but we are far from the original plan to keep an eye on the human. There's no way he'll accept staying away from her. Jake can sympathize with Seth's pain. He knows how hard imprinting can be and just wants to go back and let him know the girl is ok.
Seth struggles to get out of the chains, but Jake's orders affect his strength.
—Even if you do break them, you can't transform Seth. Jake gave you an order. Embry keeps an eye on Seth and another on the game on TV.
He ignores Embry's comment and continues to wriggle around, trying to break free. He just wants to return to Anne, so much that the longing is physical pain.
—Just… stop for a moment, man. I read you Jake's text; she's ok. Quil wants to help his brother, but it's not that simple. None of them can defy an alpha's orders.
Finally, Jacob and Sam come back to the house.
—Jake… Jake, what happened? Is she all right? You gotta let me go, please. The pain in Seth's voice is difficult for Jacob to hear as he knows exactly what he's going through, and he's very sorry he can't let him leave now. Seth could transform and attack someone, or even worst, hurt the girl.
—She found out the Cullens are vampires. Jacob explains. Seth's eyes are wide open now.
—How did she find out? Embry asks, not so interested in the game anymore.
—I'm not sure what happened exactly, but Rosalie… attacked her.
—WHAT?! Seth screams and goes back to trying to break the chains. One of the Cullens attacked her. One of the vampires he trusted hurt the most important person to him. He wants to kill Rosalie.
—She's all right, Seth. She cut her hand, but Carlisle took care of her. Jacob's words don't really help him calm down.
—Did she freak out when she found out? Embry asks.
—Esme said she was calm. She's asleep now.
—Jake… Seth is begging Jacob to let him go. His breathing is heavy, and his body is shaking.
—I can't let you go if you don't calm down, you know that. If you can't control yourself, you won't be able to see her ever again.
Jake was right, and Seth knew it. He lets the fact sink into his body and controls the shaking. He thinks about her face, her smile, the moment he'll see her again. If he loses control near her, she'll get hurt. He wants to rip Rosalie's head off, but he can't do anything while Anne's in the house, so the only way to protect her is to be able to go inside without losing it.
Jake can see Seth calming down and feels proud of him. All of the training finally paid off.
—I'll let you go… Jacob says —In the morning. But, I need you to control yourself. The Cullens had no other choice but to tell her about them, but we don't know how this situation will develop. I don't want her to know about us. You can't transform in front of her or attack any of the Cullens. Do you understand?
Seth doesn't look at him. He keeps his eyes on the door, his head full of thoughts of her and what Jake's words mean. So, I can never tell her? What will happen when she remembers her life? She'll go away without ever knowing how much she means to me?
He agrees with Jacob's terms for now.
When the first light rises on the horizon, Seth demands Jacob to let him go. The boy is calmer now, and Jacob trusts he understands his orders.
He lets Seth go, and he jumps out the front door. They transform and run towards the house, stopping by the trees before entering the garden.
—Seth… Seth! Look at me—control, man. Keep calm, and avoid a fight. You can't attack any of the Cullens, do you understand? Jacob tells him as he put his clothes back on. He can't take his eyes off the big windows, where Anne and Esme are sitting and talking.
He just nods his head and can't keep still. He looks at Jacob, waiting for him to say he can go. Jacob takes a deep breath and tells him to go ahead. Seth runs straight to the house and jumps inside. Now, all he can do is trust him.
When Seth opens the door, he only hesitates for a second before hugging Anne. He barely held her hand once, but it didn't matter anymore. He hugs her so that he can feel every inch of her skin touching his. The smell of her hair soothes his muscles.
He can feel Esme's hand on his shoulder, and he shoves it right away. He never reacted that way before, but this is uncharted territory. The Cullens had never threatened the reason for his existence before; there was no way to tell what this would do to their friendship.
—Take it easy cowboy, she's fine. Seth ignores her. He's concentrated on Anne. He must make sure she's still… herself and needs to find a way to be alone with her.
—Are you all right? What about your hand? Are you hurt anywhere else? You look tired. Come on. I'll take you to your room. It is the most ridiculous excuse in the world, but it will have to do. He goes upstairs as quickly as possible, running towards her room.
Her voice distracted him when he stopped for a moment before opening the door.
—Your boots…
He looks back to the mud trail and removes them before going inside.
Seth stops for a moment and decides to put her on the sofa under the window because it's the farthest place from the door. He knows it doesn't make sense, but his body is moving on instinct now.
He takes her hand carefully. Even in his human form, he can smell the blood.
—Does it hurt? He asks.
—Not anymore. I took some medicine.
—Let me take a look. He opens the bandages and takes a good look at the cut, feeling relieved when he can't find any teeth marks.
—Seth, it's all right. Carlisle cleaned it up and gave me stitches. It'll be fine. She doesn't understand. Seth knows better than anyone how capable Carlisle is. In fact, there is no better doctor in the world, but the problem is… what he is. The touch of her hand is soft and warm. He always wondered how it would feel to hold her hand like this. He lets the relief to be near her again take the best of him and puts her hand over his face, feeling her skin.
—Seth… The way she says his name is like she's holding his heart in her hands. I'm never leaving her again.
He notices how tired she looks. Her eyes are deep and red, probably because she couldn't sleep after all that.
—You should rest. He says, putting back the bandages. —Sleep. I'll keep watch. Seth sits with his back to the sofa, eyes on the door. He knows the chances of one of the Cullens coming to attack her is ridiculously small, but he can't ignore his instincts.
—Keep watch? She sounds doubtful. If she knew…
—Yes, no one will pass by me. Seth would never sleep again if that's what it takes to protect her. Her touch distracts him for a moment. She has her fingers on his hair; her eyes are almost closing as she grabs some leaf that got stuck there. This is the first time she ever touched him first.
Looking at her face, serene and peaceful, reminds him of the first time he saw her. That day feels like a million years ago. Jake said I would become what she needs me to be, but why does it feel like I need her more than she needs me? Why does it feel like she has my life in her hands?
He thinks about running away with her. Like she would leave Esme behind. Seth feels something like jealousy for the love the girl has for Esme. She is everything to him, but the way she looks at Esme… her eyes full of admiration and love, he can't help but feel threatened. He touches her hair, careful not to wake her up, and runs his fingers through her face. She always has a serious look on her face, no matter what he says. Sometimes, he thinks she reacted to his words, but she turns her face away, and he can't read it. He wants to know everything about her. He wants to see her smile at him, much brighter than she does at Esme.
Esme and Alice are cleaning up the mess Seth left in the corridor.
—He brought all the mud from the forest with him. Alice complains, rubbing the mud out of the floor, but it won't budge.
—Do you think he'll be… you know… keep control? Esme asks.
—You know I have no idea what he'll do.
Esme is looking at Anne's door, worried about her safety. She doesn't want to eavesdrop, but she's worried Seth might lose control and hurt her.
—The deja vu I'm feeling right now is insane. Alice says, shaking her head.
—Dejavu?
—C'mon Esme. This is Edward and Bella all over again. The wolf loves the human, the human loves the vampire, and we complete the full circle.
—You really think she…
—Esme, you are the only person in this house she actually trusts and cares for. The way she looks at you… I don't know how she didn't call you, you know… what we call you in front of her.
—We should host a human every other century, just to keep things interesting. Emmett says from downstairs, laughing way too much of his own joke.
—That's a sick joke, Emmett. Alice says but also smiles. After all, that's all they can do in this mess, try to keep their sanity. Alice has big hopes for what Jasper will find. They need at least a direction to take and solve this mystery. Every passing moment gets them closer to the inevitable day they'll have the Volturi knocking on their door again.
Esme calls Seth out of the TV room to talk to him.
—Seth, I know you are nervous, but Anne's starting to notice how jumpy you are. She needs someone to make things feel normal and safe, not like a vampire will jump out of nowhere and attack her.
—I'm… trying.
—I know. Look, if Anne asks, say I asked about how many guests are coming to the Christmas party, ok?
When Rosalie enters the room, Seth's body starts to shake. He grabs tightly onto Jake's orders to avoid transforming and grabs Anne by her elbow, pulling her back, closer to him, just as a precaution. If she's that close to him, he won't change, or he'll hurt her.
—Emmett, Rosalie. Were you in the garage? Seth can't believe Anne is just casually talking to them. Rosalie almost killed her!
—I was trying to fix the table, but she's dead and gone. How's your hand? Emmett keeps his body between Rosalie and him. A very sutil position, just safe enough for Rosalie and sufficiently discrete for Anne not to notice.
—It's okay. Maybe I'll get a cool scar. Seth wonders if Anne is just in denial or if the medicine is a little too strong for her. He even made up that red-eyed vampire story to scare her, but she seemed perfectly comfortable around them.
—Dope. Emmett and Rosalie leave the room to avoid getting in a fight, eyes locked on Seth.
When Anne suggests he is afraid of Rosalie, he can't control his voice. He can't understand how she is so calm, and worst, she thinks he's scared of Rosalie, of a vampire! He can feel his body shake, and Anne takes a step back, looking scared. Her eyes are enough to make him stop. He feels like an idiot for making her afraid of him.
—Is everything all right? Esme asks, entering the room.
—I… I'll go to my room. He needs to step away from that situation for a moment. Think with his head, not his instincts. The wolf in him is too unstable and angry to be around Anne right now.
He paces around his room, repeating the words Jake told him, trying to control the shaking. Control. Control. If I can't control it… I can't stay. Contr… He notices someone outside the closed door. It's Anne. He gets close to it and can almost hear her hesitation.
Her voice makes his heart skip a beat. He walks away from the door and tells her to come in. In his mind, he can't stop thinking about the most insignificant detail in all of this, Anne, a girl, is in his room.