I walk back to my room, wondering what Alice has planned for us tomorrow. Cutting my hair doesn't sound like a bad idea. I never do anything special to it, so it's always looking very… meh. I walk down the corridor and stop when hear Seth calling me.

—So? He asks, looking excited.

—So what?

He rolls his eyes, annoyed. —Your project. I wanna help.

Oh! That's right. I check behind him, making sure no one is there, and drag him to my room.

—So, what are you working at?

I grab the box from inside my closet and throw everything on my bed with a ta-da.

He looks at all the items and back at me like he doesn't understand what that's supposed to be.

—They're presents! I say, grabbing a few. —See? They are fridge magnets, well minus the magnet, but look, this is a football for Emmett, a camera for Rosalie, a doctor's gown for Carlisle, and this is supposed to be a dress for Alice, but I still have to work on it. And, I made a magnifying glass for Japer because he's a detective, no? He's looking for my family and all that. Besides, I have no idea what he likes.

I'm very excited about my idea and quite proud of my work; however, Seth doesn't react like I hoped he would. He touches all of them, one by one, eyebrows mushed together.

—What? Are they bad? I'm pretty sure they are good enough to give as a present. Besides, this is the best I can do.

—What about mine? He throws everything out of the box and looks through all the materials.

—Of course, I made one for you! I laugh, looking at him, searching for his present. I hid it in a different place when I told him about my little project. I had some trouble deciding what to give him and Esme, but I finally decided on a scarf for Esme and a pair of gloves for him. It took all my skill and hours of internet research, but they are almost done and hidden away under the towels in the closet.

—What is it? He asks, smiling.

—I'm not gonna tell you. It's a surprise. I put the presents back in the box, but he didn't give up.

—What are you doing? I ask when he starts to look under the pillows and the under the mattress.

—Looking for my present. He walks over to the sofa, moves the cushions, and looks under it as well.

—You'll never find it. I cross my arms, very confident.

Seth walks over and stares like he's trying to read my mind. To my surprise, he goes straight for the closet, so I jump in front of him, arms open, blocking his way.

—Not here.

—Yes, here.

—You can't open my closet.

—Because my present is inside?

—No… it's because it's my closet.

He tries to go around me, but I block him again.

—You can't open my closet because it's a mess. He squints his eyes, doubting my words. I change the subject fast.

—I need you to help me with something. I push him away from the closet and sit him on the sofa. —Hold your hands like this. I positioned his hands up, palms facing each other, slightly apart, and rolled the line around them. —Keep them apart and don't move.

I work on Esme's scarf with his help, and he won't stop looking grumpy the whole time.

—I want my present. He complains like an annoying kid.

—You're present will be a pat on the back if you don't hold that line still. He lets out a big sigh. It's fun to tease him like that.

—Do you even have a present for me? I ask, raising an eyebrow.

—You bet. I have the best present in the world for you. His smile is big and bright. He looks very confident he got me something good.

—What is it? He just raises an eyebrow like me and doesn't answer. —Ok. I got it.

Seth is not used to my schedule, so soon, he starts to get sleepy as I work. Making some random questions might keep him awake, so I ask about tomorrow.

—How do you want your haircut tomorrow?

—I don't know. Not too short, I guess.

—I'll let Alice decide. I have no idea what would look good on me.

—You should tell her what you don't want at least. It's your hair, you know.

—I don't mind.

He looks at my hair for a moment, making me nervous. I know my hair is not the best feature on me.

—Then… don't cut it short. I like it long.

I stop working and look at him. His head is down, so I can't tell if he's as embarrassed as I am right now. I can feel my face is getting red and hot, and to him might have been just a random comment, but I'm kind of going crazy here. He's like a good friend to me, but sometimes he does things that confuse me. Like when he hugged me out of nowhere or when he stares at my face for too long.

—You should go to bed. It's late. I take everything and shove it inside the box as fast as I can, trying to not look at him with my beet-red face.

—I'm not tired. He says, standing up.

—I am. I have been doing this every night. I need to sleep.

—All right then. See you tomorrow?

—Sure. Good night.

As soon as he leaves the room, I check my face in the bathroom mirror. As expected, I'm all red and looking stupid. My cheeks are hot, and my heart is racing. I wash my face and get ready to sleep. Control. I need to control myself. I can't be around him looking all red and stupid.

I sleep like a baby, but a little shy that Seth's face was in my head up to the moment I fell asleep.

The following day, the perspective of going to the mall is not so bad. I realized this was the perfect chance to get what I needed to finish my presents. The problem is, how I'm going to buy it. This small detail can ruin my plan, but I also think I have a solution.

The mall was quite empty today since it's not a weekend, so the walk to the hair salon was nice and quiet. I spotted my target, a big craft store by the escalator, and memorized where it was.

We enter the hair salon on the second floor, and the staff warmly welcomes Alice. They take us to the hair cutting area, and Seth and I sit on big chairs in front of mirrors. A tall man wearing a hat and another with a ponytail approach us, and Alice gives them instructions.

—I want her hair not too short but with a bit more movement. His hair too. Make it more cool looking, you know? Brushed back like this. She shows him something on his phone, and they get to work.

Esme and Alice walk over to another area. They will get their nails done first, so it's just Seth and me. Perfect.

The process doesn't take too long, and soon we are ready. My hair looks unbelievably better, and Seth looks like he's about to put on a suit and go on a date. He seems annoyed, so I try to cheer him up, complimenting his har with two thumbs up and a little clapping. He moves on his chair, looking shy and making me smile.

The receptionist walks over to us and tells us to wait in the reception. It's my chance. I stop her and ask how long until Esme and Alice finish.

—About twenty minutes. Maybe faster. She smiles and walks away. I have to run.

—Seth, come with me. He looks confused but follows me anyway. I walk past the reception and into the sea of stores.

—Where are we going? He asks.

—I need magnets to make fridge magnets. We will get some and come back before Alice and Esme are over.

—Sounds like a bad plan. Esme will kill me if we don't go back in time. That's what he says, but he doesn't look worried at all.

I walk quickly down the escalator and can already see the store. I stop, entering an empty corridor next to it. There is only one staff entrance at the back, so no one will walk by. This is the hard part of my plan.

I can tell Seth is looking at me like I'm crazy, pacing around the corridor, gathering the courage to say what I need to say.

—All right. I… need a favor. He still looks at me like I'm crazy. —I… need to borrow credit.

—Oh… is that it? Here. He gives me a little blue card, still looking confused.

—I'll most definitely pay you back. I swear. I say, taking the card.

—It's okay. Don't sweat it.

—I'm serious. I'll pay you back. Somehow…

—I said it's fine; we're wasting time.

—Right. Stay here. I'll be right back.

—Why can't I go?

—I'll be right back. Wait here. The truth is, I don't want him to see what I need to buy for his present, but if I say that he'll definitely follow me and ruin the surprise so I just run to the store without waiting for his answer.

This place would be a paradise if I weren't running against the clock. I rush around the aisles, collecting what I need—letters for Esme's and Seth's name, a little flower, and a small dog. Now I need magnets. I walk around again but can't find it anywhere.

—Do you need any help? A boy my age asks, wearing a uniform. I didn't want to waste time talking to someone, but I couldn't find it alone.

—Yeah, I'm looking for magnets. I need five small ones.

—Sure. Come with me. He says, smiling. —By the way, I'm Tomas. He points to the name tag on his chest.

—Ahm… I'm Anne. I say, following him.

—It's a pleasure to meet you. He reaches out his hand. I shake it, and we keep walking until we reach the corridor in the back, where an extensive section of magnets of different sizes is lined up.

—How big do you want them? He asks, grabbing a few small ones.

—This big. I hold my thumb and index finger slightly apart, showing him the size. He puts his hand under mine and tests the magnets until he finds one that fits perfectly.

—Bingo! He says with a big smile, his hand still holding mine. Tomas is your typical American boy. Blond with blue eyes, his hair styled to look like he just woke up. He seems like a nice guy, but I don't have time to make new friends. I pull my hand slowly, but I can feel a hand on my elbow pulling it faster, making me take a step back. Seth is behind me, holding my elbow back and glaring at Tomas.

I hide what's in my hand, surprised to see him. —I told you to wait outside!

—You were taking too long. He's still staring at Tomas.

—I got it. Wait outside; I'll be right out.

—Ahm… Anne, how many do you need? Tomas asks, ignoring Seth's look and grabbing more magnets.

—"Anne"? Seth says, looking at me. I try to hide everything in my hand the best I can.

—I'll take five, Tomas. Seth holds my elbow and pulls me back, making it difficult to hide the items. I shake off his hand, but he won't leave the store. I grab the magnets and thank Tomas for his help.

—I'll walk you to the cashier. We follow him, Seth, right behind me, while I keep hiding what's in my hands. I need him to leave the store before I put everything on the counter, or he'll see it.

We stop in front of the cashier, and I ask Seth to wait outside one more time. He looks at me and then at Tomas before stomping out of the store.

—You're boyfriend's scary, huh? He says, scanning the items but keeping an eye on Seth outside the door.

—He's not my boyfriend I say, watching the price go up on the monitor. I should've paid more attention to the prices. It's not expensive, but one cent is too much when you have nothing.

—I see. He finishes scanning the items, and I pay using Seth's card. He put all the items in a bag the size of my palm, and I hide them in my front pocket.

—And, this is my card. Tomas gives me a small white card with his name and cellphone number. There is no logo for the store on it; he wrote it down himself. —if you need anything else or have any questions, you can call. He's smiling at me and touches my hand again when he gives me the card. I take it and thank him before leaving the store.

—Sorry for the wait. C'mon. Alice and Esme are almost done.

He looks at the card in my hand and starts to walk way too fast. I follow him, but I'm almost running now and out of breath.

—Seth, wait… I need a moment to catch my breath, but he just keeps walking. I'll meet him there. I need a break.

I stop in front of an art store, clearly needing to exercise more. One of the paintings grabs my attention. It's a mossy castle in Ireland. Like the ones from fairy tales, big and bright with a cute chimney on the roof. It's surrounded by nature, and a family of hobbits is at the front door. That green feels very… familiar. Like I'm swimming inside it, my mind sinks into the painting, into the nostalgia of it.

Seth is right by my side when I come to it, looking at something behind me. I follow his eyes and see Esme and Alice walking over. My mouth feels dry, and my mind goes blank. We got busted.

Alice and Esme walk over to us with a severe look. I'm gathering my thoughts, thinking of an excuse.

—Really, Seth? Esme asks one hand on her waist.

—I wanted to walk around, that's all. He lies on my behalf.

—You could've waited or at least said something. Alice says.

—I…

—My bad. Seth interrupts me. —I forgot. We were going back, and I got distracted. His tone is very relaxed like he's not sorry at all.

—Anne, come on. Esme says, reaching her hand and I walk over to her. —Jasper will be back any moment now.

Hearing his name makes me shiver. He's probably back to talk about what he found and honestly, I'm not sure I want to hear it.

The ride back home is fast and tense. When Esme said Jasper was back, Seth asked right away if he found something, but she was unsure.

Seth is very restless next to me, making me even more nervous. As soon as we walk through the door, Jasper greets us from the top of the stairs. Alice jumps to hug him right away.

—Jasper! She smiles brightly. When he hugs her back, it is the first time I see him look happy.

—Anne. He says, greeting me. I nod my head and get closer to Esme.

—Anne? This time, Carlisle calls my name from the top of the stairs. —Do you mind? I want to talk to you and Jasper in my office.

A chill goes down my spine. Just me and Jasper? Why would he want to talk to us alone? My imagination goes to the worst possible places, making me spiral. I'm holding Esme's hand and squeeze it extra hard when I hear his words. She grabs me by my shoulders.

—It'll be ok. I'll be right here, waiting for you to be back. I can't believe she agreed with this so quickly. I hoped she would insist on being with me, but the only person to say something was Seth.

—Why only them?

—Because I don't think it's a good idea to have an audience to talk about this. Jasper is very calm but I have no idea what kind of person he is. Every time I thought about him, he was always the bearer of bad news, and I have a feeling I'm right.

With a deep breath, I go up the stairs, avoiding looking back, afraid I'll run to Esme like a baby. We enter Carlisle's office, and it's still exactly the same as before.

—Have a seat. He says, pointing to the chair in front of his desk.

Jasper closes the door behind him and leans on the table, like Carlisle, looking at me.

—No one can hear us here. Jasper says it like he's just stating a fact, but his words sound sinister to me. —No one, not even a vampire.

—What he means is we have some privacy. Carlisle smiles, but I can already feel the heavy atmosphere affecting me.

—So, Anne. Jasper starts. —This is all I found about you in the last few weeks I was out.

He holds a square disk in his between his fingers for a moment before placing it on the table. The device projects a low-resolution image in the air of three people entering an airplane somewhere. Two of them have their heads down, but the other face, looking directly to the camera, is undoubtedly mine. I'm speechless. The ball in my throat is back.

—This picture was taken two years ago in an airport in Italy. He plays the video from which the image was screenshotted. It shows two people and me calmly walking towards the plane. I look at the camera for a moment before entering the plane, and then the video stops. —According to this, you and these two people traveled together somewhere.

—Where? I ask, controlling my voice. The ball is starting to suffocate me.

—That's the thing. There is no record of this plane leaving this or any other airport or security footage of a passenger that looks like you ever entering the airport. There is simply a video from an offline camera in a private hangar that saved this audio-less video on a hard disk. Jasper speaks calmly, looking at me. I have no idea what kind of facial expression I'm making right now. The only thing I can think of is how soon this ball in my throat will make it impossible for me to breathe.

—Anne, I searched through every database in and outside the country that I have access to looking for your fingerprints, but I got nothing. Nada.

He looks like he's expecting me to say something. So this is an interrogation. He thinks I'm hiding something.

—What does that mean? That I simply… fell of the sky? I'm as lost as they are, but Jasper is wary.

—It could mean your birth was never registered or that someone deleted your register from the system. He gets closer to me, touching his lips and looking down, thinking about his own words.

—Then which one is it? I keep my eyes on his movements. He walks around my chair, stopping on the other side. He's testing me, trying to catch me in a lie.

—Well, I didn't find any traces of deleted registers or altered ones, so I would say it's the first option, but an unregistered birth in this day and age is, well… absurd. He smiles, watching my reactions. My head is a mess. My parents didn't register me? Why? Why was I in Italy? And who are those people? My parents? Or…?

—But, why would my parents not register me?

—That we need to keep investigating. Carlisle steps in, suddenly reminding me he's there. —But Anne, we need to ask. Is there anything you didn't tell us?

I move in the chair, now suddenly uncomfortable. The panic is suffocating as I realize what he wants me to talk about. He's asking about Rosalie, but I can't talk about that. I won't talk about that. I dig my fingernails in my palms in hopes of controlling the fear or at least avoiding throwing up from the pressure.

—What do you mean? I play dumb. My voice is shaking, and so is my body. I don't know how much longer I can take.

—Is there anything you remember? Something you thought was insignificant and didn't mention?

That's an entirely different question. Carlisle must've noticed my fear. After hearing the second question, I feel strangely calm. My body is light and relaxed. The ball is gone, and I can breathe better. I feel… safe. I feel like I want to talk to him.

—Well, one time I think I remembered a… painting? I'm not sure, but I saw something like a memory when I looked at the flowers on the table. Also, yesterday I heard a voice in the greenhouse. It didn't call my name; it just spoke. It felt so real that I turned around, convinced someone was there with me. And… I can feel my lips shaking, wanting to tell him, but something feels wrong. I bite it, the pain bringing me back to reality. —…and that's it. Somehow I managed to stop myself from speaking about Rosalie, but it was a close call. I suddenly feel very sick, and everything hurts. —I'm not feeling very well.

—Jasper, take it easy. Carlisle says, looking at him. At some point, I became blind to his presence there, but he was right next to me, touching my shoulder so lightly I could barely feel it.

—Sorry, she was getting nervous. He steps away from me.

—Maybe we should stop here for today. Carlisle walks closer to me, and I stand up; my body is heavy; my heart hurts.

—I recommend you rest for a few minutes. Jasper says before opening the door.

—Why? I wonder if I look as bad as I feel.

—You look… tired. Right, Carlisle?

Carlisle puts his hand on my forehead and agrees with Jaser. —Take some of the medicine I gave you and rest.

I must look awful for him to say that.

—Ok. I just want to be in silence for hours and hours. It took all I had to stop myself from talking about Rosalie, and although I have more questions than answers, I consider this a victory. I don't intend to keep a secret forever, but… not now.

I run down the corridor straight to my room. I can hear Seth and Esme calling my name, but I don't stop. I close the door behind me, go straight to the bathroom, and vomit everything in my stomach, feeling my body shiver. I flush it away and sit on the cold floor, hugging my knees, every muscle on my body pulsating with pain. I almost said it all. I can't breathe.

Counting to ten doesn't help either. I wanted to tell him everything. I made a vow to never speak of those things before I was sure of what they meant, but Jasper must be the best detective in the world. If I had said anything, I would probably be drowning in my misery right now, not that I'm very far from that. I wrap another chain over the box with Rosalie's memories in my mind; When the time is right.

I can't take the pain anymore so I wash my mouth before swallowing some medicine. The face in the mirror looks tired and sad. I ask my reflection, praying to hear an answer, Who are you?

The minutes Anne spent in that room felt like hours do Seth and Esme. They are pacing back and forth in front of the stairs while Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie are just staring at them.

That is the only room where they can't hear anything from. In the beginning, it was just a test. They wanted to challenge themselves and have fun with the technology, but they never thought that room would be used for this.

When Anne finally walks out, they both call her name, but she runs back to her bedroom.

—It's okay. I told her to rest. Jasper says, one hand raised, stopping Esme and Seth from coming upstairs.

—What happened? Esme asks, worried.

They can hear the faint sound of her throwing up in her room. Seth walks up the stairs, his angry eyes dangerously staring at Japer. —What did you do to her?

—Seth! Jacob's voice makes him stop and turn around. He and Sam are at the front door.

—Jake… Sam. Seth doesn't understand what's happening or why they are there; all he knows is that he's angry at Jasper, very angry. Whatever happened there made Anne so nervous that she got sick.

—Great. Jasper says, walking past Seth. —Now we can start the ahm… session?

They all follow Jasper into the kitchen and sit down at the table. He and Carlisle stay by the kitchen island, looking at everyone. Jasper plays the video of Anne entering the plane to all.

—This is a video taken two years ago at an airport in Italy. The image is poor, but you can clearly see Anne's face here. She's following two people I couldn't identify into a plane and taking off somewhere we don't know. This is the only image of her I have found in the last twenty years. Besides that, we got nothing.

—Like… nothing? Emmett asks, not believing.

—Like… nothing. He answers.

—What does that mean? Esme asks.

—I thought about it, and I believe her parents didn't register her birth.

—Is that even possible? Sam asks, doubtful. Even if she lived in a forest in the middle of nowhere, it didn't make sense. How did she even survive so far without one?

—It's not impossible.

—Any chance she's lying? Rosalie asks. She believes only she and Jasper have a clear view of this situation. Everyone is walking on eggshells because of Esme, but she has the most reasons not to accept the girl.

—Rose! Esme says, angry she would suggest that.

—No. Jasper answers. —I used my powers on her, and although she was resisting, I don't think she was lying. It was probably just instinct. Jasper's powers usually work on anyone, but some people notice something is… off sometimes and try to resist his influence.

—You used your powers on her? Seth shouts, standing right up. He has seen Jasper uses his powers to interrogate humans and vampires before, and it has never been a pretty picture. —Is that why she got sick? If it weren't for Sam and Jacob there, he would have probably have lost it already.

—She felt sick because she was nervous. I used my powers to calm her down and make her talk; I had no choice. She was hiding things from us.

—Did she notice? Sam asks.

—No, but, as I said, she noticed something was wrong and resisted. That's why she felt unwell.

—What did she say? Esme asks. She noticed Anne lost in her thoughts many times but never pushed her to talk. She always knew the girl would tell her everything when she felt comfortable, but Jasper wasn't nearly as patient as her.

—Unfortunately, nothing we can use. Something about a painting and someone's voice. She didn't mention you either, Rosalie. She must not know what happened.

—And you pushed her until she threw up for that? Seth is furious Anne had to go through that for nothing. If Jasper had just asked or trusted her… He was sure she would've told him everything when she felt comfortable doing so, but Jasper apparently had to get answers.

—I did what I had to do. She was already nervous the moment she went through that door. I told you I was trying to calm her down, not make her feel pain or discomfort.

—Then, what now? Emmett asks.

—She just needs some rest. She'll be fine.

—That's not what I mean. I had the feeling you would swing a magic wand and make all of our problems disappear when you came back, but we have less now than when we started. It's frustrating for everyone to hear the truth in Emmett's words. They bet all their chips on Jasper's research, but now it came to nothing.

—We go on about our day, wait for the Christmas party, and ask Edward to take a look at her. Carlisle says. —Renesmee might be helpful too. They might help her open her mind to the memories. He is at the limit of his medical abilities, so all he can do is observe.

—Great. We sit on our butts and wait again. Rosalie snarls. No one wants to admit they can't handle a single human, so they kept Edward and Bella in the dark about all these problems. They think everything is all sunshine and rainbows over here.

—Is that even a good idea? After what happened to Rosalie? Jacob asks. He doesn't want to see Renesmee go through the same thing as her.

—There is no proof that it was Anne's fault. Esme is tired of people treating Anne like she's some kind of monster.

—This is getting out of hand. Sam is also looking for solutions to this, but it's hard to be on the girl's side when all indicates she is more trouble than they can handle.

—You don't say. Emmett's voice is full of sarcasm.

—I agree with Carlisle. Jasper says. —we'll wait for Edward to come back and then put it to a vote what we'll do. She's just a human; whatever this may be, it's manageable. All in favor?

—What about Anne? Seth asks. —It's her life, after all, and she must be scared out of her mind right now.

—Then, I suggest you calm her down. We can't have her trying to run away and causing problems. Esme, you should stay away from her for some time, just to be safe. She was in a stressful situation too last time. Jasper would rather avoid another situation like the one with Rosalie.

Seth stands up and walks to her room. Esme is quiet, but she looks like she's about to storm out, so Carlisle puts his hand on her shoulder, calming her down.

—And you say we can handle a human. Emmett says, sarcastically. He's usually optimistic, but this is going south really fast.

—We can but, something is bothering me. Jasper answers.

—What now? Sam asks.

—The Volturi went nuts when Edward threatened to reveal himself last time, but even after all this, Tanya coming here and the noise I made looking for information, they are quiet as a mouse.

They all mentally agree with him. No one wishes to see the Volturi again, but bad news travels fast, and it's strange they have nothing to say about this.

—Maybe, Alice says —they are just keeping an eye on things. Seeing how far this will go.

—What are the chances of them coming back here? Jacob asks.

—Honestly? Almost zero. They might send one of their lapdogs, but I don't believe they'll come back here. They think too highly of themselves to come to us first. Jasper says.

—Lucky us? Emmett says, trying to keep a positive tone.

—What if we run with her? Esme says. She knows the day will come when she'll have to say goodbye, but she wants to delay it as much as she can. There is so much she hasn't told the girl yet.

—They'll take it as a challenge to them and hunt us. Jasper is well aware of how the Volturi think and act.

—So we are sitting ducks, waiting for them to do whatever they want? Sam hates the idea of waiting for answers. If Seth hasn't imprinted on the girl, he would've probably asked Jasper to use any necessary means to get the truth out of her.

—Something like that. He can't understand how they got here, trapped and unable to think of a way to get out. It's like a very well-thought chess play designed especially for them. He can't make Anne say what she knows because she can't remember, he can't collect information because there is none, and they can't run with the girl, or the Volturi will most certainly use it as an excuse to eliminate them how they have wanted to for some time now. Besides that, no one can say what they think aloud because of Esme, and Rosalie's problem remains a mystery. They've been perfectly trapped, and if Jasper can't figure out how to connect the dots, they are, like Sam said, sitting ducks, waiting to be shot down.