DISCLAIMER: All characters and story world belong to SM. All lyrical references and quotes are property of their original artist. No copyright infringement intended.

A/N: BlahBlahBlah, and OCDMess – Thank you! You two own me. Also, my twitter sweets! You people rock.

Last chapter I asked what song or band you listen to when you are pissed off and angry. Nine Inch Nails is my go-to. Specifically "Gave up" "Wish" and "Mr. Self Destruct". However, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult "After the Flesh" is great to break things to as well.

All of the chapter specific music can be found: http://www (dot) youtube (dot) com/user/BeautifullySacred

Chapter 16
EPOV
Saturday July 29th, 2006

"I was too late," I mumbled, "I'm always too late."

She had been so close, and I hadn't even known it. I had crossed their scents multiple times in the last few months and it never occurred to me that it was Bella. Thinking back, the familiarity of their scents from Bella's house and at Sangue Cantante, but I never thought that they were one in the same. I tugged on my hair in frustration. I had made so many wrong choices.

She's convinced I don't love her, she hates herself, she blames my family, and she detests me. She has moved on, replaced me, and wants nothing to do with me anymore. What a mess I have made.

'Edward, did she tell you about her talent yet?' Carlisle thought.

I shook my head minutely, answering him.

"Bella, would you mind explaining your talent to us now?" he asked.

Emmett sat up from the couch with a grin and leaned forward. He was excited to hear about how his baby sister could play pranks on us now. I resisted the urge to smack him, and waited patiently for Bella to explain.

"I…" She took a deep breath. "I have a mental shield. Well, two, actually," she said with a sigh.

"Two? How did you come to learn that you had two?" Carlisle asked.

"Well, through trial and error mostly. One shield protects my mind from any kind of mental penetration. We've learned that emotions are physical, not mental, which is why Jasper can still sense my emotions and alter them. I can put my other shield around others to protect their minds. Once I'm linked to them and can sense the strength of their shield, I can alter it. I also get vague impressions of their emotions. It's not empathetic, exactly, more like…"

"Intuition?" Esme asked.

Bella nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I guess that works. Anyway, I can protect multiple people at once from mental attacks such as: telepathy, memory altercations, delusions, and mental shifts. Alice, Jasper, would you two mind thinking something continuous for me? Something long, like a poem or a piece of literature. I'll guard you individually and at different times. Edward, tell me whose thoughts you lose first, and when."

Alice and Jasper nodded. Alice chose a chapter from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass, while Jasper began reciting war treaties and declarations. Alice's thoughts slowly faded until they were completely silent.

"Alice."

Seven seconds later, Jasper's thoughts stopped mid-word. "Jasper."

"Wow, that feels strange," Jasper said.

"Yeah, you get used to it eventually. She has me practically protected twenty-four-seven now, and I don't even notice it," Garrett said casually.

"Bella, how many can you protect at one time?" I asked.

"Uhm, the most I have managed is eleven, but they were all in the same area."

"For how long?" I asked.

"Just over an hour. I lose concentration after a while, and it gets hard to focus on so many at once."

"Can you shield all of us for a few minutes, just so we can experience the difference?"

Bella glanced at Garrett quickly, and then back to me. "I suppose."

Slowly, one by one, the thoughts of each person in the room went silent. I felt an odd sensation in the back of my mind, like a presence, or a memory that I couldn't quite recall. It was extremely comforting, and instantly relaxed me. I closed my eyes and focused on the sensation of Bella's mind shielding my own. When it faded away, all of the thoughts in the room slowly came back, with the exception of Bella and Garrett's. I slowly opened my eyes and looked at Bella. The comfort was gone, and the pain and loneliness had returned. I wanted to reach out and hold her to me, as everyone else had done when they first saw her. I wanted to squeeze her hand and reassure her that I would never leave her again if she would just let me back into her life.

'She'll come around, Edward, she feels similarly to you right now,' Jasper thought.

I sent him a hesitant look and sighed.

"Bella, how does the shield that is exclusive to you work? Have you tested it much?" Carlisle asked.

"We have some. Between Garrett's talent and another vampire with mental abilities that we met at Sangue Cantante, we have learned quite a bit. When I lose control of my emotions or feel a strong emotional pain, my shield fades. I can also adjust its strength and weakness on my own, but it takes a lot of concentration. I focus on the amount of pressure it brings and adjust it accordingly. I've had to weaken it on occasion for Garrett to help me when we're performing. Also, I lost it completely a few times while on stage tonight," she said, lowering her head as if she were ashamed.

"Would you mind lowering it for us so we can see if Alice and Edward can affect you?" Carlisle asked.

Bella pulled on her lip ring with her teeth and looked at me cautiously. She shook her head. "I would rather not, if you don't mind," she replied, looking back at Carlisle.

My chest rose and my heart ached. She doesn't trust us enough to let us hear her thoughts, or see her future.

'It's okay, Edward. I can still sense her if I pay close attention,' Jasper thought.

"We can respect that," Carlisle said calmly. "Bella… have you ever tried… protecting someone with your own shield; not your secondary?"

Everyone looked at Bella curiously.

'Could she do that?' Alice thought.

'I wonder what kind of effect that would have on the secondary person,' Jasper thought.

"I've tried, yes, but it didn't seem to work. We haven't tried it for a while, though." She glanced at me cautiously.

If she put her own shield around someone, she would be basically nullifying her shield to them, while protecting them from all others. Would she be able to have access to their mind as well? The endless amount of possibilities ran through my head.

"Would you be willing to try it… with me?" I asked. "I promise to respect your mind. I won't go searching through your thoughts."

She chewed on her lip, her eyes wandering from me, to the floor, to her hands.

'She's extremely nervous and afraid, Edward. I don't think she is ready for that,' Jasper thought.

"When you're ready, of course. Not right this second," I added. I wanted her to let me, but I knew I shouldn't push.

She thought it over for a moment before nodding. I smiled faintly at her and said, "Thank you."

"So, how does your talent work, Garrett?" Emmett asked, changing the subject. Everyone shifted their gaze to him.

He laughed loudly and smirked. "Ah, I don't think that's a safe question," Garrett said playfully.

"Why is that?" Carlisle asked.

Garrett eyed Bella, as if asking for permission. She nodded once. "You have to promise not to overreact. Let him fully explain."

"Why would we overreact?" Esme asked.

"Because it can be very… upsetting," Bella replied.

"We all swear to hear him out, Bella," Carlisle said.

Bella nodded to Carlisle, but glanced at me curiously. "Thank you." She turned and looked at Garrett, biting on her lip, avoiding her lip ring.

God how I wish I could kiss her lips one more time.

Jasper shot me a curious glance and I just sighed.

"How do you want to do this, Garrett?" Bella asked.

"Well, I could show them, but that might stir up some unwanted… emotions," Garrett said playfully while glancing at Jasper, then me.

I attempted to smile, but it probably appeared more like a grimace.

"What is your talent, Garrett? In plain words," Carlisle asked firmly.

Garrett stood and faced Carlisle. "Alright then, explanations it is. I can change your mind, make your decisions for you, or push you towards a different option."

"But, that's like playing God with a person's life," Jasper said. He got up from the bed, and put himself between Alice and Garrett.

"Is it really that much different than your talent, Jasper?" Garrett asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I can only influence emotions, and I don't do it for fun or profit!" he argued. His mind was racing with a dozen different ways this talent could be very dangerous for all of us. A faint snarl escaped my lips as I shared one particular image in Jasper's head of Garrett forcing Bella to leave us forever.

"It's very much the same, though. Take a married couple. The man is very happy in his relationship, but the woman has been having an affair for quite a few months. She is trying to decide if she should tell her husband and beg for forgiveness, claiming she is no longer cheating on him, or not tell him and make a silent oath that she will never do it again. With my talent, I could sway her one way or the other, whereas with yours, you could persuade her to be honest and truthful, or deceiving and secretive. My talent would have a longer lasting effect on her future, yes, but we both could make her decision for her." He was very calm about the whole situation, and it was rather unnerving.

"Perhaps, but I would never use my talent in such a manner, your scenario—"

"My scenario is merely that, a scenario. However, if you would like for me to make a decision for you, you simply have to weigh two choices." He glanced at me casually and quirked an eyebrow.

"How do you know exactly what someone is trying to decide?" I asked.

"I see decisions like a fork in the road. One choice leads to one outcome, and the other, a different outcome. Using the married couple for an example again, I would see her decision to either tell her husband the truth, or continue lying to him. I can't see their future, that would be Alice's job," he said, waving his hand towards her sitting on the bed behind Jasper.

"So do these decisions form as a vision, or how does that work?" Carlisle asked.

"That's difficult to explain. I can sense everyone's core. It's like your essence, who you are, what makes you, you. Everyone has a different essence, or feeling, so to speak. When someone is weighing a decision, I can sense that core out of balance, like a pendulum, and I pick up on their choices. I guess you can say it's like a vision, or voice, but really, it's not like God is telling me their fate.

"The Pack, however, was interesting. All of their cores were linked to Sam, and when he made a decision, they would all tip to that direction as well. It was like he was their leader in every meaning of the word, and they physically couldn't disobey him," Garrett said.

Jasper sat down next to Alice and seemed slightly calmer about the entire situation but he was not very happy with the possibilities of Garrett's talent.

"So how do we know if we're making our own decisions or it's just you,making them for us?" Jasper asked, bitter. I could understand Jasper's distaste for Garrett's abilities; it was kind of like his talent being used against him, and he was unprepared to handle it. I felt the same way when Carlisle had told me of Aro's gift. Someone being able to read my thoughts would give them access to the thoughts of everyone I had ever heard. The idea had never sat well with me.

"I've been told that it feels foreign. I would imagine it's similar to when you influence someone's emotion." He turned to face Bella and smiled. "Am I correct, Little-Bit?" he asked her.

"It's very similar. You can feel a tugging sensation at the back of your mind, and it feels odd, like you know something is off, but you can't tell what it is until a decision has been made," Bella explained.

I didn't know why it hadn't occurred to me sooner, but I suddenly realized that Garrett had made Bella's decisions for her. "You've influenced her decisions?" I spat. Had he taken advantage of her?

'Calm, Edward. I have before as well,' Jasper added.

"That's different, Jasper!" I yelled.

Bella looked back and forth between Jasper and I. She glared at me, walking toward me until she was only an inch away, and stopped. I could see her fists shaking and the tension in her body.

I wanted to reach out and hold her.

"Don't even start, Edward. Because of his talent, I've been able to make it through shows without killing innocent people. He's convinced me not to throw my body into a fire and destroy myself when I woke up and realized what I had become. I went through my transformation entirely coherent, Edward. I felt myself burn for three days! When my heart stopped beating and the desire for blood consumed me, I wanted nothing more than to let him finish the job! I begged him to destroy me, and he refused." She wouldn't stop trembling as she clenched and unclenched her fists.

I reached a hand out towards her but she flinched away. My heart ached. I wanted to comfort her, be there for her now. "Bella, please… I'm sorry, I—"

"You're sorry?" she shrieked. "Sorry? Now? After everything you've put me through? I don't want to hear it, Edward. I'm done. I'm not going through this again. My soul can't take it anymore. You broke me, Edward. I never wanted this life if I couldn't have you in it. I can't trust you, so how can I believe anything you say? You screwed up, and sorry isn't good enough." She turned and headed for the door, her body shaking.

"Bella, please! I love you! Please, I'll do anything!" I cried, begging her to not leave. I followed her to the door, pressing my hand firmly against it so she couldn't leave.

She stopped and slowly turned to face me. Her expression was somber, and she looked like she would be crying if she were human. "I can let you go now," she whispered. "I just had to see you once, but I can let you go now. Let me go, Edward." She peered up at me with her rust-colored eyes. They looked so wrong. I missed the warm chocolate brown that they used to be. I missed her blush and her heartbeat.

"I can't, Bella," I whispered, staring intently into her eyes.

'Please,' she thought.

I gasped, releasing the door, and in less than a second she was gone. I stood there, staring at the empty doorway. I fell to my knees and buried my head in my hands.

"I'll go calm her down," Garrett said quietly as he walked toward the door.

"No! She is mine!" I yelled, springing to my feet and lurching toward him.

I felt my mind pull in a different direction as my hand reached out for his throat. I dropped my hand, shaking with anger and completely confused. I realized he had changed my mind and I tensed.

"Stop screwing with my decisions!" I screamed at him.

"Stop treating her as if she's an object to be owned. She is to be cherished, and earned, not something you have ownership over." He stared at me for a moment, waiting for me to argue, but I'd realized he was right.

I leaned back against the wall and closed my eyes. I heard him run down the stairs and through the front door.

"Edward, Son, I think we all really need to talk about this," Carlisle said from inside the room.

I sighed and headed back into the hotel room, closing the door behind me.

"What do I do, Carlisle? I've broken her completely. She hates me. She wants nothing to do with me. She won't trust me, so she will never forgive me. I've lost her…" I leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor. I buried my head in my hands and pulled at my hair.

"Can you blame her?" Rosalie said from the couch.

I looked up, glaring at her, and growled.

"What? I'm being serious. You lied to her, Edward. You told the poor girl that you didn't want her, and that she wasn't good enough to have you. She was already delusional to begin with, thinking that you were some God to be worshiped who could do no wrong. Of course she believed you. You confirmed the doubts she had about herself. You crushed her confidence and her heart, and then left. I wouldn't forgive you either," Rosalie said bitterly.

I blinked, staring at her. "You're right," I whispered.

"Excuse me?" she asked loudly.

"I said… you're right. I confirmed all of the doubts she had about herself when I lied to her. I broke her. But how do I get her back?" I mumbled the last words to myself.

"You give her time, and you show her that you won't stop loving her. Talk to her, Edward, rationally," Carlisle said.

"She's your soul mate, Edward. She'll come around," Esme said, trying to reassure me.

"She still loves you; she's just terrified you'll leave her again. When you reached out to touch her, she was flooded with longing and desire, but an immense amount of hurt and fear as well," Jasper explained.

I nodded and sighed. I didn't know what to say to her. Here, just a few short hours ago, I'd thought she was dead and I would never see her again. And now I sit here fearing I will ever see her again because I hurt her and pushed her away. I never should have lied to her. I should have told her the truth and argued until we reached some kind of impasse. Instead, I made her decisions for her and left her completely unprotected. I never intended to change her and because I abandoned her, she was changed anyway.

I glanced at Alice and shook my head. I'll never bet against Alice again.

"I can't see anything, Edward. She has the future so tied up in indecision and fog that anytime I do get a glimpse it goes black or doesn't make any sense. Her talent is infuriating," she said, scowling at her hands.

"I think her talent is awesome!" Emmett exclaimed. "I mean come on. We have a telepath, an empath, a psychic, a mental shield, and a guy who can make your decisions for you. Not to mention my brawn, and Rose's beauty," he added, nudging her gently.

Rosalie smacked him across the back of his head and he just grinned.

"This can be very dangerous if the Volturi ever hear about us. Joined as one coven or not, that's a hell of a lot of power," Jasper said.

"You're right," Carlisle agreed. "We need to make sure that Bella and Garrett's talents aren't discovered. We also need to stay out of the media in case the Volturi catch wind. Aro would be delighted to have an excuse to look in on us. It's been a long time since he and I spoke."

"What about Victoria? She's still out there, right? The wolves didn't catch her," Alice added.

"I'm not sure what to do about her. None of us are good at tracking, and we wouldn't know where to begin to look. For all she knows, Bella really did die that night," Carlisle said.

"Yeah, but she broke the law. She changed a human and abandoned her. If Bella had been discovered, our kind would have been exposed. We could alert the Volturi that she broke the law and have them track her," Esme suggested.

"We can't. If we go to the Volturi, they will see Bella's talent in our minds and hunt her, not to mention Garrett. We can't tell the Volturi anything. We either track her ourselves, or forget about her and hope we never cross paths," Jasper said.

"He's right, but what about Charlie? What if Victoria thinks she was changed, or comes back to check and finds out anyway?" Alice argued.

"Well, we can alert Sam's pack to the possibility that she might return, and they can have him protected. I think it would just cause more suspicion if we returned to Forks, especially if Victoria is watching," Carlisle said.

"That sounds like our only option then," I agreed.

"Damnit! Stupid mutts and their fuzzy blocking abilities!" Alice cursed.

Jasper wrapped his arm around her, comforting her.

"We're fighting in the dark and we don't even know what we're fighting against," Carlisle said quietly.

We were all silent for a few moments, contemplating how everything had changed so quickly. Today we were supposed to launch our careers into the music business. I was pushing myself into a life I could live, that wasn't the endless repetition of pretending to be something I wasn't, while still honoring Bella's memory, determined to never forget my mistakes.

I decided I should probably hunt before we packed up our gear and headed for the next town.

I shook my head and sighed. "At least she is alive," I murmured under my breath.

I sat on the hotel steps for hours after I returned from hunting. I didn't think Garrett and Bella had come back, but I couldn't be certain. The sun would be coming up in a few short hours, and we had to leave for the next town by nine to get there in time for sound check. I wonder if they will continue the tour with us.

I was lost in thought when I heard footsteps down the street. I could hear two distinct patterns, and I knew it had to be them. I sprang to my feet and paced anxiously, planning what I would say when they rounded the corner.

'Edward, she's okay. I'm sure you can hear me. Please, let her go upstairs in peace and leave her be this morning. I'll be back down to talk to you once I get her in bed,' Garrett thought.

Get her in bed? That was an odd comment to make. I sighed, walked inside, and entered the dark room where the piano sat. I listened to them walk upstairs and close the door to her room. I could make out the faint rustling of the bed sheets and muffled voices, but she had blocked their thoughts from me. I took a seat at the piano bench and stared at the keys, losing myself in thought once more.

When Garrett cleared his throat, I jumped. I had been playing the instrumental melody to Something I Can Never Have mindlessly, and hadn't heard him come downstairs.

"Edward," Garrett said quietly.

"Garrett," I replied coldly.

"Shall we go for a walk? I'd prefer she not over hear us and get stressed out," he said.

I hesitated, scrutinizing his expression. "Won't you lose her shield if you wander too far?" I asked.

"Yes, but what I have to say to you is what I'm thinking anyway, so I'm not concerned," he replied.

Interesting. He was offering me his trust.

"Alright then. I won't riffle through your thoughts if you won't persuade my decisions." I held out my hand, offering him a truce of sorts. It hurt me to think of the images I might see in his mind, but I decided the insight into Bella's life since I had left would be worth the pain.

"Deal," he replied, shaking my hand.

I followed him out of the building and we headed west towards the edge of town. We were silent the entire way and I wondered how far he wanted to go. When we reached the top of a hill with a giant tree, I realized we had gone just far enough for me to not to be able to read the minds of those still at the hotel. Clever. Bella must have told him how far I could read minds.

"She loves you, you know," he said casually as he sat near the trunk of the tree.

I didn't respond. I stood with my back to him as I looked down the hill. I could still see the hotel in the distance, and I wondered what she was doing.

"Why did you say you were going to put her in bed?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Because that's what I did. She may not need to sleep anymore, but lying in bed under the covers comforts her. The nightmares can't reach her anymore, so she finds the bed a familiar and safe place. It reminds her of being home," he explained.

"She's told you this?" I asked. It pained me that he knew her so well, much better than I did.

"No, but I can see the change in her mood. She often weighs the decision of checking on Charlie while lying in bed, so I connected the thought with home. I look after her," he said, 'protect her,' he finished in his thoughts.

I nodded. I could understand that. I thought back to when we would just lay in her bed and talk before she fell asleep. It made my heart ache, and my body tense. "Do you think she will ever forgive me?" I asked. I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear the answer or not, but if anyone knew her well enough to guess, it would be Garrett.

"I'm not sure. I'd like to think she will. She cried, you know, real tears. I've only ever seen that once before…" He paused, but finished the sentence in his thoughts. 'Marcus… Didyme.'

I turned and looked at him, studying him briefly. "How do you know that?" I asked carefully.

"I was once part of the Volturi," he answered quietly.

"What happened?" I asked. I had to be careful how I asked. I didn't want to push him for too much information and have him shut me out, but I knew we couldn't afford to ignore details about his past.

"They let me leave. That's not to say we're friendly acquaintances, but I'm not a fugitive, if that's what you're thinking."

I nodded and thought about his answer before speaking again. "What was your position?"

"A recruiter," he answered quickly.

I could tell he didn't want to discuss it any further so I decided to leave it for now. I would ask Jasper and Carlisle about the Volturi and the time period. At least now we knew the Volturi already knew of his talent, so we only had to focus on keeping Bella's a secret.

"Will you two be joining us for the rest of the tour?" I asked. I prayed she would continue the tour, giving me some time to talk to Bella.

"We will, but I can't promise she will be carefree or friendly about it. She's still very bitter and hurt." He sighed and leaned against the tree trunk, closing his eyes. "She's at her own fork in the road, and she doesn't know which path to follow. One path could lead her to an eternity of pain and emptiness, or it could end quickly if she decides to destroy herself. The other path could lead to love and eternal happiness, or it could lead to heartbreak. Either way, she faces the possibility of being hurt for eternity."

"How can I prove to her that I won't leave her again? What can I say to make her believe me?" I begged. I sank to my knees and hunched over myself, wrapping my arms around my torso tightly.

"You can't say or do anything, Edward. You have to not do something," he said.

I looked up at him, confused, and waited for him to elaborate.

"You must not leave her again. Only time spent by her side will prove to her that she can trust you. You have to show her you can give her all the time she needs, and that you aren't going anywhere," he explained. He opened his eyes, looking at me for a long time before closing them again and relaxing against the tree. "She'll come around. You're soul mates. She has that same lost look in her eyes."

"I cried too," I whispered.

He leaned forward, looking at me closely before a faint smile spread across his lips. He nodded once and chuckled. "Soul mates."

"I came home after I left the meadow the night she was attacked. I could smell her throughout the house. It was strongest in my room and at the piano. I sat down on the bench and wrote Something I Can Never Have, and cried. I had just learned I had killed my soul mate. I had lost her forever, and the last thing she remembered of me was a lie." My voice trailed off as I looked down the hill. The sun was slowly rising behind the clouds and faint rays of light were touching the city.

"Play that song for her at the next show. Construct a playlist for her, something that tells your feelings and everything you want her to know, and play it. It may be hard to get through, but just remind yourself you're doing it for her to prove to her how much you love her. I'll make sure she's listening," Garrett said, the same smile still playing across his lips.

"Why are you helping me? I would have thought you wouldn't want her to have anything to do with me," I asked. Perhaps it wasn't the best question to ask, and I knew I probably didn't want to hear him agree with me, but I couldn't stop myself from speaking it.

"Because I love her. Not like you do, of course, but like my kid sister. No… more than a sister. She's more than just family to me, but I can't explain it. We were never romantic, Edward, if that is your concern," he said, chuckling. 'God knows she would never even consider anyone touching her but you,' he added silently.

I half-smiled at his confession, glad there had never been anything romantic between them. Jealousy slipped from my thoughts, and was replaced with gratitude. "Thank you, Garrett, for looking out for her when I didn't. I owe you my life for taking care of my heart."

"Just treat her right. You have a lot to learn. I don't mean that condescendingly, please, don't take it as such, but you are very… inexperienced when it comes to emotions. I would have thought with an empath in your coven you would have picked up a lot from him." He leaned forward again and looked out over the city. The sun was rising slowly and the colors in the sky were changing from a dark blue to faint purple. It was dawn.

"I was changed when I was seventeen, during the start of the flu epidemic in the early nineteen-hundreds. I had never taken to a girl before I was changed, and it wasn't until I met Bella that I even knew of the feelings acquainted with love or lust. Bella is a one-of-a-kind soul, and she's had my heart in her hands ever since I met her. At first, I tried to force my feelings away because her blood called to me so strongly, but later I learned it wasn't just her blood that had attracted me." I smiled at my memories of taking her home to meet my family. The loving thoughts in Carlisle and Esme's minds had taken me by surprise when they accepted her so eagerly. They were simply pleased to see me so happy.

"Why did you refuse to change her, Edward?" he asked, breaking me from my reverie.

I sighed and looked down at my hands. I didn't have much of an answer for him. "I wanted her to have a full life, partly, but it was mostly because of my ignorance. I didn't believe we had souls, and I refused to be the one that would take her perfect soul away from her. For nearly a century I had believed we were the worst kind of monster and that we were damned to hell no matter our attempt at seeking penance. It wasn't until I felt the loss of my soul mate that I realized I had a soul. It was foolish to believe I could truly force her through a lifetime, and watch her age and die while I lived an eternity as a naïve seventeen-year-old. I never wanted to believe Alice. She saw Bella either dead or changed before her nineteenth birthday. No matter what I did, Bella's future never changed." I grimaced at the idea of Bella's alternative fate.

"It seems Little-Bit was always destined to be one of us. Perhaps she has yet to find her true purpose," Garrett said with a smile.

"Why do you call her that?" I asked, curiously.

"What? Little-Bit? I don't know. I used to call her my Little Human. She was always so short and thin…" The image of her pale and sickly stuck in his mind as he thought of her before she was bitten. "When she changed, I couldn't call her that anymore. Little-Bit just happened randomly, and it stuck. I suppose she is a little bit of everything to me. My heart, my mind, my soul, my past, my future, my music…" His voice trailed off as their music crossed his mind. He began shuffling through their songs, trying to pick out the set-list for their next show.

The way his mind sorted through thoughts was very intriguing. It was methodical and precise, but quick, like Alice. I caught glimpses of random song titles and chords before he would push them from his mind.

"Did she ask for you to change your set-list?" I asked.

"She did, but she was too worn out to help me pick. I told her we could discuss it on the way to the next venue. I told her about the piano as well, and she was silent. She nodded, acknowledging I had said something, but she never confirmed she would use it," he informed me.

"Do you think she would mind if my family and I watched you two perform tonight?" I asked.

"I'll ask her, but I can't see her having a good reason to say no," he replied.

"You know, her talent extends beyond that of what you two thought. When people think of her, their minds are unclear. When we played at La Sangue Cantante in May, you two had just left. I thought I was losing my talent when everyone at the bar had hazy memories of your show. She protects herself from being remembered clearly. I wonder why that is?"

"I didn't know. That is interesting, indeed. I would think it relates to the way her talent protects her, and the way your talent invades the mind. But the fact that her gift has a lasting impression on those around her is very curious. I think she's stronger than she realizes. She has learned a lot about her ability in the past few months, but I think she still as much to learn. I'll try to convince her to consider working with you or Alice's gifts to learn more about her own," he said.

"Persuade?" I said through a deep voice. "I don't want you persuading her to do anything," I growled.

Garrett stood up slowly and smiled. "I didn't mean it in that sense, Edward. Please, calm down. I honestly don't wander around pulling at people's decisions every chance I get. I've only ever persuaded Bella when she was aware of it, and asked me to."

"What do you mean? Why would she ask you to?" I was still uncertain if I should trust him.

"She's still a newborn. She may have a natural distaste for blood, but that doesn't mean she doesn't crave it. She doesn't enjoy feeding, but it's still a requirement. When we're around humans, she usually keeps her shield slightly weakened so I can change her mind if she happens to get a craving when it's not appropriate. It's part of what I did for the Volturi," he said. 'Among other things,' he finished silently.

The image of pyres filled his mind as screams echoed in his thoughts. He shook his head and looked at me sternly. "I'm sorry. You weren't meant to see that. Perhaps we should head back now. The sun is up, and we should be heading for the next venue soon," he said firmly.

I nodded and followed him back down the hill. I thought over everything he had told me on the way back to the hotel, piecing each detail together. I decided that I would ask Jasper to keep a close watch on Bella's feelings during the show. I hated when he dissected each emotion, but in this case, I really needed him to. I also decided I would ask Carlisle and Esme to follow us to the next show. I feared she might be more likely to lash out at me if they weren't around. It might be manipulative, but I was going to do anything I could to get her back.

She's my soul mate, and I'm not letting her go.

A/N: Alright. You've ALL waited for chapters 15 and 16. HELL, I waited for 15 and 16. I want to hear from all of you! Please? Don't make me beg, it's not appeasing. I average 20 reviews a chapter, but I know there are at LEAST 200 of you reading. THEE scene just happened, and I'm feeling rather... nervous. SO! Tell me what you think!Where's things going to go from her? Happy? Mad? flouncing?

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Song question for the chapter: What song reminds you of a season. The melody and emotion in the song just makes you think of winter, or fall, or summer or spring.