Chapter 7

Jasper and Edward followed Emmett and Carlisle to a house that seemed rather out of place in Forks: a big fancy modern white thing, with glass replacing the back wall.

"I can hear the television, they'll be in the living room," said Carlisle. He opened the door and led them in. "Esme, Rose, you remember Edward. This is his friend, Jasper Whitlock."

Esme was the oldest - in human terms - but vampire beauty made her seem ageless. She stood up from the sofa and came to greet them. "It's lovely to meet you, Jasper. And Edward, so good to see you again." She gave him a brief, tight hug, all the while hoping he wouldn't find her affection offensive.

Rosalie hadn't stood up - she simply held her right hand over her shoulder and shook Edward's hand. "Glad you aren't dead. Is Jasper your mate or something?"

"Rose!" admonished Esme.

Jasper laughed, full-throated. "Not for lack of trying on my part, but he just won't give in."

At that, Rosalie turned her head and looked Jasper up and down as if trying to undress him with her eyes. "So I see."

Jasper shook her hand. "And you must be the lovely Rosalie Hale? Edward told me you were something else, but I can see he totally understated your beauty."

Rosalie smirked. "Well, what a surprise. I like this one, Edward." I didn't expect to like anyone who called Edward a good friend.

Emmett coughed and pulled the handshake apart, then picked Rosalie up, sat in her place, and sat her in his lap in one smooth motion. "I think you have a point about Edward, but Jasper is hella cool for sure."

"I hear you have quite the car collection?" Jasper asked Rosalie, and immediately the two started a conversation that was close to incomprehensible to anyone who wasn't a gearhead. Emmett just grinned the whole time, happy to be holding his mate, impressed by her ingenuity.

Meanwhile, Edward was speaking to Esme about his life in the Volturi Guard. Carlisle asked a few questions now and then, to see what had changed in the centuries since he'd been there. He picked out questions in either's head before they could voice them, and they were amused. Carlisle and Esme had of course seen him do this many years ago, and it warmed them to see it again.

Eventually Edward started asking about Forks; it was their fourth year living here, so they probably wouldn't be staying too much longer. Emmett apparently overheard and spoke up. "I think we should just move to Seattle, Carlisle can work at one of the hospitals, Rose and I can go to UW. Esme too, if she wants."

Edward gave Emmett a look, and jerked his head, indicating that he wanted him to get up. He kissed Rose, whispered something in his ear, and came over to sit on the sofa. Edward sat across from him. "What's up?"

"You go to the high school?"

"Did. Graduated last term. Therefore, the wanting to go to college."

"So you probably know everyone at school, then."

He shrugged. "In the way that vampires remember everything. Rosie and I were careful not to get close to anyone, you know. Keep suspicions away."

"But you know Bella Swan?"

"Um, sorta. She was a freshman when we were sophmores, so we never had classes together. She was in honor roll, but not as high up as me and Rosie. And her dad's the police chief, so her social life seemed a bit narrow. Why, do you know her?"

"Yes, she and her father played welcome wagon to us. Her bloodscent was ... indescribable."

Emmett's mouth widened. In his memory, a woman hanging laundry on a line outside - dead in less than a minute. The reason they had to leave and come to Forks the first time. "You didn't -?"

Edward sighed. "No, I didn't. I held my breath the whole time, and later called Aro for advice, but every case he knew of, the vampires ate their singers."

"Singers?" asked Esme, distracted from her conversation with Carlisle.

"Singers?" asked Rosalie, distracted from speaking with Jasper.

"Ah, yeah, Edward's got a bit of a problem here, wantin' this girl's blood pretty damn bad, and she even has a mental shield, so it's kinda crazy," Jasper explained.

"What young lady is this?" asked Esme.

"Apparently it's Bella Swan," said Emmett.

"Oh my God! Edward, you can't stay here! You'll kill her," exclaimed Rose.

"Jasper and I are establishing the outpost in Seattle, as a matter of fact," said Edward as coolly as he could. "Forks does have more cloudy days than Seattle, but as soon as the weather turns, we'll be back there. At the moment, we need to pick up your feeding habits."

"But your eyes are already gold," pointed out Emmett.

"Yeah, just from tonight. We haven't eaten any humans in a couple weeks," said Jasper.

"We are both aware of the wolf pack and the treaty, and we mean to abide by it fully." Edward neglected to mention the loophole he intended, if Bella Swan was indeed Demetri's shield. "In fact, Carlisle, do you think we need to meet the pack leader?"

"Sam Uley? It would probably be for the best. I'll contact him and try to arrange a meeting for next week."

Edward nodded. "I should probably warn you that I didn't exactly tell Aro about the wolves here."

"You didn't tell him anything?"

"I mentioned that the Quileutes had magic that could kill vampires if we violated their treaty. I know they aren't true werewolves, but the very idea would make Caius go on a rampage, and he'd send half the guard to wipe out the tribe."

Everyone but Jasper stared at Edward for this comment. Carlisle was staring too, but also remembering what he knew of Caius, the Volturi leader who had once been attacked by a true werewolf, that phased only for the night of the full moon. As a result, he led several missions to slaughter these werewolves. Eventually he nodded, saying "I believe Edward is right. Even though they are not true werewolves, but shapeshifters, Caius wouldn't see the difference. He's quite irrational about it."

"But won't Aro know the truth when he meets Edward and Jasper again?" asked Esme, concerned.

"Yeah, but that won't be for years, and hopefully Aro won't actually tell Caius, when he finds out our reasoning."

"Their treaty even forbids knowledge of our own coven to anyone outside the tribe," said Carlisle. "So the legends they tell are only the old tales, typically."

Something was pinging Edward's memory, but he couldn't make the connection yet. "Jasper?"

"Mmmm?"

"Should we tell them about Demetri?"

"Let's wait on that." I'll verify it first.

"All right."

"What about Demetri?" asked Carlisle.

"I'll explain later. Let's get back to your desensitization idea for Bella Swan."

"The whosit?" asked Emmett.

Carlisle explained to everyone his idea for getting Edward desensitized to Bella Swan gradually, till her scent didn't bother him as much. Edward could tell that everyone but Rose thought it was a good idea; Rose thought he should simply not risk the temptation, and leave Forks forever.

"I'm not going to start this immediately. I'd like Carlisle and Emmett to each think of a plan for me. Friday Jasper and I plan to visit the Denali coven."

"Oh man, you guys get to bang hot vamps and we have homework?" moaned Emmett. Rose punched him in the shoulder. "I mean, not that I want to bang anyone but Rose here, of course."

"This is important. If it works, Edward will be the first vampire ever who doesn't eat his singer." Carlisle was beaming at the thought, eager to be proud of Edward once again.

"Well, enough talking. Why don't I show you around the house?" smiled Esme.

Jasper and Edward followed her. She pointed out two rooms that were empty, in case they ever wanted to stay over. Jasper privately thought it was ridiculous for vampires to imitate humans so much, but Edward knew that this was Carlisle's idea, and the rest agreed with his choice. Besides, each room was soundproof, so you wouldn't have to hear any of the couples.

Back downstairs, past the living room was a parlor, in which lived a grand piano. Edward lit up at the sight of it. "May I?"

"Feel free," replied Esme.

Edward immediately jumped on the piano, starting with scales and Chopsticks, moving to Mozart then Moonlight Sonata, and finally, a tune he'd composed himself - a song for Esme. Carlisle had joined them upon hearing the piano, and he clapped along with Esme and Jasper when he finished.

"I remember, you wrote that for me," said Esme softly. Jasper could feel her joy, and Edward sensed it from him. She was so happy to hear the song, a song he hadn't played since he left them, a song she hadn't heard since then either. He remembered her being upset when he decided to leave, both times, but he couldn't exactly remember how he felt.

"Chelsea," said Carlisle softly. He was thinking about Chelsea's powers, the power to increase emotional bonds, or kill them. "Vampires don't normally form group bonds..."

"Unless they feed on animals," finished Esme. Oh my poor boy.

"That's what Chelsea does for the Volturi, otherwise we'd all be at each others' throats," protested Edward.

"We fought for weeks before you left," Carlisle whispered.

Edward stared at him, then Esme, both of their faces distraught. "I remember the fighting, but I don't remember why. I mean, I must have been upset. I would sit and stare for hours. I just can't remember the feelings attached to the events."

"But you remember meeting Rosalie?"

"Yes, when I came back, you turned her, hoping that she and I would be attracted." He laughed out loud. "We hated each other from first sight."

"So you feel the same way about Rose, but not Esme and me," said Carlisle with an air of finality.

Edward wasn't sure what to say. In his memories, his perfect recall, he saw himself acting the way a happy person would act - then the way a jealous person would act. He remembered the first fights, over Hell, souls, and damnation. It didn't make any sense without the feelings, though, so he rarely replayed these thoughts to himself. But when he did try to implant feelings into the memories - why, then they all made sense. Unfortunately, the bonds had been cut over half a century ago, by Chelsea.

"I'm sorry about this. I mean, I can't help it, but -"

"But we can create new bonds," said Esme with a smile. "Please, stay here till you leave for Alaska."

He and Jasper looked at each other. It's fine with me.

"All right. We'll be right back.