Chapter 13

Last Disclaimer: STEPHENIE MEYER OWNS TWILIGHT AND NEW MOON!

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I held my hands together. Lacey sat beside me, a small smile on her face. She looked at each member of my family, pausing at each one to take in their persona. It was going well so far. I hadn't heard anything negative, yet.

"Well, Lacey, how are you? Can I get you anything?" Esme offered.

"No thank you, I'm fine." Her smile widened.

"How is your mother?" Carlisle asked.

"She's doing very well." Lacey never faltered to answer any of their questions.

She's very polite.

Edward looks happy.

She's very pretty.

She looks just like Bella. That thought came from Alice. She was seated in a chair, Jasper standing beside her. Rosalie and Emmett leaned against the fireplace. Carlisle and Esme stood close together.

"How was your visit, Edward?" Alice wondered.

"Wonderful," Lacey smiled at me.

"Is Bella alright?" Rosalie dared to ask. Her words weren't out of concern, but were a challenge.

"She's fine," I glared at her.

"Are you sure?" She enjoyed seeing me tense.

"Yes, I'm sure, Rosalie," I snarled. Lacey placed a small hand on my shoulder.

"My mother...Bella...did go through depression. If that's what you're asking," Lacey spoke directly to Rosalie. "After a while, though, she met my dad and things mellowed out. Though, even when I was little, and definitely after the divorce...I could see something about her. Something missing. Then, when Edward showed up...I saw her...well, complete."

Rosalie was taken aback. She was more trying to aggravate me than get an answer. The whole family went silent. Their thoughts were filled with sorrow.

"I'm so sorry, Lacey," Alice whispered.

"It's alright...he came back, didn't he?" She tried to laugh, but the mood was too damp.

After a few more moments, everyone left the room. Making excuses to leave. After they were all gone, I spoke up.

"Well, shall I show you the rest of the house?" I asked her.

"Sure," She was glad to get away from the vacant, sad filled room.

I took her into the parlor, where my piano was located. She gasped when she saw it.

"It's beautiful," She moved towards it and hesitantly brushed her fingers against the wood, and up and down the ivory keys. She seemed to be lost in thought. I watched her carefully. "Do you play?" She was suddenly looking at me.

"Yes," I admitted.

"Would you play something for me? Please?" She pleaded. I smiled and walked over and sat on the bench next to her. I wasn't sure what to play so I just began letting my fingers find the keys. I closed my eyes and let the notes take me far away. I soon realized what I was playing. Bella's Lullaby. I stopped short. Lacey looked at me, her eyes glistened.

"What's wrong?" She looked so much like Bella, I could have cried. Her innocence was too much. I couldn't overcome the overwhelming feeling of reaching out and holding her. I excused myself and went to stand out in the breezeway. I held my hands to my eyes, feeling Lacey's eyes on my back. I rubbed my temples. I needed to clear my mind. It's over. You've lost Bella. She's not coming back. Not even in Lacey. Lacey didn't want me. She only wanted friendship. Just like her mother. Like mother like daughter.

My thoughts swirled as I calmed myself. I heard a quiet soothing tune being played on my piano. The chords moved within me. Soon a voice began.

"Just when the days start getting colder.

I walk the streets I never knew.

And there were some words I never told you.

The sound, rings out.

Like the truth."

It was so soft and gentle, I could've fallen asleep. I moved back into the parlor and saw Lacey jumped as she saw movement from the corner of her eye. She didn't meet my eyes, embarrassed.

"Please, keep playing," It was my turn to plead her. She shook her head. "Why not?"

"I don't want to play," She whispered. She sniffled.

"Why is that? You play beautifully," I placed myself beside her on the bench. She was crying.

"I taught myself to play," She told me. "One day, when I was eight, I wanted my mom to hear me. It was the first time ever, and I wanted it to be perfect..." She paused to breath. "I settled the butterflies, and she waited for me to play. After about the first few chords...my mom began to cry..." Lacey cried harder. "She wouldn't stop. I stopped playing, but the tears kept coming. She cried all day long, and I even heard her when I lay in bed that night. I hated pianos for what they did to my mom...but I couldn't sat away..." She stopped talking and just cried.

"Shh." I tried to soothe her. I carefully wrapped my arms around her and she attached herself to me like a magnet. Her face buried in my chest, her arms around my waist. We sat like that for a time, until she pulled away.

"I'm sorry," She apologized.

"No, it's fine," There was a pregnant pause. "Shall we...talk to Carlisle, now?"

She knew what I meant. With an intake of breath, she nodded. Together we strolled out of the room. I led her up the stairs and down a long hallway to Carlisle's office. I softly knocked.

"Come in," Carlisle's voice rang out from behind the wooden door.

I pushed Lacey, gently, into the room.

"Why, hello you two," He smiled. Lacey smiled back. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, we were actually wondering if you'd know anything about a certain...ability that Lacey has." I explained.

"What is this ability?" He seemed intrigued.

"Lacey?" I asked her to explain, she nodded and told him the same story she'd told me that night in her room. I watched her carefully, how she would pause to choose her words, how her voice was soft and quiet. When she finished I looked to Carlisle's mind.

Could she really be? There hasn't been one in years...

"What could she be?" I asked his thoughts.

"Well, Alice had a vision about her...about you bringing her here...but Alice couldn't see Lacey in her vision. She was all blurry." He went silent.

"Alice can see the future?" Lacey's voice didn't shield her surprise. Apparently, her mother hadn't told her about my family and their special abilities.

"Yes," I laughed. "And I can--"

"My mom told me what you can do. She didn't say anything about Alice." Lacey pondered this, and then shrugged.

"The only thing I can think of is..." He walked over to a row of books and picked out an old brown one. It had not been handled very well, and the pages were yellow with age. Carlisle flipped a few pages. Here we are... He stopped on a page.

"Pacis Custodis," He said. "Peace Keeper. There is only one every hundred decades. They are supposed to keep the peace between the supernatural worlds—werewolves and vampires. Those symptoms you've been experiencing, are abilities of the Peace Keeper. That depression you feel is from the fact that the two worlds are not at peace."

"The treaty," She understood.

"That's the only explanation I have." He sighed. "If you really are...you just don't know how special you really are."

The only thing we could do now was leave.

"Thank you," Lacey said, in a n absent-minded way.

"Your welcome," Carlisle smiled, but his brows were furrowed. Maybe that was too much for her...

I opened the door for her, and she walked past me. Before I left behind her, I gave Carlisle a grateful look, and shut the door.

"Peace Keeper," She was staring at me. Her face suddenly fell from wonder to anger. "Well, this is just great!"

"What's wrong?" I moved closer to her.

"Why me? Why couldn't I just be normal? Someone could've at least asked me!" Her anger made me smile. She saw that and glared. "Do you think it's funny? Being depressed all the time?"

"No," I couldn't help but laugh. Her fury was adorable. The way her face twisted hit my cold, dead heart.

Her face slowly formed into a smile. She tried to hide it, but did not succeed. She laughed along with me. There really was nothing funny about the moment, except that we were laughing for no reason. That made me laugh harder.

It was moments like this that I never wanted to end.

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Before long, it was dusk. Tomorrow afternoon we would leave. I sighed. I wanted Lacey to stay here forever.

"Could I use your phone?" She broke my train of thought. We were in the living room watching the TV. Well, everyone else was. I was watching Lacey.

"Absolutely," I lead her to the kitchen and pointed out the phone. I left the room to give her some privacy.

Twenty minutes later, she emerged. A small smile on her face.

"I called my mom," She explained. "She's doing fine. Tina on the other hand...well, she freaked when she found out I had left with you on a 'camping' trip." She laughed hysterically.

I loved it when she laughed. But it soon turned into a yawn. I realized that it was very late. She needed to sleep.

"Looks like it's time for you to sleep," I chuckled. She gave me an annoyed look.

"I don't have to," She pouted. "Really, I'm fine." She stifled a yawn.

"I don't think so," I stood and grabbed her arm. "Say goodnight, Lacey."

"Goodnight...Lacey," She giggled as we walked up the stairs. I pointed out the bathroom.

"You can use that," I told her. "I'll be in my room when you're finished." I pointed to my door. I turned to leave, but she grabbed my hand.

"I just wanted to say...thank you," She said shyly. "I really had a fun time."

"I'm glad," I smiled at her, and she returned one. "Don't spend too long in there." She laughed and shut the door.

When I entered my room, I sat down on the black leather couch. I thought about all the events that had occurred the past days. I laughed at how far me and Lacey had come. Her with a broom, her sleeping, her in Carlisle's office. It was amazing.

A small cough came from my door. There she was. In a pair of sweatpants and an over-sized T-Shirt that said "The Phantom of the Opera" with the infamous mask and rose. Her hair was in a messy ponytail. She looked beautiful.

"So..." She said softly. There was a silence as we stared at one another.

"You can sleep here," I patted the couch and pulled a blanket out from underneath. There were pillows all over it, so she had her pick. She made her way over, and sat next to me. She played with her fingers for a time. I couldn't help but reach out and touch her hands. She held mine in hers. Her warmth was amazing. She made patterns on the back of my hand with a finger. I closed my eyes. When I opened them, I saw her staring.

She let go of my hand and lifted her hand to touch my face. She traced my lips and around my eyes. I took her hand and held it. We were inches apart. I gently reached out and touched her face. She closed her eyes and moved closer. I almost thought I heard my heart beating wildly.

She closed the gap between us. Her warm, soft lips touching mine. It was very quick and gentle. She pulled away and looked into my eyes. Hers were deep and I got lost.

After a few more moments, I realized she had found her way into my arms and was fast asleep. I twisted her hair. It was soft and thin. She moved around a few times in her sleep. Her scent filled my nose. My mouth was inches from her neck. I froze.

I hadn't hunted in days. I was weak. This embrace was dangerous. I could hurt her. But, I didn't feel hungry. I was surprised at how I didn't feel the need to drink from her. I still didn't trust myself. So, in a quick, fluent movement, I laid Lacey's head on a pillow and covered her with a blanket. I was up and away from her.

With one last look at her face, I walked out my bedroom door.

A/N: The song Lacey plays/sings is Afterglow by Vanessa Carlton.