Alright, my lovely readers, because I luv u soooooo mucho…I retyped the first half of the 4th chapter and am posting it from a friends computer…

Im sooo srry bout my internet problems as of lately…until recently I really respected the geek squad…but they have lost all possible amount of amiability they once had with me!!!

I hope to have chapter 5 up soon!!!

Chapter 4

Adventures in the Night

After we led Edward into the sitting room, Esme sat next to Edward on the large maroon settee while I went to sit in front of them in my green plush chair.

I looked at Edward and thought, Now, you must explain what you have done these past three years. In full detail, I know Esme is dying to catch up on your life…and you know I am too.

Edward nodded then took a deep, completely unnecessary, breath. It was unnecessary because vampires don't need to breathe, we mostly did it for our sense of smell.

Then Edward started.

"When I first left, I went to Chicago. Without anyone of them knowing it, I checked up on some of the people I had been acquainted with before my transformation. It was so strange, seeing all of these people who had previously been my age now thirteen years older than me. Then, I don't know, I got angry that they had survived the epidemic and that I hadn't. So… I killed one of them. He was a boy who had been very standoffish to people who were, in general, below his standard. I didn't understand why God had wanted to keep him behind but surrender me to the fever.

"So I killed him. But it didn't go smoothly. I followed him to a dark alley that was a shortcut he took to get home. Then, I ran in front of him and blocked his way.

"At first he was surprised, then he became angry. He was yelling at me for being a stupid teenager and that I was to remove myself from his path when he suddenly stopped. Then he walked closer to me and he peered into my face. At that moment, his thoughts exploded with confusion.

"He looked into my eyes and said one word, 'Edward'. 'Yes,' I replied, staring him down, for at this moment I was completely insane in my jealousy. 'I am he,' and I lept to devour him. But right before his thoughts ended, I heard him wishing that he had had more time with his wife and two daughters.

"After I finished with him, I was proud." Edward then looked at me sheepishly, "I was proud that I had become what I was meant to be, that I wasn't scared of my fate as you were. But then, after my actions had set in, I realized that I had just killed a father. I had just killed a man who had two children and a wife who he loved very much.

"At first I couldn't live with myself. I started considering suicide when I reached some sort of enlightenment. I had felt guilty because I had killed a good man, even if he hadn't been good as a teenager, he had eventually turned into a wholesome man. But what if I could feed the way I was meant to, and still not feel guilty? I decided that if I killed the murderers, the rapists, and the otherwise evil souls, then I would cease to feel this way.

"And that's what I did. My first time, I found a rapist who was about to rape a young girl on her way home from evening church. Just as he had thrown her down, I leapt down from the roof of the building I had been watching from. I grabbed him from atop the young girl and she sat in the shadows and watched as I fed off the wicked man who had been about to hurt her. When I finished, I allowed myself to calm down a bit before I turned to look at her.

"I had expected her thoughts to be full of admiration and gratitude that I had saved her life. But instead, I was greeted with thoughts of fear and panic. She looked at me for the monster I was and ran away. I could have easily caught her and told her to be grateful, that I had just saved her pathetic life, but I was just stunned.

"I reasoned with myself that this girl was irrational, but after witnessing sixteen girls afterwards that suffered the same inability to be rational, I realized that I had probably scarred these females mentally for the rest of their lives.

"So I stuck to murderers and gang members, only hunting the rapists if I was able to catch them before they attempted to harm the girls. I was blessed with the ability to know what they were thinking, so obviously, I only caught the guilty.

"However, I would often run across villains who were only acting out because of desperation. Some men were thieves so that they could put bread on their table for their family. Some men had been driven insane due to some unforgivable act that another human had committed against them. No matter how much I wanted to believe that everyone I killed was truly evil, it wasn't the truth."

He paused, looking up at us from his lap with pain in his eyes. I could see how much this was hurting him to relive these moments of his past. Then, his look turned more resolute, and he continued on.

"I tried to justify my murders. I made myself think that I was making the world a safer place for those who deserved it. However, I was never able to sleep the night after a feeding; I could always hear the thoughts of the victims wishing that they had more time of earth, that if they did, they would change their ways.

"I became secluded from everyone, even other vampires if they came to the city I was staying in. I could think of nothing except my recent kill or the person I was stalking as my next victim. I stayed in the shadows, I didn't even let the sunlight touch me through a window.

"I eventually became aware of my depression and knew I had to do something about it. I knew that the only way recover to my old self was to go back to my old diet, the one you had raised me on. So I spent several months feeding off animals and relearning to control my urges in a forest in northern Canada."

He looked at us with questioning eyes. I was curious about several parts of his story, but one stood out the most.

"Why didn't you just come back to us when you decided to stop feeding on humans?" I asked. I could hear the hurt in my voice.

"I was afraid you wouldn't want to take me back. I was afraid you wouldn't accept me." Edward said quietly.

Esme stood up quickly, yet smoothly and gracefully, and walked the few steps to Edward and kneeled down by his knees. Her eyes were full of confusion.

"I knew you still loved me, Esme. But, I just wasn't sure if I would be accepted," Edward responded to her unspoken question. He sounded a bit ashamed of himself.

Esme shook her head and pulled Edward onto the ground beside her. Then she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly, as if she would never let go.

I watched this from my seat, smiling slightly. I never ceased to be amazed at the amount of love that Esme could have for people. Compassion I understood, but I had never loved like she had.

After several minutes of intense embracing, Esme pulled apart and walked over to me.

"He has not had the comforts of a house in too long. Take a breath and you will see I speak the truth." She evidently thought he needed to wash. I turned to Edward and considered him for a second before I spoke.

"Esme has just informed me that you need to bathe, Edward. However, I have a better idea. Go put suitable bathing pants and join us in the bathing pool," I suggested. He must have liked the idea for he finally had the smile that had been absent from his face all evening back. He vanished from the room and up the stairs.

I back to Esme and she grinned at me. If I didn't know any better, I would have said she was had consumed to much wine, but vampires do not become drunk, for we do not drink wine. More's the pity.

I reached out and grabbed her hand and I led her up to our bedroom. She put on her swimming dress while I put on my swimming pants. I must say, in the eight years I had known her, the beauty she possessed never became expected. She caught me appraising her and she cocked her head to the side as she smiled flirtatiously at me. No, I never got used to her.

She ended up wearing her blue garment with white spots. I loved the way it fit her: hanging to her curves and stopping short at her mid-thigh. Her skin was as white as the polka-dots on the dress. I wore a pair of trousers that stopped at the knee, as was suitable for such clothes to be cut. It was still rather uncomfortable for me to wear them. Before a few years ago when I had built my first pool, I had never had the need to own a swimming outfit. I had never worn pants that did not go down to my feet.

Esme noticed my pained expression at the clothes. She walked over and whispered in my ear.

"I think they look ravishing on you."