I don't own Twilight. all Stephenie Meyer.

Chapter Four

Tears and Venom

Once we were moved and settled into our new home, Alice immediately began planning Bella's birthday party. She kept it quiet from her, wanting it to be a surprise, and had each of us involved in some aspect of the preparations. No expenses would be spared.

I, for the most part, was agreeable with what Alice chose. Each piece was reflective of Bella's personality and seemed just right for her special day. But, when I saw that she was getting a three tiered cake I had to say something. There was no way that a small child could possibly eat that, even over a matter of days, and I wasn't too fond of the idea of forcing the food down and regurgitating it later.

Eventually Alice sent me out to run some errands for her in town. Toys, party outfits, books and DVDs; she made sure that I was going to be out for the rest of the day.

Traveling lightly always seemed to work best for us, buying what we would need once at our new residence. As a result, we left behind nearly all of Bella's belongings in Denali, clothes and shoes our main priority. Her birthday was the perfect time to replace them and our gifts for her were meticulously planned and picked out by Alice, shown to me before I left.

I made sure to take my time and get everything just right, and then I stopped to find something special that I wanted to give to her. She was quite significant to me and I wanted the present I gave to reflect that as time went on. Nothing I looked at seemed right though. Spending money was obviously not the way to go.

Part of me considered composing a song for her. The notes had been coming to me for days, but the compulsion to work them out wasn't there. Until now. Our moments together were some of the happiest I could remember having, she was the most interesting human I had encountered. Her expressions and responses surprised me every time.

As I drove down the street to our house, I knew that my intuition was correct; this was the heartfelt gift I had been looking for. Pulling into the driveway, I heard the different conversations of my family going on throughout the house. Emmett and Rosalie heading out to the garage to work on his jeep, Carlisle and Jasper having a theological debate, Alice and Esme going over party plans and food preparations- the sounds that had become familiar to our home life.

But the most significant sound I heard was a small heartbeat.

I could never tire of it. It was subtle and soft, but one that I couldn't go without. The scent of her blood hit me as soon as I stepped out of the car and I couldn't help smiling at how easy it was to hold back, to enjoy the different flavors without actually tasting them.

Oh, Edward, that is going to be perfect! Bella is going to love your present. Alice showed me a quick glimpse of her vision, focusing on the wide smile on Bella's face and the two of us sitting at the piano. The sight was warm and comforting, and I couldn't help chuckling at her enthusiasm.

Alice was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs, ready to put the items I had purchased away so that Bella wouldn't see them. I gladly handed them over, kissing the top of her head.

Esme, Carlisle, and Bella were outside having a picnic. I watched the entire scene play out in Esme's mind; the adoration she felt for Bella and the perfect moment they were sharing. Once she had finished eating, Bella climbed up from her place on Esme's lap and went to kiss Carlisle on the cheek, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug.

The moment was beautiful, tugging at the long dormant strings of my heart.

Shaking my head and blocking my family's thoughts from my mind, I made my way to the music room that had been set up on the opposite side of the kitchen. The room was separate from everyone else, giving me some measure of privacy. A black, baby grand piano resided in the center of the room, positioned toward the west corner to allow a full view of the room.

I pulled out the piano stool and sat down, a large bay window that overlooked a small pond was to my left and da Vinci's La Scapigliata painting was to my right. The two contrasts created a vivid feel in the room, a measure of serenity that was almost tangible. Closing my eyes, I did my best to forget about everything but the small heartbeat just outside.

When I felt ready, I placed my hands on the keys and let the music take over. The notes that filled the room were beautiful, somehow perfectly describing what Bella meant to me. I lost track of the time, only realizing how much had passed when it was already time for my little human's nap. She protested through big yawns as they entered the house.

My first instinct, upon hearing them enter the house, was to run to Bella and scoop her up in my arms. She always seemed to sleep better with me. But, I had to hold myself back.

Esme and Carlisle felt that Bella needed to learn to sleep in a bed by herself and were slowly trying to introduce her to that. I knew that they were right, but it wasn't easy for me to let her go. Those few hours that she slept were precious to me, the moments when I could observe her best. Her expressions and mutterings were unlike anything I had witnessed, and keeping her close eased the constant worry I had when she left my sight.

Closing my eyes and tightening my muscles minutely, I stayed where I was until the door to my room closed and I heard Esme tucking Bella in.

Then, I darted from the room ran to the bottom of the stairs. I stood there, listening to every movement and thump of her heart.

Are you alright, son? Carlisle placed his hand on my shoulder, his voice kind.

I nodded my head quickly, never moving my eyes from the door to my room. From where I stood, I had a perfect view to the third floor where they were.

You really can't stand being away from her, can you?

I spoke quietly, at a decibel only vampires could hear. "I can't really explain it. Even though I have to fight against the call of her blood every second, having her gone from my sight hurts more distinctly. If anything were to happen to her…"

Carlisle was silent for half a breath, releasing his grip from my shoulder and moving to lean against the wall across from where I stood. "You know we would not let any harm come to her. She has filled a void in Esme that I could never hope of reaching." Memories of stolen moments with his wife played quickly through his mind, an ever present sadness across her features.

Seeing the hurt that my adoptive mother tried desperately to hide from us caused me to flinch slightly. "I know."

"Has Alice had anymore visions?" Carlisle didn't need to elaborate; I knew exactly what he was referring to.

I gave my head another slight nod. "Daily. They vary somewhat in content, but follow the same basis."

Perhaps what she is seeing is not such a bad thing, Edward. We can all see a difference in you.

A growl rose up in my throat before I could stop it. "I won't do that to her. She deserves more than this life, Carlisle. She deserves… more."

With a sigh, Carlisle didn't say another word. He stood with me, in silent support, as I waited for Bella to wake from her afternoon nap.

~~β~~ ~~β~~ ~~β~~

"Eggwart!" Bella squealed, running up to me.

Closing my eyes, I smiled as I listened to heart speed up. It was a soft, gentle thump as she made her way to me, the only sound that had any significance in my world.

Just as she was about to leap into the air, I turned around and caught her in my arms. Her giggles filled the room, awakening more pieces of me that I thought had long been dormant.

"It's my birthday, Eggwart." She bounced in my arms.

Surprisingly, Bella had allowed Esme to put her in a dress. It was a pale yellow with a white trim along the collar and hem. The soft color of the fabric seemed just perfect against her skin as her cheeks flooded with color, blushing delicately.

I tucked some of her curls behind her ear, chuckling at the adorableness of my little human. "That it is, little one, and we have a busy day ahead of us. Do you want to go somewhere with me?"

"Yes."

Earlier that morning, upon returning from a late night hunting trip with Emmett, Alice had asked if I would take Bella out for a few hours so that they could get the house decorated for the party. She didn't wait for my response, already knowing what it would be.

"Wonderful." I carried her out to the garage and to one of my favorite cars. It was a 1971 Chevy Impala. Rosalie spent hours working on it for me, getting it up to our standards. We had our differences, but I could acknowledge the kindness she bestowed on me at times.

Once Bella was safely tucked into the car, I took off out of the garage and into the city. I could sense that she was somewhat apprehensive as the speed increased, her self-preservation coming to the surface. Her heart rate increased and the blood pumping through her veins began to speed up.

I reached behind me and took her hand in mine. The heat of her fragile human body warmed me to my bones, reminding me of how careful I needed to be with her. Glancing behind me, I winked at her and saw her automatically relax. Her muscles still strained with tension, but her breathing had slowed and her eyes remained on me like a safety net.

After twenty minutes or so, I parked the car along the street in a mildly busy area of town. Trees lined the sidewalk on both sides of the street, showing the first signs of the seasons beginning to change. Their leaves were just beginning to turn from vibrant greens, to soft yellows and deep oranges. Fall was right around the corner.

Grinning, I climbed out of the car and helped Bella out as well. She held onto me closely, lifting her eyes to mine every few seconds as she waited for a queue from me. Without a word, I sat on the curb behind my car and settle Bella onto my lap.

I finally gestured to the building in front of us. "Do you know what that is, little one?"

She looked at the building for a few seconds, cocking her head to the side in concentration, and then glanced back at me. She did this a few more times before finally settling her eyes back on me and shaking her head.

"That," I said, gently rubbing her back, "is the school that you will be going to next week." I spoke in a whisper, putting as much awe into the sentence as I could.

Bella shrieked excitedly, clapping her hands with joy. "I go to school." She bounced in my lap, turning her attention back to the small structure across the street from where we sat. "You go, too, Eggwart?"

"Yes, I'm going to school, too," I assured her. "But not to the same school that you will."

Her full attention was on me then, her bottom lip quivering. "Why?"

"There are so many wonderful and special things that you will get to learn here, and I unfortunately can't learn them with you." Keeping my voice low, I tried to speak as soothingly as possible. "I will be going to a different school with Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett. But, once the school day is finished ,nothing will keep me from coming home to you."

"Promise?" she whispered, unshed tears making her voice tremble.

"I promise." It frightened me how easily those words left my mouth, but the smile that spread across her lips and the way that she snuggled a bit closer against my chest, made it completely worth it.

We sat for a while longer, staring at the school building while Bella asked me an endless array of questions. The way her mind worked fascinated me, her expressions even more so as she listened to my answers.

I chuckled when she tried to hide a yawn from me, and stood up with her in my arms. The blood rushed to her cheeks, momentarily making her scent a bit stronger. Every second of every day, my throat felt as though a thousand branding irons were being shoved down it when I was near her, but any desires to harm her were negated whenever she smiled at me or scrunched he nose in confusion.

She was a little mystery to me and I was completely enraptured.

Chicago. It was strange to find myself back in the town of my birth, seventy years later. It had changed as many other places had with time, but yet, it was still familiar.

Walking down the street with Bella in my arms made the experience tolerable. I could handle anything as long as my little human was alright.

Eventually, it was time to head back to the house. Bella was unaware that we were throwing her a party and was upset when our morning together had come to an end. She pouted and sulked about halfway home until I assured her that I had something special waiting for her.

As I parked the car in the garage, I could hear my family's thoughts as though they were sitting right next to me- Alice's above everyone else's. She was positively giddy to be throwing a party.

I set Bella down on her feet as we entered the house, letting her walk into the living room first. Just as I stepped into the room, everyone shouted, "Happy Birthday, Bella!"

She paused for a moment, obviously confused. "For me?"

The decorations set up around the room were perfect as always in pinks and yellows, even the banner with her name on it followed the color scheme. Flowers in vases were placed strategically around the room, subtly matching the description I had made of Bella's scent. In the back corner of the room, a table was filled with expertly wrapped gifts.

Beautiful and perfect.

Esme stepped forward, grinning and nodding. "Yes, little button, this is all for you."

I watched her as she tried to figure out what to do first, eventually running to Esme and allowing her to scoop her up. Carlisle came over and they smothered her with attention, kissing her cheeks until she giggled and spinning her around.

Jasper sat on the bottom steps of the stairwell, watching the scene play out before him and reminding himself to stay on guard.

Alice and Emmett waited patiently for Carlisle and Esme to set Bella down, ready for their turns to greet her. Emmett was worried about Rosalie since she was out hunting, hoping that she would eventually come around and accept Bella.

They all had their turns to lavish her with attention, enjoying her laughter and excitement. She insisted on sitting in my lap as she opened her presents, bouncing and squealing as each new one was revealed.

Look at that, he really can smile. You know Edward I was beginning to worry that your face really would freeze like that. Emmett met my eyes, chuckling in his thoughts as memories of me over the years began flashing to the surface. All of them had me frowning.

I bit back a growl, baring my teeth to him.

His laughter boomed throughout the house and he clapped his hands as Bella revealed the last wrapped present she had opened, the silent exchange of words caught everyone else's attention except for hers.

She placed all of her books into a pile, asking me in a whisper if I could read them to her tonight. Her little hand cupped around her mouth as she leaned to whisper in my ear. When she sat back down, I noticed that she nervously chewed on her lip, a small movement that I found absolutely adorable.

My lips formed into a crooked smile, her innocence refreshing. "Of course I will, little one," I said softly, kissing the top of her head.

Esme and Alice brought her to the center of the living room after a few minutes and began dressing her up. They put a white feather boa around her neck and a plastic tiara on her head, I even saw Alice dab some lipstick on her lips.

Along the wall by the stairs, there was a table with flowers and candles, a small record player set up in the middle. The scent from the flowers softly illuminated how Bella's blood smelled to me-not nearly as potent, but still there. Jasper made his way along the table to the record player and placed a large black disc on it.

Children's voices and music began playing through the speakers. Bella, Esme, and Alice sang along with song, dancing throughout the first floor of the house. A man's voice rose above the other children's, singing with them and giving directions for the game they were playing.

When the first side had finished, Jasper switched it over and they began the motion from where it had left off. They continued singing and dancing with a couple more records before lying down on the floor in a heap.

Bella was in between Esme and Alice, panting slightly and giggling.

Now would be the perfect time to play your song for her. Alice's thoughts flittered to me, excitement and coyness evident behind her words.

I sighed, meeting her gaze for a moment.

This will be just what she needs to relax before her nap. She'll be just fine here while you get set up. Her words left no room for hesitation or disagreement, which I thankfully knew would be fruitless.

So, as quietly as I could, I made my way to the music room. I slid back the piano cover and pulled back the stool to replace it with the bench that she could sit on. After running my fingers lightly over the keys a few times I gently called, "Bella. Can you come here, little one?"

Her feet padded across the floor, slowly nearing me.

And then, everything froze.

My body was rigid from the onslaught of Alice's vision as the scene we both became privy to played out, it nearly came too late. The sight of Bella's tears as she sat huddled in a little ball on the floor was all I needed to see before making my way to her.

Without a second thought, I ran into the kitchen and placed myself between Bella and Rosalie. Her body was in a defensive crouch and a venomous glare was in her eyes. A feral snarl erupted from deep in her throat, frightening Bella even more so.

Keeping my eyes fixated on Rose the entire time, I scooped Bella up into my arms and had her climb onto my back. "Don't let go of me, little one. I'm right here."

She wrapped her arms and legs around me as tightly as she was able and then buried her face in between my shoulder blades. Her little body trembled and convulsed as more tears wracked through her frame.

A growl rumbled in my chest, the only thing keeping me from ripping Rosalie apart being the little human clinging to my back and the fact that she was Emmett's wife. The rest of our family trickled into the room and formed a protective circle around us, looking back and forth between Rose and me as we continued to stare at each other.

No said a word at first, but everyone was on full alert, ready to pounce.

"Let's all take a moment to calm down here." Carlisle finally spoke up, his voice calm. "Rosalie, step back."

Her body remained frozen in her crouch, unwilling to move.

Just as I was about to force her back myself, Emmett wrapped his hands around the upper part of her arms and squeezed her lovingly. "It's alright, Rosie." The loving tone behind his words and the soft pressure of his lips against her temple surprised me. "Just breathe and step back with me." His hold stayed firmly around her as she slowly stood to her full height, the two of them backing off.

I didn't relax my stance, even though I could feel Bella beginning to calm down. Whatever had caused this reaction was completely unacceptable and I wasn't going to take any chances.

The only sounds that filled the room at that point were quiet whimpers still coming from Bella as her tears slowly stopped and the panting breaths from each of us.

Esme and Alice stood on either side of me, their thoughts filled with concern and confusing. I glanced to Alice briefly, watching as she replayed the vision in her head over and over, trying to figure out what had caused this to happen.

"Why is she still here? She's a human," Rosalie finally hissed.

Carlisle opened his mouth to speak, but Rosalie interrupted him. "She shouldn't be here. It's dangerous."

I fought back a snarl at those words. "She has nowhere else to go, no other family members that could take her in. We are her family now."

A calming wave passed through me and I caught Jasper's eye. Don't do anything that you will regret, Edward. Think about Bella right now.

Emmett spoke soothingly to Rose, lifting her chin so that she was looking into his eyes. They seemed to be in their own world as he tried to calm her down.

Maybe you should take Bella out of here, Edward. This is likely to be traumatizing for her and she'll need you. Carlisle thought, keeping his focus on Emmett and Rosalie.

I gave a quick nod of my head, barely touching Alice and Esme's arms to let them know they could stand down. After a moment's hesitation, they both stepped aside to let me pass.

"She deserves more than this life, Edward." Rosalie's voice stopped me mid step, her words confirming my worst fears. "This isn't a world that a human belongs in or can thrive in. She will choose this and it's wrong."

Closing my eyes and pinching the bridge of my nose, I did what I could to calm myself down. She was right, her words piercing through to my dead heart. Resigning myself to the truth of her statement, my head lowered in defeat, I began heading toward the music room. "For once, Rosalie, you and I agree."

This had been a temporary arrangement to begin with and keeping her here because of my need to protect her was selfish. I had to do what was best for her.

Once we were in the music room and the door was shut, I pulled Bella off from my back and cradled her in my arms. Her cheeks were stained from tears, her eyes and nose red and puffy as she finally began to calm down.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" I ran my hand along her back in a soothing motion, feeling the tension in her body slowly release.

Her only answer was a slight nod of her head as she continued to cling to me.

I did the only thing that I could; I rocked her slowly and rubbed her back more, humming her song.

Bella finally looked up at me as the sun began to get lower in the sky, her big brown eyes glazed over with tears. "Why?"

Sighing, I shook my head. "I don't really know, little one. She thinks that… you might be better off with another family. A steady family."

"No. You're family," Bella said forcefully, sitting up in my arms. "Mine."

I bit back a chuckle.

"Right? We are family?" She nervously chewed on her lip again.

"Yes, Bella. We are all a family." I pressed my lips to her forehead for a moment, letting her scent wash over me before pulling back quickly. "I still have one more present for you that I wasn't able to give. That is, if you would still like it."

Bella grinned, brightening up her reddened cheeks. "Please."

"Alright." I made my way to the piano and set her down on the bench. She looked up at me in wonder as I joined her and brought my fingers up to the keys, giving myself a moment before beginning to play.

It was a lullaby, describing what she meant to me and who she was. Even though I knew that Bella didn't understand what it meant, I could tell that she enjoyed the song, swaying to the music written especially for her.

The rest of the day was forgotten and it was just the two of us in that moment, nothing else mattered. Whatever else was decided, we would always have that.

First off, I want to give another huge thank you to CLHahny for bidding on me and the next few chapters of this story in the New Moon Addition of the Fandom Gives Back. Thank you so much for your generosity hon, and I hope these chapters have been worth the wait.

And I would also like to thank my partner in crime and venting buddy, kyla713, for jumping in an betaing this at the last minute for me. You truly are the best and I don't know what I'd do without you *mwah*

There's one more pre-written chapter that I have for this story, but don't worry I won't be living it unfinished. I absolutely love these two and want to tell their story.