Esme P.O.V

I watched Bree gazing around and my maternal instinct was so strong it nearly swamped me. She looked so young and scared and confused. I decided to make it my mission to help Bree adjust to her new life and family.

"Come inside and take a look around." I gestured again towards the front door. "It'll be okay." I said gently, noticing her frightened expression. Did she think we would hurt her?

"Oh! I know, I just..." She trailed off.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Emmett could never contain his curiosity, I thought fondly.

"It's just - Thank you so, so much! For all you're doing for me!" Bree burst out. "I don't know how I can ever repay you."

So that's what was troubling her. I wondered what her human story was - I got the feeling that it wasn't a happy one, and that just made me want to comfort and spoil her into oblivion. Everyone deserved to feel the love and happiness that surrounded us - especially in the Cullen family. Everyone should feel that they belong.

"That's alright. You don't need to repay us for anything. If there's anything we stand for, it's life. Just trust us." I smiled at her.

Bree P.O.V

"That's alright. You don't need to repay us for anything. If there's anything we stand for it's life. Just trust us." And Esme smiled at me, the most kindest, most gentle, most compassionate smile I had ever seen. If there was someone in this world I trusted, it would have to be Esme. She just looked so... Mothery. You just had to love Esme.

Okay. I could do this. I took a deep breath - even though I didn't need it - and stepped inside the doorway.

A few hours later, I had been showed the house, everything had been explained to me, and we were getting ready for my first hunting trip vegetarian styles. I was kinda nervous - what if I stuffed it up? I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of these nice people. I was going with Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie - for support, I guess. And so I wouldn't start hunting humans. As if I would, when they'd just told me their life stories. Kind of. Well anyway, I wasn't gonna hurt a human after what they'd just told me. And I was sorta insulted, but then Jasper, feeling that I was upset, explained.

"We don't think that you will intentionally hunt a human, but newborns don't have a lot of control over their instincts, which is why they get into a lot of fights. We just wouldn't want you to accidentally harm a human - you would feel terrible."

I smiled at him - a bit nervously, for sure, but I was getting used to him. "Thanks, Jasper."

He smiled back. "You're welcome. I know how it feels, when you realize you've failed your family yet again. I've been a part of this family for a long time, and I'm still having trouble with the temptations."

His voice got all sad and Alice popped out of nowhere and hugged him tightly. "Jazz... You have never, ever ever ever failed us. You just need to break some bad habits, is all. Just like Bree here."

"Maybe you can help me? We could work on it together." I realised Alice was right in a way. I just needed to break the habit of thinking of humans as food, and start thinking of them as people, with families that would miss them. So I offered Jasper my, er, moral support? I couldn't stand the self-hatred he was feeling. It was so strong that it literally pulsed out of him, and we could all feel it.

"Thanks, Bree. I accept your offer of help."

Alice cheered. "Now that's sorted, lets go hunting!"

So we all piled into Emmett's massive jeep and he drove us someplace with a lot of trees. We got out and he said, "I thought we should start somewhere a bit further away from Forks than the forest outside our house."

"Good thinking Em." Rosalie glided over to him and kissed his cheek. He gripped her hand and turned to me, grinning.

"So, what can you smell, Little Vampire?" Little Vampire? Where did that come from? But it didn't sound like an insult, so I left it.

I sniffed in and held it. "Is it ... Deer?" It was blood, I could hear the heartbeat, but it smelt... Not as good as human blood. I made a face, and they laughed.

"Doesn't smell very appetizing, does it? Carnivores are better, it's closer to human blood, but there's only deer around here right now." Alice explained it to me. "Follow us."

I silently shadowed them to a small clearing, where a herd of deer were grazing. They didn't seem aware of the five vampires quietly watching them.

"Watch us." Jasper instructed, and they silently, gracefully snuck up on the deer and took them out without any trouble. They bit into their necks, where the vein pulsed and drained it in a short amount of time. Rosalie looked beautiful the whole time, Emmett looked like he was enjoying himself, Alice's eyes had gone out of focus and Jasper still looked hungry.

"Reckon you can do it?" Emmett sounded like he was challenging me.

"Yeah. But we need some new deer - you scared the rest away." I grinned at him.

He burst out laughing and said, "I like this girl. She seems like fun."

We found a new herd of deer and I leaped upon the biggest buck and drained it. Yuck. Warm and sticky, it eased the burn, but it was nothing like human blood. The flavor was all wrong. Oh well. I drained a few more - I was hungry - before we ran back to the jeep. As I got in, I looked down at myself, dismayed. There was blood everywhere! I couldn't understand how I got it on my clothes, but I suppose I must have dripped some. I'd have to practice keeping clean.

"Good job, Bree!" Alice congratulated me enthusiastically. "Are you full?"

"Yes, thanks. I feel all sloshy inside."

"Good. You won't need to hunt for another few days at least." Jasper said. "You did well."

I felt so happy. I'd gotten the hang of hunting animals, I wasn't hungry anymore and I was finally fitting in with other vampires. The only other people who'd been this nice to me, were Fred, and Diego. I missed him so much, but I didn't dwell on him right then. I didn't want to ruin my mood.

"When we get home, will you tell us your story?" This came from Rosalie. She hadn't spoken to me much, since I went inside the house, and this question surprised me.

"Rose! Don't be rude!" Alice admonished her.

"No, it's okay. I'll tell you. My human and vampire story. Well, as much as I can remember of it anyway."

"Thank you." Rosalie smiled at me. She really was very beautiful.

I smiled back, before leaning back in my seat, mentally preparing myself for the telling.