DISCLAIMER: SM owns all Twilight characters and settings. No copyright infringement intended.

I had a hard time finding Edward's voice in this chapter. Initially, everything I wrote sounded like seven year old Edward with a Thesaurus so I had to write this in a more traditional 3rd person POV.

Remember we've jumped back to Edward as a child.

The day was overcast, the air felt heavy and moist which was nothing new in Forks but the lack of sunshine and the heavy clouds that masked the peaks of the mountains as they sagged in the sky contributed to Edward's dour mood. The tree branch he sat perched in though not particularly high, gave him an exceptional view of the geographical layout of the Cullen property including the large white house that sat on a slight rise overlooking the great expanse of yard and surrounding woods.

The tree was a favored hiding place, offering privacy when he wanted it but still close enough to the house so that all it would take was a quick sprint across the yard and he would be safely at the front door; especially reassuring if the skies were to suddenly open up with a deluge of rain before he was finished moping and grudgingly returned home on his own.

He blamed his foul mood on Bella's departure but he knew it was more than that. Her visits were like clockwork. Every summer she arrived at the end of June staying exactly six weeks before returning home to Arizona. Her departure date never wavered, never changed, so the countdown until she left again would begin the day after she arrived. Then she would be gone, not to return until the following summer and her departure would send him spiraling into a fit of moodiness that could last for several days.

But this year was different. Oh he had still tearfully said his goodbyes to Bella the day before she left, hugging her tightly to him, ignoring the disapproving snorts that would emanate from Charlie from time to time as he pretended to give them their privacy, staring out the window at Carlisle's car idling in the driveway. As Edward held Bella tightly to him, he would breath in her sweet scent imaging that no finer perfume existed; and when he pulled back, he would study her face, burning it into his memory and understanding the next time he saw her she would be different…again. Each year brought changes to her features until she was no longer that round faced, rosy cheeked girl with dimples and perfectly formed doll-like lips. Her face had thinned out over the years, highlighting a petite nose, flawless pale skin and dark haunted eyes, all framed by thick brown hair that hung well down the middle of her back that year, but could be cut short the next time he saw her.

Yet even having suffered through another painful goodbye, watching her image getting smaller and smaller from the backseat of Carlisle's car, it wasn't what had triggered a feeling of melancholy that had lingered for days beyond what was his normal mourning period because five days after Bella left, he had watched Emmett and Rosalie pack up the BMW and wave goodbye as they headed off to college somewhere out east and that had turned his entire world upside down.

He had underestimated how much he interacted with Emmett on a daily basis until he was gone. Emmett was his second best friend and even given their age difference he could always be counted on to keep Edward entertained and engaged in some form of mischief that would incur Rosalie's wrath much to Emmett's amusement and Edward's chagrin. But even if Rosalie did try to ruin all their fun, he missed her and her bossy mothering ways all the more that she wasn't around to harp on him constantly…

….stand up straight...don't talk with your mouth full…finish your homework…don't believe everything someone tells you…for god's sake stop acting like a Emmett.

Even Esme, didn't smother him as much as Rosalie did.

With their departure, Edward felt a loneliness that was unfamiliar and mildly reminiscent of another time…a time he didn't like to think about and he couldn't quash a lingering feeling of abandonment by those that mattered most in his life. Carlisle and Jasper tried to fill the void left by Emmett, but that was like replacing a dog with a gold fish which the Cullens had literally done some years before when he inquired about getting a dog and was told that the entire family was allergic to them….well, the entire family but him. The goldfish had lasted a week. He was just a little kid then and didn't realize that a fish couldn't be taken out of the fish bowl and played with and petted until he returned it to its watery home and watched it float to the surface…belly up. He declined to get another one deciding that a gold fish wasn't a very good replacement for a dog.

And Carlisle and Jasper weren't very good replacements for Emmett. Carlisle was just too much like a dad to take on the roll as friend and confidant and Jasper…Jasper never understood exactly what it was like to be a kid, to do dumb things for no apparent reason or behave in a way that wasn't very mature and Edward found it tiresome to explain why it was fun. In fact, Jasper had a somberness about him that made him seem older than Carlisle at times.

When Carlisle realized that they failed to act as a surrogate for Emmett he reminded Edward that he only had one more week before school started and then he would be back with his friends and wouldn't have so much free time on his hands to contemplate how much he missed his two best friends.

But with school and it's distractions he would also be forced to come to terms with that vast differences between himself and his schoolmates and it wasn't just the atypical idiosyncrasies that he lived with every day and tried not to notice or think about or comment on. The Cullen house and land surrounding it was a compound of sorts. The Cullens socialized only with each other. They never had visitors, never had friends over; they weren't involved in sports, didn't participate in any clubs and had no interaction with anyone outside of the immediate family. Invariably Edward had adopted those behaviors not wanting to highlight yet another difference between him and the Cullens, so any social connections he developed at school were superficial and he hardly expected that they would fill the void left by Emmett.

So caught up in his feelings of dejection, Edward barely notice when the rain started, the canopy of the leaves overhead keeping him remarkably dry. He only had to adjust his position slightly on the tree limb to be almost completely protected from the weather, finding a nice comfortable niche to watch the house from. His mood was only slightly offset by his curiosity as he waited for the arrival of the visitors that the entire household was preparing for. Not once in all the years he'd lived with the Cullens did he ever remember seeing any outsider at the house other than the occasional repair man or someone selling something that no one wanted to buy. But for days now, he'd been told about the visitors that were coming, old friends of Carlisle's, an extraordinary event judging by Alice's unrestrained delight in preparing the house for guests.

He looked down at the fishing pole lying on the ground a few feet below him that he'd grabbed from the garage as an afterthought when he made his run for freedom after taking the umpteenth bag of garbage out. He didn't know where Alice was finding all of the trash but he'd had just about enough of her chores for the day and slipped out when she was busy installing new window treatments in every room of the house.

He supposed he could climb down and get it and try to drop a line in from the tree which might make the afternoon pass a little quicker but before he could talk himself into it, he heard the rumbling of a car that sounded much closer than the normal everyday traffic from the road closest to the house.

Carlisle's friends had arrived earlier than expected; either that or he had been sitting in the tree longer than he thought. He watched as a large black sedan slowly wound through the trees coming to a stop in front of the house. Carlisle and Esme were already waiting on the front porch joined almost immediately by Alice and Jasper.

He made no move to jump down and join them and instead pressed himself back against the tree discreetly peering through the leaves as the occupants of the car emerged from it. The driver was a large man, nearly as tall as Jasper but without the bulk of Emmett. He moved with an unnatural grace and fluidity that immediately made Edward suspicious, but it wasn't until he saw the others that he knew for sure.

He was too far away to identify specific features but he knew they were all women and was surprised by the familiarity in which they greeted the Cullens, exchanging warm hugs with his family. The scene of friendly exchanges with these strangers was so unexpected that it almost drew Edward from his hiding place. Having never seen the Cullens interact with anyone besides each other and himself before, he was drawn to the unrestrained affection they displayed for one another.

He didn't think he had moved; he was getting pretty good at mimicking his family when it came to standing as still as a statue; a game everyone seemed to enjoy playing from time to time and he could stand still with the best of them. But he had to breathe and when he took a shallow breath, every head turned in his direction. He froze, not exactly sure why he suddenly felt like a deer caught in the headlights, but cognizant that he was now the center of attention no matter how unwanted that attention might be.

He was too far away to hear Carlisle call to him but he saw his hand go up waving him in and in a second act of rebellion that day, Edward ignored him, not in the mood for visitors especially when he saw they were all adults and such good friends that they warranted hugs and kisses on the cheek. He wouldn't admit that he was jealous, it was a feeling he was unaccustomed too; usually he was the center of attention and he'd grown use to it. But now he had competition for the affection that he'd begun to take for granted and from the looks of it, Carlisle's friends didn't have any kids which might have made him forget his resentment over the deference they showed for each other.

There was something else too. These visitors might as well have been family. Even as far away as he was he could see the similarities between the newcomers and the Cullens. Not so much in physical features, but how they moved, how they flowed, from one place to another with no effort or apparent conscious thought and he felt a wave of envy; just more people to make him feel like an outsider within his own family. It was always him that was different, always him that stood out and not in a good way; even Carlisle's friends were like the Cullens and he couldn't understand why none of their beauty and special talents and skills had rubbed off on him.

Edward knew from experience that his mutiny wouldn't last for long and hiding in the tree really wasn't possible. They always found him, even when he was young and small and could fit in the tiniest places like hollowed out logs and little caves he found in the woods. Sometimes he would hide for fun, a game of hide and seek, but no matter how good he was at hiding or how much of a head start he got, it didn't take long and they would be calling out to him, peeking their head into his hiding spot and tickling him until he squealed with delight.

But there were also times he hid out of fear…fear that he would be punished for spilling his milk when he carelessly put his glass down wrong or knocked a painting off the wall when he threw a ball in the house or got a bad grade in school because he didn't apply himself. He didn't always get a chance to hide then. Often they knew what he was thinking and would thwart his attempts to runaway but for those times when he did make it out of the house, they would always find him and so he eventually just stopped trying to hide. But that was when he was a little kid and he wasn't little anymore so he wasn't sure why he pressed himself against the tree, in the futile attempt to remain concealed amongst the greenery.

It had begun to rain harder; the steady pattering of rain had taken on an intensity that drowned out the sounds of the forest and the sky flashed with distant lightening as a clap of thunder jolted him into reconsidering his position in the tree. It was dangerous there. He could be hit by lightening. It was only a matter of time before someone came to get him. He shuddered as the wetness of the rain permeated his clothing, his jeans…his t-shirt and he felt a slight chill despite the warmness of the late afternoon air.

He might have blinked or looked away for a few seconds, but when he refocused on the small group of people near the house they were gone. Only Jasper remained leaning against the railing of the porch looking in his direction.

"Edward, what are you doing out here?"

"Oohh."

No matter how many times it happened to him, no matter how many times he told himself that he would hear the next time someone approached him, he was never prepared for the abrupt appearance of one of the Cullens at his side when only a second before they hadn't been anywhere near him and he would have fallen out of the tree if Carlisle's hand hadn't steadied him.

"I'm sorry son. I thought you saw me coming," Carlisle lied as he always did when his baffling speed caught Edward off guard. He was straddling the tree limb next to Edward, looking completely comfortable, like he had been there for some time.

"Yeah, the rain…I couldn't hear you," Edward replied, his own lie part of the dance that he and Carlisle played, avoiding what one didn't want to talk about and the other knew better than to ask.

"Why don't you come back to the house; everyone wants to meet you. You don't have to be shy."

"I'm not shy," he said indignantly. "I'm fishing."

Carlisle glanced at the fishing pole lying on the ground and cocked his head skeptically. "I'm no expert, but don't you need to put your line in the water to catch a fish?"

"I'm going fishing," Edward amended. "Just waiting for the rain to stop."

"Well why don't you come in and meet everyone then you can go fishing. Maybe the weather will improve."

Edward sighed. Carlisle never actually told him to do something. He would suggest it leaving it up to him to come up with a good reason to refuse the request.

"I guess." He was surprised when Carlisle didn't immediately jump to the ground and looked up to find him studying him.

"Are you still upset about Emmett?"

"I'm not upset. Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

"I know it's been hard for you to have both Bella and Emmett leave at the same time, but Emmett will be back before Christmas so you won't have to wait too long to see him again."

"I know…I know, it's no big deal," Edward mumbled, finding something fascinating in the bark beneath his hands.

Carlisle was waiting for him to look up but Edward knew that trick and declined to meet his eyes.

"Maybe we should go give Emmett a call and see how things are going at school. He and Rosalie should be just about settled in to their new apartment. Then when it stops raining you can show my friend Eleazar how to fish."

"He doesn't know how to fish?" It didn't surprise Edward; none of the Cullens seemed too adept at it, but he thought it appropriate that he pretended to think otherwise.

Carlisle cocked an eyebrow, indicating he wasn't fooled. The dance was on again. "No Eleazar doesn't do much fishing."

"It's not that hard." Edward muttered. "I learned by myself."

"So you wouldn't mind showing him then?"

"What else do I have to do." Edward shrugged.

"School starts in a week, things will get better after that." Carlisle reminded him and not for the first time.

"Do your friends have any kids?" Edward asked, already knowing the answer to that question.

"Ahhh no…no they don't. That's one reason why they want to meet you so bad. Do you think you could come in and say hello?"

Another reasonable suggested that left no room for argument.

"Sure, but Carlisle…" Edward jumped to the ground and was unperturbed to find Carlisle had beaten him out of the tree and was waiting for him with the fishing pole in hand. "How come you can have people over but I can't?"

There he said it… what had been bothering him from the moment he found out the Carlisle's friends were coming for a visit.

Carlisle looked at him thoughtfully for a moment than put an arm around Edward's shoulders as they walked back to the house side by side.

"You haven't asked to have friends over to the house for a long time," Carlisle said after a brief silence.

"It's no big deal, I was just wondering."

"Well it's a good question," Carlisle acknowledged. "It's not that you can't have friends over, Edward. It's just…well we live an unconventional lifestyle as you know and it can be difficult to explain that to people that don't know us. You've always been very mature in accepting our differences and not judging us for them. My only concern is that any friends you bring to the house wouldn't understand; they might question our way of life and word might get out."

Edward didn't need any further explanation. He didn't need to know the specifics of what might get out. It was enough that Carlisle was worried about it and the last thing he wanted to do was jeopardize what he and the Cullens had built over the years. There could be no outsiders that came in and interfered with that. Having a friend over seemed trivial given the ramifications if something went wrong.

"Don't worry, I don't need anyone to come over," he said quickly, wanting to bring about a swift end to that nonsense.

"I think it's something we need to discuss more later," Carlisle said reasonably. "It's not impossible and I know Esme would love to meet some of your friends. Maybe we could have a Halloween party?"

"Umm okay." Halloween was a favorite holiday in the Cullen household.

"Come on let's run before we drown out here," Carlisle said brushing his hand through Edward's drenched hair.

"Race ya," Edward replied and they immediately broke into a run, not at Carlisle speed, but at Edward speed. Edward even cracked a smile when he imagined beating Carlisle or any of the Cullens in a foot race. They were too fast; super hero fast even and he figured that was one of those things that Carlisle didn't want to get out. When they reached the house it was Edward that had beaten Carlisle, though Edward knew better. Carlisle always let him win.

Jasper was no longer on the porch and Edward could hear the voices of the visitors and his family through the screen door though he couldn't understand a word that was being said. It was like he thought; Carlisle's friends were like him…like all of them. Any slight improvement in his mood evaporated.

Everyone was gathered in the great room just off the front entrance. The room itself was huge but even with Emmett and Rosalie's absence, it felt claustrophobic. The furniture was underutilized and with only Alice and the man taking advantage of it, there wasn't much room for both the people and the unused chairs and sofas.

Edward might have been prepared for the pale skin, ethereal beauty, fluid movements and sing song voices of the new arrivals, but he was not prepared to be greeted by three sets of eyes from the most beautiful women he'd ever seen, well except for Rosalie and Esme. He stepped back and bumped into Carlisle feeling his hands settle on his shoulders.

"Everyone. I'd like you to meet Edward," Carlisle announced. "Edward, these are my friends from Alaska. Remember…we've talked about them before. This is Irina, Kate and Tanya and over here…"

He felt Carlisle turn him slightly. "…is Eleazar and his wife Carmen."

Edward looked past the man who was staring at him intently. The women standing next to him was young and also very pretty and he likened her looks to Alice. She was darkly complected and had a kind face that instantly drew him in.

"We've heard so much about you Edward, it's so nice to meet you," Carmen said. She stood slightly behind her husband and though her eyes conveyed the warmth of her words, she didn't appear too eager to come any closer.

He wished he hadn't gotten caught in the rain just then, imagining how his own appearance paled in comparison to the refined elegantly dressed and finely groomed guests.

"It's nice to meet you to," he replied politely his eyes flickering back to the three women that stood off to one side, their expressions mirroring each other.

"Oh my, you never told us how adorable he is," one of the women said breathlessly. "He's going to be stunning when he gets older."

Edward felt the tips of his ears burn in embarrassment. He was startled to realize he didn't know which one had made the comment. They were like triplets that looked exactly alike without looking anything alike at all. He could easily tell them apart, but everything about them suggested they were of one body…one soul. He hadn't even seen which one's lips had moved but perhaps that was because he was looking at the wrong one.

"The key word is older, Tanya, much older," Carlisle mumbled.

"What's ten years…just a blink of an eye." The blond women purred looking absolutely delighted about something. "I can wait."

This time Edward saw which one spoke and he felt the blush extend to his face. He wasn't sure but he thought Esme growled in response and he looked at her curiously, but her face gave nothing away and she smiled at him reassuringly.

"We understand that you're quite the piano player," the women he understood to be Kate said nodding toward the grand piano that was the focal point of the room. "Perhaps you'll play for us during our stay."

"Sure," he said agreeably. "I'm not as good as Rosalie though."

"Rosalie's a fine piano player as she's reminded us time and again over the years," Kate said, her tone less then friendly. "But from what I understand for a boy your age, you're exceptional."

The comment puzzled Edward. He quickly did the math and frowned. "How long have you known Rosalie? Wouldn't she have been a little kid then? She told me she didn't learn how to play until she started high school."

Silence.

Carlisle cleared his throat.

"Umm…well, I might have been mistaken. Maybe I'm thinking of someone else." Kate's eyes flickered up over his head presumably to Carlisle's. "Still I would love to hear you play."

"Not only is Edward an excellent piano player, he's a fabulous chess player. He challenges Carlisle and I with his outrageously bold moves and unorthodox play. I suspect he'll test your skills, Eleazar." Jasper interjected, standing apart from the others, his posture anything but relaxed.

"I'm okay…but I think they let me win." Edward acknowledged and was surprised that his comment generated some chuckles.

"Hmmm and I always thought it was the other way around," Carlisle quipped, giving his shoulders a squeeze.

"I hear you'll be starting the sixth grade this year, Edward. That's junior high school isn't it?" Carmen had stepped in front of her husband and moved closer. She looked like she wanted to give him a hug and Edward pressed back against Carlisle.

"Yeah. Don't you have any kids?" He knew the answer already, but wanted to hear confirmation from her lips.

"Oh…umm…no I don't," Carmen stammered, she hesitated next to Esme.

His eyes flickered to Eleazar who didn't seem to be following the conversation even though his golden eyes were focused keenly on him. Wanting to incite a reaction, he ignored Esme's disapproving look. "Do you want to have kids?"

The comment was directed at Eleazar, but it was Carmen that responded to it.

"I'm not sure. Maybe someday. If I thought they would be like you, I think I would like it very much."

She looked pained like she might be telling the truth and Edward blushed again feeling bad for asking. He knew Esme couldn't have children of her own and it hurt her very much to talk about it. He wondered if it was the same for Carmen.

"This is all very sweet, but you do realize the risk you are putting us in, Carlisle?" The acerbic comment came from the women who had the whitest hair Edward had ever seen.

She didn't look friendly. In fact she had a scowl on her face that contorted her beautiful features and made Edward wonder how he ever could have considered her beauty on par with Rosalie or Esme.

"Please, sister. We've been over this. You worry enough for all of us. There is nothing being done here that is breaking any laws." Tanya argued attempting to touch the women next to her who abruptly pulled away from the small group and stood in front of the window looking out at the dreary weather.

"The law of our kind forbids exposure to the…"

"Irina." Carlisle voice was low, barely audible.

"You're taking too great of a risk," she snapped.

"Perhaps, but it is of our choosing. You have done nothing wrong. You have nothing to fear." Carlisle continued reasonably. "We would never expect you to be accountable for our bad decisions in any case."

"Irina might have a point, "Kate admitted. "You don't expect us to just turn our backs on you, do you? It's somewhat selfish to take risks without considering the consequences, not only for yourselves but others around you, those that you consider family, those that would suffer over your loss."

"I hear you…both of you, but this decision was made, right or wrong, a long time ago and there is no way to undo what has already been done," Carlisle acknowledged.

"Nor would we want to," Esme said firmly. She had not moved from her position next to Carmen but everything in her body language suggested she was doing her best not to take a physical position next to Carlisle.

But when Edward glanced from Esme to the others then back at her, he realized it was he that she wanted to join and he could almost see the need in her eyes. She was silently begging him to move closer. Obediently, he took a step forward, but Carlisle's hands tightened on his shoulder's holding him in place.

Edward could not surmise the nature of the conversation other than to conclude that it had something to do with him and he felt his stomach twist in a knot of anxiety.

"The future holds no hint of the darkness you speak of, Irina," Alice said seriously; her dismay over the downward spiral of both mood and conversation evident in the solemn expression that seldom touched the features of her face.

"The future can always change, Alice." Irina reminded her, unwilling to be persuaded by those around her. "Eleazar, have you nothing to say to your old friend? Certainly you can convince him that this path is a dangerous one…a slippery slope that could bring disaster down upon all of us."

There was a moment of silence in the room. As all eyes shifted to the man who hadn't said a word in Edward's presence. He was staring at him intently with a strange expression on his face and Edward shifted uncomfortably under the burn of his gaze. He felt he was being studied like an insect under a microscope and maybe even judged. Could he measure up and be good enough for the Cullens? Even with his exceptional piano and chess skills, he wasn't so sure. And what would happen to him if Eleazar agreed with whatever Irina was talking about? What would Carlisle do with him then? He hadn't thought about being sent away for a long time, but when he stopped to consider it he realized that it was a fear that never left him completely.

Everyone was waiting expectantly for Eleazar's reply and Edward refused to break the gaze of the man before him. His eyes were identical to that of the Cullens, golden with a touch of black around the edges, but as Edward stared into them he was mindful that they had turned darker, a deep amber and he felt the first inkling of foreboding.

"Eleazar, what are you doing?" It was Carlisle that finally broke the silence.

The man held up his hand. He never broke his gaze with Edward and now Edward felt locked into it and couldn't look away if he tried. He wasn't afraid exactly. He knew Carlisle wouldn't let anyone hurt him and there was no reason for the stranger in front of him to want to, he hadn't done anything wrong, but he felt like they were at a crossroads and though he wouldn't be able to articulate why if someone were to ask him, he recognized the danger behind that man's scrutiny.

"What are you thinking, Edward." The man finally asked, each word spoken exceedingly slow.

"Nothing," Edward mumbled and by speaking he broke the man's hypnotic stare.

"Eleazar now is not really the time for this." Carlisle's voice was even, not alarmed, but there was an underlying threat that was surprising. Eleazar was his friend after all.

"I can't turn it off on a whim, Carlisle. Just give me a minute more and I'll have it," the man said. He didn't sound angry, his tone wasn't threatening, still Edward was wary.

He cocked his head at Edward. His dark complexion contrasted oddly with the paleness of his skin. "Let me rephrase that. What do you think about me?"

Edward looked at him skeptically. He was suspicious of the question. There was an underlying meaning to it and everyone in the room knew it…everyone in the room that was except for him. Again, as was often the case in his years with the Cullens, he felt he was on the outside, never quite fitting in, never understanding exactly what was going on and he felt it more so now, with the addition of five of Carlisle's friends. He wondered if perhaps some of his fantasizing had been right all along. Perhaps all these pale beautiful people were super heroes of a sort, members of a secret club and he was the only one among them that didn't belong. It would be worth considering. He would have to pay better attention.

"It's alright Edward, just say what's on your mind." Carlisle reassured him.

Edward had no intention of doing any such thing, but he had to give this Eleazar fellow an answer.

"I think….I think you're too old to have a wife so young." It was the first thing that came to his mind and he only realized how rude it sounded after he heard Esme gasp. But when everyone else, including Carlisle and Eleazar broke out in loud snorts of laughter, he relaxed and stood a little taller.

"Edward that wasn't very polite," Esme said, but even her voice quivered with suppressed giggles.

"Well Eleazar did ask." Carlisle snickered.

"That I did, that I did," Eleazar said nodding, a grin on his face. His eyes twinkled, no longer boring into Edward's and he looked around at his companion.

"Carmen, it seems the child thinks I'm too old for you. I can't say that I've ever considered it a problem before, am I wrong?"

"Well you are old, there is no denying that, but after all these years, I don't think I could handle a younger man," She giggled.

Edward shoved his hands in his pocket, feeling a little better now that the tension had left the room, but he should have known that Esme wouldn't let his rudeness go unpunished.

"Edward, you need to apologize to Eleazar and Carmen. That's not how we treat guests."

Edward thought about ignoring her. Esme, seldom the disciplinarian, wouldn't punish him; still he didn't like it when she disapproved of anything he said or did. On the other hand, as harmless as Eleazar appeared to be, Edward was sure there was an underlying meaning in his words, an attempt to trick him into revealing something about himself. Even Carlisle had reacted defensively to what appeared to be a simple question.

"I'm sorry. I'm sure you're not as old as you look."

"Edward!"

If the room rang with laughter before it had taken on the crescendo of a church steeple now. Even Jasper was doubled over, holding his side, a sympathetic Alice stroking the side of his face wiping at tears that as far as Edward knew, Jasper couldn't shed.

Only Esme looked angry, but her anger was muted and didn't reach her eyes and despite her best efforts to appear stern, her lips twitched upward in a smile.

"It's alright Esme, I think I startled the boy with my question and after all, forthright children should not be punished for expressing themselves. " Eleazar didn't appear angry, far from it, he seemed to find his insolence hilarious and Edward was disappointed.

"Your observations, while enlightening are not addressing the bigger issue here." Irina looked no more amused than Esme, though Edward guessed for an entirely different reason. "Surely having served them, lived with them you can see that this path he's chosen is fraught with peril. Tell Carlisle of the risks. He certainly won't be persuaded by me. After all what do I know?"

The merriment in the room disappeared and Eleazar pulled his gaze from Edward to face the women that continued to pursue a line of questioning that no one but Edward seemed interested in hearing more about.

"I trust Carlisle's good judgment to keep his family and us safe. There is no reason, just because he has chosen a more unorthodox path to follow that any of this would come under their scrutiny." Eleazar raked his fingers through his thick black hair and glanced back at Edward. "They know Carlisle to be a doctor; surely it wouldn't be too unexpected that he would be a father too?"

Edward watched closely as Eleazar spoke and realized that his words were enunciated in one long continues flow. It took him a moment to realize that he never stopped to take a breath and that realization left him momentarily distracted; so much so that he almost missed the next comment.

"Given what I've seen and that I am seldom wrong in my interpretation of my …errr ability, I think Carlisle could make an argument not unlike our good friend Aro did when he patiently waited for the twins to come of age."

Someone gasped, but Edward wasn't sure who and he looked around confused at the startled faces of the adults that surrounded him.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about and I think this conversation is best left for another time," Carlisle said in a stilted voice, painfully squeezing Edward's shoulders.

"Yes, I think Edward has entertained us with his behavior enough for one afternoon." Esme agreed.

"I suppose I could go to my room as punishment." He felt sticky and uncomfortable in his damp clothes and it was obvious the adults wanted to talk outside of his presence. He tried to appear contrite, and even managed to squirm under Esme's disapproving stare.

"Oh you suppose do you. Yes well you go there for now until I can think of something better." Esme was not to be swayed by attempts to appear repentant. She knew him too well for that.

"I guess I could eat dinner alone as punishment."

That comment probably went too far. Esme looked absolutely incensed though she certainly wasn't frightening in her anger. But her reaction gave him the answer he was looking for. The new arrivals didn't eat either.

"Enough with you young man…upstairs you go."

"Oh he is a cheeky one, isn't he?" He heard Tanya say as he marched through the room refusing to meet Esme's eyes and started up the stairs.

"Edward's had a hard week. He's usually quite amiable. I'm sure you'll see that side of him before you leave," Carlisle said.

"Do you know what you have there, Carlisle?"

The question from Eleazar caught Edward's attention and he hesitated at the first landing.

"That child, I've never seen anything quite like it…astounding."

"He's just a boy Eleazar; surely you can't see anything yet." Carlisle's voice had taken on a weary tone.

"Age doesn't affect what I see. If anything it enhances it. Children aren't guarded like adults; they're open and expressive. No, that boy has a rare and truly powerful gift."

"Enough Eleazar." Carlisle warned. "Edward aren't you suppose to be in your room?"

Edward understood it to be a question that needed no reply. He stomped up the stairs and slammed the bedcroom door to leave no doubt that he was sequestered within the confines of his cell.

He was slightly ashamed of his behavior. Normally, even when he was in one of his moods, he didn't lash out at anyone and he hated for Esme to be angry with him, but he hadn't seemed to be able to help himself. There was no reason for him to act so outrageously to a simple question from the stranger, but he was right in assuming that it wasn't just a simple question. There was something more too it. Carlisle's reaction was evidence of that.

Then there was Irina. He couldn't be sure but he had the distinct impression that she didn't like him, even resented him in some way and was implying that his presence had put the Cullens in danger. There could be no other explanation, even talking in code could not hide that he was the focal point of the conversation. And the sidelong glares she'd thrown his way had confirmed it. He would do his best to avoid her during their visit which could prove difficult since he had no intention of wandering off alone with her around.

He thought about eavesdropping. There was a vent in his room and if he pressed his ear against it he could often hear snippets of conversation from the room below. But generally the words were spoken too rapidly for him to understand, so seldom did he pick up anything useful.

And did he really want to know? Again he thought that might be a question that didn't need an answer. He had seen too many things in his young life not to understand that knowledge wasn't all it was cracked up to be despite Carlisle's opinion to the contrary. Living with a house full of people that never ate or drank anything, never slept, never got sick…not ever, not a cough or cold or even a sniffle, had taught him that some things were just left unspoken.

He didn't need to know why no one used the bathroom but him and Rosalie who could be locked in there for hours doing God knows what. There was no reason that he had to learn how to climb to the very top of a tree that had no branches, yet could be easily scaled by Jasper who would wave to him from the very top, looking neither frightened nor particularly excited by his envious vantage point. Did it really matter to him that Alice could predict the weather better than any of the weatherman on TV or that she tattled on him when he did something wrong, before he actually did it. And if the Cullen boys could throw the ball better or run faster or were stronger than any other boy at school, yet they never acted better or strong or faster at school, was that his business and was it really that important? He didn't think so.

Carlisle was right. Edward didn't judge because it didn't matter. He didn't talk about it to others, because it was no one's business and he pretended not to notice because if he did, he might start asking questions and if he started asking questions they might make him leave and there was no bit of knowledge or piece of information in the whole world that would make that worthwhile.

Author Notes:

For those that didn't do that math Edward is eleven years old in this chapter.

His comments directed at Eleazar about his age weren't without merit. I'm not sure that I'm taking any liberties with Eleazar's age, when I imagine him to be a little older, closer to thirty which would put him much older than most of the others and it's entirely possible that Carmen was a teenager when she was changed.

Edward's gift isn't hard to figure out, but Eleazar can only guess at the extent of it and he would have no way of knowing how it would evolve if Edward were changed into a vampire.

Since it wasn't overt I didn't add a warning, but did anyone else find Tanya's comments towards Edward creepy? They have no real relevance to the story but I thought it was a very Tanya thing to say.