All Characters, etc, are the property of Stephenie Meyer! Not mine, I'm just posing =P

Sorry it took a while to get this chapter out. I hope you enjoy it as much as the first! Let me know what you think. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Also, sorry if the formatting is crazy, I'm still figuring out how to upload everything correctly =/

Chapter 2

Awakening

After several agonizing seconds his eyes shot open. He scanned the ceiling above him, no doubt overwhelmed by the clarity of his new vision. I was so anxious I was shaking.

He jumped off of the floor and backed against a wall, startled by Carlisle and me. Neither of us breathed for a moment, allowing him time to familiarize himself with our home. Then I spoke.

"Edward?" I looked him in his bright cherry red eyes, "you're safe we won't hurt you."

He lifted his eyebrows and tilted his head in curiosity. "Who are you?" he asked loudly. He was starting to tense. "Where am I?"

Carlisle stepped forward slightly and Edward twitched backward. "We're your friends, Edward. I was your doctor at the hospital. Do you remember being sick? You and your family were under my care."

I could see the wheels turning in his head. He was trying to remember his human life from just days ago. "I had the influenza. Am I healed? Can I fight?"

"No, son, you can't join the war. You're not healed, not really. Just different." Carlisle replied calmly.

"What do you mean, different? I mean I can tell I'm different, but how?" He looked like he was going to explode with emotion. This was normal for a newborn and something we would have to deal with for quite some time. No doubt he was experiencing sensory overload and needed some time to adjust.

His hand shot up and grabbed his throat unconsciously. He was in pain, he needed to hunt.

Carlisle and I exchanged looks before my father spoke again. "I know this must be very confusing for you but you need to eat, it's the only way to make your throat feel better. Do you want to follow us? We'll show you how to make the pain go away. We will take care of you." Carlisle's voice was so calm and soothing that the boy almost looked hypnotized as he nodded his head. Carlisle turned and ran through the back door. I waited for Edward to follow behind our father so I could take my place in the back; I wanted to make sure we kept a good watch on him so he couldn't do anything he would regret.

We took him up to Canada to hunt predators. After he had his fill of mountain lion we sat around a nearby stream so we could all clean ourselves up. Edward seemed to be raging an emotional battle with himself. He looked as though he wanted to ask questions but wasn't sure he wanted to know the answers. I tried not to stare at him, but I wanted to talk to him. I was desperate to know what he was like and what he thought of his new form of sustenance.

"Where are my parents?" he asked after quite some time. I let Carlisle do the talking.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this, Edward, but they're gone. The influenza took them, they're at peace."

"Why am I not at peace? Why am I killing mountain lions with my bare hands and teeth? Drinking their blood like a demon? What have you done to me?"

His reaction was agonizing. I had worried he would not appreciate his new life and what we do to stay alive. I didn't realize how much it would hurt me. For the first time in my existence as an immortal I was ashamed of myself. Why did we do this to him? He didn't ask for this.

Pain was evident on Carlisle's face as well. When he spoke his voice was calm, "Your mother asked me to save you Edward. She begged me to do anything I had to in order to keep you alive. She looked at me like she knew what I was capable of, like she was asking me to do this to you. It was your mother's dying request."

"What am I?" He asked softly, his face contorted in rage and pain.

This time I replied, "You're a vampire, Edward."

Several seconds passed and Edward didn't move a muscle. He was a perfect statue, frozen by stress and anxiety. Certainly he had to be feeling much the same as I did my first day.

"I thought… vampires… were supposed to drink the blood of humans, not animals?"

He hesitated on the word but said it nonetheless.

Carlisle spoke again, "Most of our kind do, but we are different. We have worked our entire existence to resist human blood and only take the lives of animals. We would prefer to not kill at all for we truly are peaceful people. The others of our kind are not so peaceful and are very different from us. They consider themselves better than humans, viewing them only as something to eat and nothing to be respected. We on the other hand are full of love and compassion for the human race and do not wish to sacrifice any of their lives for our personal gain."

"Then why did you kill me?" He accused with acid in his voice.

"You were close to death Edward. You're only seventeen and you were going to die just weeks before you turned eighteen. I couldn't let that happen, you're smart and talented and I think that you could do a lot of good with your life. Also for your mother, I promised I would do everything I could to save you but there wasn't much else I could do. You wouldn't be alive right now if I hadn't done something to save you. I'm sorry if this is not what you wanted but there's nothing I can do to change my decision now. I would have asked you but you were unconscious and unresponsive. Isa," he waved at me in a sort of introduction. I nodded in response, "and myself discussed it before we acted. We've both been on this earth for a very long time and thought what we were doing was for the best."

The boy considered this for around half an hour in complete silence, Carlisle and I stayed frozen while we waited for him to speak again. His expression was pensive, his mouth pulled into a deep frown. I was sure he had an incredible number of questions. I just hoped he wouldn't lose his temper and figure out just how much stronger than us he actually was.

Suddenly, he broke the silence.

"I wouldn't say that." He said out of nowhere.

I looked at him, wondering to whom he was speaking. No one had spoken for several moments; in fact, we were completely still.

I was then very concerned about this child's mind.

"I'm sorry?" Carlisle asked.

"You said that I was doing a good job controlling my emotions. I said I 'I wouldn't say that' because in my head I'm feeling at least ten intense feelings all at once." He replied with a strained voice and wide eyes.

Carlisle looked completely bewildered. What was going on? Carlisle hadn't spoken, yet it appeared as if he knew exactly what Edward was referring to.

"Yes." Edward said again, responding to a question that no one asked.

"Edward, I didn't speak that question out loud." Carlisle said. And suddenly, I knew exactly what was going on. The boy had a gift of the mind as I suspected.

"Excuse me? What do you mean, I heard you loud and clear?" Edward looked very worried and I had a feeling he was quickly approaching a melt down.

"Carlisle, perhaps we should return to the house before we discuss this any further?" Hopefully Carlisle would understand that Edward needed time to calm before we explained gifts. "Unless you're still thirsty Edward?"

"No, I think I'm well fed for now," was his reply. When he said this he looked at me with intense but curious eyes. He certainly was feeling a lot of conflicting emotions and each one of them flashed across his perfect features.

His voice was velvet and I hadn't really taken the time to appreciate it for what it was. It was like music and I found myself wishing he would keep speaking just so I could hear it.

He was still staring at me when Carlisle cleared his throat and turned in the direction of our departure. As we ran I wondered about the boy's thoughts, as well as whether or not he could hear me. I doubted it, my shield usually blocked gifts like his.

Though if he truly could read people's minds just by being near them there surely would be no way to keep Aro from seeking him out. I was sure Carlisle had the same thought – Edward was probably growing more concerned by the second.

When we arrived we went inside immediately and sat down in the living room. Carlisle and I sat rather, Edward paced furiously. He had his arms crossed about his chest with one hand angled up near his face, his first two fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. I mused that this was an unconscious habit left over from his human life and watched in fascination.

"So you're saying I'm reading your thoughts right now?" Edward asked somewhat frantically.

"Yes, I believe so. Can you describe to me what you see or hear?" Carlisle replied. He was always curious for which I was grateful. He was asking the questions I, too, wanted answered.

"It sounds like you're speaking to me out loud I suppose, but I just noticed it's really not something I hear with my ears. I hear it loud and clear, but I can only hear you. Unless she just isn't thinking of anything," he nodded in my direction, "which I find highly unlikely."

"Just like you Edward, I too have a gift. It's known in our world as a shield and will block any mental intrusions. I suppose yours is included considering you just confirmed my suspicions that you don't know my mind. Can you hear anyone else now? We're still several miles from our neighbors but it's possible your 'hearing' could reach farther." I was apprehensive to admit what I could do because he seemed upset that he couldn't hear me. He stared at me for several moments before speaking.

"No, just Carlisle," He hesitated for a moment before speaking again, "Can I ask you both some personal questions?" He asked tentatively.

"Of course, we're family now if you'll have us." I smiled warmly at him and he seemed to calm at the sight. Had I not smiled since he awoke? I suddenly realized that I had been inexcusably rude to the poor boy by not appearing welcoming in the least. I'm sure it looked as though I was glaring at him the entire time when in actuality I was simply stressed and intrigued by his awakening. He didn't realize how big of a deal it was for such a change to occur in a vampire's life. Carlisle and I have lived the same monotonous life day after day, night after night, for over a century. We mostly kept to ourselves, only working because our careers brought us happiness.

While I had not yet experienced the feeling of such a complete change, Carlisle had. Killing me changed him completely. He was already a compassionate man before he happened upon me, but he was not as confident in his abilities to withstand temptation. Now he was a caregiver to the sick, dealing with fresh flowing blood every day without a second thought.

A few more moments of silence stretched between us. Edward seemed to be calming and he finally sat down on the couch next to me. He still looked very scared, and yet very fascinated with me. He was staring at me from where he sat, no doubt examining every small feature of my face with his new vision. I could see him breathing my scent in deeply through his nose and mouth. Then he turned to Carlisle and did the same.

"There are so many different smells mixed together it's overwhelming. I don't even know how to describe most of it. Does it get easier to handle everything?"

"Yes it does. You are a newborn and must give yourself time to adjust. Our minds work much faster than you're accustomed to. We have the capacity to think of many things at one time with perfect clarity. It makes our emotions difficult to control at first, but it gets much easier. You learn to focus on one thing at a time while keeping tabs on others in the back of your mind. It will be harder for you of course, because of your gift. Despite that, I promise it will get easier." I looked straight into his eyes and tried hard to look caring. I wanted him to feel comfortable and trust us.

He turned to look at our father. "How old are you Carlisle?"

"I'm over two centuries old. I happened upon Isa in 1800 and she became the first member of my family. I never thought I would do this to another person. Please forgive me if my selfishness has caused you pain."

Sweet, loving Carlisle. I could see the pain and regret over changing me had now doubled or tripled in size for adding yet another poor soul to this family. I hoped he recovered from this regret faster than before considering the boy had been destined to die soon anyway.

"Were you dying as well?" He turned to me and gazed into my eyes curiously.

"Umm…No. I was doing research for my master's thesis at a prehistoric site near my home in Maryland. I was stupidly there very late in the evening, much too late for a defenseless human. Carlisle was hunting in the woods nearby and caught my scent. He was unable to stop himself before biting but he obviously did eventually, otherwise I wouldn't be here now. I owe him my life." My tone became somewhat dreamlike toward the end of my speech. I was desperate for Carlisle to see that I didn't care what happened all of those years ago. I also wanted Edward to see and hopefully be reassured that this life is not as bad as he must think.

"But he has not made another mistake since, and neither have I. Neither of us has killed a human since that day. We respect humans and animals alike and believe in redemption for our sins. There is no denying that we are monsters, but we try very hard not to be. We encourage you to stay with us and commit to our lifestyle. If you should decide you are not satisfied with your life here, I implore you to stay with us until your newborn bloodlust has been quenched. If it happens that you taste human blood and decide it's for you, then you will have to leave our family. We will not tolerate the slaughtering of innocent people. That being said, I sincerely hope that you decide to stay." I slowly reached out to pat the back of his hand with my fingers. He seemed to shudder slightly from the sensation but he did not pull away or overreact, which honestly is what I expected.

"What are we going to do now, Carlisle?" I asked suddenly. A thought had occurred to me that I had not yet considered. "Should we escape to the woods for a time to live in the forest as we did when I was new? Remember the newborn thirst? What if he comes across someone here, so close to the city?"

"I have already turned in my resignation with the hospital. We can go as soon as you are both ready." Carlisle admitted. I wondered why he hadn't told me this sooner.

"Yes I think I'd like to continue to avoid humans if possible. I would prefer to participate in your lifestyle over being a demon monster."

Carlisle laughed without humor. "You say that now, but we'll see how you feel if you smell a human before you're ready."

I smiled reassuringly at the boy one more time before standing.

"When should we leave then?" I asked of both men.

"Can we wait a little while? I think I'd like some time to think alone please. Is there a separate room where I can rest?"

He thought he still needed rest. I wondered how disappointed he would be when he found that he could get no pleasure from closing his eyes other than clearing his vision and opening his mind.

"Yes, I'll show you your room. It's this way." I took him down the hallway to the third room that was never used. I made sure to keep the entire house clean and tidy, but this room was slightly dustier than the others from disuse. There was a comfortable sofa under a large window in the back of the room and a wall covered in books. Carlisle and I had hundreds of books in every room of every house that we owned.

"No bed?" he asked sounding slightly disappointed.

"No, Edward, I'm sorry. We don't sleep, I'm afraid. We truly are creatures of the night." I smiled at the thought though I could see he did not find it funny.

He would see the humor eventually.

"That's why we have all of these books, there's a lot of time to waste when you don't sleep. You're welcome to read whichever ones you'd like while we're here."

"Thank you. That's too bad though, I enjoy dreaming very much… what year were you born, Isa?" I had turned to leave the room so he said the last part I supposed to make me stay.

"In 1780. I'm from Maryland, my ancestors were colonists of this country."

"That's incredible. You look so young. So you were twenty when you died? How old was Carlisle?"

"He was only slightly older than me, though he was considerably wiser. I had become so focused on my education and defying the rules of society that I cared little for much else. Carlisle was taking up the reigns of his father, hunting vampires in Europe when he was turned. You should really ask him to tell you the story, as it is somewhat personal."

"So you both assumed that since you didn't have a problem with your change that I wouldn't either?" It was amazing how quickly his mood changed: he was now in the beginnings of a newborn mood swing. Such is the reality of caring for newborns, they can be totally calm and seemingly content one moment and violently angry the next. And though I knew I needed to tread carefully, I couldn't help myself from getting angry back.

"Please understand Edward, we each considered how we felt about our own change, but unfortunately our selfishness took over and we couldn't resist the thought of adding another to our family. We meant you no harm. In fact we hoped that you would appreciate our saving you from such a young death. The lifestyle Carlisle and I have chosen causes us to attach to our coven members stronger than others of our kind. We crave love and friendship, and the idea of adding another to our family was irresistible for us. I see now that you're not happy with our decision and I apologize. If you'd like to go ahead and die as you were supposed to I'm sure we can have it arranged. It's very difficult and very painful, but it can be done."

I didn't mean for this to sound like a threat and I knew it probably was not a good idea for me to taunt a newborn. All I wanted was for him to see that he had options and he didn't have to live this life that we condemned him to.

He definitely took it as a threat and reacted appropriately. He hissed and growled loudly as he coiled to attack. Carlisle was there in an instant to calm the situation. He glared at me disapprovingly.

"Edward, you deserve an apology on our part for not considering your feelings enough in the matter, but Isa did not mean to threaten your life. She simply meant to inform you of your options if that is what you desire. We are no longer going to make your decisions for you. Your future path is completely up to you."

"I think for now we should escape to the forest and see where things go from there…" He said after a moment of hesitation. Slowly, his muscles relaxed.

"Absolutely Edward. We're your family and we'll follow you wherever you go." Carlisle replied sweetly.

"Thank you Carlisle. I'm sorry Isa I did not mean to react so harshly. It's hard to control my emotions. I don't understand how I've reacted until I've already done it. Please forgive me?"

His eyes were impossible to resist and I couldn't say no. His silky voice was incredible when he used it in full force. Was it possible for our predatory lures to work on other vampires rather than just humans?

Perhaps it was his innocence that made him so intriguing to me. Also his gift, as it was so exactly like his human talents it was mind boggling. Carlisle and I would have to talk about that later.

"Of course I forgive you. What you're going through is very difficult and I understand that." I said soothingly.

Earlier the boy had mentioned a desire to be alone, so I turned to leave – this time, he didn't stop me.

Carlisle followed me out into the living room and closed the door behind him, leaving Edward to his thoughts.

We sat there in silence, each thinking of a plan for the coming months. We were going to need to think carefully in order to keep Edward from doing anything he would regret. After a while, I spoke as quietly as possible so the boy could not hear.

"What do you think of his gift, Carlisle?"

"I think that if they find out about him it will not be long before Aro comes knocking on our door."

"I have been thinking the same thing."