Disclaimer:

I've said it before.

Most Characters and this world belong to the brilliant Stephanie Meyers.

Cricket is inspired by Tara Bray Smith's Betwixt, as are Dante's rave and Fuller.

"C'mon," I muttered to Nahuel, giving his shirt sleeve a tug as I passed him.

He followed me obediently to the threshold where I stopped and turned to look at him.

"Please tell me you at least had the sense to bring my things…" My voice trailed off at the look on his face. Of course not. "Of course not." I echoed my thought out loud.

"Sorry." He said.

I turned and looked out at the wet streets, trying to plan out my next move.

"So, where are we going?" He asked curiously.

"I haven't decided yet…"

"Might I make a suggestion?"

"Mmm?"

"The Cullen manor has…"

I laughed. "Ha! Your funny, but there's not a chance in hell."

"Might I make a second suggestion?"

"Free country," I murmured.

"Are you hungry?"

"No." I told him. It was a lie and my stomach sold me out with a loud rumble.

He smiled at me. "Somebody must have opened their restaurant today. The storm is not nearly as bad here as up North. We'll find somewhere."

I had to admit he was right. The rain was fairly light here, and for the moment it was nonexistent. So I followed him on his quest for a restaurant. I wondered what he was going to do about the bill. I wasn't above the old dine-and-dash routine but something told me he wouldn't be so into the concept. I sure as hell hoped he had cash on him because my money was back at their house, although if it was on me, I suppose I would be spending it to get myself the fuck out of this state.

We traveled in silence and, after a few minutes, I dropped back a couple of steps so I could get a look at him in action. Nahuel's feet were swift and utterly silent, and every step they took were long and sinuous and smooth. My eyes traveled further up to his torso. I don't even think he was aware of it, but I was almost sure his shoulders were held forward as opposed to back. He reminded me of a documentary on AnimalPlanet I had watched with my grandfather once upon a time… The walk was strangely predatory. He was a man with a mission…

A man on a hunt.

I couldn't stop myself from thinking that though I didn't particularly like the thought. I picked up the pace until I had fallen beside him again. He glanced at me with those beautiful eyes and shot me a quick grin.

No fangs, I noted as he flashed his pearly whites. No fangs? Of course there aren't any fangs. Pull it together Cricket, your losing it.

"What about here?" He asked coming to a stop and holding open a door for me.

The sign on the door said J.R's Diner.

I shrugged and walked in.

The diner was fairly empty. There was an old man sipping tomato soup at the counter and a woman not to much older than me picked at a cheese omelet in a booth. The bored waitress leapt to her feet and smiled too excitedly when she saw us. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and headed to a secluded back table.

Once we had seated ourselves she came over and handed us our menus.

"Hi, my name is Audrey, I'll be your waitress. Can I start you off with something to drink?"

"Ice tea?" I asked without hesitation.

She nodded and glanced toward Nahuel.

"Make it two," He said smiling at her.

She nodded and smiled back. "Coming right up."

I looked back at Nahuel and he was staring at me, not cruelly, but intensely. I straightened my back and stared back, refusing to let him make me uncomfortable. He raised a surprised eyebrow at my own stare, smiled warmly, but neither action lessened his intensity.

"How does it work?" He asked quietly, opening his menu as Audrey set our drinks down.

I opened my own menu and waited until I heard her footsteps fade away before answering.

"People glow and then they die. That's about it." I scanned the menu and asked a question my own. "What are you guys? I mean, really?"

"I can't tell you."

I snorted. "Thus endeth the personal interview."

He frowned at me from across the table.

"Alright," he said slowly, "It's not that I can't tell you because I could tell you. I just won't. Its against the law for your kind to know the truth. If you knew…" he shook his head and turned his face away from me for a second.

When he looked back his face was pained. I should have let it drop but I didn't. He was the jackass invading my life not the other way around. Maybe if I hurt his feelings enough he'd go back to Forks or Butterknife or Brazil.

"My kind?" Yeah, that phrase didn't escape my notice.

"Human." He said simply.

I flinched. He wasn't human. I'd suspected as much but still… having it confirmed…

"And if I knew the truth?" I pressed on.

"You would be killed for it."

My mind drew a blank at that. How does one respond to hearing something like that?

So I just stared at him. He stared right back.

"Have you decided?"

I jumped. Audrey was back.

"Um… the Bacon Cheeseburger?" Hell, if I wasn't paying for it…

"And how do you want it cooked?"

"Medium Rare." I told her.

She wrinkled her nose. "How anyone can eat it like that…" She still had on her friendly smile so I took no offense.

Instead I laughed and said, "Hey, I'd be happy if you just strapped the cow down and handed me a fork."

Nahuel found something about the statement hysterical. He laughed. Loudly. I intended it to be funny, but it wasn't that funny…

"What are you getting?" I asked to bring him back to reality.

"Oh, um… I'll have what she's having," He said to Audrey.

Audrey nodded and smiled and scribbled on her notepad before leaving us alone again.

And he was staring. Again.

I suddenly felt overwhelmed with sorrow and regret but I tried not to let it translate onto my face. Nahuel was a good… well, he was a good whatever he was, and his family was relatively kind. He saved me and they took me in. As strange and inhuman as they might be they didn't deserve the grief that was coming for them. I knew they wanted me to help, but I knew there was nothing I could do.

"I can't save them, you know," I whispered breaking eye contact and staring down at my hands.

"Charlie, Jacob, and Jasper?" He asked quietly, no doubt trying to confirm what I already knew.

"Yes."

"How do you know you can't save them?" He tried to ask calmly but I could hear the desperation in his voice. "Have you ever tried?"

That question made me furious and I slammed a frustrated fist on the table.

"Have I ever tried?" I shouted. I lowered my voice and leaned forward. "Look, Nahuel, I don't know who you are but this sure as fuck isn't the first time I've seen these lights. Of course I tried but I can never change anything…"

"How long do they have?" The desperation showing through more clearly. "Edward said you can estimate how much time they have by the brightness of the light. How long?"

It was my turn to study his face. I doubted they were his family in the traditional sense but it was clear he loved them like his own. I wondered what it would have been like if I had stayed home, waited for my grandmother to die. Would I have felt better, knowing I had spent her last days by her side? Or would I have felt worse, watching helplessly as the light grew until she all but disappeared, watching as life finally left her and she was lowered into the ground? I wondered if Nahuel thought it would make a difference, knowing when the end was coming. Did he think he could save them if he knew the when? Or was it him trying to prepare himself for their end?

"Would it really help? Knowing?" I asked quietly.

"Yes." He said the word with such a passion I almost believed him.

I gave in a little. "Jacob first. Maybe a month. Jasper a little longer. Half a year at most, probably less, definitely not more."

"Charlie?"

"Longer than either. His light's fuzzy."

"How long?" Nahuel pressed.

I thought about it for a second, trying to estimate. "I'd give him a year…maybe a little longer…"

"Thank you," He whispered quietly.

Audrey set our down and left but suddenly I had no appetite. This topic of discussion was making me nauseous and the smell of the burger had my stomach doing flips.

"Can I ask you something? Does knowing how much time's left help?"

"Yes and no. If this is set in stone, then no it doesn't help. But Alice? She's a psychic. If we know when… maybe she can look ahead and find out how. Maybe they can be saved…"

"Good luck," I whispered sincerely.

He didn't respond.

We both stared downwards at our food in silence.

Our stares didn't go unnoticed.

"Is there something wrong?" The waitress asked looking worried.

I knew she meant the food but I answered anyway.

"Everything," I told her.

I pushed the food away and stood up.

"I meant it Nahuel. I wish you luck. But I can't watch this."

Then I left.

I brushed by the bewildered waitress and tried no to look back. I tried not to look back and failed. The look on Nahuel's face broke my heart. I didn't know why his pain was affecting me so much, but I knew I had to get away from him before I did or said something stupid. But I knew then, even as I left, that his face and these deaths… They would haunt me.

Author Note:

Okay, so not as much action in this chapter, but I thought the ending was subtly dramatic. No worries the action will pick back up but I thought i had left you waiting for a new chapter long enough. No worries, I do know where I am going with this story, I'm just taking awhile because of school.

That being said, this story IS a mystery. Although I've left loose ends I am also dropping clues!. Review, because if you have theories I'd love to hear them!

Even if you dont' have theories review anyway. I'm a review whore, your words make me happy. Tell me what you like, tell me what you didn't like, but please be kind!