Once inside the house we all separated. Alice to her computer, Rosalie to the couch and the TV, Emmett and Jasper to the deranged chess game they had going and when I say deranged I am not kidding, they have eight boards connected and their own complicated system of rules.

Very rarely does Emmett let me play chess with them. On the rare occasion he lets me play, I'm not allowed to study my opponent which is completely unfair.

So mainly I just watch and give hints to which ever brother happens to have picked on me the least for the day, when I do play it's against Alice, Edward, and Jasper who doesn't see what I do as cheating, and sometimes Rosalie, though she's not really one for chess, my main opponent is Carlisle. He's a fantastic chess player and gives me a great challenge, but I've discovered its always best to play him when he's not focused on the hospital or whatever else might be concerning him, he has to be reminded of each move and it takes forever…

After checking on Charlie, who had spent the day in the portable cage situated on the table, in full view of the rest of the house (so Esme could keep her eye on him), I joined Rosalie on the couch, but didn't watch the screen as she flipped through the channels, I watched Emmett and Jasper. Alice was mouthing moves to Jasper from her computer.

I grinned.

Two can play that game.

I could read Jasper like a book, even from where I was sitting. He swopped in and took out Emmett's knight, but kept his face smooth.

Jasper and Carlisle are the only ones in the family who play chess regularly that I can play against without worrying about being called a cheater or being cheated.

I know his moves and I know how to counter them and on the other hand he knows the same about me and my moves; Jasper's completely military minded when he plays, but I've been playing against him long enough that games against each other usually last days, not hours.

I'm not sure what made Emmett look up, but I'm glad he did because he caught my eye and knew instantly that I was going to help him.

Alice couldn't see me from where she sat, so it would be fun to see who would win, the one getting the psychic's help or the one getting the profiler's.

I leaned up higher to scan the boards and instantly saw a move for Emmett, I read Jasper's body language and Alice's as well and knew Emmett would be safe. I mouthed

'Board 3…Bishop to b5, he'll move his knight to protect it, take out his pawn on c6, lure in him in, sacrifice your rook to give your pawn a chance to make it to the other side. Pawn becomes a queen, and bam you've got him.'

I watched as he did the first part I suggested, catching Jasper off guard, Alice frowned and I stifled a snicker.

Rosalie heard me and flicked my ear, not hard enough to really hurt just enough so that I did feel it.

"Stop cheating," she said with a slight smile, her eyes never leaving the screen as she peeled through the channels turning them into a blur.

"Not cheating, leveling the playing field." I replied, "and makes the game more interesting. 'Sides" I paused and nodded my head towards Alice "If I'm cheating then what do you call that?"

Rosalie sighed and looked to where I had nodded; she rolled her eyes again and let out another sigh.

"I'd call that you both are cheating and need to stop. Let Jasper beat Emmett for the millionth time this decade, Emmett will throw a fit and demand a rematch, and life will go on as usual; with no interference from the psychic or the profiler." She finally replied, but she smiled and laughed just the same.

Edward's movement caught my attention; I looked over at him as he walked to his piano and tapped a couple keys. After testing the tuning, he began playing, a few lines at first, and then something that began to resemble a song.

Rosalie and I exchanged a look. It had been a long time since Edward had played the piano, let alone wrote anything.

The last song I think he actually composed was a Celtic type song for me. He took what he saw in my personality and how I hunt and added that to music he knew was a part of my heritage and composed a short fast paced melody for it. But that was years ago.

Rosalie looked at Edward, her face full of resentment and despite knowing she was really angry with him and that it somehow involved the Swan girl. I couldn't see what was really bothering Rosalie.

Edward knew…that was obvious because he stopped playing for a second as he snorted back a laugh. Rosalie's look of contempt turned into her very own death glare, and suddenly I could read what the real issue was.

My eyes went wide, bloody hell…Rosalie is jealous of the Swan girl. More laughter from Edward, he knew that I had just figured it out, but luckily for me Rosalie was more focused on glaring at Edward to pay any attention to me.

Emmett and Jasper looked up from their game, staring at Edward; Esme flew down the stairs waiting impatiently for him to continue.

"Don't stop, Edward." She encouraged. Edward began playing again, his grin growing wider and wider.

This could be a bad thing, if he said anything to the others Rosalie would kill him. I just had to make sure I told her that I knew, with Rosalie it's better to be straight forward on matters like this then letting her find out later.

When I profile something about her specifically something she's trying to hide from the rest of the family, she knows I will come to her straight away and let her know what I profiled and as usual, swear it will not be repeated, she knows I cant help what I do, I have no control over what I profile.

I knew she'd go easier on me if I confronted her right away. Edward on the other hand, well if he continued to laugh at her while he read her mind, he was a dead man. When it comes to Rosalie's temper, it's every man for himself.

Tossing the remote to me, Rosalie stood up and stormed out of the room. As she passed him, she glared at Edward again and he snorted another laugh, he was trying to get himself killed I knew it.

"What's wrong, Rose?" Emmett called after her. She didn't turn. She was going to the one place in the house that she can submerge herself in a project and be alone... the garage.

I turned the TV off and after a glance at Edward who shrugged innocently after me I followed Rosalie to the garage.

She wasn't hard to find. As I figured she was completely submerged under the Beemer, her feet sticking out, and the sound of tools hitting metal coming from underneath, if it was ANY other car she was working on, especially a certain Volvo, I'd guess she was just hitting the chassie with a wrench to get out her frustration, but since that's her baby, I think she was actually being productive.

"I don't want to talk Chris," she said, her voice muffled.

"I figured as much. I just gotta tell you something, then I'll go back in the house and leave you alone."

"Fine."

"I…er…" I knelt down and ducked my head under the car so I could see her. She was pissed, very much so and slightly embarrassed. "Rose, I know what Edward was laughing at and what it was that made you so mad."

She pushed herself out from under the car, so hard that I had to jump out of the way to avoid the board as it came racing at my head; I landed smoothly on the roof of the Volvo just a few feet from the beemer, safely out of the way and lowered myself to a squat so Rosalie and I were eyelevel.

"Christian Aiden Cullen" My eyes went wide…whoa, she middle named me, this is serious "if you so much as utter one word TO ANYONE I will put you through the roof of that Volvo so help-"

"Oh come on Rose, you know me better than that. Reading body language is like reading minds, it's private information that no one else should ever have access too. I can't avoid what I do, that's why I came out here to apologize in advance and let you know that I won't say anything, you know I won't. Have I ever broken that promise to you?"

Her expression softened and she shook her head slowly. Like I said, Rosalie and I have this understanding, she knows she can trust me to keep my assessments and predictions to myself if they involve her, no matter what, unless I am given permission to repeat what I read or what I profile puts the family or our human neighbors in danger. I believe fully in the do unto others rule and exercise it at all times.

"Thank you." she said softly and pushed herself back under the car. With this conversation dead and buried, I jumped off the car and headed back into the house.

Edward was still playing, but this time the song he wrote for Carlisle and Esme. When he finished it and realized I had entered the house, he hit a few keys, the beginning to my song, it starts off slow and calm, and then the pace picks up faster and faster a whirlwind of Celtic type beats finding their way to one another to form one song.

I allowed a grin to sweep across my face as the tune picked up and grew faster and faster. I wasn't ready to forgive him for how he was treating Rosalie, or for his attitude towards me in the car this afternoon, but bribes would be tolerated.

Alice was tapping the floor with her foot; she loves my song as much as I do, maybe more. She stopped tapping as she remembered something

"Oh!" she said abruptly "Jasper, guess what?"

I wandered over to Esme who hugged my shoulders as I passed, before I sat myself on the steps that lead up to the rise Edward's piano sits on.

"What, Alice?" Jasper asked

"Peter and Charlotte are coming to visit next week! They're going to be in the neighborhood, isn't that nice?"

I grinned. Jasper's friends Peter and Charlotte have somewhat become a part of the extended family. They don't share our idea in diet, but when they visit it means we can have even teams for a change.

I glanced outside, not great weather for baseball not yet anyways, maybe football, or Emmett's idea of football.

"What's wrong, Edward?" Esme asked.

I could see panic setting into Edward's face his whole body was tense. Peter and Charlotte have visited many times before and he's never reacted like this.

"Peter and Charlotte are coming to Forks?" he hissed.

Alice rolled her eyes at Edward. And I exchanged a look with Jasper and Emmett; both looked as confused as I felt.

"Calm down, Edward. It's not their first visit." She frowned as I read his expression. "they never hunt here. You know that."

I stared at Edward; this was not my brother I growled softly to myself. Was all of this because of the Swan girl and her…her control over my brother? She was making him mistrust those we call close friends, what was next? He wouldn't trust those he calls family, would he stop trusting us?

Charlotte and Peter may not share our dietary preference, but they always respect it. They have never hunted in our area and when they do come for a visit, they make sure they are, ahem, well fed so to speak before hand.

"When?" Edward demanded, I exchanged a look with Emmett who was just as confused as I was. Alice must have answered Edward with her mind because she didn't answer out loud. "No," Edward answered her, he turned to Emmett "you ready, Emmett?"

Emmett and I exchanged another look, when it comes to Edward; we've been doing that a lot lately.

"I thought we were leaving in the morning?" Emmett questioned, "Weren't Chris, you, and me going to Tacoma to pick up a part for the Mustang?"

"Don't worry 'bout that," I replied lying through my teeth and Edward knew it, he could read the betrayal in my mind and out of the corner of my eye I saw him wince when I refused to look him straight on. "I have to keep an eye on Charlie anyways. They said they'd hold the part indefinitely anyways…not a big deal."

Emmett didn't like that; he doesn't like breaking promises and I could tell he felt really bad about it that and he was a really looking forward to seeing the look on the owners face when we walked into the store and Emmett, pretending to be me asked to pick up his hold.

Emmett's not cruel and sadistic, but there's nothing he loves more than giving people a good fright.

"We're coming back by midnight Sunday. I guess it's up to you when you want to leave. Chris we'll go Monday ok?" Edward finished, giving me a half apologetic shrug.

"Whatever, but remember, it's gonna be sunny both Monday and Tuesday, so think 'bout it." I replied looking at Alice, who nodded.

Emmett sighed

"Ok, fine. Let me say goodbye to Rose first." He said softly

"She's in the garage," I told him "under the Beemer."

He nodded his thanks before heading out.

Edward looked over at me, but now found he couldn't look me in the eyes, I shook my head at him and walked back to the TV.

I flipped myself gently onto the couch and turned on one of the hundreds of sports stations we get.

It was Kent versus Hampshire, two excellent teams. Emmett refuses to admit that Cricket is a sport and he makes it a point to tease me about it, so whenever possible I watch the games when he's not around or not paying attention.

I gave up a long time ago trying to explain to him that he wouldn't have baseball had it not been for Cricket, which no matter what any you Americans say, influenced the creation of the American past time.

I grinned wide as Kent's bowler bowled a china-man, a very difficult bowl that very few people ever succeed at, even in a professional cricket setting.

My father was a student so to speak of it and taught me what he called the Callaghan Scotsman, it's basically the Chinaman, only it's done left handed and right handed.

Like in baseball, lefties are a rare and sought after commodity in cricket, it is not easy to bat off a lefty and being a switch bowler is extremely rare, and in batting being able to switch hit comes in handy as well, bowling to a lefty is nearly impossible.

My father was one of three in our family who mastered it, my grandfather was one…and though I hadn't mastered it at the time, I was the other.

Esme came up behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder, Edward's behavior had been upsetting her, but she was not only upset with this, but even scared for him.

I looked up at her and tried to give her a comforting smile as she squeezed my shoulder, I could see the worry on her face even though she was hiding it well.

"It'll be ok mum," I said softly, patting her hand. She looked down at me, before turning to Edward for a second, she had an idea and was trying to word it just so.

"Chris, why don't you go with your brothers this weekend?"

I looked over at Edward then back at Esme's expectant face.

"Er, as fun as that sounds, I went hunting the other day mum…'sides, Charlie?" I reminded her.

I know she hadn't forgotten, it was her hoping Emmett and I could talk some sense into Edward in a brotherly hunting weekend sort of way, with the two of us we might be able to just that, talk at least some sense into him or at least get down to why he's been so weird 'bout the Swan girl.

Something that despite Esme's pleading eyes, I couldn't do, it wasn't just about Charlie, because her and Carlisle could easily take Charlie themselves.

I wasn't in the mood to deal with Edward on any level, even with Emmett there to counter and actually enjoy the trip.

No thank you, I think I'd rather spend the day at a vets office, 'sides where Edward and Emmett were planning on going, there are no moose and even the large herds of elk that roam the area, couldn't make up for no moose, the one thing that could make the trip worthwhile.