It's about that time again! Especially since I've found a way to get around those crazy errors on FanFiction. ;-)

We're moving right along here, and we're also about halfway through here, so any questions, comments or concerns you might have should be brought up now before we move on passed a point of no return.

I hope everyone who reads likes what they read, and hopefully, we're not delving too deep into uncharted territory.

Enjoy!

Re-education

November, 1945

Keira

When I woke up a few days later on Saturday morning, I still couldn't believe everything that had happened. I couldn't believe what I'd learned and what I'd seen. I still had trouble wrapping my mind around the series of revelations that had developed just over a couple of days. And I didn't know exactly how I was supposed to be reacting. I didn't really like being reactive. My grandmother had always told me it was more important to be proactive. I wanted to be like that now, but I had nothing to compare this to so I could do the right things or even think the right things. It was . . . frustrating.

A soft chuckle reached my ears from my desk, and I looked behind me to see Edward there where he'd been the night before. The dim light from outside just barely lit my room, but I could see him perfectly. He'd told me a few things over the last few days to explain his strange behavior over the course of the last couple of months. His eyes changed color because of his hunting patterns, and now that I knew that, I could see his eyes dark green, bordering on a deep forest green. It was difficult to see much green in his eyes, but I could still see a thin rim of brilliant emerald around the edge of his iris as the black only halfway intruded on his natural eye color.

He stood up from his seated position then, the movement instantaneous and more fluid than any movement he'd made since the day we'd met, and I paid more attention to the way he moved than I had in two months. He sat at my side within a split second, his demeanor relaxed and easy, and he leaned close with his hands flat against the mattress beneath me.

"We should work on how you can hide your thoughts from me," he whispered softly. "You might want to surprise me one day."

I blushed at his closeness, slightly embarrassed as I laid beneath him in nothing but my nightgown. He sat up straight then, and I followed, facing him as the inside of my room continued to brighten with the muted light of dawn.

"It's just after seven in the morning," he informed me. "I'll go back to my house to change, and Emmett and I will pick you up at eight on the nose. Is that enough time for you to dress and eat breakfast?"

"What are we doing today?" I asked, instead of answering.

"It's Saturday," he reminded me.

Absently, I bit my lip. "What about — "

"I'm not going to let another vampire in the area stop us from keeping up our schedule," he swore. "And Emmett's going to come with us to keep an eye on the area while we're exploring. There's still a lot of woods for us to look through, and now that you know certain things about me, I can show you something I haven't been able to show anyone in a very long time."

His attention shifted, and I knew he was listening to the sounds outside my room. After only a couple of seconds, he stood and shifted to the window. "I'll be back," he promised, slipping through the window with a natural ease, and then he was gone.

My door opened probably ten seconds after Edward left, allowing Fisher to poke his head inside my room with a tired expression on his face. Since watching me leave school with Edward, Fisher had become a little curious about the time I'd been spending with Edward, and he'd started asking a lot more questions about Edward's family. He didn't ever ask about that afternoon, and he'd never really said so much that he didn't want me around Edward anymore. I knew he was worried, but he trusted me. He just didn't trust Edward as much as I would've liked.

"Hey," he said softly. "How'd you sleep?"

"Okay," I replied, to which he smiled slightly.

"Come down for breakfast when you're ready," he offered.

I nodded. "All right."

He stepped out, closing the door, and I rose from bed, hurrying to the window to see if Edward was still outside. I wasn't surprised to see him gone. He was probably already on his way home to change. And with that, I moved to my closet to find clothes for the day.

I had to remind myself to wear my rubber boots since it had rained the day before, and I found an old pair of pants to wear so it wouldn't matter if I got dirty. Edward had been so cautious on Thursday and Friday, and Emmett had been just as much, keeping me and most of my family in their sight most of the day. Rosalie begrudgingly kept an ear out for Kyle, and even that was a stretch for her. I remembered what Edward had said about her not liking change, and even though I had thought I understood how she felt, there were still moments when I felt like she resented me for causing her to protect any human from another vampire — even a human who had no idea she was doing it. I made sure Emmett told her how grateful I was, but he said it just upset her more.

Kyle, Fisher and my parents were all sitting at the dining room table with breakfast when I came down dressed for the woods, and I was immediately aware of my mother's face lighting up when she remembered what today was. She liked Edward — or rather, she liked how he behaved. She was still talking like I was being courted like when my father had begun dating her, and it was pointless to dissuade her from her musings. My father was a little more cautious. He agreed with me that I was too young for any of that. I could see how it still worried him that I was gone all day ever Saturday even though he knew nothing would happen to me while I was gone. His concern helped me tolerate Kyle's apparent disinterest in the time I spent with Edward and his family, and Fisher was, well, Fisher.

My father lifted his eyes to mine as I entered the room and sat down at the table, and Kyle smirked when he saw how I was dressed. My lined coat was still hung up by the door, and my gloves were stuffed into the pockets of my pullover. I said nothing to him despite the need I felt to defend my attire. Fisher passed a platter of eggs to me without saying anything, but there were so many questions in his eyes.

"You look well-rested this morning, sweetheart," my mother commented, taking a fork and laying two pancakes on the plate in front of her before she passed it to Kyle.

"I am well-rested," I assured her, taking the platter of pancakes to get my own food and then giving the platter to Fisher.

"Still going to Edward's today?" my father asked me.

"Yes," I said softly.

It was quiet around the table for a couple of minutes, and for a brief moment, I thought I'd escaped the firing squad. And then Kyle opened his mouth over his eggs and bacon.

"Exactly how much stuff do you plan on using for your science project anyway?" he asked, sipping his orange juice and eyeing me suspiciously as though I deserved it.

My father looked at me over his own plate, and then Fisher followed his gaze. My mother seemed to be the only one who could control her comments and her eyes. I tried not to panic, remembering everything Edward and I had done so far and knowing we had plenty of material to do better than anyone else in the class.

And just when I thought I was going to falter, I looked at Kyle and spoke as honestly as I could. "We'll be gathering as much 'stuff' as we need to do a good project," I countered. "And if we have to continue working passed the beginning of the holidays, then we will. Or until it's too wet and cold for us to not get sick. Since you don't really care about school, I don't see how you should be worried about it at this point."

He stared at me for a few seconds, probably not expecting me to quip back so quickly. He lifted his thick eyebrows dramatically, still sipping his juice. " 'Scuse me," he scoffed. "Just asking."

I asked to be excused early so I could get everything ready for when Edward came with Emmett. I didn't really need anything, but after spending all of breakfast under the watchful eyes of the men in my family, I was desperate to get away from them. My mother excused me without saying anything to my father, and as soon as I got to my room, I sat over my bed with the deepest sigh of my life. I paused from the apparent mundaneness that had become my life, thinking of all the things I now knew about the boy I would be spending time with today.

Edward was a vampire. He could read my thoughts, but he said even though a couple of months had passed, he still hadn't figured me out. I wasn't sure what that meant, and even though I'd made a mental note to read on my own what the outside world believed about what he was, I'd never been more willing to accept something in my life. Since my grandmother had passed away, I'd been so turned off to the idea of change that accepting anything new had been so far off in the distance that it seemed impossible. But after spending time with Edward and learning things about him that had nothing to do with him being a vampire, I was positive that no matter what might lie ahead of me, Edward would be there to keep me safe. Regardless of his instincts telling him to be a killer, I knew just by the look in his eyes and the light in his spirit that he was anything but a killer. I honestly trusted him with my life, and that was . . . a little scary.

A knock on my door brought me out of my thoughts as my mother opened the door with a smile on her face, and I knew why she was there before she spoke.

"Edward and Emmett are here," she said softly.

I stood up slowly. "Okay."

She stepped out, and I inhaled deeply, finding my scarf and then lifting my hand to the pendant around my neck that had been my grandmother's. I had been thinking of her a lot over the last few days, and I couldn't help but wonder what she was think of all this. I wondered if, like me, she would have trusted herself to make the right decisions for everyone involved. I believed I could do that now, and even though I had a lot more thinking to do where everyone else was concerned, I wasn't worried about Edward anymore. Truth be told, I was looking forward to seeing him again. And with that, I stepped out of my room to make my way downstairs where he was waiting for me.

The first thing I noticed about him was how worried he looked in contrast to how playful he'd been before leaving. And when he saw that I noticed, the expression on his face became more forced than any he'd ever had before. I knew he didn't want my mother or father to see anything wrong, and I tried to mirror his demeanor, but it wasn't easy. I was immediately thinking about why we were having to be so cautious, and I remembered his behavior upon discovering the other vampire's presence in the area. Connor's face flashed through my mind, and Edward immediately changed his posture, standing up straight and glancing at Emmett as I arrived at the bottom of the stairs.

"Well, it looks like it's going to be a lovely day as soon as all these dreadful clouds evaporate from the sky," my mother gushed, smiling at me as I moved to Edward's side slowly.

"Yes, we're hoping to get a few more items for our project before the weather becomes too cold," Edward smiled, and she blushed.

"We should get going," Emmett said, stepping back to the front door, and Edward took my lined coat from the rack next to the door. He helped me pull it on, and after a smile in my mother's direction, they both guided me out the front door with a wave to my parents.

It was a little cooler today than it had been the day before. Autumn was moving right along, and Winter was right around the corner. Edward had been anticipating a chance of rain today and tomorrow, but he still wanted to stick to our schedule as closely as possible. The air was heavy with moisture as we walked to where Emmett had parked his car, and I was worried we might not be able to do anything today.

"It won't rain until later this afternoon," Edward assured me. "Plenty of time for us to look around."

He opened the front passenger door for me, and I slid in before he followed as Emmett eased into the driver's seat to pull out of the my driveway. Once we were on the street and away from my house, I spoke softly.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Edward tried to smile as he sat beside me. "Everything's fine," he lied, instantly frowning when he realized I knew he was.

"I saw your face," I informed him. "And you've been so cautious. Is something happening?"

He glanced at Emmett, and I knew they were communicating silently without allowing me into their conversation. Edward looked at me then, probably having heard everything I'd just thought, and he sighed heavily.

"It's the other vampire," he said softly. "He was at the house when I got back this morning. It seems he's changed his mind about simply passing through the area. I know he's not alone. He's keeping whoever is with him away, but I know it's simply a matter of time."

"Was he there when you left?" I asked, unable to prevent my heart from leaping into my throat.

Edward hesitated, answering my question without speaking, and I realized he was now holding onto me much tighter than he had been a few moments earlier.

"We're not going to the house though," Emmett said after half a minute. "Or you're not."

"Then where are we going?" I inquired curiously.

Neither of them spoke as Emmett pulled through town toward the road leading to his house, and my curiosity intensified as Emmett pulled on to the side of the road about five miles from their house. Edward stepped out and reached in for me, prompting me to follow him even though I had no idea what was going on or why we were getting out of the car before we were all the way there. Emmett smiled as Edward closed the door.

"See you in a few," he promised, and Edward took my hand to pull me off into the trees on the side of road.

I watched Emmett speed away for as long as I could see him, but when he disappeared around a bend in the road, I turned my attention to Edward as he pulled me through the trees.

"Edward, what's going on?" I pleaded.

Again, he hesitated, but I could see it wasn't because he didn't want me to know. The further along the forest floor we walked, the more I realized it was because he was trying to keep me from being around Connor. "With him at the house, he's already been able to take your scent the way I did. The difference between me and him is that I don't intend on detaching you from everything you know and care about the way I saw in his mind upon our first meeting." He stopped then, turning to face me instantly. "He's a true predator, Keira," he warned me. "He's as old as Carlisle, and he's been hunting humans from the moment he opened his eyes into this life. The moment he saw you, the first thing he thought about was hunting you and making you his. But he's lived this long, and he realized he would have to get through me before he even laid a hand on you."

Despite the cold, I knew I was blushing deep red as my pulse increased by tenfold. The way Edward spoke made it sound like if this other vampire couldn't have me, then he would make it impossible for my life to be normal ever again.

"It's all right," Edward assured me. "I won't let him hurt you or your family. No matter what Rosalie thinks or believes, I will protect you."

I realized how dangerous it was for me to go back to the house and that Edward was doing everything he could think of to keep me safe from anything that would threaten me and my family. I looked around where we'd stopped, wanting to see something in the trees but only seeing what I expected. The world looked different now, even if only slightly and still hidden to most everyone else I'd ever known.

"Don't worry," Edward pleaded. "Emmett's going to meet us in the woods after he leaves his car at the house. Carlisle decided to air out the house, and the wind and rain will take care of the rest. Come with me," he requested, reaching for my hands. "I want to show you something."

Despite there still being so many things left to be revealed, I decided he was right. It wasn't right to let someone, even another vampire, determine if we did or didn't do whatever we'd had planned for the day before he'd shown up. I bowed my head to Edward, and he pulled me along the forest floor in the direction of his house.

Though I was expecting Emmett to show up within minutes of leaving us by the side of the road, for nearly half an hour, it was just me and Edward. I still felt as safe with him as I always had, but the further into the woods we got, and the heavier the air become, the more I really was worried about it raining. Weather was unpredictable, and even if Edward had a better sense of smell than I did, things could change so fast. And even if he was stronger than anyone I'd ever known, he was still vulnerable. Being around me made him a little less aware of his surroundings some times, and I didn't want that to happen today.

"Is there nothing I can do to assure you of my abilities?" he asked as we walked. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

I sighed softly, remembering everything he'd said and wondering what he'd meant about Carlisle airing out the house. Surely it wasn't that simply. I'd been going to his house for weeks, and not just in the library.

"Carlisle won't let him into any other parts of the house," Edward insisted. "He knows how much your safety means to me, and it's not just about how dangerous this is for all of us. With other vampires in the area, it makes our existence even more perilous because of the way they move. We keep to ourselves, and that nearly always makes us look guilty in most human eyes."

"Do you know why he's staying?" I asked of Connor. "Is it really because of me?"

"There are a large number of reasons why he's chosen not to leave," Edward revealed. "He's only encountered vampires who feed on Humans. We're the first ones he's met who feed on animals. He's curious about us, but mostly me and my connection to you. Carlisle said he reminds him of when he was with the Volturi. We're oddities to him. Nothing more."

"And what about me?" I inquired softly.

Edward stopped then, facing me again even though he didn't say anything for several seconds. "He thinks I've put some sort of spell on you," he said gently. "It's the way we draw in our prey. Everything about us invites you in — or most of you," he smirked. I smirked back. "The way we look, the way we smell, the way we sound. At least, those of us who feed on humans. For my family and I, hunting animals allows us to retain what little of our humanity we have left. There are some of us — like Rosalie — who clutch our human memories so tightly to ourselves that letting go is sometimes nearly impossible."

I stepped closer to him, absently laying my hands over his chest and feeling his hands cradling my arms. "And what about your memories?" I asked. "Do you remember being human anymore?"

He hesitated again, his eyes distant as he looked down with his chin tucked into his chest. It looked like I'd asked him something he hadn't expected, and immediately, I tried to change the subject.

"When is Emmett supposed to be here?" I asked.

"I remember my mother," he revealed as I finished my question. "Carlisle would tell me about her when it was just the two of us. She was very warm and very beautiful. He said I had her eyes and her hair. I became ill before she, and she tried to tend to me while becoming ill herself. Carlisle said she was strong up to the last breath, and it was for that reason — for her — that he changed me. To save me. But I don't remember my father much other than when he was close to dying. He was the first one to pass," he explained, compelling me to lean into him a little more. Then he continued. "Human memories fade naturally. We make newer, brighter memories as time passes. There are only a few things about my human life I can still remember very clearly. It was thirty years ago. And certain things were expected in this life that replaced the memories I could remember best."

"Like what?" I asked softly.

This time when he hesitated, I knew it was because he was thinking. "Well, my mother and father both loved me very much. We were what you would call affluent even back then. My father wanted me to be a lawyer like he was. My mother only wanted me to be happy. She wanted me to find a nice girl and get married." The smile that had developed across his face faded slightly. "All I wanted was to enlist the moment I was old enough."

He paused again, looking around at the trees and easing his hand into mine to pull me along. Then he continued. "When Carlisle and I began this life together — before he found Esme — he was like my father, even then. He taught me everything he'd learned and allowed me to use that knowledge to decide what I wanted to do with my life as it were. I still had blurry memories of my own father, but there was nothing I could do to fix what had gone wrong in my life. The decision had been made for me."

We walked a little further, and it was clear he was waiting for Emmett before we got too involved in our wanderings.

"What about Esme?" I nudged, to which he smiled.

"I couldn't have asked for a better surrogate mother than Esme," he mused. "She's by far the most loving and understanding person I've ever had the privilege to know — present company excluded. She was . . . dying when Carlisle found her — the second time anyway. They met once before, when she was sixteen."

"What happened?" I asked, more curious about this than any other story I'd ever been told in my entire life.

He laughed softly. "It was before he found me. He was living near her, working nights at a local hospital, and she came in with a broken leg. He said she was so beautiful, even then, and so passionate. He says now that's why she's such an amazing mother. He left that place not long after seeing her, but Esme says she never forgot about him. Who would forget a man who looked and sounded like everything you've ever wanted and needed?"

We walked along another few dozen feet, and without any warning, there was a break in the trees, opening up into a small clearing. It was already the middle of Autumn, so the grass was nearly all brown, and the few green spots were being overpowered by the weather, but somehow in my mind, I could see flowers and thick green grass soft enough to lay on. I remembered a clearing near my grandmother's house just like this one that I would go to whenever I wanted to be alone.

"Well, you wouldn't want to be alone out here," Edward commented, still walking through the clearing. "The local tribes wouldn't be too thrilled about us being here, but there's something I want you to see."

There was a natural rock formation on the other side of the clearing, and as soon as we were there, he turned to me and reached for me.

"Do you trust me?" he asked, much like he had a few days earlier.

"I do," I assured him.

With little else, he took my arm, slinging me onto his back and prompting me to hold him as tightly as I could before he began climbing a tree less than five feet away. The movement made me kind of nauseous, and it took a couple of minutes for him to stop, but once he did, he set me down against a tree branch and laughed softly as I'd closed my eyes the instant he began climbing.

"Open your eyes," he whispered, almost too softly for me to hear him.

Slowly, I peeled my eyelids back, realizing how high up we were and grasping onto the first thing I could which just happened to be him as he sat leisurely in front of me next to another tree limb.

"Oh, God," I breathed, unconsciously smiling as the horizon spread out around us.

He laughed again, looking around with me. "Not half bad, is it?" he chuckled softly.

"It's beautiful!" I declared, laughing myself.

"It's also not that bad of a hiding place," he added.

I turned my attention back to him, noticing the playful grin again on his face, and I was intrigued. "Hiding?" I repeated. "From what?"

He didn't answer me for probably a minute, changing the subject smoothly. "You know, we have plenty of material for our Science project," he informed me, turning his eyes to mine and causing an unfamiliar reaction as my heart began to race. "And Carlisle can help us put all of it together with his knowledge of the area."

I was sure I was blushing, and I absently lifted my hand to my throat. "But then what will we do for the next month and a half?" I wondered.

"Well, we are friends," he reminded me. "There are other ways for us to spend time together. Instead of needing to hike around for samples for our project, we could just hike around."

My blush deepened in a way it never had before, and just as I was about to speak, a loud, booming voice drifted up to where we were sitting.

"Are you two makin' out up there or somethin'?" It was Emmett. He'd finally caught up to us after leaving his car at the house.

Edward sighed audibly, something he'd rarely done since we'd met, and with just a nod, he beckoned me onto his back. Less than a couple of minutes later, he landed on the ground about ten feet from where Emmett had stopped, placing me on the ground gently and then eyeing Emmett reproachfully. I knew they were having a silent conversation like they had in the car, but this one was playful, like the kind of conversation two brothers might have.

"Let's go," Emmett said, adding with a smile, "before anything exciting happens."

With that, we all started off back into the trees to make our way in the general direction of the house.

Edward and I walked and looked and picked all along the way while Emmett made himself practically invisible. If I hadn't seen him off to the side of our makeshift path, I wouldn't have known he was there. Every time we stopped, he would stop and look at everything. He would smell the air and listen out as far as he could. I could see he was trying to detect something unnatural about our surroundings. He was trying to see Connor — or the other vampire nearby. I never saw anything out of the ordinary, nor did I feel anything wrong about where we were or what might happen if we were out too long.

I realized after several stops and an abundance of samples that Emmett and Edward were communicating silently the entire time, and every time Emmett thought he heard and smelled something, we would move on to a new spot. I tried to see or hear or smell what they were, but there was nothing — nothing except the rocks, bark and wood we'd collected that Edward had packed with the sample papers he'd had tucked away in his jacket. And it was a stretch to smell that since the air continued to get heavier with the approaching rain. I wondered how long we could be out before the need to go inside became more desirable.

She came out of the trees without so much as a warning, her shimmering curly red hair barely touched her exposed shoulders and her brilliant maroon eyes nearly matching the color of her hair. She was dressed like a business woman from the city, her black pants tight-fitting and her cream-colored shirt wrapped around her waist with the neckline lowered from her shoulders to reveal gleaming white skin more translucent than anyone else's I'd ever seen.

Edward and Emmett were immediately on point, hiding me between them as Emmett took point and Edward nearly crushed me into his side. She smiled at their reaction, stepping closer as she wore a distinctively high pair of heels unlike any I'd ever seen in my life. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, and she was very beautiful. Her smile was more dazzling than any smile I'd ever seen. And the closer she got, the more beautiful she became. Edward turned my face away from hers, cradling me into him, and the spell she'd begun to weave over me faded instantly. I realized everything he'd said was true — especially with vampires who hunted humans. Then she spoke.

"Beautiful day for a walk isn't it?" Her voice sounded like an instrument. It was so fluid and smooth. Not like warm honey or even cool mint, but enticing nonetheless. She had a woman's voice, strong and articulated and somewhat playful. There was a tenor in her voice that exuded self-confidence and power, and I couldn't remember ever hearing a woman sound that way. Instantly, I shivered, and Edward held me tighter.

"I'm sorry," she smiled. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"You're the other vampire," Edward concluded. "You're the one he was hiding."

She was closer now, less than thirty or forty feet from Emmett, and her laugh played with the little hairs on the back of my neck. "You've met Connor, I presume," she acknowledged. "He always was so cautious. I suppose that's why I was drawn to him. Please excuse my manners. My name is Piper."

Neither Emmett nor Edward moved to greet her, and even though it should've been rude for them to behave that way, she didn't seem to be offended. If anything else, I actually felt Edward take a small step backward with me still inside his arm.

"A little skiddish for greeting another of your kind, don't you think?" she asked, laughing softly. "I won't hurt you. I promised Connor I would leave the area before I fed again."

At that, I realized why her eyes were so brilliant. It had been nearly a week since the campers had been found, and she'd obviously decided to kill again. Edward's arm tensed, and Emmett glanced back at him only slightly before returning his attention to her.

"I know who you are," she revealed. "Connor told me about you. Animal-blood drinkers. Intriguing. He told me about your pet as well, though from here, she looks like much more than that. I suppose you're reacting to the belief that I would wish her harm. Please forgive the implication."

Edward spoke clearly, warning her carefully. "Then perhaps it wouldn't have been wise to happen upon us in the middle of the forest. Doing so has only intensified our protectiveness of her and ourselves. And perhaps you should leave and not return to this place ever again."

I chanced a peek at her face, seeing her still grinning as she lowered her eyes to mine. "Perhaps you're right. I apologize. I suppose I'll be seeing you around," she taunted, stepping back onto her heels and then shooting into the trees just as suddenly as she'd appeared from them.

Edward didn't relax. Emmett didn't unclench his fists or his jaws. For nearly four or five seconds, nothing happened as they listened and smelled and watched. I strained to do what they were doing, but I sensed nothing different about our surroundings the way they did. And suddenly, Edward lifted me in his arms, prompting me to hold onto him as he clutched me to his chest and shot off into the trees in the opposite direction of where she'd gone. Emmett followed immediately, and I shut my eyes to keep from getting sick again.

The wind whistled passed us as he ran, and there was no hesitation in his stride as he made an unplanned path through the trees toward his house. I didn't have to ask him where we were going. It was obvious the appearance of Piper in the forest had startled him as much as it had me, despite his senses being stretched out as far as he could get them. I knew from his behavior that she'd surprised him more unexpectedly than he'd thought possible, and I knew from how tight he was holding me that it scared him more than anything ever had. That in and of itself scared me more than I'd ever been in my life.

So now we've met both new vampires. I wanted them to be a little different from the nomads in Twilight, and I hope I achieved that. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me.

I'm hoping the get the next chapter started soon, so we'll get to see what Edward thinks of all these new happenings.

I'd like to know what you think. ;-)

Anyhoo. Until next time!