Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, everything recognisable is Stepheine Meyers

Chapter VIII

Getting to know you

Bella's POV

I don't care how the rabbit got there, instead I replace the empty one at Esme's lips with the fuller one. She drinks greedily and I slowly get up, a firm hand on her shoulder gripping tightly as she finishes the rabbit and wipes the blood from her lips with her tongue. She looks to me quizzically and I heave a sigh.

I can finally look at her and see that her hair now hangs around her heart-shaped face, a beautiful silken brown fallen out of its bun with the events of today. She really is beautiful. I stand, still looking at her as she rises also. She looks around her slowly, taking everything in. She looks younger and so lovely and caring that I find I want to just hug her and make it all go away. But she's already sniffing around the clearing for something to ease the thirst.

"Esme?" She snaps her head up to look at me even though I spoke no louder than a whisper. She gasps and steps back.

"You…" she raises a finger to point at me as her sentence is choked off with emotion, her face contorted in fear and anger as I hang my head in shame.

"I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen." She stays stood in the same position as I walk towards her, begging forgiveness. I hear Alice crawling into the clearing and Edwards's pleas in the distance for her to go the opposite direction and tense up; ready to stop Esme in her attack…

Which never comes. I look at Esme looking at me until she sees my eyes and her reflection within them. She drops her eyes and looks at her perfectly manicured hands before dragging them over her body and the loose-fitting clothing.

"What's happened?" her voice seems steady and I don't know how to tell her. I think of possible ways to explain to her but can see the end result playing out: her storming off and frightened at the end of every speech. I hang my head. "Oh." I look up at her exclamation and see Esme with… understanding in her eyes? She knows? But… how?

"Didn't you just tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"About the whole…" she halts before whispering in a timid voice, almost embarrassed, "vampire… thing".

"What?" my face has got to show my shock and uncertainty… Am I loosing my mind? "I swear I didn't say anything to you."

"You did sound weird…" She's trying to explain, choosing words carefully and I'm pretty sure she's trying not to weird me out but for crying out loud we're vampires… how much crazier can you get? She nods. "You're right." My mouth falls open. I definitely didn't say that out loud. Could she have heard me? She herself looks bemused. "It's as if the words are going directly to my brain, I'm not even sure my ears heard you at all. Does that make any sense at all?" Please make sense, I'm really not crazy. Her lips didn't move for that last part… I think I know what's going on here… Maybe.

"Erm… Think something… Anything… Say: I'm called Esme", I close my eyes.

"Um… I'm called Esme?"

"No. In your head. Think it."

I've lost her there. Maybe she's the one that's crazy… Esme's voice sounds in my head.

"Oi! I'm as sane as anyone here!" Her wide eyes register shock and then embarrassment. She had not meant for me to hear that. So… It's true. Powers. Wow… I know - knew - someone else with that power.

I look up into the sparkling green eyes of Edward.

YEY for Edward and his yumminess

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A