You know how they say, when in mortal danger, your life flashes before your eyes?

Well, that's complete and utter bullshit. I knew this for a fact. I'd come close to dying more times than I owned fluffy romance novels. And I owned a lot of fluffy romance novels. And even if it was true, there was way too much life to be flashed. There just wouldn't be time.

I waited, watching for the opportune moment to dive back out from underneath the out of control vehicle. Right as I was about to move, however, the van stopped. Completely.

I spun round, trying to figure out what had happened. And there was Edward; hands still embedded in the van, jerking his head indicating now would be a very good time to make my escape.

I rolled (ninja style of course, I wouldn't consider anything less) out from the undercarriage of the van and stood shakily, on a small high from the adrenaline. It had been too long since I had last gotten a rush.

I jumped when Edward made his presence known behind me. "Are you alright?" he asked.

I tried to answer him; I truly did. But the events of the last few weeks caught up with me: Ash's discovery that he had a daughter, my discovery I was an aunt. Finding out the end of the world was due in a matter of days, having to reimprison the cause of the apocalypse, having one escape. Moving to this small town and discovering something not quite right with my schoolmates.

All the pent up feelings I had had suddenly hit me all at once, and I promptly fainted.

I woke up, immediately taking stock of my surroundings. You never knew which detail would be the one to save your ass.

White ceiling, white walls. Nothing covering the blankness of the room. Whoever decorated the place was pretty bland.

I blinked a few times. The boring whiteness didn't go away. Damn.

A flash of movement caught my eye; a golden head entered the room, walking towards me so smoothly it appeared he was gliding. I was suddenly sent back in time to a ballroom thousands of miles, and two hundred years away, where another blond eerily similar to this one honed in on me in just the same, and slightly disturbing manner.

But it couldn't be…

I was distracted from these unsettling thoughts by the doctor. "How are you going?"

"Just fine," I said coolly.

"That was a pretty nasty hit you took, Edward tells me," he said, now examining the x-rays.

I rolled my eyes. "Ask him how I got the concussion, doctor."

"Carlisle," he said, extending one hand. I frowned a little as I shook it, wondering where on Earth, Katoteros, Kalosis, or Olympus I'd heard that name before.

"So how did you get the concussion then, Miss Parthenopaeus?"

"Akrakataastreifa," I corrected him automatically. "After I successfully avoided injury at the hands- well, wheels- of the vehicle, Edward dropped me. Failed to catch, really, but it all amounts to the same thing."

He smiled then. "Alright then. Well, just be careful of what you do for a while, and if you have any problems with your eyesight, you give me a call, understand?"

"Uh huh, whatever," I said, getting off the bed and rushing to the door. I was blocked from my escape, however, by none other than Edward, who looked scandalized that I was being released.

"Father! She has a concussion! You can't just let her leave!"

I hated being talked over. I suppose it was inevitable, considering my height, but did people have to act like I wasn't in the room if I wasn't in their direct line of sight?

Glaring at him, I replied: "I'll bet you anything you like; it'll be all healed by the time I get to school tomorrow. Not even a bump."

His eyes flashed as he glowered down at me. "Fine. You're on."

"Fine," I echoed, but my heart wasn't in it. I glanced down, and then back up as my breath caught in my throat. My first thoughts of him came rushing back to me. He was gorgeous.

"Bet big, boy," I said as I brushed past him, trying to hide my sudden revelation. "Otherwise it just isn't worth the effort."

Lucky me, I got the rest of the day off of school. As soon as I got through the door, I started yelling.

"Ash! Get your pasty white oversized ass down here!"

"So polite," he replied smartly, appearing instantly in the lounge room. "What do you need?"

"I nearly got run over. No biggie," I shrugged.

"What?"

"Yeah, that was sort of my reaction too. I'm fine though, just a small bump to the head. Heal it for me?"

He didn't respond; just put one hand lightly on my head. I winced as the pain of the injury hit me again. That was the downside of healing powers: whatever pain you went through getting the injury, you had to suffer through again to get rid of it.

"Ow," I said, rubbing my scalp carelessly. "Well, I'm going to go upstairs and get stuck into my new novel. Feel free to stick around or leave as you will."

"What are you reading?" he asked me, following me upstairs.

I smirked slightly, knowing his reaction already. "'Tall, Dark and Hungry', another vamp novel."

He rolled his eyes before flashing out again, his voice echoing in the hallway. "What am I going to do with you?"