Disclaimer: The original characters and plot are the property of the author, Stephanie Meyer.

Bella's POV

It was finally the weekend. I felt tired; it had been a long week. I'd had a Calculus exam on Thursday, and even though I'm not really one to complain about school, I was glad that I didn't have to go back until Monday. I could spend the whole weekend with the Cullens. Even though I spend most of my time there now, when I'm not working at Newton's or doing whatever else. There was never anything else anyway other than school, Newton's and going to the Cullens—well apart from popping home now and then to see that Charlie was okay! I had to do my duty! I must say that I'm getting a bit obsessive over it, but I guess I can use it as an excuse to be with my soon-to-be-family more, who I'll have to spend the rest of eternity with, anyway. Now it seemed like routine and Charlie didn't even stop me when I ran out the door to my truck.

I had decided that I like going to the Cullen's. I spent my time with Edward, but it also gave me the chance to get to know the other Cullens even better. I even spent quite a bit of my time talking with Alice, Esme and, yes, even Rosalie. A chance to catch up on my "girl time", Edward said. He still wanted me to have all my human experiences, albeit they were vampires.

I was approaching the trees leading to Edward's house, now I just hoped that I could find the gap in the trees that led to their long driveway. I usually come with Edward after school, but he was always the one at the wheel. Today I was on my own so I kept driving, hoping I would recognize the break in the trees when I saw it.

Alice must have seen me coming and known that I wouldn't be able to find the parting because there she was, standing beside a tree, waiting for me. The afternoon sun peaked through tiny gaps in the trees, making her marble skin shimmer. I stopped next to her and she jumped in the passenger seat.

"How's everyone doing today?" I asked her.

"Oh about the same as when you left yesterday," she replied, her tone a little bitter I noticed, but didn't press her on the matter.

I wove through the trees and the large white house that I've come to love came into view. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw Alice grimace.

"Alice, is there anything wrong?" I finally asked. "You don't seem to be acting like yourself."

She sighed. "Well, I came out here to meet you because Esme is giving me a giant headache, if that's even possible." She laughed once without humour. "Carlisle left early this morning and ever since she hasn't been cooperating. It's funny actually. She's acting like a five-year-old having a tantrum." She laughed again, and again without humour. "It's the first time she's done this, the first change we've seen, and it just so happens that Carlisle's in surgery right now so he can't come home."

"Maybe I could help," I offered, doubtful.

"Well, I don't know, but I guess you could give it a try." She shrugged. "It's not like she'll listen to the rest of us."

I pulled into the massive garage the Cullens had beside the silver Volvo then followed Alice into the house. As she opened the door we heard someone yell, then something smashed. Alice was as shocked as I was when we walked through the door. There were blankets and pillows strewn across the floor and there was a smashed crystal flower vase, the water seeping into one of the whit pillows. Emmet, Rosalie, Jasper and Edward all shared the same stunned expression, staring at Esme who was sitting on one of the pristine white couches, her back toward me. She whipped her head around when she heard Alice and I come in. She didn't look like the sweet Esme I remembered; she had a look of wild rage in her black eyes.

"What happened?" Alice looked around the room, amazed at what she was seeing.

"Nothing, Alice," Esme hissed at her. She looked like the vampire she really was. "It doesn't matter."

It was quiet for a moment, everyone was frozen. Then Rosalie spoke: "We're going now. Okay, Esme? We'll just be out for a couple of hours."

"Fine, Rosalie."

"Come on, Emmett, let's go." They walked toward the garage, but Emmett paused and turned around at the door.

"Hey, Jasper, Alice. You wanna come?"

Jasper looked to Alice for consent. "You can go, Jazz. I'm going to stay, this time."

Before he left, Jasper looked at Edward who nodded his agreement to Jasper's unspoken question. "Just hold on a second, guys, I'll be right there," Jasper told Rosalie and Emmett.

Suddenly, I felt a big wave of calm come over me. I looked at Alice. "Jasper's trying to calm Esme down to take her upstairs. She has to sleep, but she can't when she's all worked up like this," she explained.

When Jasper thought Esme was calm enough, he walked over to her, stood there a moment, then leaned down and picked her up. He carried her upstairs. Edward and Alice followed him, so I did, too.

Jasper was laying Esme down on the bed. She was fighting, though. He tried to cover her up, but, as Alice had said, she wouldn't cooperate. Jasper stopped fighting with Esme and looked at Alice as if to say "she's all yours", and left with Emmett and Rosalie to catch a new movie in Port Angeles.

Alice went over to Esme who was sitting there stubbornly with her arms crossed across her chest and pouting. "You know, Esme, Carlisle was the one who said you needed to sleep this afternoon."

Esme laid down when she heard this, but didn't close her eyes. Instead she looked at the picture frame on her bedside table.

"No, Esme, you can't stay up until he gets back," Edward answered some unspoken question. "He said this morning that he wanted to see you asleep when he comes back this afternoon, which is in about"—he looked at his watch—"half an hour."

Alice tried, like Jasper did, to cover Esme with the sheets but, like before, she just kicked them off. She really was acting just like a five year old who doesn't want to have a nap. Alice sighed and turned to look at Edward and me with an exasperated expression.

"Maybe she would," Edward said to Alice. They were having one of those really annoying conversations where I could only hear half. "She could always try. It's worth a shot."

I looked at Alice, confused. "What?"

"Could you try?" she whispered so Esme couldn't hear her. "You know, with Esme?"

"I guess I could. I did say I would help," I replied.

"We'll leave you alone, all right? We'll be right outside the door."

"Okay."

They walked out the door leaving me alone with Esme. I took a deep breath. Well, here goes nothing. All I have to do is think of a way to make my vampire soon-to-be-mother-in-law listen to me so I can get her to go to sleep and make everyone happier. That sounds so weird, I thought.

"Esme?" She didn't look at me. She was looking at the picture on her bedside table still. What could she possibly be looking at?

I walked over to her bedside table and looked at the picture:

It looked like it was spring. There were flowers covering the lush green grass. There was a large tree right in the middle of the picture with two people on a swing. Esme was dressed in a white sundress, splashed with sunflowers and daisies in her hair. Carlisle was dressed casually, in a light white shirt. The wind was blowing Esme's hair out behind her and the sun was making their skin sparkle. They were laughing carelessly. It was one of those times that they really looked and acted their true ages.

It really was a beautiful picture, but in order to get her attention I needed her to stop looking at the picture. I picked up the picture frame and turned to put it down on another table when I heard a growl come from behind me. I turned around. Esme was crouched on all fours, staring at me like I was something to eat. I felt the picture of her and Carlisle slip from my fingers as I realized what she was going to do…she was the predator and I was her prey….