When we got home, Michelle was there. She smiled tensely at me, then whispered something to Elijah, and they went to talk in the dining room. I sighed, and went out into the back.

I pressed against the screen door, and went out onto the back porch. Elijah had a small yard, full of grass constantly rained on, and a few crippled trees. I bent down, and sat on the steps leading to the grass, my hands clasped between my knees. It wasn't raining, and was growing dark; a warm wind blew towards me, playing with my hair for a moment.

As I glanced around the yard, I saw a small patch of flowers over in the corner. Frowning, I got up, and walked over to them. They were beautiful; I had never seen them before. Bloodred, and sprouting like two crescent moons holding hands, it was soft and smelled like velvet. Gently, I reached out, and stroked the palms, watching as silver droplets of rainwater dripped off of them.

There came foot-steps, then a creak, and finally a crack of the screen door as Elijah came out of the house, and onto the porch. Crouching by the flowers, I didn't look over at him, instead continuing to gaze at the beautiful flowers. Elijah sighed, crossing his arms, before heavily treading down the wood steps and across the yard to stand by me.

"I've never seen these flowers before," I said softly.

Elijah glanced down at them. I couldn't see his expression, but I heard it in his voice. "Me, either. I call them Bloodsuckers, actually. I guess they're, uh, native to Washington."

I smiled slightly. "Bloodsuckers. What a terrible name." I looked up at Elijah. "I think the name... Blood Diamonds suits them far better."

I stood up, and he smiled at me. Our faces were level for a second, each a reflection. "Blood Diamonds it is, then."

I held his smile for a moment, then crossed my arms. "What did Michelle want? I haven't seen her around at all lately."

He grimaced. "She's... been avoiding the house. She wants you out," he admitted quietly.

"What's her problem?" I murmured.

Elijah shrugged roughly. "Michelle doesn't trust strangers, even though you're my guest, but she can't make my decisions for me. You could say she won't be staying here for a few days."

I looked down. "Look, if I'm making things uncomfortable here, I can always find someplace else..."

"Nessie, don't be stupid. Where else is there that's safe?"

I smirked sadly. "I'm a half-vampire, Elijah Maley. I think I'll be okay anywhere."

He sighed. "It's done. Michelle's staying with some friends, and we'll be here. It's temporary. Only until you're... gone."

The word seemed rather unhappy coming from Elijah's throat. The thought of leaving was one I'd been thinking of for days- ever since I'd gotten here, which felt like ages ago- but the true idea of actually being gone was a hard one all of a sudden. I didn't want to leave Elijah. We'd become so close.

"When this is all over... and I'm back home... I'll miss you," I said quietly, smiling ruefully.

Elijah answered the smile, then it faded, and he looked down, seeming unable to say anything else. He suddenly bent down, and plucked a flower- a Blood Diamond- out of its throng, and laughed under his breath before handing it to me. "Here. Uh, these flowers last a long time... and I want you to keep it, to remember me by."

I held the beautiful flower gently in my grasp, and looked up at Elijah, a small smile curling the edge of my mouth. "Thanks."

He laughed nervously, taking a step back and turning around. "Let's go inside. I'm tired."

Holding the flower, I followed Elijah inside the house, out of the creeping darkness as night approached.

I sat in the meadow.

It was filled with glowing, beautiful light, like the air was caught on fire by the diamonds sprinkled in it. The warmth crept over me like a drug, and I lay back gently into the soft grass. In my hands, I held the flower Elijah had given me- the Blood Diamond- and I caressed it as my eyes slowly closed. Far off, I heard a piano playing, a low, mesmerizing tune that made me think of my parents.

"Renesmee?"

My eyes opened, and I sat up. There, standing before me, was a man. He was tall, and broad; with cropped blond hair and tired gray eyes, he gazed at me curiously, in awe, as if I were a ghost.

"Who are you?" I asked softly.

The man laughed, staring at me deeply as he kneeled down. "Don't you recognize me, Nessie?" Slowly, he reached out with hard, calloused hands, and took the flower from my much small, softer hands. I almost expected to see the delicate flower snap in his grasp, but he held it with surprising gentleness.

He drew the flower, and drank in its smell. His eyes opened, and a small smile played over his lips. I gasped suddenly. Those eyes...

"Elijah?"

His smile froze, yet his eyes lit up, like two separate points of light in the night sky. "Yes."

He moved, and sat next to me. I stared at the man, unable to understand. Where had my young, lovable Elijah gone? Here was he, yet older, sadder... with a certain weariness I couldn't understand.

"Why are you older, Elijah?" I breathed.

He played with the flower for a moment, not looking at me. "I'm not older. It's me. But this is a vision, Ness. Something shown to you of the future."

I gazed at him. "What do you mean?"

Elijah finally turned his gray eyes to stare into mine. "It's a future you could have, if you choose."

I shook my head, slowly, firmly. "Elijah, you're making no sense."

He chuckled sadly. "Ah, sense. The mind. What sense do you want me to make, Nessie? What do you want me to say?"

I struggled to answer. "I want you to tell me what's going on."

Elijah hesitated, then dropped the flower, and turned to face me. "This is what would have happened, Nessie, if you'd chosen me."

I drew away. "What?" I whispered.

Elijah sighed, and recoiled, picking up the flower, and gazing at it for a moment before handing it gently back to me. I took the velvet red in my hand, and looked up, his eyes searching mine earnestly. "You'll understand soon, Renesmee."

My eyes opened.

"Elijah," I whispered, sitting up quickly and looking around. I was in my bed, in the guest room. Outside, rain was pattering furiously against the window, and I heard a faint rumble of thunder far off. Sighing, I slowly got up out of bed, and walked over to the window silently, gazing out thoughtfully towards the darkness.

What had my dream meant?

I looked over my shoulder, at the table by the bed. There, in a cold vase of water, sat my flower.

* * *
Over the next few days, the gossip of Edward dating newbie Bella spread across Forks swiftly. Everyone was startled by it, yet accepting, and as the news grew old, so did the new couple. They became just another topic in dying conversation.

I spent the majority of my time at the library, reading books on science and time. It did me no good, but I learned a great deal; and sometimes, when life reaches the overwhelming point, a book is sometimes the perfect thing to use as an escape.

Michelle was absent, too. I don't know why she disliked me, but she did, and was always gone; therefore, Elijah's older sister was one less complication in my life in Forks.

It rained nearly every day, but I made sure to not spend too much time at the house. Elijah had to go to school, and I didn't want to be stuck at his place, alone with the pocket watch, the evil, beautiful toy I didn't understand.

And there was no sign of the old man, either, which puzzled me, as well as frustrated me.

As for my parents... I made sure to steer clear of Edward as much as possible, not wanting him to ask more questions I couldn't answer, but I did see Bella a lot- that is, when she wasn't hanging out with the other vampires.

"About three things I am absolutely positive. First, Edward is a vampire. Second, there is a part of him, and I don't know how dominant that part might be, that thirsts for my blood. And third, I am unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him."

"Unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him," I silently mouthed along with her recited words. I was in her bedroom: ever since she and Edward had hooked up, she and I had become something like BFFs. Being friends with Bella meant a lot of time staring out the window and reading old books like Romeo and Juliet. And more recently, reciting words too big for her mouth that didn't belong in this time period.

But heck, I had to love her.

"I think that time was the best," Bella commented as she went to sit on her bed. I sat at her desk, hand propping up my head, as I absentmindedly doodled on some stray scraps of paper around her computer.

"Me too," I agreed, sighing and rolling the chair around to look at her. She looked good, for the first time in, well, awhile: not so sickly pale, her cheeks a little flushed with color. Her long hair didn't just fall limply around her face: it curled and had volume. And she actually smiled. She looked better like that. I knew how happy Edward made her, and it made me smile just a little bit. It made me forgive her just a little bit about her long, cheesy words, strung together in sentences that belonged on the back of a best-selling romance book, not falling from her lips. But not totally.

"Bella!"

I chuckled. Good old Charlie. Best grandpa in the world.

My mom walked quickly across the room and opened her door, calling down the stairs. "Yeah, Dad?"

"The Maley boy is here to pick up Abigail." Charlie assumed I was a new friend from school, and though he clearly thought I looked a lot like the Cullen clan, kept his mouth shut and put on a smile for me. Little did he know I was the daughter of his own kid.

"Great," I chuckled, getting up from the swirling chair. I didn't hate spending time with Bella, but I needed to talk to Elijah, to focus on getting me home. I might be rid of the problem of my father, intent on unknowingly committing incest, but I was still stuck in the wrong time, and I didn't know how many more sessions of "unconditionally and irrevocably" I could take before I cracked.

"Bye, Bella," I said with a smile, waving to her. "Tell Edward I say hi," I added with a smirk.

She nodded and waved. "See you later."

I quickly made my way down the stairs and to the front door. I could see Elijah's old truck sitting in the street. Smiling, I reached to open the door, when Charlie appeared, apparently ready to say bye.

"Take care, Abigail," he said, nodding politely.

I smiled. "See you, pops," I replied, the last bit sorta slipping out. I blinked, realizing my mistake, then decided to just duck out and hope he'd already forgotten what I'd called him. The door shut. Charlie blinked, frowning after me as he touched his hair.

"Do I really look that old?" he mused, looking a little worried as he went to find a mirror.

I love Charlie(: Thanks for the feedback, guys. Too bad I can't throw a big thank-you party at the Cullen's home for all of you, because you all totally deserve it ;)