Chapter Four

I love your eyes, I love your forehead,

Oh my rebellious and fierce one.

I love your eyes, I love your mouth

On which my kisses will tire themselves out.

I love your voice, I love the strange

Gracefulness of everything you say,

Oh my rebellious one, my dear angel,

My hell and my paradise!

I love your eyes and your forehead;

I love all that makes you beautiful,

From your feet to your hair,

You to whom my hopeful pleas ascend!

~ Chanson D'amour by Gabriel Faure ~

Edward Cullen

Forks, Washington – another town and another home. It had been a long time since our last stay in Forks and for Alice and Jasper it was their first time. Alice was extremely excited, which balanced out Rosalie's disdain. I knew it was a show – once she'd gotten used to it, she'd enjoy being queen bee. And Emmett and Jasper were happy when Rosalie and Alice were happy. They were almost simplistic in their contentment and I envied them that, although I was very careful to keep those feelings in check around Jasper. I knew he would not knowingly pity me, but I could sense it all the same.

I looked at the clock. We would be leaving for our first day at Forks High soon and Carlisle was eager to get to the hospital. I couldn't help but admire him for his strength around blood. There wasn't a one of us who would be able to resist the way that he could, but he took no pride in that. He just accepted it as being part of who he was, just as he accepted each of us, flaws and all.

Esme was waiting downstairs to say goodbye while Alice ordered Emmett upstairs to change his shoes. I listened in amusement.

"They don't go, Emmett! Rosalie, tell him! We want to make a good impression on our first day." She turned to her sister and the blonde smirked.

"Go on, Emmett. Alice has ordered."

"Rose, baby…" Emmett pleaded but she'd already turned away to say goodbye to Esme, who kissed her cheek. He rolled his eyes at me and moved off upstairs.

"Have fun, darlings." Esme smiled and then caught sight of me, holding out her arms for an embrace. I kissed her cheek quickly and she fussed with my hair, pointlessly.

"Have a good day, Edward." She said with a fond smile. I gave her a faint smile back. I could hear her thinking that she hoped it would be different here, that I would be happy here.

I didn't want to disappoint her. But I knew that I inevitably would.

We took my Volvo, since it was the least conspicuous of the cars. Rosalie sulked, wanting to drive her BMW, but Carlisle had insisted that she leave it for a couple of months. We were bound to draw attention in a town this small so we had to keep our heads down. However, once we'd arrived at the school, I realised that this wasn't going to be as easy as I'd imagined.

Stares followed our every move. Whispers haunted every step. Thoughts pounded my brain, the same repetitious nonsense that everyone thought on their first viewing of us.

Weren't we good looking? Weren't we pale? We must be rich. We must be snobs, not to talk to anyone but each other.

It was beyond irritating. It was almost mundane with familiarity, we'd heard this at every school but for some reason my patience was wearing thin here. I worked through my classes, keeping my head down and went to my locker before I went to the cafeteria for 'lunch'. I put my books away, sighing at the futility of the action. I could quite easily carry the whole stack but not without drawing untoward attention.

Oh my god, there he is! I should say something. What should I say? Oh my god, I'm so nervous…

Jessica Stanley. I had been in her Calculus class first period and had wanted to stuff my ears with tissue in an attempt to get away from her ridiculous mind. She was a typical teenage girl – one of nature's most annoying creations and present in great multitudes in high school. Maybe I should have gone to UW for a few semesters instead of high school, but we wanted to start young again here. It gave us more time.

"Hi Edward." Her voice pierced the air and I closed my locker door slowly before turning to give her a fleeting glance. She was hugging her books to her chest, her expression hopeful. I paused before looking away disinterestedly.

"Hello Jessica." I said, moving on quickly. Alice and Jasper were waiting for me at the door to the cafeteria.

How was your morning? Jasper asked and I shrugged slightly.

"High school is high school." I replied and he smirked his agreement. Alice squeezed his fingers as we made for the dwindling line, collecting a small amount of food each.

"You've been great, Jasper. I haven't seen a single thing today." She said, proud of his strength. He found it harder than anyone to be around humans and I remembered with clarity the intensity of the fresh burn around these creatures. I put a sandwich and a carton of milk on my tray, paying for it without a word as the dinner lady's mind began to wander to unpleasant places. I repressed a shudder and crossed the cafeteria to sit with my family, holding my copy of Frankenstein in my hand. Rosalie and Emmett were already sat with Alice and Jasper. They talked quietly amongst themselves and I opened my book, trying to concentrate on the text instead of the irritating thoughts surrounding me.

Jasper was concentrating very hard on not thinking about the humans around us. Alice stroked his arm soothingly, like you would with a dangerous animal, cautious and gentle.

"It helps to think of them as people." She said quietly and nodded towards the door. A red-haired girl was coming in, a dark-haired girl slipping past as the door opened.

"That girl… she's in my geometry class. Her name is Leanne." She said softly, "She's good at calculus and she's going to prom with that guy in the corner. When he asks her, I mean. Which he will, he just wants to make sure that she'll say yes first, because he's so nervous."

I smiled, crumbling my sandwich so it looked like I'd eaten some of it and carried on reading.

~*~

I had biology after lunch. Fortunately Jessica wasn't in this class and I was able to concentrate, even though I knew the subject matter. I had two medical degrees for crying out loud. But the illusion had to be maintained and I paid close attention, working steadily and concentrating on blocking out the thoughts around me.

After Spanish, my last period for the day, I met with my siblings in the parking lot. Emmett looked excited to be leaving and Rosalie gave him an indulgent smile. Jasper was perched on the hood of my car and I scowled at him until Alice skipped past, reciting the book of Genesis in ancient Latin in her head. I twisted my head to look at her in confusion.

"Alice?"

"Let's go home, Jasper and I are going hunting." She said cheerfully and I rolled my eyes, climbing into the driver's seat.

~*~

I spent the night at my piano, playing my favourite tunes. I was in no mood to compose and it wasn't until Esme touched my shoulder that I stopped playing. She smiled, sitting beside me on the bench.

"How was your day, Edward?" She asked and I nodded, running my hands softly over the keys. I had broken more than a few pianos in the early days but I knew my strength now and no matter how lost I got in the music, I almost always managed to keep my instrument intact.

"It was fine. The same as the others." I said calmly.

"Didn't you want to go hunting?" She asked looking concerned and I gave her a half-smile to ease her.

"I'm fine. I'll go in a couple of days." I assured her and she smiled, touching my hand.

"Play for me?"

I knew that there should be no favourites in the family, but if I had to choose, it would always be Esme. Her ability to love was beyond anyone else's, that I knew and as a result I couldn't deny her anything, no one could. She was what held our family together. She closed her eyes, leaning her head on my shoulder as I played Faure's Chanson D'Amour. The light, lovely music floated over us as I played and I saw Esme's thoughts, watched as she remembered quiet moments with the family, sitting together, hunting together, her happiness when we returned from school. I envied Jasper at that moment, wanting to feel the emanating love that was sure to be coming from my mother.

I heard Carlisle's thoughts by the door and looked at him without disturbing Esme. He smiled at us warmly.

It's good to hear you play, son. It makes her happy.

I nodded slightly and Esme opened her eyes, smiling at the sight of her husband. He held out his hand wordlessly and she stood, taking it as his other hand went to her waist. Without a sound they fell into an age-old dance, perfected through the years and through the natural rhythm of their adoration for each other. A giggle alerted me to Alice's present and she turned to Jasper, pulling him to her so they could dance too. I couldn't help but smile as the two pairs waltzed and glided, their thoughts of love coming hard and strong.

The ache was a little less than before, as I was blessed with being in the presence of such love, albeit only as an observer.

~*~

I spent most of the next day avoiding Jessica and her friend, Lauren Mallory. Both seemed intent on talking to me at any given opportunity and whilst I knew that most men would be flattered by their attention, it merely made me uncomfortable. Their thoughts were ridiculously lustful and I cringed at their overactive imaginations. Other than that minor irritation, the day passed uneventfully. I was once again left to my own devices in Biology, which suited me perfectly.

I went hunting with Carlisle that night. Alice had seen that he would be getting some patients from a car accident the next day and whilst he was comfortable around exposed blood, it never hurt to be prepared. Emmett joined us and we fell into friendly competition over who could find the first mountain lion. After I won, Emmett disappeared to find some bear – I would never understand his obsession with bear, I found the taste too smoky and bitter. Mountain lion had a rich, moist tang to it that I much preferred.

Carlisle slowed his pace to a gentle run as we approached the house and then stopped.

Edward.

I stopped too, facing him. He smiled, straightening his shirt.

"I had a message from the Quiluete tribe." He said calmly and I tensed. This could be bad. We had only just arrived in the town and things were already taking a turn for the worse. But Carlisle held up a hand, as though sensing my train of thought.

"Quil Ateara and William Black have requested to meet with us tomorrow night. I believe that as long as we can assure them that we will abide by the terms of the original contract, we will be allowed to stay here."

"Allowed." The word was derogatory and I frowned at its use but Carlisle nodded."We are not fighters, Edward. You know this. We will remind them of the terms agreed by their fathers and grandfathers and impress upon them our willingness to abide by the laws they set out. They should have no reason to quarrel with us."

"Other than our natural urges." I said dryly and he chuckled, setting off towards the house again.

"We will have to take Jasper and Alice. They have not signed the contract as we have and it will show our cooperation." He said as we arrived at the front door. "You, I, Alice and Jasper will meet with them at the border tomorrow night at eight."

"Why not all of us?" I asked.

"We do not want to appear as a threat. The four of us will act as ambassadors and I would prefer to have your… take on things." He smiled, referring to my ability to read minds. I raised my eyebrows.

"And if they will not listen?"

"There's no reason why they shouldn't." He said and took off again, but not before I heard his thoughts.

…could stay here a few years. It would be unfortunate to uproot again so soon.

~*~

People were still talking about us. That was the main problem with small towns – gossip sprang from the most mundane of areas. Then again, could you consider the local vampire population mundane?

Alice was staring out of the window when we arrived, frowning slightly. I glanced at her as we pulled into the parking lot and the others climbed out.

"Alice? Is something wrong?" I asked and she turned to me, frowning. She was disguising her thoughts again and I narrowed my eyes but she smiled.

"I'm not sure yet. But something is going to happen. It's not… it's not like anything I've seen. It doesn't make sense." She frowned again and then shrugged, slipping out of the car and taking Jasper's hand, walking across the parking lot.

I went to my first class, sitting alone where possible and keeping my head down as I worked. I did not crave the attention that the children lavished upon me and studiously ignored the advances of Lauren and Jessica, much to their chagrin. By the lunch period, my mood was foul and I glowered at a freshman who dared to cross my path. His eyes widened and he almost ran from me.

What the hell is his problem? I didn't even say anything!

I sighed, heading into the cafeteria. What was my problem? This school was no worse than any of the others we'd been to yet my nerves were being strung thinner than ever before. The burn in my throat was more painful than I liked when surrounded by humans and I considered cutting class for the rest of the day and heading out to the forest for another meal. I would need to be in the right frame of mind for tonight's meeting with the Quiluete.

"Don't cut class." Alice said firmly as I sat down. I sighed.

"Why not?"

"Because something is going to happen. I don't know what but you need to be here. Besides, you'll have time to eat before we go to see the Quiluete." She said confidently and Rosalie wrinkled her nose.

"You're going to see the dogs?" She asked me in a revolted tone. I arched an eyebrow.

"Yes."

"Why aren't we going?" Emmett asked and I picked at a pizza slice.

"Carlisle doesn't want to appear as a threat. He wants me to get a read on them and Alice and Jasper need to sign the treaty." I explained. Emmett nodded, accepting this. Rosalie scowled. She hated to be left out of anything but Alice leaned forward.

"Rosalie, Carlisle needs you to look at his car. The brake pads will need replacing soon. He's going to ask when we get home." She said and Rosalie rolled her eyes, flipping open her phone, going online to order parts.

I tried to peek into Alice's mind but found nothing more than the genealogy of the English royal family in Greek.

~*~

I was one of the first to arrive in Biology and watched with disinterest as the rest of the class trickled in, Mr Banner scribbling the lesson objectives on the board. His mind was filled with thoughts of marking and students and I smiled faintly at his dedication to his students. He seemed to be one of the very few teachers who seemed to care about his pupils, taking an interest in the subject.

A couple more people came in, the second taking a seat at the front of the class. The first, a dark-haired girl, looked around before moving to sit at the deserted desk beside mine. She didn't have a bag or pencils, not even a jacket even though the weather was chilly. I glanced at her curiously out of the corner of my eye before glancing into her mind.

Silence met me.

I frowned. The room was fairly quiet as Mr Banner began the lesson, his voice the only obvious one in the room. The girl glanced around and then reached behind her for a spare text book which was on the bench at the back of the room, placing it on the table and opening it quickly to the right page before returning her hands to her lap. Her hair fell into her face and a wave of scent floated across me.

I was stunned for a moment. This scent was unlike anything I'd ever smelled before. It was sweet and warm, like fruit and flowers, but almost ethereal, not the usual heart-thumping scent of a human. I strained to smell it again, keeping my eyes on the notepad before me. What was that delicious smell? I felt almost human again, the burn in my throat was throbbing but I had no initial desire to drink, only a wish to be closer to the source of that scent, to drown in it. It terrified and confused me as my emotions melded with my thirst and I stared at the notepad, horrifically uncertain. This was more than my usual thirst and yet it defied the thirst, begged for intimacy and careful investigation, for closeness.

"Edward, you can join another pair, if you like?" Mr Banner's voice broke through my stupor and drew my attention to the work at hand. I had already done this lab work, several times over.

"I've done this lab before. I don't mind working alone." I said softly and his thoughts expressed his relief that I wouldn't disrupt his carefully planned lesson. As he returned to the front of the classroom, I glanced at the desk beside mine. The girl was sat, watching the experiment at the desk in front of hers. Why hadn't he paired me with her? Had he even noticed her there? You couldn't exactly miss her, yet she remained silent, watching Mike Newton's experiment with a vague interest. Then she tensed, sitting as still as she possibly could.

I looked at her face. It was pale and uncertain, her teeth biting into her lower lip. I listened for her internal monologue and heard none. She stared back at me for a moment and then turned her face away abruptly, letting her hair fall into her face. She hunched over her book, barely moving throughout the rest of the lesson. I finished my worksheet in less than a minute and stared at the desk, watching her out of the corner of my eye but she didn't look at me again and left the room quickly.

Who was this girl? This human without a mind and without the pull of pounding blood that came with normal people?

I became aware of Mr Banner preparing for the next class and collected my things, exiting the classroom. A lot of people had already disappeared into their next classes. I walked quickly to my locker but paused as I saw Alice and Jasper stood by the row of lockers. She tried to disguise her thoughts again but was half a second too late.

The girl was smiling at me, her hand in mine and a shy smile on her face as we stood in my room at the house we'd only recently moved into here in Forks. I smiled down at her and lifted my free hand to sweep the hair from her shoulder, cupping her cheek before leaning down, my mouth brushing against hers…

"Alice!" I fumed and she winced, sliding under Jasper's arm. He gave me a warning glance but I ignored him.

"Edward, who is she?" Alice asked and I ground my teeth, glaring at her, being careful not to tighten my grasp on the books in my hand. The spine of the biology textbook creaked ominously.

"I have no idea." I said sharply and tugged open my locker. The metal around the handle twisted and I scowled, flexing it back into shape. Alice stepped forward and the mental chanting stopped.

"I love you, Edward." She said quietly, her hand reaching up to brush my hair from my eyes, "I love you."

"Edward, don't you see?" Alice asked softly and I slammed the locker shut, turning to glare down at her but she sent another vision flying into my mind.

"I love you too." I smiled, easily and freely, as the chords of Chanson D'amour played delicately behind us. She smiled joyously and pulled me close, kissing me again.

I snarled and Jasper narrowed his eyes.

Watch it, Edward.

I ignored him, staring down angrily at my sister.

"I don't want to talk about this now, Alice! Whatever you saw, you were wrong!"

I heard footsteps and even as I turned my head to look, Alice leapt forward with ridiculous speed for such a public environment, forcing me back. I threw back one arm, being careful to be light enough not to dent the lockers, planting my feet firmly in an instinctive defensive pose but froze as a familiar, delicious scent invaded my nostrils and the realisation that my arm had not connected with the metal of the lockers but with something warm and solid, something that sent sparks tingling along my cold skin. I heard a gasp and looked down quickly to see the girl from Alice's vision sprawled at my feet, sitting on her backside on the dirty floor.

She stared at me, her expression a mixture of confusion and horror. I frowned, desperate to hear her thoughts, straining with my whole mind but nothing but silence touched my ears.

Her large, dark eyes slid from me to Jasper, to Alice (who was smiling incessantly) and then back to me. I could see the uncertainty, the hesitation, the fear in her eyes and I held out my hand to help her to her feet but she flinched away, climbing to her feet in an ungainly fashion and keeping her eyes downcast.

"Are you alright?" Alice asked gently, tilting her head.

She didn't speak. Instead she lifted her eyes to meet mine, searching my face for something and it was almost agonising not to instantly know what. And then she turned and ran through the lockers.

Vampires are not often speechless. But there were three stunned and silent vampires stood in the hallway at that point in time. I blinked and turned to look at my brother and sister. Alice glanced at me quickly.

"What did you hear?" She asked and I shook my head.

"Nothing. I couldn't hear her thoughts."

"Didn't you notice the other thing?" Jasper asked dryly and I frowned, glancing at him.

"What do you mean?"

"No thoughts. No heartbeat either," Jasper said darkly, "That girl is dead."

A/N: Hello my little sherry trifles! And may I start this author's note by telling you that I was OVERWHELMED by the response to the last chapter! Seriously, a couple of hours after I posted, I was on MSN to my beta going "And it's had this many hits and this many reviews and this many favourites! Squueeeee!"

My beta is a very patient lady. Send her loves and cookies.

Chanson D'amour – I discovered Faure in my PotO days and it's a never ending love affair. This song is such a wonderful declaration of love, love that Edward sees everyday and secretly longs for. He wants his rebellious angel. This is the English translation from French.

www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=BeAyifsNuqc

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas! Next chapter will be along… shortly. I have two assignments to do and several large meals to work off in the gym!

Reviewers will receive their chosen Cullen/Werewolf and a grand piano. Use as you see fit, although watching Pretty Woman may give you some ideas. My beta, Sarah, has laid claim to Carlisle and I have my eyes firmly set on Emmett. Or Jasper. Or Jacob. Leave a review now and claim one before I decide to keep them all.

Love

Katie