Carlisle

I sighed softly, looking upwards. Today was such a beautiful day; the clouds were hanging over the sun, casting a dull gray shade to the earth. Taking a few moments for myself to enjoy the unexpected weather, I was finally able to focus on my task I had originally come out here to do – hunt. Hunting wasn't something I particularly cared to do, but it was necessary for us vegetarians. I took a step forward, closed my eyes, letting my non-human senses take control.

Deer, grizzly bear, boar… my nose had easily picked out those scents. However, the next scent I came across made my body tingle.

Blood… human blood. I thought to myself. Immediately, I opened my eyes, frantically searching for the cause of the sweet, forbidden scent. Gliding quickly and swiftly through the forest, I finally found her, slumped against one of the older oak trees. She was a young woman - beaten and bloodied.

I moved closer to her limp frame and her faint heartbeat rang in my ears. She's dying, I thought.

Being a doctor more so than a blood thirsty vampire, I quickly rushed to her side letting my expert eyes examine her. Her body, as expected, lay limply with her pulse descending quickly – she didn't have much more time. She doesn't have to die, my mind stated matter-of-factly. I swallowed the small amount of venom that began pooling in my mouth as I took a closer look at the young woman. She had long brown hair that was mangled with leaves and other miscellaneous debris from the forest. Behind her long disheveled locks, was her small, pale, blood-stained face. She was no older than seventeen, maybe eighteen. I sadly shook my head.

So young and pretty, I thought, stroking her mangled hair from her face.

She doesn't deserve to die, not here, not now.

Then save her, a voice rang out. I chuckled out a bitter laugh. And damn her for all eternity? I've already damned four other people to this hell. I sighed. Would she hate me for the life I'm pondering giving her? Or will she thank me that I gave her another chance to fully live? I hesitated. The last one of our family members I turned, wasn't so grateful that she was given another chance. "I would have rather died then to become this," she had said. "You should've let me die, Carlisle." I choked back a tearless sob, remembering what Rose had told me, on numerous occasions. I was torn and she was dying quickly, too quickly.

Damn it, Carlisle! You're a doctor. You save people. Save her. She'll forgive you. She's not like Rosalie. She'll thank you one day. A voice rang in my head. I shook my head and another voice entered. And what if she does despise the life I've given her, like Rose does? Then what? The other voice retorted. At least she'll have a chance to live again and make her own decision about becoming one of us…

I shook my head of all thoughts, as my golden eyes drifted down to her lifeless body once more. With uncertainty, I picked up the broken child and headed home.

Edward

My long, pale fingers lightly danced on the smooth ivory surface beneath me. Music softly flowed throughout the spacious home, creating a welcoming aura. I sighed, stopping at the last note I had written down on the nearly full sheet music. My eyes expertly roamed the music sheet.

Something's missing. My brain scoffed at me. I impatiently tapped my fingers against the smooth, hard, lacquered surface. What was it?

I once again peered at the nearly full music sheet before me, hoping that something would come to mind but alas, nothing did. Sighing, I leaned back, away from the musical piece. Closing my eyes, I let the unfinished piece drift into my subconscious. Maybe, just maybe, something will come to me. Unfortunately, the thoughts of certain others, overtook the music.

--Oh dear, I do hope he finishes the piece, it was beginning to sound lovely …

--About damn time he stopped pounding on that stupid thing! Who even plays the piano anymore? Grandpas?

--Oh Edward, don't worry, you'll figure it out. It's not like you don't have eternity or anything.

I snorted at Alice's remark. Eternity. Right. Loudly pushing the bench away from the piano, I walked towards the door, thinking that maybe some fresh air might do some good for my clouded mind. I easily opened the wooden door and inhaled deeply. Usually, notes that hit me were of the usual, weeds, fresh grass, big oak trees, but this time, there was something different. Something that was causing a pool of venom to form in my mouth.

Human blood, I thought. Oh sweet, tantalizing human blood. Oh dear God, did it smell divine. It's not like I haven't been around human blood before, but this … this was different. That's when I saw him. Carlisle. He was carrying my temptation. My sweet temptation. My body trembled slightly at the thought. I tightly gripped the side of the door frame as I watched him approach the house. As he approached, his thoughts immediately took over my own desires.

Edward! Go get Esme for me. I need her. I shook my vision from the bloodied and bruised body that he was carrying and ran to get Esme, as he asked.

The next few minutes were chaotic, to say the least. Esme and Carlisle were in their room, tending to the broken girl. I on the other hand, wanted to be far away as I possibly could. Even with a few thousand feet in between us, her blood was still calling – no – enticing me. But, I simply ignored the temptation, arms crossed, sitting on the hard, cool surface of the stool. This was no easy task as I shifted uncomfortably, determined to stare at a man-made crack in the Italian marble floor.

I tried focusing on something else, say, the others thoughts, but they were all geared towards the unknown girl.

--She looked near death.

--She's so young…

The last thought that ran across my mind made me jump out of my seat and into the room where the rest of my family was gathered.

--She'll become one of us soon.

"What did you just say?" I barked at the tiny pixie. Her face looked somber. She simply repeated in her head, 'She'll become one of us soon, Edward, I just saw it. Carlisle and Esme have made up their mind.'

I shook my head in disbelief as I ran upstairs and flung the door open to my parent's bedroom. Bad idea. I was welcome with such a gruesome site, the girl with long brown locks, bloodied and near death. However, what even more disturbing was the scent that caught my nose. It was that stupid, lovely, tantalizing scent. I swiftly took a few steps back, holding my breath.

"What are you doing? Why are you changing her?" I asked hastily. I figured to skip through bullshit, I wasn't going to deal with roundabout answers. Carlisle looked up from the girl and answered me.

She's dying Edward, she'll die if we don't save her.

"Save her?!" I asked incredulously. "Save her from what could be a peaceful afterlife, only to give her a damned life for all of eternity!?" Carlisle's face fell slightly. Esme was the one who seemed to find her voice.

"Edward, don't be rash. What would have happened if Carlisle had never saved you or me? Or Rosalie?"

I snorted. "Rosalie hates what she has become, it's no secret."

Esme seemed to take a moment. "Do hate what you've become, Edward?" she asked me.

Surprised by her reaction, I was hesitant in my answer.

"Yes and no. Esme, I wish … I wish I had gotten a choice. A choice whether to die peacefully, or to become …" I motioned up and down my body, "this." I spat out the last word as it was poison. Esme looked at me disapprovingly, running her petite hands through her golden brown locks.

"Well, I'm afraid that you don't have a choice in this, Edward. We don't have a choice. You know that Carlisle and I could never watch an innocent human die, especially when there's an alternative to death. End of discussion …" She trailed off, but I cut her off.

"Fine!" I interrupted her. "Damn her to all eternity! But I will not part take in any of this, do understand? None of this!" I yelled as I turned to walk out of the room, slamming the door with too much force, causing the hinges to break off, and the door to fall to the ground. Stomping off towards my room, I was determined that changing her was the wrong thing to do, and that her change would haunt the family, most of all me, for the rest of our damned lives.