dusk

by originella

Elizabeth Partridge is the daughter of the fire chief of Forks, Washington. When she decides to move to Forks at seventeen, she never knew what could happen. While hiking, she is attacked by a rogue vampire, and Carlisle rushes to save her life. Blessed with weather and psychic telekinesis, she soon meets a Nomad, Alexander, who has chronokinesis - can these two vamps find love?

3. Run, Baby, Run

Chapter Three: Run, Baby, Run

Dad and I get into the car and make our way down the street before turning onto another that will lead us to the main road. The streets are slick with fallen rain and there are some bits of evergreen in the street itself, but Dad is careful to drive around it. He tells me that Forks High School is not too far away, and that he can take me on his way into the fire station in the mornings, promising me to take me out to Port Angeles on the first weekend when school resumes in September to buy me a car. I balk at that, telling him that Mom gave me a couple thousand for the car, and Dad says that he will merely add to the amount —totaling around four thousand and change.

We reach the main street without difficulty, and pull closer to a battered-looking hotel, which Dad tells me houses one of the best restaurants in town. I don't object or comment much, just mention that the place—located on the water, hence the name Creekside—has a rustic look to it. We step inside and he addresses the waitress, Melissa, by name, and then tells me that she's the manager there. I don't question him and we're shown to a table by the window, where Dad orders a beer and some vegan curry, while I opt to start my meal with the clam chowder and a cranberry juice; Melissa smiles and slips away.

My father is a tall man—nearly six-foot-five—and has a country boy air about him. He has the same raven hair I do, yet I got my eyes from my mother's mother, Diana. His skin is pale yet rugged-looking, and, whenever he's not working, he takes a page from Charlie Swan's fashion handbook and wears a pair of jeans and a flannel, along with brown work boots, so you know he's ready for anything. He is clean-shaven, although in the early pictures I've seen of the pair of us—pre-age-three—he had a full mustache, like that of Charlie Swan. While taller and stronger than Charlie, I know the pair of them did pretty much everything together growing up, and that I shouldn't discriminate against him—his daughter, maybe—and be as polite as possible in mixed company.

Melissa comes over with his curry and my chowder, as well as our drinks, and we thank her before she returns to her post.

Dad's own father, Grandpa Theodore, who died when I was in elementary school, owned a local farm, which seemed to produce everything from wool to cheese. They were a no-kill farm—milking cows instead of slaughtering them; having chickens lay instead of serving them for Sunday dinner. While Dad loved the farm life, his older brother, Richard, called Ricky, took it over as he was the oldest sibling out of all the Partridge family. Dad and Uncle Ricky also had one younger sister, Claire, who moved to Seattle when she got married to a rich architect who designed skyscrapers.

"Will you be needing books for school?" Charlie asks.

I nearly giggle over my chowder. "No, Dad. Public schools usually give you your own books, but sometimes not AP classes."

"What's an AP class?" he asks.

"Advanced placement," I reply patiently.

Dad nods. "Of course—don't know where you possibly got your intelligence from. My I.Q. test back in high school was around one-ten."

"That's average, Dad," I say quickly. "You shouldn't be upset for being average—a lot of the population is."

"What were you?" he asks.

I lower my eyes. "One hundred and sixty-seven," I say softly.

"See? There you go," Dad says, eating his curry. "Quick, eat your chowder before it gets cold. It's no good cold."

I eat my chowder and order the roast chicken dinner while Dad orders the New York strip steak, clearly proud of himself for getting something all-American. When dessert is offered, Dad quickly puts in an order for the maple pot de crème, while I opt for the vegan chocolate brownie, which is reportedly served warm. I don't normally get dessert, but give in when Dad claims that I should do so. We order two more drinks and Dad asks Melissa for the bill, and I notice that whenever she leaves the table, she's blushing.

It is raining when we leave the restaurant around half an hour later, and Dad hurries the two of us to the car for the quick drive home. "Melissa seems nice," I say casually as we shut the car doors and head down the main road.

"Yeah. She's a good friend to have in my corner, I suppose."

I nod at that; she was quite pretty, and certainly my father's type; she had pale brown hair, marble skin, and silver eyes. She seemed to favor clothes which hugged her hourglass figure, yet they weren't considered controversial by societal standards. "She's pretty," I remark as we get closer to our street.

"Sure, if that sort of thing means anything to you," Dad replies.

I blink. "Didn't you find Mom attractive?" I ask him.

He nods. "Of course—why do you think I dated her?"

I shrug. "Do you regret not marrying her?" I ask.

"I regret that your grandparents regretted our decision not to marry. Your Uncle Ricky certainly didn't mind—hell, he thought it made everything far simpler. Your Aunt Claire didn't really care either—if the commitment was real. Ricky's going to have his annual fall harvest get-together in a few weeks; Claire and her husband, Albert, are coming in from Seattle to attend."

"We're expected, then?" I ask.

He nods. "We are."

"Where does he live again?" I want to know. "Really weird city name..."

"Chimacum," Dad replies easily. "It's directly on the other side of the Olympic National Forest—small town; smaller than this, about two thousand less."

"Too small for you, Dad?"

He chuckles as we near our house. "Maybe. I certainly didn't balk at the opportunity to move here to become fire chief."

"Where did you meet Mom again?"

"Seattle," he replies. "She was up there checking out the university when she and I met. I remember Albert was there designing a building—he and Claire were just dating then—and that's why I went down there. I remember that it was just amazing that she and I even ran into each other at all—big city, Seattle."

"What happened?"

"We went out to dinner at this dive bar that Albert knew—The 5 Point Café. I remember thinking I'd never had a better burger or chili in my life, and the pie was amazing. Your mom was staying at a hotel nearby and Claire and Albert went back to his apartment while I gave your mom a ride home. We exchanged numbers and the following month—after talking non-stop on the phone—she decided to continue college by mail and moved here to be with me."

"Was it the right thing to do?"

"What?" Dad asked, pulling into our driveway.

"Getting together with Mom and...having me. Did you even want kids?"

"I always did," Dad replies, reaching out and tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "But I didn't know you were a possibility until I met your mother."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

He sighs. "Sweetheart, that first night... It didn't end with a kiss."

"What?" I ask, confused.

"That first night, your mom and I conceived you," Dad replied simply.

I remain standing at my window, looking at my impressive view, for hours; long after the sun sets, I finally permit myself to move around, unpacking the small bag I've brought for this trip. I suppose 'roughing it' is what I'm doing, considering that I've only packed enough for a week. I'll have to return to the Cullen's house—well, I suppose now it's 'home'—at some point to get more. I also suppose that I can use the credit card they've given me, and I know I wouldn't feel right about robbing a bank.

I go downstairs in the impressive house and make my way past the kitchen and into the living room, knowing that I must thank my hosts for their generous hospitality. They seem to be waiting for something in the living room, and Tanya immediately perks up when I step inside of it. Her curls bounce ever so slightly as she gets to her feet, and reaches out to take me by the hands.

"Come. We are going on a hunt."

I'd been unaware of extreme thirst during my time as a vampire—but I'd not fed in nearly two days, which was not advisable for a Newborn vampire. My throat burned and Tanya took me outside, Kate and Garrett, and Eleazar and Carmen following. As soon as we'd hit the snow, we all six tore through the trees; I was neck and neck with Eleazar, Kate, and Garrett—due to my Newborn status, I would be slightly faster than most vampires for quite a while. Tanya then slipped ahead and raised her hand, poised; as the leader of the coven, she called the shots when it came to a hunt.

"A few male grizzly bears, close to the mountain," Tanya whispers.

"No cubs?" I clarify.

"Cubs are the best," Kate puts in, clearly annoyed at my question.

"No. No cubs," Tanya assures me.

I nod, lifting my head. "I can smell them, too," I reply, in awe of the clean, clearer scent one can get so close to a mountain. I turn ever so slightly, and hesitate; even though I'm merely their guest, I've taken the Cullen name, so that amounted for something, didn't it? Still, I hesitated, one hand placed upon an evergreen tree, and waited.

Eleazar steps forward then. "Tanya, perhaps, due to Beth's Newborn status, she could lead us in the hunt for the bears. Her strength and abilities could lead us there faster and for a quicker kill, due to her reported agility."

Tanya raises her eyebrows and turns back to me. "Yes," she replies meticulously. "Why don't you lead us, Beth?"

"Okay. Sure," I say, turning back to the scent of the animals and straightening myself. The moment their scent enters my nostrils, I can picture the terrain around them, as well as deduce their exact coordinates based on where the six of us stand.

Bracing myself, I launch myself forward, leaping over snow drifts and through the trees, whiteness all around us potentially blinding to a human, but it seems to enhance our surroundings as I make my way through the darkness. I feel the five other vampires behind me, trusting me, as I lead them to the base of the mountain, and quickly find that the bears to which Tanya was referring have made a bachelor pack, and I hold out my arm to stop them, debating my next move. Finally, I decide to motion to all of them to pick a bear and launch myself forward a second time, capturing a particularly fat specimen—who seems to be the leader of the troop—and is not pleased. I manage to find his throat and tear it open quickly and efficiently, savoring every drop of this Alaskan mammal's blood. I let the bear loose when I've drained it, the impressive skin slumping—lifeless—into a heap at my feet, and I manage to kick some snow around it.

Returning to the Denali's house, I am quite shocked to see something moving about in the living room, and, as we enter the house, am perplexed to see Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Bella, and Alex all grouped in the living room. Tanya greets each of them warmly in turn, and I notice that she stares a bit regretfully at Edward and Bella, and I immediately suspect that she wished to be mated with Edward, but it hadn't worked out. Carmen, quickly assessing the situation, ushers everyone upstairs so as I am standing alone in the living room with my new family.

Esme puts a hand on Carlisle's shoulder, and Carlisle, Edward, and Alex slip outside and run off into the trees, presumably looking for some caribou, because I know Edward has a taste for the wild side a bit. Esme, Bella, and I stand there in silence; there is no need to sit, but it feels awkward—emotionally—standing around like this, doing and saying nothing at all. Minutes passed, and soon I'd seen the clocks' hands move four numbers worth across the clocks' face, and still, it was silent. Esme deduces quickly that I may not wish to talk with Bella in the room and, with one look, tells her to join the boys for a hunt in the Alaskan wilderness. Despite my closeness with Bella, she smiles at me like she understands and slips out. I knew her to be clumsy as a human—by all accounts—but she slips outside and hops from the porch and onto the snow-covered ground with the grace and agility of a dancer. It is a skill which I know I myself possess, but I find myself terribly ordinary for having it now.

"Carlisle and I were worried about you," Esme says softly, when she is sure that we are completely alone.

"I left a note..." I say softly, as any teenager would.

Esme smiles. "Yes, we know. Alice was able to figure out where you went." She sighs. "We went through a sort of rebellion phase with Edward. He went off by himself and tasted human blood for the first time..." Esme sighs a second time. "Is that something you're interested in doing, Beth? Tasting human blood."

I lower my eyes. "Of course I'm interested, Esme. I'm only a vampire, after all," I reply. "But I wouldn't do it, because that is not who I am..."

"Who do you think you are, then?" she asks, not unkindly.

I sigh. "I think I'm a girl who hasn't ever been anywhere," I admit. "I saw this as an opportunity to get out and do something with my life..." I shrug. "I just wanted to get out of the tristate area, I guess..."

Esme smiles. "And you can do that. Carlisle talked it over with Tanya and the rest of them and they've agreed to let you stay here until the vacation is over..."

"No, that's fine," I say quickly. "I think that maybe just twenty-four hours is all the rebellion I need for right now. Maybe the summer after graduation..."

Esme smiles. "Where do you want to go? Carlisle and I will let you go wherever you want after you graduate."

"London," I reply. "I want to see London and Scotland and Ireland more than anything."

She grins. "Well, you can..." She hesitates. "So, will you be coming back with us tonight? Or do you want to stay here for a while?"

"I'll come back with you," I reply. "I still need to get my Christmas shopping done," I tell her with a grin.

Esme smiles. "All right. I'll help you pack, and then you can drive us back."

After I've packed, Carlisle, Edward, Bella, and Alex get into Carlisle's car while Esme gets into the passenger seat of my car. We all wave to the Denali's as we drive off, and the house gets smaller in the distance as we travel down the dark road. I make my way down it carefully, despite my acute senses, and follow Carlisle's car as we make our way down to the highway to get back to Forks.

"Why did you run?" Esme asks softly.

I shrug. "I guess I just wanted some time to think things over."

"What do you need to think about?" Esme asks.

I feel self-conscious for a moment before I force myself to speak. "I asked Alex for some help on a Victorian-era essay I had to write," I reply.

"Seems logical," Esme replies. "He's from that time, after all."

I shake my head. "Yeah, it seemed logical at the time...I don't know. Things got rather strange, especially when we got on the topic of mistresses."

Esme laughs. "Mistresses?! He's quite old-fashioned, isn't he?"

I nod. "Yes, it seems he is. Anyhow, he made it seem like it was all okay, having a mistress and all that and..." I shake my head. "I don't know what happened..."

"What happened?" Esme asked softly.

I grip the steering wheel as I manage to navigate myself appropriately behind Carlisle's car and not slide into a ditch off the road. "Alex and I kissed," I reply.

"Do you think that you two will...?"

I sigh. "It would be far simpler if we were to, wouldn't it?" I ask her. "But no, I don't think so, Esme, really I don't."

"Why's that?" she wants to know.

I shake my head. "He's just not right for me. I have to find the right person myself, and I can't do that stuck in Forks. As soon as I graduate, I'm going to the UK to see what that's all about and maybe I can go to college there or something..."

"You've been accepted into every university you've applied to, based on the false documentation we've provided the schools of your previous education..."

"Which really isn't terribly false, isn't it? We just changed some phone numbers around and used my information," I say softly.

"Jasper certainly does know how to charm the universities," Esme says. "You got another stack of letters in your absence."

I smile. "Well, let's just hope one in particular comes."

"You have a dream school?"

"In the U.S. and the UK," I reply.

"What are they?"

"Dartmouth for here, Oxford for the UK," I reply. "Their weather and climate are like the State of Washington, so it's not like I'd be lacking in anything."

"Do you honestly like the weather here?" she asks. "Bella doesn't."

I smile at that. "Yes—I absolutely adore it. Rain is...peaceful to me."

Esme smiles. "Yes, rain does work as a cleanser of sorts." She leans back ever so slightly in the passenger seat. "If and when you do go to university, have you given any thought to what you may want to do degree-wise? You have all the time in the world."

I nod. "I know. Maybe I could write books under an assumed name and hire someone drop dead gorgeous to be the fact of it all..."

Esme laughs. "Well, you certainly have a flair for language. I caught a glimpse of that last essay you wrote. It was as if I was really there."

"That was all thanks to Alex," I reply.

"You're sure he's not it?" she asks. "You're sure he's not the one?"

I grip my steering wheel tighter. "It's too soon to tell, Esme, but if we're betting on this sort of thing, I'd say 'no'."

She nods. "Well, your destiny is up to you now."

"I know."

She briefly takes my hand and squeezes it. "Once you've finished high school, if you want to go off on your own for a while, Carlisle and I would support that. To the outside world, you'd be eighteen, so authorities wouldn't be able to bat an eye."

"Thankfully," I reply.

Christmas was a spectacular affair at the Cullen household. The only absentees were Alice and Jasper, who went to visit old friends of Jasper's, called Peter and Charlotte, part of the newborn army Jasper had been involved with. The third absentee came in the form of Alex who went to celebrate Christmas in Alaska with the Denali's. I was deemed safe enough to formally meet Jacob and Renesmee—I say it in that order because Jacob insisted upon meeting me first to determine my safeness around his wife. While I understood his reasons completely, I did not appreciate all the fuss that was being made over what should have been a simple introduction.

Jacob came directly to the house, while Renesmee went to the cottage to see Bella and Edward beforehand. Carlisle and Esme stood on either side of me, while Emmett and Rosalie hovered nearby in case I lost control. It was a bit of an inconvenience because Jasper was not here to calm me down, but he'd walked me through certain things before he'd left with Alice the afternoon before. He explained that I'd been remarkable in my training and that I was truly a unique breed and that he—and the rest of the Cullen family—had complete confidence in me.

Jacob walked in through the front door and came up the flight of stairs and into the living room, where I and the rest of the Cullen's were gathered. There was a prominent noble fir tree in the background—they'd bought this particular fir this year because it was the only fir tree my sensitive mother could stand without sneezing. Emmett, Rosalie, Carlisle, and I had journeyed deeper into the woods after a hunt and picked this one out, which now had its branches filled with brightly covered orbs. Beneath it was a festive tree skirt—made by Esme—and upon the skirt there were dozens of gifts. By the mantelpiece and fireplace were twelve stockings—for Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Bella, Renesmee, Jacob, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice, Alex, and me—which hung from the beam with care. There was a holiday runner on top of the mantle, as well as upon the dining room table, and there were red, white, and green candles on every surface.

Jacob uncharacteristically—according to Emmett, who believed that this particular young man was serious at every turn—smiled at me as we made eye contact. Maybe it was the holiday season; maybe he just wanted to put my mind at ease before I was formally introduced to Renesmee. "You must be Beth," he said, putting out a hand.

Immediately, I was hit with a wet-dog smell and, had I been human, I would have probably choked. "Damn," I say, reaching out and shaking his hand. "You really do stink..."

Jacob and Emmett laugh heartily, while Carlisle and Esme politely chuckle, and Rosalie makes a sound of disdain. "You got the Cullen blood, huh?" he asks.

I laugh at that. "So I've been told. Nice to meet you, Jacob."

"So what can you do?" Jacob asks, curiously. "I know that some of you have supernatural abilities and whatnot—except for these guys," he says.

Emmett shrugs. "Can't beat my strength," he says, flexing.

"Charming," Rosalie puts in, wrinkling her nose.

"Perhaps a demonstration for Jacob isn't such a bad idea," Carlisle says softly. "What do you think?" he asks, turning to Esme.

"Provided that Beth does so outside," Esme replies, "I see nothing wrong with it."

I get to my feet, knowing that I won't do any harm to potential prey that smells like some sort of dog left out in the rain. I make my way past Carlisle and Esme and slip past Rosalie and Emmett while Jacob trails along behind like the mutt he is. Once outside, I see that the snow around us will make for the perfect color as I raise my hand, just as Edward, Bella, and Renesmee come into view. While Renesmee smells wonderful, I find myself surprisingly untempted by her scent as I continue raising my hand into the air. Immediately as I've willed it to, intricate snowflakes come forth from my fingers as Jacob and Renesmee watch from afar, captivated at my skills.

"That's..."

"Amazing," Renesmee says, speaking for the first time and completing Jacob's thought. "I guess my theory was wrong..."

"What theory?" Carlisle asks as Edward chuckles, and I know immediately that he knows what Renesmee is talking about.

"Dad, quit the mind reading for two seconds, please!" Renesmee said. "This is almost as bad as when you read Jacob's mind on the night of our honeymoon..."

"You promised you weren't going to do that!" Bella admonishes.

"Hold up," I say, cutting off the snow. "What theory?"

"That only vampires with special abilities and not just the basic ones can create others with special abilities," Renesmee replies. "I suppose it was stupid to think otherwise. I mean you, Carlisle... You created my dad and Esme and look what happened? He can read minds and she can...design houses..."

Esme laughs. "Something that any human could do, sweetheart."

"Yes, but not always perfectly well," Renesmee says, crossing her arms.

"Babe, don't be upset," Jacob says, putting an arm around her, and Edward makes a face before turning away.

"Is that all you can do?" demands a voice from in between the trees, and three guys, along with a young woman, step out. "Please. A magician could do that."

Jacob sighs. "Embry, easy," he says before turning to me. "Beth, this is Embry Call," he tells me, nodding to the guy who spoke—he is of Native American decent and has large brown eyes which take up most of his face. "That's Quil Ateara," Jacob continues, nodding to a second guy with curly, dark hair and smaller eyes. "That's Seth Clearwater..."

"Also known as my uncle," Renesmee puts in, smiling and waving at Seth, who rolls his eyes in a playful manner.

"And that's..."

"Leah Clearwater," says the only woman in the group. She had above-the-shoulder length black hair and resembles an older, female version of Seth. "Nice to meet you, I guess, Beth. I think your ability seems pretty cool."

I smile at Leah, knowing that she normally could've been short-tempered, but it was nice to be complimented nonetheless. "Thanks, Leah," I reply.

"I still say magic trick," Embry puts in, snidely.

"Jacob, how endurant are you guys?" I ask him, tired of Embry's comments.

Jacob raises his eyebrows. "Pretty endurant. When I first imprinted on Renesmee, Bella accidentally threw Seth against a tree," he says. "For the record, she was aiming for me at the time..."

"What happened?" I ask, turning to Seth.

"One half of my body was shattered," Seth admits.

"Good to know," I reply, turning all my attention onto Embry, who laughs. "Like heights, Embry?" I ask him.

He shrugs. "I don't know."

"No? How about roller coasters?"

"Sure, I guess..."

"Good. Don't blink," I tell him and lift him into the air effortlessly as Quil looks shocked, Seth looks amazed, and Leah looks amused.

"Needed to be taken down a peg," Leah puts in.

I flip Embry over and over a few times in the air, amid his shouts for me to stop. I find I am giggling and continue to do so, not giving up. "I think an apology is due here, Embry!" I call up to him.

"Not happening!" he shouts back.

"Embry!" Jacob shouts. "Come on, man..."

"Dammit, no!" Embry screams, and I turn him upside down.

"Carlisle," Esme says softly.

"Beth," Carlisle says to me.

"Don't let her stop now!" Edward nearly shouts like a boy would at a circus. "This is really entertaining... Too bad Beth wasn't around when Jacob imprinted on Renesmee..."

I smirk upwards at Embry. "Come on, Embry. It's just three little words: 'I'm sorry, Beth'," I say to him, tantalizingly.

"Fine, fine! I'm sorry!" he shouts.

"Who are you apologizing to, Embry?" I ask him.

"You, you!"

"Yes," I reply. "Now say it."

"I'm sorry, Beth, really!"

"Okay... What are you sorry for?" I ask, lowering him slightly but not turning him back to his natural position. "Oh, for the love of... I'm sorry I said your abilities were like magic tricks... Clearly, they're not and I was being rude. I should really watch out for that and I'm trying better at it, really, I swear! Please, I'm sorry, Beth. Will you put me down now, please?!" he begs, his voice cracking slightly at the end.

I sigh. "Fine," I mutter, dropping him about a foot and a half from the ground, after flipping him over because I'm not a complete devil. "So, there you have it, my powers," I say to Jacob before turning back to Embry. "Thanks for being such a wonderful guinea pig!" I gush, and clap my hands at him as he slips back behind a tree. I watch as he throws off his clothes and shapeshifts, his lithe werewolf form slipping further and further into the trees.

"Well," Carlisle says, attempting to eliminate the tension in the air, "who here is up for some Christmas presents?"

I was shocked when Carlisle and Esme revealed one of my presents: They'd gotten my car reupholstered with pink leather interior. I also had the latest GPS navigation system, along with a new cell phone, flat screen, laptop, and tickets to a Caribbean cruise that would take place during my spring break. Plus, there were new snow boots, scarves, hats, gloves, and a new goose-down jacket that I'd seen in a European fashion magazine that Alice just happened to leave lying around. The icing on the cake was two rather large envelopes from Dartmouth and Oxford who, along with every other university I'd applied for, had formally accepted me into their institutions. I spent the rest of Christmas drafting my formal essay for Oxford, telling them enthusiastically that I'd look forward to moving to London and taking classes there in the fall.

Alice and Jasper returned from their visit with Peter and Charlotte two days later, with a very happy Alice confessing that they'd also gone to Italy—not on a formal visit to the Volturi, of course—and bought even more clothes for everyone. Alice, who believes that you should always be prepared—bought me a complete wardrobe to wear to London, as she looked ahead and saw what would be 'in' when I moved there. She also bought me a dress for my graduation and its party, which she was dead-set on throwing. She told me that while I would be the undisputed guest of honor, Esme told her that, when the time came, that it would have to be a joint party for me and Alex, as such a thing would be impolite otherwise.

Alex himself returned from the Denali's at the end of the week, just three days before school was due to start again. Why school began again just one day after New Year's I didn't know, and I pitied the humans who would stay awake, partying it up until after midnight in the hopes of locking lips with some jock. Alex and I had been invited to the same high school party, and amid Esme's concerns to 'be safe', Alice dressed me and Alex for the party. I was ordered to wear a strapless black dress, knee-length, which hugged my figure everywhere. I also wore one of those necklaces which just seems to be a piece of black velvet which wraps completely around your neck. My chunky black heels finished the look, and I was surprised that I didn't stumble in them. Rosalie stepped up and volunteered to do my hair, putting large curls into it.

Alex himself allowed Alice to dress him in an informal suit and I found myself tapping my feet impatiently as I waited for him outside. I found I could make a bit of a warm bubble around me with my shield, so I wasn't completely freezing when Alex finally brought himself outside. We drove through the snowy night in silence, making our way to Merchants Road, where the lovely house was located. We parked on the street just outside and, as we entered, heard the speakers blaring away.

Minerva—called Minnie—St. Clair, who had moved to the area about two and a half years before, was the undisputed queen bee of the school. She had a taste for music from the 1980's, which wasn't all bad, and a passion for tight leather dresses, which were never lost on the boys at school, even Alex. Talk Dirty to Me by Poison was blaring in our ears, as part of Minnie's playlist, as we entered the house, and it dawned on me: Minnie definitely saw these parties as an opportunity for people to get into her pants. Shaking the thought from my mind, I politely refused some of the punch offered, and watched as Alex did the same from where he stood glued to my hip. When Minnie, already drunk, requested a game of spin the bottle, a beer bottle was produced and we were all permitted to stand, because who really knew the past time these carpets had been cleaned?

Minnie spun first and it landed on fellow senior Jackson Michaelson, who gladly stepped forward to lock lips with Minnie, who didn't look put off at all. She looked around then and her eyes locked on me. "You! Beth! You go next!" she demanded.

Shrugging, I leaned down and spun the green bottle, and it landed on Seymour Franklin and I shrugged it off, stepping forward to the too-excited teenage boy and kissed him. I turned back and went to my place, and saw that Alex looked angry, the rage bubbling just beneath the surface. When Minnie told Alex to go next, I thought nothing of it as he spun the bottle and it landed on—big surprise—her. Minnie giggled with delight and pulled Alex into the center of the circle, kissing him with passion.

I shrugged that off, too. It was a kiss—it didn't mean anything, did it? After spin-the-bottle died down, truth or dare was played, but everyone—well, the girls—drew the line at seven minutes in heaven. The beat picked up again and we all danced nonchalantly and I ended up going onto the balcony, pulling my cardigan on so as I wouldn't look too inconspicuous for everyone's taste. A senior came out and warmed his hands, and I found myself raising my eyebrows at him—he was good-looking enough, and had moved to Forks before starting elementary school; his name was Theo, like my grandfather, and he had a very handsome look about him.

"Liking Forks?" Theo asked.

I smiled. "Who wouldn't love a small town?" I ask him.

Theo laughs. "You got me there."

"You a country boy at heart?"

He nods. "I guess so. I was born in Dallas, but the heat didn't agree with me. Then when Dad got the lawyer job up here, Mom started working at the hospital... Things just sort of fell into place... Your dad works at the hospital, right?"

"Carlisle? Yeah," I say.

"Right, Carlisle—Dr. Cullen. Nice guy. He adopted you, didn't he?"

I nod. "Yeah."

"What's the story there?" Theo asks, not unkindly.

I shake my head. "It's long and sad and boring... You don't want to know."

"Sure, I do," Theo says, smiling kindly at me.

"All right, you asked for it," I tell him. "Well, I was born in New York, but my bio mom and dad relocated to Portland by the time I was three, so no accent really stuck," I tell him. "My dad was like Carlisle's younger brother, and I didn't grow up coming here, but Carlisle and Esme kept coming down to see me and them for years." I smile at the fictitious memory. "My dad didn't have siblings growing up and Carlisle sort of stepped in and helped with the loneliness—my grandparents were of the working generation so my dad would go over to Carlisle's parent's house on the daily after school to hang out and stuff. Then when my dad met my mom and Carlisle met Esme things kind of got out of touch for a while. Then my dad got sick and my mom had to take care of him constantly..." I sigh. "He... My dad had pretty bad cancer—stage four heart," I tell Theo. "When Dad died when I was about twelve, it was just me and my mom for a few years there. Then she got remarried and the guy seemed nice but sort of...beat her up," I continue, shuddering on cue. "He knocked her so hard against the wall one night that he caused bleeding on her brain. I remember my hands shaking as I called the cops and he was hauled away from there... My mom was put into a medically induced coma but there was nothing the doctors could do. I was listed as next of kin and since I was over sixteen but younger than eighteen, Carlisle, as my legal guardian, stepped in and told the doctors to shut off the machines. Then he and Esme took me home and I haven't looked back..."

Theo shakes his head. "Dammit. I'm so sorry."

I shrug. "Hey, it is what it is."

"Man... Now I really feel bad for every moment I ever told my mom or dad that I hated them or something..."

I reach out and touch his arm. "Hey, we all feel that way. When Carlisle and Esme took me in, I destroyed my room and my lungs nearly exploded when I demanded to know why all this had happened to me," I reply, feeling relieved at telling some form of the truth. "I yelled at my parents that I hated their guts for dying like that."

"So, only child?" Theo asks.

I laugh. "Not anymore. I have three brothers and three sisters now, plus a niece," I tell him, and find I like being a part of such a big family.

"Right, of course. And what's the story with Alex?"

"Pardon?"

"Alex. Doesn't he live with you guys?"

"Yeah. He's in foster care," I reply, giving Alex's cover story. "Carlisle and Esme are thinking about adopting him but he's going to age out of the system by the end of the year anyway..."

"Tough break," Theo says.

I nod. "Yeah, pretty much."

"There's a rule about foster siblings and real siblings dating, right?" Theo asks. "I mean, I think I heard somewhere that kids can get in trouble for that sort of thing..."

"What are you asking?" I ask Theo, aware of the effect I can have on teenage boys, now that I embody what society has deemed 'perfect'.

Theo grins down at me. "I'm asking if you're with Alex."

I smile at him. "No," I reply. "I'm not." From the corner of my eye, I can see Alex gripping and successfully destroying his red solo cup before crossing the room and grapping Minnie, who squeals, yet succumbs to his kiss.

Oddly, even though Alex is not my mate, I find myself shocked at this thing that I construe to be betrayal. Turning back to Theo I smile up at him. "Well, would you maybe want to possibly...?"

I close the final step of distance between us and throw my arms around him and kiss him and find I am not averse to his lips on mine. I find that while there is clear physical attraction there, on an emotional level there is nothing, while with Alex, there was clearly something. I give Theo my number before checking my watch, finding that it is after midnight and that Alex and I must be back to the house. I haul him out of the party and into my car, seething as I make a sharp U-turn and make our drive down the main street and out of town, into the woods.

"What the hell is your problem?!" demands Alex as I do my very best not to swerve along the ice-covered roads.

I grip my steering wheel. "Kissing sluts—not bad. Maybe next time you can kiss a nun!" I shout at him.

Alex blinks. "Excuse me, but you told that tool that we weren't a thing, so where do you get off acting like this?"

"I haven't closed the book on us being a thing, you know," I growl back.

"You seemed to," Alex replies.

"When?!" I demand, taking my eyes off the road.

"Road!" screams Alex and I turn back to it.

"When? Tell me. I'm waiting."

He sighs. "When you ran off to Denali and then came back—you told Esme that it was not going to happen between us."

"Eavesdropping?" I mutter. "Wow. Another offense."

"I thought we had something," Alex tells me. "Why did you potentially close the book before we found out what that something was?"

"You don't intend to be monogamous," I reply. "While that might be cool for some people, Alex, it's not for me. No thank you."

"Well, I really think that..."

We are cut off by a police siren behind us, and I roll my eyes, knowing that I am clearly speeding in a twenty-mile-an-hour zone. Pulling off into the shoulder, I bark at Alex to hand over my registration paperwork while I take out my license from my new Italian clutch and roll down my window, thankful for my new goose down coat. I know that the officer will inevitably check my pupils for alcohol or drugs, and I feel confident that I didn't make any 'poor choices' that evening. Well, consuming them, at the very least, and then I wondered what possible benefits I could have from either...

"License and registration, please," says an eerily familiar voice.

Forcing myself to remain composed, I hand over the card and documentation, and wait for Chief Charlie Swan to successfully I.D. me. I keep my eyes down until he shines the light into them, and I see in his eyes he makes the connection. I don't call him on it, but I know he feels the need to say something.

"Elizabeth Cullen," he says.

"Chief Swan," I reply.

Chief Swan sighs. "Beth, your dad's a wreck," he tells me. "Carlisle signed a coroner's report telling him and the town that you were dead."

I lower my eyes. "I know."

"Man, I know that living with a dad all by yourself can't be very appealing to you, Beth, but I really think..."

I reach out and touch his arm, and he stiffens at its natural coldness. "Charlie...please. I know that you know that Bella had to change..."

He nods. "Yes."

"Well, suffice it to say I had to change, too. I would've really died otherwise," I tell him. "I know it's hard, but I will tell him, after graduation when I turn eighteen. You can't tell him anything, Charlie—please."

"Beth, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to..."

"...go home right now," says an English accent, and a young man suddenly appears from out of nowhere, placing his hand upon Chief Swan's arm and a thick steam seems to come forth and into the man's hand. "Go along, now, Chief Swan."

Chief Swan blinks, handing over my documentation and walking blindly back to his police cruiser, whereupon he starts the engine effortlessly and drives down the main street towards his own house.

"Thank you," I say softly.

The man pulls back his hood of his snow jacket, to reveal a face of beauty. "No problem, really," he says politely. He has thick brown hair and golden eyes, so I quickly know that he practices vegetarianism. "Richard Kingsley," he says, putting out his hand. "I'm from London if you couldn't tell. How do you do?"

"Beth... Elizabeth Cullen," I say. "That's Alex Radclyffe."

"Your mate?" Richard asks.

"No," Alex replies, looking past Richard. "Who is that?! She your mate?"

Richard turns around and beckons the young woman over. "No. We call each other siblings even though we're not related at all."

"Hello," says the blonde beauty quietly. "Katherine Charleston."

"Nice to meet you," Alex says, practically panting.

"Where are you staying?" I ask, totally absorbed in Richard.

Richard smiles. "Nowhere, yet. We just got into town."

"Well, by all means, come with us," Alex says quickly, hopping out of the car and opening the back door for Katherine, before climbing into the back seat with her.

"Now that that's settled," Richard says, climbing in beside me, "whereabouts do you two live?"

"With the Cullen family," I tell Richard as we continue driving through the rest of town. "I think you'll like it—the forest is amazing. Abundant in animals."

"Vegetarian, eh?" Richard asks, nodding at my golden eyes.

"Guilty," I reply.

"Of more than one thing, I assume," Richard replies as we drive through the dark and towards home.