Chapter 3

A/N: ONE REVIEW??!!! Aww, come on guys! You can do better than that! As many Twilighters as we have on here, surely to God some of you can take five seconds out of your busy schedule to write to this poor, lonely, starving-college-student authoress! *cries*

Carlisle: (raises an eyebrow) Don't you think you're being a little melodramatic?

Me: (sighs) It's an artist thing. I'm taking time out of my studies to write this story!

Carlisle: (stares at the stack of textbooks that have cobwebs on them) What exactly is it that you study?

Me: (growls) Never mind! Maybe if I write another chapter someone will take it seriously. (pecks furiously at the keyboard)

Carlisle had not been this uneasy in years. As the Cullens splintered off in their separate directions, he stood in the middle of the mall. Jasper and Emmett decided to get some new baseball equipment, as their old stuff was completely worn out. Alice, Bella, and Rosalie had gone to do some shopping for Renesmee's birthday party (it was technically her second one, but she looked ten). That left Edward and Carlisle. Edward was drifting towards some other store. Carlisle couldn't figure out what it was he was looking at, so he started to wander as well. They had agreed to meet in this spot in an hour's time.

The mall wasn't his most favorite place in the world. It was too crowded and noisy and he became bored within seconds. He began to wander off as well.

The slightest shift in the breeze brought a new smell to his sensitive nose. He inhaled deeply.

Blueberries. Lavender.

Oh, no....

Blood.

But not just any blood. La tua cantante....

He found himself being drawn towards that wonderful smell. His legs moved of their own accord. Try as he might to resist, he couldn't.

Standing on a platform that served as a makeshift stage, there was a drummer, a guitarist, and a keyboard player. In front of all of them was a woman slightly younger than his mortal age: she couldn't have been more than twenty-one. She held the microphone...and she held everyone around her captivated. Carlisle realized that this wonderful smell was coming from her.

One of the hazards of meeting la tua cantante was that you not only became thirsty for their blood, but you became emotionally captured as well. So many different thoughts flickered through his mind at once that it almost made him dizzy. He couldn't stop gazing up at her. She was even more beautiful in person than she had been in his dream.

She saw him. Dark coffee-colored eyes met liquid gold. Carlisle's thoughts were screaming, pleading, begging her not to tease him as it was hard enough to remain still. Surprisingly enough, she didn't. Instead of egging him on, she gave him a shy smile. The song she was singing ended and another began.

"Watch my life,
Pass me by,
In the rear view mirror
Pictures frozen in time
Are becoming clearer
I don't wanna waste another day
Stuck in the shadow of my mistakes..."

As her voice escalated, Carlisle felt the sharp pains of grief from Esme's death carving him apart. He could not disguise the pain in his eyes and the world around him washed out of focus. Right now, it was only he and his singer that existed.

Cause I want you,
And I feel you,
Crawling underneath my skin
Like a hunger,
Like a burning,

Carlisle's throat felt as though it was on fire. It seemed to make him ache all over. If he could cry actual tears, he would have been doing it right there on the spot. He was being held together by a thread.


To find a place I've never been
Now I'm broken,
And I'm faded,
I'm half the girl I thought I would be:
But you can have what's left of me

The piano music was gentle, soft. It took the edge off of his pain just enough for him to notice her look of concern at him.

I've been dying inside,
Little by little,
No where to go,
But going out of my mind
In endless circles,
Running from my self until,
You gave me a reason for standing still

The tone of her voice suddenly changed. It was as if she was singing directly to him, no longer cutting him apart, but seeking to heal him instead. He suddenly felt a strange sensation. He felt as though something was draining all of his sadness out of him, leaving an almost euphoric feeling.

It's falling faster,
Barely breathing,
Give me something,
To believe in
Tell me: It's not all in my head....

It seemed ironic that the last line was exactly what he'd been thinking.

Cause I want you,
And I feel you,
Crawling underneath my skin
Like a hunger,
Like a burning,
To find a place I've never been
Now I'm broken,
And I'm faded,
I'm half the girl I thought I would be:
But you can have what's left of me.....

Instead of singing the last of it, they left the song right there and the music began to fade. Carlisle was surprised to find that his sadness (at least for the moment), was gone. There was a strange tingling sensation all over his body. Despite his euphoria, he felt drained somehow. His body felt strangely heavy and he sat down on a nearby bench. He'd hoped she would sing another song, but everyone decided to have a break and wandered off.

"Hi."

Carlisle nearly jumped out of his skin. He was tempted to hold his breath, but he couldn't.

"Hello," he returned nervously.

His singer flipped her hair back, a gesture that nearly unhinged him.

"Did I strike a few nerves up there? You looked like you remembered something really heavy."

Great. A female version of Edward.

He didn't know what to say. Luckily, one of her bandmates came over.

"Hey, Dawn, let's go get some pizza. I'm buying!"

She gave Carlisle an apologetic smile.

"I guess that means I'll see you later."

Before she even asked, she seemed to know that he wouldn't come with them. She walked away. Carlisle breathed a sigh of relief when her scent became very faint.

"That's going to be a problem, isn't it?"

Edward appeared on the bench next to him.

That's who we've been smelling...she must live very close to our home, Carlisle thought, I had hoped she wasn't human.

"She's not," Edward said, "she's a Siren. While she sang, she drained your energy. She was feeding off of your grief. I saw her do it."

Carlisle stared at him in disbelief.

She WHAT?!

"Yeah. Why do you think you feel so high right now? Your eyes are dark," Edward told him, "she got you stirred up so that she could absorb it."

How could she do such a thing? Why me?

"Because she's your singer, Carlisle, and you're hers, too."

Edward chuckled as the string of obscenities raced through Carlisle's thoughts. His face was clouded with grim nervousness and uncertainty.

Are you sure that she is what you say she is?

"I couldn't be more sure. Jacob and I took Renesmee to hunt and we got bored, if you can believe that. He started telling me some old legend about 'the woman-bird'. Turns out, that girl's a Siren. She's older than you are. I didn't make the connection until I saw her. She smells nothing like a human."

Carlisle had to agree with him.

He glanced over at her.

Dawn....For some reason, I was expecting something less....ordinary.

She was sitting at the table laughing at something the guitar player said. He watched her eat four slices of pizza very, very quickly and start on a fifth. The others around her stared, but her bandmates acted used to it. When Alice, Bella, and Rosalie returned, they seemed to know something that the men didn't. Alice was grinning ear to ear and giggling. Rosalie certainly didn't look amused at all; she seemed a little irritated. Bella seemed concerned. Jasper and Emmett approached from the other direction. They looked like two children in a candy store. There wasn't a doubt in Carlisle's mind that they'd found what they were looking for.

"Did she see something?" Carlisle couldn't help but ask.

"Yeah, she did," Edward said, looking amused.

"Well?"

It was at that moment that they shared knowing looks.

"You're probably better off not knowing right this second," Alice said, "if I tell you, it might wreck it."

Carlisle's insistence couldn't coax it out of her. To his dismay, it was time to go home. He watched Dawn on the way out. She looked up at him and smiled. Out of reflex, he smiled back.

"What was that all about?" Emmett asked when they came outside.

"You'll see soon," Alice promised him, her voice overflowing with amusement.

Carlisle was silent on the way home. The others changed the subject quickly, but he never tuned into the conversation. He was thinking about her.

If she truly lived as close to them as he knew she did, he had to figure out a way to get closer. He knew in his mind that it was risky, but the base instinct fighting its way to the surface was overriding his caution.

"Your eyes are looking a little dark, Carlisle," Edward commented, "you look like you could use a hunt."

He glanced at himself in the rearview mirror and was instantly puzzled. His eyes hadn't been this dark this morning...

"The Siren," Edward mouthed. He nodded almost imperceptibly as the cars pulled into the driveway. The others didn't notice him slink off into the woods.

The sun broke through the clouds. Carlisle removed his jacket and hung it on a nearby tree branch. He couldn't believe he'd just drank last night and was thirsty again. La tua cantante could do that to a vampire, he supposed.

He breathed in deeply. He could smell a wolf nearby, one that wasn't Jacob, Seth, or Leah. And this wolf smelled good. Licking his lips, he inhaled deeply, trying to catch the scent. A gray blur caught his attention. He could smell more than one--the one who's scent he had was pregnant. Deciding not to take that one, he waited for another scent to attract him. Another female, one that had no pups, was wandering nearby. Carlisle immediately gave chase. He moved so fast that the trees were green and brown blurs. Just as he raised his head, the sun broke through the clouds and shone on the clearing. Since there weren't any people around, he didn't have to worry about it. His skin shone brilliantly, like diamonds. Little rainbows sparkled everywhere as he continued to hunt. Feeling quite contented, he stretched out in the meadow. The sun was shining brightly and the air was quite warm.

Funny...

He was beginning to feel sleepy again. This time, he did not fight it. It was such a hazy, warm, pleasant feeling that he had no urges to fight it. His eyelids slid closed as he rested in the cool grass. The breeze seemed to caress his cheek.

This time, he dreamed about soft, warm hands touching him and kisses. Whether it was Esme or someone else, he could not remember.

She knelt over him. Confident that he wouldn't wake up as long as she cast the illusion of sleep over his body and mind, she stroked his face. His skin was smooth and cold, like living stone. It was as though some angel had chiseled him from a chunk of marble. She didn't dare kiss him or anything like that; no...she wanted him to come to her willingly.

She remembered him earlier at the mall. She could feel the weight of his grief on her own shoulders. The desires to suck the life out of him had been overwhelming, but she'd done something very unusual. Instead of feeding on the raw sexual and emotional energy that she usually took her nourishment from, she'd enticed his grief to the surface and stolen that away. Even his negative emotions were bitter-sweet and more filling than anything she'd ever experienced. She hadn't meant to steal as much of his energy as she had, but it had been difficult to stop when she had.

She caressed his cheek and smoothed his hair back. He couldn't have been more than twenty-three when he'd been transformed. He looked even younger in his sleep. The only thing that made him passable as older was the age in his eyes. Though he was young and active-looking, there was a type of ancient-ness in his eyes that showed the years etched into his memory.

As Dawn knelt in the grass next to him, he whispered a single word: "Esme".

Esme?

"My poor vampire," Dawn whispered, "how terrible it must be to lose a mate of so many years."

He turned his face towards her hand, his cheek fitting perfectly into her palm.

"Esme..." he repeated again, this time, sounding as though he was begging her not to go. He began to cry tearlessly, stirring restlessly. She hugged him to her chest. If Dawn had her way, he would never hurt again.

"In the arms of the angels...

fly away from here...

from this dark cold hotel room...

and the endlessness that you fear...

you are brought from the wreckage...

from your silent reverie...

you're in the arms of the angels...

may you find...

some comfort here..."

His grief welled up again even though he was fast asleep. She placed her hand over his eternally frozen heart. The dark energy, all of his pain, sadness, anger, and guilt was drawn from under his skin. A dark cloud appeared around her hand. She closed her eyes and it was drawn up her arm into her body. The sadness and grief were bitter, but the slightest bit of sweetness made it much more tolerable. It was like adding sugar to a bitter tea. She concentrated until she had drained just the grief. His eyes opened, but they were glassy and unseeing. They were still bright golden, a good sign.

"There," she whispered, "you know how to mend everything but a broken heart. Let me help you put the pieces back together."

Carlisle's thoughts were a confused cloud. Was he awake or was he dreaming? Esme's face had melted into the golden-haired Siren's.

He fought against the sleepiness he was feeling and blinked. The world came sharply into focus. Before the Siren could feel his muscles tensing, he pulled away from her and rolled a couple of times before getting up. Instinctively, he growled.

Dawn looked at him, surprised.

"Dr. Cullen...calm yourself."

He stared at her, disbelieving. Her voice cut through the vampire instincts like a sharp sword.

"You-" he managed.

Understanding that this was an accusation, she nodded.

"Yes."

He crossed his arms over his chest, suddenly angry. It took a lot to make Carlisle angry, but he was angry now. He felt violated and deceived, but he couldn't stop staring at her. Just as his skin glittered and threw little rainbows everywhere, Dawn's skin had a beautiful golden sheen and cast a golden light. She was in her true form right now: her skin was much more golden now and two ivory-white wings flowed from her back. The outside edges of the wings were tipped with golden feathers. She wore a white halter top so that her wings had freedom to move, a short black denim skirt, and a pair of black calf-length boots. Despite his fury with her, he couldn't deny how...delicious she looked.

"Why?!" he suddenly demanded.

"Just as you vampires have 'singers'," Dawn said smoothly, "we do as well."

If Carlisle had been alive, the blood would have drained from his face. She knew the Cullens' secret. He was hyper-aware of the sound of two heartbeats within her; one from her chest and one from her abdominal cavity.

"I won't tell anyone," she said lightly, "but I want you to stay here for a while."

"While what? You endanger my family and I?" Carlisle exploded.

He punched a nearby boulder and it splintered into several pieces. Dawn seemed relatively unphased by this show of temper.

"How am I endangering you?" she asked, her tone rather coy.

"Because-"

He sighed in frustration.

"My blood makes you crazy? You could try to bite me, you know. I wouldn't stop you."

He shook his head, fighting against the burning in his throat.

Dawn held up one finger. Out of the delicate-looking nail bed, a black claw suddenly shot out. Giving him a defiant smile, she traced the outline of her collar bone and a small line of golden blood appeared.

Carlisle's instincts seized him so fast that he didn't have time to fight it. He launched towards her, pinning her to the ground in a matter of seconds. His thoughts fluttered against the fire in his throat, but they shuddered and went still. He moved to snap his teeth into her neck, but he was surprised when his teeth made only a scraping sound. There wasn't a dent in Dawn's skin at all. Frustrated, he tried again. Nothing. After biting against unmovable flesh until his jaws began to ache, he finally regained control of himself and got off of her. Embarrassed, he held his hand out to help her up.

"See? I may be vulnerable as a human, but in my natural form, I am every bit as indestructible as you are," she said.

He blinked in disbelief.

"That didn't hurt? At all?"

She shook her head.

"No. Not in the slightest. In fact, it tickled."

Something inside of him was offended, but he pushed that aside.

"What do you take from me, then?" he demanded, still angry.

"Energy," she said dismissively, "I am what most people call an 'emotional vampire'. I sing and make their emotions loud and strong. Then, I drain them."

Carlisle was furious and she could see it.

"I didn't take any of your good energy," she assured him, "I only fed off of your grief. I have no desire to kill you or make you miserable. Just as my blood is irresistible to you, your energy is irresistible to me. Your very presence can cause me to become wild."

Shock replaced anger in his face. He squirmed uncomfortably, not knowing what to say. He'd never been in such an odd situation before.

"I-we-uh," Carlisle took a breath and started over, "we can't stay. Not like this."

"You will," Dawn said, a hint of a threat in her voice, "for a few years. If you try to go, I will follow you. And I can do things to vampires that you cannot do to me."

Carlisle suddenly felt exhausted, but it was mental exhaustion.

"Consider it carefully, Doctor," she said, the last word filled with venom, "that your family means everything to you. You wouldn't want any unfortunate accidents."

"Are you threatening me?" he asked angrily.

"No," Dawn said easily, "threats are empty words. That is a promise."

He was being used and he hated her for it.

"Admit it, Carlisle. You couldn't leave me if you tried and you know it."

"I could," he snapped, "your shallowness repulses me."

He was telling the truth. He was angry enough with her right now that it didn't matter. Not even the sweetness of her blood, which called to him, could make him give in.

"You stay away from my family!" he thundered before running away.

He didn't look back.

Dawn herself was shaking with fury, but tears began to flow. This had NOT gone as she'd planned. Not at all! She'd hoped that she'd have some time to prepare before he saw her here and realized that she was living so close. She'd wanted the beautiful blonde vampire to fall in love with her.

But she'd ruined it. Like every other time she'd failed to attract a mate, Dawn had been far too forceful. She began to tremble as a cold wind suddenly swept over her. She looked up when something wet hit her shoulder. The usual rain clouds were gathering. Feeling defeated, she went back to her castle as the tears ran down her cheeks. His comments cut her to the quick--something that had never mattered before.

Your shallowness repulses me...

She went straight up to her room and flung herself onto her bed as a child does. The tears ran their course after a little while. As she slowly recovered, she realized, miserably, that she'd deserved it. She'd been thinking of him as a prize to be won when she couldn't have been more wrong.

Everyone was quiet when Carlisle entered the house. They didn't dare ask where he'd been or why he seemed so angry.

"Anything I can help with?" Jasper asked.

"Please," Carlisle muttered.

He felt his fury towards Dawn dissipate instantly, replaced with more neutral and positive ones.

"Thanks."

He went into his office and closed the door.

"They've met," Alice and Edward said in unison.