~~~Visit~~~

"Edward, are you nuts?" Rosalie bellowed at Edward later that following afternoon.

"Rosalie, I've just invited her over for a visit," Edward began.

"Edward, you're getting too close to this girl. She's a human, Edward! You're repeating history-" Rosalie's voice stopped when she saw the look on Edward's face.

"Rose, we're not having her over for lunch if you know what I mean. They're friends, so you need to back off," Emmett said warningly.

Rosalie opened her mouth to protest one more time but stopped. She threw one last angry huff in Edward's direction and stalked off into the living room. They could hear her loud thuds on the stairs as she stomped up them.

"Thanks," Edward said gratefully to Emmett.

"How is it going? Really," said Emmett, looking at him. "I haven't seen Alexis much at school."

Edward looked at him with a gentle expression on his face. "She's my friend. I care about her."

"It's different, Edward. Back in...you know, you were such a loner. You never made any friends or anything. But, I've seen you with Alexis and also that girl with black hair, Macie or Marcie or something, and I can't help but smile. I'm really glad that you are happy. Happier than I've ever seen you," whispered Emmett.

Edward just looked at Emmett for a moment. He couldn't really figure out how to comprehend what Emmett just said. All tha was in Emmett's mind was what he just said.

"Thank you," he whispered before shuffling out of the room like such a human.


"What time does Alexis get here?" Carlisle asked Esme as he handed her a laundry basket so she could begin loading clothes into it.

"Edward says between one and two. I'm not sure if she is excepting a late lunch or dinner or something so I'm going to prepare some food just in case," Esme said as she threw some sweaters into the basket.

"Keep up appearances, huh?" said Jasper from the doorway. Both Esme and Carlisle turned around to look at their son. He was leaning on the doorframe and had a small smile playing on his lips. Esme's topaz eyes filled with tenderness at the sight of her son. Out of all her boys, she was closest with Jasper.

"Yep," Esme smiled, giving him a look of love. Jasper smiled back at both of his parents and turned back into the living room to which the laundry room was connected too.

Carlisle shook his head and laughed quietly. He turned back to his wife and watched her as she took the last article of clothing and folded it. Esme saw the thoughtful expression on his face.

"What are you thinking?" she asked. "You're going to have to tell me since I can't read minds like Edward."

"I was thinking about Edward, actually," said Carlisle. "And Alexis."

"He's never been as happy before as he is now," Esme said, finishing his thought.

Carlisle chuckled. "I thought you couldn't read thoughts," he said leaning over to kiss her pearly forehead.

She laughed quietly and heaved the giant basket into her arms. "Well, maybe sometimes," she chortled, the sound like the chiming of bells.

Carlisle smiled and followed her out of the laundry room.


Edward heard the sound of Alexis's Tracker pulling onto their mile long driveway. He felt a smile spread across his face as Alexis's face swam across his mind.

Stop it, Edward!

Edward grunted at his inner conscience and got to his feet, walking past his family that was gathered in the living room and made his way out into the yard where Alexis had just pulled up. He found her staring longingly at Emmett's Jeep.

"Oh, Emmett's gotta see this," he chuckled.

"I heard that!" said Alexis with a wide grin on her pretty face.

Edward started to laugh and approached the car. He opened the door of the Tracker and she slid out, her slender legs stretching out and landing gracefully on the fluffy grass. Her sapphire eyes stared up at the mansion and her mouth formed into a perfect "O" of surprise.

She rounded on him seconds later. "So this is why you didn't want me to see your house!"

"Uh, yeah," he quickly agreed. Alexis looked at him disbelievingly. She then turned back to her car and grabbed her violin case. Edward stared at it for a second. Even though it was in it's case, he had never seen her beloved violin up close before. He knew that Alexis treasured that violin like he treasured his piano.

They slowly began to walk up towards the house together, their footsteps almost in synch. Edward took a chance at that moment and draped an arm around Alexis's shoulders. Alexis had gotten used to his cold hard touch so she didn't flinch. But in her heart, she was still determined to discover what it was with this man.


"Here they come," said Carlisle, listening to the footsteps of his son and his son's friend. Esme, who was holding her toolbox in her hands, being determined to tackle the busted sink, nodded at her husband. The front door opened at that moment. Alexis stepped inside first and for the first time, Esme and Carlisle laid eyes on their son's future.

Esme's unneeded breath was taken away. She knew then at that moment that this was her son's soul mate. His real future. Bella Swan did the start. She had opened Edward's cold heart to love. But Alexis was the person that Edward was meant to spend the rest of his life with. However long that life was.

Carlisle's gold eyes took in Alexis's appearance. She looked so different from Bella. For one, she was quite small. Probably about the same height as Alice. Her golden blond hair hung in a loose plait down her back and her sapphire eyes shone with excitement. She was someone that he hoped that Edward would find.

But there was another thing that he noticed about Alexis. Something that he had been suspecting all along. She was happy. She looked honestly happy with her life.

"Thank God," he murmured, knowing Esme and Edward had heard him.

"Carlisle, Esme, I have someone I would like you to meet," said Edward, breaking through the silence. "This is my…friend. Alexis Bowen," he said. "Alexis, these are my parents."

"Hi, Alexis. It's so nice to finally meet you. Edward has told us so much about you," said Esme with loving warmth in her voice.

"All lies," joked Alexis.

Carlisle chuckled. "He says that you are a phenomenal violin player."

"I try my best. I don't know about phenomenal though. Edward likes to blather on and on about ridiculous stuff," Alexis laughed, nudging Edward in the ribs and giving herself a bruise.

"How long have you been playing?" asked Esme.

"Since I was four," smiled Alexis. "My mom took me to this concert at Carnegie Hall. There we saw these amazing violinists. They just blew me away. Before I knew it, I was jumping up and down in my seat going 'I wanna do dat!' and acting like a typical four year old. My mom bought me a little baby violin and let me start taking lessons. I've played ever since."

Something stirred inside of Edward when he heard 'Carnegie Hall'. For years it had been his dream to play there. But he knew he never could for the chance that he would asked back. They would see that he hadn't aged a day.

"Let me see...Edward's been playing the piano since he was six," Esme said thoughtfully. Without even reading her mind, Edward could tell she was thinking quickly. He hadn't told Alexis much about his family. He had told Alexis that he was adopted by Carlisle and Esme when he was eight. His parents had died in a 'car crash'.

"Have you ever heard Edward play?" asked Carlisle.

"Actually, no," said Alexis. "That's one of the reasons why I'm here. Been hoping to hear some of the music that he's been bragging about."

"I don't brag!" Edward protested, pouting slightly.

The other three started to laugh. They stood there chuckling and joking for a couple of moments. Suddenly, though, the front door opened and closed and they could hear two sets of really loud feet.

"There they are!" trilled Emmett. He and Jasper had ducked out when Alexis had pulled her car up the driveway to give them some privacy.

Emmett quickly approached Edward and grabbed him around the waist. Edward easily wriggled out of his grasp, slapping him in the back of the head. Alexis chuckled, remembering her horseplay with her brothers. Emmett really did remind her a lot of Joey.

"So you're the new girlfriend, huh?" Emmett said playfully when he approached her.

Alexis turned red at the word 'girlfriend'. "I wouldn't say that. Yet," she added quietly.

Emmett smiled and then took her by surprise by giving her a gentle hug. Well, he actually picked her up and whirled her around but it was quite gentle for him.

Alexis staggered when he put her down. Edward quickly caught her before she fell to the floor. Emmett gasped and grabbed her arms, putting her in a standing position quickly.

"I'm so sorry!" he chuckled.

Alexis laughed, rubbing her arms. "It's perfectly fine. Don't worry about it."

Jasper shoved Emmett aside. "I hope you don't mind that I don't try to break your ribs. Nice to actually meet you," he said, holding out his cold fingers.

Alexis's warm hand winced when it felt the ice but she didn't give an inclination that she had felt anything. But the Cullens weren't stupid. She knew that they knew she could tell something was up. But that was another difference between her and Bella. She knew how to keep her mouth shut.

Alexis smiled kindly. "It's wonderful to meet you too, Jasper. It's kind of stupid that we've been in the same class for almost three months and we haven't talked to eachother yet."

Jasper chuckled. "No worries."

"Hey, where's Alice?" asked Esme, realizing her younger daughter wasn't there.

"Right here," came Alice's wind chime voice from the top of the stairs. Alexis looked up to the stairs to see the tiny Alice standing there. Edward's eyes raked over his sister and his friend and realized that they would probably be within an inch of each other's heights.

Standing there, watching Alexis interact with his family, it made him realize something right there and then. Something that he had kind of already realized a while ago. Alexis was the real thing. Bella had opened his heart and he would always love her for that and always miss her. But Alexis was the real thing.


"Where's Rosalie?" asked Alexis as they finally broke away from his family and made their way upstairs.

"Somewhere pouting," he answered. A low hiss reached his ears that he knew Alexis couldn't hear. Rolling his eyes, he opened the door to his bedroom.

A small double bed had appeared over the night once Emmett and Jasper were aware that Alexis was coming. It was really the ugliest bed he had ever seen. They had gone out and bought it, knowing that Edward would hate it and he did but there was nothing he could do about it now.

As soon as Alexis saw it, she tried really hard not to burst out laughing. "Cute bed," she chuckled, covering her hand with her mouth.

"Oh, shut up," Edward brushed his hand across her jacketed shoulder, knowing that she wouldn't feel the coolness.

Alexis smirked and began to wander around his large room. She immediately fell in love with the glass window, overlooking the wide forest. "Edward, this is gorgeous," she said gesturing to the window.

"My mom designed it," he said, pointing to the crystal embossing around the edges that Alexis had not noticed before.

"Wow," she murmured. She continued to wander around the room, her slim fingers tracing over everything. When she turned, her sapphire eyes pierced him, taking his unneeded breath away. She made her way over to his wall of CDs. Her index finger fell on one and she slipped it out. "Can you play this?" she asked.

"Sure," he answered, gently taking the case away from her and opening it, placing the CD inside the gigantic stereo and pressing play.

The gentle piano music began to fill the room. Alexis could almost feel the air quivering with the beauty of it. It was the air was going to collapse under the weight of the notes.

Slowly and carefully, Alexis slid her violin out of it's case. She grabbed the boe and tucked the end of the instrument under her chin. She let the boe fall over the iron strings and another set of notes joined the piano music. The violin fit perfectly with the piano. Edward's music and Alexis's music…it was like it was never apart in the first place. It was together.

Alice's vision came back to Edward at that moment. This was it. This was what it was.

And it made perfect sense.


Downstairs, all of the Cullens froze as soon as they heard the music. Then one by one, they all went to the living room. Carlisle and Esme sat down on the sofa and laid with their arms around each other. Emmett and Jasper came back inside and each took a corner of the room. Alice came down from her perch on the kitchen table and sat down on the other side of Esme.

Rosalie had heard the music and slowly traipsed out of her and Emmett's room and downstairs. She sank down onto the couch next to Emmett. He put an arm around her and pulled her close. She looked at the rest of her family who were gathered around.

"I'm sorry. I understand now," she whispered.

"Don't tell us. Tell Edward," murmured Carlisle.


Okay, so here's an update. Sorry for it being so late. The end may seem kind of rushed but I know what I mean. I wanted to show Edward and all of the Cullens being really affected by Alexis's music. Also, Alice's vision of Alexis finally making sense.

I've also changed the title to "An Angel's Song", hence all the music association. Enjoy!