A/N: I thought you all would like to know that I'm very happy with the responses I've been getting to the more frequently posted chapters. Love you guys so much!

"Um..."

"Yes?"

I pointed. "There's a concussion. Right there."

Carlisle flashed me a grin, "Very good."

I swelled with pride. It was a sunny day, so Carlisle had stayed home from work. I've always wanted to be a doctor and as soon as I found he was, I asked him to teach me everything he knew.

"Oh! And there," I pointed to the x-ray of the skull, "That's a hairline fracture."

"Excellent!" he praised, causing me to grin broadly, "You learn very fast." He patted my shoulder.

I beamed, about to say something when I heard a low distinct 'meow'.

Oh, no.

I turned slowly to see two round golden eyes staring up at me, faux innocence trying to cover the smugness that came off Mr. Whiskers in waves. Carlisle just stared. He didn't know what to make of the cat.

"He's probably hungry," I murmured, edging around it - him, "I'll take care of it."

I resisted the overwhelming urge to - lightly - nudge Whiskers with my foot as he weaved between my legs while I opened a can of cat food. We weren't exactly on friendly terms after the bed-rolling incident yesterday or the bath incident afterwards.

Cats weren't very fond of water.

Wrinkling my nose against the smell, I shook it into the bowl with his name on it that Mrs. Jackson had bought for him. The front door opened as I set the bowl on the floor.

The manner in which Whiskers ate was...extremely strange. He used his paws to pick up little peices and put them in his mouth. Like a person.

Seth came up from behind, watching with me in a puzzled silence.

"He's-"

"Yeah," was all I said.

I turned and put my arms out in an immediate reaction to seeing Seth literally swaying on his feet.

"When was the last time you got some sleep?" I asked, frowning when he shrugged vaguely. I took him by the hand and lead him to the couch in the living room.

Seth laid his head on the pillow that I had put on my lap.

"It's quiet," he murmured as I traced the bridge of his nose with my finger, "Where is everyone?"

I shrugged. "Around. I think Esme went outside."

He nodded once and silence fell like a blanket around us. I gazed down at Seth, taking in his boyish features, the way his dark lashes rested on his cheek. I wanted to continue my finger's trail along his jaw but pulled away, not wanting to disturb his sleep with my low body temperature. The peaceful expression was swept away when his eye brows suddenly knitted together.

"Hey, I never got to ask you," he said, "You're not still mad, are you?"

My fingers froze in his hair, then quickly began it's movement again in an attempt to hide my unease.

"About what?" I asked, pretending to be oblivious. He frowned.

"I know how much it upsets you that you can't see your family anymore. And I know it upsets you even more that we won't let you. And...I'm sorry. It must be hard."

He reached up and brushed his fingers along my cheek, causing my deadened heart to squeeze and my breath to uneven.

At that moment, self-hatred settled deep into my bones. Not only was I betraying Seth and everybody else, I was putting lives at risk. I cringed at the thought of someone's life being cut short because of my carelessness. Much like mine had.

The next words burned on my tongue, "Don't be sorry, it's not your fault. And you're right. It is dangerous."

But I have to go anyway.

He fell silent once more and I listened to his breathing, going slow and deep after only a moment.

He didn't suspect for a minute that I was doing this. The fact that he trusted me enough not to made me want to just forget about the whole thing. Could I really betray him like that? What would he do if he found out, because surely he would. I didn't even want to think about it.

I rested my head on the side of the couch and closed my eyes, wishing that I could sleep. I wanted to close my mind, too, slip into oblivion. I settled for letting my mind wander. The x-rays, the cat, the sun.

The sun...

"What happens when we go in the sun?" I murmured to myself. Seth's eyelids fluttered open and he looked perplexed.

"You don't know?" I startled at how he could wake up just as easy as he went to sleep but shook my head.

The affects sunlight had on vampires was about the only thing Lola hadn't informed me about. When I had done my wandering in the early days after my change, sure I had traveled in the day but never had I gone into direct sunlight. When I had entered Volterra, the sun had been shining but I hadn't been able to see. When I had left, I'd been ordered to do so at sundown.

Everyone had been able to hear my question and were coming out of hiding; Carlisle, Jasper and Alice coming down the stairs and Emmett and Rosalie emerging from the garage. Esme came through the font door.

"Well, you'll be happy to know," Jasper said, "That we don't burn." Everyone chuckled.

"Then, what happens?" I asked, not amused. Seth pulled on my hand.

"Come see for yourself."

I was the first one out of the door, astonished by just how much sun there was where it was usually gray and rainy. What astonished me even more was what happened when I stepped off the porch.

The sun rays beat down on us causing our skin to sparkle.

Sparkle.

Sparkle?

I stretched my hand out in front of me and tilted it slowly from side to side, watching it glitter like diamonds. I looked up disbelievingly at Seth, who looked as awed as I felt. I continued to turn my hands at different angles, trying to make sense of it all.

We were vampires. The most dangerous predators to walk the earth. Most of us preyed on humans and one bite could turn one into one of us, too. Impossibly fast and incredibly strong, no one would be able to get away if targeted.

And then we get into the sun and sparkle.

"I don't get it."

Emmett laughed pounded me on the back.

"Neither did I."

We went back in after a while but not before I got a good look at my hair. It was the same as always; black as a raven's wing, waving down to my waiste. But among the normalities was a difference that never stood out as brightly as it did now. Fair strands wove through the darkness like golden thread. And suddenly my decision was final.

I was going back to Seattle. It's what my mother would have done.

A/N: Just one more chapter to go! Review!