True to his word, Edward spent the wee hours of the morning sharing as much as he could think of with Bella. He told her about the Volturi; how they started all the myths about vampires to throw humans off of their scent and to protect future generations. All the holy water, crosses, reflections, burning to a crisp in daylight; that was fabrication. He told her about Carlisle's years with them, and how they were adamant about laying low. If they found out that any human had figured out a vampire's true identity and was not subsequently dealt with, that vampire would be executed. He told her quickly that vampires were not killed easily, and he watched as her face darkened while he explained that he knew from personal experience.

"Dismemberment is really the only thing that destroys our kind. We also have to be burned afterwards. Every single part."

Bella had shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. Edward noticed, and grabbed a blanket from the couch in Bella's room. They were sitting crosslegged in the floor, knee to knee. He draped it over her shoulders, and she smiled. He realized it wasn't from the cold too late, but she didn't seem to mind that he forgot she no longer had these mortal impulses. It was merely from thinking of such a thing happening to anyone. It was overkill, she thought. She bundled up in the blanket, covering her face until only her ruby-red eyes were the only things visible.

They both heard footsteps at the same time, jerking their heads towards the door. Carlisle stood in the doorway, dressed for work. He laughed, taking in Bella's face.

"We leave you with Edward for a night and you end up looking like Dracula."

Bella stood up then, keeping the blanket in its place. It looked even more like a cape now, dragging the floor as she walked towards Carlisle with a slow and trembling gait.

"I vant to suck your blooooood!"

She hissed, and Carlilse chuckled again.

"We'll have to work on that. You sound like an angry cat."

He took her smiling face in, and frowned slightly. Bella focused her eyes on him and tried to read his mind like she knew Edward must already be doing. She dropped the blanket and turned back to try to read his face too. Edward looked from Carlisle to Bella and shrugged. Bella held back the urge to stomp like a misbehaving child.

"What?"

Carlisle shook his head, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"It's nothing, really. You're just- handling the transformation a lot better than most newborns. Are you thirsty at all?"

Bella opened her mouth to say no, but it was like the mention of the constant pain in her throat had brought it to the forefront. Had she just been ignoring it this whole time? Maybe it was because she was so focused on Edward that it dulled the need. She nodded.

"A little."

Carlisle stepped into the hallway, gesturing with his hand.

"Let's go downstairs and get you some breakfast. Edward, you'll need to get dressed for school."

Bella almost lost it as Edward stood up and actually rolled his eyes at Carlisle. He looked the epitome of the angsty teenager, trying to convince his father to let him have a sick day.

"I feel like I should stay home."

Carlisle shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Edward. We don't need anyone trying to decipher why you didn't come to school today. I thought about it a lot last night. I know you feel responsible for her, but Esme will be here with her. If anyone asks you any questions about Bella today, I will need you to shrug or tell them that I don't discuss my patients with you. I think it's important for Charlie to be in charge of the narrative. At some point, we will probably need to gather what that it, but I have a feeling he needs some alone time right now."

Edward nodded, and snuck a glance towards Bella. Her face was hard, and her body was still.

"Are you okay with that, Bella?"

Bella was reeling from Carlisle's words. Edward felt responsible for her? Was that what this morning had been? He felt like it was his duty to take care of her, like she was some defenseless orphan? Her stomach lurched, and the pain in her throat rose. She kissed him. She had kissed him and he had come to check on her because he felt responsible for her. Could vampires throw up? She really wanted to right now. She registered the silence in the room too late. She realized they were waiting on her to answer, and she felt her head move up and down in agreement. Edward was trying to read her thoughts again. He was staring at her, eyes searching her own. She turned, escaping downstairs without another word. Carlisle watched after her and Edward passed him, clipping him with his shoulder.

"Nice one."

Carlisle watched his son's form disappear down the stairs, not knowing what happened, or how he had managed to kill the mood so spectacularly. He sighed, adjusting his coat and making his way towards the lower level as well. When he reached the last stair, he saw all of his children sitting in the living room, ready to face the day. Esme was gently leading Bella into the kitchen, and Edward was scowling his way. He chose to ignore him for the time being and joined his wife in the kitchen. He loved watching Esme in her element. She was born to be a mother. He had been sorry that she hadn't lived to have her own children, but she took on the role so well with their hodgepodge family. She was so patient and thoughtful, and it made Carlisle's heart swell with pride. She was fishing a bottle out of the fridge, talking in a low voice to Bella, telling her how long to warm up the blood in order for it to be warm enough to taste as close to fresh as it can get. Bella was nodding, looking overwhelmed.

"How do you know-"

She trailed off, watching as Carlisle joined Esme, slipping an arm around her waist. Emse rose on onto her tiptoes, kissing Carlisle lightly on the cheek before breaking out of his grasp to hand Bella her drink. She grabbed Bella's free hand.

"Know what?"

Bella stared down into the lukewarm abyss of red, her voice barely above a whisper.

"How do you know when it's enough?"

Esme squeezed her hand.

"I don't know that it's ever enough."

Carlisle came forward, gesturing for Bella to drink. She did, inhaling the beverage in a flash. She was left with the smallest red mustache, and Carlisle laughed, thinking of the 'Got Milk' campaign posters that hung in the children's ward of the hospital. Bella's hand flew to her face, and as soon as she found the wet spot, she wiped it away. Carlisle stifled another fit of giggles.

"Your thirst can be satiated for a time. As a newborn, it's much harder to do. As you grow, you'll learn how much you can stand to live off of. I don't think that we have that human impulse of being 'full'. You could drink and drink and drink, and you might swell up like a common tick, but there would always be room for more. I think the way that we judge is however much it takes to keep our homicidal tendencies at bay."

Despite the subject matter, Carlisle flashed a grin and aimed a wink at Esme before turning to leave. He spoke, his back still turned.

"If you two need anything, please call me."

They didn't answer, and he left without another word. Esme patted Bella's hand and took her glass, refilling it without needing to ask if she wanted more. Alice drifted into the kitchen and her mouth danced playfully around the edges. She practically floated over to Bella, encasing her in her arms and holding her tight.

"How are you this morning, Bella?"

Bella relaxed, hugging her back. She saw Jasper peeking into the kitchen and shot him a look. He shook his head, and she knew from his face that he hadn't messed with her emotions at all. She just felt that comfortable around Alice. It was hard not to. Her sweet, bubbly personality was a well-ripened strawberry amidst this bitter world she found herself thrust into.

"I'm okay. Thank you for asking."

Alice let her go, racing over to Esme to peck her cheek, and linked arms with Jasper in what seemed one fluid motion. She waved at Bella like a queen, cupping her hand and slowly rotating it, causing Bella to snicker.

"I guess we're about to head out, Esme. You two will be just fine. Watch out for unexpected gifts, though."

Without explaining what her cryptic warning was about, Alice vanished, and with a quick glance into the next room, Bella found it empty and completely silent. Esme put another glass into her hand and smiled.

"You get used to that."

Bella sipped the drink.

"Alice or their disappearing acts?"

Esme laughed.

"Both."

After that, Esme made herself scarce. Bella was sure she hadn't left, and was almost relieved to have a moment's reprieve from everyone. She liked people that didn't hover. People like her dad. Bella decided to give herself a tour; partly to help pass the time but also to keep her mind off of Charlie. She kept finding her thoughts wandering to him. What was he doing at this moment? Had he called up Billy Black and put a price on the Cullens' heads for taking her away? Was he loading his shotgun, preparing to find her and take her out? Or was he sitting in his house; alone again? She knew he was probably used to it by now, after her mom took her and ran to Bella's grandmother's house. She still felt incredibly guilty, because she would have had to have been blind not to see the love and excitement in his eyes when she moved it. It's not right for a person to have to spend so long by themselves. She wanted to go see him, but she knew it wasn't a good idea. A flash of her jumping on top of him, teeth bared, sent a wall barreling up in her mind, trying to seal off her father's memory for now.

She meandered around the ground floor, not finding much she hadn't seen besides a few empty storage closets and a second bathroom that was much larger than the one she had been trapped in the night before. She climbed the stairs, taking in the art lining the stairwell. Colorful depictions of London cityscapes and bustling night scenes seemed to be the main muse. She found Alice's bedroom pretty quickly. It was a mess; art supplies and drawings lining the floor like tile. She saw sketches of her own face, human and not. She supposed it must have been practice for her welcome banner. The room was all Alice; you would never be able to tell that Jasper spent any time in here.

She moved along the hall when suddenly the crunch of underbrush and twigs floated from outside. She stopped to listen, hearing a car door slam once, then a pause, and it opened and closed again. She heard as the vehicle moved away from the dwelling, leaving her curious. Did one of the Cullens forget something? She wasn't sure how much time had passed since they left. Maybe Carlisle came home to grab a quick lunch? She continued walking, finally coming to a large open doorway on the left. The room it led to was very simple, containing a white leather chaise piled high with books, and shelves on either side; holding either dusty tomes or slick vinyl albums. A record player, the most up-to-date thing in the room, stuck out like a sore thumb. She walked inside, tracing her finger lightly across the spines of the album covers. It was like walking into a record store. She saw a grey peacoat slung haphazardly over the arm of the chaise, and realized this must be Edward's room. She bent down to inspect a small, leather journal hidden partially under his jacket when she heard Esme call her name.

"Bella, do you mind to come downstairs?"

She had barely thought of joining Esme in the living room before she was already standing there. It was amazing how quick she could move now. Not only did she move like a cheetah, but her brain was accelerated too. She guessed it was that lack of second-thought that made her dangerous; like in the hospital. She had felt the thirst, and her body had betrayed her, trying to make her dad its next meal. She tried to focus on the scene in front of her. Esme was standing with the front door open, but she was looking back at Bella with an intensity that she was unable to read. She stepped forward hesitantly, unsure what she was going to find on the other side of the archway. She stood shoulder to shoulder with Esme, staring out into nothingness. The forest was just as it had been yesterday afternoon; still and serene. Bella looked back at Esme, eyes narrowed. Esme gestured to the stoop, and Bella's eyes followed.

A small suitcase was lying on the front steps, a note resting on top that simply read; Bella. It was written in Charlie's large, looping handwriting, and as Bella tried to swallow she felt a lump forming in her throat. She did not want to cry in front of Esme, so she grabbed the items and rushed back into the house, shouting over her shoulder.

"Thank you!"

She didn't trust herself to say anything else, but she was sure Esme would understand. She had flown into her room, closing the door hurriedly behind her. She knelt down on the floor, caressing the luggage that she had carried here from Phoenix. It seemed like a lifetime ago. She unzipped it, and aromas wafted out of the clothing piled inside. She raised one of her flimsy long-sleeved shirts to her nose, inhaling deeply. She smelled Charlie, and imagined his large, strong hands folding each and every piece. There was a twang of salt mixed in, and with a heavy heart she realized he must have been crying as he did so.

She pulled garment after garment out until she reached the bottom of the bag. Inside lay a matted, old teddy bear. Her eyes finally welled up, and she hugged it to her chest. She suddenly remembered the one time that her dad had come to visit her in Phoenix. They had visited an arcade, and after allowing his daughter to beat him in everything from air hockey to Mortal Kombat, they had been about to leave when Charlie had lost sight of Bella. She had gravitated over to an old claw machine, eyes locked on a very dapper bear wearing a vest and bow tie. She had merely pointed, and Charlie obeyed. Twelve dollars later, she was holding the bear up in triumph, kissing Charlie's face and squeezing him tight. It was her constant companion for many years.

She hadn't known she was sobbing until she felt Esme's arms around her. She was rocking her gently, whispering affirmations into her hair. Bella's chest heaved, trying to catch breath that no longer abided in her lungs. Her mind was reeling with memories. Her mom had always been her entire world, but the time that she used to spend with her dad when she was a kid, when she could remember being happy-go-lucky and before she had been forced to grow up much too fast, were something she always treasured. He would take her out in his police cruiser, sometimes letting her sit in the back so she could pretend to be a criminal he had caught. She would pound on the window with her little fists, yelling nonsense until they got to their destination. He would then release her, and she would jump into his arms. As the years passed, their time together got harder and harder. They ran out of things to talk about, and long gone was her playful nature. She rode in the passenger seat of the cruiser now, stoic and silent.

She wasn't sure what had gone wrong. She spent a lot of time wondering what she had done. Soon, she stopped visiting him in Forks. They talked only briefly on the phone, trading 'how are you' and 'I miss you' and 'I love you' like it meant something still. She had so much resentment towards him that she didn't even realize she was carrying until now. It wasn't until she had moved back in with him that she had seen his determination to repair their relationship. And now it would never happen. Her throat was aching. The thought of the need brought her out of her spiral, and Esme spoke.

"Are you okay, Bella?"

Bella touched her own throat gingerly, afraid that if she opened her mouth she would release all the words she had been keeping inside about Charlie. Esme didn't need anything further explanation. She was gone in a blink, and Bella turned her attention to the envelope she hadn't even tried to open. With a shudder, she ripped the seal open as quick as one might remove a Band-Aid. The slip of paper inside was small and fit in the palm of her hand. She could tell that Charlie had painstakingly worked to make sure his words fit in the constricting space. She read it, becoming a statue save for the constant back and forth motion of her eyes.

Bells,

I thought you might need these. Listen, I should have been there to protect you. I know I haven't been there for you for a lot of things. You grew up into such an amazing young woman without me, and I was afraid that if I put my hands in it, I would ruin you. Just like I ruined your mother. If you had never come back, this wouldn't have happened. I'm sorry. I love you.

He had written 'Dad' at the bottom, but had crossed it out and replaced it with 'Charlie'. She clutched the paper to her, and curled up in the floor. She knew she couldn't sleep, but she closed her eyes anyway and prayed for a loss of consciousness somehow. She fell into a sort of meditative state; aware of her surroundings but only from somewhere deep inside herself. She felt Esme arrive back into the room, and she heard the soft click of a glass tapping the hardwood floor, and then her presence was gone. Despite the burning in her throat, she could not make herself get up to drink. She pulled her clothes nearer to her, pretending that she was a kid again, snuggled up to Charlie for a quick nap. She was barely aware of Edward and the others coming home, and she prayed silently for them to leave her be.

She heard Edward and Esme speaking in low tones, and she stiffened as Edward's footsteps grew closer and closer to her. It was amazing how she could tell them apart from the cadences in their walks. She braced herself for admonishment, knowing she shouldn't be wallowing in her grief, but she didn't know what else to do. Instead, she felt Edward lightly brush her hair away from her face. She opened her eyes and he was lying in the floor too, golden-brown eyes studying her.

"Hey."

She didn't respond, but she held his gaze. He grabbed one of her hands and brought it to his lips, kissing each of her fingers, and then her palm. He stood up then, her hand still grasped in his. She reluctantly followed, swaying on her unsteady feet. He smiled.

"Let's go hunting."