Part Fouuuuuur! So, I've heard some requests to bring Fred back, and never fear! I am surely planning on doing so. Don't know if it will happen in this chapter though; I guess we'll have to see ;)

"Bella is just dying to meet you, you know."

I look at Alice, surprised. "Really?" I ask. "Why?"

The three Cullen women and I are returning home from an Alice-sanctioned "girls-only" hunting trip. She seems to have the notion that we need "bonding time" for some reason. I don't quite understand it since we all already spend a good deal of time together, but no one seems to find it worthwhile to argue with Alice when she has already made up her mind.

"She wants to know what it's like for you," Alice says simply.

At first, I don't understand what she means. Then I realize - "You don't mean..." my voice trails off.

"Oh yeah, it's all part of her plan," Alice explains as if it's the most normal thing in the world to plan the creation of a new vampire. "Step one: Marry Edward. Step two: join the legion of the undead."

I am familiar with the wedding plans; in fact, I have been lending a hand in the preparations whenever I can (that is, whenever Bella herself is not at the Cullen residence). It's only been a few weeks since I began this new life with the Cullens, but already I have determined that if I want to survive, I must do exactly what Alice asks of me. Especially when it comes to this wedding.

But I honestly had not considered what would happen after the ceremony. I guess it makes sense that Bella would be changed; even Edward's remarkable self-control surely could not hold up on his wedding night. Impossible.

I nod. "Naturally," I say sarcastically. Rosalie snorts (but somehow, she still seems graceful).

Alice shrugs. "She's curious what it's like for you. She wants some insight into what it will be like for her."

I imagine Bella asking me those questions. I would answer: Well, honey, you see, it's going to absolutely suck. Pun intended. And it does suck. I hate having to deny myself human blood and choke down vile animal blood in its stead. (Although it is getting better, easier. I have discovered that bigger animals are far more satisfying than those scrawny deer I had on my first day.) At the same time, though, I think it would be hard to give up my new friends (given that I have no others), so I am sticking it out. I like it here.

"Anyway," Alice continues, "you'll have to start acclimatizing yourself to close proximity to humans if you're going to be able to attend the wedding without murdering someone, which would be preferable-"

"Whoa, whoa!" I protest, skidding to a halt. "Are you serious?" There is no way I could possibly sit still in a room full of humans, all deliciously filled with warmth and pulsing with blood. I would not survive it - no, scratch that - they would not survive it. I crave it far too much; it would be overwhelming. I can't even be in the house when Bella comes over.

"What?" Alice asks, looking genuinely confused and a little hurt. "Of course I'm serious. You do want to attend the wedding, don't you?"

I have come to consider Edward a very close friend as I've gotten to know him through our mental interactions, so of course I would love to be able to go to his wedding! But as a friend, wouldn't it be a bit inconsiderate of me to attend and consequently murder half of the guests? "Of course I would," I tell Alice, "but I honestly don't think I can."

"That's where the acclimatizing comes in," she explains, looking exasperated. "I'm not just going to toss you into a room full of people after weeks of being with just vampires. Although, to be fair, Bella's visited often enough over the past few weeks that it smells like she's there all the time. And you've been just fine!" she points out.

I shake my head. "Alice, I really don't think this is a good idea," I plead. I'm getting scared; I can feel myself start to panic. What if I kill someone? What if I kill Bella? Will the Cullens kick me out? What would I do then? I only vaguely register how odd it is to be thinking these kinds of thoughts, to be reluctant to take a human life. It's so strange, what this lifestyle can do to a person - even in a short amount of time.

"Alice," Esme says gently, "we can't force Bree to do anything she doesn't want to do. Let it be her choice."

Alice turns to Esme, her lower lip pouting. Whining to her 'mom'. "But she'll be fine," she insists. "I've seen it; she's there, and she's just fine!" Alice turns back to me. "You're fine," she repeats, as if I haven't heard.

"Let me think about it," I request, not wanting to hurt Alice's feelings any more but also not wanting to make any impossible promises.

Alice still looks pouty, but she finally agrees, and we are running again.

"Hey Bree, come get gas with me!"

I look up at Emmett suspiciously. I haven't left the house since I first got here, except for hunting trips, of course. And for good reason, I think. Why put people in danger unnecessarily? But here he stands, jangling his keys noisily, looking expectant.

"Oh, come on, you can do it," he says, sounding uncharacteristically like Edward, as if he has read my mind. "It's not like there's a ton of people there anyway; there's a gas station right on the edge of town."

I shrug. It makes sense, but I'm still unsure. Being tempted by a scent must be far less difficult to withstand than an actual human heart, pumping away in your ears. How close could I get before I snap? I sit obstinately on the couch, not wanting to risk it.

Emmett rolls his eyes and walks over to gallantly offer me his assistance. He gestures grandly, bowing low and holding out his hand to escort me from the couch to the car. I eye him disbelievingly. "I don't want to go," I tell him simply.

He looks up sharply, eyes big and doughy. "Yes you do," he says, absolutely sure of himself. "You won't send me all by my lonesome, will you?" When I don't answer, he straightens up again. "Okay, seriously. I'll be there the whole time to make sure you don't do anything terrible. Not that there's any danger of that anyway." He places his hand on his heart and dons a mockingly sincere expression. "You have my word that I will not hesitate to rip your arms off, if necessary, to keep you from doing something you'll regret."

I can't help but laugh at that. I know I could beat Emmett in a fight with my newborn strength, if I were crazed enough for blood. But the girls-exclusive hunting trip had just ended yesterday, and I am still reasonably full. Maybe it would be safe, just to try.

I hear Alice's voice, telling me I'll be fine. I remember what she said about going to the wedding, about acclimatizing myself to the presence of people. This could be my first step towards that goal. Maybe... maybe I can go to the wedding, after all.

But I have to start now. "Okay," I concede, standing up. "Let's go."

Emmett smiles widely and offers me his arm, valiance restored. I laugh and ignore him, walking ahead of him to the garage. There, I mimic his chivalry by holding the door open for him. "Thank you, milady," he says, tipping his invisible hat.

We carry on as if we are in a Victorian society as he drives into town. One thing I love most about Emmett is that he can always take my mind off of my nerves, or my worries, or any kind of trouble that may be weighing on my mind. In many ways, his humor and inherent goodness are just as effective as Jasper's emotion-control trick in helping me keep my head. He is a good friend to have, especially since he is willing to do most of the talking in any situation, which I appreciate. I still don't particularly care for long-winded conversations.

Emmett pulls up to a vacant gas pump. Two other pumps are occupied by cars - cars with people in them. I hear no less than five separate heartbeats around us, and two more inside the adjacent convenience store. I can pinpoint each heart's location from where I sit. It would take literally less than a second to get to any one of them. I suddenly feel nervous, torturing myself with "what if"s.

"When I open the door, you'll smell 'em better," he warns me, "so you may not want to breathe. You ready?" His eyes nearly twinkle with anticipation, and my anxiety begins to melt away. He really doesn't think anything will go wrong, I realize. He believes in me.

"Ready," I tell him.

He punches me in the arm. "You're gonna do great, kid," he says encouragingly just before he opens the door.

I do smell them, even without breathing. They smell good, clean, fresh. Human. My throat burns dimly with the natural reflex to hunt, but I close my eyes and will it away, like I do whenever I smell Bella at home. I don't need it, I tell myself. And I know it's true. I allow myself some shallow breaths, even though Emmett left the door slightly ajar. I let myself acknowledge that the humans are around me, soft and warm and tempting, while I simultaneously fight the urge to take their blood.

I smile. It's not as hard as I thought it might be, as long as I focus.

Emmett pokes his head back in the car. "Rose asked me to pick something up for her," he says. "I'm gonna see if they have it here. You cool to sit here for a minute?"

I nod and watch as he walks toward the convenience store. He moves slowly, very slowly. I wonder why, and then remember that he's playing human. I grin at the silliness of it.

Knock, knock.

I give a start and stiffly turn my head towards the window on my side of the car. A human boy, perhaps seventeen, stands at my window, smiling at me. I had heard the footsteps coming toward the car, but I figured they were headed to the convenience store...

The boy indicates that he wants me to roll down my window. I take a deep breath and try to wipe any apprehension from my face. I can do this. Then, slowly, remembering Emmett's human-speed movements, I roll the window down.

The boy is tall and lean, with messy light brown curls adorning his kind face. He is still smiling - not scared, I note, like most humans I have "interacted" with in the past. Green eyes, bright and good-natured, seem strange to me after weeks of only yellow eyes to look upon.

I don't want to hurt him.

But all I can hear is his heart, pounding steady in my ears. I see veins in his arms, his neck, pulsing with warm, sweet blood. He is so close, so voluntarily close to me, and it would take no effort, no effort at all, for me to drain him dry. I could even do it inconspicuously; no one would have to know. It would be so, so easy...

"Hey, sorry to bother you, but I could really use a jump." He jabs a thumb over his shoulder towards his car, parked at one of the other pumps. "Guess my battery was even closer to dying than my gas tank." He laughs and gives me an easy smile.

You don't need it you don't need it you don't need it you don't need it. I try to smile at him. It's almost funny, how human he is, and how human I'm not. And yet, we both rely car batteries. "I'm sure that won't be a problem," I tell him, "but it's not really my car to offer, you know?"

He nods, eying the Jeep. "Yeah, I know," he says. "This is that Cullen boy's car, right? The big one, I mean?"

I grin and nod, oddly enjoying this conversation even though my throat aches for his blood with every word. It's almost refreshing. "Emmett," I supply.

"That's right, that's right," he says, nodding. "I think we used to have, like, Spanish together or something a few years back." His grin never seems to end. "So, who are you? I've never seen you around here before."

In a small town like this, there will be rumors. Credible backstories are important. But Carlisle has never really told me 'who I am' to the humans. "Um, I'm Bree," I begin. Now for the lies... what's my story? "I'm a cousin of the Cullen family. Down for the wedding, you know."

"Ah," he remarks. So he's heard about it. Small town rumors can also work to one's advantage, it would seem. "That would make sense. Coming up soon, isn't it? That must be so exciting for you guys."

I nod. "Absolutely."

"Yeah, totally exciting," Emmett says, seeming to appear from nowhere. A weight leaves my shoulders. There's no way I can hurt this boy if he's here. But he was right; I don't feel like I am going to hurt the kid, anyway. "What's up - Miles, right?"

"Um, yeah," Miles says, seeming baffled by Emmett's sudden appearance. "Hey, man." He offers his hand, and Emmett shakes it. "I'm actually having a little car trouble, if you'd be willing to help me out."

"Sure, of course," Emmett offers.

So, we help him jump his car. It's up and running in no time; Miles thanks us heartily and heads back into town, still with that good-natured smile on his face. And all that time, I hardly give any thought to taking his blood. It becomes easier even as it becomes more uncomfortable, and it is an extremely rewarding feeling to watch him drive away, unharmed. I am immensely pleased with myself as we climb back in Emmett's car.

"Did you get what you needed?" I ask him. "For Rose?"

"Huh? Oh, no, they didn't have it here," Emmett explains. He shrugs. "It's okay. I'll go into town another day and pick it up."

I nod, then change my mind, still a little high on my own self-satisfaction. "You know," I begin, "we could go now, if you want to. I don't mind. In fact, I would very much enjoy a trip to a bookstore - does Forks even have a bookstore?"

Emmett grins at me. "Oh, don't you worry, darlin'. I will find you some books!" With that, he peels out of the gas station, and we head into town, laughing.

And I have never felt so good, so light, so... free.

Thanks for reading! I certainly appreciate it. Hopefully, you're enjoying the story! Let me know :)