It was later that Emmett requested that he and Kit go out for a walk, holding out his hand and leading her out the back door to the stream in the forest, but close enough to the house. They walked in silence, but it wasn't their usual comfortable silence. This one felt tense and awkward, Emmett holding Kit's hand a little too tight.

Once he had let go, Kit took a seat on a nearby tree stump, while Emmett remained in the shade.

"I'm sure you have questions," he said softly. He brought his knees up to his chest, letting his arms drape casually over them.

Kit nodded, turning her body so that she was facing him, "Tons," she whispered.

"Can I ask one first?" Emmett asked, "But I'm sure you already know what it is," he added as an afterthought.

Kit nodded wordlessly.

"Are you scared, yet?"

"Yes," she admitted with a frown, "Very, but...I think it's because I don't know much about...this. Yet."

"Okay," Emmett ran his hand through his hair, hoping the human-like gesture would make him appear less intimidating, "Shoot."

"I can ask any question?" Kit clarified sternly.

He nodded, "Any question."

"The animal blood," Kit started, "What...does it do? Your eyes..."

"It turns our eyes gold," Emmett explained, "Our eyes turn black if we get too thirsty, red if we drink human blood. Blood is the only thing we can have that will sustain us. Animal blood isn't at all appealing—I actually spat it out the first few times I had it, but it keeps us nourished and somewhat satisfied. It allows us to live among humans. Animal blood keeps us...there. We're able to think clearly for ourselves and we can form strong bonds of love with others and that is how my family and I have been able to live amongst each other for centuries. When we taste human blood," he shook his head, thinking back, "We turn into monsters."

"Does it hurt?" Kit asked quietly, "Being around blood or humans?"

Emmett thought, "It depends both on how recently we've fed and our amount of self-control. Carlisle barely notices the scent, anymore and Rosalie's record is just as clean as his. It burns our throat, it's uncomfortable, but we tolerate it because we value human life on the moral grounds that all human life is precious."

"We?" Kit mumbled, forcing her eyes to stay locked with his, "You're not the only ones, then?"

"Our cousins in Denali, Alaska," Emmett said, "They're another coven who sustain off of animals, but that's it. A lot of other covens or nomads find us all quite strange. They think the animal blood will drive us crazy, but that's far from the truth."

Kit nodded slowly, taking in this information, "Back at the house, you said something about the myths? That it gives humans a false sense of security. What does that mean?"

"You've felt my skin," Emmett reminded her.

"It's cold and hard," Kit said, remembering.

Emmett nodded, "Like granite. After the transformation, we change completely. I didn't recognize myself at first. Our skin is leeched of almost all color, our eyes change, everything is enhanced and perfected. Literally. We're predators. Weapons, if it wasn't for the animal blood making us more humane."

"But Charlotte and Peter..." Kit protested, "They seemed fine."

"They're different," Emmett waved them off, "Jazz's old comrades from long ago. They like to visit and we have a deal with them about hunting here, so they had to learn more control. Charlotte keeps Peter in line," he winked at Kit, making her smile.

"You're fast," Kit told him.

"Mhm," Emmett agreed, "Yeah, we're very fast—a hundred miles per hour," he snickered at another memory, "A human will blink and we'll disappear. That day I approached your car? I used my speed. That's why you didn't hear or see me. Most of our movements are instantaneous."

"Wow..." Kit breathed. She leaned forward in interest, "What else?"

"Strength," Emmett hesitated, "...This is another reason it's dangerous. Especially for you, Kit. I have to mind my actions every moment that we're together so that I don't hurt you. Every time I touch your face, I could crush your skull by mistake."

Kit's eyes widened at that and she rubbed her hands on her dress. They were suddenly clammy. That day in the hallway when he had stroked her cheek, saying that he needed to 'check something'. Had that been it? He was testing to see if he wouldn't kill her or crush her skull? She shuddered.

Emmett continued, "Our strength is unstoppable, but my strength was magnified when I became a vampire as I was already unnaturally strong as a human. I'm physically the strongest vampire out there. I could turn a boulder to dust with just my pinky."

They stared at each other for a moment, Emmett more focused on the sunlight that danced magically in Kit's green eyes making them look even brighter. Now he was really waiting for her to scream and run off. He had just told her that he had the potential to crush her skull. What sane person would stay after that?

"Ask another question," he begged, unable to stand the silence any longer and fearing that she'd leave, "Ask another one."

"O-okay," Kit cleared her throat to stop her voice from shaking, "T-there are others like that? They're...magnified?"

"Something like that," Emmett said, relieved, "Carlisle believes that we all bring something of our strongest human traits with us into the next life, where they are intensified—like our minds, and our senses."

"Oh?" Kit asked, her curiosity peaked further.

Emmett's posture relaxed somewhat, "Well, there's Carlisle and Esme. He brought his compassion and she her ability to love passionately. It's helps us stay together as a family and if it wasn't for Carlisle's compassion, he might not have been able to discover the ability to sustain himself on animal blood. Rosalie has her beauty, I have my strength. Though, Jasper, Alice, and Edward are really the only ones considered truly gifted."

"What do you mean?"

Emmett chuckled, "Edward can read minds."

"What?" Kit gasped loudly, "Can he really!?"

"Yup," Emmett nodded and then grinned, "Gets annoying sometimes, but he can't control it, though he tries his best to give us all privacy. Jasper can influence people's emotions," Emmett said, still grinning, "Feel them too. That's why he likes you, you're very positive and bubbly and that in turn makes him feel the same."

Kit smiled at that, feeling a blush rising to her cheeks, "That's really interesting. So, he could make someone happy or angry-

"Or sad or lethargic, scared," Emmett finished, nodding, "He's very subtle about it, but not always."

"What if someone's sad or angry?" Kit tried to quell her worry, "Does it…?" she trailed off, unable to get her words out.

"It makes him uncomfortable," Emmett said, "Hurts him, depending on the intensity."

"Oh," Kit pursed her lips. She would need to be careful, then. Especially at school. She didn't want to cause Jasper any distress, "And Alice?"

"Visions of the future," he said, "She sees things—things that might happen, things that are coming, but she can only see the outcome of someone's decision once it is made—meaning the future can change all too quickly; and if the decision is not firmly rooted or last minute."

"Wow..." Kit breathed again, "That's amazing," then, a thought struck her, "Wait, where is Edward? I haven't seen him."

Emmett snorted, rolling his eyes, "He's watching Bella."

Kit's eyes widened, "Watching her!?"

"Yeah, it's this whole big thing," Emmett sighed, "She's the only one who can block him out for some reason. He can't read her mind. It's...a complicated situation."

Kit nodded, "I see," she decided to move on, hearing Emmett's tone, "A lot of vampires have these gifts, then?"

"Very few," Emmett answered.

Kit nodded again.

"You're asking very specific questions," Emmett chuckled, "You're missing all the important ones. The basic ones."

Kit bit her lip, thinking, "Sleep?"

"Nope," Emmett popped the 'p', "Never."

She looked shocked by that, "Never? I'm sorry."

Emmett shook his head, "It's fine, no sweat. Time goes by quite differently for us. I could learn a whole other language by tomorrow, if I chose to do so. I could learn to play the violin, too."

Kit quirked her eyebrows in amusement, "Oh, really?"

"I'd have to name it, though," Emmett said, fake pondering as he tapped his chin, "Hmm, should it be a girl violin or a boy?"

Kit shoved him gently and laughed, "Stop!" she demanded through her giggles.

Emmett laughed too, glad that the tension had eased a little. Once he stopped laughing, he reached out and touched Kit's cheek again.

"You're really okay with all of this?" he asked gently.

"Hmm," Kit hummed, pondering like he had, "I'm not sure yet. I have more questions."

"Okay," Emmett settled back against the tree, "Such as?"

Kit looked up at the sky, her eyes squinting at the bright light, "If you're not burned up by the sunlight, then, what...hurts you?"

"Plotting something?" Emmett teased.

"Hey, you never know," Kit grinned, "I might need to defend myself."

"We're almost impossible to kill," Emmett told her, "Usually a vampire has to do it. It's not a fun feeling."

Kit pursed her lips. There was one question that was really bothering her and she was almost afraid to know the answer.

"How old are you?" she asked quietly.

Emmett sighed, revealing that had been the question he was dreading as well. He tried to lighten the situation by giving a small smile, but he was sure it looked more like a grimace.

"Which age?" he asked, "My false birth certificate? Vampire years? Or my real age—the age when I was turned, my eternal age?"

Kit pursed her lips, "Vampire years first," she whispered.

"Sixty-nine," Emmett told her, picking at the blades of grass.

Kit swallowed and nodded, "A-and your real age? The one when you were turned?"

Emmett exhaled softly, "...Twenty."

Kit remained silent for a long while as she thought. Twenty. He was twenty.

"I'm sixteen," she told him, not meeting his gaze.

Emmett nodded slowly, "Mhm. Yes, I know."

"A four-year age difference," she mumbled to herself.

"We can wait," Emmett told her gently, "If you want, I'll wait for you," he smirked, "I won't be getting any older and I have all the time in the world."

"You won't be getting any older," Kit repeated.

A four-year age difference was okay, wasn't it? To people on the outside, it was only a two-year age difference and Kit would be turning seventeen during the late summer months. And just because she and Emmett were together, that didn't mean they had to...do anything. He didn't smoke or drink and her parents liked him.

Kit didn't think she could wait. She didn't want to, as selfish as it sounded. They were more than just friends, that much was clear and she couldn't reverse that.

"Can we take it slow?" she asked, looking at him.

"Yes, of course," Emmett nodded, a pleased smile graced his features, "As slow as you like."

Kit let out a breath that she didn't know she'd been holding, "Okay. Okay, that's okay, then."

"Are you sure?" Emmett asked, frowning at her nervous tone, "I don't want you to do anything you're not comfortable with."

"I'm comfortable," she promised him, "It's fine, really."

Emmett nodded, but he still seemed unsure.

"When were you born?" she asked, wanting to move on, "I mean...what happened, if you don't mind me asking."

"I don't," he told her, "I was born Emmett McCarty, born in 1915 and grew up in the small town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, as part of a large Scotch-Irish family. I had a little too much fun in my adolescence, but I loved my family. I kept them supplied with food and game and worked on the railroad with my older brothers in Gatlinburg, while my younger sister would help my mother with housework. When I was twenty, I went hiking up in the mountains and got into it with a bear."

Kit winced.

Seeing her reaction, Emmett chuckled, "I'll spare you the gory details. The bear finished playing with me, and I knew I was about to die. I couldn't move, and my consciousness was slipping away. I heard what I thought was another bear, and a fight over which would get my carcass, I supposed. Suddenly it felt like I was flying. I figured I'd died, but I tried to open my eyes anyway. And then I saw her—Rosalie," his face was incredulous at the memory.

"I knew," he continued softly, "I knew I was dead. I didn't even mind the pain—I fought to keep my eyelids open, I didn't want to miss one second of the angel's face. I was delirious, of course, wondering why we hadn't gotten to heaven yet, thinking it must be farther away than I'd expected. I kept waiting for her to take flight. And then she brought me to God," he laughed his deep, booming laugh, "It was Carlisle. I thought what happened next was my judgment. I'd had a little too much fun in my twenty human years, so I wasn't surprised by the fires of hell."

He laughed again, but Kit didn't react. So then the vampire transformation was painful? Incredibly so by the sound of it. Though, she smiled at the thought of Rosalie being the one to find Emmett. It made sense and she could tell the two were incredibly close.

Emmett spoke again, "What surprised me was that the angel didn't leave. I couldn't understand how something so beautiful would be allowed to stay in hell with me—but I was grateful. Every time God came by to check on me, I was afraid he would take her away, but he never did. I started to think maybe those preachers who talked about a merciful God might have been right after all. And then the pain went away...and they explained things to me."

Seeing how light Emmett's tone had turned, Kit decided to speak, "How long did the pain last? The transformation?"

"Three days usually," Emmett said, his tone casual, "Carlisle and Rosalie were surprised I didn't seem disturbed over the vampire issue. But if Carlisle and Rosalie, my angel, were vampires, how bad could it be? Hell's not so bad if you get to keep an angel with you," he chuckled, remembering something else, "Edward had his hands full with me at first. I had some trouble with the rules..."

His eyes flicked to Kit's face, trying to gauge her reaction, but she looked fine as she stared at him, her eyes full of wonder and curiosity.

"I'm sorry," she finally said, "That you had to go through all that."

"It's okay, now," Emmett reassured her, "Leaving my family was the hardest part."

Kit was confused now, "Leaving your family?" she questioned, "You mean, you couldn't say goodbye or anything?"

"No," Emmett said sadly, "The first year for a vampire is the hardest. I was dangerous and by the time I had even an ounce of control, my family assumed me to be dead. They probably saw all the blood. We had to leave so that I wouldn't be seen, but Edward helped me put together a hefty bag of cash and he left it on the porch. You know, to help them get through things."

Kit stood up and brushed off the back of her dress. She went to go sit by Emmett who immediately pulled her close. The pain in his voice sounded fresh even after all these years. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing a kiss to the juncture of his shoulder.

"Do you miss them?" she asked softly.

"Yeah," he nodded, breathing in her pleasant scent, "Yeah, I do. I've gone to visit their graves a couple of times. Maybe I'll go again soon."

Kit nodded, smiling at him encouragingly, "I bet they'd like that. How many siblings did you have?"

"Three older brothers and one sister. My older brothers and I always messed around, but my sister was more...docile," Emmett's eyes became far away with fondness, "She loved helping my Ma out with all the housework. Her name was Lila, brothers were Jonah, Eli, and Caleb."

"You remember?" Kit asked.

Emmett's eyes narrowed in concentration, "It's hard. It's like when you squint your eyes and you see that little bit of light, but once your pick up on a memory, it's easier to grasp onto."

Kit made a sound of contentment, "Thank you for telling me all of this."

Emmett kissed the top of her head, "You're welcome. Do you feel better?" he asked her teasingly, "Less scared?"

"Yes, a lot better," she promised with a chuckle, "But I have more questions."

Emmett rolled his eyes dramatically, "Of course you do."

"Earlier, in the forest, Jasper said that I was your mate," she scrunched up her nose at the animalisitic term, "What does that mean?"

Emmett sighed. He didn't want to get that deep into things and overwhelm her or make her feel like she didn't have a choice.

"That's not important, right now," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument, "Next question."

"Fangs?" she asked, deciding to go simple again.

"No," he said in return, "They look like your teeth, but our teeth are flawless, unbreakable, and razor sharp at the edges."

"Can you feel things?" Kit asked, reaching down to lace their fingers.

"Yes," Emmett nodded, "Everything. We can feel the temperature, but we're not bothered by it. I can even feel the heat coming off your body. It feels nice."

Kit hummed in response and they sat for awhile in silence listening to the sounds that surrounded them.

She used this time to process all the information that her brain had been given. It was a lot to take it, but it was easier to deal with now that she knew. She could make sense of things, now. The age difference would take some time to get used to, but she figured that was the least of her worries if she was dating a vampire.

She chuckled to herself.

"What?" Emmett asked.

She chortled again and looked up at him, "Is this our second date?"

Emmett threw his head back and laughed, "Sure, why not. As long as we're together."

"Mhm," Kit said in agreement, "Is your family okay with this? With...me?"

"Carlisle and Esme are very happy for me," Emmett smiled, "Jasper likes you and Alice loves you to death. Rosalie...she's harder, but she'll start to come around."

"Edward?"

"He's weird," Emmett said simply, "Bella smells very strong to him and it's...difficult for him to be around her. It's a huge test of his self-control, but he does it. Anyway, he's been really off, but he has no problem with you or us. Once he and Bella get together, he'll be a lot more pleasant."

"Bella doesn't know?" Kit asked, shocked, "I thought...oh, I thought she knew."

"No, but she will," Emmett said, "She's suspicious."

"Oh," Kit said.

"Can I ask you a question, now?"

Kit pretended to think about it.

"C'mon," Emmett grinned, "One question for every one hundred that you ask."

"All right, all right," Kit relented, smiling, "Go ahead."

"Why didn't you go to school, today?" Emmett asked gently, "You don't seem like the type to ditch."

"I'm not," Kit said, "My mother excused me. I didn't sleep well the night before."

"But you're going, tomorrow?"

Kit's face fell and she didn't bother to hold back her sigh, "I don't know," she mumbled, "We'll see."

There it was. That tone again.

"You don't like school?" Emmett pushed gently. He smiled, "An organization-crazy gal like you? I can't picture it."

"I like school," Kit mumbled, "I just—can we not talk about it?"

Emmett frowned, "Sure," he said, "Come on, let's go back inside. Unless you have any more questions?"

Kit thought for a moment, "No, I don't think so...not right now, at least."

"Okay," Emmett stood up in one fluid motion, glad he could finally be his true self. He held out a hand.

"Thank you," Kit was pulled to her feet and she smiled when Emmett wrapped and arm around her waist, "Will I see you, tomorrow?"

"It will be sunny," Emmett said, "We all go back to school, Wednesday."

"Okay," Kit smiled and hopped over a rock.

"No heels, today?" Emmett teased.

"No," Kit chuckled, "I don't have any hiking heels, remember?"

Emmett nodded, running his thumb over the bandage on her palm, "Hurts?" he asked when he saw her wince.

"No," Kit shook her head, "Not really."

"This isn't how I envisioned you meeting my family," Emmett joked, "Or how I envisioned you finding out about...this."

"How did you envision it?" Kit asked, looking up at him.

"Family? Definitely more formal," Emmett said, "The vampire thing? Not sure. I was sort of playing that one by ear."

Kit chuckled, looking up as the house came into view. She had never known this part of Forks existed, but it was beautiful.

"Oh, look," she smiled warmly as she released Emmett's hand, going over to a bunch of flowers, "Chicory!"

Emmett watched as she skipped over to the bright blue flowers, kneeling down to smell one, his hand touching the leaves gently.

"You like those weeds?" he asked disbelievingly.

She turned her head, her eyebrows slightly knit together, "Weeds? They're so pretty."

Emmett sighed, but went closer. Even with his supernatural eyesight, he couldn't see what was so appealing about them.

"What do you like?" he asked.

"I like the name," she said with a chuckle, "And did you know that they can be used as a coffee substitute or even in a salad?"

"It's your favorite?" Emmett asked.

"Oh no," Kit shook her head, "No, my favorite flowers are camellia's. Light pink ones."

Emmett made note of that and took Kit's hand when she came back to his side. He was so glad that he could be himself around her, now. He didn't have to hide anything else from her and it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

Everly watched her daughter skip across the kitchen, napkins and silverware clutched in her hands as she helped set the table.

"Wow," Everly commented, "Your day off really lightened your spirits."

"Yes," Blake agreed, "You look better."

"I feel a little bit better," Kit smiled, "I needed a break."

Everly nodded, not wanting to push her daughter anymore than she already had.

"And you feel up to returning, tomorrow?" Blake asked, spooning pasta onto the plates.

Kit's face seemed to fall and she concentrated even harder on arranging the cutlery.

"I guess so," she sighed, scowling.

Everly looked up from the loose corn she was seasoning and frowned, "You're being very teenagery, Kit Kat. You don't want to go to school, tomorrow?"

"No, I will," Kit muttered.

'Keep it together, keep it together,' she chanted in her head, 'It's fine, you're fine.'

"Your mother didn't ask if you would go to school, tomorrow," Blake said firmly, "She asked if you wanted to."

Kit so rarely ever got irritated with her parents. They were her best friends and they got along perfectly. They were like those families from old sitcoms—too good to be true, but lately, talking about school was a sore subject and she didn't want to talk about it if a question regarding school couldn't be answered with 'fine'.

"I said I was going, gosh, dad," she huffed, her tone exasperated.

Blake's eyes widened and then he folded his arms across his chest, "Watch your attitude, Kit. I don't appreciate being spoken to that way."

"Well, I said I was going to school, I don't know why you just can't accept that answer," Kit rolled her tearful eyes. She had never snapped at her parents, but even thinking of school exhausted her—wore down on her, "Can we talk about something else, now?"

"Su-

"No," Blake interrupted his wife, holding a hand up, "Let's stay on this topic, hm? I understand that you're getting older, Kit. More responsibility, independence, friends, a boyfriend, but I'm not liking these...attitude changes. Now, they're not big, but they do have me concerned."

Kit dug her lower teeth into her lip. She hadn't realized how hard it would be to lie and fake smiles. How much effort it would take to hide text messages and clear her history ever time she checked her email. To come home after school and beam like she hadn't been crying in her car only minutes before.

Of course her parents would have noticed as she was sure her attempts weren't perfect. Her parents knew everything about her and she had never hesitated to tell them when something was wrong or when she was feeling sick or hurt. So, she wasn't sure why she was doing it now. Maybe because this had turned into something so much more. It had escalated so quickly it almost gave her whiplash.

Kit shook her head, still refusing to face her parents, "I just—I don't want to talk about it."

"You're not talking about anything," Everly cut in, "That's the problem, Kit. You're not talking to us."

"Because there's nothing to talk about," Kit assured them, "I'm worried about getting into Julliard, how many times do I have to say it?"

Blake finally went to his daughter and spun her around to face him, keeping his arms around hers, "Until you tell us the truth. You can only use that excuse so many times. Sweetheart, you look so sad. Now, I'm going to ask you one more time: Do. You. Want. To. Go. To. School. Tomorrow?" he spoke slowly and calmly.

"Yes," Kit insisted, "I do."

It was clear that Blake didn't believe her, but he released Kit's arms when she tried to turn around.

"I'm sorry," Kit said, rearranging the silverware once more, "I don't mean to be so snappy and rude and I'm sorry that I'm not...opening up about…stuff. It's just drama. Girl stuff, you know?"

"I can help with drama and girl stuff," Everly piped, "I-

"I should get Indi for dinner and I need to wash up," Kit said, smiling at her parents before she left the room.

Kit tried to ignore the sounds of her parents muttering to each other as she jogged up the stairs to get her sister. She wasn't even hungry, her stomach was in knots.

"Sweetheart," she knocked on Indigo's cracked door, "Dinner."

Indigo opened her door wider, beaming, "Okay, Kitty! C'mon!"

"In a minute," Kit promised, "I still need to wash up, but you head down."

Indigo scrunched up her nose, but nodded and left to make her way down the stairs.

Sighing heavily, Kit ran her hands through her hair and headed for her room. She was exhausted and just needed a minute to herself. That's all. Just a min-

She brought both her hands up to cover her mouth to hold in her shocked scream at seeing someone in her room, not wanting to alert her parents when she realized who it was.

Emmett looked up from his reclined position on Kit's bed, her worn copy of A Girl of the Limberlost in his hands, and a lazy grin on his youthful face.

"Yo," he greeted raising a hand. He was in front of her in the blink of an eye, his hand going to cup her cheek, "Are you all right?"

"Fine," she mumbled, pushing past him to go lie down on her bed, "I'm just exhausted. How did you get in here?"

"The window," he pointed to the ajar window, going to sit at the edge of the bed, "You left it unlocked."

"Oh," Kit mumbled, flopping down onto her bed. She took a deep breath, "I see."

Emmett arched an eyebrow. He had heard the conversation downstairs between Kit and her parents. The attitude she had given the adults surprised him and looking at her now, she seemed different from when he had seen her earlier in the day.

And all because school had been mentioned.

Sighing, he moved his position to lie down next to Kit, both hands behind his head. They both barely fit on the mattress, but he paid it no mind.

"Do you want to talk?" he asked her quietly.

Kit shook her head and scooted closer to him, resting her head in the crook of his neck.

"I don't know," she whispered, blinking back tears.

He nodded, offering silent support as he pressed one of his hands to her back. Was there something going on at school that he wasn't aware of? That usually wasn't the case as both Edward and Alice kept the family of vampires well-updated about rumors and whispers in case anyone had grown suspicious. Emmett knew that Edward had read Kit's mind and he wondered if his younger brother was keeping something from him? Or maybe the bronze-haired boy was too fixated on watching Bella to pay attention to Kit. Most likely the second one.

Sure, he had heard rumors about Kit, but they were standard and ones that had been expected with her arrival: that she was weird, her clothes were ugly, her hair was choppy and awful. While thinking of them made him growl, he didn't think she was affected by them, but maybe she was more sensitive than he originally realized.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk?" he asked, his tone even gentler, "Did something happen?"

"No, I'm fine," she mumbled, "It's fine. I don't want to talk about it. It..."

He looked down, concerned by her slurred words and put off by her obvious denial, but then he saw her eyes start to droop and realized that she was falling asleep. Adjusting her positions slightly, he kissed her forehead.

"I'll stay, tonight," he told her quietly, "Sleep."

She nodded against him, already halfway gone.