A/N: Many thanks to all you who have been following/reviewing on this story so far! I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it and that you support this pairing ;) I promise to try and update more frequently. I switch between a lot of different fanon modes. So, stick with me please and keep me inspired! :)

Earthshine

Chapter II

"Cross Paths"

…

"If in the twilight of memory we should meet once more, we shall speak again together and you shall sing to me a deeper song."

- Khalil Gibran

…

[Edward]

With one glance out the window, I could see that it was going to be a dreary day. There was a dense layering of fog across the ground, and a certain chill to the summer air. It even looked like it would rain.

I stepped away and slipped on a jacket, just in case my brother and I happened to run into any hunters on our outing who might find it odd that we hadn't chosen a more appropriate sort of attire. I looked to the mirror and sighed when I saw my darkened eyes.

If I had it my way, I wouldn't be heading out on the expedition at all. I'd made a decision to try and spend as much time with Bella as possible before I'd be leaving her. I habitually cringed at the thought of that, and somewhat irately turned to head downstairs.

I'd just returned to my family home after a night that didn't seem quite long enough at Bella's side. I'd spent almost every night with her over the summer; after 10:00 when Charlie would go to bed and until about 8:00 in the morning before he woke up.

This morning I had been cheated of an entire two hours which could have been spent with my love to go satiate the incessant cravings of mine, and all for the sole purpose of preventing a slip up in which I might potentially find myself draining her dry. It reminded me of the very reason why I had to be leaving her. We were not compatible. Predator and prey. An angel and a demon.

I was in a very foul mood.

"Hey, kid!" Emmett said with a wide grin before clapping his hands together. "You ready to have some fun?"

I awarded him an incredulous look. He was kidding, right?

'Ah, missing Bella, eh?'

I didn't bother responding. He already knew the answer to that.

Leading the way out of the house and across the damp grass, I kept my sight straight ahead. The sooner we got this over with, the better. I reasoned that Bella would probably sleep for another three hours, and then she'd take another hour attending to the necessities.

If all went according to plan, I would be back with her by the afternoon, so long as Emmett didn't draw out the excursion for too long. I didn't really have the patience for his playful antics at the moment. Keeping my eyes fixed on our destination, I hastened my pace, eager and anxious to expedite the time I would spend away. Bella wasn't scheduled for work, I considered sullenly, and so I would've been able to spend the entire day with her. Each moment apart was a moment I considered wasted.

'Lighten up, will you?' I heard Emmett say from beside me.

Again, I didn't respond. Why did he insist on having the same conversations?

We entered the fringe of forestry, and I guided us ever deeper so as to avoid any human contact during our most vulnerable activity. Hunting. The absolute expression of our kind. Barbaric, graphic, and instinctual.

It was our form of letting go. It was during such times that our control was not so in check as it otherwise would be.

And, despite myself, as my innate nature's mind began to consider the prospective hunt, I felt a jolt of anticipation, which began to ease the anxiety I had been feeling at Bella's absence.

Emmett chuckled, 'that's more like it.'

"Shut-up," I mumbled and rolled my eyes.

'There's no need for rudeness!' he jested.

My mouth slightly lifted into a smirk.

'Mountain lion, I'm guessing?' He asked.

My smirk widened a bit in answer.

'Well, I suppose I'll go with my usual too. I hope I find a nice, big grizzly around here. They're usually the most vicious. Hope you don't mind me taking a little extra time to scope one out?'

And he must have expected an immediate protest at his last remark because, from the corner of my eye, I saw him tilt his head curiously. But, see, his little remark brought to mind that encounter I had the day before with that curious Texan family.

The memory of my conversation with Vitalia intruded my thoughts, the amusement still very prominent, along with my complete and utter marveling at the absurdity of it. Those people were bound for disaster. And yet my encounter with them still strangely stuck with me.

What was it about them that I couldn't seem to shake?

The father was such a rash and impulsive individual, who wasn't exactly leading his family along the path of responsibility. By any means. The mother, alternatively, just seemed the gently chastising sort, more firmly rooted, but preferring to only protest to herself. It didn't exactly improve their chances.

And the girl…well, she was just as bad, if not worse, than her father. There was a playfulness about her, and a complete disregard for caution. She was an extreme and problematic thrill seeker with lively eyes that were far too untutored for their own good.

"Edward?" Emmett asked aloud.

I blinked and thrust my current train of thought aside. It would be best to just put the entire encounter behind me. I wouldn't be seeing those people again. Well, not unless I happened across their listed names in an obituary.

Looking to Emmett, I was reminded of what he'd said before my attention had drifted, and offered a very cross look. "I would like to get back as soon as possible."

'Ugh, fine!' He thought before shaking his head and continuing in a more understanding tone. "I'll try my best to cut it short."

"Thank you," I curtly nodded before picking up my pace and considering that we were nearly far enough to get started.

However, it wasn't long before my thoughts drifted again—though in a considerably more favorable direction. My head was filled with the sound of my sweet Bella's voice.

"So, what were you doing in Newton's store today?"

I'd known the question was coming, but I hardly knew what sort of answer to provide. I had thought quickly, trying to offer a reasonable excuse -one which wouldn't prove I was verifiably insane- and eventually just decided to keep it simple, saying that I had returned earlier than expected from my shopping outing with Alice, had grown a little bored, and that it seemed better than waiting in the car. Trying something different, was all.

I immediately made up my mind then to venture into the shop more frequently to grant further credence to my claim. She hadn't seemed to notice my conversation with Vitalia or her family, and that was fortunate, as it would've made my excuse more questionable.

And she didn't question why I'd left the store again before her shift was over, though I had thought of an explanation for that too. I would've just said that, seeing she was being kept very busy, I had decided not to distract her. This, of course, would've been followed with a playfully conceited smile.

Why did I bother lying?

Well, there just hadn't seemed any logical explanation for my behavior at all, and I would definitely be monitoring my actions a little more closely to prevent a similar situation from ever happening again.

I couldn't even begin to explain why I'd entered that shop for the sole purpose of observing those people more closely.

But, then I couldn't help the slightest smirk that formed soon after that thought came.

'It's because I'm a stalker.'

The humor I found in that was a little double-edged though, as there was some truth to it. It wasn't something I was proud of. After all, I'd more or less stalked Bella when my interest was initiated, and I still continued my practice of watching her sleep during the night -a fact she no longer seemed to mind.

I just couldn't help myself sometimes. My curiosity was a curse. It was what had gotten me into this entire situation with my darling in the first place. It encouraged me to pursue her, encouraged me to stay, and it was discouraging me from leaving.

Bella deserved better than me. There was just no arguing that. It was solid, irrefutable fact.

The excitement for the hunt lessened considerably, and my mood darkened further.

'This look good?' Emmett asked.

I slowed and glanced about the area, appreciative of the fact that I could occupy my mind for the moment on something else. The area was overgrown and would prove difficult for any human to try and hike through. The slopes were steep and the vines obstructive. It seemed as fitting a place as any.

I offered a nod to my brother and we both crouched a little lower, testing the air for any animal scents and keeping our eyes peeled for signs of life. There was a rustle of movement to our left, but we both averted our attention once we discovered it was only a squirrel -a small creature such as that could hardly provide enough nourishment.

I hadn't realized how hungry I actually was, and my mouth began to salivate as I considered it. Maybe Bella was right…maybe the color of my eyes, the signifier of my hunger, really did affect my mood.

I caught site of a few scattered hoof markings in the ground. A deer would have to do, it seemed. We hadn't ventured far enough for me to really have much chance of finding a lion and I was much too hungry to actively seek one anyway.

And so I pursued, the procedure second nature to me as I scouted out the group and selected the male at the head of it. The larger the better. I bided my time just another moment longer before crouching lower, readying my muscles for the chase, and then bounding forward.

The herd was immediately startled, their flight all but instantaneous. My eyes were locked and, within a few short strides, I fell upon the buck. He had not even challenged me in the slightest. He was dead a second later and I lowered my teeth to his neck, where they sank in and I avidly drank from the mediocre-tasting blood of the creature.

As usual, I kept it clean, not a stain to be found upon my white button-down. Rising, I flicked my tongue to the corners of my mouth to remove any lingering remnants and then disguised my kill as just another attack from an ordinary animal.

Then I repeated the process, finding and taking down two more targets -a caribou and an elk- before reaching a sustainable fill. I wondered to myself if Emmett was even close to finishing his hunt, and decided to track him down. It was difficult to judge from the sky what the time actually was -as it was still very overcast- but, with a hasty glance to my phone, I ascertained that it was not yet 10:00.

I came across a couple of badger carcasses, which were in an extremely messy way, indicative of my brother's careless methods of feeding, and continued along the macabre trail until I came to a clearing, where I sighed upon seeing him faced off with a bear.

It was no grizzly, just a common black bear, but he seemed to be deriving as much fun from it as he could. Its temperament was more passive, but he was certainly trying to goad it to its limit. I sat and propped a knee, absently watching him and ignoring his taunting thoughts.

As soon as he was done, we could head back, and I was delighted that it would be a little sooner than I initially predicted. My mood had lightened some, and my attention wandered indifferently across the landscape.

I began to sift through a few different plans for how Bella and I might spend the rest of our day together. We'd attended a few of the local festivals already, and had experienced a couple of the acclaimed restaurants. Of course, there was always our meadow, or maybe just a walk through the forest. Anything at all would be enjoyable with her.

Unfortunately, Bella limited the options to those excursions which required little to no monetary expense -she didn't appreciate me spending even a single dime on her, always stating that it was only increasing the debt she already owed me for being with her.

It was a preposterous belief, but she was determined and could not be swayed from her stubbornness. I also had to eliminate anything too risky, as most extracurricular activities placed her directly in harm's way. She was incredibly accident prone.

'The meadow it is then,' I decided. It would be a nice, peaceful afternoon.

It was at that moment that a gunshot suddenly rang out, echoing back from the mountains and startling me into a state of extreme alertness. I rose swiftly and cast my gaze about my surroundings. I sniffed the air, and the scent of gunpowder was evident.

There was a hunter nearby.

I glanced back to see that Emmett and the bear were distracted from their standoff. I made eye contact with him and motioned my head to indicate that we needed to clear the area. He looked extremely disappointed with this development, but nodded before glancing to the bear with a mocking grin.

'Looks like it's your lucky day, pal.'

Then he joined me in my sprint through the covering of trees.

'Well, that's a pain in the ass,' Emmett considered silently, careful not to say anything aloud until we'd put enough distance between us and whoever had joined us.

I just nodded, feeling a little irritable that my return to Bella was going to have to be postponed. Two badgers were certainly not enough to fill Emmett's appetite. We'd have to venture a little further and he'd have to find something else.

I just hoped he didn't expect to be able to take his time on his next kill.

We both halted as a male scream rang out. Was it the hunter? I glanced back. It had come from the direction of the clearing. The snarl of that bear came soon after, and I shared a look with Emmett.

Seemed his unfinished business had left some trouble for the man.

'What should we do?' he asked.

I could see that he would be fine with either option -leave the man to his fate, or go back and somehow intervene. All it would take was a pointedly aimed stone to finish off the bear, and then we could simply vanish.

There wasn't much risk involved at all. Furthermore, I doubted Carlisle would think too highly of us leaving someone to die when we very well could have done something to prevent it.

I nodded to Emmett and he, deciphering the cue, turned with me to head back. We were careful to stick to the shadows and thicker undergrowth and, as we neared, I crept towards a vantage point while Emmett weighed a couple of different stones between his hands.

I peered through a small opening and caught sight of the animal in question, as well as the hunter. But then I -rather ironically- froze as my eyes considerably widened.

'What?' Emmett asked, noticing my reaction. 'What is it? He already dead?'

It was the father. Vitalia's father.

"Nothing," I whispered under my breath to Emmett, who just looked confused before shrugging and moving towards me. 'Should I throw it now?'

I composed myself, ignoring how bizarre this situation was, and occupied my mind with determining our next course of action. The problem was that the guy was dodging in and out of our line of fire. There was a chance we'd just end up killing him ourselves with the stone.

He and the bear circled each other. The bear swiped a paw, the man ducked beneath it.

'Whoo!' His thoughts came to me then. 'This one's real agitated!'

Moron. He was enjoying this. Why was I even bothering?

"We have to get closer," I muttered all but silently to my brother.

'I don't know if that's a good idea, kid,' Emmett replied. 'Seems a little too chancy to me.'

The man aimed his rifle to fire and, for a moment I thought I'd be spared having to intervene at all, before the bear swiped again and knocked the weapon to the ground.

I inwardly groaned. Great.

The bear advanced and we were out of time. With a glance to the fallen weapon, I devised an alternative. I glanced to Emmett, indicating he should follow my lead, before taking off at a human-paced run and emerging from the fringe of trees. I made my way towards the gun, Emmett right behind me.

Both the bear and the father turned at our approach, and I shared a glance with the man before reaching down, grasping the gun and swiftly aiming for the head of the bear, where I delivered a fatal shot.

It fell dead and I exaggerated my panting, Emmett following my example. We needed to give off the impression we'd just rushed like hell to save this man.

'Not such a lucky day after all, I guess.' Emmett considered as he observed the fallen animal.

When the father had recovered, looking from me to the bear a couple of times, he tilted his head as his brows furrowed. 'Looks familiar. Where have I seen him before? Oh, right! And what's his name? Uhm…Ed..Edward!'

"You," he pointed and smirked, meeting me halfway to take his weapon. "It's Eddy, right?" He reached out and clapped me on the back as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Nice shot!"

"You two know each other?" Emmett looked between us, lingering in his glance towards me. ''Eddy'? Who ever calls you that? What the hell's going on here? Is this what all that was about back there?'

I cleared my throat and motioned my hand towards the father. "I ran into him at Newton's yesterday. He was purchasing this rifle."

"That's right," the man's smirk widened while he ran a hand along the length of said weapon.

"I'm sorry though, I don't think I ever got your name," I continued.

"Ah, Vi didn't tell you?" He clicked his tongue. "She must've inherited her poor manners from yours truly." He winked and then offered a hand in the same way she had the day before. "It's Diego Santi."

'Vi?' Emmett questioned.

However, I simply awarded him a look that said I would explain later, before somewhat hesitantly placing my hand into Diego's and shaking it. He didn't react to the temperature though, as it was a frigid day and therefore understandable why I might feel cold to the touch. 'Santi', huh?' It was a very Italian surname. Both he and his daughter had the appearance of having an Italian heritage too.

"And who's this?" Diego asked, looking to Emmett.

"My brother," I explained politely. "Emmett."

"Hey there, Emmett," Diego greeted cheerily, also offering a hand to him.

Emmett grinned and took his grip firmly. "What's up?"

"I like a nice, strong handshake," Diego complimented before then placing his hand into his pocket and leisurely hoisting the gun over his right shoulder. "So, what're you boys doing out here?" He furrowed his brows. "You don't have any gear on you?"

Explanation time. I thought up a quick response, so entirely used to having to do this on a frequent basis.

"My brother and I prefer to tread the wilderness without any gear." I winked, "more challenging that way, you know?"

Diego nodded approvingly, the reaction I had predicted. He smirked broadly, "I like it."

I answered his smirk, "fortunately for you. We were right there in that forest when we heard you scream. Came running as fast as we could."

He waved that off, "I had it under control. I appreciate the help, but this isn't anythin' out of the ordinary."

I withheld a reaction to that. 'Right,' I thought inwardly, 'of course.' The man's life had been on the line, but what did that matter to an adrenaline junkie?

"You hunt bear often?" Emmett asked him, looking impressed.

"Yep. Me and the fam make a sport out of it," Diego responded. "I prefer to have my fun before finishing them off."

"I'm with you there," Emmett chuckled and lifted a hand for a high five. I rolled my eyes.

Diego eagerly clapped his hand and then tilted his head again. "Well, since you're all the way out here, wanna come back to the campsite with me? I'm sure we've got some coffee heatin' over the fire. Keeps us goin' throughout the day." He looked pointedly to me and winked, "I'm sure Vi'd love it if you said hello."

'Now I'm really curious,' Emmett voiced silently.

I withheld an annoyed reaction from my brother and instead thought the situation over. Emmett still had to feed and I was growing more and more impatient to head back to Bella. I just didn't have time to stick around. I'd have to turn down the offer. I began to run through a series of sufficient responses through my mind. Something polite, yet firm enough. He seemed the insistent sort.

"I'm game," Emmett answered then. "I dunno about the coffee though. Me and the bro here aren't too fond of the stuff. Tastes like dirt."

'Literally,' he added in silent amusement.

This time I did send him a subtle glare. How dare he accept that offer! He had known I was in a hurry to get back.

He met my stare defiantly, a little smirk even visible from the corner of his mouth. 'Don't look at me like that! There's no way I'm letting you get out of this one. Let's meet this 'Vi' person, hm?'

Despite wanting to continue the stare down, I remembered that the man was still waiting to hear my answer, and so I reluctantly nodded and continued in the same measured, smooth tone of voice. "Alright, but we can't stay long. The rest of our family is expecting us to return soon."

"Sure," Diego shrugged before turning and leading the way with a sauntering stride. "And no problem on the coffee. It isn't for everyone."

With the man's back turned, I scowled up at Emmett, but he only chuckled and gave me a firm punch in the shoulder.

'Well, looks like now I'll get to spend a little more time with you! At least try and enjoy yourself. You see Bella all the time. I mean, I understand and all, but still. I miss you.'

I sighed under my breath and closed my eyes, trying not to react to his ramblings. It wasn't as if I didn't miss him or the rest of my family in turn, but Bella had simply claimed the very center of my world. She was all that mattered to me now. Every moment away from her, no matter who it was with, was a moment less I would be able to spend with her before…well, before it all ended.

Emmett and I would have plenty of time to spend together after that.

'Sorry,' he muttered silently to me then, seeing the look that had come over me.

I half-turned my face towards him with a nod and as much a smile as I could summon.

"You guys go to school around here?" Diego asked.

It was fortunate Emmett was so personable, as he went ahead and replied without my needing to.

"Yep. Forks High. You got any kids in there?"

"Nah, we only got the one and she's schooled at home. Gives us all more time for activities like this."

"Homeschooling, huh?" Emmett asked. "Wow. That's neat. You seem a pretty active bunch."

"Sure are. What about you? Is it just the two of you?"

"Nah, we've got a sister. Her name's Alice, and her boyfriend stays with us too. My wife, Rose, completes our merry little group."

"Married already, huh?" Diego glanced back, eyes widened a little. "And not even out of High School?" But, then he faced forward and shrugged. "Eh, who am I to judge? Sometimes the right one just comes along as soon as that. My wife was still in High School when we got together."

"Well, there we go!" Emmett exclaimed, grinning. 'I like this guy, Edward. Real easygoing chap.'

'These boys are somethin' else!' Diego was simultaneously thinking to himself. 'I could get used to hangin' with them like this.'

I looked between them a moment, before averting my attention to the campsite that was now visible from over the incline. I spotted that blue Camaro and the billowing of smoke from the fire at the center. A pair of tents had been set up, and I could smell the fragrance of the coffee Diego had promised.

I also caught sight of the two women who were sitting near the fire, Vitalia with a cup of said coffee in hand -presumably- while her mother was setting some more logs over the fire. They were animatedly talking, but I couldn't really discern what they were saying.

After a few steps further though, their thoughts started trickling through.

'-that stubborn man! Where is he anyway?' The mother was wondering to herself.

'Mom doesn't realize how alike she and daddy really are,' Vitalia mused. 'Maybe that's why they disagree so m-Ooh! I love this song.' She'd had just interrupted her own thoughts again. The sound of a song entered her mind and she mentally catalogued the lyrics. There was an earbud in one ear, while she listened to her mother speak through the other.

'Brings me back to the playground days,' She pondered and, through her memories, I was presented with some vivid recollections of what was she referring to. I saw her running about a park with a lineup of stuffed animals before her. And, arms hoisting an imaginary gun, she proceeded to crouch down and 'hunt' each one of them.

'I used to have so much fun! I should do it again sometime! I-oh my God! An eagle!'

Her thoughts had been interrupted, halted, and were averted as her attention lifted to the animal in the sky. I couldn't help but chuckle quietly in reaction to the return of that girl's very strange thought processes.

Emmett glanced to me, undoubtedly surprised by my shift in expression, and I only looked to him as I composed my face.

'What's so funny?' He asked.

I just shrugged and faced forward, making sure to pay a mind to my reactions more carefully. It was kind of amusing seeing the confusion on my brother's face though. That had certainly been a perk, if nothing else.

We suddenly heard a startled shout and watched as the mother jumped and pointed to a lizard on the ground. Apparently it had crawled across her leg. Diego chuckled as he observed the scene, hastening his pace to reach his wife before the excitement was over with.

Then Vitalia's laugh rang out, the sound upbeat and filled with that same liveliness her eyes had. There was nothing but sheer delight to be found in that sound. It was carefree and high-spirited. I'd never really heard anything like it before, Alice's being the only one I could even compare it to.

'That her?' Emmett asked. 'The 'Vi' person?'

I just nodded.

'What's the story there?' He pressed. 'You aren't really the sort that goes out of his way to make friends.'

"Later," I mumbled. It would be improbable of me to offer him an explanation at the moment.

We were now close enough for them to hear our approach and, when they both turned, the mother outstretched her arms and rushed towards her husband, hardly having taken notice of us, while Vitalia immediately grinned.

'No way! It's the interesting guy again. And he brought a friend! This'll be fun.'

"Eddy!" She hollered and placed a hand onto her hip. A smirk to mirror that of her father formed across her face, and she lifted a brow.

'No way, dude!' Emmett teased me. 'You two timing on Bells? I didn't even know you had it in you!'

I narrowed my eyes prominently. Why would he even joke about something like that?

'Wow. Look, I know telling you to chill is a little pointless but, hey, settle down. I didn't mean anything by it.'

I just looked away then, fully intending to ignore him.

Vitalia stayed where she was, apparently just waiting for us to reach her, while her mother embraced Diego, who laughed and asked about the lizard.

"It just snuck up on me, that's all," she said with a shy smile and even a little blush. It was a curious reaction from someone her age.

Though, to be fair, both she and her husband were rather youthful-looking to have a teen daughter. Well, on the normal scale of standards as far as 'youthful-looking' went. They seemed the child-at-heart sort too. The whole family, for that matter, were childlike in their antics.

Vitalia looked a great deal like her parents. Not only in appearance, but also in her behavior and mannerisms. She had inherited her father's darker shade of hair, as well as the impressive blue of her eyes, but she had her mother's spark of energy. That somewhat naïve thrill for her life. There was something a little darker in Diego, though I couldn't quite determine what it was. His thoughts were more closely guarded than theirs.

It was an intriguing bit of insight, and I recalled that Vitalia had actually made an interesting comparison between the man and myself. She had said, like her father, there was something dangerous about me. What was dangerous about Diego?

"This is my lovely wife Eden," Diego introduced the woman beside him, and she grinned widely before waving to each of us. He looked to her and indicated us both, "you remember Eddy, right?" She nodded and then he pointed to Emmett, "and this's his brother Emmett."

"Nice to meet you Emmett!" She exclaimed, sending another wave.

He grinned a wide grin to match hers. "Yeah, you too!" Then his face turned contemplative. "…Eden, huh? Like the garden?"

"Yes!" She giggled. And it was such a girlish sound. "Exactly."

'He has a nice face too,' she thought to herself. 'They look so alike.'

'What a sweet lady,' Emmett winked to me.

We turned as a group then and made our way to the campsite, where Vitalia approached me with a wink.

"Didn't think I'd be seeing you again. What brings you out here?" She gave me a sly look. "Stalking still?"

The joke wasn't old, and it saved me from having to reinvent an explanation. How convenient it was that she made her own conclusions about these things. "Guilty," I smirked.

'Ooh, she really does know you!' Emmett thought to himself, before looking to her and feigning an appalled expression. "Has my brother been stalking you?! That's a very bad habit of his."

"Yes, it is," Vitalia nodded her assent, eyes serious. 'He has a brother, huh? Cool. They definitely look related. And how nice. He's playing along. This is great!'

From beside us, Eden turned to her husband and asked how my brother and I really came to be here. He wrapped an arm about her shoulders and walked with her to the tent as he explained, though she didn't seem too pleased to hear of his close encounter with the bear.

"I'm Emmett," my brother was introducing himself to Vitalia with a hand lifted over his chest. "Lovely to meet you, Vi."

"You too, Emmy," She nodded, instantly coming up with a nickname for him too. It was obviously a regular thing for her to do. "And I can definitely see the resemblance between the two of you."

"Yeah, you too," He pointed between her and toward where her father was re-emerging from the tent. "That's a pretty neat eye color you've got. Real striking."

"Says you with the gold eyes!" She exclaimed, "I've never even seen that before." Her gaze shifted once between me and Emmett.

"Yep, the whole family has it," my brother offered.

"Weird."

"Yeah, guess it is."

'Some freckles, a little nose ring there, a funny personality, those eyes. She's cute, Edward.'

I tried not to glare, I really did, but I lowered my eyes to hide it when I couldn't manage to keep my gaze from narrowing. Emmett needed to stop. It wasn't something I was even willing to joke about.

"How old are you, Vi?" Emmett continued.

"I'll be seventeen in October," she responded. "You?"

"Nineteen."

'He's friendly,' She thought to herself. 'They might look similar, but they're so different. Hm…Eddy's not really saying much. Looks kinda down again. Should I say something to him? Maybe he feels left out.'

"How old are you, stalker?"

I was hardly feeling left out, just a little annoyed with Emmett. Still, I looked up and responded, my voice betraying nothing. "Seventeen."

"I'm catching up then," she winked.

'Hardly,' I thought to myself, though also found I couldn't direct any real annoyance towards her.

"I might outrun you," I couldn't help but respond cryptically. "I'm very fast."

'Wow!' Emmett replied. 'Don't let too much slip there, show off.'

I just had to ignore him. That was all.

"Oh, are you?" Vitalia answered me, tilting her head and smirking. "Sounds like a challenge to me. We should race."

"I wouldn't bother if I were you."

'Ah, I see. This is a way to get to him. He likes challenges,' she observed, still somehow able to see me so unnervingly clearly. What a perceptive individual. 'Now, how to convince him? Aha! I have it! I'll jus-'

"What?" She asked me, and I found myself eager to hear what she had come up with. There really was no telling with her. After all, her threat had been to shoot me in the foot. "You scared? Scared a girl will beat you?"

Alright…yes. That worked. I felt a stirring within myself, that part of me which really did thrive on a good challenge. Scared? Me? Ha!

"Not bad, bear-kicker," The smirk returned to my face.

'Not bad at all,' Emmett grinned. 'Man, she has a way, doesn't she? And she kicks bears? Awesome!'

"So, we're doing this then?" She asked.

"Right now?"

She shrugged, "why not?"

Hm…I supposed there really wasn't any reason not to. I looked to Emmett, and then to her parents, who were both supportive of the idea.

"She isn't just messing around," her father voiced aloud. "She outruns bears."

"That's the coolest thing I've ever heard," Emmett said, looking approvingly to Vi.

Eden rolled her eyes and shook her head, but I saw a smile form there at the corner of her mouth. The poor woman. She was outnumbered by the unreasonables within her family.

"I'm not worried," I responded only before looking about for a good spot to hold our little challenge.

'You sure this is a good idea, kid?' Emmett asked silently. 'Can you control yourself? I mean, I know how competitive you are.'

I just awarded him a look that said please. He had no reason whatsoever to doubt me. I only had to focus on keeping my actions slowed, on maintaining a human-like pace, and all with still enough force to far exceed whatever abilities Vitalia had.

Emmett grinned and clapped his hands then, "alright then! Looks like we've got ourselves a race!"

"There," I pointed to a somewhat paved path that ran roughly 200 yards. "And the finish line will be that cluster of trees at the end."

"Perfect," Vitalia responded, coming to stand beside me and looking out towards it. She nodded. 'Mhm, that'll do nicely. Let's see if he's just all talk. It'll be fun either way.'

She wasn't nearly as competitive as I was, which, of course, was fortunate for her. It would make the loss easier to handle.

"We'll be rooting for you, daughter!" Eden hollered, pumping a little fist into the air.

"Do us proud," her father smirked.

'Such a shame,' I thought with a bit of humor.

'You're going to crush this little girl, aren't you?' Emmett asked while subtly shaking his head, though a smile remained.

I answered him with a smirk.

'Well, do what you do best, little bro.'

I planned on it. Looking to Vitalia, I quirked my head towards the race site. "Ready?"

She grinned, "yep!" Then she began walking with her head held high. I followed after her, absently listening to the observing thoughts of the three behind us and preparing to show them just a glimpse of what I was capable of.

The chill of the wind swept past us, sort of setting the scene for what we were about to do and, when we reached the starting point, I offered the girl a slight smirk.

"You can always back out."

"I'm no quitter, Eddy," she assured me with a sudden wave of sincerity.

She might not be as competitive as I was, but she sure loved the thrill. Her eyes were gleaming with a very notable playfulness. They were practically overflowing with it.

'I can't wait!' she thought.

I glanced across the way to shout out at Emmett. "Call it!"

He nodded and held up a hand before beginning the countdown with each finger.

I tensed and Vitalia did the same from beside me.

"3…2…"

I sent a final, swift glance to the girl before softly muttering, "1," in unison with my brother and taking off as soon as he said: "Go!"

I actively monitored my speed, making sure to keep it at a believable level, while Vitalia fell behind. She was fast for a human, but it was hardly anything on me.

'Damn!' She thought. 'He wasn't kidding.'

'That's Edward for you,' Emmett chuckled.

'Oh no...' Came Eden's thoughts.

'She's going to lose,' Diego added.

I furrowed my brows as I neared the end. Vitalia's thoughts had suddenly become a jumble of several different things. It was impossible to discern much of anything.

Then, I heard her cry out and fall to the ground and I instinctively stopped and turned to look down at where she was lying a few feet behind me. It looked like there'd been a root sticking up through the grass and, at full speed, I imagined the fall must have hurt.

"Ouch!" Emmett grimaced.

"Are you alright?" Her parents called out to her, one after the other.

I felt a mix of both concern and amusement as I crossed the short distance to where the girl was starting to pick herself up from the ground. I did hope she hadn't been scraped up too badly. Human beings really were such fragile souls, a fragility which this one really needed to be more aware of.

I observed the immediate damage as I knelt on one knee beside her. I tried to hide a smile, not wishing to offend her. "Are you alright?"

Then my brows creased when I heard her softy chuckling. She sat up and lifted a hand to move the hair away from her face, jeans torn and scraped at her knees and a few scratches on her hands and forearms. "How embarrassing," she muttered with a small grin. 'Shit,' she thought, 'stupid root.'

The scent of blood from her open wounds reached me but, since my exposure to one as strongly compelling as my own darling, I had gained a very significant amount of control. It hardly even fazed me.

She looked to me then as I offered an uncertain smile.

"Why are you laughing?" I asked. It had been a pretty humorous development, I just wasn't accustomed to seeing the victim find the same amount of humor in their own misfortune as I did.

"I don't know," She replied, before smirking. "It was very gentlemanly of you to come over here to help me though."

I rolled my eyes and visually inspected her any serious wounds. However, I looked to her instantly when she lifted a hand to give my cheek a pat. I didn't really know how to react to that. Her actions were so abrupt and unaccompanied by any prior thoughts to warn me.

'Ooh, wait!' Whatever inspiration she had just reached halted, and instinct seemed to take her over. I wasn't offered any insight.

"You're a sucker, Eddy," she voiced.

I looked to her with notable confusion until I saw her eyes glimmering mischievously. My own narrowed in suspicion before she suddenly sprang up and I saw too late what she had meant by that statement.

'I'm going to win this thing!' She grinned victoriously, dashing past and towards the finishing point.

If I wasn't restricted from using my perks as a vampire, I could've easily overtaken her. However, as it was, there was no way I could succeed. She'd caught me by surprise.

But, I was still determined to try, and I sprang up after her, using just a little more speed than might have been wise. However, it still wasn't enough, she jumped and landed on the other side of the 'line', lifting her hands above her head and grinning widely.

'No way!' Emmett thought. 'This is unheard of! You were totally played, bro!'

I looked to the girl sullenly as my steps slowed and she turned to face me. Her scraped knees didn't even seem to be a factor here.

"You're a cheater," I declared. However, if I was being entirely fair, she had been far outmatched in the first place. And she hadn't planned the trip either, but had simply used it to her advantage when she'd recognized the opportunity.

She was clever, and very resourceful.

Her parents clapped and cheered, and Emmett joined in right along with them. He was enjoying the outcome far too much for his own good. I had to admit though…it had been impressive of the girl, even if it was a little humiliating to me.

"I don't consider that cheating," she answered breathlessly and with a shake of her head. "There was no way I could beat you. You had an unfair advantage on me from the beginning."

"Well," I countered. "I did try to warn you."

"Yes, you did," she responded with a wink. "But, I think the word you're looking for is 'tricked'. I tricked you, Eddy."

That wasn't of much comfort to me, but she was right. That was, essentially, what she had done. A human girl had outwitted a vampire.

'Is he upset?' She wondered to herself as she took to observing me again. It was something I found myself wishing she wouldn't do so often. She was always far too accurate for comfort.

Stepping towards me, she offered her hand again. "Don't be a sore loser. It was fun!"

I tilted my head, discerning nothing flaunting or boastful about her at all. There was only energy; that energy which was always seemed present in her eyes. And they were so convincing. She was right. It had been fun.

Lifting my hand and placing it within hers, we shook, and she didn't shrink away from the coldness of my skin.

"Yeah," I responded with a nod, whatever demeaning feeling I'd derived from the loss curiously slipping away as I voiced that.

She took her hand back and placed it into her jacket pocket, before turning and slowly making her way back to the campsite. I followed after her, and then began encountering some more practical thoughts.

"Do you have antiseptic with you? You should get those cuts cleaned."

"Oh," she looked down to the marks on her arms and hands. "Yeah, we do." She shook her head, and I saw she was reminding herself of the fall. "I'm usually not that clumsy." Reaching up, she moved her hair away from her face, the wind at our backs now.

I smiled to myself a little, reminded of Bella. "Well, I'm used to it. I deal with a particularly clumsy person on a daily basis."

'Hm…' She turned her eyes to me and looked to the smile on my face. 'I wonder who he's talking about? Someone important to him, definitely.'

But she didn't ask, only nodded.

As a silence fell, I glanced over and saw an easy smile on her face as she redirected her attention ahead. Within my dangerous presence, she seemed not the least bit wary or concerned. Some humans were far too trusting. 'Like Bella…'

But, that wasn't really the case with Vitalia was it? Rather than being a matter of trust, I suspected that, due to her lifestyle, she was somewhat desensitized to danger. I didn't think I'd ever been in this position before either, encountering someone who maintained such a disposition.

Her parents were the same way. I looked to them and overheard their conversation with my brother as we neared.

"How long're you guys in the area?" Emmett asked.

"We'll be here for the rest of the summer," Diego answered. "We're going to move about between a few different camping spots, and we'll probably head into town every few days or so for supplies."

"This your first time coming to this region?"

"Nah, we've been up here a couple times before. First time to Forks though."

"Does your family do any hunting?" Eden asked, and I was surprised that she was the one to approach that subject.

"Oh yeah," Emmett grinned. "We love it. My favorite is Grizzly, but my brother there prefers those mountain lions."

"Good choices," Diego nodded approvingly. "Daring. We usually only come across those black bears around here."

"Yeah," Emmett returned. "Have to head a little further north for the good stuff." He tilted his head, "you said you make a sport out of your hunting. What'd you mean by that?"

I caught a shared looked between Diego and his wife, and also the idea that had suddenly entered his head.

"Why don't you just join us on one of our hunts? We'd love to have you and Eddy along."

My mind sort of stilled. This was so bizarre. It was almost a reverse situation.

'Edward, what's with these people? This isn't normal, is it?'

Fortunately, Emmett had the good sense to look skeptical. It wasn't a good idea to go on a hunt with them. Besides, I didn't exactly have the free time to spare anyway.

He shrugged, "I don't know. We like to keep it traditional."

Diego laughed, "Well, you boys are walking around in the wilderness with no gear. I guess you aren't kidding. Still…it means you like to walk on the risky side of things. Our methods of hunting are perfect for you!"

"Thanks for the offer," Emmett continued, and I felt so proud of him. "But, I think we're fine."

'Too bad,' he thought. 'It really does seem like fun. I'm guessing 'no' though, right, kid? Could be a little too risky, I guess.'

That was exactly right. However, in the next moment I discovered that I had been right in my earlier assessment. Diego was an insistent one.

"Why not?" He shrugged. "It isn't too dangerous. Take a walk on the wild side, huh?"

Thankfully his wife intervened. "Diego," she said strictly. "Don't pressure them into this. They don't want to do it. Leave them alone."

He sighed heavily, and smirked a little. "Alright, fine. But, if you change your mind, you know where to find us."

Emmett nodded, "will do!"

'Ooh! Nice!'

Vitalia's thoughts gave me cause to look to her again as she stooped to retrieve a wildflower and, upon closer inspection, I identified the type. 'Trientalis Borealis'; a Northern Starflower, common to the wet regions of the north-western United States.

Despite being so common though, she was positively fascinated by it. Her gaze was alive with a childlike delight as she twirled it between her fingers. She grinned and looked to me before holding it out, "look."

I raised a brow, but obliged her. There was nothing especially notable about the flower, and so I wondered why she was so taken with it.

"Do you know what it is?" She asked.

I nodded and answered flatly, "yes. They're found just about everywhere here."

"But it's rare to find one this late in the summer," she informed me. "It's holding on." She looked to it and her smile widened.

I looked to her, saw that smile, and thought over what she said. 'It's holding on…' What an observation that was. The girl lived on the edge and yet she also slowed down to enjoy such little wonders as that flower.

She embodied some of the most fundamental principles of humanity. She was excited for all of it. She approached life brightly, appreciatively, and eagerly. She seized moments and, as reckless as she was, she lived like that fragile mortality of hers could end without warning.

I smiled then.

There was something about that which I found myself very receptive to. I couldn't regain what she had. It was untouchable by me or any of my kind. I again thought of that vibrant painting, how it had appealed to me, and I realized this wasn't any different.

Her way of life appealed to me. Of course it did. It was like the heaven I couldn't enter-only marvel at. Wanting what could never be mine. Humans and vampires were so separated by more than physicality.

I was a member of the living dead, frozen in time, while she, Bella, and all the others were on the plane of the living and touched by life in a way I was unable to be.

Life was such a beautiful thing, and it was like the painting. I was trapped and doomed to observe, without ever really being part of it, while humanity thrived beyond the barrier.

'He's such a deep thinker,' Vitalia mused as she let the flower fall to the earth. 'I show him one thing and he goes all silent. And the way he's smiling…there's a lot on this mind. There's something really complex about this guy.'

She looked to me, and I lowered my smile but didn't guard my gaze against her. She saw so much it didn't really matter whether I forced indifference or not.

'I think I'd like to get to know him better,' she mused.

At first, I was a little resistant to that idea. I didn't have time for anyone else. Not right now. Furthermore, I didn't need to connect with another human being.

However, I couldn't help but feel intrigued to learn more about her. To spend a little more time observing this vibrant representation; this masterful painting.

I wanted to get to know her too, but I was walking a dangerous line. It required further thought. I had Bella, and that was more than enough.

I'd also be leaving...

'But Vitalia will be leaving at the end of the summer too. It will be expected. There won't be much of a risk of letting her down. We'll both just naturally go our separate ways.'

I could simply look at it as an experiment of sorts. A unique insight into her way of living. A way of living rarely experienced by the rest of the human population.

And as far as the risk…well, in comparison to Bella, and the draw her blood had on me, the physical bond that was always tested between us, I was virtually harmless to Vitalia.

My curiosity really was going to be the death of me, wasn't it?

Would Bella mind my talking to Vitalia? She was ridiculously jealous at times, but she did have that Jacob Black character for a friend. Surely she would be receptive to granting me the same courtesy? She had absolutely nothing to fear from me. My devotion, even after our eventually parting, would be eternally solidified.

Besides, Vitalia was under no presumption here. She only wanted to get to know me as well. There was no other motive.

And so, when she took her phone out of her pocket and looked to me with a question lingering in her mind, I was ready to provide her with an answer.

"How about a phone number, stalker?" She asked before that sly smile of hers returned. "Or, do you already know it?"

I smirked and removed my own phone, "no, I haven't quite managed to acquire that information yet."

"Oh, I see," She replied. "This's part of your plan, isn't it? Make me comfortable and then freely offer it to you?"

"Caught again," I winked.

She chuckled and then offered me her number. I slowed my keystrokes to a believable pace and gave her mine. She inserted them into a message and then immediately proceeded to send me something.

It was just a smiling face, but it was very symbolic to her character.

"You ready to head back?" Emmett asked, eyes darting between me and the girl beside me.

I was actually a little surprised he hadn't decided to comment on the exchange of numbers.

Vitalia and I having already reached the rest of our group, I nodded. Right. It was time to leave. How had I lost track of time? I found my eagerness to see Bella returning, but I didn't feel as impatient. It was bearable.

Odd.

My brother and I said our farewells, Diego reinstating his offer a final time, as his wife frowned disapprovingly. Vitalia grinned when we looked to her and waved, though I could see in her mind that she had considered going in for a hug from each of us before deciding against it.

I think I was relieved with her choice, but I wasn't entirely sure.

Me and Emmett turned to go and, once out of sight, picked up our pace and felt a nice surge from the release of our restriction to accommodating humans.

I found it strange that Emmett's thoughts were so quiet, and I looked to him curiously. However, as soon as my attention was on him, he began using a similar method of distracting his mind as Alice often used when she was trying to avoid me hearing something.

Why was he doing that?

I decided not to bother discerning the reason at the moment though. It could wait until later.

My thoughts turned to Vitalia and I smiled a little. I was excited to learn more about her. To observe more from her. She had been right,it was going to be a bit of an adventure. Just a short chapter to be added to the history of my long existence. It was so curiously…uplifting to consider.

Then, my eyes were directed upwards to the overhang of trees as the clouds parted for just a moment and the sun broke through. My prediction had been wrong. It seemed that it wasn't going to rain. The sunlight trickled down, touching my skin in sparse sections and pleasantly warming the cold surface. It was fortunate that Emmett and I had left the encampment when we did, and I decided to be a little more careful around those people if I was going to be continuing to see them in the future.

After all, safe as the association with that girl seemed, there was always a risk. My primal nature was still that of a vampire, and the monster inside, though controlled, was always ravenous.

To be continued…