"Your death?" He would have found it funny, how all his family spoke in complete unison, matching faces of shock coloring their features. He might have even found it funny the way Lettie looked almost embarrassed for saying it, twiddling her fingers in her lap.

But all he could feel was the tightening of his gut, imagining what a miserable death she had to face to receive such disfiguring burns.

"You died?" Alice asked, eyebrows pushed together in sympathy.

"Oh, yes. Apologies, I believe there is much I have not explained." She warily glanced at Edward, straightening in her seat. "In your world, I am considered a…'ghost' I believe is the correct term. Many call us spirits, as well. But yes, I was once human, such as yourselves, and then I passed on. My spirit was tied to my Mother's necklace, and I have roamed this plane for many years."

"Your Mother's necklace?"

Lettie barely had time to nod at Edward before Jasper spoke up, "This plane?"

"Planes, worlds, dimensions, many of these words are correct, for there is no true explanation for them. To my knowledge, there are two commonly known planes; this human one, and those of the spirits. I apologize, but my knowledge beyond that is limited."

"And that's just something you…know?"

"Oh! No, no." She flushed, shaking her head. "I am no woman of science. For a short time, I was graced with the presence of a Sir Charles Groham, who shared a small portion of his knowledge to help me…acclimate to being a spirit. He possesses a gilded dagger."

"And how, exactly, did you come to be a spirit? If you don't mind my asking." Carlisle was careful with his words, not forceful, but not withholding. Edward knew these questions needed to be asked, for the sanity of his family, but the way Lettie shifted again, he knew this wasn't a topic she wanted to discuss. It was why, even after all this time, even Edward didn't know the answer.

"You don't have to answer," Edward cut in, trying to give her the softest eyes he could. She shook her head, refusing to look at him.

"It is a…painful memory to recollect, but it is the truth, and one you and your family are deserving to know." She took a deep, unneeded breath. "I find it troubling to recall my death. Sir Charles has a theory that it may be caused by the memory being far too traumatic to remember, though sometimes, I see flashes of light, and the smell of smoke." Edward reached out when she shuttered.

"Take your time, dear," Esme consoled carefully across the table. Edward shot her a thankful look, and Lettie gave her a small smile.

"Though I have lapses in my memory, I do recall the feeling of being awoken from a long, dreamless sleep. Upon opening my eyes, the first memory I have is the horrified look of my Father, who had been so frightened at my appearance he was rushed to the hospital by a friend. I did not see him for five days, and in that time, I discovered he appeared to be the only being who could interact with my new existence. Only on his return did I learn of the nature of my death. My Father, and the town, believe that my dress caught fire during a ball, and it burned both myself and the hall until nothing remained. He mourned over my Mother's necklace for months before I came to be."

"And, when was this?" Carlisle asked.

"I believe it was some time between spring and summer of 1882, though the year may be incorrect."

"Oh!" Esme stood suddenly, rushing from the room. With her added speed, she was back before anyone could ask Lettie another question. In her hands was the book Edward purchased all those months ago, Wateeridge and Its History displayed across the front. She was flipping through the pages frantically, before stopping near the middle, spinning to show the rest of the table. The top of the page displayed an artist's rendition of an old building, two stories high, decorated in glittery adornments to hide how plain the structure was. Below it, a grainy photograph, of the old Dance Hall Patty had told him about all those months ago, the very same one Lettie had stopped in front of.

"That's where it happened?" Edward asked, disbelief evident in his voice.

"Oh, that is remarkable!" Lettie leaned forward as much as she could, though Edward could tell it was only etiquette holding her back from crawling across the table. "I vividly recall the gentleman who painted this, though I never saw its completion. I believe it was Hollings who purchased the canvas as soon as-"

"We don't care who ended up buying what," Jasper snapped, annoyance radiating from his body. Lettie instantly snapped her mouth shut, and Edward sent him a glare. "What happened after?"

Lettie's lip trembled slightly as she tried to remember what happened after. Happy memories, laughing with her Father and watching as he aged, weeping over his body with no one able to hear her. Various people coming in and out of the house, countless heirlooms, and family furniture taken away or brought out of sight. Her necklace, locked away in a marble jewelry box when it was deemed too gaudy, was tossed in the attic. The door closing and not opening again for many years.

"She spent the next hundred and twenty-two years trapped in an attic," Edward snapped before he could stop himself, hands clenching on the table. His family jolted at his tense tone. "Now, are we done?"

"Son, we need to know these things-"

"She obviously doesn't want to talk about it."

"Edward," Lettie whispered, laying her hand on his arm, giving him a reassuring smile when he put his hand on top of hers. "Your family must be aware-"

"They haven't earned your story-"

"Your jealousy is making this more difficult than it needs to be," Jasper cut in. "If you had told us sooner about her, we could have-"

"What? Could've become friends? Don't forget, I can hear how disgusted and afraid you are." Lettie flinched beside him. "No, Lettie, I didn't mean-"

"Way to go, Edward," Rosalie mumbled, bitterly crossing her arms. "Push everyone away, just like you always do."

"We kept her a secret for your own benefit," he replied bitterly.

"Oh, did you? Or did you just want something else to control?"

Suddenly, everyone at the table was talking, voices overlapping one another. Esme turned to scold Rosalie, who only doubled down harder. Carlisle tried to quiet the rest of them, but it was useless and both Jasper and Emmett started questioning Edward on how long Lettie had been around, and what exactly she'd seen. Alice was trying to comfort Lettie, but she was barely heard over the commotion. Then, Lettie slapped her hands on the table, the sharp jolt of the wood ceasing the onslaught.

"As I've stated previously," Lettie's sharp voice made Edward wince, recalling the same tone used when she confronted him all those weeks ago on the mountain, "t'was by my own suggestion that Edward keep myself and the existence of spirits a secret from his treasured family. The blame is mine to bear, but if you would allow, I wish to share the explanation as to why." When no one responded, she nodded her head once. "Apologies for my outburst.

The existence of two planes is complex, and the way they interact with one another is beyond the knowledge of even those who spend their existence trying to understand it. What is understood is the single-sided nature of its allegiance. Humans by nature do not possess the ability to see or interact with the plane of spirits. It is only by the interference of a spirit does the veil between planes becomes attainable."

"So, by interacting with you, or ghosts like you, Edward became vulnerable to others like you?" Jasper questioned, voice skeptical. Rosalie was immediately on the defense, danger to the family now clear.

"What you pose is true, though not in its entirety. There are many types of spirits, and many instances where one might come in contact with them. I myself belong to those recognized as 'bound' spirits, where my existence manifested in the human plane through a physical object. It is by physical contact with said object that thins the veil, and allows our interactions. From my understanding, there is no spirit attached to a living creature or object, such as a mighty tree, and bound spirits rarely see the spirit plane. Those who have removed themselves from their object, or never had an object to begin with, are called Malevolents. They are spirits driven by a single passion, and cannot control at will their appearance in either plane. I am told that many places deemed haunted are because of these Malevolents, who are often evil in action."

"So haunted houses are real?! That's awesome!" Lettie found this interruption humorous, but no one else did, all shooting him a glare for interrupting. He coughed into his fist awkwardly.

"Are there many more types of spirits?" Carlisle asked.

"I believe there may be many more, but I am only aware of one more, the poltergeist." Jasper shot Emmett a glare, effectively stopping him from letting his excitement out. "Unlike a Bound spirit or Malevolent, who have no control over their appearance on the human plane, these spirits may pass through the veil as they please, manipulating any object to their desires. While Bound spirits and Malevolents are created with a specific passed human in mind, Poltergeists are a manifestation of a singular emotion over the course of many years, then personified as a spirit who is driven by that singular emotion." Lettie paused, then looked at Edward, eyebrow raised. The image of Samuel's exaggerated face appeared in her mind.

"That might only make them more worried," he warned. Though Samuel's interference, and their knowledge of Edward's face, was a looming danger, he couldn't help that pitiful feeling, the same one he felt pinned beneath the tree stump, run through him. Jasper shot him a look.

"Whatever you're feeling, it's worse than whatever she could tell us," he commented. Edward glared, hating his vulnerability aired to his family, even though he felt a zip of happiness when Lettie set a comforting hand on his arm.

"Edward? Did something happen?" Edward sighed, instantly caving. There was little Esme could ask him that he wouldn't answer.

"A few months ago, Lettie and I met a creature named Samuel, a poltergeist, outside of school." His family gasped. "They recognized Lettie as an old…acquaintance, but it was by pure chance. They said they were attracted to the area because of vampire activity." The exact phrase, delectable feeling of a vampire, nearly made him shudder as he recalled it.

"So they might be after us?" Rosalie asked, putting Alice instantly on red alert.

Though she kept constant vigilance on her family, there were so many unknown factors when it came to Alice's powers. Sometimes, she was able to see things months or years before they happened, like her meeting with Jasper and their inevitable integration into the Cullen coven, but other times, she wouldn't see it until seconds before it happened. They've been lucky so far, but there was only so much luck could do for them, especially if a poltergeist was able to hunt them without any of them being aware.

"You haven't seen anything, Alice?" Carlisle asked. Alice looked blankly into space for a moment, then shook her head.

"I only saw Lettie in my visions after I touched her necklace. It might be that I just haven't seen Samuel yet because they haven't made a decision yet, or it could be something similar to Lettie." Alice shook her head, downtrodden. There was little they could do to experiment to confirm certain hunches, and Edward knew it ate at her to be unhelpful, especially when her gift was usually so powerful.

"Are you able to see…her on command?" Rosalie questioned, waving her hand towards Lettie. Edward glared, but he secretly conceded to it being a good question. If Alice was able to view Lettie on command, then they had little to worry about; it could be assumed the same could be said for Samuel. If she couldn't…

Alice's eyes glazed over as she began searching through the possible future. It took some getting used to over the years, but her far-off look, slacked shoulders, and slightly agape mouth were nothing special now. Lettie, however, glanced between Edward and Alice wearily, concern floating through her mind. He used all his focus to look at Lettie's face, lest he be swept up in the different outcomes of the future.

"She doesn't usually get like that, not unless she's looking for something specific," he reassured, though it did little to comfort her. When Alice didn't resurface immediately, Edward turned back to Esme. "Samuel tossed me around a little, but eventually left. It didn't seem like they wanted to seriously fight, or else they might have done much worse. If they were after vampires, they would have gone towards the school, but they headed away, towards the lumber mills instead."

Rosalie scoffed, though it was underlined with a mischievous snigger.

"He fought valiantly, but Samuel is no ordinary creature." Lettie defended. Edward placed a thankful hand on her arm.

"You don't have to coddle him," Rosalie said, rolling her eyes. "So, he got his ass handed to him?" Lettie looked affronted, but Edward conceded.

"Resoundly, but I doubt you would have done any better." Before she could retort, he barreled on. "As a poltergeist, they possess the ability to move objects around them without touching them. They were able to hit me with a tree before I realized what their power could do. I also couldn't read their mind." This instantly had Carlilse mulling things over in his mind.

"You felt none of this, Jasper?" Carlisle asked. Jasper took a moment to look through his memories, before shaking his head.

"The school, the teenager, it's too hard to feel anything outside of the building with so many emotions running rampant." Carlisle nodded, before looking back at Edward.

"And they didn't…say anything else about why they were here? Why they were searching for vampires?" he asked after a moment.

"Not that I picked up on," Edward turned to get confirmation from Lettie, who looked thoughtful.

"Sir Charles had a theory, though he was never able to befriend a poltergeist to confirm, that they may feel…more than Malevolents do, despite their similarities in creation. That, should a poltergeist be formed, they may not only be driven by the emotion that created them, but the circumstances that caused those emotions to begin."

"How so?" Carlisle asked, instantly intrigued.

"For instance, Sir Charles wished desperately to be brought to a museum in Salem-"

"Witches!?" Emmett questioned before he could stop himself. Instantly, he slapped a hand over his mouth, apologies running through his head. Edward couldn't blame him, he was shocked by the news as well, though not as shocked as Carlisle thinking of an old friend, a human who was able to manipulate the elements.

"Yes, I believe that was his desire, to confirm if any poltergeists were formed from such a tragic event. We have not met again for me to confirm if he was successful."

When Alice returned to the present, she did so with a gasp.

"Nothing. I see nothing when I try to see your future, but I can see you in everyone else's." She didn't look…frustrated, per se, but she was put off by the newly found blindspot. Jasper reached out and gave her shoulder a supportive squeeze.

Carlisle's eyebrows furrowed, leaning back in his chair with a contemplative sigh. Edward grew tense as Carlisle's mind was filled with half-finished thoughts. Though Carlisle was someone who abandoned a train of thought if he didn't think it would produce anything useful, he did have a habit of using that same method to have some privacy with Edward around. He used it sparingly, which made it all the more difficult to realize when he was doing it on purpose or simply without meaning to. The ambiguity now was setting Edward on edge.

"Then," Esme began again, when no one said anything, "have you been with us long?"

"I'd like to apologize formally," Lettie said instantly, bowing her head, "under normal circumstances, I would never play the guest for so long without speaking to the host."

"Oh! It's…it's quite alright, dear. As you said, these aren't normal circumstances."

"So, what, you've been spying on us since we moved here?" Rosalie's jab was met with a flushed face, obviously not the correct response as Rosalie's glare turned to a glower. "You're kidding."

"She refused to sit in the room with all of us," Edward cut in before Rosalie could go on a tirade. She did not appreciate that any more, anger forcing her legs to stand. Edward did the same, ready to stand between her and Lettie. "She kept herself in my room, without anyone to talk to, or interact with, because she didn't want to invade your privacy."

"And how do you know she wasn't spying on us when you were with us?"

"Because she can't go far enough away from her necklace to do so." Edward's somewhat calm response only angered her more.

"Oh, I'm sure you got all of that from searching around in her head. You know what, you two make the perfect pair, invading people's privacy without permission-"

"I'm terribly sorry if I have made you uncomfortable, Mrs Rosalie Hale." Lettie stood as well, bowing her head in apology, but standing firm. Edward felt a swell of…something pass through him as he recognized the protective stance she took. Shoulder wide, back straight, hand reaching out behind her to grasp Edward's sleeve, reassuring herself that he was behind her. His fingers twitched as the desire to intertwine their fingers overcame him. "My deepest wish is the happiness and comfort of your family, though I can see how my selfish actions on wanting to remain close to Edward have impeded my sincerity. I hope my circumstances may help in your forgiveness."

"Lettie," Carlisle cut in, stopping Rosalie from retorting. Edward welcomed the response, not excited for the hateful words running through her head. "When we were outside, Edward said something about never leaving you alone again. I assume this 'again' refers to the time you spent in your old home, but, tell me, what was he talking about?"

There were many words Edward would use to describe his vampire father. Kind, compassionate, empathetic, three words that all mean similar things, and yet, somehow all fit Carlisle perfectly. Patient, loving, proud. He was gentle where most creatures were not, and resourceful above all else, the reason he was able to navigate both nomad and coven life. But, most importantly, he was intelligent. It was why he was able to continue his pursuits as a doctor, even as the medical field changed every day. He was able to deal with rumors like they were nothing, and challenge the natural unsettling aura vampires gave off with his own carefully constructed opposing actions, forming the perfect line of unapproachable sweetheart. And yet, it was this intelligence, the one he spent much of his vampire life admiring, that caused dread to settle in his stomach. He knew, just as Edward did, that if the question was posed with Edward being the main recipient, there would be nothing but lies passing through his lips.

Lettie looked at Edward for a short moment, eyes pooling her sorrow and begging for forgiveness, before meeting Carlisle's calculating gold ones.

"There is a reason Bound spirits are considered the weakest of the known types. We are not only restricted by our object, both in the ability to move freely and the inability to cross between planes, but also by our inability to manipulate the object we possess." She paused, taking a moment to glance at Edward's shirt pocket, the temporary location of her necklace. "Should my spirit make contact with my object, all those who have come to know me shall forget my existence, as well as any event in which my interference was primary. It will be as if I never existed at all."

Edward's chest tightened.

"Everything?" Jasper questioned, genuine intrigue on his face. Lettie nodded once.

"The knowledge I have imparted on you would disappear from your mind, as would any other memory, such as our first encounter, the emotions you felt, and any other aspect of our meeting."

"And there would be no…side effects?" To this, Lettie looked more hesitant.

"Though you would forget all of the knowledge, your body will retain a very faint trace of your interaction with the spirit world. I do not know how to describe it more than a faint mist that will follow you, that only spirits and those attuned to the spirit world may see. If this attracts or deters free spirits, I know not." She shook her head. "Apologies. I have only had the experience of being forgotten once. I do not have all the information, but please put your trust in me that everything I tell you is everything I know."

"Then we do that," Rosalie said as soon as Lettie finished.

"I agree," Jasper cut in, silencing Edward before he could protest. Jasper stood as well, casting a single fleeting glance toward Lettie before locking eyes with Carlisle. Any sympathy he felt was resoundingly squashed as his desire to protect the family took precedence. "It's too dangerous to have someone like her around, especially since we don't know anything about her world or the accidents she could cause."

Edward knew Jasper felt the stab of hurt that flashed across Lettie's face, but he was far tougher than Edward was. His face remained stoic, neutral, a man set in his decision. Edward hated him at the moment.

"And that's…something you would be alright with?" No one was more shocked than Lettie at Esme's gentle question, genuine concern written across her features. Carlisle's face softened at his wife's words.

Edward used the distraction to clasp his hand in Lettie's as the thoughts of gratitude floated through her mind, tugging on it to get her to look at him. He didn't like the ideas running through her mind, especially the acceptance of this outcome. He hadn't even had a chance to fight for her before her mind was made up.

"It is my deepest desire for your family to be safe and happy." He hated how sincere she was. "My existence is not a leisurely experience, nor do I have the knowledge to make it such. It is within the best interest of your family, should they agree, that I part ways before I make a fool of myself and ask to stay."

"No, no, no." He knew he sounded childish, but how could he not, when he only just got things to return to the happiness he had been grasping at. "It can't be that easy."

"Teddy," her voice was breathless, and despite turning to look at him, her eyes didn't raise higher than his collar. She reached out, running a hand along it, then down the slope of his shoulder. He ignored the questions shooting at him through the minds of his family, eyes focused only on the woman in front of him. "It is for the best. I only wish for your happiness."

"My happiness is with you."

"In a moment, you will not remember my face, my voice, nor any aspect of our friendship. How can your happiness be tied to something so fleeting?" She smiled lightly. "This is my curse to bear, forever. Do not let it burden you as well."

"I'm sorry, Edward." He didn't dare look at Carlisle as he stood behind him, instead engraving every dip and curve of her beautiful face so deeply in his mind that not even the magic of her necklace could take it away. "But it's unanimous. We need to do what's best for the family."