He should have expected the verbal beating he got as soon as he arrived back to the house. Really, what else did he expect from his overly dramatic family? Emmett and Alice with their endless conspiracy theories and flair for making things bigger than they are, Jasper's endless amusement for watching his siblings get in trouble, and Esme's kind heart, one that allows his siblings to easily get away with pestering him as long as it's all in good fun. He was a goner as soon as he made the decision to return back to the house.

Alice sped through the woods to catch him just as he was cutting through downtown. There were far more people walking around than there were in the morning, the air cooling enough to enjoy outdoor seating and long walks down the cozily lit streets. Families were towing their sleepy children behind them, and young adults were just starting to make their way to the handful of bars scattered around. Alice, always the least worried of the family to be caught doing anything supernatural, appeared at his side in the blink of an eye, smile wide across her small pixie-like face. Her freshly washed hair was styled in two butterfly barrettes, pulling the short bangs away from her bright gold eyes.

"You look like you enjoyed the day," she said, looping her arm through his. She instantly snuggled up closer as she felt the way his usually cold skin was warmed by the summer sun.

"I did, thank you." Thank you for leading me to the old house. Thank you for covering for me so I could get to know a ghost of all people. Thank you for understanding me without needing more than a glance. Alice smiled at him, all teeth.

"What are sisters for?"

"Did they give you much trouble?"

"No, not once I explained you needed some time alone to become a better version of yourself." He raised a brow at that.

"You saw that?" The only response he received was a sly smile, and an endless loop of ABBA's Dancing Queen playing on loop in her head. Edward simply rolled his eyes, tucking her a bit closer to his side, as they sped away from the lively downtown.

Emmett and Jasper were not as kind. As soon as they arrived at the house, Emmett was on him, pulling his head into a headlock. Esme and Jasper watched in amusement from their place on the porch.

"Finally spared time to hang with your family, little bro?" Though Edward was more agile on his feet, Emmett more than made up for his speed in sheer strength. Carlisle has explained that although he doesn't believe Emmett was blessed with a gift, confirmed later by their cousin Eleazar, his strength is even more superhuman than the average vampire. He suggests that Emmett's bulk is all thanks to his upbringing, and carried over into his new life. And, with this head in that oh so familiar headlock, Edward had to agree. He could barely move his brother's arm, even exerting all his strength. Jasper laughed to himself from his place on the porch, no doubt feeling Edward's annoyance.

"I got distracted," he explained simply, finally wiggling his way out. Well, more like finally being let go, though Emmett did manage to give his head a good trossle before releasing him. Edward huffed at him, running his hands through it. For being vampires and gifted with the ability to always have tamed hair, Emmett somehow figured out the perfect way to mess with it to make him look incredibly human (i.e. disheveled).

Emmett was looking a lot better than he had. His eyes were brighter than this morning, still a touch too orange to entirely forget what had happened, but certainly better. He also bounced on his feet in a way that suggested an excellent hunt. The memory of losing the bet against Jasper played in his mind, which was only natural as Jasper never let anyone win, but the loss was quickly soothed over by the two bears he was able to feed from. Like Alice, Jasper and Esme sported bright golden eyes, minds soothed for the time being.

"More like you just wanted to get out of doing more work," his brother mumbled, punching him in the shoulder. Edward barely managed to move out of the way from it causing serious damage.

"If I wanted to get out of work, I would have gone with Carlisle and Rosalie instead, not be within the same city." This made Emmett laugh.

"As if my angel would have let you come with them! She barely invited me!"

"Oh, hush, now. Edward did plenty of work this morning in the attic." Ah, Esme. Ever the mediator.

"That reminds me," Edward said, passing the bag to his Mother. He had perused most of it during his outing with Lettie today. Though thorough in its documentation, there were still too many topics for the book to cover what Edward was truly interested in. He shouldn't have been too surprised that neither Lettie nor her family were mentioned in the book. From what he gleaned, there were only a handful of prominent families that lived in the city, and even those were no more important than other rich folks of the time. With the turn of the century creeping closer, new young attitudes were pulling away from the traditions in England, and social class was slowly transforming. Lettie's family, though slightly unusual with only her and her Father, would have easily been erased from the history books for not conforming. The house is only mentioned briefly for it's historical value, and the fire at the old Dance Hall has little information beyond what Patty explained. No one ever figured out what or who caused the wailing from the building, and the timeline of such events is muddled from 6 months to two years after the modern Historical Society moved in. "I got this for you while I was in town. You and Jasper might like the old Historical Society. There's a woman, Patty, who runs the tours for the museums. She's offering to take a bunch of stuff off our hands."

"That's very kind of her," Esme replied, gently flipping through a few pages of the book.

"The donation form is in there as well. Tax purposes, if you wanted it." Esme pulled him into a small side hug, Jasper peering over her shoulder to look at the old photos.

"Booooring," Alice teased.

"You got that right," Emmett scoffed. "Did you think just because you bring boring gifts and suck up that you can get away with ditching us all day?" Edward smiled.

"Yes."

"You little-" Emmett leaped, pulling him out of their Mother's embrace and into a headlock once more, hand already buried in his hair and wiggling back and forth aggressively. Edward glared as his family as they laughed at their sibling antics.

"Alright, alright." Esme required little muscle to pull Edward back towards her, hands reaching up to gently pet his hair back in place. Edward continued to glared fiercely at his laughing siblings, even as he tilted downwards to make it easier for Esme. "Edward is going to do extra to help out with the dump to make up for today, aren't you dear."

"But-" a pointed look from his Mother had his mouth closing quickly. "Yes, Mother."

"Alright!" Emmett tried to swing his arm over his brother's shoulder, but Edward, already having suffered being in his grip twice already today, quickly hid behind Esme. Emmett pivoted, pulling Jasper into his side, sloppy smile on his face. "I say we get Eddy here to haul that mysterious slop we found earlier." Get ready, Eddy. Payback time. Jasper smirked.

"I couldn't agree more."

So, that's how he found himself miles away, back slowly getting covered in whatever wet substance seeped through the plastic trash bag flung over his shoulder. Though he was reassured by Esme that it was simply a combination of wet wood and spackle, the way she refused to let it be loaded up into her new truck didn't bring him any comfort from her words. Jasper and Alice were running beside him, each of their arms piled high with broken pieces of furniture that didn't fit into the truck bed, poking fun at his predicament. Well, Alice was. Jasper stayed far away, eyes warily watching the bag on his back.

But, if he was completely honest, Edward couldn't find himself completely upset by the way the day went. Yes, he was carrying something on his back that almost had him calling the CDC and sneaking into their lab for a decontamination shower, but he was able to meet someone he had never expected to, and genuinely enjoyed his time away from family. Granted, his only time doing so previously was during his 'rebellious streak', which made it fairly easy to beat. There was something about Lettie, however, that made her different.

And it wasn't just her unusual condition.

12 more hours, he thought to himself, stepping through the doors of the landfill.

10 more hours, he thought, taking a deep, calming breath as Alice hit him with another forceful jet of water, soap splashing around them as they washed Esme's truck.

8 more hours, he thought as he pretended to contemplate light fixtures.

7 more hours, he thought as Esme used him to hold wood in place while it dried.

5 more hours, he thought as Emmett pretended to nail his clothing to the new kitchen cabinets.

3 more hours, he thought as he sifted through more of Lettie's things, a small pile set aside for things that looked more personal than basic decor or furniture.

1 more hour, he thought as Jasper commented on the dress that Alice tried on, far too many layers sweeping the floor without the needed underbodice.

"Oh, Edward, dear!" Esme called, stopping him just as he was about to head out the door. Another cardboard box was in his hand, this time a mix of impersonal items from both the attic and the downstairs, his foot just barely past the threshold of the door. "Before you go."

"Yes, Esme?" He could barely keep the strain out of his voice, teeth clenched together to hide his anticipation. His Mother approached carefully, hand reaching out to caress the side of his head. Edward leaned down slightly to accommodate her.

"Thank you for bringing those items downtown. I know it isn't the easiest ask." Edward gave her a soft smile.

"Anything for you."

"Will you be returning to us soon?" At Edward's hesitation, she sighed. "I know you can take care of yourself." I worry about you. "You were out for a very long time yesterday." Is something bothering you?

"I'm fine, really." He tried another smile, but it didn't soothe the worry between her brows. "I was just walking around, enjoying the trails."

"And that was all?" He walks when he's lonely.

"That was all." She sighed, raising her fingers to tinker with the swoop of his hair. Edward could hear the worry in her thoughts, bouncing between acknowledgement that he could hear them and unfiltered wishes for him to return soon. Esme was a lot of things. Mother, caregiver, intelligent, kind. But she was also a worrier. If she wasn't worry about him, she was worried about Rosalie being too close off, about Emmett's lack of self preservation, about Alice's abilities becoming too much for her, about Jasper's comfort. About her husband's unrelenting kindness being taken for granted. And, always in the back of her mind, about Edward's loneliness.

She's been thankful to Alice and Jasper more than a few times for their interference in their life. Before them, Edward was the only single person in their family. She wasn't entirely sure of Alice and Jasper's connection in the beginning, worrying as always that another couple would only push Edward more into isolation. Though he wants to be upset at her intimate knowledge of his psyche, he can't help but agree with her. If Alice and Jasper had joined them as a couple, how desperate would he have gotten for companionship? Could he stand to wait patiently to find another vampire like he had been? Would he have taken up Tanya's offer? Would he have left the family entirely? Would he even gone as far as falling in love with a human?

The last thought nearly made a shutter run through his body.

"I'm alright, really, Mom." Esme melted at the endearment, and it only made Edward feel a little guilty pulling the one card he knew would get her to say yes. "I just like walking around here. It's…peaceful, in a way I haven't felt in a long time." He was surprised how true the statement was.

"Would you come home earlier today? Just so we can spend some more time as a family?" Rejection was on the tip of his tongue, but Esme's sparkling eyes clamped his mouth shut.

"Of course. I'll be back before 3pm, promise."

"2?"

"2:30." She smiled.

"Deal." And he was off.

The journey to the Historical Society took a fraction of the time it took the day before, but Patty was just as chatty as always, Edward catching her just as the doors to the museum opened for the public. There were quite a few more people milling about the area today, downtown rumbling with the sound of suitcases on cobblestone. As it was the end of July, Edward was sure that the town would only have more and more locals return to fill the spots tourists left behind, the countdown until school becoming more apparent. She was excited to see him again, and went on and on about some town members he'll probably never meet. She was quicker this time, though, donation form already printed and a fresh table to start organizing. Edward could practically feel the need to tap his foot in impatience.

As soon as she was done, he was off, waving a quick goodbye as he darted out the door. Today was a little clearer than yesterday, so he had to be a little careful as he hopped between the shade. Once the coast was clear, it took him less than a minute to reach the clearing. The sun was barely cresting between the sparse tree tops, large shadows cast across the clearing. The house was just as it always was, dilapidated, and the bird songs still filled the air with their whistling tune.

And yet, despite things being so similar, there was one very clear difference.

"Lettie?" Edward called, voice echoing around him. The birds paused only for a moment, a second to wait for a response, and when none came, they returned to singing. "Lettie, are you there?" When there was still no response, Edward lifted his nose to the air, poised to smell. It was only then that he was hit with a rather odd revelation.

I have no clue what she smells like.

It was hard to ignore or not be able to identify someone's scent. Just like a human who walks by something foul, there is an immediate memorization and recognition of that smell. For vampires, with near perfect recollection, every smell becomes something immediately ingrained in their mind. Even dead bodies have smells, no matter how old they may be.

So, where was Lettie's?

Edward took a deep breath despite himself, both to calm his rising nerves and see if there was anything unusual in the air. When he could smell nothing but nature, he ran over to the very spot he hit Lettie's jewelry box. Rationally thinking, he knew that she was unable to touch her own necklace. That didn't mean she couldn't pick up the jewelry box, but based on what she said the day prior, he knew she wouldn't make it far. But how far? Lettie made it seem like anything heaver than a needle required a lot of effort to move, and a marble box certainly weighed more than that. He tried to see if he could get a scent off the nearby rocks, but all he got was a faint smell of dust and musk from the attic that disappeared as soon as he pulled his nose away. He did, however, get a headfilling smell of raccoon.

He couldn't tell if he wanted to laugh or…throw his hands up in disbelief.

A raccoon. That was something he could track. He filled his nose once more with the smell of rodent, turning his head to follow the rather windy path the creature took, up and over several walls of the old house, before scampering into the wood. The little creature kept close to the ground it seems, incapacitated in some way by carrying the strange object he found, before making a sharp turn around a rather tall rock.

"Oh, aren't you just darling!" Edward paused for only a moment, before his feet took him quickly to the other side. And there, just as wildly adventurous as he remembered, stood Lettie. Or rather, stretched Lettie, as she stood on the tips of her toes to peer into a tall tree stump, clinging to its edge with all her strength. He chocked back a laugh, a strange feeling of relief flooding through his body.

Seeing her again just proves I wasn't crazy, he rationalized. I'm just relieved to be reassured in my own sanity, that's all.

"Mister Cullen!" Lettie whispered, finally clocking his appearance. Her smile was stifled today by her teeth digging into her bottom lip, no doubt trying to keep her voice down despite no one else being able to hear her.

"I see you've had a little adventure since I left you yesterday."

"I am terribly sorry for not being where I promised, but please, come forward!" Edward walked up beside her, easily sharing space with her on the twisty root of the old tree. She gestured with her head, barely catching herself before she could topple off. Edward hovered a hand around her shoulder just in case, turning his head to look inside the stump.

This tree must have come down a long time ago, based on how smooth the jagged break was now. The inside was filled with soft moss and some dotting flowers, the perfect sanctuary to house the little thief that stole Lettie. The Mother did not look happy at all to see him, haunches raised and giving him a fierce glare, but the babies could care less, huddled around her feet and mewing softly. Edward briefly wondered how long Lettie was standing here, watching this young family.

"She's very upset now," Lettie whispered, eyebrows squeezing together.

"Apologies, most animals don't like my kind very much."

"Oh," neither disappointed or impressed, Lettie rocked back onto her heels, bumping into Edward's arm before he could retract it. Still, she turned to him with a soft smile. "And you? Do you enjoy God's creatures?"

"Enjoy is one way to put it," he joked lamely. "But, I think I like them a lot more when they don't steal things from others." Lettie laughed quietly.

"Yes, I think I would have to agree."