Edward wouldn't call himself spineless (though, as of late, he's starting to think otherwise). He knew when to stand up for himself and his family, had fought in plenty of scraps between other vampires, including his brothers more times than he could count. He had opinions he knew his family didn't share, and didn't have any qualms putting his foot down and standing his ground.

But this? There was a part of him that was ready to begin screaming, verbally lashing out against his family for making the decision before he could have his input. Would a spineless person do that?

A toddler throwing a tantrum, perhaps.

Their minds were made up. Despite Emmett's clear interest in learning more about Lettie, and Alice's reluctance to go against Edward's obvious happiness, they were still vastly out-logiced by the rest of the family. Lettie-no, spirits and not specifically Lettie-were far too risky to keep around, especially without knowing more about them. It was one thing for Edward to be the only one in danger, since his only encounter with another spirit has been Samuel, but to put his family in the possible danger as well? And, since none of his family have seen another in their hundreds of collective years of existence, there was little chance they would be reintroduced to her world again once they…once he…

No, there had to be a way around it.

"How does this…forgetting work exactly?" Carlisle asked, sympathy evident in his voice, but it did little to deter from the course of action.

"As I lay my hand upon the necklace, the process is near instantaneous. You will forget of my existence, and will be compelled to move far from myself and my necklace until I can no longer reach you. Then, presumably, your life will resume as normal." He hated how nonchalant she sounded, how her calm voice was only betrayed by the sadness permeating her thoughts.

"Then, we should move outside of the house, or any place we would likely return to," Jasper reasoned. Just like Lettie, his voice was level, outwardly ignoring the pang of sadness and sympathy that forced itself into him. He pointedly ignored Edward and Lettie as he looked around the table. "Anywhere in mind?"

The image from someone at the table, he was too distracted to know, imagined placing her necklace in a box with an illegible return address and shipping it across the country. Edward growled low, and stepped closer to Lettie.

"We're not shipping her anywhere," Edward snapped, eyes flickering wildly. He still vividly remembered the fear that shot through her as she imagined being locked away in museum storage all those months ago.

"Shouldn't she get to choose?" Esme chimed in, though her kindness now only felt like betrayal.

"And, what? Have us put her in the middle of town so anyone could pick up her necklace?" Rosalie scoffed. "That only puts other people at risk."

"I would never!" Lettie exclaimed, offended. Rosalie narrowed her eyes.

"Excuse me for not being able to take your word for it."

"Rosalie, enough." Esme's sharp voice was enough to get Rosalie to stop talking, but it did nothing to deter her glare. "Lettie is sacrificing a lot to let us have this peace of mind. It's the least we can do to offer her the place of her choosing. Now, did you have a place in mind, dear?"

Lettie shifted under the weight of seven stares, unknowingly shifting her weight until she leaned against Edward, seeking comfort in the one person she knew.

"The woods," she replied, almost instantly. Her mind immediately filled with the warmth of the summer sun, the crunching leaves under her feet, and the small animals who she was able to observe without a care if she startled them. Completely alone, but completely free. She shifted again when no one spoke, and Edward instantly missed the pressure against his chest. "If that is possible."

"Then, we'll take you to the treaty line," Edward said before anyone could interject their unwanted opinion. Jasper began to protest, but Edward shut him up with a hard glare. "I won't allow you to take her any further, and there's no chance she'll get hurt, or interact with humans, not with the protection of the reservation."

The room was silent for a moment, each ready to jump at a moment's notice; whether to stop a fight or start one, was up for debate. It was rare they were ever out in that direction, Carlisle preferring the family hunted on the opposite side of Forks so they had as little disruption to the Quileute lives as possible. Despite knowing this, that there was little to no possibility of them crossing paths with the necklace, not with the treaty line so close, Edward still felt a spike of fear course through him. He tried to tamp it down as quickly as possible. No, he had to be sure of this action, or else Jasper would get suspicious once more.

"I see." Carlisle hummed after a moment, moving to stand. "Then, Lettie, thank you for offering my family a chance at peace. Is there anything you need to do before we leave?"

"We're going now?" Edward exclaimed, unable to stop himself. Buy time, buy time…

"I think it would be in everyone's best interest if this happened sooner rather than later."

"Everything is alright, Edward." Lettie's reassurance did nothing to stop his chest from tightening, guilt strangling him. "No, thank you, . I too believe it would be best to act as swiftly as possible."

His family's sympathetic thoughts swirled through his mind as Lettie turned to remove herself from the table. Esme and Carlisle, loudest of all, who always had more of a bleeding heart than anyone else in the family; though, his siblings didn't hesitate to feel remorse that Lettie would have to be alone, despite being thankful they would be out of trouble. Rosalie, at least, bit her tongue from saying any of the countless things running through her mind. Her soft sympathy was instantly buried under her anger, a thought so fleeting Edward almost thought he imagined it.

They ultimately decided that Carlisle and Edward would take Lettie, as a smaller group would bring less notice, but Jasper was hesitant to leave Edward alone in case he did anything to change the plan (Edward wanted to be mad at that, but he was more correct than he knew). That, of course, spurred Alice to want to join, to provide moral support for everyone, and a nice buffer between the hatred brewing between the brothers. Neither Edward nor Jasper missed Carlisle's thankful smile.

The end of December was as frigid as the Pacific Northwest cooled into the new year, the ground beneath them crunching as a thin layer of frost covered the moist dirt. The stars were brilliant, twinkling down on them to provide just enough light to guide Lettie's feet on the uneven terrain, though it didn't matter since Edward offered his arm as soon as they left the house and refused to let her go. Alice did a good job trying to distract Jasper from the silence as they walked, a small mercy to let Lettie and Edward have their final moments together, but Jasper's persistent stare on her back had her retreating to his side. Carlisle stayed ahead, well aware of Edward's anger towards the series of events that unfolded under his command.

Edward cast a small look behind him, assuring that Jasper was completely focused on Alice as she spoke, before leaning down, brushing his lips against Lettie's ear.

"Once we reach the clearing, hold on to me tightly." His breath pushed her hair away from her ear, startling her from her deep musings. When she turned to acknowledge him, her nose bumped against his cheek, startling her. He pushed his lips against her hair before she could turn away. "I can't decide on a plan, not with Alice here, but I'll get you out, I promise."

"Edward," Lettie hissed quietly, her eyelashes fluttering against his skin as she looked to where Carlisle led the way. "You cannot-"

"Don't worry, I'm faster than them." He placed his hand on the one holding his arm, giving it, what he was hoping was, a comforting squeeze. "It would be easy to get to town, get on the road or on a plane. We could head south, where Jasper would be reluctant to follow, or I can take you across the water, anywhere you want."

Lettie's mind was racing, the images of distant travel, of spending hours in a swaying train car without a care in the world, nearly caused her to lose her footing. As Edward righted her, she imagined walking along the shores of sunny beaches, of lounging in the woods while Edward read aloud to her, of holding on tight as he raced her up and down mountains. Of laughing together in a market, holding hands.

The hope in those images filled him with joy.

"We could be in the city before the sunrise-" he whispered faster, hair tangling in his lips, skin brushing skin.

"Edward-" He nearly paused at the sadness that overcame her voice, but in desperation, he continued.

"-Or you could touch the necklace now, so it's much more likely I'll find it again. I'll leave my scent around here and then-"

"Teddy." His heart clenched at the soft way she said his name.

Gone were the wonderful images of the two of them walking without a care in the world. In their place, were the faces of his family members, frightened and trying to get away from her. Of Edward, looking up at her in desperation, pinned beneath the tree and being able to do nothing as Samuel cackled above him. Of her helplessness, not being able to do anything as the world changed around her, and she slowly lost her memories.

He felt his gut swirl, and, had he been human, he feared the sadness in her gaze would have made him hurl. He hated, a word he never thought he'd associate with Lettie, the way she looked at him with those round eyes. He hated how expressive they were, despite her mind constantly reeling with contradiction. He hated how they crinkled as she smiled at him, like he had somehow earned the privilege of sharing in her joy, in her sadness. He hated her determination, her goodness, when he knew there was nothing he could say now to have her back down.

He hated that he couldn't hate her.

"Thank you, for all your kindness," she said softly, pressing her lips to his cheek. He felt the lingering burn, even as she pulled away, the very same as the last time she allowed herself to kiss him. She squeezed his arm tighter, even as she refused to look at him again.

As the silence stretched between them, the soft hooting of a distant owl, and looming in the distance, the river that divided the line between the Cullen's hunting grounds and the reservation, Edward could not help the swell of…something, stir in him. Lettie, his Lettie, was giving up. It pained him to admit the selflessness in her actions, no matter how in line it was with everything he'd learned about her. Was there a way to save his family and save Lettie? Venom roared in his ears.

"There's still so much I haven't told you," he said once the silence became too much, the obvious ticking of their time together ringing in his ears. Lettie looked up in surprise when his voice came out weak, even to his own ears.

"Tell them to me now," she said, as if it was the easiest thing to do.

"Not exactly the setting I had in mind. It feels like I'm walking you to your execution." The joke was far too macabre for the moment, said too monotone to be playful, and he winced to himself as a flare of embarrassment washed through him.

Lettie surprised him with a smile, jokingly adding, "I am thankful to already be dead then."

"Don't say that." Lettie laughed.

"There is so little time for me to share my humor with another. Allow me this." When Edward didn't reply, she continued, "What was it you wanted to tell me?"

"I was born in 1901, to a Mother who loved me, and a Father who loved the idea of having a son." The words tumbled from his mouth before he fully realized what he said. If things had gone the way he wanted, they would be sitting up on their mountain, far from listening ears and prying empaths. But, he supposed, the starry sky and cool breeze was close enough to what he wanted, so he focused on that instead, pretending they were where they may never be again.

"You and I are not as far apart as I imagined," Lettie commented when Edward took a moment longer. He shook his head, squeezing her hand.

"No, I imagine we're more alike than I realize." They shared a small smile. "I desperately wanted to be a musician, because playing the piano made my Mother happy, but then the war broke out, and for the first time, it felt like I had a greater purpose. I wasn't allowed to enlist, things had not gotten that bad just yet, but my friends and I trained in our spare time, exercising and reading about war strategies, so that when we were finally allowed to join, we would be able to do some good. Then, the year before I was going to enlist, my Mother became extremely ill."

"I'm terribly sorry." Lettie stepped closer to him, a warmth only felt in his imagination but still just as comforting.

"It was a sign of the times." He shrugged. "It started as a respiratory infection, something I now realize must have been aggravated by the excessive smoking she did to detach herself from my Father, who hated the smell of smoke. But, back then, we didn't know any better. She was moved permanently into a hospital when she started having trouble breathing. I would visit frequently, more than I probably should have been allowed, but it's where I met Carlisle."

His eyes flickered to the man before them, golden hair glowing under the soft rays of moonlight. Angelic, just as he was on the night he started his new family.

"He was the doctor helping my Mom. When she started spending most of our visiting time sleeping, I started helping Carlisle out with all his patients, a token of my gratitude for helping my Mother. By the time we realized a pandemic had begun, a violent respiratory disease they later named the Spanish Influenza, it was too late to get me and my Mother out of the hospital. She managed to survive longer than anyone thought with her weak immune system, but she died only days before I caught the disease, whether from my friends or working with Carlisle I'll never know. When I was on the brink of death, Carlisle saved me, and turned me into what I am today."

It was a lot to take in, he knew, but this wasn't even the part he was afraid to tell. A sad backstory was nothing compared to the loathing he felt for his actions he made later. He only hoped it would not deter Lettie too much, a guilt weighing on him that if he was unsuccessful in reuniting with her, she would live the burden of his sins for eternity, while he remained unaware of his impact.

"You have struggled. I'm sorry for that," Lettie whispered. In an effort to console him, she placed her head against his shoulder as they walked arm in arm. He was too selfish to push her away, craving the contact despite the disgusting truth he was about to reveal.

The rushing water in the distance was ever closer, the frequency matching the rushing in his ears, too desperate to tell his darkest secrets to pay close attention to anyone else; not the imminent end or the rhythmic thudding of this family's feet, nothing but the woman beside him.

"I was given a chance at a new life and…I used that new life to take away the life of others. I've killed, Lettie. Humans." To this, she raised her head, looking at him in shock. He avoided eye contact. "I've disregarded Carlisle's good name and his teachings and killed humans for a long time. I tricked myself into believing they were bad people, rapists and murderers, but they were still human. I felt their blood-"

I felt their blood run down my arms and down my throat and I loved it. I've never felt more full, more satisfied, than when I was drinking from a human.

How could he say that to her? To Lettie, who wept at the sight of a dead bird, who felt nothing but empathy for other creatures, even those who have wronged her? He shook his head, ridding the thought. He was there to bare his soul.

"Who was I to believe I was greater than God, to take their life before their time?"

"When did you return to your family?"

"I left in 1927, and returned to beg for forgiveness in 1931. Four entire years of killing-"

"And yet, your killings have not changed your kind demeanor, nor the way you care for your family." He finally looked at her, surprised. Her own look of shock had morphed into one of determination. "If you wish to depart from our friendship with an argument, know you will not find that satisfaction with me."

"But I'm a killer-"

"As is your nature to do so. Just as it is in my nature to frighten those who gaze upon me. You are strong, Edward, strong for not succumbing to your desires. You walk among humans, not because you believe yourself to be superior to them, but because you wish to learn from them."

"Learn from them?"

"Yes. I see the ways in which you mimic the humans around you every day. You only began to spin your pencil in your hand when Mr Ben Chaney did so in our English class. You have adjusted your posture when other humans are around, so you do not stand so tall. Your hair is styled differently than when I first met you, now pushed around as the other boys do. You mimic them to find what you had taken from you. It is human, Teddy, to make mistakes. Though I now possess the knowledge of your killings, it does not change how I perceive you, for you have shown your remorse." She flushed then. "Or, I could be entirely incorrect in my assumptions."

His senses kicked in before his brain did, coming to a sudden stop as the gorge marking the treaty line appeared before his eyes, a patient Carlisle already leisurely scanning the border for any sign of tribe member or animal. Though he managed to reveal the worst of his past, there were still countless things he wanted to share. His first few years as a Newborn, his new life with Esme and Carlisle as his human memories slowly slipped away. How thankful he was to have her in his life, no matter how short their time together was. This, at least, he could do for her.

"Lettie, I don't know how to thank you-" But when he turned to look at her, she was peering out towards the tree line across the river, brows furrowed.

Behind him, Jasper's body tensed, either from Lettie's strange reaction, or his uncanny ability to detect danger before anyone else in the family could even begin to get suspicious. He, like Lettie, stepped in front of the companion at his side. While Jasper completely concealed Alice, Lettie did little more than protect his chest. He didn't have a moment to appreciate, if not laugh, at the defensive position before an all too familiar cackle filled his ears.

A cool shiver ran down his spine.

Carlisle turned just in time to see what Edward and Jasper were seeing, what set them so quickly on edge. Samuel's figure was flying between the trees, weaving too and fro with too much grace for a creature as horrible as they were. They looked exactly the same as Edward remembered them, down to the unnerving shifting face.

"I thought I recognized your wonderful aura! My Leta," Samuel cooed, then looked down on the rest of the family with none of the same affection, "and who's this motley crew?"

Carlisle fell in line with his sons, body hunched. His mind was whirling, as was Jasper's, trying to figure out what was before them. Samuel barely spared Edward a second glance, as if they didn't remember him, and instead focused on Jasper, who had lowered to crouch, teeth bared, a low rumble forming in his chest. Edward tried to discreetly motion him to calm down, but Samuel simply laughed at the gesture.

In the distance, finally near enough to hear over the crackling of the river, was the sound of footsteps. Too fast to be human, but the wind was not in their favor to pick up and confirm a scent. Only just behind the steps, was the thumping of paws, heavy enough to warrant Jasper to turn his focus away from the poltergeist in front of them.

Less than a full breath later, three vampires came into view. The one in the lead, a woman with fiery red hair, took time equally looking ahead and turning behind, too quickly to keep track, she barely managed to catch sight of the Cullen's before changing her trajectory, trying to veer to their left. Only just behind her was a short dark skinned vampire, dawned in a jacket that looked just in line with Lettie's attire. He was the lightest on his feet, skipping from root to root to propel himself forward, the coarse nature of his dreaded ponytail keeping any hair away from his face. At the rear was the tallest amongst them, a blond vampire with a wicked smirk on his face. He looked to be having fun, running from whatever they had just been doing, barely caring as his feet tore the ground beneath him. His lack of care set Edward on edge, and he subtly placed himself between them and Lettie.

This movement caught the eye of the largest among them, turning his attention away from the streak of red slowly growing further and further away. He smirked slightly at the sight of them, a fleeting desire to watch Samuel play with them, before his eyes flickered over Edward's shoulder, to the small pixie behind him. Instantly, his smirk turned to awe, feet creating a divot in the ground at the force of his stop.

Alice gasped, head thrown back at the force of her vision. There was little control Alice had over her abilities, including the force at which she received them. In the case of Lettie, it was enough to have her kneel over, lost to the world as her mind conjured countless images. Small things, like the weather or a classmate's choice to switch seats, did little to disrupt her day-to-day life. Family members' futures often caused her to pause, but nothing that couldn't be explained away by a medical excuse. The worst of her visions were always ones that involved herself, and often caused her to be disoriented for minutes after.

This one hit her hard with the sudden decision. James, jumping across the river to snatch her, pulling her away from Jasper's protective stance, pushing Edward away, and letting Samuel deal with Carlisle. Jasper would try to stop him, but in their struggle, Alice would lose her arm, the only momento left behind to her family. Carrying Alice far, far away, to lock her in a room and never let her out.

"James!" the redhead called when he became too distant. Edward growled as the vision finally cleared from his sight. His eyes narrowed to a glare as he pulled Lettie with him, stood in front of Alice with both Carlisle and Jasper following his lead. James gave them another look over as the heavy footfalls behind him grew louder, before he took off.

James, as Edward now knows, barely managed to escape as a wolf the size of a car came sliding across the wet earth, jaws snapping where the vampire once stood. The golden eyes of the dark-coated wolf signal him as Sam Uley, the only current werewolf Edward had met in Fork. Behind him, a shorter wolf appeared, dark brown fur blending in with the surrounding trees, he growled as soon as he saw the Cullens, but Sam snapped his muzzle at him, flicking his head to where the other vampires had run off to.

Jared! Focus! Sam growled, voice clear through the wolf pack's ability to communicate telepathically. Leave them. The other ones are getting away!

Jared growled again, stomping his foot against the cliff's edge, as if to remind the Cullen's of the treaty line, before taking off behind Sam. The panting of wolves faded into the distance. For once, the family was at a complete loss.

"My, how I do love a bit of drama," Samuel said, breaking the tense silence. The Cullens returned to their defensive stance against Samuel, who barely acknowledged their efforts with a scoff.

When no one spoke up, it was Lettie who said, "Samuel, what did you do?"

"Me? I'm offended." Samuel cackled, flipping in the air to leisurely lounge against an imaginary loveseat. "I simply pointed them in the direction of some tasty snacks. How was I to know they were going to get attacked by shapeshifters?"

Edward shifted as Samuel giggled to themselves, still trying to put himself in front of Lettie, who was standing firm. He felt silly trying to fight her on who stood in front of who. If Carlisle noticed, he had the grace to keep any thoughts to a minimum, instead leaning closer to Alice, who was still reeling from her vision. Samuel noticed the slight movement, flickering his eyes between the vampires before settling on Lettie.

"You certainly have grown your circle of friends, haven't you, my Leta." When Samuel placed their feet on the ground, it was as if the very dirt trembled. Edward felt the zing of energy flow to him, despite Samuel still being several feet away. Beside him, Jasper growled, no doubt feeling the same thing, only more intensely. Samuel took a step forward, despite Jasper's outward hostile expression. Edward joined him, lip pulled back to reveal his teeth.

"Keep your hands off her," he growled, hand heavy on Lettie's arm.

"And who are you to tell me what to do?" Samuel mocked, raising their hand. A nearby river rock, about the size of a basketball, came hurtling at him, knocking into Edward's head before anyone could stop it. The force had him tripping over the uneven ground, barely able to catch himself on the lip of the hill before he could plunge into the water below. Carlisle rushed over, pulling Edward up while Jasper growled, launching to attack. Samuel simply rolled their eyes. The crack of the tree as it was separated in half echoed through the woods, distracting Jasper for only a moment, but a moment was long enough. The sturdy trunk hit him with such force it sent Jasper sprawling to the ground, pinned despite the obvious effort Jasper was putting into moving it. Even with Alice joining to help, the tree did nothing but creak under the pressure, miraculously staying together.

"Stop!" Lettie called, eyes flickering between Edward and the rest of his family. "They've done nothing to you!"

"They've insulted me by growling like dogs."

Now back on solid ground, Edward launched his attack, Carlisle by his side. They were barely able to get closer before Samuel mocked a yawn, throwing Alice from on top of the trunk as the large piece of wood swung wildly through the air. Lettie let out a gasp as it just missed her, sending her back in panic. With a flourish, the tree swung in such a large arc that knocked both Edward and Carlisle aside. Despite being able to destroy a tree with his bare hands on a normal day, this tree was just like the one used on him all those weeks ago, stronger than physically possible. If he still had any, his breath would have been knocked out of his lungs. Now free from his confines, Jasper launched himself across the clearing, only just managing to dodge the heavy branch as it passed over his head.

"Very good!" Samuel mocked, giggling.

Without being able to read their mind, it was impossible to know how much they were actually intimidating them versus how much they were simply acting. In his gut, however, Edward conceded to the fact that Samuel was simply toying with them, only showing a fraction of what they would do. Alice only proved his point, getting close enough to wrap her arms around the poltergeist's body. Samuel's body faded slightly as Alice touched them, passing right through without a hint of resistance. Her body skid across the muddy ground, blue and completely frozen, her eyes wide in panic.

"Alice!" Jasper called out, frantic.

In Samuel's moment of transparency, the tree crashed into its nearby brethren, graceless as if whatever invisible rope that caused it to swing suddenly snapped. Carlisle dodged it with less grace than his sons, but was still able to reach Alice, dragging her away from the chaos. Edward and Jasper used this moment to try and attack once more, but the hesitation at what Alice had just experienced was enough for Samuel to remain with the upper hand. The tree, which was now splintered down the side, came back at a punishing pace, pinning Edward and Jasper over the cliff's edge. Despite its weakened state, the two vampires had nothing to hold on to but the tree itself, their upper bodies too precariously dangling over the ravine to do more than try and wedge their feet into the more stable ground. The icy water roared below them, the maw of a monster opening to devour them whole.

"Samuel!"

Edward craned his neck as Lettie's voice rang out, but it was useless to see with the way he was hanging. He could barely make out the beginning of Samuel's no doubt fiendish retort, before a brilliant flash of gold, a sun in the night, flashed above him. Samuel let out a scream, and suddenly, the tree exploded under their forceful grip. Jasper was able to maneuver himself effortlessly on the ground, rolling to avoid plunging into the cold water. Edward only just managed to grab onto some weeds, balancing his strength delicately to stop his fall.

By the time Jasper was able to pull him up, the golden light was twice as bright. Samuel was screaming incoherently as they tried to pull their arm away from Lettie's tight grip, her nails digging into the shadowy figure. Lettie's teeth were bared, a poor imitation of Jasper's intimidating growl, but that wasn't what surprised him most; instead of the typical, almost human-like, image, Lettie was flickering.

Her brown hair was shortening and lengthening as she flickered, going up and falling out of a complicated-looking mussed hairstyle. Her dress inflated and deflated as it changed between her usual blue gown and a sunny yellow dress, poofing out at her hips to give her a fuller backside, adorned with ruffles and bows. But, most notably, her skin melted and returned to her bones as her image changed.

He hated to admit Emmett was ever right, but Darkman was a good comparison.

The right side of her face was completely burned away, nothing but sinew and teeth poking through. One of her eyeballs was left distended in its socket, and part of her nose was burned to the bone. The burns continued down her exposed neck and collar, bubbling, blistering skin shining against the glow. The elbow-length glove that reappeared and disappeared was charred black, revealing the scarred skin beneath. Her fingers, the ones gripping Samuel, shortened and lengthened as her nails fell away.

Her mind was screaming in pain.

"NO!" Samuel screamed, only just managing to pry away Lettie's clenching fingers. Their arm was bubbling like a pot of hot water, magma flowing like veins up their arm through the top half of their body. Only as Samuel let her go, dropping her to the floor, did she return to the Lettie Edward knew, the burns disappearing as if they never existed. Samuel glared down at her. "You fool!"

"Leave, Samuel," she said breathlessly, weakly standing to her feet. Her handprint glowed against their skin, casting them in brilliant light.

"You have no idea the consequences should you have succeeded. Your soft heart will ruin you one day." In an instant, Samuel disappeared, only a faint light visible as their dark body blended in with the dark forest that surrounded them.

Edward hadn't waited until Samuel was completely gone, instead rushing over to Lettie, his hands hovering as he looked her over. Now that he was closer, it was obvious; Lettie's body had faded, literally, the scenery behind her nearly visible through her body.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice almost dreamy. Edward hated how weak she sounded.

"Are you? What was that?"

"There is very little I can do as a bound spirit. It takes a great deal of effort to move anything on your plane, but on this side, spirits are just people. If I can inject my own energy into another, I can banish us both forever." Edward went cold.

"You almost died?"

"I am already deceased, though you are correct, in a sense. But, Edward, Samuel is a trickster with no ties to your world. If they so please, they could fight until every one of you was dead. And I could not allow that." She smiled, nearly slumping as exhaustion overcame her. "I have never done that before, I'm so very glad it worked."

But when Edward reached out, trying to grab her to hold her upright, his arms passed through without resistance. His jaw dropped in horror. She smiled sadly at him.

" I should return to normal once my energy returns. We must have patience."

He shook his head, stepping close to her. He hovered his hand over her arm, mimicking his touch.

"Never do that again."

"But I-"

"No! You are not allowed to sacrifice yourself for me, okay?" Though Lettie hadn't replied, simply nodded her head, Edward could tell immediately that she was lying. She tried her best to give him a reassuring grin.

"Even if you cannot see me, know that I am not far."

Alice was still petrified when they approached, though Edward could tell through Carlisle's mind that he already tried several things to get her to wake up. Jasper was beside her, holding her hand despite its strange position. Edward crouched beside her, hand hovering over her body. Even several inches away, she radiated cold.

"What happened to her?" Jasper asked aloud. Edward began to open his mouth, but when he realized Jasper wasn't speaking to him, but over his shoulder, he whipped his head around. Lettie was several feet away, cautiously placing distance between herself and Alice. Her thoughts contained only two things: help Alice, and keep Jasper comfortable.

"My apologies, I did not realize she would try to touch him." She peered around Edward, making sure to keep five paces away, and her eyes raked over Alice's body. "Though I can be interacted with now that you have touched my necklace, Samuel has complete control over his corporality. As a human, she would go into shock, comatose for several hours and extremely cold. I imagine her otherworldliness should take only a few moments to return, though I would recommend rest and a feeding just in case. And warmth, if that is something you can do."
Jasper hesitated for only a moment, before giving Lettie a sharp nod and taking off into the woods, Alice secured in his arms. Carlisle sighed, the weight of the last few hours showing on his shoulders, as he gave Edward a tired smile.

"Well, that certainly did not go as expected." He turned to Lettie, giving her a thoughtful once-over. "Lettie, thank you, for protecting my family. But, I think I have a few too many questions that need answers. I think I'd be best if you return to the house for now."

"If she returns, she returns for good," Edward said, standing as close to Lettie as possible, mindful not to pass through her again. Carlisle sighed, though it contained a fondness that eased the tension in Edward's chest.

"Yes, I imagined that might be the case. Come, we have much to discuss."