V. Wintertide Nocturne

It was just before Christmas break when Esme finally wore me down, successfully convincing me that it was far past time for her to be introduced to Nadia.

Nearly all of my siblings had lost interest in my friendship with the human girl once it was established that she held no suspicion in regards to us, continuing to remain oblivious to the day. It certainly helped that I had maintained my interactions with her within the confines of school hours, though this was mostly on account of her. Nadia had not invited me out on any more social gatherings subsequent to attending Lauren's Halloween bash together, and I did not wish to endanger her by imposing more of my presence on her. Despite my practiced control, I was no less dangerous.

But upon Esme's insistence, I had broached the subject with Nadia during our last class of the fall semester, extending an invitation to our home. And to my relief, she had seemed delighted. I, in turn, looked forward to spending time with her, engaging in something that did not involve classroom activities, school sponsored events, or being scrutinized by the critical eye of every teenager residing within the town limits. And so, it was early on the first Monday morning of winter break, three days before Christmas, that I drove to the Swan residence to pick her up.

When I arrived, I parked along the curb by her house and had just barely exited and rounded the car when Nadia suddenly appeared from around the corner of their wrap-around porch, crossing over to descend the stairway. "Edward!" she called with a big smile, fearlessly racing down the steps and over the small stretch of ice-slick driveway.

While her enthusiasm was wholly unexpected, I had the foresight to catch her gently by the shoulders before she could slam against my stone-hard body at full speed. Thankfully, she did not appear to have hurt herself, impatiently stepping forward to wrap her arms around my waist in a bewildering hug.

My hesitation lasted merely a fraction of a second, in which I recalled how easily I could crush her. But cautiously, I embraced her, curling my forearms around her delicate shoulders, palms flat against the bulk of her pale green sweater. She smelled strongly of sugarplum-scented body wash, laundry detergent, and flowery fabric softener, as though she had recently showered and dressed in clothes taken fresh from the drying machine. The combination of artificially sweetened scents made my nose itch, though I was sure it would serve as a good distraction for Esme. Nadia's blood smelled appropriately sweet, but in comparison to any ordinary human, it was less than noteworthy. Now, scent overlaid as it was, Esme would likely find being around her far more agreeable.

Above Nadia's head, I caught movement from the upstairs window overlooking the front yard and lifted my head, incidentally meeting a pair of startled brown eyes beyond the pane of glass. The appearance of the girl was identical to that of the family pictures I had once seen―pale heart-shaped face, round eyes, and long brown hair. But, as was starting to become an increasingly frustrating pattern, there were no thoughts, no mental voice, which I could match to her. A twin conundrum to Nadia, and near-similar to Chief Swan; another unwanted complication.

Bella's face did not remain pale for long. The moment she registered my narrowed gaze upon her, her cheeks flooded with color, an appealing red that made the inside of my mouth reflexively coat with venom, and she vanished, curtains falling back into place.

"Are you ready to go?" Nadia asked, pulling back from our embrace and tilting her head up to smile sweetly at me.

"Yes, of course," I said, redirecting my focus and moving aside to open the passenger door on her behalf. "Do you have everything you need?"

She patted the canvas bag slung across her shoulder reassuringly. "Yes, I think so," she told me and lowered herself into the front seat.

Once I was sure she was settled, I gently shut the door and moved around to climb into the driver's side.

"Why did you use the back door to exit your house?" I asked as I started the car and maneuvered it back in the direction of the highway.

Nadia appeared embarrassed. "My sister is an early riser and I didn't want to risk the chance of running into her before I left."

My eyebrows arched in disbelief and I shot her a curious look from the corner of my eye. "Is she really so terrible?" Nadia had not spoken to me about her sister since I had escorted her to the Homecoming dance, and until this moment, she would have had no reason to do so. Bella had only just arrived over the weekend for Christmas break and as far as I was aware, it would have been Nadia's first time meeting her.

"What? No!" Nadia assured me with a startled laugh. "It's nothing like that. I just didn't want her interrogating me."

"Interrogating you, huh?" The word seemed a tad harsh to associate with the slip of a girl I had briefly glimpsed at in the upstairs window. "I regret to inform you that she did in fact see us."

Nadia did not appear as upset by the revelation as I might have expected her to be. Merely, she turned to me with a look of surprise. "Oh? She did?"

"From her bedroom window, I would assume. Your back was to her and it was only for a second." I did not indicate that it had been during our embrace, unsure of whether acknowledging it audibly would make her uncomfortable, nevermind the fact that she had been the one to initiate it. "How did your first meeting with her go?"

"It was a little awkward," she admitted, slouching back against her seat. "I don't think we're really all that close. She hasn't said much to me since Charlie picked her up from the airport. All she's done since she got here is help Cora in the kitchen or read books in her bedroom."

"I see. Have you tried initiating conversation with her at all?"

"A little," she said with a small shrug. "From what I've gathered, other-Nadia was supposed to be shy, so I don't want to tip her off by being too chatty with her."

"That would be the safer route," I mused. "But if she's so withdrawn, why do you believe she would interrogate you?"

Nadia flashed me a look of exasperation. "Edward, you are aware that nearly every girl at school has asked me if we're dating, right?"

Her unanticipated words caused cool venom to climb steadily up my face. "Ah. Well, I may have overheard a thing or two."

To my rising mortification, she giggled, easily catching on to the embarrassment that belied my words. "Bella might be withdrawn, but now that she's seen you, she'll definitely be waiting for me when I get home."

I frowned marginally, reexamining her words in my head.

'Now that she's seen you,' Nadia had said. Not, 'Now that she's seen us.'

By Nadia's own implication, Bella would not be interested in whether her younger sister had formed a romantic relationship; she would be interested in me. Regrettably, the notion was not so shocking. As a vampire, I had become accustomed to fending off the interest of humans in the past century. The allure was merely a result of the venom that had transformed me after all, and Bella's potential fascination with me was nothing more than prey being lured in by something that was meant to prey upon her.

"Speaking of," I said, carefully choosing to redirect the conversation, "what time do you wish to return home?"

"I think around lunch time would be good," Nadia decided.

This, I knew, would be a relief for my family, seeing as it would prevent anyone from being forced to eat human food in front of her for the sake of maintaining our cover.

"Cora and Charlie would probably kill me if they found out I was gone all day without having invited Bella," she went on to confess with a guilty smile. "Plus, I think Cora is only working a half-day today, so, best to be back home before she is."

I frowned. "No one knows you'll be at my house today?" I bit my tongue before I could berate her for doing something so stupid. Of course she could not know how dangerous this was. But no matter how unremarkable the scent of her blood might be, being around my kind always posed a risk. I had at least counted on the fact that her parents would be expecting her to return home at some point today.

"I'd rather ask for forgiveness than permission in this case," she admitted. "Although you said it yourself―Bella knows I'm with you."

My worrying grip on the steering wheel eased at her words. There was one witness. That was all we needed.

"...Are you angry with me, Edward?"

I shot her a look, startled by her words. "No, of course not. I apologize if that was the impression I gave you."

Nadia offered a tentative smile in return. "It's okay. I know I shouldn't be lying to them, but with Bella in town for the next two weeks, I wouldn't have been able to come over to your house until after break. And I didn't want to wait. I like spending time with you."

Her words made it impossible to cling to any lingering aggrievement and an involuntary smile graced my lips. "I agree that you should not lie to them, but I assure you Nadia, I'm not angry with you," I said, hoping to ease any remaining doubt my previous reaction had elicited. "We certainly could have pushed this off to a later date, but it is of no consequence now. I enjoy your company as well."

"I'm glad," Nadia said warmly, eyes dropping to her lap in a surprising show of bashfulness.

It was at this point that we reached the turn into the offroad, and Nadia jolted slightly in alarm as the car shuddered beneath us, wheels vacillating unevenly over the rugged terrain. "It'll be just through here," I assured her.

Nadia did not respond, sitting up in her seat and leaning forward with a curious expression as we wound through the forest trail, silver cloud-filtered sunlight nearly lost amongst the overhang of thickset branches and dense, frost-dusted foliage. If it were possible, her crystal eyes shone all the brighter when we reached the opening in the road, shimmering forest walls falling back to make space for a meadow blanketed with intricate webs of sparkling hoarfrost and the antiquated mansion Esme had taken great pains to restore.

"It's stunning," she breathed, eyes glimmering with awe.

"Thank you," I said, heartfelt. "It's all Esme's work."

"She does extraordinary work," Nadia complimented with a sincere smile, eyes tracing every window, column, and balcony of the great white house while I parked the car directly across from what was essentially our front yard.

Before I could open the car door on her behalf, Nadia was already jumping out, delicate layers of frost shattering under her boots, the sound perceptible to only my ears.

I moved with human swiftness to join her outside, and lead her across the lawn and up the steps of the deep porch. Beside me, Nadia remained silent, her luminous eyes darting every which way, as though she were working furiously to take everything in at once. It was a curious reaction, and one I could, unfortunately, not decipher without my gift.

Once again, her expression lit up as I opened the door and lead her into the sweeping front room of the first floor, where Esme had had enough walls knocked down to fit the living area, my piano, and a massive spiraling stairway all in one space, backing it with an extensive array of soaring glass walls that looked out towards the river. In addition, the entirety of the space was decked out with enough Christmas decor to easily outshine a Hallmark movie.

A massive pine tree, cut down by Emmett and Jasper, had been positioned in the space between the piano and living area, pointed branches adorned with swathes of shining fabric, twinkling white lights, and bulky ornaments in shades of red and gold, with a lavish arrangement of Christmas presents set at the base of its trunk. The sofa cushions and throw blankets had been replaced with Esme's favored red Christmas-themed set, candles and bright poinsettias dotting every available space. And underneath the mounted flat screen, the mantle of the fireplace was draped generously with ornamented garland, a line of red and white Christmas stockings hanging from its length.

But Nadia did not comment on the extravagance of the holiday decor. Instead, she turned to me with a sudden grin and gestured towards the grand piano situated on the dais. "That's yours, isn't it?"

"Yes," I said, lifting my eyebrows at her unanticipated deduction. "How did you know?"

"Just a feeling," she chirped, practically bouncing on the soles of her feet as though she didn't know which way to turn first. "Is your family here?"

I began leading her towards the kitchen, where I could place both the mental and audible voices of Esme, Alice, and Jasper. "Everyone except Carlisle," I said to her. "He was called into work last minute, but asked that I express his sincere welcome to our home."

"That's kind of him," she said with a thoughtful smile.

The kitchen was comfortably warm, a combination of sweet scents wafting over us―cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla. Alice and Jasper were lounging on the stools of the kitchen island, while Esme vigilantly watched the cookies she had just placed in the oven, a quaint little apron thrown over her clothes as though she were an everyday housewife. But any unease Esme might have felt was easily swept away by Jasper's presence, an unnatural calm blanketing the entire kitchen space.

And it was the same for us the moment we stepped inside. Any tension felt by Nadia or myself instantly vanished, and we were at once comfortable enough to join them by the kitchen island.

"Nadia, welcome," Esme said, turning to her with a wide smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you at last."

Despite her ease, Esme was careful to keep the kitchen island between them. For a vampire, it would do little to keep a human safe, but it was a barrier nonetheless; a reminder to not get too close.

"It's so nice to meet you too, Mrs. Cullen," Nadia said with a little bounce to her step, her eagerness shining brightly through the artificial confidence Jasper had infused us all with.

"Please, call me Esme."

"Esme," Nadia repeated with a grin.

"And as I'm sure you already know, these are Alice and Jasper," I said with a gesture towards the two.

Alice leaned forward against the counter, beaming and waving at Nadia in greeting. "Hi!"

"Hello," Jasper said with an affable smile and a politie nod.

"Hey," Nadia said, as easily as she would have greeted any one of her classmates in the school halls. "What are you guys making? It smells so good!"

"Esme is making gingerbread cookies," Alice said cheerfully. "Do you want to taste-test? You'll love them."

"Yes, if Esme doesn't mind," Nadia said, turning to eye the baking cookies through the glass of the oven with an appreciative gleam.

"I would love for you to try some," Esme said to Nadia, further assured by Alice's confident words. "Nadia, will you be staying for lunch?"

Immediate distaste flooded Jasper and Alice's thoughts. Esme was the only one actually hoping for an affirmative response.

"No," Nadia said, much to Jasper's relief, and confirming what Alice already knew to be true. "My sister is in town for Christmas break, so I can't stay for too long."

"That's a shame," Esme lamented with sincerity. "Perhaps another time."

"Of course, thank you. It's very kind of you to offer," Nadia said warmly.

"Anytime, darling," Esme said and turned to examine the cookies once again, hoping their appearance would be in line with what she had observed in her stints of watching the baking channel. "These won't be ready for a bit more, but I will call you in after they've cooled down. Edward, why don't you keep showing Nadia around the house while I finish up in here?"

"Sure, Mom."

"Thank you again," Nadia called as I guided her back the way we'd come.

"Your mom is so nice!" Nadia gushed as we moved to climb the curving staircase.

"She's the best," I agreed with easy affection.

When we reached the second-floor landing, I paused long enough to make a vague gesture towards the halls and doors surrounding us. "These are all mostly bedrooms, but Carlisle and Esme have their own studies as well."

"It's beautiful," Nadia breathed, admiring the high ceilings, ornate door frames, and the tasteful decor that was, once again, all of Esme's doing.

I continued to lead her up the stairs, pointedly not specifying which bedrooms belonged to whom. While I could lie and pretend that all of my siblings had their own separate bedrooms, I found it was easier to simply keep the information vague.

"My room is up here," I said once we reached the third floor, "across from the library."

"A library? Wow!" Nadia gasped, following after me with eager steps. "I bet it's gorgeous."

"It has its charm," I agreed with dry humor. The library was indeed beautifully designed by Esme, just like every other room in the house, but it was a space created less for leisure and more for illegal activity.

"This is it," I said when we reached the door to my bedroom, gesturing for her to step in ahead of me.

As I predicted, Nadia did not hesitate. She bounded forward, turning as she went, taking in the state of my room with the same fervor she had the exterior of the house. Her bright eyes bounced between the scenic view across the entire back wall, the shelves upon shelves of CD cases framing the sound system, the walls hidden by thick gold fabric that would ensure good sound absorption.

And when her assessing eyes landed upon the black leather sofa that took the place of a bed, I explained, "It's a pull out couch."

Nadia hummed as she continued to examine my room, not appearing to care that I lacked the traditional furniture, and I wondered if she would have sought an explanation at all had I not freely offered one.

I leaned against the doorframe in a casual human manner, crossing my arms over my chest as I asked, "What are you thinking?"

Nadia turned to me with a grin. "Will you smack my hand again if I hit play?" she asked, pointing towards the stereo.

I arched my eyebrows in disbelief, feeling mildly offended. "I do not recall ever smacking your hand."

Nadia giggled but did not argue, instead moving to deposit her bag on the sofa. "Is that a yes or a no?"

"Would you like to take a guess first? You're very apt at those," I said with a small huff.

"Hmm," she said, crossing an arm and cupping her chin with her opposite hand in an imitation of a thinking pose. To my surprise, she did not bother taking a closer look at the hundreds of shelved CDs, instead allowing her eyes to glaze over in thought. This lasted a few mere seconds, before she met my gaze with an impish smile and said, "Is it Debussy?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Which composition?"

She pursed her lips, but nonetheless guessed, "...Clair de Lune?"

My mouth stretched into an involuntary grin as I gestured towards the stereo. "Why don't you take a listen for yourself?"

Nadia frowned at me, but moved back towards the stereo and pressed play. Within moments, the speakers hidden in the walls and ceiling came to life, flooding the room with a wave of somber piano chords.

"La Cathédrale Engloutie," I revealed.

Nadia's frown deepened, voice unexpectedly catching as she listened and said, "It's so…sad."

"Yes," I agreed, shifting my stance, her simple observation serving to make me feel strangely exposed.

Nadia did not immediately respond, allowing the slow, melancholic music to wash over us for a few beats longer, before she met my gaze and asked, "Do you know the story behind this song?"

I smiled. "I do."

Her head tilted slightly in question and I took it as a sign to continue.

"It was inspired by an old legend," I began. "A settlement was built near the coast, back in the old world. But over time, the coast slowly gave way to sea, and before long, the city was under constant threat of inundation from the fierce waters. So, the king ordered an embankment to be built around it, and when it was completed, the gates were to be only opened for ships at low tide. The key to the gate remained in sole possession of the king."

My smile turned a touch wry as I went on to say, "But the daughter of the king fell in love with a wicked man. Some versions say it was a demon, though most believed it to be the devil himself."

Nadia's eyes remained locked with mine, captivated.

"At the time of his return, the daughter stole the key from her father, so that she might grant her lover entrance into the city in the middle of the night," I continued with grave solemnity, "but what she didn't know was that that night, a violent storm had been brewing. And when she opened the gates, the raging waves instantly crashed through the fortifications, engulfing the city and submerging it, massacring everyone. The only ones to escape in time were the king and his daughter. But for her wicked deed, her father cast her into the sea, to perish alongside the city."

The strangest of expressions briefly flickered across Nadia's face, before she shook her head and frowned again. "I like Clair de Lune better," she said decisively, turning away from the stereo and ambling back towards the wall of glass, settling her gaze upon the picturesque view of the Sol Duc River winding through miles of untouched forest.

I smiled, inexplicably cheered by her misplaced disgruntlement. "Yes, I think I do too."

The tips of her fingers pressed against the cool glass as she leaned forward to observe the closest pine tree branches hovering just outside the opening of my bedroom balcony, thin icicles glittering from amongst its foliage. "How big is the property?"

"Would you like to see?" I offered, just as La Cathédrale Engloutie came to a somber and eerie conclusion.

"Of course."

I gestured for her to walk ahead of me, out through the door, resisting the urge to lead her into the balcony. While I was sure Nadia would enjoy a less traditional way of exiting the house, I was obliged to maintain my human facade. It had never been something I'd especially struggled with, but curiously enough, I ached to be myself around her.

I tucked away the dangerous thought, leading Nadia back through the hall and down the curving staircase.

When I reached the ground floor, I realized Nadia was no longer at my side. I turned to find she had paused at the step just above me, her hand resting on the smooth rail, eyes trained back upon the lone piano.

"Edward," she said with an indecipherable expression, "when was the last time you played?"

"…It's been a while," I confessed with a touch of shame. There was no real reason for it. My interest had simply waned and I had never paused long enough to question it.

Nadia turned back to me with a sudden smile, the extra height affording her the advantage of being able to look me directly in the eye. "Then I hope you'll be inspired to play again soon."

Her words were said so kindly, I was tempted to dust off the keys in that moment for her sake alone. But Nadia was already descending the last step and heading back towards the front door, before I could fully process the foreign spike of emotions warming my chest.

I caught up with her and steered her towards the coat rack near the entrance. "Here," I said, picking out a coat from amongst the hooks and handing it to her. I feared the hooded sweater she wore was not warm enough for any kind of outdoor activity with the current low temperatures. "It's Esme's. She won't mind," I added when she hesitated to put it on. Fortunately, that was enough assurance and she went to tuck the sleeves of her sweater into the wide arms of Esme's brown pea coat.

After another, brief glance, I picked out a thick, white wool-soft scarf from one of the hooks and unfurled it.

While Nadia was still working on the buttons of her coat, I carefully wound the scarf around her neck, cautiously pulling out her braids from underneath the fabric. I winced slightly when she shifted and my cold fingers incidently grazed the smooth skin of her neck, causing her pulse to race.

But when I met Nadia's eyes, she did not appear alarmed or even repulsed, and once again, I yearned to know what she was thinking.

"Thank you," she breathed as I finished wrapping the scarf around her.

"You're welcome," I murmured, and blinked when I realized I was standing far too close to her.

I took a decisive step back, abruptly breaking eye contact with her. "This way," I said, moving forward to open the front door on her behalf.

I caught a glimpse of Nadia's face just before she went ahead, and I was relieved to find no hint of offense in her expression. Rather, a mysterious sort of smile graced her lips, eyes glimmering with an unspoken awe.

I shut the door a little more harshly than was wise behind me, unable to fully contain my frustration. But as had become the norm, Nadia's thoughts remained her own.

As I fell in step with her, I began leading her along another unpaved road connected to the front yard that lead northeast. "I won't be able to show you the entirety of our property," I said. "We own a few thousand acres of land―everything from the highway to about a mile past the river, and I estimate two miles north and south of the house, respectively."

Nadia's eyes widened, amazed. "You guys must really enjoy your privacy then."

"More than we can express," I agreed with a wry smile of my own. And as we turned along the bend in the road, the wall of forest fell back once again, revealing the small clearing in which we had built the garage.

"This is where you keep all your cars!" Nadia rightly guessed, becoming strangely fascinated once again as she observed the more modest structure.

"Yes, Rosalie and Emmett should be in here," I said, as though they hadn't been in there since long before daybreak. The garage doors were currently shut, so I lead her through one of the side doors, the light abruptly dimming as we stepped away from the piercing white glow of the overcast skies above us and into the wide, open space of the garage. At this time, Emmett's Jeep, Rosalie's BMW, and my Aston Martin were parked in a neat row, with enough room left to add at least four more vehicles. Though only my Volvo (still parked out front) and Carlisle's Mercedes were missing from the lineup.

"Hey!" Emmett greeted us with quintessential enthusiasm, from where he was casually leaning against the side of his Jeep, allowing Rosalie a modicum of space while she was elbow-deep under the hood of her convertible, currently modifying the engine's cold air intake system. "What are you kids up to?"

"Edward is showing me around the property," Nadia answered, happy to match Emmett's exuberance

"How quaint," Rosalie said with thinly-veiled contempt. I conceded to the girl visiting the house for Esme's sake, she snipped at me mentally. I never agreed to play host.

Truly, I had overestimated Rosalie's lack of interest. I had mistakenly believed that her ceasing mental barrage of verbal harassment had meant she no longer cared that I had formed a friendship with Nadia. And while the result of our secret remaining intact had somewhat assuaged her, it had mostly been Esme's intervention which had kept Rosalie from continuing to express her vexation against me.

"We were just passing through," I assured her with a touch of guilt. "Nadia, these are Emmett and Rosalie," I added, for the sake of propriety.

To my relief, Nadia did not appear the least bit hurt by Rosalie's cold shoulder. Instead, she merely offered them her typical sweet smile and said, "It's nice to officially meet you guys."

"You too, kid," Emmett said, a hint of a grin playing on his lips, utterly entertained by the entire affair.

I gestured for Nadia to follow me over to the opposite exit, before my sister's lack of response could become too obvious, but Nadia remained resolute as she turned towards Rosalie.

"By the way," Nadia said, "you should braid your hair like that more often. It shows more of your face. You're very beautiful, Rosalie."

And then, to our collective astonishment, Nadia did not wait for her reply, marching ahead of me to the exit door. "Edward, are you coming?"

I moved to catch up with her, followed by Emmett's mental peals of laughter.

I like that girl, he thought, watching Rosalie's stunned expression with fond amusement. All the while, Rosalie was struggling to maintain her dislike of Nadia's intrusion into our family, against the rising vanity Nadia's sincere compliment had elicited.

As Nadia and I resumed our journey along one of the forest trails looping eastward, in the direction of the river, I resisted the urge to ask after her thoughts. While I believed her words to Rosalie to be genuine, I did not wish to risk incurring something less than flattering where Rosalie could still hear. And while it was unlikely Nadia would ever gain Rosalie's acceptance (let alone favor) as she was, she was certainly on her way to earning Rosalie's tolerance, which was more than could be said of most people, human or otherwise.

Still, I couldn't help but wonder after Nadia's intentions. Was she foolishly fearless in the face of Rosalie's cold wrath, or had she somehow known that the simple recognition of Rosalie's beauty could go a long way in thawing her heart?

"This place is lovely," Nadia broke through the eerie silence of the forest with a wistful sigh, as we meandered over the trail at a leisure pace. By vampire standards, it was near excruciating, but I found the lack of speed to be unexpectedly pleasant when it was shared with another. "Do you miss Alaska at all?"

"Alaska is beautiful," I said, "but the company here is much better."

Nadia smiled, almost as though she were in on the joke. "I'm flattered."

As we drew closer to another break in the dense forestry, the sound of the river grew in volume, until it was practically a roar in our ears.

"The water is so clear," Nadia gasped when it suddenly came into view and we were strolling alongside the bank. "I can see the fish at the bottom!" she marveled, pausing to crouch dangerously close to the whipping currents.

Cautiously, I reached down and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Perhaps, we should not stand so close."

"You won't let me fall in," she said confidently, not budging from her crouch.

"Nadia," I groaned in exasperation.

She tilted her head back to grin at me. "You won't."

"I'd really rather not test my reflexes," I said by way of excuse, allowing my hand to drop down to her elbow, gripping it gently as I helped her stand up. From her perspective, Nadia could not even begin to understand just how soft and vulnerable she appeared in my eyes.

"Edward, I'm not made of glass," she chided me, gaze sparkling with amusement. But thankfully, at my direction, she took a step back.

"Forgive me," I said, as I moved to wedge myself between her and the rugged currents, "but I would prefer to return you home without injury."

"I guess I can agree to that," she said, graciously allowing me to shield her as we followed the gentle uphill path over the soft earth of the river bank. "Which direction is the house from here?"

"It'll be visible beyond the copse of trees ahead," I said as we continued our stroll, now southbound. "And I think we ought to head back soon. I presume, by now, Esme awaits our return."

"Oh, I can't wait to taste her cookies!" Nadia gushed, picking up her pace. "I bet they're ready by now!"

"Probably," I said, though I knew her to be entirely correct. From inside the house, I could see through Esme's eyes that she had long set the cookies to cool on the rack, and at present, was heating and stirring a small pot of hot chocolate. Alice had assured her that Nadia would simply adore it.

"Do you think she'd mind if I stole some to take home?" Nadia wondered.

From this distance, Esme effortlessly heard Nadia's words as clear as if she'd been standing with us, and her mind lit up with unmitigated delight.

"On the contrary, I am positive she would love to send a box home with you," I said, secretly relaying Esme's words. Besides, it's not as though anyone in the house would be eating any.

Nadia beamed. "She's an angel. You're so lucky!"

"I am," I agreed with unmistakable fondness. When it came to the matter of my adopted parents, my luck could not be denied. "But it seems you have been lucky as well," I added, recalling the easy affection with which Nadia handled her fussing parents.

Nadia's eyes softened and her smile grew pained. "I am," she echoed.

I firmly bit back the questions mounting on the tip of my tongue. As of now, my family was still not privy to the secret of Nadia's strange circumstances. Any questions I had regarding her previous life, would have to wait until we had a measure of privacy.

As we reached the next break in the forest, Nadia paused, and I stalled alongside her, as she admired the expanse of the open field that lay between the river and the house.

"Thank you for showing me this place," Nadia said softly, unforeseen tears beading along her lash line.

I froze in shock, unable to construe the source of gratitude that brimmed from her gaze. Had Nadia never known the kindness of being invited to a friend's home? But surely that could not be it. She had been here for months, and though she struggled to maintain connection with human friends who no longer understood who she was, there had been no disastrous break in friendship. As far as I was aware, she had continued to spend as much time with Katie as other-Nadia had.

I caught her hand in mine, squeezing it with the gentlest of pressures. "You're welcome, Nadia."

Nadia smiled and clasped my palm with her soft human touch, brown skin looking out of place against my dead, corpse-pale hand. Her quickening pulse only served to make it all the more apparent that she did not belong here. Nadia had been granted an actual second chance at life rather than an aberrant half-life, like myself. I did not wish for my existence to impede her in any way, but it was challenging in moments like these, when she made me feel as though anything I had to offer her was good enough.

She maintained her grip on my hand as we made our way across the field, despite the frigid temperature, and selfishly, I did not let go. Just for this moment, I allowed myself to feel human at her side.

When we reached the house, I lead Nadia up the back porch steps, through the glass doors, and navigated our way back to the kitchen. Esme was now alone, preparing a tray of cookies and hot chocolate she intended for me to take back to my room.

"Nadia, I hope you like hot chocolate," Esme said as soon as we joined her, while she meticulously laddled a generous serving of the piping hot drink into a hefty white mug.

"I love hot chocolate," Nadia said, as we claimed the kitchen stools Jasper and Alice had previously vacated. "Thank you, Esme."

"It's my pleasure, sweetheart."

"Here," I said, reaching across the counter to nab one of the leftover gingerbread cookies from the cooling rack and offering it to Nadia. Esme had placed a few on the serving tray, but had packed most of them into a tin box for Nadia to take home.

Nadia swiped the cookie from my hand and took a full bite. Esme peeked over her shoulder, gratified to see Nadia's eyes going wide with delight as she quickly munched through her cookie.

Once she swallowed her last bite, she exclaimed, "Esme, they're delicious!"

"Thank you," Esme said with secret relief and unspoken jubilance as she placed the last of the garnishments on Nadia's hot chocolate. She had topped the drink with a heaping swirl of whipped cream, miniature marshmallows, a dusting of crushed peppermint, and a full-sized candy cane. "You two, go back up to Edward's room now," Esme instructed as she moved to add the warm mug to the tray. "I know you were only able to join us for a short time this morning, Nadia, so go enjoy yourself for a bit, yes?"

"I will. Thank you for welcoming me into your home," Nadia said, standing to her feet alongside me, making no comment on the fact that Esme had only made a single cup of hot chocolate for her.

I moved to retrieve the tray from Esme, though her eyes were currently only for Nadia. "And you're always welcomed to return," she said earnestly, her maternal instincts burgeoning to the surface as she gazed upon Nadia's young face. She's a sweet girl, Edward. I expect you to invite her back.

I offered Esme a small, near-imperceptible nod in order to assuage her, as I guided Nadia out of the kitchen, tray in hand.

"Thank you again," Nadia called to Esme, before turning to traipse ahead of me, now confident in the direction we were moving towards.

When we skirted around the dais on which the grand piano was displayed, I once again had the peculiar urge to sit at its bench. Though I had offered Nadia a vague response to her question, I recalled exactly the last time I had played, approximately four months ago. It was once we had finished moving into our new home that I had sat at the piano bench, just long enough to assure myself that every key was properly tuned. If it were not for Esme's care, a pile of dust would surely have coated the entirety of its surface by now.

And as we climbed the staircase, I wondered what kind composition would suit Nadia best. A ballade? A sonata? I watched her climbing the stairs, a single step ahead of me, long braids draped elegantly over Alice's white scarf and Esme's coat, the palm of her hand trailing along the satin-smooth banister. I considered the mystery of her thoughts, her alien blue eyes, the extraordinary circumstances which had lead her to this other life―a nocturne.

Every note, every chord, rang in my head as clear as if I were pressing the keys aloud, my mind working at full speed to compose the beginnings of a melody, keeping in rhythm with the steady beat of her heart. And by the time we reached the entrance to my room, something wistful and slightly disquieting had begun to take life, a song known only to me.

I allowed the burgeoning composition to fall to the back of my thoughts as I refocused on the present moment. Debussy still played gently from the speakers, La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin saturating the room with its tranquil melody. I moved to set the tray of cookies on one of the side tables framing the sofa, while Nadia shrugged off her borrowed coat and scarf, draping them neatly over the backrest of the couch.

"Would you mind being my muse?" Nadia asked as she retrieved something from the depths of her bag, before turning and presenting me with her sketchbook.

I smiled with no small amount of irony. "By all means," I said. After all, she had become my personal muse mere moments ago, and I hadn't even had the foresight to ask her for her permission. "Is there something specific you need me to do?"

Nadia glanced around the room, before she gestured to one end of the couch, opposite of where I had set the serving tray down. "You sit on this side," she instructed. "Do something that will keep you in place. Maybe read a book?"

"Hmm," I hummed in thought, striding over to my desk and picking through the piles of journals, books, and school assigned readings. "Perhaps, I should brush up on my Spanish," I mused.

Nadia laughed. "But your Spanish is perfect."

"But you're always requesting my help," I reminded her, "so I should be prepared nonetheless. Don't you agree?"

Nadia huffed and moved to tuck herself into the corner of the couch, next to her cookies and hot chocolate. "You're being absurd, Edward," she said righteously and grabbed a cookie.

"A little," I agreed, mildly amused by her exasperation with me. "Fine then, I will select something else." And as I had originally planned, I picked out a pen and a blank composer's notebook―one of my birthday gifts from this past summer which had, up until today, gone entirely unused. With those in hand, I migrated back to the sofa, arranging myself in the opposite corner from her, one folded leg leaning against the back cushion, body angled to face her from across the length of the couch.

"That's good," Nadia decided, flipping to a blank page in her sketchbook. "I'll let you know if I need you to move."

"As you wish."

I opened up to the first music sheet of my notebook and forced myself to jot down the music notes at a slow, human speed. At the very least, it allowed my mind more time to test out different variations of the same melody in alternating keys, so that, by the time I reached the next line, I was more confident in its arrangement.

For the next hour, the only sounds that were heard were Debussy's melancholic compositions, the flipping of pages, and the tips of a pen scratching against paper. Occasionally, Nadia would pause to munch on a cookie, or take a sip of her hot chocolate, but no words were exchanged between us.

It was a peculiar feeling, being able to share my space with someone, without being privy to their every thought. And for the first time, I found myself appreciating these strange circumstances. I could enjoy the company of someone and, simultaneously, relax in my own thoughts; something that, up until I had met Nadia, had been impossible for me to do. To be alone with my thoughts, I actually had to be alone. But with the existence of Nadia, that was no longer the case.

I had completed a third and more complex draft of the melody, when I realized that Nadia was no longer drawing, her sketchbook closed and placed in front of her, the mug of hot chocolate cradled between newly ink-stained fingers.

"Do I get to see?" I asked, nodding over to her sketchbook.

"No, those are just sketches," she said. "I was learning your lines."

I arched an eyebrow in curiosity. "My lines?"

She lifted a hand and waved it in my direction, a gesture that encompassed my face, arms, and torso. "Your lines," she repeated, as though it were self-evident. "What were you working on?"

I smiled and closed my composer's notebook, setting it in front of me in a similar manner as her. "I chose to take your advice," I answered, leaning back against the armrest and idly spinning the pen between my fingers.

"My advice?" she asked and took another sip of her drink, glimmering blue eyes peeking at me from above her white mug.

"About playing music again," I clarified. "I was composing a new song."

Nadia's expression brightened with elation and she lowered her mug. "You were inspired?"

"I was," I said, briefly dropping my gaze, feeling oddly flustered.

"Well…I hope it wasn't inspiration from a joyless legend about a girl falling in love with a so-called monster, and bringing destruction to everyone around her," she said, an unexpected edge of sarcasm tainting her voice.

I chuckled. "No, nothing nearly so catastrophic."

Nadia smiled. "Will I get to hear it?"

"Perhaps," I allowed. "Will I get to see your final drawing?"

She grinned. "Perhaps."

We fell into a comfortable silence as Nadia continued to drink what remained of her hot chocolate, her gaze drifting over to the glass walls backing the couch. It was beginning to rain once again, any ice that had formed overnight instantly melting, and turning the view outside into a melting sludge of greens and browns. It wasn't quite a downpour yet, but the rainfall was already pounding forcefully against the house, a thunderous rattle.

Nadia lowered her mug and checked her wrist watch. "I think it's time for me to get back."

I ignored the twinge of disappointment her words elicited. "Come, then. Let's get you home before Cora catches on to your unsanctioned outing."

"Good idea," she laughed, setting aside her mug and moving to pack her things.

I clipped my own pen to the cover of my notebook, feeling a peculiar buzz of energy in my limbs, as though, in this single moment, anything were possible. It had been a long time since I had composed a new song, and though it had never felt quite this rousing, I looked forward to completing it. It was something new; something that felt, distinctly, like hope.

A/N: Guys, I am so tired of looking at this, so sorry for any glaring mistakes. Also, don't expect another super long chapter for the next update. I think these last two were anomalies, but um, don't quote me on that.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! And as always, please share your thoughts on the chapter if you can!