Chapter 8

Clara let the lines of Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair ring out as the birds tittered around her. One landed next to her porcelain hand halfway through the second stanza and felt comfortable enough to remain there since then, picking at its feathers with its beak and giving the occasional chirp. It was a strange thing, she pondered, as animals usually avoided their kind, or were ambivalent to them, never taking initiative to approach what they sensed was a natural predator. Curious, Clara continued her song while gazing directly at the bird. The bird's head popped up, its gaze meeting her own. Slowly, Clara began to rise from her seated position on the front lawn. The bird remained motionless yet still maintained eye contact. Clara started to walk backwards at a slow human pace, and to her amazement, the bird took a couple of hops toward her. Good Lord, she could even command animals with her voice! Just as she was going to test her theory further, the sound of tires munching through gravel met her ears, and she instantly clamped her mouth shut. Worry of being heard by the male Cullens entered her mind, but her focus was still on the bird, waiting to see what would happen now that her voice had stopped. It remained motionless on the ground before her for several seconds, before cocking its head at the approaching sound of the car and flying into the nearest tree. Clara's head followed the motion, still troubled by the interaction as she saw the silver car emerge from behind the tree cover.

The car stopped in front of her, not making it to the garage, as suddenly Edward was before her.

"I heard your voice," he uttered, face mere inches from her own. He had a look of mesmerization upon his face. "Were you singing?"

Guilt instantly flooded through Clara's body as she assumed the bewitched form of Edward was before her, drawn to her voice and helpless to resist. At this thought, Edward grabbed her hand and continued,

"No, no, no. I'm not under a spell. We only caught the last couple words of your song and were pretty far away still. I didn't feel anything like what I felt before. Don't worry, we're fine," he swiftly reassured her.

Clara felt instant relief at that and turned her head to see Jasper and Alice get out of the car as well, while the blonde female took the driver's seat of the car to pull it into the garage. As Jasper and Alice approached her, she turned back to Edward to answer his previous question.

Yes, she signed, It was Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair, one of the few songs I recall from my human life. I must have lost track of time, she continued apologetically, I never want to use my gift on anyone accidentally… or intentionally for that matter.

Edward rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb and looked like he wanted to say more but held himself back as her father and his mate approached.

Jasper had a soft smile on his face as he met her eyes, and she smiled back.

"That was lovely," he said, "Did you enjoy singing in your human life, or did you pick it up after?"

I believe I sang a lot on the farm growing up, she signed as Edward dropped her hand to allow her to communicate more easily. I spent a lot of time outdoors, singing and talking to the plants and animals. I don't remember why. I suppose I was lonely. But it brought me joy to sing, then. Since I was changed, I've been too scared to start again. Clara recalled that moment with the bird, And for good reason, she continued, as it appears even animals aren't safe from my abilities, she finished with a downturn to her lips.

Edward drew her gaze to him again, saying, "Perhaps learning how to strengthen your ability can help us figure out how to weaken it," he offered helpfully. "Did you notice anything different about how the bird responded to your voice while you sang?"

Clara thought about that while Edward explained what had happened to Jasper and Alice, pulling the experience from her thoughts. When I made eye contact, she signed back, That's when it seemed entranced. She paused for a moment, then followed, But it had flown down to me even before that. So, it was initially attracted by the sound of my voice alone, and comfortable sitting right beside me. It was only after I made eye contact that the bird seemed completely engrossed, going so far as to follow me once I moved away, she explained.

"Maybe focusing on a single 'target' strengthens your ability on them," suggested Alice. "We can work on this later, if you like. Or would you like to take a break from all this stuff? I'd love to spend some time to get to know you better, if that's alright," she added with a bit of uncertainty.

It's as good of a theory as any, she signed in reply, And I would love to get to know you as well, she smiled, ready for a break. Her eyes darted back to Edward's, not quite ready to let go of his hand, and then to Jasper's, not ready to walk away from him, either. She wanted to know how school was-

"Horrible," came Edward's fervent reply to her unspoken request. She was so startled by his instant response to her thoughts that she laughed aloud, then swiftly covered her mouth with her hand. She could instantly sense that her voice affected the men standing before her as they became even stiller than they were before and their eyes were trained unmovingly upon her face, leaning in slightly towards her. Alice darted in front of Jasper's face, grasping it in both her hands and calling his name in an effort to break the trance. Grief spread through Clara's body so strongly that she sped away, picking up her bag that rested on the front porch and fled through the house, out the back door, and into the woods beyond. She had never loathed herself more than in that moment.

Edward blinked several times as he watched Clara dart away into the house. His feet started to follow on their own accord before he shook his head to clear it. He thought he would have been better prepared after being the subject of her influence several times at that point, but the peal of laughter that burst out of her so gaily had been unexpected enough to catch him off-guard. Jasper hadn't stood a chance, either, he noticed out of the corner of his eye, seeing Alice shake his frame and stop him from running after his daughter. His thoughts were similar to his own just moments before; how bright, how beautiful this woman is. If only he could touch her, all the pain he ever felt in his entire life would disappear. It was frightening how powerful her gift was, if it could elicit that response without even uttering a single word.

Her laugh truly was beautiful, he thought, even without the gift, as was her voice. Edward whole-heartedly believed he could differentiate the "true" quality of her voice separately from the "gift-enhanced" version, but even he could admit that the strength of his conviction wasn't yet based in reality, but in his own desire for the woman herself.

While he longed to follow her into the woods where she sped off, he knew she needed time alone. He was dimly aware of her thoughts of self-loathing once she realized what had happened. He would comfort her when she was ready, he decided, turning to look more fully at Jasper. His thoughts seemed more coherent, and he was looking at Alice with a face of utter perplexity written on it.

"I… I don't know what happened. At first, Clara was there, and then there was just this… light. In that moment I wanted nothing more than to just walk towards it. I'm not even sure if I had the state of mind to know it was Clara that was standing there," he rubbed his forehead, shutting his eyes. Edward relived the experience through Jasper's memories. It was true, to an extent, what he said, which was interesting to Edward. He left out the part where he was definitely aware that it was a woman standing before him, but he ceased to recognize her as his daughter. Edward, however, was never unaware of Clara's presence. Her gift just seemed to enhance her beauty, shrouding her in light and an overall sense of peace. He wondered if Carlisle and Emmett, should they volunteer to be put under her influence, would have a similar experience to his or Jasper's.

Jasper's voice interrupted his thoughts. "I should go after her, let her know that it wasn't her fault. She can't control it," he said, stepping through Alice's arms and heading through the house.

"Wait," called Edward as they reached the backyard, "I think she just needs some time alone. She'll come back," he insisted, trying to fully believe it himself.

"I'm not taking that chance," Jasper insisted, brushing past him, before disappearing through the trees. Alice sat down on the deck, troubled look on her face to match her thoughts. Edward sighed, pacing a bit before heading back inside the house. His arms had never felt emptier. Though he wasn't particularly in the mood, he sat at his piano and started plucking Esme's favorite. As expected, she appeared in the living room as the piece began and stopped to listen to it unfold. Edward heard her thinking, Thank you, Edward. You know how much I love this one. And while he did pick this piece on Esme's behalf, the true focus of his thoughts was Clara. He wished she was here now, listening to him play, joining in with her flute or her sweet voice. Just picturing that in his mind did something to his still, cold heart. It almost hurt if he dwelt on it too long, like it was trying to force itself to start beating again, but couldn't figure out how.

As Esme's song came to a close, instead of retreating to his room as was expected of him to do, he let the last note linger a bit, before transitioning into a new piece. It had been many years since he composed something, and rarely did he do so on the fly and with an audience, no less, but the notes seem to leak from his fingertips. He played in a major key, which was rare for him, giving the piece an overall feeling of lightness and joy. He heard Carlisle's thoughts as he approached the house, marveling at the music drifting through the windows. The rest of the family's thoughts, save the two that were far away in the woods, were similarly focused.

Is that Edward?

Is he really composing again?

That is simply lovely, dear. Don't stop.

Must be Clara's influence.

Edward put their voices out of his mind the best he could and gave all his attention to the piece being written in this moment. He was putting all his hopes, fears, and desires on the table for anyone to see but he didn't care. He knew what he was feeling, and he didn't care. He was in love. He loved her. He wanted to spend the rest of his existence with her, no matter the cost. He actually found someone who not only didn't mind having their thoughts read at any time, but enjoyed it! She wanted him to know her thoughts. She shared them with him willingly. Her first response was to laugh when he answered her unspoken questions. And her thoughts were some of the only ones that he wasn't annoyed, bothered, disgusted, or turned off by. He found joy in reading her mind; for the first time in his entire existence, he wasn't repulsed by his ability. He was thankful for it when it came to her. It made him feel closer to her than anyone else got to be. And she felt the same way, to his utter delight and astonishment.

The song ended on a tentatively hopeful note, not quite finished, but at peace. He knew what he wanted, who he wanted, and now all he had to do was try his hardest not to mess it up completely.

Clara let herself slow to a stop beneath a large spruce tree, childishly kicking a pinecone to smithereens before crouching down and burying her head in her arms. Why couldn't she just be normal? She was a freak even by vampire standards. She wished for the sweet release of tears that would never come. All she ever wanted was a family, to have a place to belong, but she can't even trust herself with that. How could she join a family if she couldn't be sure they wanted her for her? How could she love someone if she wasn't sure they truly loved her back. Was Edward simply reacting to his first response to her ability a week ago? He barely knew her then, and had been growing closer to her ever since that first day. Maybe he simply thought he loved her, but it was only her gift making him think that.

She squeezed her knees tighter to her chest. Then there was Jasper. She didn't want to leave him, not so soon after finding him, but never wanted to see that look in his eyes again. It was like he was just gone, leaving a blank, staring creature in his wake. Perhaps this was Clara's curse, to never be able to trust the feelings of those around her. Maybe it would be better if she was just alone…

Clara heard the sound of twigs snapping in the direction of the house and knew someone was coming to talk to her, stop her, chase her down, she wasn't sure. She fought against the feeling of relief at that, trying to strengthen her resolve to let go of any attachments she'd made so far, but the sight of Jasper breaking through the trees nearly brought her back to her pitiful dry sobbing.

"Clara!" he exclaimed, distress etching his features. He came to a stop several feet away, taking in her appearance. "I'm so sorry, darlin', please don't go. That wasn't your fault, and I came back to my senses quickly."

Of course it was my fault, she signed back, sorrowful, I never want to see you like that ever again, and I'm so so sorry.

"Darlin'," he exhaled again, taking a couple steps closer, "Everything is fine. Edward and I are both fine. You have nothing to apologize for. I'm sorry I made you feel that way. Just please… stay," he reached a hand out, palm up in Clara's direction.

Clara looked at his hand, her resolve crumbling, but she didn't take it just yet, turning back to the tree she sat her bag down at. She reached out and picked it up, then remembered something she had been meaning to show her father since she learned of his existence. She turned her head back to him then cocked it in her direction, beckoning him forward. Jasper let his hand fall back to his side, but gratefully stepped towards her as she sank back to the ground. She opened her bag and took out her notebook as he seated himself beside her.

I have something to show you, she signed, opening the book. In the pocket underneath the cover were several loose papers, wrapped in cellophane. She carefully peeled the cellophane away and displayed the picture she stole from her house when she was changed to Jasper's curious gaze. The image was extremely delicate and frayed at the edges, but Clara took great pains to protect it over the years. His eyebrows remained furrowed as he reached out to lightly grasp the photograph, and she signed to explain,

These were my grandparents and my mother. And me, she added sheepishly, indicating the infant in the photograph. She turned the photograph around to show Jasper the names and date written on the back. Jasper's eyes were wide, and his jaw was clenched. He flipped the image back around and studied the faces like he'd never seen them before, but knew he had in another life. Clara would have continued to ramble about the story of getting the picture and her mother's death and the location of their family plot to him, but didn't feel like tearing his gaze away from the people who used to hold such importance in his life. His family. Instead, she leaned closer to him, and when the only movement he made was to sit absolutely rigid, she let her head rest lightly on his shoulder. She felt his left arm wrap around her shoulders lightly, and she let herself relax in his embrace.

At last, her family was complete.

Alice tried not to let her knee bounce up and down while she waited for Jasper to return, hopefully with Clara in tow. She searched for another vision and was relieved to see it was the same as the last three, Jasper and Clara returning hand in hand, Edward rushing out to meet them, and sharing an intimate moment with Clara before fading away. Her first few visions were of Clara running away, which nearly petrified her, but luckily, she changed her mind quickly. Alice was certain that Clara had no idea how much power she held over this family already, and it had nothing to do with her gift.

Edward stopped playing a couple hours ago, and was now resorting to pacing by the window. Alice shook her head at his behavior. She didn't need to be mind reader to know what was going through his head, and didn't need her visions to predict where his relationship with Clara was going. Everyone could tell, especially after the song he just wrote for her.

Edward's annoyed gaze met her own. That's right, that's her song and you know it! she thought "to" him. Edward rolled his eyes and looked away, eyes trained back on the tree line, before meeting hers again with a raised eyebrow. Alice's ability to read his mind was almost perfected after all these years.

Still the same, she thought. They'll both be back at sundown. He still had that annoyingly doubtful look on his face, though, so she huffed and went to take yet another peek-

Eleazar opened his door to see three figures in black robes standing before him…

An extended hand with an envelope clasped in its grasp…

Carlisle on the phone with someone who she could overhear saying, "…don't know how they know about her…"

Alice snapped back into reality, dread forming a pit in her stomach. Though her name wasn't explicitly mentioned, Alice knew the person on the other end of the phone, whose voice she recognized as Eleazar's, was referring to Clara. Her gaze snapped to Edward's, whose face mirrored a similar expression of horror as Jasper and Clara emerge from the forest, hand in hand, blissfully unaware of the terrifying turn of events that just occurred.

Edward dashed to the pair, hand coming up reflexively to Clara's cheek, as her brows furrowed in concern at his expression. Alice met the trio, cursing her foreknowledge for ruining what should have been a sweet moment to say,

"Something's happened."