I drove up the following afternoon to the Deer Park Cinema, clutching my printed movie tickets in my hand as I navigated myself accordingly into a parking space. Slipping out of the car and locking it behind me, I found I was fifteen minutes early for the film as I walked to the main doors and stepped inside. I went up to the refreshment kiosk and bought a small bag of popcorn, a chilled bottle of water, and a chocolate bar. I turned to the ticket man and handed over my ticket, which he promptly tore and handed me the stub, directing me to the seventh theater.

I stepped inside the dimly-lit theater and found a seat easily, setting my water in the cup holder and balancing the bar of chocolate on my lap. The minutes ticked by and, quite soon, the movie was starting. Voldemort was stealing the Elder Wand from Dumbledore's grave, and, upon lifting it into his hands, the spell he cast split the sky. Settling into my seat, I prepared for the next two hours.

After the film ended, there was not a dry eye in the house as I took my trash out of the theater and went to the ladies' room. After using it and washing my hands, I make my way out of the building and return to my father's car, whereupon I unlock it and slip back inside it, gripping the steering wheel. It is only around four-thirty, so I decide to drive into Port Angeles and walk around a bit before getting dinner.

I found a parking space on the main street once getting Downtown and walked along it as the clouds came back over the waning, late-afternoon sun. I hopped into a couple of antique stores, managing to find another Russian nesting doll for the collection I'd slowly been building at home. I went into a book store and picked up a couple of books for school and for leisure over the next few weeks, knowing that I would have to do something other than hiking around Forks or cooking for my father. Besides, I knew that I'd have long hours to myself at home every other week, and I shouldn't allow myself unlimited internet, cell phone, or T.V. access during that time.

"Beth!"

I turned around then and saw none other than Edward and Bella Cullen, and I did my best to appear reserved with them. It was the way they walked—more of a glide, and the way their eyes and skin looked. Nobody's skin was that pale, and their eyes were a combination of amber and gold—unless they were close friends with an optometrist, they wouldn't be able to get their eyes to really look like that. I pasted on a smile nonetheless and accepted Edward's handshake and Bella's half-hug—I guess she wasn't a particularly touchy-feely person but, then again, neither was I.

"Nice to see you two," I say politely. "What brings you here?"

"Bella and I had our first date over there," Edward explains, nodding to a lavish-looking Italian restaurant across the street, and I found my stomach threatening to growl.

"Bella Italia?" I ask, nodding. "How appropriate."

"We've already eaten," Bella explains, "but you look hungry..."

"Starving," Edward says. "Why don't we take you to dinner?"

"I—no. I couldn't ask you to..."

"We insist," Bella said with a smile, and she and Edward put their arms around my shoulders and take me inside. "Table for three, please," Bella says, and I notice the waitress looks from her to Edward, clearly mesmerized at their physical beauty.

Her dark eyes barely sweep over me as she gathers our menus—even though Bella and Edward won't be eating—and take us over to a booth in the back. The restaurant is quiet, probably because it is just half past five, but we get the only booth by the window. It is a circular booth, and Bella and Edward slide themselves in without being asked as I perch on the end, taking the menu and thanking the waitress.

"Do you remember what you ordered here on your first date?" I ask Bella, casually, after the waitress has poured us each a glass of water and returned to the front.

"Vividly," Bella replies. "I remember that I wanted to impress Edward, but I couldn't look at him clearly... The waitress was ogling him, but he made it very clear that he was here with me and wasn't interested in her."

"Bella and food have never really had a mutual attraction," Edward explains. "She ordered the first thing she saw on the menu—the mushroom ravioli."

"Do you like mushrooms, Beth?" Bella asks.

I shake my head. "Not a fan, no."

I open the menu and peer at it, deciding to start with a small Caesar salad, followed by the chicken parmesan—my favorite—and would wait to hear about the desserts when the time came. I remembered being irritated that many people would assume that I adored tiramisu because my mother was half Italian, but it always reeked of coffee—another thing I disliked—and I could never bring myself to eat it under any circumstances whatsoever. After I've ordered, I make small talk with Bella and Edward, wishing that I could bring up the meadow to them, but decided not to invade their privacy.

. . .

Now that Richard, Alex, and Katherine were going to be staying with us on a permanent basis, Carlisle and Esme decided to put Esme's talents to work and add on a whole other wing to the already large house. Plans began immediately, and Esme quickly enlisted the help of Emmett and Jacob, due to their physique and everyone knows that men are particularly good at heavy lifting. This meant that Jasper always stayed close to me, as Renesmee was over quite frequently now, but everyone knew that we had absolutely nothing to worry about. Jasper made sure that I was on point, and I made sure to never step out of line with him again.

"The wing will have two rooms," Esme explained to me one afternoon. It was a partly sunny Saturday morning, and once Esme told me of her work schedule, I made sure that the rains never came to spoil it. "I've decided that Katherine's bedroom will have a back staircase leading to the attic and that Richard's room will have a door connecting to your bedroom, Beth. How does that sound?" Her hands were clasped a few inches below her chin, and I knew full well that, had Esme still been human, her face would be flushed with pure and devoted excitement—she was doing something creative that she loved, and clearly, she wanted to do an excellent job.

"Must be impressive rooms if they make up a wing," Emmett said in a rather snarky tone as he nailed some boards down for the foundation, and Jacob laughed at him as he sawed down some pieces of plank for Esme.

"They'll each have a walk-in closet," Alice puts in from where she is perched on her nearby balcony. Edward had joked with me that Alice wanted that thing built because she would ask Jasper to recite her Shakespeare sometimes.

"Per Alice's specifications," Esme says, shooting Alice a look of mock-warning. "And each will have an en suite bathroom, of course—just typical homeowner things that realtors will look for if we ever sell this place... Plus, I thought I'd knock down a wall in the kitchen and add a staircase to that hallway. Who says you can have too many staircases?"

I shrug. "You clearly have a vision."

She sighs, motioning for Alice to keep an eye on Emmett and Jacob before pulling me to the side for a moment. "When Edward read your mind last week, it struck me how much devastation you have within you." At my shocked expression, she replied, "He mentioned some things to Carlisle and me. He told us about your mother..."

I sigh. "Esme, for all intents and purposes, you are my mother. My own mother..." I shake my head. "She and Andy just got married in Rome about a week ago—the day before I let Edward in, actually."

Esme smiles. "I'm sorry you couldn't be there."

I shake my head. "I wouldn't have wanted to have been there, anyway. She's not cut out to be a mother, Esme. She had psychosis after having me..."

"Yes, Edward mentioned that..."

"Did he also mention that she tried to kill me, multiple times?" I whisper.

Esme reaches out to me and pulls me to her, not letting me go. "Sweetheart, please... What are you not telling me?"

"She's pregnant, Esme. My mother is pregnant with Andy's twin sons—that's why they pushed up the wedding date. Now that they're married, she's suddenly considered important to society and made herself a damned Twitter account." I feel myself shaking and breaking down, as much as a vampire can. "Where is Richard?" I whisper to her. "I need him... I need Richard..."

Immediately, I sense him behind me, and Esme releases me, and I throw myself into Richard's arms. I whisper to Richard about Edward and Bella taking Renesmee to Seattle that day to do some shopping under Alice's strict orders, and he carries me at the run to their cottage on the grounds of the Cullen home. Once inside, I tell him everything, also telling him about the link to the article that I found on her.

"She said that she didn't have any children in the article," I whisper. "She said that these were her first children..." I am shaking.

"Beth..."

I shake my head at him. "I... I want... I want to go there and I want to kill her, Richard. As soon as those boys are born, I want to find out where my mother has given birth and take her and Andy out and take those boys... Please." I look up at him. "I know it's a lot to ask, Richard, but I need them..."

"She tried to kill you when you were a baby?"

I nod. "Yes. And was emotionally abusive for years. She said she ran off with me and took me away from my father because he didn't want me. When I tried to tell her it wasn't true, she said I was just as worthless as he was..."

"She ever hit you?"

I shake my head. "No. No, that was Andy."

Richard pulled me to him so as our bodies were pressed up against each other's. "I can't believe that anyone would do that... He...he never..."

"No." I shake my head. "He said that he would if I didn't 'behave myself'. He put his hand there a few times and made me touch him, but that was it."

"That's enough." Richard grips me tightly. "We need to talk to Carlisle about this..."

The pair of us rush back to the house, but I find myself hanging back, tempted to look up my mother again. When I do, I am further devastated when I realize something—an article that is the headline on every major newspaper in the country. CNN, Newsweek, and Time Magazine are all covering it, as well as other chief news outlets, and I find I cannot walk at all, so in shock.

"Beth?" Richard asks, stepping closer towards me. "What is it?" He takes my phone from my hand and takes in the words of the headlines that have shocked me. Plastered on my phone's screen is, in some form of another, 'ROSEMARY REECE-TOWNSEND REVEALS SECRET LOVE CHILD WITH ANDREW TOWNSEND, NOW FOUR-YEARS-OLD, TAKEN FROM THEIR CUSTODY AFTER YEARS OF SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSE'.

I couldn't believe it. My mother had lied to me when I was thirteen—she had told me that she had a tumor growing inside her and that was why she and Andy had not and could not have any more children. I had a sister. I. Had. A. Freaking. Sister. I knew that I had to find out where she was, as well as getting my new brothers out of my mother's car. I ripped my phone from Richard's hands and charged inside, making my way into Carlisle's home exam room and stepped inside. I hesitated in the doorway, waiting for him to turn around, and I promptly ran to him.

He opened his arms, shocked, and held me for a moment. "What is it?" he asked.

I sighed. "You're my dad..."

Carlisle chuckles. "That's what the adoption papers say, yes."

I bit my lip. "Rosalie asked your permission to kill Royce King and all his friends after her transformation..."

"She did."

"Did you give it to her?"

"Yes—she swore she wouldn't drink their blood and she didn't."

I lower my eyes. "My mother—my biological mother—tried to kill me," I tell Carlisle. "I know that it's wrong but..."

"But?"

"She tried to kill me and tried to turn me against my father through emotional abuse. And her now-husband, Andy, would beat me and...touch me..."

Carlisle stiffened. "Did he?"

I nod. "Yes. And news outlets are saying that she had a child with him and I was wondering if we could..."

"You want me to find her?"

I nod. "Yes. If she's still in foster care, I was hoping to adopt her. By the time the adoption goes through, I'd be eighteen."

He nods. "I'll see what I can do."

"And my mom, she's pregnant again. I want to find her, kill her and Andy, and take her twin sons away once they're born. I won't drink their blood—that disgusts me. I just want them dead, Carlisle. Please..."

Carlisle holds me firmly by the shoulders. "You know how dangerous that is. Guys like your stepfather, they must have security...body guards, cameras... Are you sure you want to take that risk?"

"Andy wouldn't do that," I reply. "He only ever lied to the authorities when he was arrested on suspicion of abusing me. Everything else out of his mouth was the truth. He swore to my mother if he ever made it big, then none of that 'security bull'. That's what he called it then, and that's what he'll call it now. He's a man of his word. Besides, even if he has body guards, I'll take care of them, too."

There is a knock on the door then and Jasper steps in. "I called J. Jenks in Seattle," he tells the pair of us. "He has a lead into the foster care system here. Don't ask me how, but he found Sarah—your sister," he tells me when he sees my confusion. He hands over his phone to me, and I see an exact copy of myself as a little girl. "Meet Seraphina Alexandrine Townsend, your maternal half-sister."

I let out a small gasp. "She's still in foster care?"

"Yes. She was placed in a home for a time, but things didn't work out so well. She was very withdrawn and the parents didn't think she responded to them. She's been back at the foster home for about six months. Nobody wants the little girl so withdrawn..."

"Where in Seattle?" I ask.

"Downtown. Where else?" Jasper replies.

I turn to Carlisle, who nods. "Okay. Jasper, have Jenks forge some documents saying that Beth was born in July of 1993 instead of 1994. We'll say that they're sisters but charm them into not looking into it. Got it?"

"Got it," Jasper says, already putting his phone to his ear. "Hey, J. It's Jasper. Listen, I need some documents..." He says, walking out of the room.

I turn then and see that Richard is there, and relief floods through me. Since he was nineteen at the time of his transformation, he'll have no problem with obtaining custody of Sarah with me. As I walk closer to him, I feel secure as he puts his arms around me; I would at last be united with the sister I'd never known.

. . .

The documents are prepared by the end of the week and the following Friday, I arrange for the day off from school with Richard as Carlisle drives us to Seattle. Once we hit Downtown and his GPS tells us where we need to go, we find a parking space quickly and make our way into the imposing building. I half expect children's arts and crafts to decorate the various walls but instead we're greeted with the look of cheap lead paint that everyone warns you about in history class at some point. We go to the front office and are directed to the room for preschool-aged children, and, upon stepping inside with the social worker, I quickly pick Sarah out.

With Cathy, the social worker's, permission, I make my way across the room and look at the spine of the book that Sarah is reading. The floor is made up of those foam pieces meant to resemble a jigsaw puzzle, and I wonder who in the hell came up with that idea. I crouch before Sarah, seeing the spine of the book and realize that it is a Little Golden Book, and tons of human memories rush through me. I find myself staring at this little girl, and know that, deep down, I can save her.

"Sarah."

The four-year-old raises her eyes to mine—it's not often a child can hear a voice that reminds them of bells. "Hi." Her voice is very soft.

"Hello, Sarah. My name is Beth. Do you know who I am?"

"They said you were coming." She shuts the book. "Are you my sister?"

I nod. "Yes, Sarah, I am."

She looks at me with those violet eyes of hers, so desperate for love. "Will you keep me safe, Beth?" she asks.

I nod. "Always."

"Will you love me?"

I reach out my hand. "Forever."

She gets to her feet and I do the same. "Will you ever leave me?"

I don't even hesitate for that answer. "Never." I can hear the audible gasp from Cathy from behind me as Sarah runs to me, throwing her arms around me, gripping me as tightly as she possibly can. "It's all right," I whisper to her as she sobs. "Beth's got you, Beth's got you. I'm not going anywhere."

"Are you taking me with you?" she whispers.

"Yes, Sarah. You're coming home with me."

"Home," she says, sounding determined.

She spends the car ride looking out the window in silence, appreciating the company I am giving her in the backseat by merely holding her hand. Esme, Jacob, and Emmett have finished the new wing of the house, which now has four bedrooms instead of two. Alice all but insisted upon designing the rooms, and went all-out for Sarah's. When we arrive back at the Cullen's, I take Sarah upstairs and lead her to her new room after introducing her to the family, and she stares in awe at the room that Esme has built and Alice had designed all for her.

The walls were ornate and looked like something out of Marie Antoinette's palaces. There was a window seat with a cream-colored cushion upon it, with many decorative throw pillows all in pink. There was a bay window behind it with lacy curtains against it, and thick pink curtains to be drawn during the night. Alice had ordered French provincial-style furniture, all in that cream color, including but not limited to two different-sized dressers; a mirror; two nightstands; the bed frame—which had to be a full-sized bed; and a small bench stationed at the foot of Sarah's bed. There was also a massive bookshelf against a wall, French provincial as well, filled with classic children's books—that was one thing I'd insisted upon.

"Is this all right?" I ask Sarah, as she opens the two doors her room has to offer—one being the walk-in closet and the other, the bathroom.

Sarah nods. "Yes, thank you."

I smile, leaning down and kissing her upon the cheek. "You're welcome—but you should really thank Alice, Esme, Emmett, and Jacob. They worked very hard on this."

She purses her lips. "Who is Alice to me?"

"Well, when everything's settled, she'll be your aunt."

"And Esme?"

"Your grandmother."

"And Emmett?"

"Your uncle."

"And Jacob?"

"Your cousin-in-law," I say, thinking quickly.

She nods, at ease with all of it. "Okay."

"Now," I say, "what's say you we give you a wonderful bubble bath? Then we can put a new nightgown on you and then we can get you something to eat? Then I'll read you some stories and then it's time for sleep."

"Cookies?" she asks.

I giggle. "Yes, you may have some cookies after you've finished your dinner."

Sarah nods at me like she understands. "Yes, Beth," she says, and proceeds to get ready for her bath.

. . .

I begin plotting the murder of my mother and Andy with a vengeance. My stepfather has been offered numerous contracts, according to the acting database that Alice has managed to hack me into, and I plan to do the deed after graduation. Thankfully, February flitted by rather quickly, as did March, so by April, the plan was set and by May, Alice was nose-deep in planning the graduation party for me, Richard, Alex, and Katherine. I didn't really want a party, but Sarah was so excited—what with the new party dress that Alice had bought for her—that even I was coming around to the idea. With Carlisle's permission, I had decided to reveal to Sarah what we all were by the time she was sixteen and, if she wanted to, I would change her myself upon her eighteenth birthday. I didn't want any rashness with my younger sister, and I knew that, when the time came—if the time came—then she would have been my daughter for the better part of her life.

In the second week of May, we performed our musical Wicked, which lasted for two weeks until the last week of the month. Minnie and I had reached an understanding at one of her parties last April—when Richard and I had become an official couple in the social circles provided to it. It helped considerably, because Richard had been able to convince Theo to come out to his parents within days of us getting Sarah, and a new student, one Chadwick Spencer, had enrolled at Forks High School that February, and Theo and Chadwick had been inseparable ever since. Theo's parents took his coming out surprisingly well, and I was pleased to meet Chastity, his older sister who went to college in Vermont, at one of our Wicked shows that May. She had come with her boyfriend, Morris, and seemed quite eager to meet me, due to my friendship with Theo.

I begrudgingly wore the dress that Alice had picked out for me from her favorite online dress shop for graduation, and was pleased to have Richard at my side. Even though we were called alphabetically to the stage to collect our diplomas, it was festival seating, so I could remain with him throughout the night. On Richard's other side were Katherine and Alex, while on my other side were Theo and Chadwick. I was quite surprised at the electric response from my classmates as my name was called, and I went up onto the stage, crossing my fingers that I wouldn't trip, and accepted my diploma, shaking the principal's hand and smiling for the camera, very eager to shed the yellow robe I was required to wear that evening to appear somewhat 'uniform'.

Carlisle and Esme had arranged for a weekend away and so after taking everyone aside for a quick hug, they drove off for the Lost Mountain Lodge in Sequim. Bella and Edward were going on a long hunt with Rosalie and Emmett that night, while Jacob and Renesmee were enjoying a quiet evening at home in La Push. Alice and Jasper were staying at the blow-out party to 'supervise', but only because Alice was the host and Jasper was going to keep everyone feeling under control. Sarah came downstairs and everyone—especially Minnie—was delighted with her and Sarah insisted that, at eight-thirty, that Minnie put her to bed.

I found myself following them upstairs, poised silently outside the door, listening to Minnie reading to Sarah. Minnie was reading Goodnight Moon, a regular children's literature staple, and then proceeded to read some typical fairy tales to her. When she shut the books, she was completely won over when Sarah asked for her to sing, as Sarah remembered that Minnie had sang with me in Wicked. After some emblematic songs—mainly that Disney princesses sang—I watched as Minnie kissed Sarah's forehead and slipped from the room, just as I dashed downstairs to re-join the party.

Richard and I lay in his bed that night, fully-clothed as he still claimed that he wanted some sort of commitment from me before we did anything physical, just talking about the future. I casually asked him how he felt about my intention to murder my mother and Andy and his response was quick and effortless—that he would help me. I checked the media outlets as the sun came up, and it had been revealed that my mother had delivered her twin boys—Lucas and Francis—in New York. She stated that Andy and she were taking time off from publicity and settling in the Scarsdale neighborhood, in their luxury penthouse.

I told Alice, and she was able to do some digging and to give me their address, and quickly confirmed that there were no armed guards or security cameras of any kind on their property, so everything was ready. Richard and I ordered our tickets and packed our duffel bags and drove to Seattle, making good time and arriving around two hours before our flight was due to take off. I found I was perfectly calm at the prospect of killing my mother and found that I was quite pleased with everything. I'd blocked everything in my life with her, knowing that I had to appear as this perfect girl because that's what she and Andy wanted to see and, if I hadn't conformed, then it would have been worse for me.

Carlisle had begun to fabricate a cover story with some of his doctor friends over the past few months that I had been pregnant but, due to my young age and physical activity, I had been unable to show due to some rare genetic disorder I'd had. My water broke while I was out of town, which would explain me not being in Forks, and I'd come home with my sons—in reality, my brothers—in tow.

Jasper had also contacted J. Jenks to get birth certificates forged for Lucas and Francis, as well as forged return boarding passes and I.D.'s for me and for Richard—and we'd also been instructed to alter our appearances considerably—so everything was set. Jasper, it was decided, would be coming along with us as well, along with Alice, where Jasper would calm the babies down and ensure that they wouldn't potentially blow our cover. The plan was to take separate routes—there were three to choose from—and enter the house from different angles and catch them all unawares. Alice would cut their phones wires and recalibrate their alarms so as they couldn't signal for help, while Richard would get the twins and Jasper would be on hand to help with the murders.

After a seven-hour flight, Richard and I arrived at the Westchester County Airport, the closest airport to where my mother and Andy were living. He and I rented a car and drove the twenty or so minutes to the house, Alice and Jasper never too far from us. Each of us carried a disposable cell phone, and each of us wore protective gloves. All the others wore face masks except for me—I wanted to see their faces when I overpowered them. All of us parked a block away from the house, and Jasper manipulated the emotions of the few neighbors into thinking that everything was fine and not to disturb our work.

Alice slipped around the back of the house, special cutting tools in hand, and proceeded to dismantle the phone lines and alarm system, as the rest of us slipped inside as soon as the latter was cut. I sensed Andy in the kitchen, and nodded for Richard to slip upstairs but not to wake my mother under any circumstances. I stepped lightly into the kitchen, and Andy didn't even move; he was dressed for jogging, and he was sipping a piping hot cup of coffee, all unawares.

"Andy." My voice was smooth, cool, calculating. I was the predator now, and he couldn't do anything to hurt me anymore.

He tensed and turned, nearly losing control of his coffee. "Beth?"

I smiled at him. "How are you?"

He shook his head. "No... No, no, no. You're dead. You died almost a year ago. How are you here right now?"

"I was murdered, Andy," I reply calmly, "but a wonderful doctor was able to bring me back to life, yet not as a human."

"Beth..."

"That's right," I say, stepping closer to him. "I'm a vampire, Andy."

He is gripping the counter behind him. "You won't hurt me..."

"Oh?" I ask him. "And why would you think that? Why should I afford you the common luxury you denied me?"

"Now, Beth..."

I zoom towards him. "Don't you dare 'Now, Beth', me, you sick bastard!" I hiss through my teeth at him. I grab him by the throat then; he struggles, but he is no match for me. "What's the matter?" I ask him, quoting him. "What? Little boys like this sort of thing—it's how we say 'I love you' to them."

"Beth...no..."

"Yes," I whisper back to him. "Because 'no' means 'yes'. Don't you remember our little games, Andy? About how things must be kept secret? Well, you're an excellent secret-keeper, Andy, you had everyone fooled—the media, the courts... Now it's time for your sentencing, Andy. I sentence you to death," I say through my teeth, baring them without a second thought and burying them in his neck.

He struggles against me, but I ignore his pathetic attempts to live, just as he ignored my attempts to have a childhood. His blood tastes rancid in my mouth and I promptly spit it out, shoving him up against the wall and proceeding to maul him like a big cat would, while Alice enters the room, setting the crime scene for a bobcat attack. I drop Andy's lifeless body beside me, feeling utterly disgusting that his blood is on me. However, I know that, to shock my mother the most, it must be left there.

I catch her scent in the master bedroom upstairs and sneak up there, careful not to get any blood on anything as I make my way up to the top floor of the house. I dash across the landing and open her bedroom door, just as she is waking up in bed, not coherent enough to tell that it is not her dead husband coming to call. "Hello, Mother."

She understandably stiffens in her bed, clearly shocked that I am living and breathing, for a lack of a better term. "Beth!" she cries out, shocked. "No...no! That's impossible! You died... I heard... They said you were..."

"Dead?" I ask her, with a smile. "I am dead, Mother. I died a long time ago—almost five years ago, when you and Andy started dating and you let him do what he wanted, all the while looking the other way and letting him have his perverted away with me." I flash a grin at her, exposing my fangs, and she nearly climbs up her elaborately-carved bed frame in fright. "Be afraid, Mother. Be very afraid." I step closer to her. "I left your husband in a bloody mess downstairs—I killed him."

"No, no!" she screams, moving to make a grab for her cell phone, charging beside her bed on a nightstand which matches her bed frame.

"Oh, no, no, no," I say, zooming across her room and ripping it from her hands. I easily tear the piece of technology to pieces and toss them across the room—I could take care of that thing later. I watch as my mother makes a move to run for the bathroom—presumably to stick her head out the window and scream for help, but I wouldn't let her get that far. I went across the room, more quickly than she did, and grabbed her roughly by the hair, covering her mouth as she attempted to scream. Pulling her head back, I whispered, "You are so dead, Mother—beyond dead. Today is the day you die..."

"My boys, my boys..." She whispers, begging me. "Don't let them grow up without their mother, Beth, please, I'm begging you..."

I allow the laugh to escape my throat. "Oh, they won't, Mother." I turn her around then, still not releasing my grip upon her. "They won't, because I'm going to adopt them. They'll be my boys—and Sarah will be my daughter."

My mother turns white. "You knew about Sarah?"

I shake my head. "Not until just recently. I have custody of her now—"

"You're taking my children!" my mother attempts to scream, but I knock my face into hers, quite hard, although it does no damage to me, it hurts her. "Sarah...my baby girl..."

"Shut up, Mother!" I growl at her. "Don't say that again!"

"What...what?!" she asks, confused.

"Sarah's mine!" I growl at her. "And soon Lucas and Francis will be, too."

"All I ever did was love you, Beth," my mother moans, clearly in pain, due to her broken nose and the grip I still had on her hair. "Why are you doing this to me?"

I give her a mock-perplexed look. "Why, Mother, you reap what you sow," I whisper to her in a deadly voice before leaning down and casually ripping her throat out, before spitting out her blood and leaving her in a bloody, lifeless heap upon the floor.

. . .

I step out of my mother's bedroom carefully, making sure that I got rid of any bloody evidence before touching the expensive white paneling that seemed to decorate every inch of the house. I walked steadily down the hall, and looked up to see Richard, poised outside the nursery doorway. I make my way over to him, and he envelopes me in his arms, placing his forehead against mine.

"Is it done?"

I nod. "Yes."

"Carlisle called Alice, and he thinks it would be less suspicious if we drove all the way back to Forks..."

"Forty-four hours for a human," I muse softly to myself. "We'd need a car..."

"Alice got one," Richard says.

I nod. "Of course she got a car already," I say, a light laugh at the back of my throat before turning to the nursery. "How are the boys?"

"Sleepy," he replies. "They didn't wake up once during the execution."

I smile ruefully. "Good..."

"Jasper will move Andy's body to the bedroom and clean up the kitchen," Richard affirms, holding me tighter. "Alice has the getaway vehicle, and she's finished staging the crime scene to make it perfect..."

I nod. "Good." I stand on my toes to kiss him on the cheek before walking into the nursery and bending over the crib. I am blown away by the sheer beauty of my brothers—they each sport pale brown hair, and their features are perfect. I bend completely over the crib then and lift them both effortlessly, before turning back to Richard, who picks up one of them and walks downstairs with me.

Alice and Jasper are waiting at the garage stationed at the back of the house, car seats already in place, with a full tank of gas. Jasper gets behind the wheel, while Alice slips beside him into the passenger seat. The twins, still asleep, settle easily into their car seats as Richard and I get comfortable next to them. Jasper revs the ignition and speeds inconspicuously towards the highway; he later explains that he can project his emotion manipulator to everyone passing by—including law enforcement—so as we'll be able to get back to Forks as quickly as possible.

The hours' tick by, and by dinner hour, we're passing through North Dakota. The twins still don't wake up, and Alice anticipates they won't until we get to Montana, at least. When they do, Richard and I manage to get some formula together for them, and they drink it easily before falling back asleep. We drive through the rest of Montana and soon are on the correct highway as we enter Washington State. We drive the way of Tacoma so as we won't have to take a ferry boat and potentially be subject to questioning. We make it to Poulsbo and continue along the highway, going over the Hood Canal Bridge, and I find myself admiring the beauty of the state around us. We continue along the 101 Highway and quickly manage to pass Sequim, not even stopping as we drive through Port Angeles until we return to Forks, and drive through the forest, up the drive, and towards our home as dawn threatens to break.

Rosalie, understandably, is the first one out of the house, a brilliant smile upon her face as she claps her hands as we all get out of the car. Emmett is right by her side, with Carlisle and Esme directly behind them, and Bella and Edward slipping out of the woods. I hesitate there, holding onto Lucas and Francis with Richard just as Sarah comes out of the house and stares, wide-eyed, at the babies in my arms. I turn to Rosalie then, who sees my anxiety and steps forward, offering her arms.

"My turn?" she asks.

I smile and nod, handing over the baby—I think it is Lucas—and watch adoringly as Rosalie looks so at peace. "Lucas," I whisper to her, and she nods.

"And who's this bad boy?" Emmett asks, coming up to Richard.

"This is Francis," Richard replies, and Emmett takes him, and Francis wakes up.

"Hey, little man," Emmett says to Francis, holding him a good few inches away from his body. "Just so you know, I'm going to keep it real straight with you... You're going to be quite a little ankle biter one day, aren't ya?"

I walk slowly up to Sarah and crouch down. "Hi, sweetheart."

"Hi, Beth," she replies. She peers around me then, taking in the twins. "They're staying, aren't they?" she asks.

I nod. "Yes, sweetheart. We've saved them." I lean forward and kiss her forehead. "And someday, when you're older, I can tell you the reason why, okay?"

"Okay... Beth?"

"Yeah?"

She sighs. "Can I talk to you?" she asks me, nodding to everyone else, and I lift her up and take her inside to her bedroom.

Sarah had accumulated many clothes and outfits for every occasion since moving it—it was lovely that Alice wanted to oversee her wardrobe and I hadn't found fault with anything, so far. Today, Sarah was wearing a floral-pattered tea party dress with a silk ribbon that went around her middle, a flower adornment to the side of that. She wore white lace tights with it, as well as white Mary Janes, and a pink cashmere sweater. She wore pink flower barrettes in her hair, which were clipped just above her ears, and her lovely hair was brushed out, long and silky.

"Did Rosalie pick this out today?" I ask Sarah.

She nods. "Yes. She's fond of pink."

I nod back. "She is. Are you?"

"Yes," Sarah replies, "but green is my favorite."

"Mine, too," I reply. "Now, what did you want to discuss?"

She sighs. "Are you going to be my mom?"

I find myself in shock; I did not expect this conversation... "Well, sweetheart, it's early yet but is that something you would want?"

"I know I'm four, Beth, but the teachers... They said..."

I nod. "I know. I saw your file—you scored college-level constantly on every little thing they tested you on. That's impressive."

"So, I get it," she tells me. "My favorite stories are by Roald Dahl, and I even I understand what he's saying..."

I find myself smiling. "He is good at writing," I tell her.

"But that's why I want to know," she tells me. "I want to know if you want to be my mom because, if not, I'd like to find one while I'm still young and cute."

I gasp at that. "Did someone say you weren't young and cute?"

"No." She shakes her head. "The ladies at the foster group home said that if you weren't young and cute, then you wouldn't get adopted..."

I pull her gently into my arms, not wanting to hurt her. "While it's true that many families want younger children, sweetheart, that's not the case for all families..."

She pulls back. "What about this family?" she presses.

I take her by the hands. "Of course I want to be your mother," I tell her. "Next month, after I turn eighteen, I'm adopting you."

"But most places you have to be twenty-one," Beth protested. "I looked it up."

"Don't worry about that," I say swiftly. "Uncle Jasper knows somebody—the same somebody who helped us find you—who can get us the proper paperwork for me to adopt you."

"And Richard?"

"What about Richard?"

"Do you love him?"

I let out a nervous laugh. "Well..."

"Do you?"

I kiss her forehead. "That is a very complicated question."

"Love shouldn't be complicated."

I nod. "I know, but sometimes when you get older, it can be... Why don't you draw a welcome card for Lucas and Francis? They'll be shown to the nursery shortly."

"Where's the nursery?"

"For now? My room," I reply, and show Sarah to her desk with many varieties of colored paper, fabrics, feathers, sequins, every utensil known to man, as well as many other things that Esme had bought her.

I leave Sarah's room and return to mine, where half has been decorated for Lucas and Francis's arrival. As I grip the side of one of the rosewood frames—which could later be removed to make a twin-sized bed—and realize something: I had committed kidnapping and murder. If I was found out, ever found out, I would have to go into hiding until everyone who was linked to the crime in law enforcement was dead or do a trial, where I would probably get the death penalty. I find myself shaking, attempting to grasp the enormity of what I'd done. Yes, I'd saved the lives of three innocent children, but at what cost? I had killed the woman who'd given birth to me, and her husband...

"Don't beat yourself up about it."

Turning, I see Edward in the doorway. "Either your mind reading abilities have somehow strengthened or I let my shield down again..."

He chuckles. "I think it was the latter." He comes to stand beside me. "Feeling remorse for your victims?" he guesses.

"'Fraid so," I reply. "Can't think of how I'm going to live with myself... I'm effectively getting away with murder and kidnapping here..."

"Oh, be careful," Edward replies, "I think I just heard Charlie drive up..."

"Where?!" I demand, running towards the window, but not finding a police cruiser anywhere in sight. "Dammit, Edward! That's not funny!"

He lets out a second chuckle. "Come on—lighten up. Rose has committed murder, I've committed murder..."

"Rosalie had cause, and so did you," I say softly.

"Alice..."

"Was practicing vegetarianism—no malice," I put in.

"Emmett..."

"You know as well as I do that he doesn't do well with rules."

"Jasper..."

I feel my jaw set. "He didn't know any better. He thought what he was doing was all right, given all his army training..."

Edward looks at me curiously. "Hey, you okay?" he asks, putting a brotherly hand upon my shoulder. "You look...lost."

I chuckle and meet his eyes. "I am lost. I just told Sarah I wanted to be her mother and she came back at me with, 'Do you love Richard?' How in the hell am I supposed to respond to a question like that?"

"She's college-level in everything..."

"Yeah, so?"

"How about the truth?"

I shake my head. "I don't..."

"You know," Edward assures me, squeezing my shoulder before walking out of the room, a small smile on his face.

I turn back to the window, watching the world go by. Perhaps in a hundred years, I could stand motionless for long periods of time without the urge to hunt. Perhaps... It was then that I sensed Richard behind me, and leaned back as he stood behind me.

"You all right?"

I smile. "Of course I'm all right. How are you?"

"Fine."

I turn back to him. "Good."

"I may have listened in on your conversation with Sarah and with Edward."

I raise an eyebrow. "Did you?"

He smiles. "I did. And I found something rather odd about it..."

"Yes?"

"You didn't tell them if you loved me."

"I thought it was a conversation we should have."

He nods. "Fair enough."

I shake my head. "But not yet." I stand on my toes and brush my lips with his. "I just want to hunt and get the twins settled. Now is not the time."

"Just tell me one thing," he says, pulling me back into his arms.

"Anything," I reply.

"Are you mine?"

"I'm yours," I reply. "Forever."

"Forever," he tells me, pressing his lips to mine.