JANUARY 19th 2005 - WEDNESDAY

FORKS, WASHINGTON – EARLY MORNING

Carlisle arrived home early in the morning – there was another late shift, another doctor who couldn’t show up, then another emergency that required his attention.

Sometimes, Carlisle was thankful for the gift of immortality – Esme would not trouble him for spending less time with her when they would have an eternity together.

He would not get tired no matter the sleepless nights of aiding others, and Carlisle genuinely enjoyed helping others, only lamenting the fact that he had to stop to pretend to sleep at times.

As the garage doors closed, blocking out the bit of sunlight threatening to pierce through the ever-present cloudiness of Forks, Carlisle could hear the steps converging in the living room.

It was rare.

A mere whisper could be heard with such clarity that gathering was often not necessary unless matters of great importance had arisen.

And Carlisle had already given Edward his blessing to depart Forks for however long was necessary.

More than anything, Carlisle was proud that Edward and Alice demonstrated humanity even with their lack thereof. It was the entire reason he founded the Olympic Coven – for the outliers.

Edward genuinely cared.

Alice genuinely cared.

Esme cared about their family more than anything else – something Carlisle respected and loved about her, but that also meant, in the absence of a family to love, he couldn’t predict what she would become.

Hopefully, he would never have to find out.

Rosalie was much too vain to care, but Carlisle suspected that the jealousy and anger would dwindle away after a couple more decades.

Jasper was a mystery, but a necessity nonetheless.

And Emmett could always adapt – becoming whatever was needed in the family’s darkest moments and brightest days – always and eternally a light-hearted moment.

‘Is there something else left to discuss?’ Carlisle questioned.

Of course, he genuinely expected an answer via whisper, at least, that was until he remembered Edward was no longer around. Carlisle sighed in regret – losing Edward at this time is a blow.

Edward and Alice hold the family together.

Vampires with unique talents were rare, and Carlisle knew he was fortunate to discover two in his lifetime – two that look up to him as a father.

To most vampires, his practice of feeding only on animals was met with the utmost disregard in the best circumstances and an attempt on his life in the worse circumstances.

Of course, Alice and the others were young.

‘There is always a chance they grow tired of our lifestyle later on,’ Carlisle thought, letting these ideas drift about for the first time in a while.

With Edward around, Carlisle had learned to discipline his thoughts – doubts, vague ideas, self-hate. This, too, was not a life he would have picked had he had the choice.

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Carlisle entered the living room and Rosalie ceased her glowering stare at Alice.

With Rosalie’s glowering gone, Jasper instinctively removed himself from Alice’s right, now standing just a bit behind her left shoulder.

In some ways, Jasper behaved more of a servant than a mate; though, Carlisle knew it was just the boy’s natural instinct to protect Alice at all times.

Alice’s bright personality meant her feelings were hurt more than others, and often from the smallest of things.

Emmett remained exactly where he was, knowing Rosalie needed no protector – he loved her rather blatantly and that was exactly the type of love Rosalie needed at all times.

It was a reminder more than anything else – even as a vampire, she could still love.

Carlisle drifted to Esme’s side, finding a welcoming smile that had not faded in decades. Esme was dutiful, could do with the bare minimum, and was eternally grateful for everything.

Of course, Carlisle gave her abundance and that just made her love him all the more. When Carlisle folded his arms, Alice, Rosalie, and the others knew he was present.

Carlisle always has his full attention to the matter at hand, finding the perfect solution the first time – it was an ability honed from the countless wrong decisions in his vampiric youth.

“I assume there is a matter besides Edward that is worth discussing?” Carlisle commenced the conversation.

“There is,” Alice responded. “But first, the matter of Edward’s departure.”

“News to me,” Esme was concerned. “Will he be fine?” She directed the question at Alice who promptly nodded.

“He will be back in about a week,” Alice voiced. “Though his mind is not certain so the future will not stabilize.”

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“In one peace?” Esme further inquired.

“Of course,” Alice skipped in place, twirling to burn off the complex feelings that came with the answer. “Though, he will need our support when he does return – though what form that will take, I cannot yet see.”

Esme was satisfied with the replies.

“Why did he leave?” Rosalie inquired. “What is this about a singer?”

Carlisle, in a rare show of his abilities, blurred and reappeared in two seconds, but this time with a book in his hands. Rosalie and the others had read all but the books in Carlisle’s private collection.

“A singer,” He explained, flipping to the appropriate pages. “Is an Ancient phenomenon to our kind. There have been many theories surrounding these special individuals since the birth of the Volturi, but in the end, even they were stumped.”

“The Volturi, stumped?” Jasper didn’t like the answer.

“A singer is one whose blood calls to a specific vampire. It is said that drinking their blood is not only a delicacy but can satiate your thirst for an entire year.”

“Has this been confirmed?” Jasper inquired.

Carlisle gestured to Emmett.

“I wouldn’t know,” Emmett immediately became defensive. “After I drank my singer dry, I went to get some bears so Carlisle wouldn’t catch me. Of course, the plan failed. Drinking her blood was like a blackout or something – but it was irresistible to me.”

“How irresistible?” Rosalie asked, slightly jealous.

“As soon as you smell your singer, it's like you’re already tasting – your throat burns like fire,” Emmett wore a frown as he tried to explain. “Bottom line is, Edward did the impossible by resisting. I would say even Carlisle wouldn’t be able to resist his singer.”

“And I probably wouldn’t…” Carlisle admitted. “What Edward displayed was nothing short of extraordinary, even compared to me. That’s why I would like him to get his thirst under control. It would be regrettable if he spared Isabella, only to fail in the end.”

“And if he fails upon his return?”

“Then we move on…” Carlisle gave the natural answer. “We are a family after all.”

Esme nodded and stared at Rosalie, forcing the vampire to keep whatever remark she was about to make at the back of her throat.

More than anything, Rosalie hated disappointing Esme.

“But that isn’t why we are gathered here. Is it?” Carlisle turned to Alice.

“His name is Xavier,” Alice voiced.

“He tried to approach us two months ago – he was determined if nothing else. Inviting us out, sitting near our table… I remember him,” Rosalie added. “And he is a talented singer. He is the one who performed in the cafeteria yesterday.”

“He succeeded in befriending some of us,” Jasper added, casting a glance at Emmett.

“Emmett?” Carlisle was stumped – not that he discouraged making friends with humans, but there were risks involved. “Anything of concern?”

“Nothing… never made physical contact and our chats were always casual,” Emmett thought, cycling through his memories. “There is one time I noticed something weird.”

“When?” Esme spoke.

“We take agriculture classes together. An apple fell from the teacher’s desk as he was passing by and it was weird,” Emmett performed actions, describing the event as best as he could. “I thought I saw his eyes move from the apple to the teacher, back to the apple, and then, he just let the apple fall.”

“What is so strange about that?” Rosalie frowned.

“Too fast,” Carlisle stated. “For his eyes to move so rapidly, it would mean he could perceive the world a bit slower than we do.”

“Can you be certain of this, Emmett?” Esme was growing more concerned.

“If I could be certain, I would have mentioned it long ago,” Emmett voiced.

“Alice?” Carlisle encouraged.

“He was nothing noteworthy at first. In some ways, he still isn’t. Edward read him like everyone else, but his thoughts were harder to read… Edward said it reminded him of a scientist he met in the 1990s – he thought via pictures. Edward says Xavier thinks through time?”

“Amazing but there are geniuses amongst humans.”

“And that’s when I realized,” Alice continued. “I couldn’t see his future – not as clearly as everyone else’s. There was always a golden hue blocking my vision, but that quickly cleared as he integrated more and more into the school. It suggested that familiarity allowed me to see more, and I did see more – I saw enough to determine it was no longer necessary to watch him.”

“Has this happened before?” Esme inquired.

“It is not uncommon to see distorted possibilities and images when the person in question has a mental disorder that influences their decision at every turn,” Alice justified. “I perceived his future as one such incident. Seeing it became clear later on, I dismissed the thought.”

“What changed?” Rosalie inquired. “Why are we discussing him at this family meeting? Just after Edward left?”

“Because he was strong enough to lift Alice from her seat in the cafeteria, and he didn’t show surprise at the coldness and hardness of her hands,” Jasper explained.

“Suggesting he was already aware of what she is.” Carlisle frowned.

“Or he is a really good bluffer,” Rosalie scoffed.

“Strong, different thinking patterns, and aware of us,” Carlisle mused and shook his head. “There isn’t enough information right now. We have to wait until Edward returns.”

Alice paused for a second, staring into the distance as a new possibility developed, quickly cementing itself as a future. There was Carlisle, and there was Xavier – they were talking.

Frustrations were high.

Another vision quickly overlapped and replaced the previous, showing much the same scene at a different time – the conversation was smoother and much more cordial.

Alice blinked her eyes and was back at home, several questioning glances being tossed in her direction. “As it turns out,” She voiced. “We don’t have to wait. Carlisle, you’re going to meet him and the conversation will be fruitful.”

“You can see him now?” Emmett inquired. “I thought you just said you couldn’t.”

“I could always see him, but now, I can just see clearer,” Alice explained. “And Carlisle, you will want to depart a little after midday – that’s when his mood has improved.”

“I guess we will get our answers directly,” Carlisle mused. “Is there anything else?”

Alice hesitated for a couple of seconds before adding. “You may want to take Esme with you.”

Rosalie’s brows, Jasper’s brows, and Emmett’s brows shot up.

“May I ask why?”

“Because he is curious about her,” Alice frowned as she tried to explain, not able to exactly decipher what it was herself. “From what I gather, he wants to know about her – she is the only one he doesn’t know about.”

Carlisle slowly nodded, getting the just of what Alice was trying to explain. It was curiosity in the end – usually, the curiosity was directed at the entire family, but for some reason, Xavier’s curiosity was for Esme alone.

“Then, midday I will depart and bring back news,” Carlisle decided.

Everyone departed the living room in pairs of mates, each with a different concern and expectation.

۞۞۞

XAVIER’S HOME

BANG

BANG

Chairs flew from one side of the room to the next, embedding themselves into the thick stone of the wall. It took incredible strength to accomplish such a feat.

BANG

BANG

Xavier dashed into the gym, desperate to avoid any more damage to his beautiful home – the gym was the one place where he could utilize his strength with no consequences.

BOOOM

BOOOM

BOOOM

Barbells flew…

Weights hovered in the air, influenced by the gravitons gathering around Xavier.

The Eternal’s eyes flickered with a golden hue in his rage. Even Xavier could not understand why he was currently furious – perhaps it was residual emotions?

Just the mention of his past crimes – not really his, considering they happened more than two months ago – sent Xavier into a frenzy.

Memories started to flash into Xavier’s mind – memories he had subconsciously rejected before.

“NO! NO!” He yelled – his voice booming and shaking the room. “I don’t need them!”

Xavier’s mind, feeling the threat to itself, blacked out – The Eternal collapsed to the ground, ejecting himself into blissful blackness.

It stopped the memories – memories of more than just seventeen years of life.