Twilight
nine, late-night prom

Persephone Cullen looked at herself in the mirror, really loving her prom dress. This year around, she wore a simple black dress. It looked flawless on her, but it still made her sad.

Despite not enjoying high school, Steph did enjoy prom. It was a day where everyone was so busy worrying about themselves and their special day that the humans ignored the Cullen's. It made her feel normal.

Edward and Persephone normally attended all prom and school social events together. But the mindreader now had Bella, which was totally fine, great even. It just made Steph feel a little alone, not that she would ever let Edward hear this though. He would feel guilty and she wanted him to enjoy his first prom with Bella, his mate.

Originally Steph wasn't going to attend the school's prom but Alice had bought her a beautiful dress and it needed to be worn. Everyone also wanted her to go, Edward even promised to dance with her.

Edward needed her to go because he would be guilty the entire night if she didn't. He had been her date for decades, it was hard to stop now and leave her alone.

Steph sighed as she put on her earring, the past couple of days have been hectic. But now that it was over and Edward was on his way to pick up Bella. The lingering thought of Sam took over her mind.

He was surely from La Push because there was no way Steph wouldn't notice him at Forks High School.

Was he still in high school? Was he married yet? Was he happy? Who is Sam really?

All these questions lingered and Steph hated it. It was like her mind couldn't just forget about Sam from the flower shop. She has been successful at avoiding that flower shop, Steph now buys flowers from a small shop in Port Angeles.

It was mainly to avoid Mrs. Lee...but also because seeing Sam again even if by mistake would only encourage unsettling thoughts and wonders about Sam.

This whole thing stunned the blonde vampire, she has met thousands of human boys and not one has ever captured any of her attention. What made Sam so different?

Steph was so distracted in her thoughts, that she didn't even hear Esme knock on the door. The mother figure opened to door to find her daughter looking very conflicted and...sad.

Esme knew Edward was a reason why but there was something else. She sits next to Steph on her vanity chair and softly touches her arm causing the blonde to jump in stock. But signs in relief when she sees her mother.

"Hi, mom." The blonde says softly trying to smile but failing. Esme has always been able to see through her lies, like a true mother.

"Hi, sweetie." The nickname made Steph smile and lay her head against Esme's.

"What's wrong? You don't have to go if you don't want to." Esme says pushing the hair out of her face.

Everyone had left already, Steph told them she would join them later and made them leave. Even if they didn't want to, she just needed time to think. Alice only agreed because she saw Steph joining them and looking happy.

"I'm sad," Persephone says tears form in her eyes and they fall out of her eyes without permission. "I don't want to be alone. What if I'm alone forever Mom? I keep thinking about Dad's old friends, you know the alone ones."

She shuddered at the thought, over the decades they've run into some of Carlisle's old acquaintances. Some have been alive for hundreds of years and are still mate-less. Steph didn't want to end up like them.

Carlisle immediately upon hearing Steph words rushed to her room and stood in the doorway. He loved Rosalie and Alice but Persephone was his first daughter so he had a soft spot for her. Seeing her sad, hurt.

"You won't be, Persephone. I promise, your time is coming." Esme said, not liking her daughter's tears. Steph was the only one who could cry so her tears were rare since she hardly cried.

"You don't know that mom. Alice doesn't even know and she knows everything." Steph argued back softly.

Both women chuckle at the words, Carlisle makes himself known by walking over to blonde and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"She doesn't know everything, besides the best things take time sweetheart." Steph placed her hand on top of her father's, "I love Esme more than anything but it took a couple hundred years to finally meet her and when I did, I didn't know she was my mate. You know, 'cause she was a teenager." He joked, causing both vampires to chuckle.

His words were true, Carlisle and Esme first met when she was 16 years old and had broken her leg from falling off a tree. But they both moved on until years later when he saw her on her deathbed.

"I loved him even when I was 16 though. It just wasn't the right time. But I never forgot him." She reminded, laughing at her teenage thoughts. Young Esme was so fascinated when she first met Carlisle.

"You both truly believe I'm not destined to be alone forever?" Their daughter asked, her insecure thoughts getting the best of her.

Moth Esme and Carlisle grab one hand, "truly, sweetie."

"But when you meet him don't make it easy, he deserves to grovel for making you wait." Carlisle jokes wanting to make her smile.

It worked, Persephone laughed.

"You're both right, but hopefully I meet him soon. I hate waiting."

Both parents hug her close, Persephone will always hold a special place in their hearts. She was the child that immediately stuck with them and called them her parents.

——

Before attending prom, the blonde vampire decided to take a short drive around Port Angeles. Just needed some air, before she joined her siblings and a group of teenagers.

However, before she can make it to prom a sudden movement makes her slow down. A car was broken done on the side of the road. She could see a dark figure with the hood open trying to find the issue, maybe?

Steph couldn't just leave someone in need on the side of the road, late at night. So she pulls over in front of the car and steps out of the car. She walks over, not wanting to freight the person.

"Persephone?" The voice said, unsure but there was something else.

"Uh yes," Steph stopped, how did this person know her name, "do you need help?" walking closer to the stranger but her eyes went wide when she saw the face of the stranger.

The world hated her, oh it hated her.

"Sam?" The blonde said with wide eyes, stock written all over her face. The man smiled at her nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

"O-oh yeah, it's really nice to see you again." As soon as the words came out, he regretted them.

Guilty, ever since he first met Persephone he has been visiting that flower shop more often. However stopped after the owner Mrs. Lee started to ask suspicious questions as to why he would come more often like if she knew the reason.

"You as well, did you need help?" She asked once again, wanting to leave this whole situation. This man was engaged and taken. She needed to keep a distance because she found him attractive and felt some sort of pull for him. Which was wrong. Very wrong.

"Yeah, it looks like I ran out of gas. And no one is picking up the phone." Sam says nervously looking at everything except the beautiful blonde in front of him.

"Well lucky for you, I always carry extra in my car." It was true, the Cullen always had an extra gallon in their truck as well as an extra tired just in case after a situation, a couple of years back. (Hopefully this is possible and realistic, I know nothing about cars. LOL)

Sam finally looked at her and he felt his heart stop, she was beautiful. Looked perfect, like a girl you see straight out of a magazine.

He gulps, suddenly feeling his throat dry. Guilty thoughts in his head again. He watched as Steph opened her trunk and pulled out the gallon container.

She turns around and looks at him nervously, noticing his lingering stare. "Hopefully it works."

The soon-to-be wolf reaches for it but stops when he feels her cold hands. However it was completely the opposite for Persephone who felt his hands extremely hot. Maybe even a little too hot.

He suddenly looks at her differently, like in realization. "Oh shoot. You must be cold, I have an extra jacket in my car."

Persephone is frozen for a moment, not believing what is going on. Is he going to offer me his jacket?

Yes. Yes, he was. Sam pulls out an extra jacket he had in his car and offers it to the blonde. It seems like Leah was out of his mind, clearly.

Steph looks at him in surprise but hesitates. She wasn't really cold, but obviously Sam didn't know that.

"Are you sure?" The blonde asked and that even made Sam stop and think, am I sure?

But he found himself saying clearing his throat, and saying, "I'm sure, it's a trade. Keep it."

Both exchanged the items and Steph looked down at her hands to feel the soft jacket. Suddenly feeling very cool. She slowly put it on, as if unsure if she even should.

Sam opened the handle and started to put the gas inside, watching as this beautiful girl wore his jacket. Suddenly, as if it was all coming back to him, he thought about his fiancé, Leah.

If she found out about this, she would have this blonde's head. Things have been so hard lately, he's been so angry at everything and everyone.

"Sam, what are you doing out so late anyways?" Persephone asked but remembered that it may be personal, "if you don't mind me asking."

Sam shook his head and gave the blonde a smile, "Me and my dad got into a fight. I just needed a breather but forgot my tank was low. Thanks for saving me."

Green eyes met his brown ones and the vampire smiled. "Happy to help...but I'm sorry about your dad."

Sam gave her a genuine smile, something he hadn't given in a while. "What about you? Are you going to a party?" He wondered out loud before his cheeks heat up in embarrassment.

Steph looked down and suddenly remembered prom. Shoot it was getting late

"It's my prom tonight. I'm actually on my way over there." Steph says causing Sam to freeze for a moment.

Shit, how old is this girl? Is she jail bait? She looks at least eighteen right?

Just a small moment before he asked, "No date? You should have made the guy pick you up."

"Oh, I don't have a date. No one asked me." That was true, after rejecting most guys when they asked. They got the hint. That and Emmett had been scaring off potential dates who even walked towards her nervously. It seemed like Emmett was around her a lot during prom season.

That stocked Sam, "No one asked you? How is that possible, you're beautiful."

Sam once again regretted the words only for a moment because when he saw Steph blush and smile, it made him happy.

"Thanks, Sam. That makes a lot." She says softly, before remembering she has somewhere to me. "Well, I'll see you around? Did you want your jacket back?"

"Definitely." The man said, without even thinking about it. "And keep it, it looks good on you."

A part of Sam wanted the jacket back, just as an excuse to see her again. But he couldn't, he was an engaged man. So he couldn't see her again, no matter how much he wanted to.

The blonde blushed once again and smiled before she turned back to her car. She starts driving away, once she knows he would be okay.

Once Persephone parked her car in the event parking lot, she stopped and wrapped her arms in a hug softly. The jacket smelled like Sam, it smelled like flowers and maybe his cologne?

Steph knew she couldn't walk in wearing it, her siblings would ask questions. Questions she didn't want to answer. So she took it off and put it in the back seat, trying to hide it and making sure to control her thoughts because Edward could be around.

Sam's gesture alone meant so much to Persephone, it made her feel bubbly inside. It made her hopeful for the future. She had never been in love before, simply witnessing it.

Persephone Cullen knew at that moment that she was willing to wait as long as it took to meet her special person. Her soulmate. Because it would be worth it in the end.

What the vampire didn't know was as soon as she left Sam Uley felt an excruciating pain that led him to the woods. Tonight the first shapeshifter turned, all thanks to a certain blonde vampire.

——

Author notes: WHAT DID YOU THINK? I needed one more interaction before he turned into you know what!

Let's just say, Sam already had the symptoms but tonight was the final push needed. My Persephone is going to be so guilty when she finds out.

I hope you all enjoyed it and the wait was worth it.

Don't forget to vote, comment, and follow me to stay updated.

Word count: 2313