A/N: We've finally reached the double-digit chapters! Needless to say, things are only going to pick up from here on out; new lore, characters, and of course, POVs!😊💞

Fair warning, there are 6 QOTDs instead of 4 in the closing author's notes for this one. You guys aren't obligated to answer all of them if you aren't comfortable enough to, but I hope you'll at least answer one or two. Every bit of sincere feedback means the world to me.🪶

As always, feel free to leave as many comments as you'd like–keep 'em respectful, of course–and don't forget to use bookmarking comments as needed; in other words, take your time.💖⌚🩵

~ ~ ~

"They have their seasons, so do we. But, please promise me, that sometimes, you will think of me."~Emmy Rossum {lyrics from Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic musical, Phantom of the Opera}

Kenzie's POV

"Alright, everyone say, 'Emerald City', on three! 1, 2,–"

"Emerald City!" we chorused, grinning as the camera flashed.

"Hold on, honey. Let me fix your dress before we go," Mom said, helping me smooth out the skirt while Laur twirled around behind her with Angel and Soph.

"Beautiful as ever, sweetheart," she smiled once she was done, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"So are you, Mom," I smiled back, "And you too, my little mischief-maker," I added, tickling Laur from behind.

"Hey, it's my j-job," she managed to say in between her giggles.

"She's not wrong," Soph chuckled, with Ange nodding in agreement.

"Whose side are you on, Scarecrow?" I jested.

"Dorothy's, of course," she shot back with a smile, helping Laur sit on her shoulders.

"Fair enough," I amended. "Here, from one princess to another," I handed Laur my wand, her eyes lighting up in response.

"Really, for me?" she asked, holding it carefully with both hands.

"Mhm, it's yours for the night. Use it wisely."

"Thanks, Zie-Zie!" she beamed, holding it close as we headed for the car.

"Anytime, Rora. I love you."

~ ~ ~

"–enzie. Kenzie, can you hear me?"

I snapped back to the present, accidentally knocking Ally's hand off my shoulder as I tried to reorient myself. "Y-yeah, I can hear you, Ally. I just, um, I'm sor–"

"No, Kenz. No more apologies; not when you haven't done anything wrong," Alice cut me off, shaking her head firmly as she fixed me with a look that radiated love, exasperation, and concern all at the same time. "Here, sit down," she said, pulling out one of the chairs for me.

Once I was seated at the table, she spoke up again, "We're taking a break from the tour. Do you want something to drink?"

I almost protested, but thought better of it. She has every right to be concerned, and it would do me some good to take five. "Yes, please."

"Alright, do you want me to grab anything else?"

"My sketchbook, if it isn't too much trouble. I put it in the back pocket of my bag, closest to the straps."

"Roger that. I'll be back soon," she saluted, skipping out of the room.

I sat back, focusing on my breathing and the little noises around the house; Esme humming something a room or two over, footsteps and shuffling downstairs, and light clicking noises on the staircase. In for four, out for five. In for five, out for four. In for three, out for four.

Then, I tapped my fingers against each other in a ¾ rhythm and focused on the floral carving of the chair across from me. "How's the tour going?"

Glancing up, I found Edward leaning against the doorjamb, a small smile on his face. "Pretty good, thank you. Ally went to get a few things, but she'll be back soon," I replied.

"Anytime. Mind if I wait with you?" he asked, gesturing to the chair I was focusing on before.

"Not at all," I assured, and he nodded, sitting down. "Do you have a favorite author?"

"A few, actually. I grew up reading a lot of the classics, especially stories by Jules Verne and the Brothers Grimm. I've also enjoyed James Patterson's Witch & Wizard series; have you heard of it?"

"Yeah, it's one of my favorites. I'm not sure if I've said it already, but you have amazing taste in books, Edward," I praised.

"Thank you. I think it's safe to say that you do too, Kenzie; I looked into the series that you recommended to me earlier, and they look really good."

"Nice! Can you let me know what you think after you read 'em?"

"Of course, it would be my pleasure," he agreed easily.

~ ~ ~

"Sorry for the wait, Ellie; Rose called, and then, Em needed my help with something. Here's your soda and sketchbook," she explained, gently setting both down in front of me.

"It's alright, Edward kept me company," I dismissed, smiling gratefully at Edward as he stood to leave.

"It was my pleasure. Have fun with the rest of your tour, Ellie," he nodded back, taking his leave.

"Is everything okay with Rosie?" I questioned, eyebrows furrowing as I turned back to Alice.

"Yeah, everything's alright. She just wanted to double-check a few things on the list I gave her," she reassured, sitting next to me.

"I'm glad everything's okay. Oh, and speaking of Rose, I finished coloring in my drawing of you two earlier. I meant to tell you guys, but I was distracted by everything else."

"It's alright, Kenz. Mind if I see it?" she asked, bouncing a little in her seat.

"Of course," I smiled, gently taking it out of my book, handing it to her, and finishing off my soda.

"This is incredible," she breathed, meeting my eyes with a soft twinkle in hers.

"Thank you, I'm really glad it's to your liking. It's for you and Rosie, so you two can do whatever you want with it," I replied, feeling blush color my cheeks once again.

"I love it, and I know she will too," she pulled me into a gentle side hug, which I happily returned. "Until Rose gets back, is it okay if I hang this on the fridge?" she asked, sitting back and gesturing to the drawing.

"Of course, Ally," I agreed, and we walked into the kitchen.

When we stopped in front of the fridge, Ally turned to me with a smile, "Care to do the honors, Kenzie?"

"Absolutely," I grinned, and after accepting the drawing, carefully pinned it to the fridge door with a silver-blue starburst magnet.

"Perfect!" she beamed with approval. "On with the tour?"

"Onward we go," I nodded, accepting her offered arm and letting her lead me out of the room and past the staircase into a different hallway.

"Here's Carlisle's study," she started, pointing to the first door on the left. "Next to it is Jasper's room, with Carlisle and Esme's room at the end of the hall. Across from all three is our library," she smiled, gesturing to the double doors on the other side of the hallway. "And, around the corner is Esme's art room and another bathroom."

"Those are shamrocks, right?" I asked, nodding at the carvings on the library doors.

"Mhm, they're part of our family crest," she smiled, gesturing to the pendant on her choker necklace. "When we built the house, Esme wanted to incorporate something meaningful into it, and the rest of us agreed, so there are all kinds of symbols worked into its design," she explained. "Some of them are more subtle than others."

"Hold on, you guys built this place, from the ground up?" If my jaw was hanging before, it just hit the floor.

"Yep, Esme's really talented when it comes to designs and blueprints, Carlisle, Edward, and Emmett have a knack for carpentry, and the rest of us were happy to help with everything else, from the heavy-lifting to the final touches."

"Wow, that's–I just–amazing, Ally," I stuttered out, looking around in awe. Never a dull moment around here, that's for sure.

Once I recovered from my shock, Alice led me downstairs to the first floor, and I was a bit shaken to realize that it was almost sunset. Has it really been that long since I got here?

"In here is the living room." We walked in and I smiled at the cozy atmosphere; a warm-toned movie cabinet tucked into the farthest corner with some classic video games stacked on top, a gleaming flat screen tv mounted to the wall, an abundance of heavenly-looking seats, and a beautiful coffee table.

"It's really nice," I remarked. The sweet scent of pumpkin pie that flowed through the room from scented candles reminding me of Aunt Lyla and Laurel. Of home.

"I couldn't agree more," Ally smiled. "Ready for the last stop?"

"I don't think I'll ever be ready for anything you throw my way, Cece, but sure, let's go," I chuckled.

"Touché," she agreed, beaming at the new nickname as she led me back upstairs to the second floor, through the kitchen, and over to a door slightly hidden behind a tall cabinet. "Right this way," she opened the door, flipped the light switch, and I carefully followed after her down the navy-carpeted staircase. "Welcome to the game room," she spoke up when we reached the bottom, before stepping back so I could look around.

"Holy Hestia," I muttered, my eyes drawn in every direction, from the perfectly-placed pool table and dart board to the iconic arcade cabinets lining the back wall.

"Yeah, this is Carlisle and Em's pride and joy," she nodded.

"Can't say I blame 'em," I replied, shaking my head from sheer amazement. Despite the contrast in style between the pool table area and the back where the dart board and cabinets were, none of it felt out of place.

Before she could reply, a car horn sounded twice, making me jump. Ally gently gripped my arm, helping me catch my balance before I could fall. "Are you okay, Iris?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm alright. What was with the horn just now?"

"Rose is back from the errands I asked her to run. The two beeps are her, 'Hi, I could use some help' signal," she explained, opening a sliding wooden door. "You can leave it open, it'll take a few trips to get everything inside." Saluting, I stepped into the garage after her and we made our way through the maze of cars over to Rose's.

"Hey," Rosie greeted when she saw us. "The car's still unlocked; mind grabbing a few bags?" she directed at Ally, as she adjusted the bags she was already carrying.

"You got it," Als chirped, skipping over, grabbing a few, and bringing them inside the house.

"Need an extra set of hands?" I offered.

"If you don't mind, yeah, I'd really appreciate it," she nodded.

"Of course, it's my pleasure," I agreed, picking a few from the trunk and one more from the backseat.

"Thank you, Kenzie," she smiled gratefully.

"Anytime, Rosie," I replied, following her upstairs to the kitchen.

We set the bags down on the island and started unloading them while Em, Jasper, and Esme went down to get the rest. "Here, let me," Rose spoke up, holding the freezer open while I stacked the tubs of ice cream inside. "I hope those are okay; I wasn't completely sure which flavors you'd like," she added.

"They're perfect, Rose; thank you. I'm not very picky when it comes to ice cream, and as far as flavors go, mint chocolate chip and spumoni are delicious," I assured, getting a sweet smile from her in return.

"I'm glad to hear it," she grinned, shutting the freezer and turning back to Als, who was going through the bags left on the counter, humming as she went. "Everything's there, right?"

"Yep," she nodded in approval, switching a few things into different bags, and picking a few up. "Kenz, Rose, can you two start sorting the rest into the pantry while I take these upstairs?" she asked, gesturing to the bags she'd picked up.

"Of course," I agreed easily.

"Perfect, thank you. Just ask Esme if you're not sure where to put something," she replied, kissing my cheek and pulling Rosie into a quick side hug before going upstairs.

After Ally's footsteps faded, Rose turned on the mini speaker that rested on a side table, and her playlist from earlier started playing on low, picking up from where we left off in the car. "Your portrait of us turned out beautifully," she praised, nodding toward the picture of her and Ally that still hung proudly on the fridge.

"Oh, thank you, Rosie. That means a lot to me," I smiled back, fiddling with my jean chain as the first keystrokes of "Bohemian Rhapsody" sounded from the speaker.

"You're very welcome, Kenz," she nodded gently. "Oh, and here's the pantry," she added, opening a floral-carved door, where there were tall shelves built into the three walls.

Although most of them were already well-stocked, there was still more than enough room for the groceries. "You take those, I'll take these?" I suggested, pointing between the four bags left on the island.

"Sounds good to me," she agreed, and we got to work.

~ ~ ~

Esme's POV

Once we got all of the groceries out, Emmett locked the car and we went back inside. "–not picky, Rose! I just have my limits," Kenzie retorted, a lighthearted twinkle in her eye as she passed over the last few boxes.

"Fair enough," Rose chuckled, sliding them into place. "Thanks, you guys," she nodded when she spotted us, and caught her keys when Emmett tossed them her way.

"Anytime. These are the last two," I replied, setting them on the island before Jasper and I made our way downstairs to the living room and split off. I settled in on the sofa with one of my sketchpads and he went over to the entertainment stand where a few game consoles and controllers were, a little box of batteries in hand.

When the laughter and banter from upstairs faded into the background, I filled the silence as I drew. "Blackbird singing in the dead of night. Take these broken wings and learn to fly. All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise–"

The chime of my phone ringing pulled me back to the present, and I smiled when I saw the caller ID. "Hi, honey, how's your night going?" I greeted, setting my pad and pencil down on the coffee table, my smile growing when I heard Jasper quietly humming to himself.

"Everything's been fairly smooth, thank you. Speaking of which, how is the girls' sleepover going?"

"That's wonderful, love, and you're very welcome. They're having a ball, and Kenzie is just as sweet as they said," I gushed, briefly closing my eyes and embracing the serene sounds of joy echoing through the house, knowing, even without my son's gift, that he was basking in it just as much, if not more.

"Good, I'm glad to hear it. I just need to wrap up some of my paperwork, and then I'll be on my way home; I should be there within the hour, give or take," he said, his smile melting into his words like honey.

"I love you, Isle," I vocalized, for what must have been the ten-thousandth time.

"I love you more, Es," was his immediate reply.

"Impossible," I retorted, relaxing further against the cushions at his answering chuckle.

"See you soon."

"See you soon," I echoed, meeting Jasper's eyes across the room with an understanding nod before he left, and went back to my sketch after hanging up, absently wondering what my kids upstairs were doing.

~ ~ ~

Kenzie's POV

After Esme and Jasper left us to it in the kitchen, Rose, Em, and I made quick work of the remaining bags, which may or may not have included an impromptu game of catch-the-can.

"Smooth, Shortstack," Em complimented, a proud glint in his eyes when I deftly caught a fruit can from him. "You play sports?"

"Thank you. Yeah, I play lacrosse, baseball, and I'm decent at gymnastics," I nodded, setting the can on a shelf and closing the pantry door.

"Very nice," Rose remarked, and Em nodded in agreement.

"Do you play competitively, or just for fun?" he questioned, tilting his head to the side.

"Mainly just for fun. I played on a little league soccer team in elementary school; that was my intro to sports. After that, I drifted more towards theatre, but I still enjoy a good game of almost anything when I'm in the right mood," I replied, leaning back against the counter.

"Alright, I'm back!" Ally called, as she came skipping back into the room.

"What were you up to, Cece? Dancing with a harpy?" I chuckled, gladly accepting a hug from my favorite pixie.

"Hmm?" she questioned, tilting her head after stepping back.

"You've got some feathers in your hair, Ally. Do you mind if I–"

"Oh, not at all," she smiled, realization sparking in her eyes, and I carefully picked the colorful feathers out of her hair and dropped them in the garbage can. "Thanks, Ellie," she grinned gratefully.

"No problem, happy to help," I replied, before Em got my attention.

"Jazz and I have everything set up for our tournament, if you're up to the challenge, that is," he smirked.

"I'm ready when you are, Hercules," I agreed, stepping forward.

"Right this way," he nodded, leading the way downstairs to the living room. Edward and Esme were on the sofa, reading and drawing, respectively.

"Where is Jasper?" I wondered aloud, not having seen him since he helped bring in groceries.

"He went on a walk after all of the groceries were brought in. He'll be back soon," Esme answered, as she slid her pencil behind her ear and set her sketch to the side. I nodded gratefully to her.

"How was the rest of your tour?" Edward asked, carefully marking his page and setting the book–"The Princess Bride"–aside. Just when I thought his taste in books couldn't be any better. I wonder if he's seen the movie.

"It was really good, thank you. The art is amazing; you're all very talented," I praised.

"Thank you, honey," Esme beamed. She stood up, made her way over to us, and pulled me into another loving embrace. "I'm glad you've been having a nice time so far."

"You're very welcome," I smiled, happily returning the gesture. "You guys make it impossible not to." With that, I pulled back and took a seat on the sofa next to Em, while Esme retook her seat on the adjacent side of it, and everyone else joined soon after.

Rose settled in on Em's other side and Ally sat criss-cross applesauce on the floor between me and the coffee table. "Ally, are you sure you don't want to sit on the sofa? There's still plenty of room," I offered, gesturing to the space next to me, not to mention the chairs around the room.

She turned to look up at me and softly shook her head, "I'm alright here, Kenz, but thank you for checking."

"No problem, Cece," I assured, nearly missing the wink she sent my way. Wait, what is she up to?

"Alright, pick your poison," Em piped up, holding out two Wii controllers, one with a Mario Kart steering wheel, and one without. Making my choice, I gently tapped the red controller/black wheel combo, and he handed it over.

I'd just picked Rosalina as my avatar–Em picked Yoshi–when there was a knock to our right. "Mind if I join you guys?" Jasper asked, leaning against the wall.

"Not at all, honey," Esme replied, greeting him with a soft smile.

He returned it easily and made his way over. "May I?" he questioned, gesturing to the spot to my right.

"You may," I nodded, and he settled in beside me.

"Thank you, ma'am," he voiced, his Southern lilt making another appearance.

"You're very welcome, kind sir," I returned in kind, finding the racetrack selection menu up on the flat screen when Em gently nudged my side.

"Ladies first," he smiled, gesturing to it with his controller.

"Let's start with the Star Cup," I decided, after giving the other courses a once-over.

"Good luck, Kenzie," he grinned, as we watched the intro to Daisy Circuit play.

"Right back at you, Emmy." I sat up straighter, taking my racing stance as the referee, Lakitu, counted down. The horn sounded and we were off.

~ ~ ~

"The leaves aren't going to save you, buddy!" I chuckled, guiding Rosalina's bike into the final lap of Maple Treeway, dodging around one of the big caterpillars, and going from 5th to 3rd place in a matter of minutes.

"Don't get cocky, Kenz," he jested.

"Takes one to know one, Solo," I shot back, spurring forward around another bend as Ally's windchime laughter and Jasper's soft chuckle filled the room like fairydust.

~ ~ ~

"One more Cup?" Em asked, hope shining in his eyes as we turned away from the Star Cup scoreboard. It's not that either of us did poorly; we both did pretty well, on the contrary, with me in 2nd place and Em close behind in 4th by the end.

Between his eagerness and the blast it was to race with him, there was no way I could say no. "Absolutely," I grinned. "We should take a break first, though. I don't know about you, but my hands started cramping near the end of Grumble Volcano."

"Your wish is my command," he agreed, setting down his controller. "Special Cup after we take five?"

"Perfect," I beamed in approval.

"Can I get you anything, sweetheart?" Esme offered.

"A glass of water would be good, if it's not too much trouble," I replied, grateful beyond words for the kindness and warmth that seemed to flow through the very walls, like melodies through a theatre.

"Not at all," she assured, as she rose to her feet and moved upstairs with my favorite pixie following suit.

"Rosie?"

"Yeah?"

"Which way is the restroom?" I asked, not wanting to risk getting lost.

"Here, I'll show you," she replied, standing and gesturing for me to follow her upstairs. As we passed the kitchen, the smell of popcorn hit my nose, causing old movie night memories to resurface...

"Welcome, one and all, to the Ander–" No, Kenz, not tonight. Not now.

"Here it is," Rose smiled, stopping next to an open door. "I'll see you downstairs," she added, going back down the hallway, her heels clicking on the stairs soon after.

~ ~ ~

While I washed my hands, I tried to relax with some deep breaths, but it only did so much. C'mon, Ellie, it's not even November yet. You're stronger than this.

I could sense it, then; the tension in my shoulders, shudder of my heart's beating, and how my fingers clutched onto the sink like an anchor. "N-no, no, not now. Not here, pl-lease," I muttered, sinking to my knees, and, knowing I was fighting a losing battle, braced myself for the worst.

~ ~ ~

A/N: And, there you have it, our first taste of the double-digit chapters!🧡🦋

Now, I was debating about this for a while, but since I didn't want to overwhelm you in my opening author's notes, I'll announce it here. This series, More Than Anything, isn't going to be five books anymore. It's going to be six.😄

It was originally just five since there are only four main books in the original saga–"Twilight", "New Moon", "Eclipse", & "Breaking Dawn"–and "More Than Fate" is the start of Kenzie's story, but for right now, my series is going to have six books in order to fully encompass her life.📖

Honestly, it's a little more fitting this way, since there are almost six movies–"Breaking Dawn" was given the Part 1 & 2 treatment–and Waylon Forge, Kenzie & Laurel's dad, is only a character in the movie adaptations.🌙

🎶 Featured Music- "Think of Me" performed by Emmy Rossum & Patrick Wilson, "Blackbird" by The Beatles, "Edelweiss" performed by Christopher Plummer {the song Jasper was humming}, "Bitterroot Dreams" by Jason Webber and The River Kids {the song Alice was humming}, & "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen.

Questions of the Day

~ Are there any characters we haven't seen very much that you'd like to see more of in the next few chapters?

~ Has anyone tried making a nickname counter for this or any of my other main stories?

~ Are there any POVs you guys want to see or see more of in the near future, and if so, whose & why?

~ Speaking of POVs, how interested would you be in seeing POVs from the perspectives of Kenzie's teachers?

~ Considering the way this chapter ended, do you have any new thoughts and/or theories about how Kenz & Carlisle meeting is going to go and/or what Kenzie's flashbacks might be hinting to?

~ Is the pacing for the POVs & chapters in general alright so far?

~Love, Sunset