✧

It's strange how one moment can change your entire life. Sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst. It all depends on the circumstances and mentality, but in all fairness, there isn't a handbook to prepare you for instances such as discovering the person you believed to be dead turned out to be alive all this time and right in front of you.

Despite never getting along with him that well, the months after his death had been one of the darkest ones. The screams, the stares, the whispers, and the purple bruise on her cheek given by a frightened wizard wouldn't fade. All the isolation and loathing being received wasn't even the worst part.

It was the guilt.

Some of his Hufflepuff friends made sure to scold her for attending his funeral, claiming she had no business attending when all they did was argue. Not just that. They resorted to using her name against her and demanding she stays far from them since the darkness would grab ahold of her. In their closed off minds, they believed if the Dark Lord was back, that would signify she would become a part of his army.

Any connection to her would be a death sentence, so rejection became her consolation prize.

Now that she knows he's alive (well, sort of), she's not entirely sure how to handle the situation. It's been hard taking everything in and although she's glad he's alive, it leaves her astounded on how another person survived the killing curse.

Maybe she's being too hopeful about her puzzling future, but a part of her wonders if this survival streak could be something she becomes a part of. Dying at her father's hands is very likely that she often spends late hours of the night pondering all the possibilities where the universe could grant her some kind of alleviation.

There's just something about this rare percent that gives her hope, which is unfamiliar territory for her. With everything that's occurred these past few years, she's learned to expect disappointment so that way, she'll never be disappointed. It's not the healthiest mentality, but hey, it's been working so far.

Well, at least until now.

"How are you doing with everything?" Mia trails after Edward as both of them climb down a couple boulders to get a better view of the lake.

This past week, it's been hectic not just for her, but for him as well. For starters, he hasn't spoken to Carlisle after confronting him. He's been staying in Mia's room (without her mother knowing, of course). She's noticed him being extremely pensive lately and she can tell he's trying to force his memories to return.

It's upsetting seeing him this distressed that she feels useless not knowing how to help. She wishes there was some kind of spell to help him, but the brain is one of the greatest mysteries that not even magic can decipher. It seems time is the only possible solution for this, which he definitely has a lot of.

To make matters worse, there's the gnawing guilt piercing her chest on keeping another secret from him. Not being able to tell him about the ultimatum is another weight added to her shoulders. Being aware of how self-sacrificial he can be is the only reason as to why she's choosing to not tell him anything. Contrary to other times, ignorance is actually bliss now.

Edward comes to an abrupt stop, his knees coming down a couple inches from the boulder. His hands start fidgeting with the pebbles underneath him as he stares at the lake in front that contain an array of branches swimming in it.

"I'm-" he struggles in admitting the truth since he doesn't want her to worry, but she's the only one that has been able to read him like an open book. "I'm managing it."

Mia takes the spot next to him, her hands locking together to emit warmth to the other. She frowns ever so slightly as it's obvious he's not managing this, but is actually trying to repress his emotions. "You shouldn't manage it. You should let yourself feel it. It's normal to be upset, so don't be afraid of giving into it."

He nonchalantly shrugs, "I guess it just hasn't set in. I still can't believe that I knew you before this and we didn't like each other. It just- I can't imagine ever disliking you."

She snorts and shakes her head, "Believe me, it was easy for you like it was for me. You're just saying that now because we're together and because your feelings have switched."

"Are you sure there was just dislike between us?"

Mia laughs obnoxiously loud at the question, which makes him stare at her in perplexion. It's funny the way life works out considering they vexed each other all the time, and now all these feelings have developed between them. Well, it's not like it counts, right? He doesn't remember anything, so in a way, it's not like it's actually him, but Edward instead.

"I'm taking that as a no," he speaks through her laughter, unable to prevent his smile from becoming wider.

She glances toward the lake and her laugh comes to a gradual stop. The familiar fog hovering over the body of water sends goosebumps down her skin when recognizing the scene as the one she dreamt about. Up to the way the trees are surrounding it, the way the boulders are located as if to prevent any escape, it's undeniable that this is the exact lake in her dream where her father had drowned her in.

She doesn't want to believe her dreams could have an actual meaning, but all the signs are pointing to it. Before coming face to face with Dimitri, she dreamt of him giving her the dark mark, and what happened after? He appeared after years of being locked away in Azkaban.

What if the dream of being drowned actually happens? Was that a glimpse into her future then? No, it can't be, because that would mean she's actually dying and the mere thought of that makes her afraid of what's to come.

Following her line of sight, Edward studies the scenery and wonders what has her so worried. He narrows his eyes pensively at her and attempts to read her mind, but like expected, there's nothing but silence.

"Is something wrong?"

Out of a habit she's picked up on, Mia starts pinching her forearm and slowly runs her fingernails up and down her skin. Red marks appear as quick as the truth, becoming more vibrant with every hastily abrasion. She believes that as long as she doesn't feel the curvatures dancing along her skin, everything will be alright even if it doesn't appear as such.

"Mia!"

Edward's voice and hand preventing her from continuing make her trance fade. She blinks harshly and tries regaining some composure, her head turning in his direction slowly with a blank expression.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Mia pulls her hand back from his grip and lowers her jumper's sleeves to conceal the red marks. She knows better than to hope he doesn't pry, but she knows him like the palm of her hand to know he won't stand back.

"You're not fine," he insists, the tone of his voice deepening with concern. "You just... went somewhere and were hurting yourself."

"I wasn't," she snaps, which only furthers his argument. "This isn't about me. This is about you. Stop focusing on me."

Mia shields her hands under her arms and averts her gaze to the ground. Maintaining secrets has never been challenging for her, but lying to her boyfriend about something as grave as this ultimatum feels like a betrayal somehow. The right thing would be telling him about the cure being planned to be used on him unless she decides to join the Dark Lord's army. Of course, she's not a fool to not know which option he would choose – becoming human and dying again.

"Did Carlisle explain how he found you?"

Her choice on changing the subject doesn't go unnoticed, but he decides to give her space as she will tell him when she's ready. "He was hunting when he found me. My father brought my body home, but since Carlisle was near, he was able to hear the faintest heartbeat. The only reason why I didn't suspect anything about my past is because the wizard that locked the truth away had planted all these memories in me that were nothing but a lie. It was just a trick to cover Carlisle's tracks, so now I'm not sure of what memory is real and which is not."

She can't imagine how terrible he must be feeling. Not knowing which part of your life is real sounds like the worst torture imaginable. It makes the supposed life you had to be nothing but a farce and making you question the reality of everything.

"Carlisle saved me the only way he could and made me into this," Edward fidgets with his hands nervously, his eyes filling with uncertainty and distress. "I'm not sure if I should believe him, but he claims he doesn't remember the wizard that hid this secret away. All of this... it's just a big, gigantic mess."

She's unsure of what to say despite the millions of thoughts running through her head. Her first instinct is to believe Dumbledore had been the wizard, but Remus told her this had been a discovery for him as well. She doesn't trust him, but she trusts Remus' judgment, which is the only reason she's choosing not to place this revelation on Dumbledore's shoulders.

"You should talk to him," she blurts him out and he looks at her like she said something ridiculous.

"Why should I? He lied to me on purpose and now I'm questioning my entire life," he rushes through his words that if she hadn't been used to it, she wouldn't have understood him.

"I get that, but he only did it for your safety," Mia hates seeing him separated from his family. He has always been united with them and would do anything for them, but this revelation has him isolating himself. Of course she understands this is hard, but pushing away those who helped him in his second life would be the worst possible mistake he could make.

"It doesn't change what he did."

His resentment makes her afraid that once her truth comes out, he's going to hold it over her head for a long time. She tries pretending this isn't affecting her personally, but it's hard ignoring the worry of what her secret could bring.

"I'll find somewhere else to stay, so you don't have to worry about-"

"Woah woah woah," she flails her hands in frustration as her voice gets higher. "When did you hear me say I wanted you to leave?"

He doesn't say anything and instead averts his gaze to the ground.

"You're staying with me for as long as you need, but I just want you to reconcile with your family," Mia softly says, hoping he takes her words for consideration. "Your entire life has been turned upside down and facing this alone is not the answer."

Edward turns to her, his gaze softening when meeting her sparkling eyes, "I'm not alone. I have you."

"Well, yeah," she playfully rolls her eyes, attempting to refrain from smiling. "I meant family wise. Carlisle took you in as his own and supported you through everything. It's unfair that you're holding this over his head when he did it to keep you safe. He might not be your biological father, but you have to admit that he's acted like one."

He knows she's right and if he's being honest, he would have done the same if the roles were reversed. It's just upsetting having been kept in the dark for so long and from the looks of it, Carlisle wasn't planning on ever telling him. If it hadn't been for Remus, the truth would have never come out, and that's what has him so upset.

Mia lays her head on his shoulder, her hand wrapping around his to pull him closer. "I don't want you to feel like you're being pressured. It's just something to think about," she softly says, nuzzling deeper into him as he wraps his arms around her.

"I know," Edward's voice is barely a whisper as he takes in her warmth, both of them turning silent as they stare at the lake and contemplate on what's to come in the next few months.

__________________

Arranging the table as neatly as possible, Mia sets the drinks and snacks in the right places. The Swans and the Blacks would be arriving to watch the big game and since it's the first dinner between them and Charlie, Isobel wanted to mark the occasion by dining out in the yard. It just so happened that today the sky is overcast and it's not as cold as the previous days, making it the perfect time to put their patio to good use.

"Drinks are on this side, the potato crisps on the other," Isobel mutters to herself while running back and forth to fix the details she doesn't like. "What am I missing?"

"Nothing. Everything is all set," she assures her, but it seems her words went in one ear and out the other.

"The wine and the beers!" Isobel sprints back inside as if she were running from the devil.

Mia shakes her head with a smile and adjusts the tablecloth once more. It's extremely obvious this gathering is important and from experience, she knows the nerves that come with hoping for dinner to go smoothly. Even if it's been over a month since meeting the Cullens, she's still worried they lied and don't actually like her, but she tries pushing her doubts aside by claiming it's nothing but overthinking.

Speaking of the Cullens, she really would have liked to have been able to invite Edward. She would have if it weren't for the mutual dislike between him and Jacob, and she guesses that Billy also comes into the picture. She's not going to risk this reunion going terribly for her mother, so she made sure to ask him not to come over until tomorrow at least.

She heads to the cooler for a can of lemonade and is about to take a seat in the patio swing, but suddenly hears a loud rustling sound coming from the nearest tree, more specifically from above. She glances up and narrows her eyes to try and acquire a better look, but becomes startled when Edward takes a giant leap from the tallest branch and lands perfectly in front.

Nearly choking on her drink, she places her hand against her heart and coughs on the lemonade that went through. Her face turns a beet red as she tries regaining composure and breathing much more controllably.

He walks over to her and gently pats her on the back in an attempt to offer help, but she swats his hand off and coughs a few more times until finally, she's able to speak. She points her finger at him accusingly as her eyes narrow into slits, "You almost gave me a heart attack! I could have died and then I'd be forced to come back just to haunt you for an eternity."

Edward smiles as he walks over to her, "Just wanted to come say hi."

"Hi," Mia sharply says and harshly sets the can of lemonade on the table. She tries pretending to be annoyed, but she's actually extremely happy that he stopped by. "You should really be careful in using your abilities. I have nosy neighbors, so let's not risk you getting caught."

"No one saw me," Edward rests his hands on her waist to pull her closer, their bodies now pressed together like a completed puzzle. "I took your advice. You were right."

"I love being right," she smiles and flips her hair back in a prideful way. "But what was I right about?"

"I spoke to Carlisle and we fixed everything," he admits, unable to contain his joy at finally settling things with his family. "I considered his side and I now understand why he did it. In all honesty, I would have done it myself."

"You see? You should listen to me more often," Mia pridefully says, a smirk rising from the corners of her lips. "I'm always right."

He teasingly rolls his eyes and brings her closer, their faces just mere centimeters from touching, "You're living up to the name, little witch."

"Is that so, ghosty?" Mia whispers, her voice causing electricity to shock his system. He swallows hard and comes closer to the point she can feel the coolness of his skin and he can feel her heat radiating from her body. "What else am I living up to?"

Edward swallows hard as for once, his mind becomes blank and he's unsure of how to continue. She truly has a gift in entracing him to the point of losing his train of thought and forgetting the world around him.

"You know," he whispers to her, "Everything."

Mia shortens the distance between them and stands on her tiptoes to capture him in a kiss. He leans in at the same time and presses his lips against hers, his hand caressing her cheek with passion while the other grasps onto her waist with both delicacy and desire. She gasps through their kiss, loving the electrifying sensation coursing through her system and the way his touch causes goosebumps to trail down her skin.

He dives deeper into their kiss, their bodies becoming closer than ever to the point they stumble on the table. She knows it's time to stop, but not a single part of her wants to. It's truly impossible to abstain herself that she wonders how she could have resisted for so long.

"We should-" she says through their kiss, gasping shortly at his refreshing touch. "We should probably stop."

"Probably," he says through his heavy breathing. "Do you want to stop?"

Mia shakes her head, "Of course not, but my mother is inside."

He pauses for a brief second and glances toward the house, "She's heading down the stairs. We have about ten seconds left."

"That's more than enough," she pulls him through the collar of his puffer jacket and aggressively crashes her lips on his, savoring the moment before being forced to pull away.

The sound of the doorbell ringing breaks them apart and Isobel's nervous squeal makes them laugh, but the enjoyment is short-lived once Edward's expression turns grim.

"There's my complication," he mutters under his breath and lands a kiss on her forehead. "I'll call you later, love."

Mia nods at him and he starts heading toward the fence, but isn't granted the chance to leave when the others arrive at the most inconvenient time. She runs a hand through her hair and smiles nervously, hoping nothing unfolds at this little reunion.

"Edward," Isobel greets him with a smile. "I didn't know you were here."

He forces a smile and hesitantly walks over. Jacob and Billy's harsh thoughts against him are louder than ever, making him wish he wasn't the owner of his gift. He avoids looking at them and instead focuses on Isobel, "I just wanted to come say hi, but I was just leaving-"

"Nonsense. Join us," she gestures her hand to the table, not sensing an increase in tension between him, Jacob, and Billy.

"I can't, but thank you for the-"

"I insist," Isobel cuts him off with a sharp voice. "And I don't take no for an answer."

Mia can feel Edward's need to leave, but before she can attempt to come to his rescue, that's when Billy decides to speak up.

"Just stay. It's not like we bite," Billy's remark makes her internally cringe as she knows it's an attack on what he is.

"Billy, this is Edward," she introduces them just to keep up appearances. "And Edward, this is Jacob."

Edward offers his hand to them both and it's obvious they're reluctant in shaking it, but they know better than to create a scene in front of the others.

Bella walks over to Mia and whispers, "Is it just me or did it get extremely uncomfortable?"

"It's not just you," she whispers back.

"Brought some Vitamin R," Charlie holds up 2 six packs of beer and places them on the table.

Billy breaks his harsh gaze to glance in his friend's direction, "Well done, chief. I brought Harry Clearwater's homemade fish fry. Hope you don't mind, Isobel."

Mia reaches over for the paper bag and uncomfortably maneuvers her way past his accusing stare. In all honesty, she doesn't understand why he's bothered by Edward's presence since it's technically the Cullens' territory according to the treaty. If it's about the safety of the Swans or them, it's not like she and Isobel can't protect them since they're literally witches.

"Mind? You managed to read my mind, Billy. I was just craving for it," Isobel comments, still completely unaware of the awkwardness in the air.

"I'm full of surprises," he says before turning back to Charlie. "Any luck with that Waylon case?"

The tension can practically be cut with a knife. With Billy and Jacob's harsh gazes, it's getting harder to ignore it. She exchanges a look with Edward and she gestures with her head inside the house.

"Well, I don't think it was an animal that killed him," Charlie says as he takes a seat, Billy and Jacob following behind.

"Never thought it was," Billy grumbles and once again glances at Edward with an accusatory look.

"Spread the word out in the rez, alright? Gotta keep the kids out of the woods."

"Will do," he assures him, continuing to stare at Edward and now at Mia. "Don't want no one else getting hurt, do we?"

Mia has to bite the inside of her cheek to refrain from answering back. She knows better than to argue with him, but the judgmental tone and indirect hints being sent are getting on her last nerve.

"So, how about the big game?" Bella suddenly blurts out, her voice loud and full of nerves. She has an awkward smile spreading across her face and goes to stand next to Jacob. "That- that sounds exciting."

Jacob nods in agreement with her, "Yeah. It's really... exciting. Right, dad?"

Billy doesn't say anything, but instead just hums in response. He forces himself to look away from Edward when realizing it won't do anything, especially when sensing the anger from Mia. "How about we start digging in? The food looks delicious, Isobel."

Jacob walks over to Mia and pulls her in for an embrace, gently raising her into the air before setting her down. "It's been a while since we've seen each other. We really need to get together more often."

She chuckles softly and nods her head, "Agree. The last time I saw you, you seemed to be shorter. Now you're taller than me. How is that even possible?"

"He claims he's just filling out," Bella teases, earning a laugh from Jacob. "But I say it's anabolic steroids."

Mia notices the way they're looking at each other all adoringly. Bella's face is blushing red and Jacob's smiling all nervously like a lovestruck teenager. It's only when seeing their hands reaching out for the other when she realizes what's happening.

"Hold on," she says through a delighted smile. "Are you two now a thing?"

The pair turn to each other in excitement, both of them nodding and glancing toward her, "It seems we are."

She gasps in ecstasy and is unable to prevent her grin from becoming wider. Before she knows it, she's leaping with excitement, "And you didn't tell me? I'm so freaking happy for you guys!"

"We are too," Bella adoringly stares at Jacob, who is obviously getting bashful at the fondness in his girlfriend's eyes.

"Come on you guys," Charlie calls out to them and waves his hand in the direction of the table. "It's time to eat this delicious cuisine Isobel prepared."

Isobel teasingly rolls her eyes, "It's some Italian recipe I found online. No big deal."

Bella and Jacob are the first to head to the table, leaving Mia and Edward behind as they're now reminded of the tension that's about to return.

Mia grabs ahold of his hand to bring him closer, "Are you sure you're okay with staying? I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to leave."

Edward softly smiles, "I'll always be okay as long as you're with me."

She rolls her eyes, "You're the sappiest person I've ever met."

He laughs and trails after her, "You bring it out of me."

"Shut up and come on," Mia brings him forward, both of them taking a seat the opposite of Billy. She tries refraining from saying anything out of respect for her mother and the hard work she put into this gathering. If anything were to go wrong, she's never going to hear the end of it.

"How's that Stanley girl doing?" Billy suddenly questions a few minutes into their dinner. "Word got around that a wild animal attacked her. Is she alright?"

"Dad, come on," Jacob complains, already regretting having mentioned anything since it's obvious he's not about to let their differences go.

"She's perfectly fine," Mia responds through gritted teeth, her fist clenching underneath the table. "If it weren't for Edward finding her, she probably wouldn't have made it. She's safe and alive thanks to him."

Isobel taps the table nervously, her gaze continuously flickering back and forth between her daughter and Billy. She's now sensing the tension in the air and is quick to put the puzzle pieces together to understand the reason for their behavior, "How about we don't talk about this? Let's not bring the mood down by speaking of something that happened months ago."

"It's just concerning," Billy argues, refusing to put the subject aside. "That supposed animal attack can happen to anyone. As we saw with Waylon. May his soul rest in peace."

Charlie is visibly uncomfortable at the mention of his late friend, but it's not enough to prevent the conversation from continuing.

"I just want the animal to get what it deserves. It's already taken two lives and nearly took the poor girl," Billy takes a sip from his beer, but never once looks away from Mia and Edward. "It can happen to anyone, especially to those who are going down the same path she took."

Officially getting enough of this, Mia harshly sets her fork against her plate. Its metal clinking sound coming out louder than expected, "Are you trying to imply something? Because if you are, don't sugarcoat it and just tell it to us straight."

"Mia," Edward reprimands her in a whisper, not wanting anything to unfold between them.

Billy's caught off guard by her bluntness. He stares at her in astonishment before sensing the startled gaze sent from Charlie, "I'm just trying to look out for everyone. I don't want no one to get hurt."

"Me neither," Edward suddenly says, which takes Billy off guard. "Seems we're agreeing on something then."

Knowing this dinner is about to turn awful if this topic of conversation continues, Jacob decides to try and help Mia out by saying the first thing that pops into his mind, "Bella and I are together now."

Bella nearly chokes on her food at how blunt he said it, especially since she hasn't told Charlie yet from wanting to wait until the right moment. She nervously glances at him and hopes he doesn't lose his mind since the other time he asked her about it, she denied it completely.

Charlie swallows harshly and places his can of beer aggressively on the table, "You two are what?"

"He said he and Bella are now dating," Isobel nonchalantly says as she continues dining and taking a sip of her infamous wine.

Mia's grateful for this sudden save from him, especially when knowing he's not a fan of Edward. The only thing she's nervous about is if any repercussions will be given to Bella since she's not entirely sure how Charlie will react to his daughter dating.

"Yeah," Bella's voice is low and tremulous as she slowly reaches for Jacob's hand. "We- we're dating now."

"Since when?" Charlie sternly says as he glares at them holding hands.

"For three weeks now," Jacob tells him.

Charlie hums in thought for a moment, "I thought you said you didn't like any boys from town."

"Technically, Jacob's not from town," Mia lets him know, earning grateful glances from the new couple. "You know, because he's from the rez."

"Yeah, exactly," Bella agrees, both she and Jacob nodding vigorously.

"Come on, chief," Billy says after having remained silent for a while. "Bella couldn't do better than my boy over here."

Charlie doesn't say anything, but instead just nods in agreement, "Take care of her, alright? Remember that I'm a cop."

"I will, sir," Jacob assures her and turns to Bella with a smile. "I'll take very good care of her."

Thinking they're off the hook, Mia and Edward return to their dining, but are suddenly interrupted by Charlie, "You too, Edward. You better take care of Mia or else you'll be dealing with me as well."

Mia's taken by surprise at his words. He sounds as if he were a concerned father and it warms her heart at hearing the care behind his sentence. She looks over at her mother, who's staring at Charlie with a profound love, making her smile at seeing her finally happy after so long.

"I will do everything to keep her safe," Edward promises as he holds her hand, both of them staring at the other with adoration and fondness. "I'll protect her with my life. I promise."

"You better or else I'll destroy you," Isobel makes sure to warn him through her thoughts as well as showing him various spells she could use against him if he were to ever hurt her daughter.

"Okay, how about we save the threats for another time?" Mia suggests, her voice full of enjoyment and relief at the previous topic having been left behind.

Edward smiles and is unable to prevent turning to her. His stare is so full of love and promises as he only has one thing on his mind – protecting her and making sure she's safe from everything and from anyone.

That is a promise he'll make sure to keep.