AUGUST • C.CULLEN

twelve

AUGUST - PRESENT

JAN 18, 2005

FORKS

The whole room tenses.

Carlisle frowns, worried, as he feels how stiff August has become behind him. His golden eyes fly across the room to Jasper, whose gaze is trained intently on Carlisle's mate, his brows furrowed.

"I can't believe this." Rosalie hisses, "This is - no, really, this is just perfect. We just settled down! We-" She grunts and calms down with a sigh, leaning into Emmett, who shoots Jasper a thankful look.

"I saw this coming, Edward," Alice's preppy voice says confidently. "She's going to make you, make all of us, very happy."

August moves closer to Carlisle, wrapping his arms around him from behind rather than holding onto his hand. He needs more contact than that, right now.

"What?" Rosalie tenses, "We- we can't just.. just keep her like a pet! Do you have any idea how dangerous that would be, Alice? For everyone- especially the human!" The two girls glare steadily at one another, the tension in the room growing thick.

Jasper frowns, looking extremely uncomfortable as he tries to maintain everyone's emotions, as well as his own. August feels the guilt inside him swell and he sighs.

"That's enough."

The room stills, their eyes cutting to August as he moves from his place behind Carlisle. They take note of the visible weariness on his features; the bags beneath his eyes and the lack of volume in his usually fluffy curls. He looks paler than usual, as well. His conversation with Carlisle earlier is weighing on him.

August meets Rosalie's eyes, standing tall despite the heaviness of his shoulders. "Edward didn't need to tell us about this." His gaze scans the room, falling on Alice, and he speaks before she can make her rebuttal. "And whatever happens will depend on Edward and his feelings on the matter. Our opinions, no matter how positive- or negative-" He cuts his eyes to Rosalie again before they settle on Edward. "The decisions come down to him. Our job as his friends, and as his family, is to support him." Rosalie and Alice both avert their eyes, filled with remorse.

Edward nods at August with a minute smile, grateful, before he looks to Rosalie to reassure her. "I didn't plan to have us all move, Rosalie. Just me."

August notices as Esme frowns but stays quiet, respectful of Edward's wishes just as she was when he left them all those years ago.

"I won't be gone for as long as last time, Auggie," He promises, turning his dark eyes to his brother figure as he hears his thoughts. "I promise you. I just... need to get away for a while; I need to hunt somewhere where it won't be obvious."

"You could visit our cousins in Alaska," Carlisle offers, "The Denali's have lived there for years without being disturbed. There should be plenty of animals there."

"Then that's where I'll go." Edward nods.

"We'll miss you." Esme says, stepping forward and laying a motherly hand on Edward's shoulder. "And we'll be here whenever you get back, however long that takes."

"I'll only be gone a week, I think. It should be long enough to stay my urge to kill her. Besides," Edward tells them, "I wouldn't want to miss too much school."

The family laughs quietly at his joke before they all split off, making their own goodbyes before they each retreat to their separate corners of the house.