SM's characters, my story. I hope you enjoy it!

This is betaed (and lets be honest, cowritten) by the wonderful getshorty who has spent many hours gchatting with me, putting up with emails flying back and forth, making sure I actually attempt to stick to the outline we've written, and saying she actually enjoyed my craziness. Her friendship is the greatest gift fanfiction has given me and she owns a piece of my heart.

Also thanks to whenpoetryrises, the sweet and wonderful lady who read this over when getshorty and I were staring at it cross-eyed to make sure it actually made sense.

To those of you who have read The Very Thought of You, I give my thanks and a warning, this is completely different!

Self-interest alone moves some men - The Peasant and the Apple Tree, Aesop

I luxuriated in the feel of her warm blood as it ran down my throat. She wasn't the best I'd ever tasted, nor was she the best release I'd had prior to consuming her. The look of first lust, then shock and pain, that crossed her face when I bit down on her neck as she hit her climax was almost amusing. Amusement; an evasive emotion for me after all these years and one of the reasons I used this method to feed. Even her thoughts were scattered in her surprise. She'd found me attractive, they all do, and had worked her wiles on me not knowing that all I really desired was her blood. But I didn't mind giving them the pleasure of my body before taking the pleasure of their blood. At least I knew they died happy. Well, except for the end.

When I was finished with her, I quickly pulled up my pants. Since she was now dead, I didn't need to worry about concealing my abilities. Taking things at the agonizing pace of humans was infuriating at times.

Having drained her dry, I carried her body to a nearby trash pile. Santa Maria didn't have the best sanitation, and being in the ghetto ensured no one would care all that much about a random body turning up somewhere. Also, the smell of refuse would be adequate to cover the stench of a decaying body. It helped that the body was devoid of blood; it didn't bloat as much. Only intestinal gasses to worry about and those were also easily masked by the remains of a plethora of rotting meals of the humans. It was one of the reasons I loved Brazil.

Fully sated, I donned my sunglasses to hide my red eyes from the crowd and kept to the shadows of the buildings as I roamed the city. I always tried to find women to feed on who had no familial ties, but that didn't mean someone wouldn't miss them. With that in mind, I returned to the place where I had found my last meal - lay - whatever, to listen if anyone cared about her disappearance. I also kept my mind open to thoughts that someone may have remembered me but, as is true for big cities the world over, no one noticed, no one cared, and most assuredly, no one remembered. She would be among the many that disappeared without a trace. For all their protests to the contrary, humans really didn't care all that much about each other. Well, as long as it wasn't one of the few in their own little circle, and even then, they easily cast each other aside for petty disagreements. So much for all the religions of the world teaching love for their fellow man, I laughed to myself.

I could hear the thoughts of the women around me, and to be honest, some of the men. I wasn't thirsty at the moment though, so I didn't entertain any of them. Let them have their lustful thoughts. I knew what would happen if I had actually accepted any of them, something that woman now rotting in the refuse pile also knew. I did occasionally look their way though. Sometimes it was fun to play with the women, perhaps entice them to see if they would make an enjoyable meal later on. Maybe if they smelled sweet enough.

Taking a deep breath to try and separate out the various scents around me, I detected a smell I had encountered on occasion in the city: that of another vampire. The scent was fresher than I had smelled before, so I knew it was more recent. I could tell which direction he had traveled in, and since his trail wasn't more than a few hours old, decided to follow. After all, there wasn't anything better to do.

Continuing through the shadows, I trailed this other vampire, curious about him. Because of the incessant sunlight in this part of the world, there weren't that many of us willing to live here, risking detection. It made the feeding easier, not having competition for hiding the bodies, but sometimes it was nice to talk to your own kind. Or in my case, listen in on their thoughts to see if I could learn anything new. It didn't happen often, but every now and then I gleaned something different, even if it was information on what coven the Volturi were currently working on destroying in their quest to maintain domination of the vampire underworld.

I always made sure to listen if my creator's coven was under attack. I cared for and respected Carlisle; I just couldn't hold to his ways. I knew he and Esme had been saddened when I left, and would be even more sorrowful if they knew I had moved on from killing monsters to dining on whores, and then onto innocents who had made the mistake of yielding their body to mine. When I thought about it, I realized they probably did know. That little psychic that had joined them years ago kept tabs on me for them. I didn't mind. In fact, I thought it was nice of her. I knew they cared in spite of my activities. Unconditional love in vampires that weren't mates wasn't the oxymoron some thought it to be.

It took me a couple hours but I finally caught up to the other vampire. Joham was the name I picked out of his brain. He knew I was near, having heard my approach, not to mention the wind had shifted direction. As soon as he registered my presence, his head whipped around in consternation. Not one of the Volturi, I hope I heard in his mind. Hmm, wonder why he would be concerned about them? What could he be up to?

I opened my palms wide in a sign of peace and approached him much as one predator approaches another in the wild. There were cautious glances, slow movements, and we kept our eyes on each other. The humans would only think we were looking at something and walking carefully but we knew we were assessing each other, looking for strengths and weaknesses if a battle should commence. I couldn't read any special abilities from his mind, and he was completely unaware of my talent, for his mind was racing with his concerns.

I was taken aback when one particular thought crossed his mind; concern for his daughters and if they had been found. But these weren't adopted children, the way Carlisle thought of us, but actual daughters. Offspring. He had biological children! They had been conceived since he became a vampire.

My motions barely stuttered, but it was enough for him to notice. He immediately became alert to his surroundings, wondering what I had sensed to make me halt so. He breathed in deeply, testing the air for strange scents. His eyes scanned quickly around us, and finding nothing, he raised an eyebrow in question to me. I had noticed a cafe about a hundred feet from us and glanced over to it, and back to him. With an inclination of my head I indicated my direction. I could read in his thoughts that he understood and had also chosen the very table I had been considering to sit at.

We made our way there slowly, not wanting to appear hasty. When we finally reached our destination we took seats opposite each other. I waved to him to start.

"You have followed me, you should begin," he spoke hesitantly.

"I'm not used to encountering another of our kind here, but had crossed your scent from time to time. I thought if we were going to be in proximity to each other, we should be acquainted." I reached my hand out to his to greet him, "My name is Edward."

He accepted my reasoning and shook my hand, "Joham. What is your range?"

"I've been all over the city and into the countryside to the east. You?"

"In the city as well, but I tend to the west. You've fed recently." He said the last as a statement. The blood was fresh in my system, giving me a slightly flushed appearance, to our eyes at least. The humans still registered me as pale and cold. We both chuckled as we heard the waiters arguing over who would serve us, as none of them wanted to approach our table. These were the smart ones. One soon lost the bet and as he approached, we both waved him off, and then chuckled at the man's obvious relief.

"So, now we've met," he began, "other than territories, was there something you wanted to know?"

I usually didn't reveal my talent so freely, but I was intrigued. How could he have daughters? The number was fleeting in his mind, only that there was more than one, and I was curious how a human woman had survived multiple births and what the children were like. It had to be a human. Female vampires didn't have cycles and could not get pregnant.

"How is it you have daughters?"

He recoiled in shock, jumping up from the table at vampire speed, knocking the chair backwards into a human dining nearby. I could hear the person's arm break from the force of the chair hitting her, and her scream of pain alerted the rest of the clientele that something had occurred. Joham was in a panic, about to break all of our laws in an attempt to escape, not caring how many humans saw us in a full out run.

"Wait!" I called to him, "I mean neither you nor them any harm." I could tell he was afraid the Volturi had caught up with him. "I promise I'm not one of the guard!"

Pandemonium was breaking out around us due to the injured woman and the obvious state Joham was in. I was being looked at as if I was the problem and I heard someone place a call to the police to report the disturbance. This was the very thing we needed to avoid, and something that was sure to bring a visit from the very people Joham was trying to avoid.

Throwing enough money on the table to cover the damaged chair and a not so subtle bribe to the staff to 'forget' we had been here, I removed myself from the cafe, climbing up the wall and onto the roof. I cast my mind out and knew that Joham had followed me, also not wanting to have to talk with police and determined to either believe me that I meant no harm or to remove me as a threat if I did. I also knew that the humans were intent on caring for the injured woman, and the waiter who had come to our table had picked up the money and was intelligent enough to realize what it meant.

The sunlight broke on our skin into thousands of rainbows once we reached the roof. I turned to Joham and said, "We need to get to concealment. You can trust me," I shrugged as I continued, "or not. Either way I am only curious as to how you have children."

I could hear the torment in his mind as he weighed his options. He finally decided that I would trail him anyway and so came to the conclusion that he might as well speak with me. After that he would watch me to determine if I was a threat to either him or his offspring. "Follow me," he whispered, "I have a place nearby."

His place was nothing more that a run down shanty, in the heart of the Santa Maria slums. We entered in a back window and I discovered the door that would have led into the main room was bricked over. The window was the only way in and out. He ushered me into the room and then positioned himself between me and escape in case my intentions were other than I had indicated. I smirked at his obvious stance and walked into the furthest corner of the room where a ratty, oversized chair sat. I lounged in it without a concern, amused by the thoughts racing wildly through his mind, gleaning far more than he would ever be willing to give away. I stretched out my long legs like a cat waking from a nap as I watched him watch me through his own eyes. He was still deciding.

He finally took a seat, still positioned to block my exit, and asked how I knew he had daughters. It was then I heard the glimmer of the thought of a son. Nahuel. A son, who had refused to join him, and instead roamed the countryside with an aunt. Ah, the aunt was sister to the child's mother and had been changed by Nahuel, so he was venomous. "How is it possible?" was all I asked.

He laughed, "You must first find a willing human you are able to mate with." He paused, looking me straight in the eye before continuing, "Without killing them." Apparently he was aware of my feeding proclivities.

"I think I can master that."

"Can you? I've not seen evidence of that."

I shrugged nonchalantly, "Never had a need to preserve their lives before."

"Other than that, it's simple biology. You do understand that don't you?" he asked with a sneer. I refused to rise to his bait and just waited for him to continue. "You can smell the difference in the hormone levels as their cycles wax and wane. The scent can be thrown off if they are taking birth control. If you are around them for a week and it doesn't change, then you know they are protected. Once you impregnate them, it's up to you if you want to care for them or not. I will warn you that some might abort the child, you might want to stick close to prevent that. It also helps if you get them to fall in love with you." I snorted at that. Surely that wouldn't be difficult. I've had human women falling at my feet for decades. A little gentlemanly behavior, a few whispered endearments, and I was between their legs and drinking their blood.

"Does it matter who you choose?"

He shrugged, "I guess that depends on how much stock you put into genetics. They will be half-vampires, Dhampirs, and so will have those traits. They are almost as strong as vampires, don't have the problem with sunlight that we do, and can drink blood or eat human food. You know you've had to do that in the past, imagine if it wasn't a problem?" He paused until I nodded, a small shudder accompanying it at the thought of ingesting something that disgusting.

"I think the vampire genes will override the human ones, but they are present. So, I suppose it's up to you if you care or not. I never have." His thoughts raced through the four women he had impregnated successfully, as well as a slew of others who hadn't lived long enough for the growing fetus to survive. "I suppose it's a good idea to get one that's healthy or you lose the child."

We spent hours discussing the details. The realization that I could do this grew slowly. Up until now, I was simply bored. There was nothing I hadn't done. Nothing I haven't read or studied in my over one hundred years upon this earth. This was a new challenge, a new adventure. If Joham could do it, then so could I. And, I wouldn't let one get away from me. I would be master of my own coven.

Then again, I had been that boy when I was young. I had wanted a wife and children. The wife was forever denied to me now. How can you love someone whose mind bored or annoyed you, never being quiet? But a child, something I could raise, control, be a true father to, and not in the way Carlisle was to me. The very idea intrigued and excited me. I didn't spare a thought for the human that would have to be sacrificed. She didn't matter; I only cared about what she could give me.

I was curious if his reasons were what was growing in my own mind. "Why are you doing it?" I couldn't fathom what they were and he certainly never thought of them. Then I saw a flash of rebellion in his mind. He wanted to fight the Volturi! His intent was to breed a Master Race of Dhampirs that could take over the human and vampire world, which he would then lead as their father. In his mind, he visualized them attacking Volterra by day, easily overcoming the humans by not being burdened with a vampire's reflective skin, while also laying siege to the vampires. He would make it so they couldn't leave their castle, have no way to feed. The Volturi would weaken over time, and he would then have his children descend, annihilating the guard, and then Aro, Caius and Marcus last of all. Shock radiated through me at his thoughts, but I kept as still as stone awaiting his answer.

With a shrug, he gave it. "I was never able to be a father in my human life, and wanted children." I knew it was a lie, just a story he had manufactured to tell in case he was caught. Personally, I didn't care in the least if he destroyed the entire city of Volterra, but I certainly didn't want to bow down to him. Still, killing him now, when I might need his advice later on wouldn't be prudent, so I did nothing.

I sat and contemplated all he had told me. Unlike him, I did care about genetics. I had studied them at one time and knew they could influence my child. The nature versus nurture debate still raged amongst philosophers and psychiatrists today. I decided then it was better to have both. I would be providing the nurturing, it would only take about six years for an offspring to reach maturity and then I could move on to create another. However, nature needed to be controlled. The woman had to be intelligent, kind, and conforming. Traits I wanted in my child.

I wondered at the number of years between his own attempts. When I asked him about this, his thoughts and words matched. "I don't want the Volturi coming after them. If I create them too quickly, it would arouse suspicion. Also, people here are superstitious, and I don't need the natives coming after them either, trying to kill unborn children where the father isn't known." I nodded my understanding and returned to making my mind up if this was something I would attempt.

Joham watched my face as I made my decision. I didn't hide my thoughts from him, allowing him to watch them in the expressions on my face. When I made my decision he noticed. "You will be joining me in creating a Master Race then?"

I knew he intended to attack and destroy me if I said no. If I went to the Volturi, he would be destroyed. If I created my own legion and came after him, he would again be destroyed. The only thing that would get me out of this room was a lie, so that is what I gave him. "Yes, I will join you in this. The thought of it intrigues me."

"I am building an empire here in South America. I ask that you build yours elsewhere." He looked at me shrewdly. "I wouldn't want our children to fight," he said, but I knew what he really wanted was for mine to not grow more powerful than his. His words said he would join with me; his thoughts were that my army would be subservient. Either way, being on a different continent would be a good idea.

"I will go visit my maker in North America. He is in the northwestern part of the United States. I will look for someone suitable there. I'll alert you if I'm successful." With that, he let me leave without a fight. By the time I made it a couple blocks away I decided to call the Cullens. I pulled out my cell phone only to have it ring.

"You have a flight booked from Santa Maria, to Rio, to Houston, to Seattle, first class. The tickets are at the counter. Don't worry about luggage, as I will have plenty of clothing here for you." I chuckled at the sound of the excited psychic at the other end.

"Hello to you too, Alice. It's good to hear your voice."

"You may not think so later, Edward. I don't approve of your decision, and I've informed Carlisle. Either way, it will be good to have you home."

"I'll discuss it with you when I arrive. Thanks for the tickets."

I heard her sigh, "We'll be waiting for you. Emmett will pick you up at the airport. It will be a pleasant flight. Please reconsider and I'll see you in twenty-four hours. We're happy you're coming home, Edward."

"Really? All of you?"

Her laughter trilled through the phone. "Yes, Edward, you are family to us. You know this."

I hung my head. I had been away too long, and I missed them as well. "I miss you too, short stuff. I'll see you soon."

With that, she hung up and I caught a taxi to the airport. With a smirk, I thought it would be good to see the family again. Excited, I had a feeling I would find what I was looking for after I arrived.

Okay, ladies, let me know what you think!