Schism

Story: Schism
Storylink: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5058460/1/
Category: Twilight
Author: kharizzmatik
Last updated: 06/28/2009
Content: Chapter 1 to 54 of 54 chapters
Source: FanFiction.net

Summary: Everyone thinks Bella was killed shortly after Edward left her but 36 years later she reappears in Forks. Who
attacked her? How's life been for the Cullen's? Where has Bella been? Will they be reunited? AU after Edward's
departure in New Moon M LEMONS
*Chapter 1*: 1: No Prayer
Disclaimer: There's no Stephanie, nor is there any Meyer anywhere in my name, therefore I own Share
nothing.

So I'm up on the fence and I'm still not convinced

Can't decide which side looks greener
So I just stay where I am
Remain indifferent
What happens, what's happened
It's easier
"No Prayer" - Bright Eyes
BPOV
Thirty-Six.
I was sitting on the damp grass with my legs spread out in front of me, leaning back on the palms of my hands and staring
at the treetops above me pondering the number thirty-six. It seems like such an insignificant thing to be thinking about on a
day such as this, but my mind can't help but continue to go back to it.

Thirty-Six.
It's been thirty-six years since the last time I stepped foot in this town, since I last saw the house in front of me. It seems
like such a long time, and I can't help but wonder where it all has gone. It seems so surreal, sitting here it feels like it was
just yesterday that I had celebrated my 18th birthday, a day most would be excited about. It was the day you were finally
considered emancipated in the eyes of the law, free to spread your wings and go off on your own to experience life. To
me, it was the day I dreaded most. It was the day my world came crumbling down, and every hope and dream I had for my
future was crushed right along with the punch bowl and table that was demolished because of my negligence. It was the
day that had changed everything.
There was a gentle breeze blowing, rustling the trees above me. It was fall and the leaves were turning over into different
hues of orange and yellow and brown, but for the most part the area was still smothered in an overabundance of green. It
wasn't raining when I entered town this morning, which surprised me, but the ground and air was still damp. The sky was
overcast; the clouds completely blocking out the sun, which I felt was fitting on a day like today. Today wasn't a day for
sunshine; it was a day of gloom.
I sighed, shifting my attention back to the small white house in front of me. I was blocked for the most part by the greenery
surrounding me, but I had a clear view of the residence. Not a single sound was radiating from it, not a single breath being
taken inside, not a single creek of an old floorboard. It stood empty, quiet. It was morose, and gloomy, but oddly it still
seemed exactly as I had remembered it. I spent the greatest year of my life living in this house, residing in the top right
bedroom. A part of me wanted to get up and go inside and explore the house, hoping and almost expecting to see
everything exactly as it had been, but the more grounded side of myself was telling me I was being ridiculous. It had been
thirty-six years, and so much had changed in that time that it was irrational to expect to even recognize anything. I had to
keep reminding myself that this wasn't my home anymore and it hadn't been for a very long time.
The sound of cars approaching brought me out of my thoughts. I stood, hesitating and then swiftly retreated farther into the
trees. I wasn't sure whom or what to expect and felt it was better for everyone if I kept my distance. I had no idea if anyone
anticipated my being here, or if I was even welcome for that matter. I figured they'd realize at some point that I had come,
but I hoped it wouldn't be until after I was gone from town again. Today wasn't the day for confrontations. It was a day for
closure.
I couldn't see the front of the house so I wasn't sure how many cars approached, but I heard half a dozen car doors close
simultaneously, quickly followed by a few more. Lights came on in the house, and I heard the sound of children's laughter
and footsteps start radiating in every direction. Someone went into the kitchen and pulled up the blinds before opening the
window. I heard some people chatting but was unable to clearly recognize any voices. I wondered if I'd be able to
distinguish one voice from another after all this time but I doubted if I'd even be able to recognize any faces.
The back door to the house opened unexpectedly, and three kids burst out of it into the back yard. I quickly and quietly
moved back a few more steps, retreating further into the trees. None of the children would know who I am and the last
thing I wanted to do was scare them if they spotted me lurking in the trees. The kids ran for a swing set, chatting
animatedly. I couldn't recall if the swing set had always been there or if it was something Charlie added later in life. They
all appeared to be around five or six years old, and I wondered if they had any idea what today truly meant. I stood there
for what seemed like forever, but in reality what was likely only a few minutes, listening to their conversation. I was starting
to feel ridiculous, standing out here, and I couldn't help but wonder what the point was. I couldn't very well just walk up to the
house and let myself in and expect to be welcomed with open arms after all these years. I didn't even know if anyone
would recognize me; or if they had even heard of me. A lot had changed in the past thirty-six years; Charlie had started
over with a new life. He remarried and he had stepchildren that gave him grandchildren. He had everything with his new
family, everything that I was never able to give him
My conscience told me that there was no place in this life Charlie had built for a wayward daughter to come waltzing in
and it was selfish of me even to consider letting myself be known. I'd only be opening up a can of worms, igniting who-
knows-what. And for what purpose? Why was I even here? I took one last look at the house before closing my eyes and
turning slowly, hesitating once again. It took me thirty-six years to return here, would I ever come back? I doubted it.
I heard the back door open and a woman yelled for the kids to go inside. I didn't bother to turn around and look; I kept my
back to the house with my eyes closed, contemplating my next move. Should I just leave town? Is it safe to seek out
Charlie right now? Am I even ready or able to face it? I had no answers, just my doubts. I shouldn't have come alone,
maybe if I had brought someone along with me they'd be able to help me think clearly. But whom would I have brought?
Who would've understood?
I was so deep in thought and lost in my own mind, that I didn't even sense anyone out in the back yard until they spoke.
"Bells?"
I swung around swiftly, my adrenaline rushing, searching for the source of the voice. My eyes locked on him and my mind
quickly tried to reconcile the voice to the face. I knew who he was before even looking at him, but he wasn't exactly as I
remembered so it took my mind a moment to catch up. His long black hair, tied back with a rubber band, didn't hold the
luster it once had and was lightly streaked with the beginnings of gray. His tanned skin now held signs of the years, subtle
wrinkles showing around his eyes. His youth was gone, replaced now by weariness and experience. He surely didn't look
thirty-six years older than the last time I saw him, but he did look older, which for Jake meant that time no longer stood still.
Part of me expected so; another part was caught off guard by it.
Jacob's eyes searched the tree line, and it was evident he hadn't actually seen me, just sensed me. Since he was no
longer actively phasing and had started aging again, I wondered if he still had his heightened senses or if he was just
running on a hunch that I'd show. He sighed, still searching the trees before speaking again.
"Look, either you're out there, or I'm going crazy. I'd like to believe that I'm still sane so if you can hear me, please just
acknowledge me".
I stood still, considering what to do. Could I really just walk out of the trees and face Jacob? Did I even want to? What
would his reaction be to seeing me? I watched as Jacob started pacing the tree line, muttering under his breath. I inhaled
and held my breath; before I could over think my actions and possible consequences, I took a few swift steps toward-out
of hiding. Jacob's head snapped up quickly, seeing the movement out of his peripheral vision, and his dark brown eyes
locked with mine as he tensed up. We stood still, about thirty feet away from each other, both staring. A voice in the back
of my head was screaming for me to flee but I was ignoring it, trying to convince myself that it would be stupid to run now
when I'd gotten this close. I could tell Jacob was trying to come to grips with the fact that I was truly standing in front of him.
The voice telling me to run was getting louder, but before I could act on it, Jacob's stance relaxed a little and he spoke.
"What's it been Bells, thirty years?"
"Thirty-Six" I said, barely loud enough for him to hear. He scoffed and shook his head, glancing back at the house before
turning in my direction again
"Thirty-six, huh? Doesn't seem that long". Jacob's eyes searched mine imploringly, as if he were trying to find something
specific hidden inside them. He sighed and started rubbing the back of his neck, glancing back at the house again. He
seemed to be trying to come to a decision about something, and it was starting to make me nervous, wondering if this
was a mistake. I quietly took a step back, hoping it would go undetected as I didn't want Jacob to sense my uncertainty,
but he noticed and quickly took a few steps forward.
"Don't go yet," he said firmly. I was in the process of taking another step backwards but stopped. Jacob took a few more
steps forward, into the trees. He hesitated once, glancing back at the house again, before closing most of the distance
between us. I looked at him quizzically, trying to figure out what was going through his head, and he seemed to understand
the look on my face.
"Uh, there's some people inside who uh may not be as receptive towards uh you being here?" He spoke
hesitantly, trying to find the right words to convey the message. I got the point clearly and nodded.
We stood in silence for a few moments. I could tell there was a lot on his mind, a lot he wanted to say, but I could sense a
bit of fear. Whether he was afraid of my reaction to the questions or his reaction to the answers, I wasn't sure, but I
understood completely as I was feeling that same fear.
"Are you here alone?" he asked finally, breaking the silence. I wasn't sure if I could gather the courage to actually speak
yet, so I nodded. He nodded also, in acknowledgment. "That's nice". I nodded again.
Another period of complete silence passed. I knew time was slipping away, and it wouldn't be long before someone came
outside wondering where Jacob ran off to. There was still so much I wanted to say, but I didn't know where to start. Jacob
seemed to be thinking the same thing.
"Look, I really want to talk to you about some stuff, but it's really not a good time, I'm sure you understand why." His eyes
looked to me, pleadingly, before he continued. "Can we meet somewhere, in the morning maybe?"
I thought for a moment, considering the answer. I really wanted to leave Forks before daybreak, but knew I should stick
around for Jacob. I owed him this much, at least. "Okay".
Jacob seemed conflicted by my answer. A flicker of disappointment crossed his face, before a look of relief settled. It
seemed he wanted me to leave as soon as possible also, but knew this was likely the only opportunity we'd ever have.
"Okay, we'll meet here at dawn, I always get up and run around sunrise anyway." He paused, hesitating about the next
question before speaking again. "Are you planning on going to Charlie?"
I stilled for a moment at the mention of Charlie, before looking away. "Tonight" I said softly. Jacob sighed, once again
rubbing his neck with his hand, thinking.
"We just buried him beside you" Jacob's words were barely above a whisper. His voice was sad as he looked at the
ground. "Well, where you should be".
We both turned our heads to look at each other at the same time. Our eyes locked as I once again nodded. "I understand"
I said, so softly I wasn't sure he could even hear me. I took a few small steps backwards and Jacob turned and started
walking slowly back towards the house. He hesitated once, turning back to me.
"It's been thirty-six years Bells, and you don't look a day over eighteen". He shot me a wink and laughed to himself,
shaking his head. A small smile graced my face, catching me off guard. I brought my hand up to my mouth, touching my
lips. I hadn't smiled a genuine smile in awhile; it felt nice.

Thirty-six.
Thirty-six years ago, I "died". I was only eighteen at the time. They never found my body, obviously as I'm still here roaming
the earth, but for all intents and purposes I was dead.
*Chapter 2*: 2: New Born
A/N: Share
I wrote this story while I was suffering from writer's block on some original work. I nearly have it finished, so
needless to say I'll be updating often. It's not my first fan fiction, but it's been a long time and it is my first one
in the Twilight world.
I'll be posting extra's on my profile, like outfits I describe and links to the songs (I always name each chapter
after a song when I write fanfic).
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of the characters

Soulless is everywhere
Hopeless time to roam
The distance to your home
Fades away to nowhere
How much are you worth?
You can't come down to earth
You're swelling up
You're unstoppable
'Cause you've seen
Seen too much
And too young, young
"New Born" MUSE
BPOV:
It was midnight, and I was standing at the front of Forks Cemetery. I'd been standing here for a few minutes, trying to
gather the courage to step inside through the gate. It was pitch black out; the sky was so overcast that not a single star
could be seen. Even the moon was hidden. I should be in my element. I was used to being out in the night, used to living
my life after everyone else was fast asleep in their beds. I was immortal, virtually untouchable by any and all. I'd seen and
done a lot since my change that would make even those with the toughest skin tremble, but never in my life have I been
more frightened to make a move than I was at this moment.
I was about to face what I'd been too cowardly to face for the past 36 years. I'd spent all of my time living in the moment
and looking forward to the future, but had never been brave enough to take a few steps backwards to face the past. It's
one thing to know your life was over; it's another to have to physically face it. And by walking into Forks Cemetery, that's
exactly what I was about to do.
It had been drizzling for a while, and the rain was starting to come down slightly harder now. I sighed, knowing I needed to
get on with this. The only thing that would draw more attention than a girl in the cemetery in the middle of the night is a girl
in the cemetery in the middle of the night in a downpour. It was unlikely anyone would come by at this time, but in Forks my
face was likely still recognizable and I really couldn't risk the wrong person noticing me.
I took a deep unnecessary breath, trying to tame my nerves, before taking the plunge and crossing the threshold. I walked
swiftly toward the back where I knew the graves were. I stalled when I got to the last row, glancing down it and seeing the
fresh dirt where Charlie's grave lay. I took another breath and walked toward it, ignoring the grave that lay right beside it:
that would come next.
Charlie's headstone was simple. It was fitting, as Charlie was a simple man. I sighed, crouching down and running my
fingers along his name.
Charles "Charlie" Swan
"Our Beloved Chief"
I smiled. I had heard that Charlie worked up until the day he died, refusing to retire. He said police chief was his calling
and he stubbornly refused to give it up, no matter how many times people reminded him that if he retired he'd be able to
fish all day long.
"Hey Charlie. Sorry I couldn't be here today. I'm sure by now you've got everything figured out. If I know you like I think I do, I
bet you never really thought I was dead anyway, but I know you figured it out once you got to wherever you are and saw
that I wasn't there. I'm sorry I had to stay away all of these years, didn't really have a choice. But I'm glad everything worked
out for you, I'm glad you found love again and had the family you deserved. I wish I could've said goodbye in person one
last time but this will have to suffice, I suppose." I took a shaky breath, my eyes stinging with venom-tears that would never
be shed.
"I don't want you to worry about me dad, I'm making the best of the hand I was dealt. I can't say if I'll ever see you again, if
I'll ever find my way to where you are. I'm not sure anymore about the status of my soul." I scoffed and winced at my own
words, thinking about that day so many years ago when the love of my life told me vampires had no souls. I had disagreed
with him, telling him he had a beautiful soul, and I still believed it. But I have to wonder if it's a rarity of our kind, if maybe
theirs survived somehow whereas the rest of us lost ours during transformation. At least, I thought mine was lost. I wasn't
sure anymore.
I stood up, looking around briefly before taking one last glance at where Charlie lay. "Goodbye, Dad," I said softly. I closed
my eyes and took a few shaky breaths, preparing myself for what was to come next. After a few moments my nerves
calmed and I reopened my eyes, turning my head to look at the grave that lay beside Charlie.
When I disappeared all those years ago, Billy Black had been the one to convince Charlie I wasn't coming back. A few
mementos of my life were buried inside of a coffin since they were unable to recover a body. I don't know what it was they
buried, and didn't really want to know I imagined knowing the insignificant things inside would make me feel as if my
human years were even more pathetic than I remembered them being.
My headstone was simple also, simply bearing my name, date of birth, and the date they believed to be of my death. I had
to laugh, as they were off by a few days. I was missing for nearly a week before they discovered my truck, and they just
figured whatever happened to me happened the first day I was gone. No one knew that I had left on my own accord and
didn't meet this fate until four days later. I silently thanked whoever it was that put "Bella" on my headstone I know it
didn't really matter, as it really wasn't me there, but it felt nice knowing there was something tangible to recognize my short
18 human years.
Underneath my headstone laid a small bunch of freesia. They were fresh, I imagine someone must've placed them there
today during Charlie's funeral. The rain currently coming down washed away any scents that may have lingered so I
couldn't be certain, but I figured it was likely Jacob.
I lay back on the grass in silence for a while, closing my eyes, allowing myself to be absorbed in the scents of the fresh
freesia and the lingering rain. I thought about my life and about memories I refused to let myself think of over the years. I
thought about moving to Forks and going to school that first day. The people that hadn't come to mind in decades swam
through my memory: Mike Newton, Jessica Stanley, and Angela Webber. I wondered whatever happened to them, were
they still alive? Happy? Did they have families, children? Did they ever think of me, the girl who was in their lives for only a
short time? For the first time I wondered who came to my funeral, who cried, who spoke? I thought about my mom she
was still alive but had unfortunately been suffering with Alzheimer's for quite some time now. I once thought of visiting her
so I could see her one last time, figuring since her Alzheimer's was so severe she wouldn't really comprehend anything,
but decided against it. Knowing my luck, I'd be the one thing Rene was completely lucid about and my visit would only
harm her.
And as I lay there, I allowed myself to think about them. They often crossed my mind randomly throughout the years but
allowing myself to be completely enveloped in thoughts of them wasn't something I indulged in. Thinking of them was
bittersweet. I missed the Cullen's, and a piece of me longed for the could-have-been, but a bigger part of me hurt when I
thought of them.
I sighed, opening my eyes. It was still fairly dark out, but it was fast approaching the beginning of dawn and I needed to get
out of the cemetery before people start waking up and going about their lives. I stood up and stretched. I had about an
hour or so until I'd be meeting Jacob. I could probably feed in an hour, but the thirst wasn't that bad and I'd much rather wait
until I left Forks for that. I quickly slipped out of the cemetery without another glance at the graves, and headed straight for
the woods behind it. I quickly ran to Charlie's house, stopping at the tree line at the back yard. The house lay dormant,
everyone who was present last night had left to return to their homes and lives. Charlie's wife wasn't home; I imagine she'd
be staying with one of her children. His wife's name was Sue, back when I came to live with Charlie she was married to a
friend of his-Harry Clearwater. She's a widow twice now; I felt a pang of sympathy and heartache for her.
I glanced around and the neighboring area, seeing complete stillness, before impulsively heading straight for the back
door of the house. The door was locked, unsurprisingly. I considered leaping through my old bedroom window as Edward
did all those years ago, but dull pain radiated through my chest as it often did when I thought of Edward so I quickly
pushed the thought away. The dull pain was the only reason I still considered the option that maybe I wasn't truly soulless
if I had no soul, could I still experience real physical heartache simply over memories?
I lifted open the kitchen window and quickly pulled myself in it, shutting it behind me. The kitchen looked completely
different than it had all those years ago- it was evident Charlie's wife had taken charge in this aspect. There was a nice
new table and chairs set, all matching. The appliances were all fairly new but you could tell they were used often. I walked
out of the kitchen into the living room. There was a new flat screen TV on the wall and an amazing sound system I
imagined Charlie installed it for watching sports, so he could feel as if he were actually at the game. I made my way to the
stairs and climbed them slowly, mentally preparing myself for what I was doing.
I paused outside of my old room, but turned the knob and opened it slowly. I imagined Charlie and Sue would've
remodeled this room to make a guest room for their grandchildren, so I was completely caught of guard by the fact that it
looked relatively the same as it had. The bedding was different but the bed frame was still the one I had. The desk and
lamp were still there in the corner, as was the rocking chair Edward used to sit in. I made my way over to it and sat down,
slowly rocking myself back and forth. Thoughts of Edward made my chest ache again, but I ignored it. I sat rocking for a
few minutes before curiosity overcame me and I made my way to the closet door. There was a new knob on it, one with a
lock now, and as I initially thought it was locked. I went into the bathroom, rooting through the cabinet, finally finding a
bobby pin. I went back into the bedroom and quickly picked the lock a trick I learned to master over the years, it helps to
get in and out of places people don't want you without having to damage anything at all. I opened the door, finding boxes
sitting inside. I pulled out the one closest to me and opened it, shocked to find my old belongings. Charlie had kept them,
locked them up for safekeeping. Venom tears stung my eyes once again. I rooted through two of the boxes before finding
what I was looking for: A picture frame, containing a picture of Charlie and Renee I slipped the picture out, placing it in
my coat pocket, before putting the frame back in the box. I placed the box back in the closet and locked the door once
again, having no need for the other remnants from my human life that they contained.
I walked over to the window and glanced out. It was nearly dawn now, and Jacob would be here soon. I turned to exit the
bedroom and stepped on a floorboard that shifted. I kept walking but paused when I hit the doorway. Without really
thinking of why I went back and stepped on the board, which shifted under my foot once again. I knelt down and pulled on
it, which came out without any effort. I looked down the hole now created and shook my head, feeling stupid. It was empty.
What did I expect to find?
I repositioned the board and exited the house quickly, walking to the tree line out back. I sat down, leaning against a tree,
closing my eyes and enjoying the silence. It only lasted for a moment, before the rustling of the leaves and the pounding of
a heart alerted me to Jacobs approach. I heard him pause directly beside me and allowed myself to breath, really
smelling him for the first time. He didn't smell too horribly bad, and I sensed it was only because he was no longer
phasing. I had smelled some horrific stenches in the house moments earlier, so I knew what an active werewolf smelled
like.
"Hello," I said, without opening my eyes. I heard and sensed him sitting down beside me. He took a deep breath, and then
let out a laugh. My eyes popped open. "What's so funny?"
"You don't smell nearly as bad as I remember leaches smelling," he said with another laugh. I laughed along with him.
"I just thought the same thing, you don't smell like the wet mutt I was always told you'd smell like". He smiled at me, shaking
his head.
"So, did you go last night? To see Charlie?"
I sighed. "Yeah, I went. It was all sort of surreal, seeing my own grave." He nodded and muttered 'I bet' under his breath. I
was silent for a moment before adding "I saw the flowers on mine, was that you?"
Jacob looked surprised for a moment, shaking his head. "Naw, wasn't me. I haven't done that in a very long time, didn't
see the point." He looked at me apologetically, but I smiled and nodded in understanding. "But there are a lot of people
that remember you, so I'm not surprised someone gave you flowers."
"Well it was nice of them, whoever they are. I appreciate the sentiment." Jacob was quiet, and I could see he was thinking
hard about something. He kept opening his mouth and then closing it quickly, hesitating. I sighed, ready to get it all out.
"Just spit it out Jacob, you're not going to offend me."
Jacob gave me a small smile. "So where ya been Bells? How often do you come to Forks?"
"I've been all over, mainly in Europe. I honestly haven't spent much time here in the states except for a few brief stays. But,
this is actually my first time back in Washington at all."
Jacob looked confused. "So how'd you know? About Charlie I mean?"
"I have a friend that's given me occasional updates throughout the years on my parents."
"Alice," Jacob spoke it as a statement, not a question. "Shoulda known," he muttered under his breath. For a moment, I
felt myself longing for his words to be true.
"No, not Alice. Just a guy I know. He's paid to, uh, find things out and take care of things for people." I didn't quite know
how to phrase what it was he did. Hell I didn't even know how he knew what he did, how he found it all out.
Jacob looked at me, confusion crossing his face. "You couldn't just ask that psychic leech of yours?" A pained look
must've crossed my face, because Jacob apologized quickly.
"It's alright. But, uh, I haven't seen them so no I couldn't ask her." Jacob was staring at me incredulously, and then a look of
complete shock came over him.
"Are you saying you haven't seen them at all?" I hesitated, but nodded. It was a half-truth, but truth enough pertaining to
the conversation. "Wait, when's the last time you saw your bloodsucker boyfriend?" I flinched and my face contorted as the
pain shot through my chest when he spoke the words, his voice rising slightly. His eyes went wide and he once again
quickly apologized.
"It's okay. I told you that you wouldn't offend me. But to answer your question, the last time we had contact was the day
he left. I haven't had any contact with them in this life." Jacobs look of shock deepen and he started muttering curses
under his breath, shaking his head. It grew quiet for a moment before Jacob suddenly snorted and broke out in a laugh. I
watched him as he fought to keep control of himself, his laughter growing. I sat quietly, waiting for him to tell me what was
so funny. After a moment he settled down and he caught his breath, shooting me an repentant look. "What was so funny? I
could use a good laugh."
He shook his head, but kept stealing glances at me. "You won't find it funny Bells. But then again, he did leave you so I
dunno" he trailed off, watching me. I looked at him expectantly and he sighed. "It's just, at your funeral he seemed so
distressed and I thought for sure it was an act and you were waiting in the shadows for him, so I messed with him a bit and
kept thinking about how you looked when we found you in the woods and afterward, how hurt and depressed you were. I
thought he'd get over it when he got back to you but hell Bells, I guess it wasn't an act, I guess he was really mourning."
I sat stone still, completely silent, processing what he just said. Edward, distraught, at my funeral. I faintly heard Jacob say
my name a few times, but all of me was focused on those words.
After a few minutes I laughed humorlessly. "Well damn. Guess that means they really think I'm dead." Jacob looked
relieved at my response, I guess expecting me to get upset at him. I couldn't blame him though.
"But wouldn't that other leech have seen that you weren't dead, what with her visions or whatever?"
I shook my head slowly, giving another humorless laugh. "No, the moment I was bitten I would've gone completely blank to
her." Jacob looked confused so I continued. "I guess you can call it a 'gift' or whatever, but I'm impenetrable to others'
talents. I'm able to live incognito and unaffected." I sighed and Jacob once again tried to apologize for the situation at my
funeral but I waved him off and changed the subject.
We sat and talked for another hour or so about anything and everything. Jacob told me about his imprint and his family. I
apologized for not contacting him when Billy died a few years ago, but he shrugged and said it wasn't a big deal. He told
me about the pack, how since the vampires in the area moved on they stopped turning and slowly each of them stopped
phasing with the exception of Seth and Collin, the two youngest. I had only learned of him being a werewolf shortly before
my disappearance, so I was intrigued by the details of the pack. He told me about Charlie's last years, the grandchildren
he was given from Sue's daughter Leah.
Finally Jacob stood up and stretched. "I'm sorry Bells but the wife is probably wondering why I'm not back yet. Seth
sensed your presence in town but he knows it's just you and he knows why you're here so he didn't alert anyone else."
I stood up beside him and nodded. "Yeah, that's probably best". I brushed myself off and gave Jacob a smile. "It was good
seeing you again Jake". He nodded and then quickly pulled me into a hug. I held my breath and squeeze him back,
reveling in his warmth. He felt warm to me, but I could tell he wasn't as hot as he once had been. He let go and backed up,
giving me a big smile.
"If you ever make your way back around here in my lifetime, look me up Bells."
"I'll remember that Jake," I said softly, knowing deep down it would never happen. He gave a wave and started jogging
into the woods, back the way he came. I watched him leave before turning and running the opposite direction, toward the
car I had rented yesterday and parked across town.
*Chapter 3*: 3: Wanderer's Guild
A/N: This is a short chapter but I wanted to go ahead and get it out... It's our first glimpse into Edward's Share
life :)
Disclaimer: Twilight doesn't belong to me

You should be downstairs with them

You're wasting your time again
Listen I'm fine now
I don't want to talk right now
Thank you for your concern
"Wanderer's Guild" - Armor for Sleep
EPOV
I lay on the floor in my room, staring straight ahead at the white ceiling. I have no idea how long I'd been laying here as the
blinds and heavy curtains blocked out any bit of sunlight that may have tried to filter it's way in. It could've been minutes or
days for all I knew, although I'm going to guess it's somewhere in the middle. I could faintly hear the thoughts of my family
around the house, but I was intentionally focusing hard on a small blemish I discovered in order to try to drown everything
else out. I felt hollow, void exactly like the damn white ceiling above me.
I could sense someone coming closer to my room, and based on the sound of the footsteps I could tell it was my sister
Alice. If it had to be anyone I was glad it was her. She was upset herself, and although I wouldn't wish the pain upon
anyone I was somewhat glad there was someone else feeling even at least a fraction of what I was feeling. I focused
harder on the blemish above, hoping and willing Alice to go away as I just wanted to be alone right now and the last thing I
needed was Alice bothering me. My family had tried to understand but none of them quite got it none of them except
maybe Alice. Alice was the only one who truly understood what I lost, what I missed out on, what I exactly fucked up. She
saw it, she saw how my life was supposed to be, she saw exactly how fucking happy we were supposed to be.
"Supposed to" being the key. But it's impossible now. I believe at this point, she was the only reason I was still laying here
on the floor, staring at the ceiling. I would've done everything in my power to cease to exist years ago, even if it meant
lighting a match burning myself alive, but I knew how much Alice also mourned the 'should have been' and I couldn't hurt
another one I loved as much as I knew it would hurt Alice. I've caused enough pain this century.
She stopped outside of my door but didn't knock.
Edward? She thought. I sighed loudly, knowing she would be able to hear me. That was the most I could muster towards a
response right now.
You've been lying there for over 48 hours now Edward.
'Huh' I thought. So it had been days.
Carlisle's going to enroll us in school now. I know you're not going to come with us today, but he's going to enroll you
while we're there anyway.
I sighed loudly again in acknowledgment. We'd moved here over 2 weeks ago and I knew Carlisle had been putting off
enrolling us for as long as possible. We'd moved a lot lately and I know they were tired of it and wanted to settle down for
an extended period this time, so we were starting out quite young again. So I had at least 2 more mundane years of high
school to look forward to shortly, possibly 3 if he started me out as a sophomore.
You need to hunt Edward, and I mean it. When we get home from school I expect to see gold eyes again. You've gone
far too long.
I rolled my eyes, although I knew she was right. I hadn't hunted since we got here and I know I was close to being as
dangerous as I get with thirst. Alice was quiet, and I listened to her mind as she searched my future. Confident I would
hunt, she focused her attention back on me.
Good. I'll see you in a few hours Edward.
I heard Alice descend the stairs and the garage door open. I heard two cars start, one being Carlisle's Mercedes and the
other being my Volvo. I know Alice insisted they take the Volvo hoping to get me off my ass and to at least show some
type of emotion, but I couldn't seem to gather any amount of passion right now about it. Yeah I loved my car, I'd replaced it
countless times over the years always with a new model Volvo, but at a time like this how could I give a shit about a hunk
of metal? It's been 36 years now since she left the world, and it just doesn't seem to get any better.
I stared at the ceiling again, telling myself I'd get up soon to hunt, but I just wasn't ready yet. I closed my eyes, allowing
myself to picture her. The vision of her was etched in my brain; it was a vision I'd never forget. Her silky smooth warm skin,
usually pale except when she blushed; her long somewhat wavy brown hair; the deep chocolate eyes; her plump gorgeous
lips, the way she'd bite the bottom one when she was frustrated or thinking hard. Her slender body, the curve of her hips
and ass, her beautiful round breasts. She was so beautiful; she didn't even have to try.
I hopped up from the floor quickly and made my way to the closet, pulling down a small locked box from the top shelf. I
grabbed the key from under my couch cushion and unlocked it. From on top, I pulled out a worn photo, naturally aged
throughout the years. It was the one of Bella and I that I had taken from her scrapbook when I left her. I had put it under a
board in her bedroom, not wanting to completely take them from her but not wanting her to have them around for her own
sake. The night after her funeral, I snuck into her bedroom one last time and retrieved the items, taking them with me. It
was one indulgence I allowed myself, even though I didn't deserve it. Not at all.
I sighed, tracing her face with my fingers. "Bella. My Bella," I whispered softly, my voice breaking.
I heard the sound of a car pull back in the garage it was Carlisle's Mercedes. I heard my name in his thoughts before he
even exited the vehicle. I wasn't in the mood for Carlisle he had been exceptionally patient with me and sympathetic, but
I couldn't take a fatherly talk right now. I knew how hard it was for him to let me wallow for 48 hours straight without them
trying to comfort me, and as much as I appreciated it I wasn't ready to put on a mask and pretend to care about anything
other than Bella right now. Before he was even in the door to the house I ran and was out the back, heading into the woods
to hunt.
*Chapter 4*: 4: Meet You There
A/N: Thanks for all of the add's and to the few of you that reviewed :) I've been meaning to get back to Share
you all, but this chapter will answer the question most of you have asked. I should have another chapter out
tomorrow-it's off being edited now.
I put another story up, it's called "Numb" Check it out, I'll be updating it just as frequently.
Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight and the characters, not I...

I wish I could have told you,

The things I kept inside,
But now I guess its just too late.
So many things remind me of you,
I hope that you can hear me,
I miss you,
This is goodbye,
One last time...
"Meet You There" - Simple Plan
EPOV
I sat, my back against a large boulder, plucking weeds and grass from the ground. I'd finished hunting some time ago,
having encountered grizzly not too far from the house, and have been passing the time sitting here in silence. It was cloudy
and foggy today, unsurprisingly... the weather matched my mood. We always thought Forks was the ideal place to live,
with it's near constant overcast skies, but we hit the jackpot with clouds and rain with our new home.
'Home' this time is Astoria, Oregon. I was surprised with the families' decision to relocate here, as it's only about 185
miles outside of Forks. Carlisle always had a rule of not moving within 250 miles of a house we'd lived in within a 50-year
period to be on the safe side, but obviously that was disregarded this time around. The population here was larger than
we usually went for; coming in at around 10,000 people we usually stuck with towns with less than half of that. But
Jasper's control around humans had gotten so well over the years that they'd made a decision to venture into larger
populated areas, figuring the more people there were the greater possibility of not sticking out. Yeah right, as if we'd ever
actually go unnoticed.
I stood up, brushing the dirt and grass off of my pants, and started trudging slowly back toward the house. I didn't think the
others would be back from school yet, but I guessed by now Carlisle would've made his way to the hospital so I was
hoping to be able to slip back into the house without any obstacles. I continued on at a relatively slow pace and focused
my attention toward the house when I got near. I couldn't hear anything, no sign of anyone, so I increased my speed a bit in
anticipation of finding it deserted so I could wallow in silence for a while longer.
I stopped short when I reached the back yard. On the back steps sat Carlisle, as still as a marble statue, blocking his
thoughts so he was completely silent to me. I couldn't help but smirk at him and he gave me a small smile back in
acknowledgment. Carlisle was anything but stupid he knew I'd only approach if I thought everyone was gone, so he did
everything he could to block my senses from detecting him. 'Well played Carlisle,' I thought, still not proceeding forward.
Edward I don't mean to bother you, but there's just something I wanted to tell you.
I sighed, running my fingers through my untamed hair. Carlisle's face was somber and he looked torn. I walked over to
where he was, turning and sitting down on the step below him. I pulled my legs up, wrapping my arms around them and
placing my chin on top of my knees.
Carlisle opened his mouth to speak but closed it just as quickly. He did this a few times before taking a deep breath and
lightly shaking his head. It wasn't like Carlisle to hesitate so much, I assume he knew I was already in a fragile state at this
point and he was trying to come up with the gentlest way to address whatever it is that was on his mind. He was walking
on eggshells, so-to-speak.
"Son, I didn't know if this was something you'd care to deal with, especially right now, but I decided it was only right to tell
you and let you decide." He paused, and I could see from the corner of my eyes that he was looking down at me. "I was
informed last night that Charlie Swan has passed away."
I was prepared for a lot from Carlisle but those words caught me off guard. I hadn't heard Charlie's name come out of
Carlisle's mouth since we had departed Forks after what happened to Bella. I didn't know that Carlisle had been
keeping tabs on the going-on's in Forks or how he had gotten a hold of the information of Charlie's passing. I caught Alice
trying a few times years ago to seek Bella's family out in her visions but had always proven unsuccessful because of his
close contact with the wolves. Carlisle must've been able to guess the questions running though my head based on the
look on my face so he continued.
"Two days ago, it was a heart attack. He was at work when it happened. I actually came upon his obituary by pure
coincidence." Carlisle sat silently behind me, giving me time to absorb the information. Charlie and I had never been that
close in fact, Charlie had never actually warmed up to me and towards the end he downright hated me. But Charlie was
Bella's father, he was her flesh and blood and she loved him tremendously, and he was gone now. After a few minutes,
Carlisle spoke again. "The funeral is tomorrow at noon. I know the last time you saw him some things were said and you
didn't part on the greatest of terms, so I understand if you feel the need to take a quick trip and slip into the town then." I
sighed and nodded my head. Carlisle patted me on the back and stood up, turning to head towards the garage. His
thoughts told me he was heading to the hospital, as he traded shifts so he could be here to tell me while we were alone.
I went into the house and back up to my room, locking the door and retaking my place on the floor. My eyes roamed the
ceiling quickly, finally settling once again on the small imperfection above me. I wanted to give myself some time to adjust
to the knowledge that tomorrow I'd once again step into the borders of Forks, WA. I hadn't been there in 36 years and I
couldn't help but wonder what I'd find when I arrived. I felt exhausted and wished at this moment that I was capable of
sleep-of escaping reality for a few hours. Staring at the ceiling put me in a slight meditative state, and that was as close
as I could get.
I heard Alice approach my door hours later they had arrived home from school shortly after I came back to my room and
thankfully gave me some peace and quiet.
Edward, I just wanted to wish you luck tomorrow not that you'll really need it. You won't be noticed.
I stayed quiet, and she turned to walk back away from my door. "Thank you Alice," I whispered quickly, only loud enough
for her to be able to hear. It was the first time I had actually spoken to any of my family in a few days, and I sensed her
pause when she heard my voice.
"You're welcome."

I arrived in town shortly before noon, and stood in the woods behind the cemetery to watch the funeral. I didn't dare get any
closer than that at the time, as there were a large number of Quileutes present and I wasn't sure about the current status of
the treaty or the werewolf situation. I recognized a few faces faintly as people from the past and listened as they spoke
fondly of Charlie. Apparently a lot had changed over the years, and Charlie had a whole new family. I was happy for him,
but at the same time that fact saddened me enormously. It felt at this moment like Bella had been completely forgotten,
that everyone had moved on from it but me. The memorial was filled with stories of Charlie's grandchildren and his life with
his wife, his time as a cop and his love of fishing, but not a single mention of the daughter that should be lying directly
beside where he'd be resting. Even though the headstone bearing her name stood a few mere feet away from where they
all stood, I never saw any of them so much as even look in her direction. My sadness was growing into anger at this
realization-anger for my Bella.
After it was over, I took the short run through the trees toward the house Carlisle still owned right outside the city limits. He
usually sold most of the houses we lived in over the years, but the one in Forks remained ours. He never even
contemplated the idea of selling it; the thought never crossed his mind. The house stood vacant, worn down, but left intact.
I had no intention of sticking around town, I planned to get the hell out of Forks as soon as possible, but the fact that
everyone today seemed so oblivious to Bella's presence or technically the lack thereof had changed my mind. I was
immediately furious at everyone, but just as quick as it came the anger was replaced by something else: Guilt.
I was a complete hypocrite. I was blaming people for neglecting Bella and her memory, livid at them for not doing
something more to acknowledge her, when I hadn't done anything myself. I hadn't been here in decades.
I hung around the house for a few hours until sunset. When I deemed it dark enough outside to be concealed, I slowly
started strolling towards the cemetery, preparing myself for what I was going to say. It was starting to rain, and the wind
was picking up a bit. I was taking a shortcut through the property that used to belong to the Cope's, but that now stood
empty with a "For Sale" sign in the front yard, when a scent hit me that brought me to a standstill. It was flowery and the
smell reminded me of Bella. I spotted the freesias along the house and picked a few, bringing them to my nose and
inhaling. I couldn't stop the smile that enveloped my face. 'Definitely Bella,' I thought.
I proceeded on to the cemetery without hesitation, not stopping again until I was right in front of her grave.
"My Love," I said softly, crouching down until I was eye level with the name on her headstone. "Sorry it's been so long. I
have no good excuse, I just hope you understand and can forgive me. I brought you some flowers, they remind me of you."
I placed the freesias in front of her gravestone then took my hand and traced the letters of her name.
"I wish I knew what happened to you Bella." My voice was thick with emotion and broke as I spoke, and I knew if I had the
ability to cry I'd be in tears right now. "This isn't right, it isn't fair. You shouldn't be here, or wherever the hell you really are.
You were too good for this to happen to, too untainted. And I'm so sorry." I ran both hands through my hair, clutching onto
the messy strands in frustration. "I shouldn't have left you, this is all my fault. God, what were you doing there Bella? What
happened? You should be here with me right now. You weren't supposed to die!"
I stood, taking a few deep breaths to calm myself down. "I love you so much Bella, I always have and I always will." I turned
from her, whispering "goodbye my love," and looked at the place where her father now rest.
"I hope you're in peace Chief Swan. I want to thank you, because without you there would've been no Bella, and without
Bella I would've never known what it was like to love another absolutely and irrevocably."
I turned and exited the cemetery. The rain was steady, coming down just hard enough to wash away any scent of mine that
may linger around Forks.
*Chapter 5*: 5: Landlocked Blues
A/N: Thanks for the reviews and adds. We're getting some of the back story now, from Bella's Share
perspective... next Chapter is Edward's ;)
Sorry about the fake out, if you got two alerts for this chapter... I published the wrong thing and had to delete it
and put the right one up.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

I've grown tired of holding this post

I feel more like a stranger each time I come home
So I'm making a deal with the devils of faith
Saying "let me walk away, please"
You'll be free child once you have died
From the shackles of language and immeasurable time
And then we can trade places, play musical grace
Till then walk away, walk away
"Landlocked Blues" - Bright Eyes
BPOV = 36 years ago
I muttered curse words under my breath, slamming my hands against the steering wheel of my ancient truck. Of all the
times for this to happen, why did it have to be now? Why here of all places? I looked up out of the windshield and watched
as the smoke started rolling out from the front of it. I looked around, unsure of what to do. I wasn't so sure it was safe for
me to remain inside the cab with the way it was smoking. But at the same time, it was the middle of the night, and I was in
the middle of nowhere. I sat with my hand on the door handle, contemplating my actions, when I suddenly noticed an
orange flame shoot up from under the hood. I grabbed my bag on the seat beside me, flung the door open and shot out of
the truck as fast as I possibly could. I walked to the other side of the road and start digging through my bag looking for my
cell phone. I found it after a moment, dropping my bag on the ground, and frantically started pushing buttons. Nothing
happened. I tried the power button, but again nothing. I hadn't bothered to even look at it since I'd left Forks, and it was just
my luck that it had to be dead.
"Ugh, useless piece of crap!" I yelled, throwing the phone to the ground. Irritated beyond belief, I pulled my foot back and
kicked my bag, scattering some of the contents but not in the mood to care at the moment. Tears were welling up in my
eyes and my hands were shaking. I sunk to the ground, putting my face in my hands and allowed the tears to flow freely.
I had left Forks four days ago. After a particularly rough school day, I came home to find Charlie in uniform, eating a
sandwich in the kitchen. He said they were short-staffed down at the station and he needed to go back into work for a few
hours, so I'd be on my own for dinner. His face looked apologetic and he was hesitant about going Charlie hadn't left
me alone for more than a few minutes the past couple months and it was obvious he was still concerned for my "safety". I
quickly wanted to distinguish Charlie's stress and fears over the situation and without even thinking of what I was saying
the words just rolled right out of my mouth.
"Oh that's fine dad, I was going to watch a movie and get something to eat with Angela tonight anyway." Charlie's eyes
widened at my words and he made no effort of trying to conceal the look of shock on his face. I hadn't been one for
socializing the past few months. Charlie nodded, a smile overcoming his face.
"That's great Bells, you girls have fun." I gave Charlie the biggest smile I could assemble, trying to make it look authentic.
I'd gotten better at lying lately and it almost seemed like second nature at that point. The truth hurt and it was easier to just
say whatever it was people wanted to hear. When he left, I sat on the couch and let the silence overcome me. I sat there
for quite some time, just enjoying the stillness. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been able to just sit quietly without
dealing with interruptions every few minutes, people concerned about me and wanting to "check" and make sure I was
okay. I knew everyone felt I was suicidal and they were worried I'd act on it. But the fact of the matter was, dying was the
last thing on my mind. Edward was still out there, somewhere, and as long as he walked the earth then that's exactly where
I also wanted to be. I wasn't delusional, I wasn't living in a fantasy world where I expected him to come running back to me
and sweeping me off my feet and us spending all of eternity together. I'd faced reality some time ago I knew he was
gone, and I knew he wouldn't be back for me. Edward was more stubborn than even me, he was an over thinker and
analyzer, and once he made a decision you couldn't change his mind. I had loved Edward more than I thought it was
possible to love another, in fact I still loved him and believed I always would, but he had realized that I wasn't the one for
him. Part of me hoped that somewhere deep inside of him he did feel something for me, that what I felt for him hadn't been
completely unrequited and that the passion I felt coming from him whenever we had been together had been authentic, but
regardless of that I still wasn't dumb enough to even try to hope he'd ever return to me. No matter if he had loved me, as I
believed he did, none of it changed the fact that he had realized that it just wasn't enough. That I wasn't enough.
At some point I must've fallen asleep because I was startled awake suddenly. It was getting dark out and there were no
lights on in the house-I was still alone. The silence that I had previously enjoyed now had the opposite effect. It was eerie
and suffocating and I had never felt more alone than I did at that moment. I jumped up quickly and grabbed my bag, which
held a few feminine necessities, my wallet, and my cell phone as well as a few other random trinkets that got thrown into it
over time, and ran out the front door to my truck. I hopped in the cab quickly, slipped my key into the ignition and the truck
roared to life. Before I knew it, I was on the road headed out of Forks.
I had no real destination in mind, my natural defense mechanism to flee had kicked in and I was just going with it. I didn't
know where I was running to, or what specifically I was running from all I knew is that I needed to run. I didn't look at any
signs, didn't pay attention to road names, just went with instinct and took whatever turns and roads felt right. I drove as fast
as my poor ancient truck would go and drove until my eyes got so heavy that I couldn't see the road clearly anymore. When
that happened, I'd simply pulled over somewhere, lie down across the seat and let sleep overcome me.
This went on for days. I'd drive until I couldn't drive anymore and sleep when I needed to. The night of the third day I pulled
into a gas station somewhere in Idaho and went into their restroom to try to freshen up a bit. I hadn't showered since
leaving home, I was sweaty and dirty and my hair was a complete mess. I ran my fingers through my mahogany colored
locks to try to get out some of the tangles and pulled it back in a messy bun with a rubber band I had found securing it. I
washed my hands and face and took some time to really look at myself in the mirror. My skin was paler than I had ever
seen it before; I looked sickly, as I hadn't really eaten in days. I truly looked like a zombie finally the exterior matched
how the interior felt.
"What the hell are you doing Bella?" I muttered to myself, drying my hands. I exited the rest room, poured a cup of coffee
from the percolator on the counter, and approached the register. I grabbed an atlas that was sitting in a rack beside the
counter and handed the lady working a $20 bill to pay for my stuff. She eyed me suspiciously and looked like she wanted
to say something but thankfully decided not to and instead simply handed me my change. I muttered a quick thanks, and
headed back out to my truck. I climbed into the cab, sipping my coffee and studying the road map in an attempt to
decipher how to get back to Forks from here. I didn't know exactly where I was on the map but I gathered a general area
and figured out which roads to be looking for that headed north towards home.
I drove for about an hour, but the coffee wasn't helping me stay awake much and my eyes were getting dangerously close
to closing so I pulled into a parking lot of an abandoned business in Idaho Falls to catch a few hours of sleep. I figured if I
was up and back on the road by dawn I'd make it back to Forks by dusk. Sleep came quickly, and unfortunately the past
few nights of not adequately taking care of myself caught up with me. I didn't awaken until nearly noon the next day, and I
had a 13-hour drive in front of me.
Fortunately the hours flew by quickly, and I only got lost twice when I decided to take 'shortcuts'. I was driving along a
narrow road around Clearwater, WA-another of my 'shortcuts'-when my truck started jerking a bit and sputtering. I ignored
it at first, willing with my mind for it to stop as I was so close to home, but before long I started spotting smoke coming out
from under the hood and I had no choice but to pull over.
So here I stand now, along side a deserted road with a dead cell phone, watching as the front of Chevy is spitting out thick
black smoke and flames. I'm no expert on cars, but I didn't have to know as much as Jake to gather that there would be no
coming back from this. My trusty truck had gone to car heaven, leaving me stranded in the middle of nowhere.
I sighed, looking around. All I could see in either direction was rows upon rows of trees. No immediate signs of any
houses or cars, no sign of anyone to assist me. I initially hoped that somehow someone in civilization would see the
smoke and the police would be notified, but the reality that it was the middle of the night sunk in. I was also starting to get
cold, and unfortunately had failed to grab my coat in my hasty exit from the truck it wasn't safe to try to retrieve it, as the
flames had started to spread.
I wrapped my arms around my torso and started quickly walking north. I'd walked for about 2 miles, focusing intently on the
ground and my feet in an attempt to keep myself upright in the darkness (luckily I'd only tripped once), when a break in the
trees to my right caught my attention. It was a dirt and gravel path, wide enough for car travel, and by the looks of it
someone traveled on it often. I walked towards it and noticed somewhat fresh tire tracks. I debated briefly whether or not I
should divert off of a paved road even if it meant finding help, but I was shivering and really starting to shake from the night
air and my desire to get out of the coldness won. I started walking down the path swiftly, again watching my feet so as to
not trip and fall. After walking for a few minutes, the path taking me deeper into the forest, I paused and looked around. I
was starting to second guess this decision, as it was getting darker down the trail because of the cover of the trees and I
couldn't see any end to it in sight, and once again my natural defense mechanism urging me to flee kicked in. I turned
abruptly to head back toward the main road, fear seeping in. It felt irrational, but I was really starting to freak out. I started
to walk briskly when I thought I saw shadows move in the trees. Fear caused me to break out into a sprint, which was the
worst idea I'd had yet, because within a matter of seconds I tripped on a large rock in the middle of the path and went
flying. I landed on my hands and knees, stinging pain shooting through my palms.
"Shit!" I yelped, feeling the blood start running down my right palm to my wrist. I attempted to push myself up, but a sharp
pain tore through the back of my neck, radiating down my spine and into my head. I closed my eyes instinctively and let out
a piercing scream My head was pounding and my back felt like it was on fire, my entire body being taken over with
sharp and burning pain.
I wanted to move, I wanted to escape, I wanted to try to get away from the pain but my body seemed to be frozen in
place. I wanted to scream for help, scream for the pain to stop, but I couldn't seem to get any noise to come out not any
that I could hear, anyway. My ears felt clogged as if I were underwater.
The pain seemed to grow immensely as the seconds passed and my vision blurred. I could faintly make out small noises
around me I heard some trees rustling, some gravel being disturbed. I heard some muffled noises. Oh fuck, I'm being
eaten by an animal. I thought as the sound of growling rang out in my ears.
The burning intensified, and I briefly wondered if maybe I never made it out of the truck, maybe I was unconscious and
dreamed up my escape and this path, and I was now being burned alive. Blackness started to conquer me, completely
overtaking all of my senses. Random thoughts and images popped through my head, like the fact that the lady at the gas
station in Idaho had the name "Joey" tattooed on her neck and I wondered who Joey was. Or that fact that I had never
even closed the front door at Charlie's when I ran out 4 days ago. Edwards face popped in my mind, he was laughing and
smiling at something. I opened my mouth again, still trying to find my voice, trying to scream, but all that came out were
moans. Maybe this is what they meant when they say your life flashes before your eyes before you die. The last conscious
thought that registered was that I'd never see Edward again, and I whimpered his name as the blackness took me.
*Chapter 6*: 6: Map of the Problematique
A/N: Thanks for the reviews and adds :) I appreciate it immensely! We're getting part of Bella's 'death' Share
from Edwards POV now... next chapter will be up shortly, which is pretty much a continuance of the Cullen's
dealing with the tragedy 36 years ago.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Fear, and panic in the air

I want to be free
From desolation and despair
And I feel like everything I saw
Is being swept away
When I refuse to let you go
"Map Of The Problematique" MUSE
EPOV (36 years ago)
I sat on the small black bench, staring down at the slick black and white keys on my Steinway Concert Grand piano. I ran
my fingers lightly across them, barely brushing the surface but not daring to press down and make any ring out. It had been
nearly 6 months 6 months since I left Bella, 6 months since we left Forks, 6 months since I've sat down on my piano
bench and pressed down on any keys. I've lived over 100 years, attended countless high schools and sat through
thousands of mundane classes, and never has time ever been as dreadfully slow and torturous as these past 6 months
have been.
Yo Edward, let's go hunt!
Emmett's thoughts rang out as he launched himself down the stairs. He reached his arms up and grabbed a hold of the
doorway above him, pulling himself up to swing into the room. I heard a snap and turned my head to see him holding a
chunk of wood with a shocked look on his face.
Shit, Esme's going to kill me. I chuckled. We've officially lived here for less than 24 hours and he had already broken
something.
"You're right, she is going to kill you." I pushed the bench back and stood up I gave the piano one last look before
turning and walking out of the room. "Yeah, let's go hunt. Did you ask Jasper if he wanted to come?"
Emmett laughed as we made our way out of the back door and into the yard. He took the piece of wood and launched it
into the woods with so much force that he toppled a tree when it impacted. "No I couldn't find him." Hey, you think maybe
Esme won't know it was me?
I rolled my eyes and smirked. "It doesn't matter who really did it, you know Esme will look to you first." He gave me an
annoyed look and started running into the woods. I shook my head and followed his path.
The girls were out shopping. Esme needed to grab some stuff to finish getting the house in order and dragged Alice and
Rose along. Technically Alice didn't need to be drug, she was more than happy to oblige and shop, but Rose wasn't as
thrilled. She apparently thought she'd be able to spend the day christening her bedroom with Emmett. Carlisle was at the
local hospital, he wasn't working yet but had to go in and get things in order for when he started next week. And Jasper.
Well, Jasper was off doing whatever it is he did these days.
After the disaster that was Bella's birthday, my family immediately went to Denali to stay for a while. I hung around Forks a
few days longer and was supposed to go straight to them but after the conversation in the woods with Bella when I told her
things were over I couldn't bare to face them yet. So I ran off on my own for a while, intending to take a few days to
compose myself. Those few days turned into months
I joined my family in Denali about a month ago, and things still aren't back to normal. Mine and Jasper's relationship is
strained, I tried to tell him countless times that I held nothing against him-that none of it was his fault-but he kept his
distance and avoided having to spend any time with me. I tried not to take it personal, as I knew he was still suffering
shame and that he felt guilty over the turn of events, but it still sucked that I didn't have my brother back. Jasper would
make himself scarce; sometimes we'd go days without seeing him. Alice said he's taking time to sort things out, and he
felt it was easier on everyone without the barrage of emotions being flung around.
On top of the situation with Jasper, things in Denali were just weird. Tanya had always expressed an interest in me and
immediately upon my arriving she attempted once again to sway me. I gathered from her thoughts that she believed while I
was away I'd sorted everything out and my appearance in Denali meant I was completely over Bella and ready to move
on. I shattered that hope quickly when I expressed zero interest. Tanya had never given up, she felt that since I was so
adamant about resisting her advances that it meant somewhere inside of me I held some sort of passion pertaining to
her, and she felt she could take that and someday shift it into another type of passion-love. It was twisted logic, but she
was a believer that there was a thin line between love and hate, and as long as I was strong in my resistance of her then
she thought I'd one day crack with frustration. So when I showed up in Denali and couldn't muster any type of reaction
besides indifference, it threw her off. She kept it up for about a week before she finally gave up, completely aggravated.
She started moping around, stomping around, throwing tantrums, and even then all I could give off was apathy. After
staying there for a month, Tanya had grown to be truly enraged.
On top of Tanya's psychotic antics, her sister Irina started acting strange. She seemed to always be on guard and acting
sketchy, trying to block her thoughts in my presence, and would also disappear for periods of time. I wanted to chalk it up
to the fact that she had taken a liking to that revolting being Laurent when he visited and was upset that he wouldn't adapt
to their way of life and ended up bailing, but I wasn't so sure. The looks she sometimes shot Tanya were downright
terrifying, and on more than one occasion I caught her observing me a little too closely. Needless to say, I was thankful
when Carlisle declared we were leaving Denali and heading for a new place in New York.
Emmett and I took separate paths in the woods, each taking down two elk. We met up after hunting and Emmett didn't
have his signature grin on his face. "What's wrong Em?" I asked. He seemed really upset about something.
"The wildlife here sucks, how can you even call that hunting? They don't even put up a fight. It's only been one day and I
already miss the grizzlies," he said longingly. I couldn't suppress the laugh that fought its way out. Emmett initially looked
pissed at my response but couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from lifting up.
"It's nice to see you laugh again, bro," Emmett said, patting me on the back. I nodded in response and gave him a smile.
My family had been great for the most part over this past month. They may still not understand my decisions that led us
here but they respected them and supported me.
We sat quietly for a long time; each of us engrossed in thoughts and just simply enjoying each other's company, when we
heard a snarl behind us in the woods. Both of our heads popped up immediately, matching smiles gracing our faces.
Mountain Lion!
Emmett hopped up before me but I was faster than him so I wasn't too worried about his head start. We raced to where
the noise came from, taking turns trying to slow each other down to get to it first. I hit the clearing where the mountain lion
stood a few seconds before Emmett and without delay pounced. Emmett wasn't having that and snatched a hold of me to
throw me off. We ended up in a wrestling match, rolling around on the ground, each of us attempting to get the upper hand.
I had the advantage of hearing his thoughts and knowing what he planned to do before he did it, but Emmett was stronger
than me so it wasn't that easy to get him physically.
We wrestled like this for a few minutes before realization struck as to what we were supposed to be doing. We hopped up
and looked around, noticing that the mountain lion had successful made his escape while we were rolling around on the
ground. We both busted into a hysterical laugh at that fact.
"Come on bro, let's head back to the house, I think we've done enough damage for one day". I glanced around and
observed that we had knocked out a few trees wrestling and both of us had our clothes torn and destroyed. It was pitch
black now; it had to be well after midnight. We started running back towards the house, still laughing. As we approached, I
heard our family inside speaking frantically-something was wrong. I heard Bella's name ring out desolately in Alice's mind
and took off as fast as my legs would carry me, launching myself into the house through the back door. Everyone inside
stared in shock at me, as I had just literally tore the back door from its hinges, but I wasn't concerned about that right now.
My family had respected my wishes stay uninvolved in Bella's life so I knew that the breech in that meant something big.
"What?" I yelled, louder and sharper than originally intended. Jasper made his way across the room to where I stood. I felt
myself being hit with a wave of calm and I knew it was my brothers doing. Jasper hadn't attempted to use his power on me
since I'd returned, much less stood beside me voluntarily, so the fact that he approached me and tried to calm me only
made me more frantic. Something really must be wrong.
"What's going on Alice? What's wrong with Bella?" Alice's eyes widened as she looked around at the family. Carlisle
approached me and brought his hand up clutching me on my shoulder. The look on Alice's face alarmed me and caused
me to truly start to panic. I felt Jasper clasp my other shoulder and a strong wave of calm shot through me. Only after
Jasper calmed me this time was I composed enough to actually look at the rest of my family. They all held similar faces,
even Rose was visibly upset. Alice looked devastated, shocked. Esme, well she looked like she was grieving about
something. I tried to focus on her thoughts but her mind was just frantically chanting, "I can't believe Bella's gone". I knew
she missed Bella, but couldn't comprehend he sudden grief. And just like that the realization hit me.
"NO!" I screamed, my knees buckling. Carlisle braced me. "No, Alice, No!" A few small wails escaped Alice's lips and
she started sobbing tearlessly. "Please Alice, I'll do anything, please just, No!"
I stared at her, my eyes pleading with her, demanding her to tell me no, for her to tell me I'm assuming wrong. But instead
of doing what the hell my eyes were begging her to do, she nodded her head cautiously. Her hands flew to her mouth as
another sob escaped, her face contorting in pain. "No!" I screamed again, shaking my head at her frantically, imploring
her to do the same. "Please Alice, Fuck! NO!"
Alice looked away from me, to Carlisle, her eyes asking him what no words needed to say.
"Do you want her to show you?" Carlisle asked softly, his voice breaking. He was trying to keep his composure but it
was easy to tell he was just as beside himself as the others. His thoughts were just as frantic as everyone else's.
My eyes widened and I panicked as Alice's eyes met mine again. Did I really want to see this? See Bella die? Did I want
to witness her last moments? Could I handle it? I don't know how long I hesitated, or how long I contemplated it. But it was
long enough for Jasper to have to hit me with a wave of calm mixed with a bit of confidence, and it was then that I knew
that I needed to see it. I had to know. I had to be sure. It would hurt, it would be unbearable, but not knowing and always
wondering would eat me alive.
I took a deep breath and nodded.
Instantly I was hit with the vision. Bella walking down a road in the dark, behind her along side the road was her truck, on
fire. Bella pausing and turning into the woods down what looked like a driveway. Bella panicking and turning to run,
tripping on something and falling. Bella's hands bleeding. A large object coming out of the trees quickly and pouncing on
her. Bella screaming. More blood flowing. Something growling. Bella whimpering my name and then nothing. The vision
was still coming but it was all black now and completely silent. It confused me at first, but then I realized what that meant.
Bella was gone, it was blank, and there was nothing ahead of her now. No future.
My body was convulsing, and Jasper was hitting me with wave after wave of calm trying to help me, but I could tell he was
starting to buckle because of the intensity in the room. Carlisle must've sensed it also because he told Jasper to go ahead
and leave to get himself together. Emmett took Jaspers place, his hands resting on my shoulders trying to stop my body
from violently shaking.
"What WAS that?" I asked. The vision was so dark, because of the location and the time, that it was hard to make it out. It
looked just like a black shadow, a mass of something or someone.
"I'm not sure. I couldn't tellexactly," Alice choked out.
"When?" I asked, looking at Alice. I thought for a brief moment that maybe it wasn't too late; maybe somehow someone
could get to her and warn her. Maybe she could be saved.
Alice shook her head, knowing what I was asking. "We're too late. I saw it as it happened, that's why I got the blackness
after" She trailed off, not wanting to complete the sentence, not wanting to say 'after Bella died'.
Every ounce of hope I held inside of me at that moment died and my body went completely limp. Emmett quickly grabbed
me around the torso to keep me from hitting the floor. I started screaming, incoherently, begging to a God I wasn't sure I
believed in, saying anything and everything I thought might help. I screamed until I was exhausted and completely spent.
Silence ensued for a while after the last scream I could muster died away and all that could be heard was the tearless
sobs breaking free from each of us. After a few minutes, Carlisle cleared his throat.
"Son, I'm going to go to Forks." I snapped my head up to look at him when he spoke, and he brought his eyes to meet
mine. I contacted some old colleagues when Alice had the vision and found out that she actually disappeared a few days
ago, and she needs to be found.
I took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll go too".
"No, Edward." He said quickly, the tone of his voice indicating it wasn't up for discussion. I looked at him incredulously. I
don't know what I'm going to find when I get there, and it may not be something you should witness.
"But I already saw what happened," I snapped, frustrated.
"Yes but." Carlisle trailed off, trying to find the right words. I don't know how long it'll take to find her and what condition
she'll be in when we do and uh. exactly how much of her will be recovered.
His words struck me hard, realization that Bella likely lay in the middle of the woods exposed to nature, the elements, and
animals.
"Go then. Find her, please, as soon as possible." Carlisle nodded.
"I'll go along Carlisle" Jasper chimed in from the doorway. All of us turned to eye him. He looked tormented and we could
feel guilt rolling off of him. Jasper obviously felt this was somehow his doing, felt like he set off the chain of events to cause
this, and felt as if he needed to go as repentance. Once again Carlisle must've been able to draw the same conclusion
because he nodded again.
Carlisle and Jasper set off minutes later, headed to the airport for the first flight out to Seattle, and promised to call as
soon as they knew anything.
*Chapter 7*: 7: Promise
A/N: As promised, the rest of Edwards flashback of Bella's death. Next chapter, we go back to Bella Share
and you learn more about Bella's immortal life. It should be up tomorrow.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

I feel like I lost everything when you're gone

Left remembering what it's like to have you here with me
I thought you should know,
You're not making this easy
I never thought I'd be the one to say
Please don't, well please don't leave me
"Promise" - Matchbook Romance
EPOV (36 years ago)
Alice and I held each other all evening and throughout the next day, both of us overcome with angst, waiting on word from
Jasper and Carlisle. I knew the rest of the family was grieving also in their own ways for Bella, but the common factor that
placed Alice and I in our own world was the fact that the two of us had actually seen it-experienced it. Alice loved Bella,
there was no doubt about it, and I knew she'd be hurt for a long time to come over this just as I would be.
Carlisle called that night and said there was still no sign of Bella or her truck. They had it narrowed down to a general
area, thanks to the vision, so him and Jasper were searching back roads, specifically roads that were very rarely traveled.
Carlisle figured that if people traveled on the road, someone would've reported finding a burned out vehicle and since no
such report came in anywhere in the area that it meant no one had come across it yet.
The next day passed and the night fell again, and I was starting to really get worried. I was pacing the floors, clutching my
cell phone, contemplating running out of the house and getting on a plane and going there myself regardless of what might
be found. I groaned in irritation, bringing my hand into my hair and clutching it with furor, when Alice bounded down the
steps.
"They found her truck," she said quickly. She replayed the vision in her mind for me, a simple vision of Carlisle pulling up
behind the charred shell of what used to Bella's truck. Carlisle got out of the car and glanced at the burned vehicle before
walking across the road and surveying a bunch of belongings along the road. I recognized it as being Bella's bag and her
cell phone.
"What about her?" I asked imploringly. Alice shook her head and shrugged. Just then my phone chimed. I pushed the
button quickly and brought it to my ear.
"Carlisle? Alice saw you found the truck."
"Yeah, it's about an hour outside of Forks. I have no idea how she got here, as it's a road that's not even on the map so it's
no wonder it wasn't discovered yet." I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. I was frustrated, what the hell was Bella
thinking, how the hell did she get there, why was she there? My frustration led to guilt, guilt for being upset at my Bella
when I had no right to be. Bella was out there somewhere and needed to be found, and if anyone was to be blamed for
this it was me.
"What about her? Have you found her yet?"
"We're looking now. Jasper just found the trail, we can faintly still smell her blood." I cringed as he spoke the words.
Carlisle was silent, venturing down the trail with Jasper, and I proceeded pacing the floor. A few moments later I heard a
curse slip past Carlisle lips and I nearly dropped the phone. He never cursed.
"Oh god what? What is it Carlisle?"
He didn't speak right away, causing me to freak out even more. "She's uh she's not here Edward."
"What do you mean she's not there?"
"I mean, we found where she was, it's rained here today but there's still a significant amount of blood that hasn't been
washed away yet and, uh, one of her shoes is still here, but that's it. That's all that's left." If my heart still beat, it would've
stopped at that moment. "Jasper and I are going to try to pick up some scents to see if we can trace anything but it's
unlikely."
We got off the phone and I threw it, hard, at the nearest wall. The force shattered the phone and blasted a hole straight
through it. I immediately regretted it, but didn't have it in me to wallow on about it so commenced pacing for the next few
hours. I was starting to wear a path into Esme's living room floor when I heard Alice's phone chime upstairs. I stopped as
Alice flew down the steps, phone in hand, and put it on speaker.
"Well, Jasper made an anonymous call earlier into the Clearwater PD, and they came out and found her truck. Luckily
Charlie had been hounding all of the local police about his missing daughter so they knew what they found as soon as they
saw it. Charlie came out to the scene and there was a search conducted and they found the shoe and the blood." He
paused. "They are going to continue searching for her, but Jasper and I scoured miles of the area and came up with
nothing. So it'll likely take them a few days, but speaking professionally I'd say based on the amount of blood they found,
they'll close the missing persons case." Carlisle didn't have to say it, but he knew I'd get the message she'd be ruled as
dead.
Two weeks passed. Two horrifically long and torturous weeks. Carlisle and Jasper arrived back home the day after
Bella's truck was found and we'd all just done everything we could to survive as the days slipped by.
Clearwater PD was quite easily convinced of Bella's death but Charlie not so much. Charlie had been refusing to believe
that his daughter could be gone and was grasping at any straws he could find. He'd even called Carlisle a week ago and
asked him his medical opinion based on the amount of blood they'd found if it were possible for Bella to get up and walk
away from it. Charlie knew the answer, he'd been a cop long enough to know, but he didn't want to face it. Carlisle was
honest, said the odds of Bella being able to move much less walk away from the scene were slim to none, so Charlie
snapped about quacks and how they think they know everything and hung up. Carlisle didn't take it personal; he knew
Charlie was just in pain.
Finally, after two weeks had gone by, Carlisle got word from Forks. Charlie had finally acknowledged Bella wasn't coming
home and they were planning a memorial service in two days.
Of all people, Billy Black was the one to convince him. Carlisle's thoughts rang out as he got off the phone. I sighed and
sat down in a plush leather chair across from him inside his office. Do you want to do this alone, or would it be acceptable
if the whole family attended?
I pondered his question for a moment. "Whoever wants to go should go. This isn't about me, it's about Bella." I didn't want
to say that everyone should go because I wasn't sure about Rose. I hadn't seen much of her since Alice's vision; she'd
kept herself locked away.
He nodded, standing up and clasping me on the shoulder with his hand, squeezing. "It'll be okay," he said softly. I wasn't
sure if he was trying to reassure himself, or me but the words didn't do much to make me feel better. I knew it would never
be okay again-not for me.
The next day was spent preparing for the trip. We caught our flight that night, all seven of us going. We arrived in Seattle
before sunrise, rented 2 cars and quickly made our way to Forks. I was quite numb the entire trip, but the moment we
passed the "Welcome to Forks" sign my panic and heartache become pronounced. Luckily Jasper was in the car with me
and was able to calm me down a bit. After him and Carlisle had arrived back the last time, I had cornered him in his
bedroom and thanked him for what he did for me, and for Bella. He still felt guilt and shame for what happened 6 months
ago, but at least now he wasn't avoiding me completely.
Alice was equally numb. I hadn't seen her smile since she got her vision, and I wondered when or if it'd ever see her smile
again. She'd been thinking constantly over the past two weeks about Bella, and as painful as it was to endure I couldn't
help but smile more than once as Alice replayed some of her favorite moments with my girl.
My girl, I thought. The words caused the heartache to overtake me again.
We arrived at the house and I was bombarded in all directions with memories of Bella. It was so intense for a moment that
I brought my hands up and clutched my head tightly, willing it away. My family must've seen it play out, because there was
a barrage of apologies immediately. I couldn't blame them though, seeing the house made me think of her too.
The time passed swiftly and at noon we got back in the car and headed to Forks Cemetery. People were already there
when we arrived, a good number of them from the reservation. We were stared at, a few glared, but thankfully nobody was
openly hostile. I knew Carlisle was concerned about how the people from the reservation would react towards us being
present, as it would be the first time we'd been at the same place with them without it pertaining to the treaty and boiling
down to threats, but they seemed to have in mind the same thing we did: this day was about Bella, not any of us.
Charlie arrived with Angela Webbers father and the service began. I listened as people spoke about Bella and told
stories about her. I was completely overcome with emotion, utterly distraught. About halfway through the service I heard my
name being shouted in someone's thoughts and I looked to see it was coming from Jacob Black. I was looking at him,
confused as to why he'd be continually thinking just my name, when he smirked.
Yeah I know you can hear me. I see you acting all distraught over there and thought maybe you'd like to know what it looks
like to really be upset.
I was bombarded with images of Bella. Her lost in the woods, her looking pale and sickly, and her walking around in a
comatose state. Her screaming, having nightmares. Crying, screaming my name, begging me not to go. I tried to block
them out but he was sending them with such furor that it was impossible. I flinched, and Carlisle and Alice noticed,
sending me questioning looks.
Jacob finally let up with the images, the smirk never leaving his face.
I hope you spend the rest of eternity remembering what you did to her.
The memorial ended and people started filtering out. A few of our former classmates stopped to say a quick hello; a few
told me they were sorry for my loss. I didn't deserve their sympathy but I accepted it anyway none of them truly knew
what it was I had lost but I appreciated the sentiment. Most were polite and authentic, even Mike Newton who gave me an
awkward one-armed hug. I knew his instincts were telling him to run from me, that I was dangerous, but his feelings about
the situation with Bella made him ignore it. I had to give him some respect for that. Jessica Stanley had no qualms in
hugging me; she even managed a quick fantasy of me taking her from behind while she did so. I cringed.
After most people filtered out, I stepped forward. Since Bella's body had never been recovered to be buried, they had an
open casket where people could put mementos celebrating Bella's life inside. There were so many thoughtful things
photos, the school yearbook, notes, drawings, and other random more personal items that I imagine only the owner would
understand.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a diamond heart pendant. It had been my mothers, and I had once hoped to give it
to Bella someday. It was cold and hard and sparkly when light hit it, which I knew Bella would find both humorous and
endearing as that described me also. I also liked the fact that I was giving a heart to her, my heart. Because she had it, it
was hers, and always would be. I placed the pendant inside and turned to leave but was stopped short by Charlie standing
directly in my path. I looked around and noticed almost everyone was gone my family had all departed, with the
exception of Carlisle, who was watching us intently.
"Chief Swan," I said, nodding my head at him once. He stared icily at me for a moment before saying my name, his voice
portraying the same cold indifference toward me as his face.
We stared at each other for a moment before he spoke again. "I'm glad you were here today for Bella, but it would've
been even better had you have been here for Bella the past 6 months. We wouldn't be here today if it weren't for what you
did to her."
His words stung and I closed my eyes instinctively. "Huh, can't face it? Have a hard time hearing the truth? Because that's
what it is, the truth. My daughter loved you and you destroyed her. My Bella disappeared the same day you did, you left her
a shell of a person. You're lucky I let you walk into this cemetery today boy, because she couldn't. Because of what you did
to her, we couldn't even find a piece of her to bring here. And because of that I'll never be in peace again. And that's on
you."
Charlie turned and stormed away, leaving me momentarily stunned. Carlisle approached quickly.
"Son?" he said, reaching his hand out towards me to comfort me. I held my hands up in protest and he halted.
"It's fine Carlisle, nothing I didn't deserve."
*Chapter 8*: 8: Aeroplane Blues
A/N: This is a super short chapter so I'll be posting another one momentarily, as soon as the final edit Share
comes back to me. I'm nervous as to what the response is going to be when you find out what Bella's been up
to. Don't get mad and give up on me already, it'll all come together don't worry :)
Don't forget the songs are in my profile and photos of the car from the chapter. Go take a look, it's a beauty!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything twilight related, unless you count the memorabilia my computer room is
covered it :P

I'm on an aeroplane
Across the sea
Going nowhere
I wanna be
Distant land
Don't know who I am
"Aeroplane Blues" - The Black Keys
BPOV
The flight was long and uncomfortable, to say the least. I was used to spending hours on planes as I had been doing it
frequently over the years, but I was spoiled and used to private flights. It wasn't often I found myself sitting in coach
cramped between a sweating snoring obese man with body odor that could knock any man off of his feet and a woman
holding a baby on her lap-a baby that wailed throughout the entire flight. And did I mention this woman was so frustrated
she had chewed her fingernails down to nearly nothing and caused three of the fingers on her right hand to bleed?
Like I said, uncomfortable. I took as few breaths as possible, only bothering to do so when I found someone nearby
watching me... which unfortunately was more times than I liked but again I was used to it. People were naturally drawn to
my kinds' appearance but regrettably I've never gotten over my aversion to being the center of attention.
My 'kin' found that fact hysterical, given the high regard I was held in with my status. I use the term loosely, but it's more of
convenience and gratitude that ties me to them than love. It went both ways, however, so it worked. They didn't love me but
they did cherish what I brought to their group. None of them actually knew me. There were perks to being associated with
them and going home, but thankfully I was able to fly under the radar for the most part when I was out on my own.
The plane skidded to a stop on the runway as the pilot announced our arrival. I stood as passengers started departing the
cabin; silently thanking whatever God existed above for allowing all of us to survive the flight. It wasn't that I had been
worried about the plane crashing; I would've been able to walk away from that unscathed I was more worried about me
snapping and taking everyone out before I had a moment to even think about what I was doing. I had been careless, and
hadn't fed before boarding. Something tells me the Brethren wouldn't have been too pleased had that have happened.
I reached up into the overhead compartment, grabbing my bag. I sat it on the seat in front of me, unzipped it, and pulled
out my cloak. I preferred not to wear it; I preferred to go incognito as long as possible, but I could see out the plane
windows that there was an abundance of sunshine so alas I'd be more noticeable without it.
I put the cloak on, buttoning it, and slipped the oversized hood over my head, concealing my face and identity for the most
part. I swiftly exited the plane, immediately drawing the attention of those inside the terminal. The man working stepped
forward rapidly and fumbled with the gate, opening it when he spotted my presence as an indication for me to come
straight through. A few people in the line I bypassed grumbled and muttered profanities, one man even having the nerve to
call out his dissatisfaction loudly. You could always tell the tourists from the natives, and even the first timers from the
seasoned visitors. The man who yelled, an American, was obviously unfamiliar with how things worked around here. A
first timer. The ones who acknowledged what occurred, albeit softly and to themselves, were also tourists, but those that
had witnessed my kind before. The natives usually just watched on with a mixture of amazement and shock at my
presence, but did nothing to outwardly draw attention to it. We were mythical to them, they'd heard tales passed down
from generation to generation about the people who walked the night in cloaks, and although they had a wide range of
outrageous theories they still weren't quite sure what to make of it all. They did, however, know enough to know not to
cross us.
Then there were those who bowed their heads when they saw me, their eyes instantly meeting the floor with a mixture of
fear and forced respect. They dared not gape, for those were the few who really knew. Those were the ones who had
encountered my kind or knew those who had encountered us. Not many survived after having a run in with us, as we
weren't known for being lenient or giving second chances but the few who did walk away alive knew what true fear was.
And they feared us. Rightfully so. They also knew that I wasn't your average "Night Stalker", as the natives referred to us
as. My cloak was lined in red, indicating I was a member of the Elite. Those that bowed knew I was in a position of power.
I walked through the airport briskly and made my way to the long-term parking garage. I parked my car there a few weeks
ago, the last time I was in town. I pressed the button on my key ring and heard a chirp and saw light flash in my peripheral.
Ah, there it was.
My silver SSC Ultimate Aero. I was never big on cars but I had grown to love this one. Sleek and powerful, it was the
fastest car in the world. I ran my hand along the slick metal doorframe, sighing. I swung the door open and climbed inside.
The purr of the engine made a smile light up my face.
I put it in gear and slammed on the gas, the tires squealing. I sped out of the garage and down the back roads, heading
towards the city limits. The drive was fairly short given the speeds I was running.
I slowed the car as I saw the walls surrounding the city of Volterra in the distance. I hadn't called or alerted them to my
coming but I was sure none-the-less that they'd know by now. No other Elite would've been in the airport, coming in from a
flight from America.
I pulled through the gates of the city and parked my car where I normally kept it when I was in town. A police officer walked
by and bowed his head, completely ignoring the fact that I was in a "No Parking Zone". They knew better than to touch my
car or allow anything to happen to it.
I exited the car and walked into the shadows, down a back alley toward the entrance to the underground tunnels. At the
corner stood two individuals, decked out in charcoal gray cloaks. I passed them without saying a word. They nodded
slightly in acknowledgement and turned to follow me. I entered the tunnels and was immediately accosted by Charlene, the
human receptionist they had hired some time ago. They went through receptionists quickly, as someone in the group
usually slipped up and killed them after a few months. It was barbaric and I've mentioned it would be more prudent to use
a vampire but they insisted on using humans time and time again. The receptionist was one of the few humans that
learned our secrets to be fact and still lived, but I ventured to guess Charlene wouldn't be around much longer. She
yearned to be one of us and believed she'd be changed at some point, but I knew some of the guard was growing leery of
her and wanted her gone. She held no visible benefit to the Brethren as a vampire and would technically be an
inconvenience to them as a newborn, so her chances were nil. Besides, Felix had taken quite a liking to her and it was
only a matter of time before he ravaged her in more ways than one. I brushed her off without even acknowledging her
presence.
I made it to the end of the tunnel I was in and approached the heavy double doors, only pausing momentarily before pulling
them open. Most of the guard was present and the two that had followed me quickly moved around me to join them,
pausing only to bow before their masters. The Brethren waved them off.
I let the doors close behind me and approached the platform where the thrones sat. I reached up and pulled my hood
down, before bowing slightly out of respect. I realized I was a special circumstance to them and I imagine a few times they
had to have seriously considered me a threat, but there was no fooling anyone in the room as to who truly had the upper
hand in our arrangement. They knew they'd never be able to contain me as someone below them, so they treated me as
an equal for the most part even though I imagined it had to be very difficult after so many centuries to have a relative
newborn throw their hierarchy off. So I figured the least I could do was bow and show respect. Aro smiled at me joyfully.
"Ah, my beloved Isa! I was wondering when we'd see you again!" I returned his smile but said nothing in response. The
Volturi, for the most part, knew me as a woman of few words. Aro and I occasionally had brief conversations about
random subjects like art or history or literature, but I tended to keep it business-like. I knew what role I held here, and didn't
fool myself into believing I'd be standing here in a black and red robe if it weren't for my abilities.
I heard the door behind me open and turned to see Demetri walk in. He smiled when he saw me and nodded. Demetri
was one of the few that I had crossed the line between business and friendship with. He had proven himself trustworthy to
me and we'd spent a lot of time traveling together over the years for Aro. I actually owed my survival to Demetri, so it was
only natural that he'd be the one to crack my exterior and get a glimpse of the girl inside. I still guarded some things from
him I had some secrets, some that I kept only to myself.
"Demetri, come, let me see how the trip went." Aro said, holding his hand out. Demetri turned and stalked forward,
placing his own in Aro's. A moment of silence passed, before both men dropped their hands.
"So it seems they got the message. Great. Let's hope they heed the warning and don't force us to take action."
They spoke for a few moments longer about some mission Demetri had just returned from before Aro turned his attention
back to me. "So, Isa, are you here for purely pleasure this time, or is there a chance I could convince you to aide Demetri
in a bit of business?"
"Well, business is my pleasure so I'd be happy to help out. But for now I'd like to go settle in." Aro's face lit up with joy.
"Great! Demetri can fill you in tonight. Heidi should be back momentarily, would you like for us to send for you so you can
feed? I noticed your eyes are black."
I smiled politely and shook my head. "Unnecessary, but thank you." I bowed my head once again, and shot Demetri a
quick smile before turning and exiting the room.
*Chapter 9*: 9: FortySix & 2
A/N: Mega Long chapter... it'll answer some questions Share
Again, thanks for all the reviews and love!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

I wanna feel the change consume me,

Feel the outside turning in.
I wanna feel the metamorphosis and
Cleansing I've endured within
"Forty-Six & 2" Tool
BPOV (36 years ago)
I heard voices around me but I couldn't make out any words. It felt as if I were underwater and although I could make out
chatter, the words were muffled. My body was still burning with extreme intensity, it felt as if I were being torn apart from
the inside out. No sounds were coming from me, as much as it hurt and as much as I wanted to scream and tell whoever
was speaking to make it stop, to make it go away, I couldn't. It was like I had no control over my body at all
I faded in and out of blackness for some time, the pain only increasing as time went on. Every time it would get more
intense, I'd swear it was virtually impossible for it to ever get any worse but of course it would prove me wrong and do
just that.
I have no idea how much time had passed, every second felt like hours and every hour felt like days. The pain stopped
growing in intensity after a while and eventually even started dulling a bit. The voices around me were starting to get
clearer, and I could make out words here or there until finally full sentences reached my ears. I still was unable to move on
my own accord, although my muscles would take it upon themselves to respond to the pain and I'd unconsciously arch my
bad or flinch or convulse. I also had yet to figure out how to get my voice box to produce any noises.
"It'll only be a few more hours," I heard a man say. I didn't recognize his voice at all and panicked at his words. Hours?
What was he talking about? Why wasn't he stopping this pain now? Was he even talking to me?
I heard another voice, but it was so faint I almost wondered if I was hearing things. The first voice responded loudly to the
second, which made me wonder if maybe he was talking on the phone.
"We left the area, for safety reasons," the first voice said. What did he mean, left the area? Again a muffled response I
couldn't make out.
"No, you know I'm not the tracker, send Demetri." I heard him pause "Although I'm not sure Demetri would be able to pick
up the scent now with the conditions and the situation. There was more than one I could sense, but only one bit her."
The confusion mixed with the pain still consuming me made everything start to haze together and nothingness took over
again.
I was startled back to consciousness this time by my heart. It was beating rapidly, frantically. The searing pain was dulling
and nearly completely gone from my limbs, but it was intensifying around my chest. I briefly wondered if maybe I was
having a heart attack, but the pain was so severe I decided that it was more likely someone was literally ripping my heart
out with their bare hands.
"She's going to wake in a minute," I heard someone say suddenly, startling me. It was the mans voice from earlier, but it
was completely clear this time and it seemed like the person was right beside me.
"Yeah, glad I made it in time," a new voice rang out, another one I didn't recognize.
My heartbeat sped up drastically at that moment; thumping so hard it was thrusting my chest into the air. The pain seemed
to be sucked directly into my heart.
"What are they going to do with her?" the first man asked his voice suggested he was uncertain if he wanted to know
the answer.
"Well, they want us to bring her back so they can get whatever information from her they can, as to who did this to her, and
then" he trailed off, and quieted for a moment. "Well, you know".
"What a shame. Maybe I should've stopped it when I found it was happening, seems a bit cruel to make her go through
this only to put an end to it all anyway"
"Yeah well, this is a really serious infraction, you know that. Someone turned her, in the middle of nowhere, and just took
off. Can you imagine what would've happened had you not found her, and she remained lying there and completed the
transformation? It would've been a complete catastrophe her, a newborn, waking up there. So maybe this isn't fair to the
girl, but it's what's right. The only way to find out anything is to get her back home."
The man's words filter through the haziness surrounding my head caused by the pain, and when they sunk in panic hit. Did
he just say what I think he said? Someone turned me? Transformation? Wake up a newborn?
It wasn't an animal that tried to eat me. I thought, in shock.
Suddenly, my heartbeat sped again and turned erratic. It started faltering and skipping beats, before the pain intensified
immensely and it felt like an explosion went off in my chest. My heart gave two small thumps before going completely still.
Silence blanketed me as the pain ceased completely. I immediately reveled in the silence, thankful the pain ended, but
was startled out of my moment of serenity by movement beside me.
My eyes shot open, and without even contemplating my actions my body shot up and across the room. The quick
movement startled me and I found myself kneeling down into a crouch. It seemed as if my voice worked again, because
loud hissing and snarling sounds that originated in my chest ricocheted through the room.
Across the room from me stood two guys, both wearing long cloaks that reached mid-calf. They stood completely still,
their eyes focused intently on me. I gave each of them the once over, trying to decipher who they were, but the haze hadn't
completely lifted from my head and I was utterly confused. It didn't help that I kept getting sidetracked, my eyes shifting to
look at things around me instinctively, memorizing things and categorizing them. It was as if I were looking at everything for
the first time.
One of the guys in front of me shifted and my attention shot back to them. Another snarl ripped from my chest, which
caused him to smirk at me.
"She's a feisty one. That's hot," the smirking guy said. I recognized his voice as being the first man I'd heard.
"Who are you?" the words came out immediately. I was startled by my own voice, but regained my composure when the
man spoke again.
"The name's Felix," he said, still smiling at me. "And this is Demetri" He pointed to the guy beside him, who still hadn't
moved a fraction of an inch.
We stared for a moment, eyeing each other up to assess any potential danger. The one named Demetri broke the
silence, finally shifting from his marble stance.
"You have immaculate control, how are you doing it?" His face held a mask of confusion.
"What are you talking about?" I snapped, still in my crouch but finding myself relaxing my posture a bit. The fog clouding
my brain was as thick as ever and I found nothing was making sense. Not their words, nor my reactions.
"Never mind, why is irrelevant right now. It's a good thing though. I do wonder, can you tell me your name?"
I opened my mouth to speak, but couldn't find the words. I couldn't even sort through the fog quick enough to pull out
something as simple as my name.
"Is Isa" I started, pausing to pull it together. It was right on the tip of my tongue, but at the same time it felt so wrong,
like I was saying the wrong name. Before I could have a chance to figure it out, the man spoke again and pulled me out of
my thoughts.
"Well Isa, do you remember what happened to you?"
I shook my head no, so Demetri took it upon himself to tell me what he knew. He tried to gently explain that I was no longer
myself, that I had been bitten and a transformation had occurred but was vague on the details up front. He explained that
Felix had been in the area, and had smelled blood and decided to trace the scent when he found me lying on the ground
in the woods right outside of a town. He said that Felix had taken me to the place we were at now to rest while the change
finished, and while here Felix called home and Demetri was sent to see if he could help.
As he spoke, some of my haze lifted and I started getting brief flashes of memories that confirmed what he was saying, I
remembered being in the woods, and falling and being overcome with pain. I also remembered hearing their voices while
I felt like I was being burned alive.
Demetri went on to explain to me that they intended to take me back to their home, because they needed to find out who
had done this to me, but that it required boarding a plane so they needed to make sure I could be in control before that
could occur.
The next few days flew by quickly, and I found myself becoming quite coherent. I hadn't regained many of my human
memories, but Demetri assured me that it was normal and it was quite possible that I never would remember. I had finally
figured out my name a few days in, figured out the reason 'Isa' felt so wrong was because I didn't go by Isabella, I went by
Bella. But by then they had grown accustomed to calling me Isa that I didn't bother to clue them into my revelation. It
seemed too trivial to matter, given the situation.
I didn't see much of Felix that week; Demetri stated he was here on business whatever that meant. I didn't press. Felix
gave me a weird vibe anyway, and I felt like I could relax more and not be so on guard with just Demetri around.
The only source of conflict was feeding. Demetri'd go out and come back with blood for me but wouldn't let me out to get it
myself. I had no idea where he got it for me but I was grateful none-the-less. He expressed many times that week that my
control was quite amazing, but said he didn't feel comfortable taking me out on his own and testing it. So I just took
whatever it was he gave me and didn't argue, even though the part of me that wanted to be fiercely independent
screamed in resistance. I figured that was a trait that somehow survived the transformation.
A week after my change, Felix walked in the door and shot Demetri a strange look. Demetri nodded and cleared his
throat.
"Isa, we have some friends coming. It's time for us to head back home, so we can figure out how this happened. Do you
think you can handle that?" He had a somber expression on his face, and I wanted to ask him why but something told me I
might not want to know the answer to that. So I just nodded and kept my mouth shut.
He sighed and stood up, walking to the door. A few minutes later, I heard some cars approach outside. Demetri motioned
with his hand for me to come to him, so I obliged. He grasped my arm and led me outside, where I was immediately
overcome with a plethora of different feelings. This was the first time I had been outside since the change and the scents
and sights overwhelmed me. I stopped in my tracks and felt Demetri tug on my arm to get me to move again.
"We don't have time for that right now Isa, sorry. You can enjoy the wonders of the world another time. We have a flight to
catch." He shot me a quick smile, one that I had grown accustomed to over the past week, but this time his smile struck
something in me, and a memory flashed through my head. A memory of a boy, with messy bronze hair and golden eyes,
shooting me a crooked smile.
"Edward," I gasped suddenly. Demetri looked confused and went to say something, but I cut him off.
"Never mind, it's nothing," I said quickly, giving him a quick smile. I didn't want to explain right now as it was overpowering
and I needed to be able to absorb it myself, so I started walking again. Demetri led me to a black car with dark tinted
windows and placed me into the back seat, scooting in beside me. The ride to the plane was fast; it was pulled onto a
small runway in a private airport. The car drove up beside it, and I was quickly pulled out of the backseat and shuffled into
the plane.
Besides Demetri and Felix, there were now four others with us sitting across from me on the plane. Two smaller ones, a
boy and a girl, were eyeing me distastefully and seemed none too happy to have to be here.
"Where are we going?" I turned to Demetri and asked, as the plane took off.
"Italy," he said simply. I did some calculations in my head and came to the conclusion that we'd likely be on the plane for
10 hours or so. I sighed, closing my eyes and leaning my head back in the seat, once again thinking of the beautiful
bronze haired boy I thought of earlier. I didn't immediately remember a whole lot about him, except the fact that I had loved
him and that his name was Edward, but as the flight proceeded more facts and memories pertaining to him came forth.
Like the fact that he was a vampire, and that he had an entire family of vampires. I even remembered some of their
names. I recalled that he had a sister, Alice, and that she was psychic. That thought made me remember that Edward had
a gift, but I couldn't recall what it was, and that he had another brother with a gift. Remembering that upset me for a
moment.
"What's wrong?" The question brought me out of my thoughts. I opened my eyes to see Demetri looking at me intently. I
gave him a questioning look and he clarified.
"You were frowning all of a sudden," he said with a shrug.
"Oh. I just realized that I'm not gifted." Demetri was caught off guard by my response but a few of our companions on the
plane found it amusing and snickered.
"No, most really aren't gifted. But like I said before, you have immaculate control and that could be construed as a gift." I
gave him a little smile and a quick thanks. He was trying to cheer me up and I appreciated it, even if the words didn't make
me feel any better.
I laid my head back and closed my eyes again, willing the image of Edward to appear. I remembered laying with him in
the grass somewhere, gazing in each other's eyes. His eyes were striking and although I knew he was a vampire, I
couldn't figure out why his eyes were the color they were. Everyone on the plane had red eyes and I imagined mine
matched theirs.
The people around me were either exceptionally quiet or I was so lost in my thoughts that I blocked them out. Some time
later I did hear a woman's voice say, "I hope you aren't getting attached," but never heard anyone respond to her.
I was brought out of my thoughts by Demetri tugging on my arm, telling me we had landed and it was time to go. I was
caught off guard that the flight was over already but quickly stood up and followed him off the plane to a car that was
waiting for us. After a quick drive, we passed through a gate into a city surrounded by walls.
"This is home," Demetri leaned over and whispered to me. "Volterra".
Everyone exited the cars and pulled their cloaks on, throwing their hoods up. Demetri took a hold of my arm and ushered
me down a walkway, and through a door into a large building. We went down a few flights of stairs into a tunnel. I looked
up at Demetri and he smiled. "We're underground," he said, shrugging off my questioning look.
We started walking through a short tunnel and towards a brightly lit room when an exquisite scent hit me, almost knocking
me off my feet. I had never smelled anything like it before in my life and I immediately wanted it. My throat started to burn
and my mouth pooled with venom. A low growl started radiating from my chest, alerting the others. The little blonde female
turned and gave me a smug look. Felix started to laugh hysterically, whereas Demetri just shook his head and stopping
walking, gripping my arm tighter.
"Up ahead of us there's a woman, a human woman named Gianna. She works here, that's what you smell, that's what
you're sensing. She's off limits, do you understand that?"
I nodded but couldn't stop the rumbling from my chest. One of the others grabbed my other arm on Demetri's orders and
we started forward again. Felix stopped laughing long enough to shout, "A thousand bucks says she kills her" while
shooting a wink at me.
We entered the room and I spotted the woman sitting behind the desk. The scent was powerful and overwhelming there
and I couldn't contain the deafening snarl that ripped from me. Her eyes went wide and she froze in her spot, gaping at
me.
"Sorry lady, she's new, not as civilized as the rest of us," Felix said to the receptionist, still laughing.
Demetri quickly shuffled me out of the room and as the scent diminished so did the noises coming from within me. He
smiled at me and patted my arm. I attempted to smile back but faltered when I saw the blonde woman turn and shoot me a
wicked look. She was pissed.
We made our way to a large set of double doors, which were immediately pulled open. I was ushered inside and forward
to a set of thrones, in which three men sat. They looked similar physically, but were completely opposite in demeanor. One
man held a joyful grin and seemed very welcoming. Another eyed me suspiciously. The last one seemed to be completely
oblivious to my presence.
Demetri and the others bowed to the three and I followed suit not wanted to feel out of place. The joyful man looked
shocked but pleasantly surprised by this.
"The receptionist survived then, I suppose?" he asked. Demetri confirmed this, and the mans smile grew wider.
"My name is ,Aro, and these are my brothers Caius and Marcus" the man said, pointing to the others. "We've heard of
your situation and need to clear up what happened, because whoever it was that bit you made a grave error in judgment."
I flinched at his words, not understanding. Was he saying I was a mistake, that there was something wrong with me?
He must've been able to read the look on my face because he cleared it up quickly. "It's nothing to do with you my dear, no
worries. It's the simple fact that they abandoned you. And, of all places, abandoned you in some woods near a hospital! If
you had woken alone and ventured in that direction, it could've been a disaster. All that blood," he shook his head,
appearing disgusted. "All of our kind is well aware that there are certain rules that we must abide by, and the person who
caused your change broke the most important one. They risked our secrecy and safety and left you to turn alone, left a
newborn to awaken alone. That's unacceptable."
Aro motioned for Demetri to come forward, and he obliged. Aro grasped his hand and I watched in confusion as the two
men stood silently, stone still with blank faces. After a few moments Aro let go and smiled again.
"Ah I see Demetri, that is exceptional. I don't know if I've ever seen such control before. Interesting. Felix?" I watched as
Felix stepped forward and grasped Aro's hand they too shared a moment before Aro let go. "I see," Aro said, turning to
look at me.
"I have a gift," he said simply, in response to the questioning look I was giving him. "By taking their hand, I was able to
witness what it was they witnessed and now I know all that they knew."
"So, you accessed their minds?" I asked, trying to make sense of it.
"You could say I read their minds, yes." When those words were spoken another flash of Edward came to me and I
couldn't help but smile. I remembered now his talent was mind reading.
"Would you mind, my dear?" Aro asked me, holding his hand out. I hesitated but something told me it wasn't really
optional. It wasn't a request but he wanted me to feel like I was doing it willingly. I walked forward slowly and held my hand
out to him. I prepared myself as he grasped my hand, not knowing how it was going to feel or if I'd even be able to tell he
was doing it. Aro held my hand for a few seconds before dropping it quickly. I looked up at him and saw him glaring at me
with a perplexed look on his face that frightened me.
"Curious," he said in a strained voice.
All was silent for a moment, and I looked to see everyone was watching us with shocked and horrified looks on their faces.
"Jane come here," Aro said, never breaking eye contact with me. I watched as the blonde woman from the plane stalked
forward. So that was her name Jane.
I heard Demetri protest behind me, asking Aro if this was really necessary but Aro shut him up quickly with a simple raise
of his hand. "Jane would you be a dear?" Aro asked, motioning towards me. Jane turned to look at me, a creepy smile
coming to her face as she narrowed her eyes at me. I tensed, not knowing what was going to happen, but after a moment
her smile faltered and I heard Demetri gasp and mutter 'impossible'.
Aro stared at me for a moment. "Curious indeed," he said. He then proceeded to call others forward; one by one they took
turns beside us for a moment, before stalking off and Aro muttering vague words like 'curious' and 'interesting'. I had no
idea what was going on but I was frankly afraid to find out.
Finally Aro looked away from me, turning his attention back to Demetri. "I assume you've realized the predicament we've
found ourselves in and what just occurred". I turned to see Demetri nod his head slowly while eying me and I heard
someone in the crowd grumble 'absolutely dangerous'.
"I know you've grown fond of her this past week" Aro began, giving me a quick glance before turning his eyes back to
Demetri again.
"Yes, I have. She's quite an extraordinary creature," Demetri stated.
"I agree, that she is there's no denying she's extraordinary but" Aro hesitated. I heard Jane snicker beside us. "But
she's going to need looked after for awhile, do you feel you could do that?" Jane's snickering stopped abruptly and a look
of pure hate crossed her features.
"I'm positive I can. I'll make sure everyone remains safe," Demetri stated, no hesitation in his voice. Aro nodded and
turned back to me.
"You, my dear, have no idea the gift you hold."
*Chapter 10*: 10: Razor Blades
A/N: Well, both you and the Cullens are about to receive a bit of information about the powers that Share
Bella possesses... but of course, only one of you knows it's Bella ;) I'm a bit nervous as to whether or not I was
clear enough with her talent, if you have any questions feel free to ask. It's not as simple as she blocks
everything but I tried my best to explain it. If needed be, I'll draw a picture (lol).
I know I update fast (at least once a day), but I've got a bunch of chapters just waiting to be put up so I'll likely
start updating more than once a day as soon as they're edited. I know you all want information and are
anxious for the reunion. Is that cool with you all?
Oh and lastly, before any MUSE fans try to correct my lyrics, I want to state that the song is not wrong. It is not
"Screenager", it is the original version of their song that they called "Razor Blades". It was later changed but I
for one prefer their original lyrics.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Hide from the new

The cracks and the memories
Hide from your family
They wont know you now
For all the holes in your soul
Host no thrills
Beautiful, you were so beautiful
Memories
"Razor Blades" MUSE
EPOV
He is so gorgeous; I'd like to see what he's packing.
I wonder if he's going to Miranda's party this weekend, I bet if he got drunk he'd loosen up a bit and I could convince
him to go upstairs with me.
I can't believe he didn't even look at me yesterday when I wore my little blue dress. He's got to be gay, there's no way
around it.
I groaned, dropping my head and allowing it to hit the table with a little too much force. The children sitting at the table
beside us turned to look when they heard the loud crack so I immediately popped my head back up and rubbed my
forehead, trying to play it off as if it actually hurt me. After a few snickers, the children diverted their attention back to their
own table and the conversation they had been having.
Yes, I called them children. Because that's exactly what they were. We've attended more high schools than I'd like to
remember, but never have the students been as childish and impulsive and frankly nauseating as they were here. It was a
constant onslaught of disgusting thoughts all day long and it was hard to ignore and block out when it was being thrown at
me from every direction. Even the teachers in this place were juvenile.
Good job idiot, you left a dent, Rosalie shot at me. I sighed when I realized she was right, and attempted to hit the
underside of the table to pop the dent back out. Unfortunately once again there was too much force to my movement and
not only did I successfully imprint my fist outward in the table but I drew the attention of the children next to us again.
I stood up quickly, growling lightly. "I'm going home. Would you fix that already, Emmett?" I snapped out, briskly exiting the
cafeteria and heading for my car parked in the student lot. We had been attending school here for 6 weeks now and I've
found it to be just as unbearable now as it was my first day.
I slid in the drivers' seat of the car, started it and thrust it in gear quickly. I accelerated swiftly, peeling out of the parking lot
and onto the main road that headed out of town to where our house was. I hadn't made it far; I could still see the shape of
the school behind me in the rearview mirror when my phone rang.
I glanced at the screen and groaned.
"I'm fine Alice," I said sharply upon flipping the phone open.
"You will be," she said in her chirpy voice. "But that's not why I called. I just wanted to tell you that we would be having
visitors, it looks like they'll arrive before the rest of us make it home."
"Who?" I asked, silently praying she wouldn't say Denali. I wasn't in the mood to have to deal with the Denali girls today.
"Denali," she said certainly. She must've heard the rumble radiating from my chest at her answer because she quickly
hung up.
I made a sudden U-Turn in the middle of the road, squealing the tires. I pulled into the parking lot of the hospital Carlisle
was working at, swung into the first spot I saw, and jumped out. I entered the hospital and bypassed the receptionist and
ignored all of the nurses when they asked if they could help me. I made my way up to Carlisle's office and let myself in,
plopping down in a plush leather chair directly across from where he sat at his desk. He simply sat where he was and
continued on reading whatever chart was lying in front of him. I leaned forward, my elbows resting on my knees. We sat
like that silently for a few moments before he finally acknowledged my entrance.
Son you're going to have to be nicer to my coworkers.
I grunted, but gave him a nod and muttered a quick apology.
"So what do I owe this honor? Aren't you supposed to be in school?" he asked, throwing his feet up on his desk and
reclining back in his chair.
I ignored his mention of school, as he was aware of how intolerable I was finding it this time around. "Alice had a vision,
said that Denali was coming".
Carlisle looked surprised, as we hadn't heard much out of them the past few years. "When?"
"Today. Soon. Alice said that they wouldn't be home from school yet when they arrived."
Carlisle nodded and stood up. "I'll wrap things up here and meet you at the house in a few minutes." I was immediately
thankful, as the only thing that could make this day any worse would be facing Tanya alone.
I made my way out of the hospital, making a point to exchange pleasantries with a few nurses and the receptionist to
make up for my rude behavior earlier. I drove slower than I normally would have driven, as I wanted to give Carlisle some
time to catch up in case our guests had already arrived. My plan worked, because he pulled into the driveway directly
behind me. We went inside and I shot up to my room quickly.
I expect you to be sociable Edward.
Of course he did. I turned on my stereo and the sounds of Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet echoed through the room. I lay
down on my couch and closed my eyes, thinking of Bella. She had always had some weird fascination with the story of
Romeo & Juliet. I once told her how ridiculous I thought Romeo was but I could understand him better now
I heard cars approach and voices downstairs, signaling people had arrived. I turned off the stereo and made my way
down the steps, immediately spotting Eleazar and Carmen in the living room with Carlisle. Esme had also arrived back
home from an art class she was taking; I could hear her humming in Carlisle's office. I scanned the area for others but was
unable to sense any of them.
They came alone. Even in his thoughts, I could sense when Carlisle was alarmed.
Eleazar and Carmen had never traveled to visit us alone before. The only time they departed Denali was when Tanya and
her sisters were visiting, and convinced them to tail along.
I joined them in the living room, welcoming them. I was always fond of Carmen, she was quite laid back. She reminded me
of Esme in a lot of ways with her loving nature. Eleazar I liked also, but it was hard to be as relaxed with him as Carmen.
Eleazar had been a member of the Volturi for quite some time, and even though he severed ties with them long ago just
that simple fact was enough to make anyone a bit nervous.
The others arrived home and greeted our guests, and their thoughts told me they were just as caught off guard about them
visiting alone as Carlisle and I were. A greater part of the afternoon and evening were spent with mindless chatter, but
after nightfall Carlisle took the plunge and asked the question we all wanted to know.
"Are the sisters arriving later?"
Eleazar looked to Carmen, his thoughts telling me he was concerned about the sisters. "Actually, no. I'm not sure they're
even aware we left." Carlisle eyed Eleazar skeptically.
"There have been some, uh, things going on," Carmen added. Images of Tanya throwing things, Irina trying to escape
someone's grasp, and Kate hysterical flashed through her mind, followed by an image of someone in a black and red
cloak.
"Volturi?" I gasped. Everyone's head snapped to look at me. "The cloaked person you just thought about, that was the
Volturi right?" I asked Carmen.
She whispered a faint 'yes' and looked to Eleazar.
"Irina hasn't been herself for quite some time now. She disappears for weeks at a time and is on edge when she's around
us. We had no idea what she was up to and still don't know for sure why she's doing it. Irina's behavior has caused Tanya
to become unhinged also. We did everything we could to maintain the peace but it wasn't that easy when we were unsure
of what we were up against. It's been a rough few years." Eleazar looked to his mate and she nodded, urging him to
continue.
"About two months ago we had the Volturi show up. I had no idea things were that out of control, but it was bad enough for
an Elite to be sent along with the regular Guard members. They informed us that they knew Irina had been bedding
humans and it was getting out of control, she was being reckless about it. We all know the succubus myth, but what Irina
doing was beyond what any of them had done before. They warned us that if they had to step in again there would be
consequences if we did nothing to get her behavior under control."
Eleazar paused and I was hit was an image of Irina, clothes in tatters, snarling with red eyes.
I gasped in surprise. "She drank from them?" I asked, in shock.
He nodded. "Last week Irina finally returned after an extra long disappearance, and her eyes were red. We attempted to
confront her and she got defensive and hostile. We tried to subdue her but she got away and ran off. We waited around a
few days, but decided to depart Denali for our own safety. I couldn't risk Carmen, if the Volturi came back"
Carlisle reached out to grasp Eleazar hand in support. "I understand completely, friend."
"My only regret," Eleazar continued, "is that I wasn't able to speak to Tanya and Kate about it. They were distraught and
went after Irina. I fear what will come of them if the Volturi catch up with them all together."
Everyone was silent for a few moments before Carlisle spoke again. "I haven't heard much of the Volturi intervening over
the past few decades. Do you think maybe your history with them could help with Tanya and Kate if it came down to that?"
Eleazar sighed and shook his head. "I'm not surprised you haven't heard much of the Volturi involving themselves in
situations, but I can assure you they're just as active as ever. They've just grown more resourceful. They're not the same
Volturi anymore."
"How so?" I asked.
"I've been told they have a new 'secret weapon', so to speak, a new member of the guard, that makes handling situations
quicker and more efficient."
"What's their gift?" Carlisle asked.
"Ah, well it's been gathered that she's a total shield, and there's some speculation that she may actually be a double
shield."
"I'm guessing she can manipulate it?"
Eleazar nodded. "Indeed she can."
Carlisle looked like he was wavering between total awe and immense fright. The rest of the family held faces of confusion.
"English please?" Emmett chimed in.
Carlisle sighed. "If what Eleazar heard is true, it means the Volturi have a new member that is able to block all talents.
Meaning Edward wouldn't be able to penetrate her shield to read her mind, nor would Jasper be able to control her
emotions. If she's truly a total shield, it would mean that even Alice wouldn't be able to conjure up a vision about her. Given
that she can manipulate it, it would mean she would be able to extend her shield out and surround others with it also. The
power in that would be that whomever she surrounds with her shield would essentially become one with her, and not only
would they be impenetrable now but she'd possibly be able to access their talent."
"So what you're saying is that if she were to extend her shield around me, she'd be able to read minds?" I asked.
Carlisle nodded. "Yes, I believe so. And to complicate matters, if its true that she's a double shield, it would mean that
even if she were to extend her shield out to surround you and access your talent, you still wouldn't be able to use your
talent against her because she has a second shield always covering her. And it's very likely that you'd have no clue she
was tapping into your powers."
Carlisle stood and walked to the front window, peering out. He was trying to absorb this new information and what it all
meant.
"So what you're saying is that the only way to kill the chick is to corner her alone and use sheer physical force?" Emmett
asked bluntly.
"Yes but even then it's not so simple." Eleazar said. "It is theorized that she can manifest the double shield physically."
Carlisle gasped and swung around quickly.
"What does that mean?" I asked, confused. I was frightened by Carlisle's response.
"That, son, means that they think the shield constantly covering her may actually physically cover her from attack. It wouldn't
be impenetrable, I don't think, but she'd possibly be immensely harder to destroy. It would be like her having two layers of
thick vampire skin. The physical manifestation of gifts is quite mythical, even amongst our kind."
Damn, that bitch is badass. Emmett's thoughts rang out. A laugh threatened to escape me, but the seriousness of the
situation kept it at bay.
"I wonder Eleazar, if all of this is true, do you think she could manipulate the second shield?"
Eleazar smirked. "It's highly possible, but that's something I doubt we'll ever know. It would be her one weakness; if she
extended or moved that second shield she'd be opening herself up for others' talents to work on her. I mean, if you were
her would you honestly tell anyone that piece of information?"
Carlisle paused before shaking his head. "No, definitely not."
"Who IS this girl anyway?" Rose asked from the corner of the room. "I mean, where the hell did she come from?"
"That, sadly, is even more of a secret. She just seemed to start showing up on the radar with the Volturi a few decades
ago. I don't know where or how they found her, but the word is that none of them know who changed her. Because of her
talent, all anyone knows is what she tells, and apparently she tells little to nothing. I'm unsure of her true identity but I'm told
the Volturi call her 'Isa'".
We all grew silent. Everyone in the room was thinking about this vampire they called 'Isa', and what her talent meant to our
world. I could definitely see how dangerous she could be, could imagine how swiftly she could single-handedly take out an
entire coven without barely moving as long as she had access to the right things. The Volturi were powerful enough
individually, but knowing they had someone that could simultaneously harness all of their powers and strike you with them
scared me greatly.
All of a sudden laughter rang out and I was beyond shocked to see it was coming from Jasper. A wave of humor hit me
and I couldn't help but chuckle along with him.
"What's so funny Jazz?" Alice asked, confused but unable to suppress giggles because of Jasper. He composed himself
after a moment, shaking his head.
"I wouldn't say it's funny, per say, but I just realized what position this put Aro, Marcus, and Caius in. They've ruled for
thousands of years and all of a sudden this girl comes along out of nowhere that has the upper hand on them, that could
easily take them all out, and there isn't a single thing they can really do about it without causing their empire to crumble in
the process."
"I bet they hate that shit," Emmett boomed out with a laugh. Esme scolded him for his fouldlanguage but a smile
threatened to turn the corners of her mouth. The karmatic irony of the situation didn't escape any of us.
*Chapter 11*: 11: You Lied
A/N: Some of you may hate this little development, but don't flame me too much... it indeed is an Share
Edward & Bella story, we'll be getting there so don't worry. A few of you already suspected this was going to
happen.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

Time heals, time congeals around us

Endless hours of wasted moments
Understanding, not demanding
Your eyes tell what you feel inside
"You Lied" Tool
BPOV
I sat in my lavish room toward the top of the Volturi's tower, peering out the window to the city below. I was one of the only
people in history who didn't technically reside in Volterra that were still given a permanent residence in the tower. There
were some that resented me for this most of the Guard were housed below. I never asked for it, I would've been happy
to stay at the Park Hotel Le Fonti when I came to town, but the Brethren scoffed at the idea of a vampire staying at a hotel
in their city, much less a member of their Elite. It was their city so I respected their 'rules' while I was here.
Volterra was as close to a home as I had but I guess you could consider me a nomad. I came and went as I pleased and I
did so often. This was another aspect of my life that people here resented-the freedoms I was granted. Most of the Guard
had invisible chains, locking them to the Volturi for the duration of their existence, but I had no such bonds.
A few loud thumps rang out. I jumped up, ran to the door and swung it open. Demetri stood there, leaning against the door
frame with his legs crossed at the ankles and his arms crossed at his chest.
"Hello See-Saw," he said smugly, the corners of his mouth lifting up. I feigned irritation and rolled my eyes. About 25 years
ago I went on a mission with Demetri. Someone had bitten an elderly man with dementia and the transformation hadn't
completely healed him. It was a rare occurrence, someone waking from transformation still inflicted with brain problems
that originated in their human lives, but when it did they couldn't be left to survive because they were completely unstable.
He had difficulty saying my name Demetri pronounced it like "E-Sah", and the vampire tried to follow suit but it
continually came out as sound like 'See-Saw'. I took a liking to the vampire, as he came off as being docile and gentle
and vulnerable, and couldn't understand why they declared him unstable-until out of nowhere he sprang up and sunk his
teeth into me, snarling. It was the first time my skin had ever been penetrated and I declared it would be my last. I never let
my guard down on missions anymore, never got feelings involved. There was no point in compassion if I were sent
somewhere, it was because it was necessary and someone did something that put us all in danger, and so leniency
wasn't an option. You give an inch they try to take a foot. The crescent shaped scar on my right arm reminded me
constantly not to second guess. But alas, Demetri would never let me live it down, even if I had learned my lesson.
"Ha Ha, Funny," I said dryly, grabbing the front of his cloak and pulling him into my room. He didn't resist and flopped down
on my bed, kicking his shoes off. Demetri came off as hardcore and he was easily able to illicit fear from vampires and
humans alike, but I'd gotten to know the person who existed under the mask and he wasn't so terrifying.
"Oh here, I didn't forget you," he said, reaching into his cloak and pulling out a sealed bag of blood from an inside pocket. I
smiled and reached out to take it.
For all intents and purposes, I followed the vegetarian path. I didn't hunt humans and hadn't since the day I remembered
why Edwards' eyes were gold. Prior to that, I had gone on the traditional path and that thought ate away at my conscious
and I imagined it always would. Demetri found it baffling, as I had been responsible for destroying countless eternal
beings over the past few decades, but the idea of harming a fragile human whose clock was already ticking away tore me
up. He did cause me to cheat, occasionally, by bringing me human blood in containers. He assured me that no one had
died in the process and they had donated it willingly I told him it was donated with saving human lives in mind, but his
logic was that I was doing just that so I earned it. I obliged, mainly because it was tradition with us now. Ever since the day
I awoke, Demetri had been bringing me blood. The mixture of human blood with my natural animal diet caused my eyes to
tint a strange orange-pinkish color, but definitely more gold than red.
"Thanks sweetness," I said, sitting down beside him. He huffed and rolled his eyes, punching my arm lightly
"What did I tell you about that shit," he said. I shrugged and waved my hand, blowing him off. I knew Demetri secretly
enjoyed my terms of endearment, but said he had a place in this world and his place wasn't to be lovable. Frankly I'm
probably the only person to ever refer to him as 'sweet' so I imagine it took some getting used to on his part.
"So what have you been up to, did I miss any fun?" I asked as I sliced off the corner of the bag and brought it to my lips. He
sighed and lay back on the bed, glaring up at the ceiling.
"Actually I just got back from Alaska, they sent me out to give a warning." I eyed him warily Demetri was Elite, like me,
and our job didn't entail warning people when we were enlisted, it typically meant all previous warnings had been
ignored and it was time for final action.
"I know right," he continued, seeing the look of disbelief on my face. "But there was a former Volturi Guard present so they
figured it was safer if I went. Plus you know Caius and how apprehensive he is of you golden-eyed freaks I'm surprised
he didn't try to convince Aro to send the entire guard to deal with them."
Demetri playfully nudged me, but I sputtered and choked on the blood I was drinking. "What did you say? You were sent
after vegetarians?"
"Yeah, a coven in Denali. They've been there for a long time. Eleazar used to live with us, one of the few who actually
walked away. He resides up there with his mate and a few others; they tend to lay low so this is the first time we've ever
had to intervene with them. I'm surprised you didn't know about them, though I hated doing the shit because I always
liked Eleazar. Aro wanted to send for you, figuring the animal eaters would deal better with one of their own but I
convinced him not to. You left here kind of hastily last time so I figured you were off doing something of importance."
I nodded, not indicating that I knew exactly what coven Demetri was referring to. I had heard of them numerous times,
Carlisle indicating they were extended family to the Cullen's. I had seen them with my own eyes, years ago, but have been
thankful to not have been asked to approach any of them over the years. I couldn't help but feel like I had dodged a bullet,
so to speak.
"So what did they do to deserve a visit?"
"One of the females gets a kick out of screwing humans. She got careless and started injuring some in the process,
showing her true colors so rumors were starting to spread about some powerful goddess seducing and overpowering
men, whispers about her being a phantom or superhuman. You know, the whole succubus shit. Quite ridiculous but it was
getting worse and only a matter of time until she started killing them. Obviously we have no qualms killing humans, but
when you don't feed from them and are doing the shit just for kicks it has to be stopped." Demetri gave a dry humorless
laugh and pulled himself up on his elbows.
"I dunno what it is about animal eaters and their fascination with humans. That other clan in America had one fall for some
human girl years ago but luckily it never amounted to anything." Demetri squinted his eyes at me suspiciously. "You aren't
into fucking humans are you? Is that why you show no interest in any of these other immortals around here practically
begging to bed you?"
I smacked him with the now empty blood bag and growled. I tried to hide my shock, as he didn't say names but I knew he
was referring to Edward and I's relationship. He held his hands up in surrender and laughed.
"You're right, you're right. You're entirely too uptight to be getting any at all." I launched myself over to him, flinging both of
us off the bed with a loud thump. We rolled around on the floor, taking turns overpowering each other. The snarls and
growls echoing around the room were deafening. We broke a table and shattered the lamp on top of it in the process of
our wrestling match. After a few minutes I managed to overpower him completely, had him pinned against the floor with his
wrists in my hands, straddling him.
My eyes were narrowed, shooting daggers at him. He hadn't taken it easy on me, that wasn't Demetri's way, and his face
was stone serious with a growl still rumbling in his chest. His eyes started to soften after a moment, his expression
shifting. He bucked his hips up and I could feel his massive erection graze my nether regions. We both impulsively
groaned at the sensation. I let go of his wrists and let my body slump forward, my head on his chest. Demetri wrapped his
arms around my torso tightly, embracing me.
"You know I'd be good to you Isa, if you'd let me." I sighed. I could feel the rumble in his chest vibrating our bodies it
wasn't a growl from irritation anymore, it was a growl of admiration. It was almost a purr.
"I know Demetri, but" I wasn't able to finish because he shushed me quickly, continuing.
"I can't even begin to understand, because there's so much I don't know about you still. But I wouldn't hurt you and I would
give you anything you ever wanted. I can be patient. You know that, I proved hat last time. I'll be here when you're ready."
He kissed the top of my head and pushed us up so we were standing again. I gave him a small smile but couldn't meet his
eyes. He'd never understand but I couldn't give him what he wanted. All I had to offer was my body and that just wasn't
enoughhe deserved more. My heart had been taken since I was a fragile 17-year-old human child, and it always would
be. I hated leading him on to believe that I'd ever be ready and able to offer more, but I was afraid of losing Demetri. He
was all I had.
The door to my room swung open and Felix peeked his head in.
"Hey Aro wants you guys." His eyes widened as he looked around, surveying the damage we had caused with our
wrestling. He smirked wickedly and wiggled his eyebrows. "Am I interrupting?"
Like I said, don't flame me! They aren't a "couple" but there is history between them that you'll learn about.
*Chapter 12*: 12: Hunt You Down
A/N: We're going to dive into a bit of Volturi business... you'll get to watch Bella in action. I know some Share
of you are concerned about me making her too 'evil' so I apologize if this is too much for you. But it's
showcasing her talents and pretty vital.
If you need any clarification on anything, feel free to ask :)
Disclaimer: I don't own twilight, Meyer does.

Cause when you chose to raise your hand

That's when a boy messed with a man
And I will hunt you down my friend
And I'm gonna tear you limb from limb
"Hunt You Down" Saliva
BPOV:
We walked through the deserted alley swiftly with no hesitation. I stayed a few paces behind Demetri's cloaked form,
following his path, as he knew best which direction to go. It was around 1 o'clock in the morning in the small town of
Hemau, Germany. We hadn't seen any people out and about thankfully so we were able to move completely undetected. A
small cat in the alleyway reared up when it saw us approaching, growling and hissing, the hair on it's back standing on
end. Someone behind me snarled, causing the cat to back away quickly and run into a wall, before turning and sprinting
away as fast as possible-which caused laughter to ring out.
Demetri abruptly turned his head around, glaring at those acting out. They ceased their antics immediately. He never
needed to actually speak to get his point across, one look would tell you what you needed to know. I continued to walk,
ignoring the entire exchange. His authority used to leave me awestruck but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary anymore.
We crossed the street and entered another alleyway. We slowed momentarily underneath a large brick building. It was
falling apart and appeared abandoned to the average eye, but I knew better. The vampire smell coming from it was
immense, indicating there had been quite a few of them coming and going frequently from it. I made out at least six
different distinct scents. Demetri snapped his finger and pointed upwards at the building. Two figures in gray cloaks
sprang from behind me and scaled the building quickly.
Demetri and I rounded the corner swiftly, pausing momentarily at the front door. Demetri shot me a look, cocking an
eyebrow, silently asking me if I were ready. At my nod, Demetri promptly kicked the front door, causing it to fly through the
front room and completely shatter upon impact with the wall. Three vampires inside were caught off guard, stunned
momentarily, but instinctively went into crouches and started growling. Fear shot through them when we entered and they
saw our black and red cloaks, the male on the right immediately falling to his knees and begging. They knew exactly why
we were here, and they knew exactly what was coming.
"Please, I have a mate that needs me, I'm sorry!" he shouted. Had he been human, he would've had tears falling.
"You should've thought of your mate before getting involved in this." Demetri said sharply. The two other vampires in the
room started snarling louder, growing more hostile by the second, knowing there was no way to simply walk away now.
I narrowed my eyes in concentration, and expanded my shield out to encase the entire building in it. It had taken me quite
a few years to be able to manipulate it so much, but at this point I could cover an entire mile if I chose to. I swiftly pulled
energy from the shorter of the cloaked individuals on the roof and focused it on the two snarling vampires. They collapsed
on the floor screaming in pain. The vampire on his knees started pleading louder, his eyes growing wide at the sight of the
two beside him in agony. I harnessed energy from the other cloaked individual, shooting it at the beggar.
"My God what's happened, I can't see anything, what's going on? Help me!" he yelled.
I let go of the energy on the first two vampires and they attempted to spring up quickly, but before their feet could touch the
ground I shot forward. I swiftly severed their heads from their bodies simultaneously, kicking them across the room for the
time being. I let go of the hold I had on the beggar, allowing him again to see. He spotted the limp torsos of his
companions on the floor and started screeching.
"Please, my mate! Tell Aro I'll do anything! I'll never do it again, I swear!"
"Sorry, no second chances. You better hope one of those three other scents we picked up outside doesn't belong to your
mate, or she'll be receiving the same fate," Demetri said coldly.
Upon his words I sprang forward again, severing the beggars head and kicking it to where the others lay. Demetri quickly
dismembered their torsos before exiting. I allowed my shield to retract and reached into my cloak to pull out a lighter.
I grabbed some paper from the table beside me and lit it on fire. I dropped it on top of the pile of body parts and stood
there momentarily to ensure it caught fire. I turned and exited, before scaling the side of the building and joining the gray
cloaked guard on the roof. They were lounging around and nonchalantly chatting. I cleared my throat behind them, causing
them to jump up immediately. Demetri joined us on the roof then and motioned for us to follow him. The entire exchange
was brief, in and out in under a minute.
We hopped a few rooftops, before jumping down and heading into some woods. Demetri veered left and headed for a
small cabin nestled amongst the trees. He snapped his fingers once again and pointed upwards, the vampires behind me
obliging quickly and leaping onto the roof. Demetri burst through the front door with no hesitation, and before I even had a
chance to enter behind him he accosted the two vampires inside, severing their heads and dismembering them in a fury. I
paused, shocked, as Demetri had never pounced so quickly before. He pushed by me and exited the cabin, yelling for the
two on top to join us. He told them to gather the pieces and start the fire in the woods, motioning for me to give them the
lighter. I watched them start assembling the body parts and went to assist them but was stopped in my tracks when
Demetri grabbed my arm.
"Come with me Isa," he said softly. He let go of my arm and started walking away from the cabin. I followed behind him for
a few moments, completely silent. He stopped when we were out of the others' hearing range and turned to look at him.
His expression was soft, compassionate, and his voice held the same tone.
"I'm sorry I did that, but when I opened the door they were in the middle of uh having relations and I felt it was best to
just get it over with and spare anyone else embarrassment.' I nodded and couldn't stop the small smile that came. He
hadn't wanted me to have to see them, in all of their naked glory.
"Plus," he added while turning from me, his voice sharp "I'm quite positive that was the guys mate in there, screwing
another vampire, and that just pissed me off."
I reached my hand up and rubbed Demetri on the back, silently letting him know I understood. Demetri once had a mate,
had been hurt by her straying. The worst part was that she, too, was Volturi so he couldn't escape seeing her. Everyone
told me that Demetri became more of a hard ass after the incident; it's what turned him into the serious and callous
individual they've grown used to. He said he was over it, as it had been half a dozen decades ago, but I knew better. I
knew from personal experience. I knew that once you truly loved someone, once you truly found your soul mate, you just
don't get over it. But he didn't know that I knew, didn't know that I could understand like I did. And I didn't bother explaining
it, so I just smiled at him and nodded.
"Come on," he said, motioning to our left. I followed him for about another mile before he stopped and leaned into me,
whispering. "The last one we're looking for is about 500 feet away, you can take her by yourself if you want." I nodded,
extending my shield out to enclose Demetri in it. I harnessed some of his power and was able to pinpoint their exact
location, heading straight to her. She stood along the riverbank, washing blood out of her clothes. She had hunted
recently, a messy eater. I could still smell the fresh blood and the sweet aroma clouded me for a moment. I stalked forward
quickly, silently. She didn't notice me until a mere few feet separated us. She dropped the shirt she had been holding and
froze, her eyes going wide at the sight of my cloaked and hooded frame standing silently in the trees.
"Gott schtzen mich bitte vor dem Volturi." She started muttering, repeatedly.
God please protect me from the Volturi.
I smirked and shot forward, taking her out in one swift movement. Demetri approached then, helping me gather up the
pieces. We ran back to where the fire had been started, throwing the pieces in it and watching the thick purple smoke
grow. We stayed for a moment before Demetri motioned for us to follow him. We ran through the woods and in a matter of
minutes were back to the plane, boarding it for Volterra.
We had taken out a group of 6 vampires who had been plotting to overthrow the Brethren and take over Volterra. That in
itself may not be an infraction, as there were countless vampires all over the world who wished to see the Volturi fall for
one reason or another, but the things they were planning were unacceptable and dangerous. They would've never
succeeded but it was the principle of the matter. Our world would be better without them out there plotting ridiculousness
that could expose us all.
Despite that, despite the fact that I knew what we had done was for the best, I felt disconnected. I hadn't completely
recovered from my trip to Forks and my trip down memory lane, even though it had been nearly 6 weeks. The monitoring
of the Denali clan we were doing wasn't helping me forget it all either.
We arrived back in Volterra and parted ways. Aro would want to see how things went so that was left for Demetri. The
Brethren was unaware that I had discovered a way around my blockage, and I had no intention of letting that little snippet
of information out. I just had to be sure to not do it around certain gifted people who would be able to put the pieces
together. I discovered it by accident years ago with another guard member named Afton. Thankfully he was unaware of
what occurred and never gave it a second thought. I had too much at stake to open myself up. If Aro knew I could allow him
into my mind and refused, he'd grow suspicious. And it wasn't as if I were hiding anything of significance to him, there
were just some things I'd rather not have visited in my past.
I climbed the tower and entered my room. I hung my cloak up, kicked off my shoes and flung myself across the bed. I was
mentally exhausted and for the first time in ages longed for the ability to sleep. Someone knocked on my door and I
attempted to ignore it but they were persistent.
"Come in," I mumbled. My voice was muffled but they were able to hear me, as the door opened slowly. I didn't bother to
look up to see who it was as soon as the door was ajar Demetri's scent hit me. The door closed softly, and I felt the bed
shift as he climbed on it beside me.
I turned my head to face him and he looked upset. "Are you okay, Isa? I'm worried about you." I nodded and smiled but it
did nothing to alleviate the sullen look on his face.
"Do you realize you haven't spoken in days?" he asked incredulously. My brows furrowed as I mentally did a run through of
the past few days.
"Sorry," I whispered, frowning. He sighed and brought his hand up, grazing my cheek and jaw line with his fingers before
tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. It was an oddly intimate gesture that left me conflicted. Part of me was comforted
by it, wanted to close my eyes and revel in the sensation of being caressed by this gorgeous man. That part of me wanted
to just let him have his way with me, let him caress and kiss every inch of me like I knew he longed to. That was the part of
me that wanted to just give up and give in, and even though he wasn't the one I wanted-the one I loved-to just allow him to
have me as he wanted. I knew he'd take care of me and treasure me. I knew this because he had before. But another part
of me was uncomfortable by it and wanted to leap off of the bed and get as far away as possible. And I knew, deep down,
that this part of me would win the war. Because the only other time I allowed the vulnerable part of me to take a battle, the
part of me that wanted to run away did just that afterwards.
A few moments passed and Demetri started moving closer. His eyes were shifting between my own eyes, trying to gauge
what it is I was feeling, and my lips, which he desperately wanted. I was about to start panicking when a loud chirp rang out
that startled us both.
I leaped out of bed and grabbed my phone from my desk, flipping it open. It was a text message. I hesitated briefly; unsure
of whom it could be, but hit the "read" button.
Renee in hospital.
-Jenks
Jenks was Michael Jenks, a man who made a lot of money playing private eye and document forger. He was the best of
the best. His family had started the business a long time ago and Michael joined when he was old enough to work, taking
over after his father Jason retired. They thrived on secrecy and had numerous clients of my kind. Michael was a "don't
ask, don't tell" type of man that proved trustworthy. I had paid him an ungodly amount of money years ago to keep
permanent tabs on my parents' lives and have gone to him more than once outside of that for side jobs.
I sighed, slamming the phone shut. Just what I needed right now.
*Chapter 13*: 13: Rest in Pieces
A/N: IMPORTANT FLASHBACK! ;) I must warn you, this chapter contains a lemon. The story is now Share
earning it's M rating. So if you can't take anything sexually graphic, skip the last few paragraphs.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

Look at me; my depth perception must be off again

Cause this hurts deeper than I thought it did
It has not healed with time
It just shot down my spine
Would you find it in your heart
To make this go away
And let me rest in pieces
"Rest In Pieces" - Saliva
BPOV (25 years ago)
I sat in the Piazza dei Priori, looking up at the stars. It was a clear night and still quite warm out, as it was the middle of
summer. I was wearing a pair of short cutoff jean shorts and a white tank top, simply enjoying the fact that on a night such
as this I could sit in the middle of the city and almost blend in. People walked by, some glancing in my direction, but none
cowering in fear or gasping in shock or staring or running the other was as they usually do when I don the Volturi gear.
I was rubbing my arm absent-mindedly when I heard laughing. I looked over to see Demetri standing a few feet away,
shaking his head and chuckling at me.
"Arm still hurt?" he asked mockingly. I scowled and stuck my tongue out at him, causing him to only laugh harder.
I took in his appearance as he approached. He was wearing a pair of faded warn jeans and a plain black shirt that fit snug
across his chest, accentuating his muscled form. I'd never seen him look so casual before, I was used to him dressed up
or wearing the cloak.
"The arm's fine, no big deal," I said nonchalantly, making a point to stop rubbing it. The venom from the man biting me
earlier still somewhat stung but I didn't want to give him the opportunity to gloat an "I told you so". Something told me he'd
be holding this above my head for a long time.
"It's okay Isa, I know it stings. I've been bitten before too," Demetri whispered as he sat down beside me. I brought my
hand back up to rub my stinging arm again, igniting a small chuckle from him. "You don't have to be all hardcore with me,
you know that right?" He added.
"Yeah I know," I said. And I did know that. I'd been working along side the Volturi for 11 years now and he had been my
saving grace countless times.
"I saw Heidi earlier, she tried to corner me in the tower." Demetri's former mate had been attempting to track him down
the past few weeks, saying she wanted to talk. "I think I might've hurt her feelings."
"Wait, you mean she still has feelings?" I asked sarcastically. He laughed and shook his head, muttering 'who knows'.
Silence ensued for a moment. "You know whatever it is Isa, you're going to have to deal with it. You can't always run."
I looked up at him questioningly. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, whatever it is that's been bothering you. Look I'm not going to pry but I've known you for a while now and we've
grown pretty close, and I notice that look you get on your face. I've seen it since the day you woke up. Whatever it is that
eats away at you, it isn't going to just go away. You have to face it."
"I know," I said, my voice sounding defeated. "But how do you face something when you don't know exactly what it is
you're going up against?"
"Isa, you do that shit every day here. You're pretty fierce when you want to be, ya know, I've seen you stand up to some
ruthless creatures. And you never back down. Harness a little bit of that confidence and just do it, just take the plunge.
Face whatever it is that's bugging you. If it doesn't turn out the way you want it to, then at least you know." He smiled at me
sweetly. "You've been given a gift woman, you are free to come and go as you please. The rest of us don't really have that
option. Spread your wings and find whatever it is you've been looking for. And if you don't find it, you can always come
right back here. I'll be here if that ever happens, I'm not going anywhere." His voice broke at the end.
I stayed silent but slipped my hand over into his, squeezing it.
We made our way back up to the tower. I went into my room, slipped my cell phone out, and quickly typed a text.
Jenks- I need you to find a Dr. Carlisle Cullen for me. He may be anywhere in the world, but most likely
somewhere small. Try overcast rainy areas in the North first. May not be easy, but money is no option. -Isa
The next few days drug by slowly. Aro sent Demetri on a mission and I volunteered to go along but they insisted I stay
behind because of my having been bitten. I spent most of the time pent up in my room but ventured out occasionally. I was
down in the tunnels the second day and was spotted by Aro, who asked me to come sit with him. We talked for a while
and I actually found myself enjoying his company. He was an intellectual and knowledgeable about literature. We only
parted company because Heidi returned from her latest trip and it was time for them to feed. I politely excused myself,
even though Aro practically begged me to stay and dine.
On the forth day I was growing quite restless. I was sitting on my balcony, completely covered by my cloak, watching the
humans mingle below when my phone rang out. I sprinted back into my room and flipped it open quickly.
I apologize in advance, but I have to ask: Is it business or pleasure with Cullen? -Jenks
My brows furrowed. He'd never asked questions before; he always just did his job without wondering why he was doing it. I
wondered if maybe he knew of them and typed quickly.
Strictly pleasure, but I request your discretion and confidentiality. -Isa
Two more days passed by slowly and I was in the middle of another discussion with Aro when my phone beeped. I
excused myself and checked my messages.
There is a Dr. Carlisle Cullen currently on staff at Bear Creek Memorial Hospital, in the town of Bear Creek in
the Yukon Territory of Canada. Can keep digging if needed. -Jenks
I walked back to where Aro was sitting, retaking my seat.
"Aro, sir, I was hoping I could discuss something with you."
"Anything, Isa dear"
I took a deep breath. I knew I wasn't held here, I was here on my own free will and had taken little trips over the years, but
I'd never brought up the idea of any extended leaves and didn't know how he'd react.
"I've been considering taking a trip," I began. Aro smiled, as he had heard this much from me before and I was never gone
more than a few days. "There is something I want to do, feel I need to do, and I don't know how long it's going to take or
when I'll return".
Aro's smile fell. "Is this something I could help you deal with? You never ask for much Isa and we have so much at our
disposal."
I shook my head. "No, sir, it's a personal matter." I could tell he was having a hard time dealing with not knowing, this was
a first for him. He was itching to ask questions, to know exactly what I wanted to run off and do, but he knew not to pry
because it was fruitless.
"Of course. Whatever you need."
I thanked him and made my way back up to the tower to quickly pack a bag. Demetri was still gone on a mission and I felt
bad being unable to say goodbye, so I grabbed some paper and scribbled a quick note.

D,
I am going to go see what's out there now.
Thank you. For everything.
Isa
I grabbed my bag and exited, slipping the note under the door to Demetri's room on my way out. I slid in the front seat of
my car, threw it in gear and sped out of the city limits towards the airport. I purchased four first class seats when I arrived
to ensure I didn't have to sit too close to anyone. I paid in cash, not daring to use my credit card. I was untraceable, even
the greatest trackers couldn't break through my barrier. I knew Aro's curiosity would get the best of him and he'd be
looking at anything possible to get some hint as to where I was going and what I was doing, so I wasn't going to be stupid
enough to leave a paper trail for him.
The flight was long but thankfully first class was fairly deserted. I spent the time attempting to sort through the plethora of
emotions running through me. I was excited at the idea of seeing the Cullen's again. I had no idea what they were up to or
how they were doing and I had missed them immensely over the years. Carlisle and Esme had been like second parents
to me, so welcoming and loving. Emmett, I missed his boisterous personality. Rose was always cold towards me, but the
family saw something in her that made her special so I liked to think it wasn't personal. Alice had been my best friend at
one time actually she had been the only best friend I'd ever had and I yearned for her bounciness and bubbliness back
in my life. Jasper oh Jasper. The last time I got to see him he had attempted to kill me, and I could just imagine the guilt
he had to have felt over the years. I hoped he hadn't been too hard on himself, as I didn't blame him for anything. And then
there was Edward I was excited at the prospect of seeing him, but worried at the same time.
On top of the excitement, I was nervous. Nervous as to what their reaction was going to be to seeing me. I know I had
been declared dead over a decade ago and apparently 'buried' in Forks, but I imagine they'd had no reason to pass
through there to find out. It's possible Alice would've had a vision about it, so maybe they did believe me dead.
Regardless if they thought I was dead or alive, I'm sure they never imagined I'd ever show up in this form. Which led me to
the other strong emotion surging through me I was scared shitless. Frightened as to what their response was going to
be. I was certain I'd be welcomed with open arms by 5 of them, but the last two I wasn't so sure about. I was afraid of their
rejecting me. Me, an immortal with powers that made it easy to destroy anyone that stood in front of me, was quaking in
fear of being unwanted. The thought made me laugh out loud, drawing the attention of the few others in first class with me.
When the plane landed, I rented a car and headed towards the town of Bear Creek. Thankfully it was overcast here today
so I could venture out during the daylight hours. I brought my cloak along, just in case I'd ever need it, but didn't want to
have to resort to putting it on. The last thing I needed was to walk into Bear Creek in Volturi form and get spotted by a
Cullen, setting them into a panic.
Bear Creek was fairly small and remote. I was driving slowly through town when I caught the scent of a vampire. I glanced
around, noticing I was near the hospital and imagined it had to be Carlisle I was sensing. I drove through the back roads
and out towards the outskirts of town where I figured they'd be residing. I wasn't getting anything at first, no sign of their
scents never had I wished for Demetri so much as that moment, as his ability to track anyone would've been a very
handy power to tap into. I had to run strictly off of my natural abilities, but they hadn't gotten too much use over the years. I
had been relying on others too much, I realized.
I was about to give up, telling myself I could head to the hospital tomorrow for a stake out and follow Carlisle home when I
finally caught the sweet aroma I was looking for. Logically I could've just gone directly to the hospital when I arrived and
visited Carlisle upfront, but my gut was telling me to gauge the situation before jumping in. And plus, something tells me
the hospital wasn't the best place for my reveal.
I pulled the car over along the road in some woods, and set out through the trees following the scents. There were a few of
them and I couldn't exactly make them out to pinpoint a specific vampire as I hadn't encountered them since my change to
be able to decipher their scents, but I knew I had the right place. The trail led me to a clearing a few miles in, and a
massive brick house. There were large windows in the front and back, giving me a direct view inside I was thoroughly
thankful then for Esme's love of windows.
Night had fallen and the house was completely silent. I would've sworn it was uninhabited if it weren't for the high
concentration of vampire scent coming off of it, and the fact that I could see the grand piano sitting in the living room near
the window. I gazed at it for a moment, smiling. I always loved Edwards playing.
I decided to head back out of the woods and get a room somewhere in town for the night. I was going to come back
tomorrow and observe them for a while until I felt comfortable that this was the right decision and then make contact. The
only question was, how to do so? Do I just walk up and knock? I wasn't sure.
The night was long and I kept pacing the floor in my room. I was anxious. The next morning I left the room early, thankful it
appeared to be another overcast day. I decided to go hunting before approaching the house and found a Grizzly a few
miles out of town. The kill gave me a high in Volterra I was stuck with small game and it wasn't often I got to take down
dinner this big and powerful. I had to smile I understood why Emmett loved this shit.
It was around noon when I decided to head to the Cullen's house It was a Saturday so I knew they wouldn't be in school
(if they even still did the whole school faade). As I walked through the woods leading me there my ears picked up the
sound of piano keys. It took a moment for me to put it together, but I recognized the distinct melody of the lullaby Edward
had written for me years ago. I started running then, as fast as my legs would carry me, but was stopped short by the sight
I saw when I hit the clearing to their house.
There, in the window, sitting at the piano was the Bronze-Haired God. He looked exactly as I recalled him, except
immensely more dazzling. I was stunned momentarily, focused only on his radiance until movement beside him tore my
attention away.
Sitting beside him on the bench was a woman. She had strawberry blonde curls and was beautiful the type of beauty
only rivaled by Rosalie's. She was gazing at my Bronze-Haired God lovingly, smiling sweetly. Edward turned to look at
her, giving her the dazzling crooked smile I had dreamed of seeing again every day for the past 11 years. The woman laid
her head down on Edwards shoulder when he focused his attention back to the piano, and he tilted his head over to rest
on top of hers. It felt so intimate, and I felt so dirty watching it. I could sense the others in the house, so I threw my shield out
and was barely able to encase the whole house in it. I located Jasper, drew a little energy from him and looked towards
the piano bench. I was immediately accosted by a wave of lust rolling off of the female, whereas powerful feelings of love
were radiating from Edward. I retracted the shield quickly and started backing away. I heard someone in the house yell
"Tanya" and the females' head popped up before she responded. It struck me then, exactly who she was. Tanya, from the
Denali clan. I had heard of her numerous times from the Cullen's, heard how she had perused Edward for a long time, but
he swore he never felt anything towards her.
Edward stopped playing after Tanya got up, his fingers ghosting over the keys but not pressing down. I heard him sigh,
and he had a solemn look on his face. I wanted to throw my shield out and access his power to see what he was thinking
about, but part of me didn't want to know. Part of me knew that what I just saw was going to break me enough, and I didn't
need to hear his inner thoughts to know that I shouldn't be here. Coming here had been a mistake.
I turned quickly and ran through the woods and back to my hotel room. I gathered my belongings, jumped into my rental
car, and sped back to the airport. The rest of it was a complete blur, I was so caught up in my inner turmoil and heartache
that I barely noticed where I was or what I was doing until I passed back through the walls of Volterra. I was completely on
autopilot, my body moving on it's own, my mind locked away in distraught.
I climbed the tower, completely ignoring everyone I passed. They were used to my silence for the most part but this time
was different. This time they barely registered on my radar, I saw right through them as if they weren't even there. I didn't
move out of their way, I forced them to move from my path.
I passed Demetri outside of my room but didn't even register he was there until he grabbed my arm and swung me around
to him.
"Isa, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice sounding anxious. I just stared at him for a moment, unresponsive. All I could
think about was the sight of Edward playing for Tanya; all I could feel was the lust and love rolling off of them. Demetri
pushed my door open and pulled me inside my room, shutting the door behind us.
"Isa? You're scaring me baby," Demetri said, placing his hands on my cheeks and pulling my face up to look at him. I
couldn't find the words to respond, all I could think about was Edwards smile, the way he licked his lips before breaking
out into his crooked grin. I felt Demetri shake me and I focused back on his face. He looked afraid and bewildered and
concerned.
"Isa?" he asked again. I don't know what took hold of me at that moment but I threw myself forward with such force that it
threw both of us into the door, cracking it. I brought my hands into his hair, pulling his locks and crushing my lips against
his as hard as I could. Demetri was stunned momentarily but after a brief hesitation he placed his hands on my hips and
started kissing me back. Our lips grew more frenzied and Demetri started moving us backwards a few steps. He reached
down, wrapped his hands around my thighs and pulled my legs up, putting them around his waist. He threw us down on my
bed, him between my thighs with my legs still wrapped around his waist, our lips never breaking from each other. My
hands frantically roamed through his hair and over his back.
I grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled upwards. Demetri broke our kiss, only long enough to allow me to pull his shirt
completely off, and was back kissing me with just as much furor. He ripped my shirt open, too impatient to unbutton it, and
pulled me up far enough to reach around and unclasp my bra. I groaned loudly into his mouth and his hand started
massaging my breast, pulling at my nipples. I could feel his erection pulsing against my crotch as the skirt I was wearing
was already bunched up around my waist leaving only the thing cloth of my panties. I was dripping wet and throbbing with
need. I thrusted upwards, trying to get the friction my body was begging for. Demetri moaned loudly and started thrusting
his hips, grinding himself into me. The buckle on his pants was rubbing against my clit, driving me closer and closer to
release. Demetri reached down and literally ripped my panties off of me to expose my dripping sex. I heard him mutter
'fuck' under his breath, as he brushed his fingers across my soaking wet folds and ghosted across my clit. He brought his
fingers to his mouth, licking my juices off of him. His eyes were pitch black with desire as he eyed my almost naked form. I
reached out and undid his pants, which he quickly kicked off. He nudged my knees apart and came up between my thighs.
He hesitated for only a brief moment, and I could see the conflict on his face. He wanted this, needed this, but at the same
time was afraid. He had no idea what was wrong with me, what ignited this, and part of him wanted to stop and find out.
He pulled back slightly, groaning, to gauge whether or not to continue. I closed my eyes tightly, as it was all wrong. The
voice wasn't as velvety and smooth as it should be. The hair my hands were in was much too neat and the wrong color.
The body hovered above me was too massive. But before I could talk myself out of it, before he could have a chance to
speak, I bucked my hips up, his head grazing my slick entrance. He hissed and the desire took over as he thrust forward
quickly, sliding inside of me completely. I screamed out; it wasn't like a human losing her virginity, there was no blood, no
tearing of skin, but it didn't stop the pain. I grasped his shoulders tightly, my nails digging into his skin had we been
mortal, I'd have been drawing blood.
He slowed his motions, giving me time to adjust. I thrusted my hips up to tell him I was okay, and he proceeded to slide in
and out of me. It wasn't romantic or loving, his thrusts were frantic and rough as he pounded into me. He seemed to know
exactly what it was I needed, as it was exactly what he needed.
We were both hurt, both grieving over lost love. And we were both fucking them out of our systems.
He reached climax quickly, screaming as he exploded inside of me. I screamed along with him-screaming in pleasure,
screaming in pain. After he pulled out of me, he pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around me. We lay there, embracing
each other silently for a long time.
We were both wounded, mutually trying to hold ourselves together.
A/N: Some of you will be happy to know that the next chapter starts the events leading up to the reunion you
all so much desire to see :P I might be able to get it up tonight, I need to get some of these chapters out. Sorry
if the updates come too fast for you to keep up lol
*Chapter 14*: 14: The Resolution
A/N: Thanks for all the love... yes, another update already ;) Share
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

And I'm alive

And I don't need a witness
To know that I survived
I'm not looking for forgiveness
I just need light
I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution
"The Resolution" - Jack's Mannequin
EPOV:
I stood, staring at the numerous mirrors surrounding me, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration. How the hell did I
get talked into this? I had been insistent that I was NOT going along and I meant it. But here I stand, outside the women's
dressing room at some store that seems to cater to call girls judging by the look of some of these clothes, waiting on Alice
as she tries on god knows what.
Why couldn't Jasper do this? He was her mate; he'd follow her to the ends of the earth so why couldn't he be the one
enduring this? He probably wouldn't even complain. But no, she was adamant that it had to be me. I thought maybe she
had a vision and was meddling again with how insistent she was but Alice hadn't been blocking any thoughts around me
lately so I wasn't sure.
I know what you're thinking Edward. I just wanted to spend some time with you.
I sighed. I'd been doing much better lately-or at least I thought I was. I went to school without too much complaint and
played the part. I left the house to hunt without anyone having to force me to. Hell I even went to the store a few days ago
on my own to buy some sheet music. What more do they expect from me? I'm putting forth more effort now than I did for
years.
But then again the whole family has seemed distracted lately, ever since Eleazar and Carmen visited a few weeks ago.
Carlisle had been making calls over the weeks to anyone and everyone he could think of for more information about the
new situation in Volterra. The Volturi in actuality weren't enemies, they deserve credit for keeping peace and you could
even suggest they were responsible for the fact that our species is still surviving. But news of such a powerful vampire is
bound to make us apprehensive, especially when so little is known about her. That makes her unpredictable and that's not
a trait viewed fondly amongst our kind. Carlisle's calls had proven fruitless because it seemed no one knew any more than
we did. He spoke to a vampire in Russia who claimed to have seen her in person years ago but said that she never
lowered the hood on her cloak so he never even got a look at her face. Other's have also said she kept her appearance a
secret, always wearing her cloak with the hood up and occasionally wearing a scarf wrapped around her neck and lower
half of her face. Emmett found that amusing and started calling her "Ninja Bitch". Some of the fantasies that rolled through
his head were outrageous; he's lucky I didn't share that with Rose.
I've also been thinking about the Denali girls a lot. There has been no word from any of them and it's got us worried. We
had minimal contact with them for years after we left Denali that last time but they contacted us eventually and tried to
rebuild our relationship. They visited us when we were living not too far from them in the Yukon Territory of Canada, and it
was different then. It was like they really were a part of our family. Even Tanya had been acting completely different. She
didn't make any advances; she was kind and sympathetic towards me, completely apologetic for how she had previously
acted.
I remember one morning I was sitting at my piano, thinking of Bella as usual. It was a habit of mine, I'd sit there for hours
ghosting my fingers over the keys and never pressing down. Tanya had come in the room and sat beside me on the piano
bench, watching me. I ignored her, figuring she'd get the hint and leave me alone, but she surprised me when instead of
stalking away she spoke up and said the last thing I ever expected her to say: "Tell me about Bella".
I wanted to punch her for even uttering the name. Hearing it spoken aloud was painful; my family understood that and
respected me enough to try to keep mention of her to a minimum when around me. It wasn't that I didn't want to talk about
her, or think of her, or remember her it was simply that it was just too incredibly painful to do so.
I tried to keep my expression blank but it was hard to hide the heartache from showing. It hurt worse than anyone could
imagine except maybe Alice. Alice was the only one who knew that right before Bella died, I had planned on returning to
her. I had tried to stay away from her, but as time went on it just got worse. When we left Denali and moved to New York,
the family noticed immediately that my disposition changed. I smiled and could conjure up a laugh they thought it was
the change of scenery but Alice knew differently. Alice knew that it was because I had made a conscious decision to give
in and go claim Bella as mine again. But I had been too late
So I sat there, cringing at the sound of Bella's name coming from Tanya's lips, and I want to punch her for bringing it up
because the guilt over being too damn late ate away at me every moment of every day.
Relax bro, the shame rolling off of her is immense, I can feel it the whole way up here. Jasper expressed to me from
upstairs. I think she feels bad about how she's acted towards you.
I sighed loudly so that he'd be able to hear me. I sat silently for a moment and then just took the plunge. I started talking
about Bella, saying anything that came to mind pertaining to her. I just spilled everything, from little quirks like how she bit
her lip when she was nervous to what it felt like to kiss her and feel her warmth. I spoke for hours. My family never came
downstairs but they sat silently in their rooms and I knew they were listening. It was the first time I'd ever said most of it out
loud.
Tanya listened silently the whole time, the look on her face compassionate. When I stopped speaking, she smiled at me
warmly and hesitated for a moment before asking me if I'd please play Bella's lullaby for her. I faltered for a moment,
caught off guard by the request. I hadn't actually played in years... not since leaving Forks. I heard Esme upstairs silently
begging me to do it, followed by Alice's begging. I placed my fingers on the keys and paused for a few seconds before
pressing down. Once I started, there was no stopping it. I got so engrossed in it, so consumed by pouring my love for
Bella into the notes, that I forgot Tanya was beside me until she shifted closer. I turned to her and smiled, a real genuine
smile, because at that moment it felt nice. It didn't hurt to think about Bella, I didn't feel the guilt-all I felt was the love. I
turned back to the piano and Tanya laid her head on my shoulder, watching me play. I leaned my head on top of hers I
felt so grateful to Tanya at that moment, grateful that she had inadvertedly given me this moment.
Whoa there's the lust, what are you doing down there? Jasper nearly shouted in his thoughts. I chuckled, which I'm sure
he heard. A few moments later Kate yelled for Tanya and she got up from the bench. I rounded out a few last notes and
stopped pressing down, ghosting over the keys once again. And, once again, the heartache was back, but I no longer
wanted to punch Tanya for asking about Bella.
She had returned to the lust-crazed seductress after that day and never mentioned Bella again but when I thought about
Tanya I didn't think about the times she showed up in my room naked or the times she purposely ran through sexual
scenarios in her head to try to turn me on. I thought about her helping me remember my love, if only for a little while. I never
knew her intention; she never shared it with me. She was pretty good at blocking the thoughts she didn't want me to hear.
But whatever her reasoning, I was still grateful.
And now I was worried. Because no matter what Tanya has done in her life, I couldn't imagine how it would ever warrant
the fate she possibly had ahead of her at the hands of the Volturi.
I heard a gasp from the dressing room, bringing me back to focus on the here-and-now. I was hit with a vision from Alice,
a vision of Carmen standing in our living room, obviously distraught.
Alice burst through the dressing room doors; her arms piled high with clothes. She flung them at the first sales lady she
saw with such force that the lady stumbled and nearly fell. I caught her quickly, turning on the charm and apologizing in her
ear. She was dazzled and allowed the clothes to slip through her arms and to the floor. I chuckled at least she had
completely forgotten that a barely 5 feet tall pixie nearly toppled her.
We ran out of the mall as quick as we could get away with and slid into my car. I peeled out of the parking lot and turned
on the road towards Astoria, while Alice pulled out her cell phone to call Carlisle. He was worried and said he'd meet us at
the house.
We made the typical hour drive back home in less than 20 minutes; Carlisle was already there when we arrived.
"When's she coming?" Carlisle asked. I could tell from his thoughts he had tried to get a hold of both her and Eleazar
since Alice told him about the vision with no luck.
"Tonight," I said swiftly. Alice looked at me surprised, wondering how I knew.
"He's wearing that appalling tie when she shows up," I said, pointing to the tie Carlisle had on. I always swore it was the
ugliest thing I had ever seen, but Alice had bought it so she obviously disagreed. She punched me lightly on the shoulder
before telling Carlisle that I was correct.
We sat around, impatiently waiting. Emmett and Rose had gone away for the weekend, so it was simply Alice, Jasper,
Carlisle, Esme, and I. Alice was trying hard to force a vision to come forth but wasn't having any luck at all looking into any
of our futures. That was scaring Carlisle; he was trying to reconcile Carmen's coming and Alice's blankness, and kept
going back to what Eleazar said. If the rumors were correct, Alice wouldn't be able to see anything that possibly involved
this new Volturi Guard member, and he kept thinking that whatever Carmen was coming for had to be bringing the Volturi
down on us. That frightened me so I kept shooting him looks, willing him to stop being so pessimistic. Carlisle was the
most optimistic person I knew, so if he concluded we were screwed than that meant we were really screwed.
At around 11pm, someone pulled into our driveway, driving erratically. She was chanting Eleazar's name in her head
frantically. She pulled up to the house, jumped out and ran toward us without even bothering to close the car door or turn
the engine off.
"Carlisle," she yelled, "Carlisle please!"
Carlisle jumped up and met her at the door. She threw herself at him, sobbing.
"Calm down Carmen, tell me what happened." Carmen's head was quicker than her mouth and I was immediately
bombarded by images before she even said a word. I mutter curses under my breath when I realized what was going on.
"Eleazar. My Eleazar went to Volterra! The Volturi came; they couldn't find Irina but found Tanya and Kate so they took
them. Eleazar said he was going after them, to try to save them. Please Carlisle, you have to help me. I can't lose him!"
Carmen nearly collapsed but Esme steadied her and sat her down on the couch. Carlisle was going through his mind,
trying to find a way out of this that didn't involve us following behind to Volterra. He was worried about what it meant for us,
and our survival if we got involved.
"We have to go," I said quietly after a few moments, looking at my father figure. I knew he'd sit there forever trying to find a
way out of it but there was no way. His eyes met mine and I continued. "Alice can't see anything, no matter what she tries.
There's no way around it."
He nodded and looked up to his wife, concerned. He didn't want her to go, he wanted her to stay where he knew she'd be
safe.
"Alice, Jasper, You and I will go to Volterra and see if we can aide Eleazar. We've done nothing wrong so there should be
no reason for us to be in any danger. Esme can stay behind with Carmen, as Carmen shouldn't go since she was there
when the Volturi gave their warning. We don't want her involved any more than possible and she shouldn't be left alone.
Esme can call Emmett and Rose to come home to stay with them, just to be safe."
Thank you son. Carlisle thought, his eyes expressing his gratitude for me making Esme feel helpful but keeping her safe.
Esme sat on the couch and hugged Carmen, whispering to her that it was going to be okay. I only hoped she was right.
*Chapter 15*: 15: Butterflies and Hurricanes
A/N: And so it begins... Share
Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight.

Change,
Everything you are
And everything you were
Your number has been called
Fights, battles have begun
Revenge will surely come
Your hard times are ahead
"Butterflies And Hurricanes" MUSE
EPOV
We were on the first flight to Italy that night. Carlisle and I sat together going through plans and possibilities but the fact of
the matter was we truly had no idea what lay ahead of us. We had no idea the extent of the trouble the Denali girls were in,
we hoped for leniency since Tanya and Kate weren't directly responsible for the trouble but we were well aware that the
Volturi wasn't known for that. Not only had they been given a warning from the Volturi for Irina's antics, but also many years
ago they were marked for death. Their maker-their mother in the sense that Carlisle was my father-did the unthinkable and
changed a child. There were certain rules the Volturi wasn't flexible on and most of them involved transforming others. You
don't change someone and leave him or her alone in civilization to transform, and you definitely don't change a child. As
vampires, we're frozen in the form we're changed, and changing a child means they're unable to mentally evolve. They're
impulsive and volatile and you're unable to control them. And their mother was so desperate for a child of her own that she
bit one. The Volturi destroyed her and the child and the sisters were lucky they made it out alive. It wasn't a unanimous
decision, them surviving it, but Aro was satisfied they were unaware of what their maker had done and spared them. I
wasn't so sure of the odds of them being spared twice. The Volturi didn't give second chances.
Alice and Jasper sat behind us on the plane, expressing their love by staring in each other's eyes and holding hands. The
feelings flowing from them were nearly nauseating but I understood completely. Carlisle was concerned about what would
come of his wife if anything happened to him, but he seemed pretty confident that he'd be walking back out of Volterra. He
had faith-something I did not.
I was thankful none of them could read my mind because part of me hoped to not walk away from this. I would do anything
to ensure the three people on this plane with me went back home to Astoria, Oregon, and I'd try my hardest to help Tanya,
Kate, and Eleazar, but I wasn't concerned about myself. I'd accept anything that came in stride.
Resolve? Jasper asked from behind me. That's a far cry from the guilt you usually walk around throwing off. I'm not sure
how I feel about this new emotion from you.
Of course Jasper would be the one to get suspicious, I thought as I roll my eyes.
You know Alice wouldn't recover if she lost you and she was unable to see it coming and stop it. Especially after what
happened with He cut his thoughts off abruptly, obviously feeling me get upset at the path he was going down. Sorry.
I nodded to acknowledge his apology.
We landed shortly after sunrise and unfortunately it was too sunny for us to be able to roam freely. The only rental car that
had dark enough windows to shield us was a two-seater Carlisle rented it and Jasper volunteered to go ahead with him
as Alice and I took to the long-term parking garage in the airport in order to "borrow" one. Alice was eyeing a BMW,
contemplating if the tint was dark enough and if it was fast enough for our liking when out of the corner of my eye I caught
the glimmer of a glossy paint job. I turned to check it out and was awestruck by the sight.
An SSC Ultimate Aero. It was immaculate; I could tell whoever owned it treated it with the utmost respect it deserved. I've
yearned for one of these bad boys for a while but they were pretty hard to come by and extremely ostentatious. It was
sleek, silver, with windows so dark the inside was completely blacked out. Alice noticed my ogling and came to join me.
"Is that what I think it is?" Alice asked with a smile on her face.
"Yes sister of mine, that would be THE fastest car in the entire world," I responded.
Before she could verbalize the thought that went through their head, I called dibs.
"I found it, I'm driving," I said as I swiftly made my way to the drivers seat. It took me a minute to get inside and I felt guilty
and having to bust the lock on such a beautiful machine, but I silently promised that I'd have it fixed for whoever owned it.
Alice jumped in the passenger seat.
I busted the dash, once again feeling guilty but made another promise to pay for repairs. I sparked some wires together
and it purred to life. The sounds of Clare de Lune came vibrating out of the sound system and I grinned not only did they
own my dream car but they had great taste in music. I slammed the car into gear, spinning the tires and flying out of the
garage. I pushed the car to its limit, hitting over 200 mph on the road out of the city. It was exhilarating and for a moment I
almost forgot where I was and what I was doing-until I spotted the walls enclosing the city of Volterra in the distance.
I pulled into the city limits and parked the car in the first shaded spot I saw.
If we make it out of here, we have got to get one of these, Alice thought.
"I agree completely," I said, hopping out but making sure to remain in the shadows. My phone rang then, and I flipped it
open and greeted them quickly.
"I found Eleazar," Carlisle said right off the bat. "Where are you guys?"
"Just pulled in the city limits," I said looking around. "Near the entrance to the tunnels I believe." Carlisle hung up and was
at our side almost instantly with Jasper, followed by a grim looking Eleazar.
"I haven't been to see them yet," Eleazar said. "I only just arrived minutes before Carlisle spotted me."
"Is there a plan?" Jasper asked. We looked around at each other, waiting for someone to speak up with a bright idea but
no one did.
"I suppose we just go straight to them, inquire about the situation, and hope for the best," Carlisle said.
"Well then, what are we waiting on?" I asked. I heard them shuffling behind me, allowing me to lead.
I turned the corner to where I believed the tunnels lay and we stopped abruptly at the sight of two men in gray cloaks. They
walked forward to close the distance between us and lowered their hoods.
"Ah Eleazar, we've been expecting you. A bit surprised you brought company. I'm sure the Brethren will be pleased to see
all of you though."
"Felix," Eleazar said dryly, adding 'Talentless Prick' in his mind.
I chuckled, causing the men to glare at me. I rolled my eyes at their attempts to scare me.
"Is something funny boy? Perhaps you'd like to share?" the one named Felix asked, stepping closer to me.
"Yeah, but something tells me you wouldn't have the sense of humor to get the joke," I said sharply.
Watch yourself, Carlisle snapped at me.
"I apologize for Edward, he's a bit upset at the moment. I hope we don't have a problem here," Carlisle stated, looking
between Felix and I.
Felix turned without saying anything, the other guy motioning for us to follow. We entered the tunnels, walking briskly. We
stopped briefly in a well-lit room, where a young blonde woman sat at a desk talking animatedly on the phone.
A human? Jasper thought incredulously.
She smiled briefly at all of us, her eyes lingering on me.
I hope he makes it back out, he's too gorgeous to be wasted.
I narrowed my eyes at her, shooting her the angriest look I could conjure up. She flinched, her pulse quickening. Felix
turned to look at me before pulling the doors open and motioning for us to walk forward.
I bet Isa'll have a field day with this arrogant little shit, he thought. I hope we get to see it.
Mention of the girl caused me to halt, Jasper grabbing my arm to pull me forward again. He cocked an eyebrow at me but
I just shook my head.
We made it through the tunnels and came upon a set of double doors. Felix told us to wait where we were while they
entered.
"Are they giving anything any in their thoughts?" Carlisle asked me. I shook my head no, not wanting to mention Felix's last
statement confirming the existence of Isa. There was no reason to cause him any worry so early. Jasper, however, didn't
buy it and eyed me suspiciously.
"I never thought I'd ever have to see this place again," Eleazar said.
"Neither did I," said Carlisle with a sigh. "Especially under these circumstances."
The doors opened then and Felix told us to follow him. We walked inside, the doors slamming shut behind us. Carlisle and
Eleazar stepped forward without wavering, bowing towards the three men sitting on a platform in front of us. They knew
what they were doing, so Jasper, Alice, and I followed their lead.
"Eleazar! Carlisle! What an honor to see you both, it's been so long!" Aro proclaimed.
"Yes it has been Aro, entirely too long. It's an honor to be in your city once again," Carlisle said, stepping forward and
holding out his hand. Aro smiled brightly, stood up and took Carlisle's hand. I knew enough about Aro to know that he was
scouring Carlisle's mind for every bit of information he could.
"Ah yes," Aro said after a moment, dropping Carlisle's hand. Carlisle stepped backwards to rejoin us. "I see you've
brought part of your coven along. Edward, Jasper, and Alice I presume?"
"Yes sir, these are my children," Carlisle stated plainly. The man named Caius looked at Carlisle angrily and grumbled at
the word 'children'.
"Children. Right," Aro said looking us over. "Eleazar, old friend, have you decided to rejoin us?"
"I'm afraid not Aro, but it is great to see you," Eleazar stated. Aro mumbled 'that's too bad' but it was muffled to my ears
because of a stream of curse words ringing out from Eleazar's mind. It caught me off guard and caused me to gape at
him. Aro eyed me.
"Ah yes, mind reader" he said with a smile. "Perhaps I could convince you to join young one?"
"No, but I appreciate the offer."
"Such a shame," Aro said shaking his head. "How great an asset your gift would be to us."
"I'm sure you'll do just fine without me," I said flatly. "You have many great talents assembled here".
Aro smiled brightly and gave off a small laugh. "Yes, but regardless your talent could be quite beneficial. And I've gathered
from Carlisle's thoughts that you've heard of our beloved Isa! I do hope you get to meet her while you're here."
"So is it true, what they've said of her?" Carlisle asked warily. He seemed almost afraid of the answer.
"Most of what you've heard regarding her talent is correct. She's quite the creature."
"And about her identity? Is that also true?" Eleazar asked.
Aro's smile fell, and he spoke more sharply. I could tell this subject was a sore spot with him. "Her human identity and
origin is indeed still a mystery." He paused briefly. "But let's get back to the subject at hand. I gathered from Carlisle that
this isn't strictly a social calling."
"You're correct. We've come to inquire about Tanya and Kate, the two females from Denali," Eleazar said.
"Right, your coven." Aro stared at Eleazar briefly. "I haven't seen them myself yet, we've been waiting on the rest of the
guard to return from fetching the last female, Irina. They should be back at any time so we can take care of the situation.
May I inquire as to where your mate Carmen is?"
Eleazar froze and I heard a rumble starting in his chest. He composed himself quickly, knowing getting defensive wasn't
going to help.
"I regret that she couldn't make the trip this time," Eleazar replied.
Aro contemplated this for a moment and nodded but didn't respond.
The double doors behind us swung open and I turned my head to see a large man in a black and red cloak waltz in. He
walked nonchalantly past us without even glancing in our direction. The guard members inside the room bowed to him as
he approached. He walked directly up to Aro and grasped hands with him. Aro nodded and smiled before turning back to
us.
"It appears Demetri here caught up with Irina in Vancouver," he stated, staring at Eleazar. "Let us see if we can get this
situation rectified, shall we?"
Eleazar nodded as a few guard members stood and exited the room to retrieve the girls. Aro turned back to the guard
member beside him. I could tell just by looking at him why he wore a different color than the rest of the guard in the room.
He could illicit fear just by being present and I've heard he was the greatest tracker in the world. Demetri stood stoically
with an indifferent look on his face but I could tell by his thoughts that he wasn't as hardcore as he came off to be. He was
silently cursing that he had to do this to Eleazar, a man he greatly respected and admired.
"Has Isa returned yet?" Aro asked. Demetri shook his head.
"Her plane has landed but she apparently had some trouble at the airport. She should be here shortly."
"Trouble at the airport? What sort of trouble?" Aro asked, his voice rising a bit.
"Someone apparently stole her car sir."
Aro and Demetri exchanged looks before Aro broke out into hysterics, catching us all off guard. Demetri tried to keep a
straight face but the corners of his mouth lifted up and he chuckled. It took Aro a moment to settle down had he been
human; he would've been in tears.
"Ah yes, well I pity whomever did that when she finds them."
*Chapter 16*: 16: Bottom
A/N: The next few chapters are short, but I'm insistent upon separating POV's so I'll be posting a few Share
back to back.
Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight

I must arm myself to fight you

By making weapons out of my imperfections.
It's all I have left.
There's no other choice.
I'm shameless, nameless, nothing, and no one now.
"Bottom" - Tool
BPOV
I sat in my seat, cursing the airport and the airline and the pilot and even the flight attendants, even though it wasn't their
fault. I was supposed to be back in Volterra an hour ago and here I still sat, inside this wretched airplane while we
continually circled the runway. They were waiting for the go ahead from flight control, telling them it was okay to approach
and set the plane down. None of them would tell us why we were being delayed and I wanted to jump up and rip
someone's head off and make them tell me. But I tried to sit and wait patiently, as the plane went in circles burning out the
last of the gas left in the tanks for no good reason. Haven't these idiots heard of Global Warming? I'm an immortal, but the
planet burning up into nothing was even a threat to me.
Yes, I was mad. It wasn't just the delay-it was my luck. Jenks told me a few days ago that my mother was in the hospital. By
the time I could arrange a trip to see her she had already passed away. I decided to go to Jacksonville for some closure
like I had done with Charlie. Renee had settled there shortly before my death with her husband Phil. Phil had died a few
years later in a car accident and she chose to stay in Florida afterwards. I knew she hadn't remarried but I always
imagined she'd at least lived life to the fullest. But it turned out Renee had been so flighty her entire life that she had no
'next of kin' or friendsshe had no one to claim her body or bury her. So the state of Florida stepped in and cremated her.
I couldn't exactly walk in and claim to be her daughter, so I snuck in to where they held her in the middle of the night. I didn't
know what to say and frankly felt ridiculous attempting to talk to a pile of ashes. I eventually gave up trying to come up with
something substantial to say and resorted to just stealing her remains. I planned to scatter them somewhere meaningful,
but unfortunately my mother had been so unpredictable and erratic that I had no idea what meant anything to her. I
eventually said to hell with it and scattered her around random places. I figured at least part of her ended up somewhere
she enjoyed being. I watched the wind carry her ashes off and realized in death I had made her just like she was in life:
scattered and flighty. I'm sure I broke a few federal laws in the process of trying to get closure with Renee but I didn't care. I
left feeling like shit.
I received a call from Demetri while I was scattering my mother, him telling me Aro requested me back in Volterra as soon
as I could get there for some reason. I didn't bother asking why, but Aro requesting me to come as soon as possible likely
meant that someone had an ass kicking coming, and I was truly in the mood at this point to kick some.
Finally the pilot announced that we would be landing and roughly set the plane down. Where do they get these
incompetent people? I grabbed my cloak and threw it on. It was sunny out and I was extra pissed off, so I grabbed my
scarf mask and put it around my neck and face, only allowing my eyes to be exposed if anyone dared to look. It didn't
technically serve a purpose but being so shrouded helped me get into the zone so-to-speak and disconnect. I feel like a
different person, I truly feel like Isa-feared Volturi guard and not Bella-18 year old fragile girl. I did everything I could to
disconnect myself from my human counterpart while with the Volturi.
I stepped off the plane without hesitation, barely giving the guy at the gate time to open it and let me through. I felt
unstoppable walking through the airport and for once didn't mind the attention. I was wearing my brand new bright red
Jimmy Choo heals that matched the lining of my cloak if I hadn't been so pissed off, I'm sure the fact that fashion made
me feel fierce would've struck me as funny. But instead I was just begging for someone to cross me I definitely needed
to relieve some stress.
I rushed out into the parking lot and pressed the button on my key ring, glancing around. No distinct chirp, no flashing
lights. I pressed it a few more times, while walking around. Nothing.
"You've gotta be fucking kidding me," I yelled, exasperated. I grabbed my phone out from my cloak, dialing Demetri's
number. He picked up on the first ring.
"Send me a car," I said sharply.
"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.
"What's wrong is that my car is gone. Disappeared. Vanished."
"Someone stole your car?" he asked, sounding panicked and shocked.
"Yes. Now send me a car because I'm not in the mood for this shit right now. I'll be in the parking lot where my car is
supposed to fucking be," I yelled, slamming my phone shut and throwing it on the ground. I stomped on it hard, shattering it
into pieces. I felt infinitely better until I noticed I had scuffed my right shoe in the process.
"Great, just fucking great."
I paced the parking lot and about 20 minutes later a dark Mercedes pulled up. I quickly slid into the backseat without even
glancing at the driver. Whoever it was must've known better, because they didn't mutter a single word on the entire drive to
Volterra.
When we pulled into the city limits I glanced out the window and froze. I yelled sharply for the driver to stop and he
slammed on the breaks. I jumped out into the shade and walked over to where my car sat. I noticed the driver's side lock
was busted and started seeing red. I yanked the door open and was accosted by the smell of vampire. It seemed vaguely
familiar, a scent I'd encountered before but I was so furious noticing the dash was busted that I couldn't focus enough to
place it. I slammed the door back shut and headed briskly toward the tunnels. I'd usually take the proper way through the
door but I was too irritated to bother walking around so I just jumped down the opening in the ground in the alley. I
slammed into a guard member walking the other direction, sending them toppling but didn't bother to apologize or help
them up, I simply stepped right over them. I entered the waiting area and stormed over to the receptionist Charlene,
slamming my hands down on her desk and causing it to crack
"Someone stole my fucking car and I wanna know who," I growled, louder than I intended. It echoed off the walls and
caused her to reach up and cover her sensitive human ears. She looked at me, confused, tears brimming her eyes. "Its
sitting outside, someone busted the lock and jacked up the dash, and it reeks of fucking vampires. You make yourself
useful and find out who it was because I am going to burn those bastards alive!" I shrieked. I was nose to nose with her,
screaming. She was cowering away and hysterically sobbing while I just stood there, snarling at her.
I felt someone grab my arm and growled, swinging around. Demetri threw his hands up in peace at my defensive stance.
"Calm down, it's not Charlene's fault." I nodded and took a few deep breaths. He rubbed my arms, attempting to help me
relax a bit. After a moment when he felt I had calmed enough he asked me if I was ready.
We walked down the tunnels and to the double doors. Demetri flung them open and I immediately was hit with the same
scent that had come rolling out from my car. I snapped my head up and froze. Standing in front of me, in simple jeans and
a t-shirt, was the messy Bronze-Haired God from my past.

A/N: Dun Dun Dun... ;)

*Chapter 17*: 17: Weak and Powerless
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight Share

Pale angel go away

Come again some other day
The devil has my ear today
I'll never hear of what you say
Promised I would find a little solace
And some piece of mind
Whatever just as long as I don't feel so
Desperate and Ravenous
I'm so weak and powerless over you
"Weak and Powerless" - A Perfect Circle
EPOV:
The guard members returned, bringing Tanya and Kate along with them. They looked absolutely terrified, subtle signs of
relief peeking through when they spotted us in the room. The guard didn't allow them to join us where we stood, instead
led them forward beside the platform and made them kneel.
We all stood silently for a while I could tell from Aro's thoughts that we were waiting for Isa to arrive. He didn't feel
comfortable proceeding without her.
A loud thump rang out from somewhere down the tunnel, startling most of us. A melodic voice followed shortly after, loudly
piercing the air. Whoever it was, they were pissed.
"Someone stole my fucking car and I wanna know who," the voice rang out. Isa, I realized.
"Its sitting outside, someone busted the lock and jacked up the dash, and it reeks of fucking vampires."
Oh no, I thought. My eyes went wide and I turned to look at Alice, whose face held the same expression.
Tell me we didn't steal her car, Alice silently begged. I just stared at her, unable to respond. She could tell by looking at
me, she didn't need me to say the words.
Shit, why do I think it was them? I was hoping we could get most of them out of here alive, Demetri thought
"You make yourself useful and find out who it was because I am going to burn those bastards alive!" the voice screeched.
I was full blown panic at this point, and Jasper was eyeing Alice and I.
"Demetri please go stop her before she murders Charlene. I don't have the time to find a new receptionist today," Aro
said, shaking his head. Demetri nodded and flew past me quickly. We could hear her snarling down the tunnel; it shifted
into a defensive growl before stopping altogether. A few moments of silence passed and I just glanced around at my
family. They all had the same look on their face they figured out we were the car thieves that were going to burn, if the
vampire down the tunnel had her way.
The double doors behind me swung open and Demetri passed by me swiftly. I could physically sense the presence
behind me, my entire back tingling; she was completely frozen in place, her eyes boring into the back of my head. Of
course her mind was completely silent so I had no idea what she was thinking, but I imagine she could easily identify my
scent as being the strong one she smelled in her car.
I don't know what I was waiting for but I stood stone still, tensed up, anticipating something to happen. Was she going to
scream at me? Was she going to behead me, dismember me? Set me on fire while I stood here? I wasn't sure, but I do
know I didn't expect her to do what she did.
The sound of her heels on the marble floor was startling as she walked briskly by me without even glancing in my direction.
She walked swiftly towards the front. The guard bowed to her as she passed me but she didn't pay them any attention.
She took her place beside Demetri and kept her hood on, not even glancing up. She was completely covered; the only
slivers of skin that could be seen were her small hands and her ankles.
"Shall we get started now?" Aro asked. We all nodded. "Right then. Irina should be joining us momentarily."
As he said this, the doors swung open behind me and some guard members drug Irina in. She looked completely
disheveled, and was snarling. They dragged her to the other side of the platform, away from her sisters, and forced her to
kneel. I heard a guard member tell her to stay where she was or she'd have to force her. Irina flinched at her words, but
obliged.
"If you'd ladies step forward one at a time we can get this done quickly." Aro motioned at Kate, the closest one to him. A
guard member stood her up and walked her to the platform. Aro grabbed her hand and smiled. Kate stood, motionless,
whimpering.
"Good, good," he said when he let her hand go. The guard took her back to her place and she kneeled again. Irina was
snarling louder at this point, screaming for Aro to leave her sisters alone.
"Impatient, are we dear? Come forward then." Irina resisted and started fighting the guard. She was thrown to the ground
by some force and started screaming in agony. Whatever hold was on her didn't let up.
"Enough Jane," Demetri said. Irina's screams stopped immediately and she leapt to her feet. Demetri strode to her
quickly, clutch her arm and dragged her to where Aro stood.
Maybe if we can get this succubus judged quickly we can get the rest of them out of here before it gets too out of
control. I'd rather not have to wipe out half of the animal eater population today, Demetri thought.
While they were getting Irina under control so Aro could invade her mind, I glanced over to where Isa stood. She hadn't
moved an inch and still had her head down, looking exactly like a statue. She looked so harmless just standing there but I
wasn't fooled.
Can you read her mind? Jasper asked me, noticing where I was looking. I shook my head slightly. I can't feel her at all
either.
Aro finally clutched Irina's hand. The room was quiet besides the sobs coming from Tanya and Kate. Right before Aro
dropped her hand, a loud gasp rang out. Everyone's head shot up to look at Isa. She finally raised her head up to look at
Aro, who had a shocked and disgusted look on his face. They held eye contact momentarily, silently communicating
something I couldn't hear. Demetri was looking at them questioningly, just as confused as the rest of us. I had no idea what
was going on as I had purposely tried to block out what was transpiring, not wanting to have to witness first hand Irina's
indiscretions. Aro nodded and Isa stepped forward with her head back down and started walking towards me. I froze up,
unsure of what she was doing. She slowed her steps when she got a few feet from me and raised her head briefly. I
gasped in surprise as our eyes met and she put her head down quickly. Her eyes weren't the hard red I expected but were
more golden, slightly more orange than mine own. She moved around me and out of the double doors.
The guard dragged Irina back away and Aro turned to where Tanya kneeled. "You!" he snapped, pointing to her. A guard
member dragged her to the front. Tanya was panicking, her thoughts screaming about how she was sorry. Before Aro
grasped her hand she started verbalizing her thoughts, begging for forgiveness and pleading for leniency. She told Aro
she'd do anything if he'd just let her go. She swore she didn't mean it, whatever it was. Aro didn't respond to her and the
smile on his face was completely gone. For the first time since entering the room, he truly frightened me.
Aro reached out to snatch her hand and Tanya pulled away quickly, sobbing and begging. Before anyone in the room
could react, the doors swung open behind me. Tanya was instantly on the ground, withering in pain, screaming about
being unable to see anything. I heard the click of the heels moving around me and saw Isa approach the front.
Tanya stopped screaming after a moment but made no move to get up. Isa turned and her eyes met mine once more
before scanning the rest of my family.
She's a vegetarian! Carlisle proclaimed in amazement. The rest gasped when they came to the same conclusion.
Isa turned back to me once more, her eyes narrowed slightly. I was hit with a sudden barrage of emotions, one after the
other; so intense it was painful and caused my knees to buckle. I clutched my head and looked to Jasper wide-eyed,
imploring him to stop but he seemed just as shocked.
It's not me Edward, I swear! He thought. I turned back to Isa, realization dawning that it had to be her.
"I think that's enough dear," Aro's voice rang out. The painful emotions let up some but didn't stop completely. "He'll face
judgment next, rest assure."
With that Isa turned away and the emotions stopped, leaving me only with my own fear and confusion. Judgment?
*Chapter 18*: 18: Blurry
A/N: And here it is... ;) Share
Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight.

Everything's so blurry
And everyone's so fake
And everybody's so empty
And everything is so messed up
Pre-occupied without you
I cannot live at all
My whole world surrounds you
I stumble then I crawl
"Blurry" - Puddle Of Mudd
BPOV:
I froze behind Edwards form, shocked and confused, unsure of what to do. This was my worst nightmare come to life. The
entire time I had been with the Volturi I had ensured that I had no contact with them in the line of duty. I had that brief visit to
Canada years ago where I momentarily fooled myself into thinking I could have them in my life but besides that I had
accepted that our paths were separate. Why hadn't I bothered to ask Demetri why I was needed? What were they doing
here? I noticed Carlisle, Jasper, and Alice beside Edward. I always thought there was a chance Edward would wind up in
front of the Volturi someday, with how irrational and over-reactive he tended to be, and maybe Jasper if he still had control
issues, but I couldn't imagine what would warrant Carlisle and Alice. They were purely good and innocent.
I shot my shield out and drew energies to me to assess the situation. The Denali girls kneeled by the platform and
realization dawned on me that they were here to be judged and that their family had come to try to help them. I felt my
chest vibrate, a growl trying to come, but I suppressed it. I was still fuming, upset about the recent events and the fact that
my car had been taken and damaged, and this was just icing on the cake. After some hesitation, I walked past Edward
and to my place at the front. I kept my eyes locked on the floor, trying to maintain my composure. I was starting to seethe
and I was afraid if I looked up at any of their faces I'd snap. I had loved them, each one, and they had all bailed on me
without so much as a goodbye. They moved on quickly and lived happily, along with their extended family. They couldn't be
bothered to come to my aide when I needed them most, when I was agonized for months and then viciously attacked in
the woods, but yet they can fly to Italy and put their lives on the line for these mongrels?
Another part of me, the part I was trying to curb, was frantically screaming out for Edward. The one I loved, the man who
owned my heart, was standing in front of me. My body was threatening to betray memy silent heart desperate for him. A
voice somewhere deep inside of me, the small part of humanity left that I tried to beat back every time I put on my cloak,
was calling out for him. Bella Swan, innocent 18 year old child, was trying to take control of me againand I couldn't let
that happen.
I threw my shield around Aro so I could watch what he was seeing. Aro's gift was tricky to use I could view what he was
getting from peoples minds simply by putting him in my shield but I couldn't utilize his gift on my own. There was something
about his physical touch that sparked it, that I couldn't do myself by using his energy. And unlike him, I couldn't get
everything. I'd get major images or scenes he focused on but couldn't pick up the minor details he skimmed through. I
could watch what he gave me, but I couldn't borrow it. That placated him a bit, knowing he had a power that I couldn't
completely manipulate and he had a bit of control over what I saw.
He touched Kate and saw that she had really done nothing wrong and she was dismissed from him quickly. Irina started
throwing a fit and Demetri looked at me, expecting me to act, but I couldn't. My anger was so out of control that I was
afraid if I threw anything at her I'd kill her before she could even be fairly judged. Jane thankfully acted for me but Demetri
stopped her. He took hold of the situation quickly, still eyeing me with concern, and dragged Irina to Aro. He grabbed her
hand and I focused on what Aro was getting from her mind.
Flashes of hundreds of men, bloodied and bruised, some dead. Her biting them during sex and then sucking the venom
back out while they lay screaming. Sneaking away to meet Laurent and the two of them playing sick games with humans.
Scene after scene played out, each one worse than the last. A vision of her running through the woods after someone,
stopping abruptly only to see a person shrouded in a cloak crouched down over something. There was growling and
screaming. At first I thought it was Volturi but realized it wasn't one of our cloaks, it was a plain black one. "How could you
do this?" Irina yelled. The black-cloaked person turned, unblocking the view of what it was crouched over. "I did it for
Edward! He needed this to happen!" they growled back.
I gasped in shock. The form was unmistakable, with the strawberry blonde curls and the golden-black eyes slowly turning
red. It was Tanya, blood dripping down her chin, hovering over my human body. Tanya sprung up and ran off. Irina
scooped my body up frantically and started running with it.
Aro dropped her hand quickly, his eyes shooting up to me. I looked at him in complete shock, and I watched his face as
he put all of the pieces together. My entire past, my history, and my change-It all came to him. He knew who I was, who the
Cullen's had been to me at one point. He had heard of me, many years ago while I was a human. He had heard of the
human girl one of the Cullen boys had fallen for.
I struggled to contain myself, completely overwhelmed. I could feel everyone's eyes on me. I was always a statue in these
meetings, but my self-control was slipping. All of the Volturi could tell something was wrong, considering I'd gasped loudly,
caught off guardand that never happened to me. Aro nodded to me in understanding, telling me to compose myself. He
needed me to bring my best game and he knew I needed a moment. I started to exit the room but as I approached where
Edward stood I could start to feel some sort of electricity coming from him. It was a feeling I had always felt with Edward
as a human and it startled me, because I was so used to my shield blocking everything out. My head popped up and my
eyes met his. I wanted to see if maybe he could feel it also but all I saw when our eyes met was shock and fear. He was
frightened of me. There was no love in his eyes-no acknowledgment or recognition and I was fooling myself to expect it. I
looked back down quickly and exited.
I stood right outside the doors, pacing, trying to control my emotions and compose myself. I needed to face this rationally
and just do my job, I couldn't let the pathetic emotions and memories from my human life take hold of me.
I couldn't believe that it had been Tanya that attacked me and changed me. I knew whoever bit me intended to kill me and
my change was an accident. What role did Edward play in this? Tanya had said she did it for Edward because he needed
someone to do it did he know? Did he ask her to? I didn't want to believe that Edward would ever do such a thing. He
had protected me, saved my life numerous times when I was a human. There's no way he would've done all that just to turn
around and put a hit on me. No, my Edward would never do such a thing. He'd made me promise to take care of myself
and not do anything stupid when he left me.
But I couldn't help but think about what I had seen in Canada, them embracing and smiling together while listening to MY
lullaby. It was like they were mocking me, sharing some private joke. Was that what it was? Was I a joke? Had I been
nothing but a game to him? Something to pass the time, toy around with, and then dispose of when he got bored? Did I
know too much and had to be taken out? Being a member of the Volturi, I was well aware of what happened to vampires
that allowed humans to know their true nature and what happened to the humans they informed. Was it either him or me?
I heard Aro snap for Tanya to come forward and her start to beg pathetically, yelling that she was sorry. Her resistance
was getting firmer and my anger boiled over. I thrust the doors back open, moved forward a few steps while throwing out
my shield and drew the first two energies I could find in the guard and threw them at her. She fell to the floor screaming,
completely blinded and senseless. I let go of them but had hit her with such intensity that she was momentarily left
catatonic.
I turned and my eyes met Edwards. He appeared confused. I glance briefly down the line of his family before looking back
to him. I threw my shield around them, drew some energy off of Jasper and whirled it directly at Edward. He was hit with
every emotion I was feeling, everything I could conjure. All the pain and desperation and anxiety I'd felt. I mixed in my
passion and love and anger. His knees buckled and he nearly fell. I wanted him to feel how I felt, know what I had gone
through. He clutched his head and looked at Jasper, trying to figure out what was happening. He must've realized what
was going on because he focused his attention back to me and looked stunned. I heard Aro call me off, promising that
Edward would be dealt with next. I let go of the shield, giving him instant relief, and turned to take my place at the front
once more.
I encased Aro with my shield as he took Tanya's hand. I watched him sort through her mind quickly. She hadn't been
involved at all in Irina's indiscretions, but Aro searched through for the events surrounding my change. I saw flashes of
Tanya seducing Edward-her naked in his room. I saw all of them living together in Denali. Her throwing a fit when Edward
told her he was moving with his family. Her coming to Forks. Her standing over me in my house as I slept. Her following
me as I fled, driving around for days. Her following me in the woods, pouncing when I tried to flee. Irina running up and
interrupting her killing me, stopping her. Tanya fleeing, leaving Irina with my body.
Aro dropped her hand and motioned for her to be removed from his sight. He was quiet, which was quite out of character
for him. He kept glancing up at me and back to where the Cullen's and Denali's stood.
"Edward could you come forward?" Aro asked, holding his hand out. Edward looked a bit confused.
"I assure you my son was with us the entire time the situation in Denali was occurring," Carlisle chimed in. It was the first
time I had heard his voice and I couldn't help but smile at the sound of it.
"That may be true Carlisle, I don't doubt you at all. But this pertains to a completely different matter now, one that others
have suggested your so-, uh, Edward here was somehow involved in."
Carlisle glanced at Edward questioningly but he just shrugged and stepped forward. I felt the electricity again as he
approached where we stood. Aro grasped his hand to shift through his mind but I didn't throw my shield out and watch. I
was afraid to know, afraid to see what he was going to find.
Aro dropped his hand and smiled briefly at him, nodding. "Thank you, you can return to where you were." Edward nodded
and backed away slowly, warily.
Aro turned to look at me, contemplating what to do next. "Well it appears we've got quite the situation on our hands now."
"May I ask what this is about?" Eleazar asked. He had been watching the entire exchange silently.
"Ah yes, Eleazar, that'll be explained shortly. First of all, we'll deal with the original matter. As you know, we don't often
allow second chances when major rules are broken that put us all in danger. As you're well aware, Denali has already
been lucky and was granted a second chance many years ago. On top of that, we sent a warning that was ignored. That
doesn't bode well," Aro started. "I have to say Eleazar, that quite disappointed me. However, Irina here confirmed for me
that she was quite devious about it and was living a double life so I imagine you wouldn't have been able to stop it had you
not been aware."
He paused for a moment. "Ignorance, as unfortunate as it is, isn't a crime suppose. I regret to inform you that we can't take
leniency on Irina, as she is very well guilty of some serious infractions, but I won't hold anyone else responsible for her
crimes today."
"What will come of Irina?" Eleazar asked
"Ah, my friend, you are well aware of that answer. Unfortunately she will have to be destroyed." Hisses rang out from the
Denali sisters, followed by sobbing. Aro motioned towards the guard and a few of them shuffled a snarling Irina from the
room. "Demetri, can you attend to Irina? I'd like Isa to remain behind to deal with another matter."
Demetri look at me. I nodded at him, telling him it was okay. I felt bad for him as he exited the room. He was confused and
concerned and there was nothing I could say or do right now to help him understand.
"Now," Aro said. "Someone else in this room has committed a serious crime. They bit a human, intending to kill, but
negligently left them alive to transform alone. This is highly dangerous, and we are all quite lucky the transforming body
was discovered before she had awoken in the middle to civilization."
I didn't move a fraction of an inch, not even daring to breath. I watched as the Cullen's and the remaining Denali girls
glanced around at each other, confused.
"There has to be some sort of mistake," Carlisle stated. "I assure you my family isn't involved in such a thing."
"You are a good man Carlisle, you've done well for yourself over the years and I hate to see you get wound up in
something such as this. It truly was great to see you and I hope you don't go so long without visiting again. You may take
Alice and Jasper and leave. Kate and Eleazar may go also, as they aren't involved in this."
Carlisle made no move to leave. "What about Edward? I assure you he hasn't attacked any humans."
Edward stood, looking frantically between Carlisle and Aro. Aro nodded and sighed. "That may be true Carlisle, as I saw
nothing of the sort in his mind. But it's yet to be determined how much blame he should hold, as he may be responsible
none-the-less."

A/N: If anything doesn't make sense to you, feel free to ask for clarification. I always try to be thorough.
*Chapter 19*: 19: Time of Dying
A/N: Super short chapter. Thanks for the reviews! Share
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

On the ground I lay

Motionless in pain
I can see my life flashing before my eyes
Dead I fall asleep
Is this all a dream
Wake me up; I'm living a nightmare
"Time Of Dying" - Three Days Grace
EPOV:
What have you gotten yourself into son? Carlisle asked. I shrugged, just as confused as him. He knew very well that I'd
stayed to myself for decades, rarely leaving the house except when it was absolutely necessary.
Carlisle stood defiantly, making no move to leave. Kate stood up and ran from the room sobbing. Eleazar looked to
Carlisle, who nodded.
"Go after her, we'll all meet up at my place," Carlisle said. Eleazar hesitated, not wanting to abandon us since the whole
reason we were here was to help him, but upon Carlisle's insistence that we'd be okay he shot out of the door after Kate.
Aro watched Carlisle for a moment, smiling. "Not leaving, eh? I honestly figured that much. Your coven was always bonded
tightly."
"I'm confused," I said. "I have no knowledge about anyone being turned."
Aro nodded. "Yes, I'm aware of that. But Tanya here is another matter and she's proclaimed that it was your fault."
I shot her a look of disbelief. She was sobbing, her eyes wide. She looked confused but downright frightened.
"I didn't turn anybody, I swear!" she screeched, shaking her head frantically.
"That's not completely true," Aro interjected with. "You may not have wished to, but intentional or not it occurred. You
attacked and they survived, thanks in part to your sister Irina. Such a shame she lost control of herself afterward, makes
you wonder if that too was your fault. If maybe you had driven her that direction by involving her in this."
"That's not my fault! I never made Irina do anything. I didn't even do anything wrong!"
Aro sighed with annoyance. "Enough of this! Do you need me to remind you of the who and where, or are you capable of
confessing that yourself?"
Tanya was looking around frantically, her mind begging for me to understand. I had no idea what was going on and just
watched the scene play out in silence.
"I swear, there has to be a mistake," she yelled again, pleading. Aro was growing impatient, I could tell. He turned to me
and smiled.
"Tell me Edward, do you remember the last time your family resided in Denali?" I thought for a moment and nodded. "Can
you recall anything happening around that time?"
I paused, thinking back. The last time the family lived in Denali was after leaving Forks. I'd gone out on my own and joined
them sometime later. I was only there for about a month before moving to New York. It was where I'd decided to go back
for Bella, before she
My thoughts cut off quickly and I was quiet for a moment, furrowing my eyebrows in confusion. It couldn't be. That was all
that happened around that time. He had to have been talking about another time, maybe the time before that when we
lived in Denali. I watched Aro's face as his smile never faltered. I heard Tanya start screaming, imploring him to stop.
Does the name Isabella Swan ring a bell? He asked smugly in his mind.
My expression went completely blank and if my heart still beat it would've stopped at that moment. Did he really just say
what I think he said? He was seriously referring to that? I looked quickly between Tanya and Aro. He held his smile,
nodding at me. Tanya's face showed she was horrified. I heard my family asking what was going on but at that moment
they took a back seat. I could feel the anger boiling inside of me, the growl starting to rumble in my chest. Tanya was
apologizing frantically, cowering at the sight of my now furious expression.
"You're lying," I growled. "It can't be true. Tanya wouldn't do something like that," I yelled. I didn't even believe the words
coming out of my own mouth, but I willed them to be true. Tanya was begging me for forgiveness, begging me to
understand in her mind, but I did my best to completely block her out. Her words were confirming my worst nightmare and I
didn't need that right now. I needed this to be a mistake.
I suppose I shall have to show you, then? Aro asked. He immediately started replaying the memory he had gotten from
Tanya Standing over a sleeping Bella. Following Bella from town to town. Following Bella into the woods. Leaping out
and pouncing on Bella, biting her. Irina running out of the woods, startling Tanya. Tanya screaming she did it for me.
Jumping up and fleeing.
I fell to the floor clutching my head, sobbing. "No No No No," I screamed repetitively. "Tanya wouldn't do this, she didn't do
it!"
Aro sighed and motioned to the guard. They stood up and grabbed Tanya, pulling her out of the room. She screamed as
they passed me, yelling for me to help her, saying she was sorry. I could hear Carlisle frantically trying to find out what was
happening, why Tanya was being taken away, why I was on the floor. Alice and Jasper were yelling at me in their thoughts
but I just couldn't be bothered to answer them right now. I just kept replaying the images Aro had just showed me, over and
over again. It had to be some type of mistake. This couldn't be real. But he couldn't have made this up, because it
matched Alice's vision exactly. He couldn't have known it had to be authentic.
"Isa would you be so kind as to handle the situation with Tanya?" Aro asked. I heard Isa's voice, but it was simply a
whisper and I couldn't make out what she was saying. Aro whispered something in return. I was shaking and looked up,
my eyes blurred with venom, to see Isa walk past me and out the doors. She didn't so much as even look in my direction
this time.
"This can't be right," I said as I managed to get back on my feet. I was running my fingers through my hair frantically, and
started pacing the floor. "This has to be a mistake."
"It's not a mistake, Edward. The only question that remains is how you play into this."
"You think I'd seriously be involved in this?" I screamed. Carlisle grabbed my shoulder and Jasper hit me with a wave of
calm but it did nothing. I shrugged away from them both. "I fucking loved her! I would've died for her. I'd die for her right
now if that's what it takes, but I'll never let anyone think that I'd ever do something like this to her. She killed her! Tanya
killed her. I loved her so much. My Bella. Oh GOD my Bella!" I screamed, collapsing on the floor again.
My family gasped in shock. Bella? Their thoughts rang out simultaneously.
"Tanya killed Bella? I'll dismember that bitch myself!" Alice screeched. Screaming and cursing was highly uncharacteristic
for my sister. Jasper grabbed a hold of her quickly, trying to control her.
"Ah, not quite Alice. You've got it partially right. Tanya did indeed attack your dear Bella, but she didn't kill her."
*Chapter 20*: 20: Animal I Have Become
A/N: A bit of a warning... there's a smidgen of lemon in the midst of this chapter. And I'll apologize in Share
advance for it ;) lol
I hope you're enjoying these fast and massive updates, because they're going to keep coming like this. I'm not
one for holding chapters hostage.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

So what if you can see the darkest side of me?

No one would ever change this animal I have become
Help me believe it's not the real me
Somebody help me tame this animal I have become
Help me believe it's not the real me
Somebody help me tame this animal
"Animal I Have Become" - Three Days Grace
BPOV:
I exited the room, madder than I walked into it. My vision was hazed over with red; my chest was vibrating from the growl
that threatened to escape. Edward had just found out that Tanya had attacked me and all he seemed to care about was
her-his precious fucking Tanya. He watches a vision of her pouncing on me and he still insists that his Tanya is innocent.
All he could say is 'no'. That Tanya wouldn't do such a thing.
I never knew him at all. That wasn't the Edward I knew. I guess the Edward I loved and thought of every day for the past 36
fucking years was non-existent. I undid my scarf as I walked, throwing it to the ground hastily.
I stormed through the tunnels quickly. Charlene spotted me as I approached and took off running in the opposite direction.
Yeah, like she could outrun me. If I wanted her dead, she'd be dead.
Jane spotted me as I rounded a corner. "Tanya's in the chamber," she sneered at me as she walked past. Jane and I
never got along; she was quite resentful of my gift. Jane used to be one of Aro's favorites, as her talent was so useful, but
ever since I came along she didn't have the opportunity to use it often. Jane was perfectly capable of taking people out on
her own, but Aro enjoyed knowing I was flexing my power and preferred me to do it. That didn't sit well with her.
I didn't respond as I brushed by her. I got to the end of the tunnel and turned left, opening a large metal door and going
down a set of stairs to the chamber. The chamber consisted of a long hallway and a row of rooms where vampires were
kept prior to judgment and often where the punishments were dished out. The place had a barbaric feel, completely metal
and stone. It was dark and gray, dreary and dim. It truly resembled a dungeon or a prison, which was utterly ridiculous. But
the Brethren got a kick out of doing things for show, and the chamber truly was thatjust for show. They even went so far
as to hang chains on the walls, as if locking vampires hands in some flimsy metal would do any good. Of course vampires
could easily escape the chamber, but it wasn't often one tried. It was futile with how guarded the place was. They'd be
caught and punished anyway-no sense in making it harder on themselves.
I rounded the corner and collided with a large form, startling me and sending me stumbling backwards. I snarled and
looked up to see a stunned Demetri. He opened his mouth to speak, but before a word came out I flung myself at him,
toppling him to the ground. I crashed my lips to his, kissing him as deep as I could. He kissed me back, bringing his hands
up and pushing my hood down. His hands tangled in my hair, pulling me to him as hard as he could. He forced his tongue
into my mouth, entangling it with my own. The taste of his venom was stronger than mine with a slight sour hint.
I pulled my lips from his, moving to his neck. I sucked and licked and gently bit at the skin. He groaned, his hands roaming
my back over my clothes, grinding himself into me.
I slid my hand down, unbuckling his pants quickly and slipping my hand inside. I grasped his erection and he hissed at the
sensation. I moved my hand along the shaft he was hard and throbbing, needing it as much as I did. I was hurt and
angry, completely coming apart at the seams. My mask was falling off, I was losing control of the person I'd constructed
myself to be over the decades. I was downright frightened and I needed comfort.
Demetri followed my lead, his hand slipping up my skirt and inside my panties. He slipped two fingers inside of me and
moaned at how wet and tight I was.
"Isa we have to stop," he said after a moment, his voice strained. I growled in response but made no move to cease my
actions. He pulled his hand away and pushed against me, pushing me off of him gently, sitting up. I leapt to my feet, upset
and feeling disgruntled, and turned to stalk away but he grabbed my arm roughly.
"Stop dammit!" he yelled. He looked infuriated but his eyes held a hint of compassion mixed with confusion. I narrowed
my eyes at him and instinctively shot my shield out to look for energies I could use against him. He was still gripping my
arm tightly and refused to budge when I pulled away. Luckily, realization of what I was doing set it before I could strike at
him. We stared at each other for a moment before I relaxed and apologized.
"What's gotten into you?" he asked. "I'm not exactly complaining about that greeting and I'm sorry I had to push you off of
me but the chamber is no place for that."
I nodded, understanding. After it sunk in, I was thankful he had stopped me because I had no intention of doing so. I
attacked him in a fit of frustration and Demetri deserved better than that. Demetri deserved someone who could give all of
themselves to him; all I could offer was physical release. The rest of me I gave away long ago and never got back. The rest
of me belonged to the one upstairs currently facing his own judgment.
"I just." I said with a growl. "I'm just dealing with some stuff."
He raised his eyebrows at me questioningly. "Like? Clue me in, please, because I'm beyond confused. What was all of
that upstairs? What's going on?"
I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. "I know you're confused. I need to go deal with Tanya, you can join me if you'd
like. You're going to find out eventually so no better time and place than the current."
I walked swiftly down the walkway to the rooms, Demetri trudging along behind me. "What did she do anyway?" He asked
nonchalantly. It was nothing out of the norm for him and I to be handling business down in the chambers.
"She changed me," I muttered. I reached back and threw my hood back on, shrouding my face from view. Demetri's steps
faltered at my words but he continued to follow quietly. He knew the conversation was over for now.
I reached the room Tanya was being held in. The guard stationed there bowed at Demetri and I and opened the door for
us to enter. Tanya sat on the floor, against the wall, sobbing. She started to shake when she saw us enter and started
pleading for mercy. I grabbed a chair that was on the opposite side of the room and sat down. It was completely
unnecessary and I had to question why the hell there was even a chair here in the first place, but sitting seemed like the
right thing to do. Demetri looked surprised but didn't say anything to me he simply stood at the doorway.
I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths to compose myself. I needed to try to detach myselfI couldn't let my
emotions cause me to lose control of the situation. I was a Volturi Guard. I was one of the Elite. I was untouchable,
unstoppable. I would not allow this to break me.
I opened my eyes after my silent pep talk. "So, Tanya from Denali" I started. "It appears you've been a naughty girl."
"Please, I'm begging you. I swear, I didn't" She stopped abruptly and started screaming, convulsing in pain. I had thrown
my shield out as far as it would go, quickly located Jane up in the Great Room to pull some of her energy, and shot it at
her. I let up on her and her screams stopped.
"I'd appreciate it if you'd remain quiet until I tell you to speak." She whimpered and curled into the fetus position but didn't
utter any words. I looked over to Demetri, who shot me a supportive smile. I was nervous as I was about to basically spill
my entire past to him and I wasn't sure how he was going to respond. After all, he knew who I was, but just wasn't yet
aware of it. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and just spit it out.
"So, Tanya, 36 years ago you stalked and attacked a defenseless human girl in the middle of the woods. And while
technically that's acceptable amongst our kind, what isn't acceptable is that you took off without ensuring that she was bled
dry. Your sister, in a panic, fled with the girl in order to help you, only to be spooked and abandon the body herself
sometime later, many miles away. Lucky for all of us, a Volturi Guard happened to be not too far away and smelled the
blood and discovered her in the midst of transformation. I'm sure you could imagine what you've happened had she
awoken in the woods alone. Am I correct so far? You may speak."
Tanya's frightful eyes met mine. "I swear she was dead," she stammered.
I sighed. "Well unfortunately for you, you're quite wrong". I hesitated, debating my next move. With one last glance at
Demetri, I reached up and pulled my hood off. Tanya gasped in shock, her eyes going wide as she took in my features for
the first time.
"It's nice to finally officially meet you Tanya, it's a shame it couldn't have been under better circumstances."
She opened her mouth to speak but snapped it shut quickly. I gave her a smirk and continued. "Now that we've covered
what it is you did, shall we touch upon why?" She didn't respond, just sat gaping at me. "I'll take that as a yes. I know you
stated you did it for a Mr. Edward Cullen. The question, however, is why you did it for him. I have a theory but I'd rather not
waste my time theorizing if I could simply get the truth from you. Do you have anything to say?"
"I am so sorry," she simply whimpered, breaking into tearless sobs.
I stood from the chair swiftly, causing her to flinch. I started pacing the floor, my eyes on the ground. I could feel Demetri's
stare burning holes in me but I didn't dare look up to meet his eyes yet. I didn't know for sure if he'd connected the dots yet
but he must be close to coming to the conclusion.
"Don't be. Because as you see, I've fared quite well. Obviously better than you, in fact. And I wouldn't bother with this
interrogation right now, I'd end it swiftly and I might even make it painless. I'm not sure however, considering you weren't
so kind to me. But the aforementioned Edward Cullen is currently upstairs, being judged himself for your actions and it
would be beneficial to confirm the why of what you did, to ensure that he is treated fairly. Because in all likelihood he will
be joining us down here in the chamber shortly if you don't speak up and I'd rather not have to risk the possibility of feeling
any remorse after I kill him."
Just the words coming from my mouth caused pain to shoot through my chestpain I'd ignored and willed away for
decades. The pain of the lost love. I knew I couldn't kill EdwardI could never even hurt him. Killing Edward would kill me.
But my mentioning the possibility did the trick, and Tanya gasped and shot up to her feet. "You wouldn't," she said sharply,
narrowing her eyes at me. Demetri took a few steps forward but I held my hand up, halting him.
"I would," I said simply, smirking at her.
"How could you! He loved you! Why do you think I did what I did! I would've done anything to have him, anything to make
him forget about that filthy little human he was infatuated with. So I did just that, because it was for the best. He was
miserable and someone needed to do something so he'd get over it!" she yelled.
"I appreciate it Tanya, that was all I needed to hear." I turned and looked at Demetri, who was watching me carefully. Our
eyes locked as I gave him a small nod he sighed and nodded in return. I walked to the door as Demetri approached
Tanya. I couldn't do it myself nor could I watch it happen, and I cringed when I heard the distinct crunch indicating her head
was no longer attached to her body. She had viciously attacked me when I was helpless but the fact remained that she
had meant something to the Cullen's. She was family to them and if fate had been different she might've been my family.
"Isabella Swan," Demetri said softly behind me. I couldn't turn to look at him, just nodded my head. He sighed loudly. "I,
uh I'll finish up here." His voice was soft and he sounded defeated.
I closed my eyes, reached back and swung my hood over my head again. I exited the chamber and walked the tunnels
quickly. As I approached the double doors at the end, I heard the distinct sound of Edward screaming inside.
*Chapter 21*: 21: Save You
A/N: Short Chapter, last update tonight. Share
Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight

Sometimes I wish I could save you,

And there's so many things that I want you to know.
I won't give up 'til it's over.
If it takes you forever, I want you to know.
"Save You" - Simple Plan
EPOV:
"What do you mean Tanya didn't kill her?" Alice asked, confused.
Aro sighed. "My child, do you really think we'd be punishing Tanya for killing a human? That's a ridiculous notion. If killing
humans were a crime punishable by death, I believe only one of our kind would still survive. Isn't that accurate Carlisle?"
"Two," Carlisle corrected quickly. "Alice would be innocent also. But I implore you Aro, if Tanya merely attacked Bella and
didn't kill her, then who did?"
Aro laughed, causing a growl to erupt from my chest. Who did he think he was, laughing at Bella's murder like that? He
smiled lightly at me and spoke.
"One of the guard members happened to be in the area where your beloved Bella's body was disposed of and happened
upon her in the process of transforming alone. They were unsure of what to do so they contacted me."
"So you did it? You killed her?" I snarled, instinctively crouching some. I wasn't going to let whomever murdered Bella get
away with it. Tanya was being punished for biting her and almost turning her, and whoever ended it would be punished
also. I'd make sure of that.
Carlisle was on me quickly, wrapping his arms around my torso to try to contain me. Aro laughed again, causing me to
lunge forward, but Alice and Jasper jumped in front of me to help Carlisle hold me back. They were screaming at me in
their minds, willing me to calm down and stop. They were fearful of my rashness and were afraid of me getting myself
killed. I wanted to tell them that I didn't care about myself, all I cared about was getting revenge for Bella.
"You think this is funny? She didn't deserve to die!"
"Dear boy, why are we assuming she's even dead?" He asked incredulously. His voice was stern, irritated. My growling
ceased immediately upon his words.
"What are you talking about? Of course she's dead." His words stung me, the hope in my heart that Bella never died
radiating through me before being quickly being extinguished by my mind. If Bella were alive, she would've found me.
"Why are you under the impression we would've destroyed her? Why don't you think we would've allowed her
transformation to complete?" he asked, still smiling.
I opened my mouth to speak, really unsure of the answer. Carlisle cleared his throat and answered.
"Because a newborn can be a big inconvenience and I know from my time here that the Volturi doesn't take on random
newborns they come across," he stated matter-of-factly.
"Well there's a first time for everything, isn't there old friend?"
"I don't believe it," I shouted. "You lie. What are you playing at? What do you want from me?"
"There's nothing I want from you, and I'm most assuredly not lying. But whether or not Isabella Swan walked away from her
attack isn't relevant to the matter at hand. What is relevant is whether or not it's your fault she was attacked in the first
place."
"I told you I didn't have anything to do with it! I'd never do that, I loved her!"
"Yes, so you've said. But I wonder-if you loved her so, why did you abandon her in the first place? Abandoning a human
who knows about our world? That's nearly as irresponsible as leaving one to change alone. You placed her in grave
danger, in more ways than one. You couldn't have loved her too much," Aro said smugly.
I growled and lunged forward quickly, eluding my family. Before I could reach Aro, an agonizing pain ripped through me
and I fell to the ground, convulsing. I couldn't stop the screams escaping from my lips.
The doors swung open and almost instantly the pain stopped. My family was on me before I could even leap up, dragging
me to the other side of the room.
"I'll forgive that," Aro said plainly, looking right at me. I heard the sound of high heels clicking behind me and turned to see
Isa had returned, still shrouded by her cloak. She walked past me without a glance. She stopped in front of the blonde
haired guard named Jane briefly. Jane was grinning mischievously, but something in Isa's expression must've frightened
her because her smile fell and she flinched.
"Has everything been taken care of?" Aro asked. I saw his hand twitch while he waited for Isa to respond, wanting to
reach out and grasp her hand as she approached but not being able to as she was immune to him. The thought made me
smile slightly at his discomfort at the situation. Emmett was right they must hate that.
"Yes sir, it's been handled." Her voice struck me hard; it was sweet as honey, very much unlike the shriek that had come
from her during our earlier encounter. Her voice was so melodic that it made something inside of me flutter, but the words
themselves made me cringe. Her words indicated that she had dismembered and burned Tanya and as much as I was in
pain right now from the knowledge of what Tanya had done, it wasn't pleasant knowing that someone we treated as
extended family had just been destroyed and we'd done nothing to stop it.
Carlisle sighed loudly beside me, thinking the same thing. He was disgusted about what Tanya had done and felt
immense grief over what happened to Bella, but realized that we'd lost what we once considered to be our biggest ally.
Tanya had been welcomed into our home and treated as family and now she was no more. If the Volturi hadn't destroyed
Tanya, I very well likely would've done it myself. But killing Tanya wouldn't bring Bella back nothing would bring Bella
back.
Isa took her spot beside Aro, looking down at the ground. It was odd but I felt some sort of pull towards her. I was
fascinated and couldn't seem to take my eyes from her form. I wished she'd look up and pull the cloak away-I wanted to
see her. I wanted to know what she looked like, if she looked as cold and rigid as she came off as. She couldn't be as bad
as people suggested, considering her eyes were the same color as my own. There was just something about her, I don't
know if it was the sound of her voice or her smell or what, but something drew me in. It was just an odd feeling I had.
"What to do of this one," Aro said after a moment, looking straight at me again. I heard Isa sigh.
"I was able to speak with the female prior to her punishment being delivered and am quite positive that she acted on her
own accord. As regrettable as it is that the one before us acted irresponsibly concerning the matter, he didn't knowingly
cause anyone to be bitten and changed. Irresponsibility is unfortunate, but like ignorance it isn't a crime," Isa said sharply.
I watched as frustration passed across Aro's face. Isa must've known what her words were doing to him because she
quickly added, "But of course the decision would be yours ultimately."
Carlisle looked stunned, observing the exchange between Isa and Aro. Aro cleared his throat, nodding.
"Yes, indeed, you are correct Isa. It isn't a crime. I guess you all are free to go, but I'd very much like it if you kept in touch.
Carlisle, please send my regards to your lovely mate and the rest of your coven for me. Heidi should be arriving
momentarily with a feast, if you'd like to join us."
"I appreciate the offer, but we'll pass. We'll be in touch," Carlisle said with a polite smile. My family turned to leave but
stopped when they noticed I hadn't moved.
Son now is not the time. We'll figure out the truth but we really must get out of here right now.
I hesitated, still staring at Isa. She hadn't moved at all. I knew we needed to leave but I couldn't seem to pull myself away. I
could feel eyes watching me, and Carlisle grabbed my arm. I looked away from Isa finally, my eyes going over to Aro. He
was staring at me intently, his eyes narrowed. He was obviously irritated. I turned to follow my family, knowing I needed to
get out before he changed his mind, when the melodic voice stopped my movements.
"Oh and Edward Cullen? I'd appreciate it if you refrained from commandeering my vehicle again. I am quite fond of my
car."

A/N: Please Please Please don't kill me for this, and definitely don't give up on me. I know what you want and
you will get it, I swear. The big reveal will be up soon.
*Chapter 22*: 22: Musta Been Wrong
A/N: Short Chapter, but they're going to start getting longer soon. Thanks for the reviews! Share
Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight

Creeping up fast it blinded me it's a long time to be it.

Long time to love you, still thinking of you.
It don't matter who you seem to be.
It's a long time to love you so what went wrong.
What went wrong.
"Musta Been Wrong" Saliva
BPOV:
I sat on the balcony connected to my room in the tower, gazing down at the city below me. It was a beautiful clear night and
people were strolling through the streets enjoying it. I could see the fountain from my balcony, and could see Demetri down
below sitting in the Piazza dei Priori.
It's been a week since the showdown with the Cullen's and I haven't left my room since. I was sure by now my true identity
had spread throughout all of the Volturi and wasn't in the mood to face them. At one time or another over the years, nearly
everyone here had ridiculed the pathetic weak human girl that had fallen in love with a vampire; they had laughed at the
fact that he nearly destroyed her by leaving her. They would never breath a word in my presence about it now, but they
wouldn't have to because the humor would be written all over their faces.
My thirst was getting bad and I needed to feed soon, but feeding meant I'd have to leave the comfort of my room. So I tried
to ignore the burning in my throat, and spent the past seven nights sitting out here on my balcony watching Demetri.
He'd gone out there, like clockwork, every night at sunset and stayed there until shortly before sunrise. I knew he was
waiting on me to show, but I didn't know if I was ready for that either.
I hadn't spoken to him since we were in the chamber and he had spoken my real name. He was giving me my space and I
appreciated it. But in true Demetri fashion, he hadn't gone far and was still there waiting for when I was ready. It made me
feel like shit, leaving him waiting, but the last thing I wanted was to see the pity in his eyes.
Someone knocked on my door but I ignored it. They'd be knocking since I shut myself in here. I didn't care what they
wanted I wasn't up for it.
From where I sat I could also see my car. It was still sitting exactly where Edward had parked it. It was locked up tight so I
could just imagine how strong Edward's smell would be when I opened the door. Maybe I could get Demetri to take it to
get fixed and air it out. I was sure he'd do it for me if only I'd get off my ass and go to him.
Like clockwork, Demetri stood up close to sunrise and turned to where I sat. He'd look at me for a few moments sitting up
on my balcony and then retreat back inside.
On the eighth night, I took to my balcony and Demetri wasn't there. I sat all night and he never showed. At sunrise I went
back inside, saddened.
Demetri didn't show three nights in a row. I had come to the conclusion that he had finally given up, but when I stepped out
on my balcony on the 11th night I spotted him immediately. I smiled at the sight of him and something sparked inside of
me. I turned and flew out of my door, made my way down to the tunnels and exited into the night quickly. The only person I
ran into was Charlene but she acted oblivious to my presence-although her quickened heartbeat told me she was still
frightened from my explosion at my car being stolen. I wanted to apologize, she hadn't deserved that. But I couldn't,
because apologizing would make me looked weak.
I walked slowly to the bench Demetri was sitting on. He didn't speak or look up at me when I approached, nor did he
acknowledge when I sat down.
"You need to feed," he said simply after a few minutes of silence. I nodded. "I've got some stuff in my room for you, I'll give
it to you when we go inside."
We chatted casually for a while about nonsense, just enjoying each other's company. A few hours before sunrise, he
sighed and turned his face to look at me for the first time.
"I'm sorry," he said softly. I looked at him questioningly, noticing his expression was just as soft.
"I never understood what you had gone through. I sent you out there all those years ago to find what I realize now was him,
not realizing how much you were hurting. You come off so fierce that I didn't realize how vulnerable you really were. What
kind of friend am I?"
I sighed, bringing my hand up to rub his back. "You were right though, even if I didn't find what I was looking for at least I
knew."
He gave me a sad smile. "You know, he left here still believing you were dead."
I scoffed. "Yeah well whatever makes it easier for him to sleep at night so to speak." Demetri laughed.
"Something tells me believing you are dead doesn't do anything to alleviate the hurt he feels."
"Yeah I'm sure he's real hurt," I said rolling my eyes.
"He is." Demetri's voice showed no sign of playfulness anymore. "You've been locked away, but it's the talk of the tower.
Edward had a breakdown that day when he found out Tanya had attacked you. His guilt was overwhelming, written all over
his face."
"Yeah well maybe he feels guilty that his precious Tanya met the fate she did because of me."
"Maybe. But something tells me he wouldn't have lunged at Aro when Aro suggested he hadn't loved you if his guilt was
over Tanya. And if she was so precious to him, how come he did nothing to try to stop us?"
I was stunned for a moment. Edward had lunged at Aro? How had I missed that? How stupid could he be? And the fact
that Aro suggested he hadn't loved me struck me the wrong way. I knew after Aro discovered my identity he'd want
Edward out of the picture completely, so it didn't surprise me that he was looking for an excuse at the end to destroy him.
He very much wanted to pin the blame of my attack on him and when that wasn't working I guess he decided to taunt him,
hoping Edward would snap so they could attack him.
After a moment I shrugged. "Regardless, it doesn't matter. I'm dead to him."
Demetri chuckled. "For now. But with all of these blabber mouths in Volterra, do you really think who you are won't get
back to him at some point?"
He had a point. "I'll deal with that when or if it happens," I said with another shrug.
"Or" he said, trailing off while eyeing me.
"Or?" I asked.
"Or you could go tell him yourself."
We sat in silence after that, both lost in thoughts. When sunrise was nearing, we headed inside. Demetri scooted off to his
room and met me back at mine. He handed me a shopping bag full of bags of blood. I cocked an eyebrow at him and he
laughed.
"I've gotten you one every day for the last week, so they've been building up." I laughed and thanked him before we parted
ways.
*Chapter 23*: 23: Reinvent the Wheel
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight Share

But I'll try to breathe in meaning dig deep through every gasp of air.
Cause I know you did the same thing for as long as you can bear.
I guess everything just circles 'round to where it was before.
So I hope I'll see you soon in some other form.
"Reinvent The Wheel" - Bright Eyes
EPOV
We left Volterra the moment we exited the Volturi's tower. Alice and I had to steal a vehicle again but I made sure to steer
clear of the SSC Ultimate Aero. Something told me if I disregarded her request she would've made good on her promise
to burn the car thief alive.
The plane ride was long and torturous. I wanted to stay behind and try to find out more about what they had done to Bella,
but Carlisle convinced me to get on the plane with them. He said that in all the years he had an intimate relationship with
the Volturi, every newborn they came across was ultimately destroyed. They didn't want me to get my hopes up but I
honestly hadn't. I believed that if Bella had somehow survived, sometime in the past 36 years she would've looked us up.
But regardless, I had to know for sure exactly what fate she met. Did she ever wake up a vampire? Or had she been
destroyed before she could ever see the world through our eyes?
Carlisle promised that we wouldn't rest until we knew and I believed him, but he said we needed to give the Volturi a
break. Carlisle felt that I was lucky I got to walk out of there in the first place and I shouldn't press my luck yet. If Isa hadn't
walked into the room when she did, I likely would've been hauled off by Aro's goons to get beheaded. And although I was
resolved and would've accepted that, I couldn't accept the reason. I couldn't leave this earth until I knew what had
happened to my Bella, and I definitely wouldn't accept being destroyed because some prick declared I hadn't loved her
enough.
I had to wonder what Tanya had said in her last moments to make Isa stand up for me. It had to have been something
monumental for her to spare me after what I'd done to her car. I have to remember to make up for that in some way. Her hit
list was definitely one I didn't want my name on.
Alice's visions were starting to somewhat return now that we'd left Volterra, but was still occasionally in and out. She was
frustrated by it but I understood how she felt. My gift had been in and out the entire time. People kept going completely
blank on me so I was able to tell when she had them inside her shield. It was interesting to say the least frightening in a
way also. I wondered if she had accessed my gift at all when I was there. I know she had used Jasper's and it was
intense.
The plane landed in dreary Oregon and we made our way back to Astoria. Kate and Eleazar were there waiting for us.
Carlisle called ahead and informed them we were on our way. He didn't break the news about Tanya yet; he felt we should
discuss it in person as a family.
Esme was on the front steps waiting for us as we pulled up. She pulled us all into hugs, kissing our heads, her mind
thanking God for bringing her family back to her. I tried to muster a smile but it didn't fool her she was immediately
concerned.
We strolled into the house slowly, none of us looking forward to the upcoming conversation. Kate stood alone, staring
blankly at the wall, while Eleazar and Carmen sat on the couch embracing each other. Emmett and Rose bounded into the
room shortly after we walked in.
"Where's Tanya?" Carmen asked right away. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair.
"I'm so sorry," Carlisle said, taking Carmen's hand. "She didn't make it." Jasper walked over and pulled Kate into a hug
as she started sobbing.
"I don't understand," Eleazar said. "What did she do to deserve this?"
I felt a growl vibrate my chest. I tried to push it away before anyone noticed, but I wasn't quick enough. All eyes were on
me.
Son I think you should tell them.
I looked to Carlisle, his face showing concern for me. I nodded.
"Apparently Tanya was the one that attacked my human girlfriend years ago," I said, speaking directly to Eleazar. He was
a logical man and it was easy to focus on him and pretend the others weren't there. My family gasped, everyone's voice
ringing out her name and conjuring an image of her. It was overwhelming and made me flinch. "Tanya had thought she
killed her, but apparently she survived the attack and was left to change alone in the woods. The Volturi found her before
the transformation was complete."
Eleazar nodded, his mind ringing out and confirming what Carlisle had said earlier. They would've destroyed her.
"Yes," I replied sadly. "But because Tanya had left a newborn to awake alone, they felt they had to you know'
"Yes I know," he responded sadly. Kate was in hysterics and Carmen was sobbing for their loss of Tanya and Irina. My
family, once again, was back to grieving the loss of Bella.
I am so sorry Edward. Esme thought as she pulled me into an embrace. I could feel my eyes stinging with venom as I
hugged her back
Alice stood numbly behind me. She was distraught, replaying a vision she had numerous time when we first met Bella.
Bella and Alice, both vampires, embracing in a hug in the middle of a field. It was a vision that would never come true. I
was worried for my sister.
We retreated to our separate corners of the house then Carlisle and Eleazar went into Carlisle's office to talk more
about the Volturi. Carmen and Kate sat on the couch hugging and sobbing. My brothers and sisters took to their rooms
quietly. Esme was busy, flittering around the house quietly, trying to keep herself busy and make herself useful.
Within a few days, things returned to normal or as normal as it wasn't going to be under the circumstances. Eleazar and
Carmen were staying with us for a while but Kate had departed on her own intending to meet up with a nomad named
Garrett that she was close to. I went to school and hunted when I needed to, but besides that I simply stayed in my room in
the silence. It was different than the other times Alice didn't take to knocking on my door anymore, as she was busy
locking herself in her own room.
Time passed swiftly somehow. One afternoon when I arrived home from school, I found Carlisle standing in the doorway
on his way out to work.
"Do you think we could talk in my office tonight when I get home?" He asked. I nodded. Instead of going straight up to my
room, I made my way to the study and pulled out my checkbook. I wrote a check for $100,000 and signed my name
quickly. I pulled out a sheet of paper to write a quick note, and slid the note and check into an envelope. I got an address
for the Volturi in Volterra from Carlisle's Rolodex in his office. I went out and got into my car and drove to the post office
quickly, paying for the fastest shipping they had to ensure it arrived swiftly. It had been weeks since we had come home,
and I needed to make good on my promise to pay for fixing Isa's car. I had no idea how much the damage would cost, but
given that it's over a half million dollar car it couldn't have been cheap to repair.
I stayed downstairs that evening. As my siblings walked in and spotted me sitting in the living room, at my piano bench,
they followed suit and joined me. We didn't speak much but it was the first time all of us had been together again since
returning. Esme was ecstatic, as she'd been heartbroken for her family lately. We didn't accomplish anything, nothing was
fixed, but it at least eased Esme's broken heart and for that it was worth it.
I was ghosting my fingers of the piano keys again, and we were still sitting there quietly when Carlisle came home. He was
shocked at the sight of us all together and smiled.
"This is a nice surprise, what did I do to deserve this honor? Wait, it's not my birthday, is it?" he asked. I chuckled, making
everyone turn to gape at me. I guess they hadn't expected me to ever laugh again.
"Just figured it was time to resurface," I said with a shrug. He nodded in understanding. He motioned for me to follow him
so I got up and went into his office.
"Eleazar called last night," he started. Eleazar and Carmen had left a few days ago, saying they needed to build fresh with
just the two of them. Carlisle urged them to consider staying with us, but they declined. "He spoke to some of his old
contacts and found out a bit of information. Apparently when the guard found Bella, they had taken her to a location here in
the US to allow her transformation to complete in hopes that when she awoke she could provide the identity of her maker."
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.
"So she woke up?" I asked it as a question, but it was more of a statement. I wasn't sure how I felt about knowing Bella
awoke as a newborn vampire. I imagine she would've been scared and confused.
"It appears so. As to exactly what happened to her after she woke up, we're still unsure but going by their usual routine,
they would've gotten her to Aro so he could search her mind and then you know."
"Yeah, I know. Thank you," I said, turning to leave. "Oh, I mailed a check to Volterra today, to pay for the damages I
caused."
Carlisle smiled. "Good."
*Chapter 24*: 24: The End
A/N: Okay, the chapters are getting longer and you're finally getting what you want ;) somewhat Share
anyway lol
Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight.

I've been around the world

And I have seen so many things
I can't even tell you where I'm going
But no matter where I'm heading
And no matter what I do
(What I do)
Something keeps me coming back to you
"The End" - Simple Plan
BPOV:
The paper in my hand was wrinkled I had opened it and read the note more times than I could count. It arrived 3 months
ago and it still elicited the same feelings now as it did then.
I never cashed the check; I didn't want their money. I had more than enough myself and didn't need them to pay for things
even if they had caused the damage. The Volturi kept my bank account loaded.
Things have returned somewhat to normal over the months. Whenever I exited my room, I found myself being slightly
harder than I had been before the incident. No one crossed me or dared mock me, but I still worked harder and focused
more on playing my part than I had before. Before I acted completely oblivious toward the guard when they acknowledged
me The Brethren made it mandatory that the Elite were bowed to when they saw us and over the years I disregarded it
because I thought it was ridiculous. They'd slacked off, doing it half assed knowing I couldn't care less. But not anymore,
now I made a point to make sure they did it correctly and I wasn't above forcing them to. I still found it ridiculous, but I
enjoyed wiping the amusement off of their faces. They didn't exactly enjoy having to bow down to Bella Swan.
I'd gone on a few missions but nothing big that regular guard couldn't have handled. Things had calmed down significantly
in our world lately, both pleasing and annoying us. We strived to live in a peaceful world, that's the reason for our existence
in the first place, but it was a bit frustrating not having anything to do. And it particularly bothered me, because not having
anything to do meant I'd be spending more time alone in my room like I was right now, and spending time alone wasn't a
good thing these days. I felt myself slipping back to the insecure longing little girl I had been a long time ago when I was
alone.
I hadn't been spending much time with Demetri lately he was trying to work things out with his former mate Heidi and I
was completely supportive of that. I think my situation with Edward opened up his eyes. He had been holding Heidi's
mistakes against her for decades, never giving her the chance to explain or make up for it. I guess he felt like a hypocrite,
telling me to go talk to Edward when he wouldn't talk to Heidi. He stopped by my room every night when he was around
and knocked sometimes I answered and he'd come in and we'd chat, but other times I'd ignore him and he'd continue
on. He never took it personal, and continued to bring me blood on a regular basis.
The blood was another problem I'd not left the city walls much over the past few months to hunt. It was completely
ridiculous but I knew seeing my golden eyes reminded people around here of my connection to the Cullen's so I avoided it.
The last time I looked in the mirror my eyes were now bright red.
I opened the paper in my hands, admiring the elegant script of Edward's handwriting, and read the short note once again.
Isa,
I regret deeply that I caused damage to your vehicle and I want to pay for all repairs. If this isn't enough, please
let me know. I promise to never hijack it again, but it sure was a beauty much like it's owner.
Edward Cullen
Such a suck up, I thought. He hadn't even seen me to know if I was beautiful or not. Demetri hadn't said too much
regarding Edward since the night out in the plaza, but every time we spoke he asked me if I was ready to go yet. He never
had to say where; I knew what he was referring to. He wanted to know if I'd changed my mind and decided to go confess
my identity in person to the Cullen's. I always said no, but I knew now that it was only a matter of time before it reached
them anyway. The last mission we had gone on in Russia, a vampire there had called me Isabella. Not a particularly big
deal but it indicated that they had known what Isa was short for.
A knock rang out on my door, startling me. Demetri usually never came this early and he had been gone for a few days on
a mission. I ignored it, but the person was persistent. After about 5 solid minutes of knocking I stood from the bed to go
answer when the door swung open and Demetri strolled in.
"You could've answered you know," he said. I shook my head and sat back down.
"I was about to what are you doing here anyway? I thought you were still gone."
"Just got back this morning. Aro sent Heidi off a few minutes ago, she'll be gone for a week or so, so I figured I'd come up
and annoy my favorite person." He plopped down on the bed beside me. He spotted the note in my hand before I could
slip it away and shook his head but didn't say anything. He reached into his coat and pulled out a bag of blood, tossing it
in my lap.
"You outta go out and hunt or something. You're starting to look like a savage," he said, pointing at my eyes. I shrugged,
sliced the back open and started drinking.
"Look who's talking," I stated, pointing out his burgundy and black eyes.
We sat around and talked for a few hours about nothing of importance, just enjoying the company. Around sunset he stood
up to go feed himself and paused at the door.
"Isa, are you ready to go yet?" he asked.
I was quiet, causing him to turn around to face me. He was used to my rash "No"s. This was the first time I'd ever hesitated
to answer.
"Isabella?" he said softly. I looked up and met his eyes. He had taken a liking to my name but only used it in the confines
of my room.
"I think I am," I whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.
"Good. It's about time," He said with a smile.
"Would you Do you think you'd go with me?" I asked. I felt so small at that moment, so vulnerable.
He sighed. "Yes. If I'm allowed, that is. Unlike you, I can't gallivant around the world freely." His voice was playfully, but his
words were sad. Sad, because they were true. He was essentially a slave to the Volturi.
"You'll be allowed," I said with confidence. "Just leave it up to me."
Demetri left to go feed, and although I wasn't exactly thirsty anymore I left the city walls to hunt. If I were intending to go see
the Cullen's I wanted to lighten my eyes up some. I knew there was no way to get them back completely gold before then,
but I'd do the best I could.
After the hunt, I slipped back into the tunnels and made my way to the Great Room where the Brethren sat. They had just
finished feeding and there were still bodies present when I arrived. I usually tried to avoid this place until all signs of
slaughter were gone but I didn't want any more delays.
"Ah, Isa, to what do we owe this honor?" Aro asked, smiling.
"Actually I'd like to discuss something with you. A personal matter." He froze momentarily but nodded for me to continue.
"As you are well aware sir, the last mission I was sent out on a nomad we came across knew my true identity, so it
appears someone within these walls hasn't been able to keep that bit of information to themselves," I said sharply. Aro
hated when his guard gossiped.
"Considering the fact that my real name is Isabella Swan is out there amongst the nomads, it's only a matter of time
before it reaches the more civilized of our kind." I didn't have to say their name, he knew who I meant and nodded in
agreement.
"I have decided to seek them out and inform them myself. I feel it is best for them to have it confirmed up front, instead of
them hearing the whispers and coming to investigate. I know it's asking for a lot, but I'd appreciate it if you'd allow Demetri
to accompany me on my trip, if he's not otherwise needed. I think his presence could be beneficial to the situation." Aro
was still, no longer smiling. He didn't like the idea of me visiting the Cullen's but knew he couldn't stop me.
I heard someone in the guard snicker and I shot a deathly gaze in their direction. Aro was quiet for a moment,
contemplating. Finally, he nodded.
"Yes, maybe that would be for the best. And Demetri would be the best to go along, I'm sure of it."
I thanked him quickly and retreated. I climbed the tower and knocked on Demetri's door. He swung it open and smiled.
"Get to packing, we're leaving soon."
He looked stunned but nodded. I returned to my room, threw a few things in a bag and met him in the hallway. We walked
swiftly down through the tunnels and out into the city. The sun was starting to rise, so we slipped into my car quickly. It had
been fixed about a month ago thanks to Demetri but this was the first chance I had to drive it since then. Edward's smell
still lingered in the seat, causing me to close my eyes and inhale deeply. Demetri chuckled and punched me lightly on the
arm.
"Just drive lover," he said playfully.
I growled at him and threw it in gear, peeling out of the city. We hit the airport in no time and slipped onto the private plane.
Aro had called ahead for us and had it fueled up and ready.
Demetri cocked an eyebrow at me when I told the pilot we were going to Astoria, Oregon. He wanted to know how I knew
where the Cullen's lived but I just waved him off. Jenks had done the work for me, thankfully they were easy to locate. I
didn't want Aro to dig up the information, although he could easily. This was my task and I wanted to handle it personally.
Demetri had been under the impression that he'd have to work while we were away, put his tracking skills to use but I
already had an address. He was simply my moral support.
We barely spoke throughout the entire flight. Everything had happened so fast that I was trying to process it all and come
to grips with what I was about to do. It hadn't exactly sunk in yet and Demetri was giving me space so it could. I
appreciated it.
We landed at an airport in Eugene Oregon. The sun was peeking through the clouds so we were forced to put on our
cloaks. We received numerous weird looks as we approached the car rental desk. Demetri rented a black Audi TT with
blacked out windows, and we located it in the parking lot quickly. The drive to the Cullen's was only about 50 miles so we
could've made it there in a half hour with Demetri's driving, but fortunately he took his time so I could compose myself
We slowed near the driveway leading to the Cullen's house an hour later. Demetri reached over and squeezed my knee
affectionately as he pulled into their driveway. They would've been able to hear us coming by now. It was the middle of the
week and early evening the younger Cullen's should be home from school now, but I wondered if Carlisle would be
present or if he'd be at the hospital.
The question was answered quickly as we pulled up towards the house. Carlisle opened the front door and stepped out
onto the porch, watching us warily. I took a few deep breaths, but my nerves were on edge. Part of me wanted to force
Demetri to turn the car around and get out of there, but I knew that it was now or never.
It was overcast here in Astoria, but I kept my cloak on and hood up. Demetri still wore his cloak but didn't bother with the
hood. He opened his door and stepped out, eliciting a few gasps from the house. They hadn't been able to see who was
inside the car, but I suspected Edward and Alice knew since their gifts would've been blocked.
I took one last deep breath and followed, stepping out onto the gravel driveway.
The rest of the Cullen's had joined Carlisle on the porch by now. Jasper hugged Alice protectively. She looked glum, not
like the Alice I had been used to. Carlisle was holding Esme's hand-she looked slightly frightened. Rose and Emmett
stood to the side. Rose looked pissed, pretty much exactly as she always had. Her eyes were narrowed at me. The girl
had balls, I had to give her that much. Emmett was smiling widely, staring directly at me. Edward stood beside Emmett,
shaking his head and casting glares in his direction. I briefly wondered what that was about, so for the first time I stretched
my shield out and encased Edward it in. I took some of his energy and was immediately accosted by a daydream about
myself. Great, no wonder he was smiling. Emmett was fantasizing about me. I wondered how he'd feel about that when he
discovered who I was.
Edward was staring at me now, his gaze burning holes through me. I couldn't look up to meet his eyes yet. In fact, I was
quite frozen. I kept my shield out around Demetri so that Edward would be unable to read his mind and know prematurely
why we were here. I didn't want him to jump the gun, I wanted the whole story to get out and over with.
"Demetri, Isa," Carlisle said politely. "Welcome to our home. To what do we owe the honor of a visit?" His face was oddly
blank. I stretched my shield to enclose Jasper in it and used his energy to assess their feelings. They were all curious and
confused and frightened. There was a bit of excitement coming from Emmett.
Edward was eyeing me suspiciously, and kept glancing at Jasper. I withdrew my shield quickly. Of course Edward would
be able to tell when I put someone in my shield he wouldn't be able to hear their thoughts. I hadn't thought about that
wasn't used to someone being able to trace my actions and figure out what I was doing.
"Is there a problem?" Carlisle asked after neither of us answered his first question. He was frowning, clutching Esme's
hand tighter. Rose growled lightly, causing Edward to frown at her.
I turned to Demetri, my eyes wide, begging him to say something. He sighed and nodded.
"There's no problem Carlisle, no cause for alarm. We're not here on official orders." The Cullen's seemed to relax a bit
upon his words but still looked apprehensive.
"We were actually hoping we could speak to you about a matter that was briefly addressed in Volterra when you visited,
but hadn't been completely rectified."
Edward froze up instantly and looked to Alice. I wondered what that was about but Carlisle spoke, bringing my attention
back to focus. "Of course. Would you like to come inside?"
I tensed, not sure I was composed enough to walk through those doors. I didn't have to express that to Demetri though,
because he immediately said "No, I feel it would be best if we stayed outside. It shouldn't take very long and we'll be on
our way."
Carlisle nodded but said no more.
Demetri glanced at me again before speaking. "First of all, I'd like to say how pleased I am that all of you are doing well. I
had hoped the situation in Volterra could've been avoided completely and I hope you hold no ill will against us, as what we
did was necessary. I am sorry for your loss of the Denali girls. The matter we are here about refers to Tanya and what she
did to warrant her punishment." He spoke with authority; he was in complete Volturi Elite mode.
The family in front of us remained quiet, listening attentively.
"You see," Demetri continued, this time more relaxed and his voice softer. He was speaking as the compassionate man
now, and not the guard. "36 years ago I received a call while I was out on business. A guard member had stumbled upon
the body of a female in the midst of transformation, lying alone in the forest. She hadn't been bitten there, but carried there
by a vampire not the same one that bit her, though. The guard didn't know what to do about it, so he picked her up, took
her to an abandoned building, and called home. I was contacted and told to go handle the situation. When I arrived, her
transformation was nearly complete. I spoke to Aro and was told to get what information I could, and if possible bring her
back to Volterra so he could probe her for details. The intention was to use her to find the culprit and ultimately destroy
her, as I'm sure you're well aware at how unmanageable newborns can be."
He paused, sighing. "When she awoke, there was something off about her. She was completely confused, no knowledge
of who she was or how she got there. She couldn't even really tell me her name. And while that's normal for newborns
because of the barrage of emotions they feel, it was confusing because her control was immaculate there was no rage
or outrageous bloodlust. It intrigued me and confused me. We kept her locked in the house for a week and then some
guard arrived so we could remove her and put her on a plane. When she stepped outside for the first time, I was expecting
the newborn tendencies to finally kick in. I expected the rage. But all I got was shock and wonder. Instead of growling and
snarling, she simply gasped and said one word."
"What was that?" Carlisle asked. They no longer looked frightened, just saddened.
"She said 'Edward'." There were gasps from the porch. I looked to see Esme putting her arm around Edward, comforting
him.
"I had grown fond of the girl, even though I hadn't even known her name. In fact, it wasn't until I walked in the room to help
carry out her makers punishment that I learned she was Isabella Swan."
"So she was destroyed as soon as she made it to Volterra then?" Carlisle asked, barely loud enough for our vampire ears
to pick up.
"That was the plan. But, as friends of Isabella Swan, I imagine you won't be surprised to learn that things couldn't go
according to plan where she was involved. When we arrived in Volterra, she baffled us all. Although some felt she had to
be destroyed immediately, others were instantly as intrigued and fond of her as I had grown. Aro was highly conflicted, but
agreed to allow her to live for the time being as long as I assured him that I would take responsibility of her. And I did, I
assured him that I would be able to keep her under control during her newborn years so that she'd have a chance to thrive.
That's not in my nature, and it was the first time I'd ever considered disregarding the Brethrens commands, but I just
couldn't destroy the girl."
Demetri paused, looking at me. He nodded his head in the direction of the Cullen's, imploring me to take over. I opened
my mouth to speak, but was interrupted.
"What are you saying? What happened to her?" Edward asked, his voice sounding desperate.
I sighed, reached up and grasped my hood. I hesitated, but Demetri whispered 'go ahead Isabella' so in one quick
movement I removed it.
There was a brief pause, where everything was completely silent. It felt like an eternity, but the reality was it was only a
fraction of a second. I heard the Cullen's gasp and the sound of hyperventilating, but I was unable to force my eyes to look
at them.
Finally, a voice on the porch spoke. "Bella?"
*Chapter 25*: 25: A Dream That Can Last
A/N: Bella's reveal... through Edwards eyes ;) Share
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

I saw a young girl who didn't die

I saw a glimmer from in her eye
I saw the distance, I saw the past
And I know I won't awaken,
it's a dream that can last
"A Dream That Can Last" - Neil Young
EPOV:
I was frozen, in shock and disbelief. I could hear my family reacting with shock and Esme hyperventilating, but I couldn't
make a sound. All I could do was stare at the form standing 30 feet in front of me. Wavy mahogany hair with red and
golden natural highlights. Heart shaped face, soft with traces of her everlasting humanity. Pale smooth skin. It was exactly
how I remembered, but at the same time completely different.
Volturi Elite had shown up at the house, catching us all off guard. I heard the car approach and instantly knew Isa was with
them, as their minds were completely silent. Alice's visions have been hazy for a while, coming and going, so we couldn't
really rely on that as an indicator anymore. They stated it wasn't official business but instead about a matter from our visit
to Volterra. I instantly assumed it was about the car the same thought passed through Alice's mind. I mailed a check to
her months ago, but it had never been cashed and I thought maybe it never made it to her. If she had been here about the
car, I would've given her every penny it would take to replace it if that's what it took to make the matter go away.
But before I could express that, Demetri started telling us about how he had been there when Bella transformed. He told
us about her waking up, and how controlled she was. I was immediately proud leave it to Bella to break from the norm.
He told us how they had kept Bella on lockdown for a week before taking her to Volterra to be destroyed.
When he stated Bella has gasped my name upon walking outside, I was shocked. Esme wrapped her arms around me to
pull me into a hug and comfort me, knowing how that information would make me feel. I was ecstatic, that when she saw
the world for the first time through our eyes, I was the first thing that had come to her mind. But it shattered me also,
knowing that I hadn't been there for her, hadn't been able to comfort her and show her how things could be. Everything
should've been so different, Bella should've awoken as a vampire with me at her side, she should've experienced the
world with me right there the entire time. But it was because of me that never happened and never could happen.
Demetri went on to say that Bella had made an impression in Volterra, and that he couldn't bear to destroy her. He stated
that Aro said he'd allow her to live, as long as he vowed to be responsible for her. And finally, he stated that he agreed to
do so.
As all of this information sunk in, it confused me more. If Demetri had taken on the task of keeping Bella safe, what had
become of her? What happened to her? I asked him, and he hesitated. I took that pause as meaning the worst, as
meaning something had gone horribly wrong.
Isa, who stood beside him quietly the entire time, reached up and pulled her hood down, exposing herself to us for the first
time. My family reacted almost immediately, but I couldn't. I couldn't move, or speak. I just gaped, shocked.
So here I stood, as still as a statue, staring at a ghost.
"Bella?" I heard Alice ask softly.
The woman didn't raise her head to look at us, but nodded lightly. A million different feelings shot through me. Shock. Joy.
Anger. Shame. Guilt. Disbelief. Happiness. Sadness. I was sure some of them weren't my own, some being projected off
of my brother.
I still couldn't move. Every second felt like an hour ticking by. The rest of my family seemed to be just as shocked. Their
minds were spewing hundreds of questions and thoughts rapidly, but none of them could open their mouths and verbalize
them. We just stood silent.
"It was only a matter of time until this information reached you on it's own, and Isabella felt the right thing to do would be to
deliver it in person. We didn't want a nomad mentioning it in passing, causing you to bolt for Italy and creating a scene. It
would be for the best if you steered clear of the Volturi for a while as another confrontation so close to the last wouldn't fare
well for you." Demetri stated flatly. His demeanor had changed quickly when speaking of Bella he had seemed so
compassionate and warm, but now his voice was stern and held no emotion. It was highly evident he cared for her and I
felt another emotion surge through mejealousy.
Carlisle nodded in acknowledgment, still shocked. It took a lot to unravel Carlisle, as he always stayed so composed, but
this had done it.
Demetri looked to Bella, cocking an eyebrow at her. No words were spoken, but she seemed to understand and nodded
at him.
"Very well," he stated, turning back to us. "That's all the business we have here today. Once again, it was great to see you;
I wish you and your family well Carlisle. We'll leave you in peace now."
Bella turned to leave as she reached back and threw her hood over her head, shrouding her from our view. It was at that
moment that it all came together. I was so disconnected until this moment, it all felt so surreal. Until Bella turned her back
on me.
Bella was standing before me. She hadn't died. The woman I loved-the only woman I had ever and would ever love-had
survived, and thrived, and she was just as beautiful as ever. All of my dreams and hopes came flooding back to me,
warming me. I felt alive for the first time since I walked into my house in Forks on Bella's 18th birthday. It wasn't too late. I
could be happy; WE could be happy.
But she had turned away. She hadn't even been able to make eye contact with me the entire time she stood there, hadn't
spoken a single word to us. And now she was walking out of my life. The irony didn't escape me. I had walked away from
her that day, leaving her to fall to pieces in the woods. And now she was doing the same to me. She was leaving me.
"Bella! Wait!" I screamed, as she reached for the door handle. She hesitated at the sound of my voice, but opened the
passenger door. I bounded off the porch heading straight toward her, but Demetri reacted and lunged for me. He knocked
me down before I could reach her, snarling. His right hand was wrapped around my throat, pinning me to the ground with
his knee in my chest.
I started snarling instinctively, fighting with everything I had. I heard growls coming from the porch, and Emmett leaped
over the banister intending to help me.
"STOP" Bella's voice rang out loudly, rattling the windows of the house and startling us all. Demetri and I both stopped
snarling, but he never loosened his grip on me. His expression was furious, his lips pulled back exposing his teeth and his
eyes entirely black with rage. Emmett stopped mid-stride at the sound of her voice, but internally he was debating on
whether or not to rip Demetri's head off.
"Don't even think about it," Bella said, looking at my brother. "Don't make me hurt you Emmett. We didn't come here today
for a fight but we will not tolerate this nonsense." Bella spoke sharply, with authority. It took Emmett by surprise, hearing
her speak that way. He hadn't witnessed her clout in Volterra.
"Let him go Demetri. We have a flight to catch."
Demetri loosened his grip and stood, allowing me to get back on my feet.
"Bella, please, can we just talk?" I begged. She was halfway in the car but swung around, finally making eye contact with
me. I gasped. Peering out from under the hood weren't the golden eyes I had seen months ago in Volterra.
"Your eyes, what happened? I thought" I said, shaking my head. This wasn't right; this wasn't like the Bella I knew. But
there was no mistaking it. Her eyes were red and they only meant one thing. You only get that color from consuming
human blood.
"There's nothing left to say. Now if you'll excuse me, Edward Cullen, I must be going now." She slipped in the passenger
seat and shut the door. I made a move towards the car but was caught by Demetri. He grabbed me by the neck and threw
me against the hood of the car. There was a loud bang as my form dented the hood.
"She said there's nothing left to say," he snarled at me, fuming. He held me for a minute before letting me go. I stood up
and he turned to walk away, before pausing.
Give her some time. It's the one thing you have right now that she needs from you. His thoughts were calmer, almost
compassionate.
Demetri slid into the drivers seat and started the car. I watched silently as the vehicle sped out of the driveway and out of
view. I started pacing, running my hands through my hair frantically.
"Wow," Emmett said in amazement, staring down the driveway where the car had just disappeared.
"Wow? That's all you can say? Wow? All of you just stood there, didn't say a word, just let her walk away, and all you can
say now is wow?" I was fuming. I knew it wasn't my family's fault, but I couldn't keep my anger in. "This can't be real, that
just didn't happen. Bella was not just standing right in front of me," I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose.
I felt a hand grip my shoulder and turned to see Alice behind me. She smiled sadly and pulled me into a hug. We both
started sobbing, embracing each other tightly. I heard my family retreat back into the house, giving us our moment. They
were all hurt and shocked, but none of them on the same level as us. We all lost Bella, but Alice and I had lost ourselves
too, and we were embraced, trying to come to grips with it.
"You can't go after her," she said softly after a moment. "I know you feel like you have to, but you can't. The only thing going
to Volterra will accomplish is getting yourself killed. I never doubted you'd die for her, but that's not the solution right now.
You're going to have to wait for her."

A/N: Patience, it couldn't be rainbows and butterflies to start off with. That's coming, promise, but first of all
Bella needs time to sort things through.
*Chapter 26*: 26: I Believe in Symmetry
A/N: This is a long one... technically three short ones balls into one. It switches POV twice. Share
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

I just got myself to blame

Is everything up to fate
When there's choices I could make
When there's choices I could make
Yeah, my heart needs a polygraph
Always so eager to pack my bags
When I really wanna stay
"I believe in symmetry" - Bright Eyes
BPOV:
I hugged Demetri as strong as I could. His arms gripped me so hard that it nearly hurt.
"Are you sure about this Isabella?" he whispered in my ear.
"Yes, I'm sure."
"Okay then. That's all that matters." He pulled back slightly without letting go and gazed in my eyes for a moment, smiling
brightly. I smiled back. It was a sweet moment, almost intimate, neither of us wanting to be the one to end the embrace.
A phone rang out and Demetri's smile faltered. He hesitantly dropped his arms, searching his cloak for the ringing device.
"Demetri speaking." He paused while the person on the other line spoke. "Yes, I can handle that." He hung up quickly and
tossed the phone back in his pocket.
Demetri smiled again, running the back of his hand along my jaw line. After a small sigh, he turned and walked away. I
watched as he boarded the plane and the door shut behind him, locking.
Nothing else needed to be said, no goodbyes exchanged. I watched the plane take off, turned and slipped into the driver's
seat of the rental, and drove away from the airport.
I had every intention of going back to Volterra when we drove off of the Cullen's property. Demetri drove slowly again,
giving me time to absorb everything. They froze when I revealed myself, none of them saying anything. I didn't know what
else to do, so I just opted to turn to leave when Demetri finished the story. Edward tried to stop me, finally reacting, but my
confidence at that point was shattered. I don't know what I was expecting, maybe I was hoping to be welcomed with open
arms, but I didn't expect for them to simply gape at me. I felt so out of place, everything I wanted to say and ask completely
irrelevant at the moment. I just wanted to get away.
During the drive I tried to compose myself, push back the hurt and put the mask of indifference back on. I didn't want to
care, didn't want to feel or need but I couldn't help myself. The longer we rode in the car, the farther away from the
Cullen's house we got, the more shattered I felt. I couldn't simply put Bella Swan back to rest she was out, she was hurt,
and she needed time to deal.
When we arrived at the airfield, instead of pulling into the parking lot and returning the rental car, Demetri pulled straight
up to the plane. He left the keys in the ignition. When he got into the trunk, he grabbed his bag and left mine.
He knew me so well.
I couldn't go back, not now. I needed to go off for a while, on my own, and sort everything out.
I drove aimlessly for nearly a week. It felt oddly reminiscent of another phase in my life, but this time I didn't need to stop for
sleep. I drove from one coast to another, no goal or location in mind. I just drove to drive.
On a Thursday night I was driving through Virginia and my phone chimed for the first time in days. I pulled it out and found
a text message.
Surprise for you. Noon Tomorrow. Pier 14. Manhattan.
-Demetri.
I showed up at noon sharply and found a freighter docked. I approached a man standing along the pier and informed him
that a friend had told me to pick something up. He smiled.
"Bella Swan?" He asked. I nodded, slightly surprised to hear myself being called that. "They're unloading it now."
I smiled brightly when I spotted it, even started laughing. I had no idea why he thought of it but I was immensely grateful. My
car sat in front of me, in all its shiny glory. He had it shipped from Italy.
He handed me a clipboard to sign and then gave me the keys, which Demetri had scored from my room in the tower. I
thanked him and skipped to my car. I slipped inside, revved the engine, and shot away quickly.
Having my car improved my mood immensely. I still drove aimlessly, but found myself actually enjoying the drive this time.
It wasn't until 4 days later when I was halfway across the country that I realized I had left the rental car sitting on the docks,
the keys still inside. It was rented in Demetri's name I only hoped he wouldn't hold it against me.
After a week in my car, I found myself driving through Washington. I have no idea what possessed me to come here, but
before I knew it I was passing by the "Welcome to Forks" sign. Call it fate, or my subconscious acting for me, or possibly
even pure stupidity, but whatever it was it led me to the one place I swore a few months ago I'd never step foot inside. I
drove slowly through town, not wanting to draw attention to me but it was fruitless. My car was ten times more ostentatious
than any of the ones the Cullen's had driven years ago.
I drove past Newton's store and was surprised to find it still opened. I figured with the economy going south years ago it
would've gone down. I wondered if Mike Newton had taken it over and was running it now if he was still alive, that is.
I hit the outskirts of town and drove past the driveway leading to the Cullen's old house. About 50 yards away from it I
slammed on the brakes, stopping in the middle of the road with a loud screech and a puff of smoke from the brakes on the
tires. I threw the car in reverse and backed up, pulling into the overgrown cutoff and up to the house.
It wasn't in the best shape but it still stood. I was tempted to take a peek inside but I thought better of it. My life had
essentially come to an end in that house on my birthday. I walked away from the incident but I never really lived again.
I parked my car in front of the house and got out. I walked around the yard for a moment, listening to the babbling of the
river behind the house. I set off into the woods slowly at first but unconsciously I started running.
It only took a few minutes before I burst through the clearing into the meadow. I hadn't been here since Edward had
brought me and wasn't exactly sure how I had found it again, but my legs instinctively seemed to know the way. It was like I
was just drawn to it. Once again I had no rationalization for why I was here and thought I was being a bit ridiculous, but it
just seemed to feel right for some reason.
I walked to the middle of the meadow and lay down on the grass. It was damp and felt good against my cold marble skin. I
closed my eyes and listened to the sounds of forest around me, taking in the smells of nature. It was soothing and I felt
comfortable. The sun was peeking out behind some clouds, warming my body with its rays.
My shield always kept me protected, but never did I ever truly feel as safe as I did at that moment, laying in the meadow.
I'm not sure how long I'd be there, but eventually I heard footsteps approaching through the trees. Whoever it was, they
were running. I heard no heartbeat, knowing they weren't human, and instantly knew whom it was before their scent could
even reach me.
He stopped abruptly when he hit the clearing, and stood there for a few minutes not making a sound. Finally, he took a
deep breath and walked forward slowly.
His scent was intoxicating; even more so with my eyes closed. It was sweet, but musky at the same time. It was the
greatest thing I'd ever inhaled, superior to any human blood I'd ever encountered.
I could feel him as he lay down beside me on the grass. The electricity that ignited between us made my body tingle. He
stayed silent for a while; the only sounds coming from him were his inhales and exhales as he smelled and tasted the air.
Years could've passed for all I knew or cared, but neither of us made a move. I had a feeling he was allowing me to speak
first, waiting patiently until I was ready to acknowledge him.
"I haven't been here since that day," I said softly after awhile. It came out as a whisper but he had heard me and
understood.
"Me either."
EPOV:
I must enjoy torture. There's no other explanation for this. I left the house yesterday to hunt, figuring letting my instincts take
over for awhile and becoming predator seeking out prey would help alleviate some of this frustration that had been
building up. Nothing relieved stress like a good fight.
However, the two mountain lions and grizzly bear I encountered went down without much of a struggle, only succeeding to
frustrate me even more.
So I started to run. I had no idea where the hell I was going but I needed to get it out. I pushed my legs as fast as they
would go, flying through the wilderness, enjoying the feeling of the wind whipping through my hair, reveling in the fact that
my form was merely a blur as I ran.
Once my head felt cleared, the frustration dulled to a decent level, I slowed down. I glanced around my surroundings to
gauge how far I had gone and froze immediately when I realized it was familiar to me.
I was in no-mans land, the sliver of property dividing Forks from La Push. I was directly on top of the invisible line dividing
our former home from the reservation, dangerously close to stepping off of vampire ground onto the wolves' territory.
I had no idea if the wolves were still around after all this time, but guessed it was unlikely. After we had left, they likely
wouldn't have had any reason to continue phasing. But I didn't fool myself into thinking I could cross that line. The
Quileute's have a good memory and we wouldn't have been forgotten this soon, so the treaty would still be standing.
I turned and walked back onto vampire ground, heading in the direction of our old house. I had no idea why my feet were
carrying me there, except for the fact that maybe I truly did enjoy being tortured. What was I looking for, what did I expect?
It would still be the same vacant house that stood a few months ago when I'd last come here, full of the same painful
memories.
I came out on the main road near the cutoff to our house and saw skid marks in front of me. I could faintly still smell the
burning rubber in the air-it couldn't have happened too long ago. I crossed the road and headed toward the driveway,
noticing immediately that some of the overgrowth had been recently knocked down. There were fresh tire marks leading
down the path.
I sprinted toward the house, curious as to who would've come here and why. It had to have been deliberate, as the cutoff
had never been easy to find and was nearly completely blocked with vegetation these days, indicating someone had
specifically known it was there.
I hit the tree line and skidded to a stop, gasping. The silver SSC Ultimate Aero sat in front of me. I ran my hand along the
hood, noticing it was still warm. She hadn't been here too long. Her scent faintly lingered in the air but not strong enough to
be able to track. The faintness of her scent suggested she'd been long gone, but I realized the inability to pick up her scent
enough to track her may have something to do with her shield. She didn't smell like other vampires, she smelled quite
human-like.
But I didn't need her scent to lead me to her. I knew instinctively where she would have gone.
I took off into the woods behind the house, flying at top speed. I never slowed, but stopped rapidly when the sunlight hit me
as I entered the clearing.
I couldn't move-all I could do was stare. There Bella lay, a few feet in front of me, completely still. She knew I was here; she
would've been able to hear me and smell me as I approached, but she made no move to get up and leave.
Bella had her eyes closed, a faint smile gracing her face as the sun shone down on her, warming her skin. She was
glowing and radiant, shimmering in the sunlight. I was completely awestruck, seeing her like this, seeing my Bella wearing
the skin of a vampire. It felt so surreal.
I had known about Bella being alive for two weeks now, adequate enough time for it to sink in, but as I stood there I felt like
I was seeing a ghost again. It felt like she was an apparition; there was no way that Bella could truly be laying a mere few
feet from where I stood.
I cautiously walked forward, half expecting her to leap up and run off. I briefly wondered if she'd attack me if I got too
close I didn't want to think she'd do such a thing but I frankly wasn't sure anymore. It had become painstakingly obvious
during our previous encounter that I didn't truly know her now, didn't know what it was she was capable of. It was hard to
reconcile the Bella I had loved so many years ago, the compassionate fragile girl who loved whole-heartedly, was the
vicious vampire named Isa we had heard stories of over the past few months.
The Bella I had known was like a little kitten; she thought she was fierce but it was easy to see through her. Bella wouldn't
have been able to hurt a fly. I used to watch in awe as she'd catch crickets and spiders in her house and place them
outside in the back yard. She had more humanity than most humans. Most people would've stomped on the creatures
without a second thought, whereas Bella granted them freedom and a second chance at life.
But now now she didn't give second chances. She was one of the highest-ranking members of the Volturi and I wasn't
sure I wanted to know how many vampires had been destroyed and burned at her hands. It was likely she had killed more
than I had and that frightened me.
And her eyes her eyes had been red. I shuttered at the thought of Bella killing a human. How many had died at her
hands? I had a period all those years ago where I wavered and drank from humans, and even though I only hunted the
evilest humans that existed it still tore me up knowing I'd murdered. The idea of Bella taking a life, ending someone's
heartbeat, was too much to take.
No, Bella wasn't a little kitten anymore she was a tiger on the prowl, ferocious and unpredictable. She had become a
predator and that was truly frightening.
But as I approached her still form and gazed down at her glittering body, I didn't feel afraid. The smile gracing her face
warmed me. She looked so content and at ease; I couldn't refrain from smiling in response.
I slowly lowered myself to the ground, not wanting to startle her. She still hadn't made any move to bail as I lay beside her-
her smile not even wavering. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to inhale, bringing her luscious scent into my lungs. It
consumed me, warming me instantly and causing my body to hum with electricity. Her nearness always did that to me I
wondered if she still felt it also.
I realized how stupid I had been while in Volterra all the signs had been there. I had felt her and smelled her-all of it
screamed Bella. But I hadn't opened up my mind to the possibility.
There was so much I wanted to say, I had so many questions for her. What had happened to her? Why hadn't she come to
me? Did she hate me? Did she understand why I'd done what I'd done? Did she know I had truly loved her; that I still loved
her? Could she ever love me again?
I wanted to hear her voice no, I needed to hear it. But I had to tread carefully. If I were too rash, if I wasn't patient enough,
she'd panic and flee. Demetri had told me to give her time, as that's the only thing I could give her, so that's what I did. I lay
silently, continually breathing her in, giving her all the time she needed. I'd lay here in the grass for decades, not feeding or
speaking, if needed be. I'd let her have the time she needed to come to grips with things I would allow her to speak to
me when she was ready.
"I haven't been here since that day," she said after awhile. She spoke so softly that I barely heard her, but the sound of her
voice struck me like a lightening bolt.
"Me either," I whispered back. I knew exactly what day she was speaking of it was the day I had shown her who I truly
was. I let her see all of me-the good and the bad. I had opened up and shown her the vampire that I was. She had touched
my glittering skin and kissed my marble lips for the first time that day.
I couldn't help but feel she was repaying me right now. She was allowing me to see the true vampire in her for the first
time, glittering in the sunlight of our meadow. How I longed to reach over and caress her sparkling face and kiss her lips
as she had done me, but I knew it was too soon for that.
"I couldn't do it," she stated, her voice cracking and echoing of heartbreak.
"Couldn't do what?" I asked.
She took a deep breath but didn't answer. I didn't know exactly what she was talking about but I could tell the statement
wasn't as simple as it sounded.
BPOV:
"Couldn't do what?"
His question echoed through my mind. How do I answer that?
I couldn't face him all those years ago. I couldn't chance his rejection. I couldn't kill Tanya, knowing she meant something to
him. I couldn't be 'Bella' the past few decades-it hurt too much. I couldn't get back on that plane with Demetri because I
couldn't go back to being simply Isa anymore. I couldn't survive without him. I couldn't do any of it, because I loved him.
And I couldn't tell him that.
"I couldn't do any of it," I whispered.
I know he didn't understand, but he didn't ask me to explain. He just accepted my answer and I appreciated that.
We lay silently again, eyes closed, inhaling each other.
"Bella?" Edward asked after awhile.
"Yes?"
"Have you" he started, trailing off and sighing. There was a brief pause before he spoke again. "Have you read my
mind?"
His question caught me off guard. I was preparing myself for all of the possibilities, but never expected this to be the first
thing he'd ask.
"No," I said, laughing lightly. I was instantly grateful for his random question it eased the slight tension I was feeling.
I tilted my head to the side and opened my eyes, allowing myself to finally look at him. He had his eyes closed still but was
facing my direction. He was stunning up close; more dazzling than I ever remembered him to be. I always thought Edward
was perfect, but seeing him up close through these eyes confirmed it. He was gorgeous, shimmering in the sunlight.
"Why not?" he asked, sounding surprised.
"I'm not sure, really. I suppose maybe I just wasn't ready to."
Edward opened his eyes then, gazing straight into mine. He gasped lightly in surprise to find me watching him. He
furrowed his brow, studying me intently. He looked like he was deep in concentration, contemplating something.
"What are you thinking?" I asked.
His face brightened slightly, and he smiled. "If you really wanted to know the answer to that, you wouldn't have to bother
asking."
I gave him a small smile in return. "True. I'd prefer to be told willingly though."
"I was actually wondering about your eyes. They're golden again." His hand came up and he started bringing it towards my
face, but I flinched involuntarily causing him to drop it swiftly.
"Yes. I'm a vegetarian."
His brow furrowed again in confusion. "But they were red"
"Yeah, I know. Demetri was a bad influence," I said, once again laughing. He grimaced at my words and I instantly
realized what he was thinking
"I don't hunt humans," I corrected quickly. "I mean I did at one time, before I" A look of horror crossed Edwards face at
my admittance, so I cut off mid sentence and went a different direction with it. "Demetri often brought me blood from a
blood bank. I hadn't been hunting much, hence why the red"
He relaxed some when I clarified.
"You don't have to explain anything to me," Edward said, responding to the silence that came over us again. "I don't
understand Bella, but I'm not going to press you. Whenever you're ready to really talk to meI'll be waiting."
I didn't respond. No more words were necessary and we didn't speak any. We lay, staring into each other's eyes, not
blinking or moving. The softness of his face and the look of adoration in his eyes was startling and confusing, but I found
comfort in it. I didn't want to break eye contact and was afraid to look away afraid of never seeing that look again. I
feared it was temporary, a reaction to his guilt being alleviated. After all, he learned I was alive and thriving in the world,
therefore a weight had been lifted of off his shoulders and the blame had to have eased from his conscious. I wouldn't
allow myself to believe it was anything more than gratitude etched in his features. I couldn't allow myself to hope that the
adoration I found in his piercing gold eyes was a reflection of how he felt about me. That hope would crush me and be the
cause of my downward spiral. It would destroy me.
It was just another thing I simply couldn't do. I couldn't allow myself to be hurt by Edward Cullen again.
So when the wall I'd constructed around my heart started cracking and hope started seeping through, I had to act. I closed
my eyes and turned my head away from him. I heard him sigh in response to the lost connection between us. I stood up
slowly and took a few steps away from him, pausing to turn and allow myself one more glance. His eyes were closed now
and the softness was gone from his face. His jaw was rigid, his fists clenched at his sides. He looked like a troubled man,
struggling against a demon inside of him a demon fighting to break through.
Without a word, I turned back around and retreated from the meadow, back to my car. He didn't follow; neither of us said
goodbye.
I drove for days again, ending up in some small town in Iowa. My thirst was getting difficult to deal with, so I decided to pull
over and hunt. I made my way into some woods and ran, opening up my senses and letting the animal inside of me out. I
fed quickly, barely satiating the thirst but dulling it enough to make it manageable. I longed for Demetri and his comforting
gifts of blood at that moment, but knew the bobcat I'd surprisingly come across would have to suffice.
I started back toward my car and came across a small house nestled in the woods. It was quaint, light tan in color with a
wooden porch wrapping around the front. It needed a lot of work but it held a certain charm. The driveway leading to it was
completely blocked and the 'for sale' sign hitched in front of it was weathered and faded.
And then I did something that even surprised myself. I pulled out my cell phone, dialed the number of the real estate agent
listed on the faded sign, and bought my first home.
*Chapter 27*: 27: Farewell to Friends
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight Share

And tonight, I close my eyes and dream that she

is still the one, laying there beside me
I'd walk a thousand miles
I'd swim across the sea
What do I have to do, please just tell me
"Farewell To Friends" - Matchbook Romance
EPOV:
I sat across the room from Jasper and Emmett, groaning out of frustration. Jasper had the itching to play some chess it
was always his favorite game as it took a fair amount of planning. As a former officer of the confederate and a man who
helped mold one of the largest newborn vampire armies ever concocted in the south, strategizing was definitely one of his
strong suits. Alice and I had both offered to play him, but he scoffed and refused due to our talents. No amount of strategy
and thinking ahead could trump our abilities to know what he was going to do in advance.
So now Jasper sat across a chessboard from Emmett, the most impulsive member of our family. Emmett was the exact
opposite of Jasper when it came to this subject. Emmett used instinct and his gut feelings to come to decisions; he was
hasty and straightforward with his actions. Emmett thought in the here-and-now and would worry about the rest later,
whereas Jasper was always thinking 10 steps ahead.
Needless to say, the combination of those two made for one hell of a frustrating game to witness. Alice waltzed into the
room, huffing loudly as she passed her mate and brother. She too was irritated. Alice and I could complete a game in a
matter of seconds and they were now working on a half hour.
Alice plopped down beside where I sat on the couch and patted me on the leg. She could sense my aggravation I'm
sure me pinching the bridge of my nose and sighing loudly were an unmistakable sign. We already knew who the winner
was going to be so it was torturous sitting through the meaningless moves.
It had been months since the day I had encountered Bella in the meadow. We had laid there wordlessly and I tried to let all
of my love for her shine through. I had wanted to tell her that I loved her and wanted to beg for her to love me back, but I
couldn't say the words. So I let all of the love I felt shine through my eyes as I gazed into her beautiful face. I briefly thought
it was working, that maybe she finally understood, but she had closed her eyes without warning and turned away. I felt
myself being torn in two when our connection broke. When she got up to leave, I closed my eyes and fought with
everything I had in me not to jump up and chase her down. I had to let her go, I had to give her the time she needed. I
promised her I'd be waiting when she was ready to talk and I would make good on that. So I needed to let her walk away,
regardless of how much it was killing me and going against everything my heart was screaming. And walk away she did,
without even a goodbye. Not that I expected her to say anything, but it had still hurt when she didn't.
I've waited patiently for months, everyday coming home and staying close to the house in hopes that she'd show up here.
But she never did. I was starting to feel like I'd missed my chance, that maybe I should've chased her that day. Maybe
that's what she had wanted when she hesitated leaving the meadow. Maybe she wanted me to prove I'd follow her
anywhere, that I'd chase her to the ends of the earth. But it was too late for that, because she was gone now and I had no
idea if she'd ever return. I didn't bother trying to find her If she didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be.
Alice huffed again loudly, bringing me back to the present and out of my wallowing over Bella. Today was the last day of
school, and although I had no desire to go sit through it I had no choice. I'd missed so many days this year already that I
was dangerously close to failing solely on attendance. I'd already charmed the administration into forgiving my absences
once, and if I missed any more days no amount of straight A's or dazzling were going to help me. And frankly as much as I
personally didn't care, I'd rather not have to deal with Carlisle's displeasure. I had gone to medical school twice and held a
few random other degrees, so failing the 10th grade would be quite embarrassing to say the least.
"Come on idiots, time to go," Rosalie stated, looking pointedly at Emmett as she walked in the room. They still hadn't
finished their chess game. Emmett grumbled about refusing to quit and that school would wait. Rosalie smacked him on
the back of the head with a loud crack.
"You're not going to make me late on the last day of school Emmett Cullen. And if I have to go, so do you." Rosalie had a
final today she couldn't skip, and as much as she didn't care either she also feared disappointing Carlisle.
"Don't bother Emmett, you're not going to win anyway. Alice already saw it," I said, standing and grabbing my keys. He
shot me a disapproving look, throwing his hands up and sending the chess pieces flying when he hit the board.
"Thanks for playing though brother," Jasper said in his slight southern drawl, chuckling.
We were out the door and in the cars quickly. I told Emmett he should probably pick up the chess pieces before we left but
he mumbled something under his breath and ignored me. All I could make out was 'fuck chess' I had a feeling Jasper
would have to find a new opponent for now on. As we were pulling out of the driveway, I heard Esme huff in the house,
obviously finding the mess Emmett left, but abandoned the thought of chastising him when her cell phone rang.
We pulled up in the parking lot and got out. The students still gaped at us constantly; they were all still as pretentious and
childish as ever. They were all gathered around, talking animatedly about the end of school. They were clasping
yearbooks and trading stories and plans for summer. A few females had gathered up some courage and contemplated
approaching me, knowing that if I rejected them they wouldn't have to face me again for months, but thankfully changed
their minds as I swiftly walked past them towards my first period class. I didn't have to make eye contact with them or even
look up for them to be able to make out the look on my face and come to the conclusion that today wasn't the day to try to
seduce Edward Cullen.
My first few classes flew by quickly, thankfully. Lunch rolled around and I swiftly entered the cafeteria, not even bothering to
grab a tray and play the game today. The table was still empty, as my classroom was the closest and I'd bailed out of the
last class as fast as possible. I stared down at the table, not bothering to look up at any of the students strolling by.
Please do it Edward, Alice's thoughts rang out from across the room. Please?
I looked up to seek her out, confused as to what she was talking about as her thoughts weren't giving it away, when I
immediately noticed a girl was approaching me. She smiled politely at me when I glanced in her direction. She was quite
plain, nothing striking about her. She wore a simple pair of jeans and an Astoria High School Marching Band t-shirt. I
recognized her as being in my honors history class; she was smart and quite the bookworm. I knew from others' thoughts
that she wasn't popular she was in the band and the other girls tended to pick on her, calling her a geek and taunting her
that she'd be a virgin forever because no guy would ever give her a second look. It was sickening, because I could tell
from her thoughts that it bothered her. She was self-conscious and had low self-esteem, but her thoughts were pure and
innocent. I'd never caught her fantasizing about me, and even now as she approached her thoughts were tame. Yes, she
found me attractive, but unlike the other girls around here she had no desire to drag me off to the janitors closet and
molest me.
I instantly knew what Alice was babbling about now. She stood on the other side of the room, keeping the rest of my
siblings from approaching the table. They were all watching intently to see how I was going to react.
The girl, who's named I now remembered as being Melissa, stopped in front of me. I brought my eyes up to meet hers; her
heartbeat quickened instinctively but her smile didn't fade, she didn't waver. She had already drawn the attention of the
rest of the cafeteria and drew a few snickers, but she seemed oblivious to it thus far. Everyone was watching, waiting for
the show amused at the thought of the little virginal band geek getting rejected and heartbroken by gorgeous and
mysterious Edward Cullen while everyone watched on. Like I said, they were immature children.
She motioned towards the yearbook she was holding. "Will you sign it?" she asked softly. She was nervous, finally
second-guessing her decision to approach me, and she contemplated turning and fleeing the cafeteria.
I smiled and she instantly relaxed. Bella always said I was dazzling people when I flashed them my smile and right now it
felt like it.
"Sure," I said in the voice I usually reserved for charming my way out of potential trouble. Her face lit up and her smile
brightened. I couldn't help but chuckle.
I reached out and grabbed the yearbook, motioning towards the chair across from me. "Have a seat."
She was stunned, her eyes going wide. No one had ever sat at this table besides my siblings and I. We never invited
others to sit with us, nor did they dare even asking.
She slid the chair out and sat timidly. I motioned towards her pen and she handed it to me. Her hand was shaking
nervously.
"Relax," I said. "I won't bite you." She smiled and nodded happily, and I chuckled again. If only she realized exactly how
much weight that statement really held.
I signed the inside of her yearbook, writing a short message. The fact that this was the first yearbook I'd ever signed in my
existence didn't escape me. I'd had people ask over the years but I always disregarded them. No matter how many high
schools we attended, we were never photographed to be in one nor did we ever bother purchasing them. I usually forgot
the humans the moment we moved the only exception being Forks. The names and faces of the people I'd met in Forks
were forever etched in my mind because they were all somehow linked to my life with Bella.
I closed Melissa's yearbook and slid it across the table to her with her pen on top. She intended to get up, but I stopped
her before she could react on her thoughts by speaking.
"What's your favorite instrument?" I asked nonchalantly. Her mouth hung open in shock at my small talk.
"Instrument?" she stammered. I nodded and pointed to her marching band shirt.
"Uh, well I play the flute in band, but I prefer the piano." She finally spit out. "I suck at it though," she added softly.
"I like the piano too," I responded. She looked surprised.
"Do you play?" she asked.
"Yep, sure do. I've been playing as long as I can remember." I spoke the complete truthno need to be technical and
confess that I've been playing the piano for nearly 150 years. "I actually have a Steinway concert grand at home."
She looked at me in awe. "A concert g-r-r-rand?" she stuttered. I nodded. "Geez, those are like, $100,000! That's
outrageous!"
I chuckled. "I believe we paid $150,000 for the model I picked out actually, but yes, it is a bit outrageous."
"You must be great at it, for your parents to blow that much on a frickin' piano" she said incredulously. I nodded, smiling.
"Not to sound conceited, but I am." She laughed. She had relaxed a lot since sitting down, her posture no longer rigid and
she no longer considered fleeing.
She sat at the table with me the entire lunch period. My family left the cafeteria, smiling at me when I invited the girl to sit.
Alice had thanked me in her thoughts but I shrugged it off. I hadn't done it for Alice.
The girl and I spent lunch talking about music. She hoped to go on to study music after high school and was working hard
to try to open up scholarship opportunities because her parents wouldn't be able to afford to send her. The rest of the
students watched us intently the entire time, in complete shock. Several girls were furious and fuming out of jealousy.
When lunch was over, I bid Melissa farewell and wished her a nice summer before practically sprinting out of the cafeteria
to my next class. I knew a few girls took my politeness towards Melissa as an invitation to approach me, thinking if I was
responsive to her they'd definitely have a chance, and I didn't feel like having to hurt their feelings.
The rest of the day passed uneventful-thanks to some pretty slick evasive measures. Alice stepped in at one point when I
was nearly cornered by a senior girl who was notorious for throwing herself at guys Alice tripped her, shocking the hell
out of me. I believe it was the first time I'd ever seen her purposely hurt a human, even if the girl hadn't been in any real
danger of being harmed. I cocked an eyebrow at her and she just shrugged her shoulders.
Be thankful, you don't even want to know what she would've done had she gotten any closer.
I shuddered.
The bell indicating the end of the school day rang, and I was halfway to the parking lot before anyone else was even out of
their seats. I hopped in my car and pulled out of my parking spot, flying out of the lot before anyone else reached their
cars. I wasn't risking being cornered again; my siblings could all ride in Rose's car together.
I arrived home to find the house empty, surprisingly. I knew Carlisle was at the hospital, but Esme was usually home when
we got here. I noticed she hadn't even bothered to clean up the chess pieces Emmett had left scattered around.
*Chapter 28*: 28: Home
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight Share

I'm going home to the place where I belong

where your love has always been enough for me
I'm running from you know I think you got me all wrong
I don't regret this life I chose for me
But these places and these faces are getting old
So I'm going home
"Home" - Chris Daughtry
BPOV:
I sat in my car, staring at the large building in front of me. I'd been sitting here for a while, unsure of what I was doing or
what had possessed me to drive here. I realized I'd been doing that a lot lately; I'd grown into an impulsive individual.
I could see him standing in a window on the third floor, looking out. I had no idea if he'd spotted my car or if he was just
simply enjoying the view, but I knew that I couldn't just take off now. If he had spotted me, I'd only succeed in hurting him if I
fled without getting out and going inside.
I sighed, stepped out of the drivers seat and headed towards the building. As I did, I saw his form finally retreat from the
window. The automatic doors slid open when I approached, and I bypassed the elevators and waiting people to head for
the stairwell. I could've scaled the stairs to the 3rd floor in a matter of seconds but I took my time instead.
As I opened the door leading onto the 3rd floor, I could smell him. I followed his scent down the hallway and stopped in
front of a door where it was concentrated most. I ran my fingers across the nameplate on the wall beside the door: Dr.
Carlisle Cullen.
I sighed, taking a deep breath. I didn't bother to knock. If he hadn't seen me sitting outside, although the odds of that were
unlikely, he'd know now that I was here. He'd be able to hear me out here, and sense my lack of a pulse. He'd possibly
even be able to smell me, although my smell wasn't as strong as other vampires.
I opened the door, stepped inside, and closed it behind me.
Carlisle sat at his desk, feet kicked up. He smiled and motioned for me to sit at a chair across from him.
"I was wondering if you were ever going to come in. I was beginning to think I'd have to go out there after you," he said. I
smiled and nodded.
"You almost did Carlisle. I didn't realize we weren't immune to panic attacks." He laughed.
"Ah, well I'd come to believe you, dear, were immune to everything". He looked at me questioningly, obviously hinting to
my talent. Carlisle had always had a thirst for knowledge so it didn't surprise me that he'd be quick to bring it up. I could
imagine how intrigued he'd been hearing the rumors I knew went around.
"Nearly everything but apparently not immune to overreaction," I said nonchalantly. I'd happily answer his questions but
he'd have to ask them first. I wasn't going to spill everything upon a simple suggestive statement. I'd kept secrets for too
long to just spill.
"Must be a trait you learned from Edward. That was always his signature move-overreaction."
I froze upon hearing his name spoken, and tried to relax quickly so it wasn't obvious but Carlisle was too observant.
"He'll be in school all day, don't worry. There's no chance of him showing up here, unless some catastrophic event occurs."
I nodded. "It's really great to see you Bella, I had wondered if I'd get the opportunity to talk to you."
"It's great to see you too Carlisle, really." I paused, thinking about what I wanted to say. The initial reason I had hopped into
the car in the first place was because I had found myself feeling guilty for my part in the stress brought upon Carlisle's
family.
"The reason I'm here is because I really wanted to apologize to you. I played a pretty big roll in the situation in Volterra and
I've felt guilty for that. I know you probably can't even begin to understand why I'd involve myself with the Volturi, but I want
you to know what I never meant your family any harm. I know what your family means to you."
He sighed, dropped his feet from his desk and leaned forward, staring at me intently. "You're wrong, I can understand. I
don't quite get why you never contacted us, but I do understand why you'd be involved with the Volturi. I'm sure you know
that even I stayed with them for a few years. They're not the enemy; although I'll admit they've done some unsavory things,
I've always believed they had good intentions. But you are right about my family meaning a lot to me, and by saying that
Bella I include you. You've been gone for nearly 4 decades but you were always a part of our family. Even when we
believed you to be dead, you were still very much my daughter."
I gave him a small smile venom was pooling around my eyes, causing them to sting. "Thank you," I whispered. He
nodded and waved me off, indicating thanking him was unnecessary.
"Can I ask you some questions?" he asked. When I said yes he leaned back, rocking his chair slightly in thought.
"Can you manipulate the second shield?"
Leave it to Carlisle to dive right in, I thought. No one had ever asked me that before I know people wondered it, but no
one ever asked. I assume they felt it was fruitless, knowing it was a piece of information I'd keep to myself. There was no
reason to tell them; they could gain no true benefit from me manipulating it it could only weaken me.
I contemplated and briefly considered lying but decided against it. It was Carlisle asking, a man that had done nothing but
treat me like one of his own.
"Yes," I said simply.
"How did you figure it out?" he looked astonished.
I laughed. "Pure accident. I did it unconsciously one day and one of the guards nearly caught it. I practiced at it after that,
doing it on purpose but I made sure to only do it around people who wouldn't immediately notice if their talents worked on
me."
"Wow. That's something. I have to admit, Bella, when we first heard of your existence I was frightened. It takes a lot to
terrify me but you managed to do it. That's quite the talent you have."
"I know. I didn't understand at first, the Volturi attempted to coddle me and keep me in the dark as to what it meant when
they said I was a double shield. But when I started putting the pieces together Aro nearly panicked, but by then it was too
late for him to react without repercussions. I know Aro wishes he would've destroyed me the day I was brought to him,
because he's unable to keep me for himself and he fears the idea of me not being completely dedicated to them. I
honestly have absolutely no desire to destroy the Volturi but he's afraid of me someday getting power hungry."
I said it all before I could even think of what I was saying. Although I knew it all to be true, I never expressed it out loud. I
waited for Carlisle's reaction, but he merely nodded and laughed lightly.
"Yeah, the boys got quite a laugh about the fact that some relatively newborn female vampire had the upper hand over the
Volturi."
I laughed along with him. "Yeah. They aren't so fond of it. They tend to try to brag about my existence to outsiders, trying to
make things appear as normal and make them look more fierce, but within the walls of the tower they've always been
quite on edge about me."
"So what is it you've been doing over the years with them?"
I hesitated, not sure I wanted to tell them any details of my actions. "Honestly Carlisle I don't think that's something you
want to hear about."
"I understand. I've got a pretty good idea, anyway, given the situation with Tanya in Volterra." He spoke softly when he got
to the part about his former ally.
I sighed loudly. "I didn't do it Carlisle." His eyebrows rose, silently questioning me. "I couldn't destroy her, Demetri had to
do it. I did interrogate her to get information about whether or not Edward was involved though."
His brows furrowed; He appeared confused. I thought maybe he doubted what I told him about not destroying Tanya.
"But you knew Edward wasn't involved, right?" I stared at him blankly and he gasped, his eyes going wide in shock. "Bella
you couldn't have possibly seriously thought that Edward." He trailed off, realizing that was exactly what I had thought.
He started shaking his head, visibly conflicted. "Bella, you don't know what that boy has gone through. How much he
endured and suffered because of your death. You have the right to know how he's spent these past few decades while
believing you to be dead, but it's his place to let you know and not mine. And you know how stubborn he can be."
"It's fine Carlisle, I don't need him to tell me or confirm anything. You are wrong in your assumption that I'd avoided your
family completely over the years. I actually did look you up once and what I saw gave me a pretty good idea of how
Edward has passed the time."
He was shocked at my revelation. "You looked us up?"
"Yes. You were living in Canada at the time; Bear Creek. I found out that you were on staff at the hospital there so I visited
and rode around the area until I picked up your scents leading to your house."
"Why didn't you tell us? You should've made yourself be known Bella."
I sighed "Yeah well I had every intention of doing so, until I saw Edward and Tanya."
"Edward and Tanya? What about them?"
"When I approached the house they were sitting at his piano together. He was playing my lullaby."
"There had to be some mistake Edward was actually playing?" I nodded and Carlisle shook his head in confusion. A
moment later he gasped, his eyes going wide with surprise. Carlisle was muttering under his breath I was able to make
out 'the one time' and 'what are the odds', but other than that it was gibberish. He picked up his cell phone and flipped it
open, about to make a call, but paused with his finger over the button.
"Do you mind if I call Esme up here?' He asked. "I already called her this morning when you were in the parking lot and
told her you were here she'd love to see you, you know. But I won't if you'd rather me not."
I told him it was okay and he pressed the button quickly. Esme picked up the phone on the first ring.
"Can I see her Carlisle?" she asked at once, speaking anxiously. Carlisle smiled at me.
"Yeah, can you come down here?" Esme didn't bother with an answer, but 30 seconds later the office door burst open and
a form pulled me into a big hug.
Carlisle looked stunned but Esme just smiled sheepishly at him. "I left the house the first time you called, I've been waiting
outside. I had to at least look at her Carlisle, even if she wouldn't see me." He laughed and muttered 'of course'.
"It's great to see you Esme," I said enthusiastically, and I meant it. The day I visited with Demetri, Esme's hysterical sobs
had nearly broken me. I hated the thought of her being hurt, as she always loved so openly.
"You too Bella. And wow, look how beautiful you are," she said, admiring at my face and caressing my hair softly.
Carlisle cleared his throat, causing Esme to release me from the embrace. We took seats as he started speaking.
"Esme dear do you remember that day in Bear Creek when I came home from work and you met me on the porch,
gushing about what Edward had finally done?"
A big smile crept up on her face and she nodded enthusiastically. I was confused was Esme smiling that he had finally
moved on? Forgotten me? Given himself to Tanya?
"Of course I remember," Esme said, her voice thick with emotion. "He finally pressed down."
"Pressed down?" I asked, confused. Esme and Carlisle both sighed, exchanging sullen looks.
"Bella, for years Edward would sit at his piano bench every day. He wouldn't play; he'd simply sit there for hours running
his fingers lightly over the keys. Never once did we hear a single note. We knew to leave him alone, as all attempts to
communicate with him were worthless when he sat there. One afternoon, Tan" she cut off abruptly, looking to gauge my
reaction to the name. I waved for her to continue. "Tanya was visiting and for some reason dared to sit beside him. We all
tensed up, waiting for him to explode at her, and he was about to but before he could react she asked him about you.
Needless to say it caught him off guard, and we waited for an even bigger explosion but it never came. Edward opened
his mouth to speak and it all just came tumbling out. He sat there for hours, reliving every memory and moment he had with
you. He hadn't allowed himself to do that before, and he wasn't speaking to any of us. He barely even registered any of our
presences. He was allowing himself that moment to finally speak and laugh and remember. And that was the day he finally
pressed down on the keys and played. Of course, it was your lullaby. He hasn't done it again since I miss the sound of
his playing," she added softly.
I sat silently, sorting through this information, while Carlisle spoke again.
"Esme, Bella visited us that day. She saw Edward playing and smiling, with Tanya beside him."
Esme gasped. "Oh wow, I can't imagine how that must've looked. I am so sorry if you got the wrong impression."
"But I tapped into Jasper's energy that day and could feel the love and lust between them."
Esme smiled softly. "Tanya always lusted hard over Edward. But that love you felt coming from him? That was all for you.
He was pouring his love for you out that day."
We all sat in silence for a while. They were watching me, waiting for me to react in some way but I couldn't. Carlisle got up
to check on patients at one point, but Esme never left my side.
"The family should be back from school now," Carlisle said as he walked in the room from doing his rounds. Esme
nodded. Carlisle picked his jacket up and put it on. "We should be getting home before they send a search party out for
us. Do you think maybe you'd be willing to come by for a bit?"
"Maybe," I said with a small smile. I couldn't give any guarantees or make any promises, but just the idea that I'd possibly
try was enough for him.
We walked out of the hospital and into the parking lot together. They retreated to their cars hesitantly I could tell they
were worried about possibly not seeing me again, not wanting to let me out of their sight.
*Chapter 29*: 29: Take My Hand
A/N: Longest Chapter yet, and what most of you have been waiting on :) Share
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

Take my hand tonight

Let's not think about tomorrow
Take my hand tonight
We could find some place to go
Cause our hearts are locked forever
And our love will never die
Take my hand tonight
"Take My Hand" - Simple Plan
EPOV:
Once again I found myself sitting at my piano, ghosting my fingers over the keys. I had an urge to actually play after talking
about it with Melissa today, and maybe if I were alone I would. But my siblings had arrived home from school some time
ago and were busying themselves around the house.
Jasper had miraculously convinced Emmett to play another game of chess. I was doing my best to block them out. Sitting
through that once a day was enough, I didn't need to be tortured again. Rose and Alice were talking about some fashion
designers new fall line that conversation was nearly as torturous as the chess game.
Esme hadn't returned from wherever she went off to this morning, and Carlisle was late getting home from work. I was
tempted to give them a call to make sure everything was okay, as both were quite punctual people and didn't often stay
out unpredictably, but I didn't because Alice said she had a feeling they were off together. It wasn't a vision, just a hunch
but her hunches were often just as spot on.
I heard the sound of Carlisle's Mercedes approach the house, followed immediately by Esme's Nissan. Once again, one
of Alice's hunches had been right. They got out of their cars but stood out in the driveway for a few minutes. I couldn't make
out their thoughts, they seemed to be attempting to block me from them, but I didn't make any attempts to pry. Usually
when those two were blocking, it indicated something I had no desire to see or hear about. They only made a habit of
pushing me out when it was for my own benefit I wasn't interested in learning any more about their sex life than I was
forced to know about.
After a few moments, I heard another car approaching and Carlisle and Esme both sighed.
Son I need you to relax. We got her this far, you need to take it easy and not overwhelm her.
Carlisle's thought rang through my head and I jumped up abruptly. The piano bench flew back with force, slamming into the
wall and crashing to the ground. I heard Carlisle groan loudly, having heard it and figuring I was already overreacting. My
siblings all turned and stared at me, oblivious to what was going on. I ran to the window and watched in awe as the silver
Ultimate Aero pulled slowly up to the house, parking behind Esme's car. Esme approached her and gave her a quick hug
as she stepped out. Carlisle clasped her on the shoulder lovingly and smiled, leading her towards the front door.
Esme walked in first, followed by Carlisle and Bella. Emmett and Alice gasped when they saw her, flying forward and
pulling her into hugs. Bella laughed and hugged back.
"I missed you guys too," she said. I heard Rose huff loudly and turn to leave the room hastily, not liking the attention Bella
was receiving. Emmett attempted to apologize for his wife's behavior but Bella just laughed and brushed him off.
"Some things don't change Emmett, no worries." Emmett bent down and kissed her on the forehead adoringly. Jealousy
shot through me but I attempted to keep myself composed. My chest barely vibrated with the growl that wanted to erupt at
the sight of his lips on her skin. I couldn't blow up though, I needed to stay levelheaded. It was just Emmett, he was
harmless.
Jasper looked at me sympathetically, having felt my jealousy. He made no move to approach Bella but nodded in her
direction and said hello. He was no danger to her; not only was she immortal now, but his control had also grown
immensely. But he still felt shame for the incident on her birthday, shame that held him back.
"Jasper," Bella said affectionately with a smile. He nodded and returned her smile. She stepped forward quickly,
wrapping her arms around his torso. He was caught off guard but hugged her back. I felt a wave of relief hit me but I knew
it wasn't my own it was coming off of my brother. Alice stood in the corner, ecstatically bouncing at the sight of her best
friend-the one she thought she'd lost forever-and her husband-the one that felt he was to blame for it-sharing a hug.
After they pulled away, Alice jumped into his arms, causing all of us to laugh. Bella turned towards where I was standing. I
hadn't moved from the window yet.
I wanted to run to her, touch her, hug her. But I was afraid of overwhelming her and causing her to run off in a panic. We
didn't speak, just gazed at each other for a moment. My family watched the exchange warily.
Bella took a few steps forward, but I still didn't move. I was going to let her lead. I had no idea why she was here or what
role Carlisle and Esme played. But I was grateful and refused to squander the opportunity. She stopped when she was
standing a few inches from me. She was so close I could've simply flicked my wrist and been touching her but I didn't.
"Edward," she said softly, nodding in greeting. The sound of my name coming from her lips made me smile.
"Bella," I said, following suit
We were silent for a few seconds and I reached my hand up to caress her face, but realized what I was about to do and
dropped it quickly. I had done that in the meadow, causing her to flinch, and I didn't want that to happen again.
She smiled and closed the last few inches between us, wrapping her arms around me tightly. She laid her head on my
shoulder, and I tilted my own head so it lay on top of hers. Her hair still smelled of strawberries.
Her body wasn't as warm as the last time we embraced, nor could I feel her heartbeat thumping in her chest. Those things
were long gone, distant memories from another time. But nonetheless, it felt right having her in my arms. It was as if we
were made for each other, our bodies molded together perfectly.
When she finally pulled back, I noticed that we were alone. The rest of my family had disbursed, leaving us to our moment.
Bella noticed it too and chuckled.
"Seems we drove them away," she said. I nodded. Her embrace had left me feeling brave, so without over thinking it I
grasped her hand and led her to the couch. She didn't resist and sat down beside me.
"It's great to see you again I was wondering if I would." I hadn't let go of her hand yet and was thankful that she hadn't
made a move to yank it from my grasp.
"Sorry," she whispered softly, looking down at the floor. I cupped her chin with my hand and pulled her face up. Our eyes
met and I smiled.
"Don't apologize," I said. "I'm just glad you're here."
She didn't respond a smile ghosted her lips but quickly fell. She was starting to grow nervous.
I think it's best if we all get together and talk, Carlisle conveyed to me in his mind. I was thankful, as I figured there was a
less chance of Bella running away if the whole family was present. After a few moments they started filtering in. First
Carlisle and Esme, both smiling brightly. They were both content with the idea that their entire family was back together
again but both wondering how long it was going to last. Alice bounded in next, skipping and bouncing. She was more
confident she didn't have any visions to rely on but she had faith in her best friend. Jasper was beaming and shooting
waves of euphoria through all of us. He had been pleased to see Bella, but was even more pleased about how his wife
was reacting. He hadn't seen Alice this way in a long time. Emmett and Rose trailed in last, with my brother practically
dragging his wife into the room by her arm. She was scowling, obviously not wanting to be here. Emmett looked at his
wife and shrugged at the rest of us. He let her arm go and thankfully she stayed put.
We chatted casually Bella asked about my siblings' lives, where we've lived and Carlisle's work. Emmett even
volunteered a few humiliating stories to keep the mood light. Bella started really relaxing; her nerves seemed to have been
completely calmed. I hadn't been mentioned; Bella hadn't asked a single thing about me and I would've been worried if it
weren't for the fact that she still held my hand.
After Bella seemed sufficiently caught up on the basics of our lives, the conversation started slowing down. Carlisle took
this as his cue to turn the questions on her.
"So where are you staying Bella?"
She laughed. "Actually, I bought a house in Iowa. It's nice, pretty isolated. It's not as grand as this place but of course it's
just me so it works."
I was saddened by the idea of Bella living alone. She always was one to be content in solitude, but living alone while being
condemned to live the life we did could be unbearable. I know; I had done it myself at one time. The more savage of our
kind even often thrived on company.
"So, Bella, tell me," Emmett said with a mischievous grin. I searched his mind for the cause and groaned loudly. "Have
you really kicked as many asses as they say you have?"
She laughed lightly and nodded. "Well I can't say for sure but I'd venture to guess that I've probably done more than they
say. We didn't often leave witnesses, ya know." Emmett looked awestruck, like a little kid seeing his idol for the first time.
"You've gotta tell me all about it Bella. You know I love a good fight and it isn't often I get to be involved!" Bella shook her
head.
"Someday, but today's not the day to confess to myuh" she furrowed her brow, trying to find the right word.
"Accomplishments? Endeavors? Transgressions? Whatever the hell you wanna call it, today's not the day for it. We'd be
here an entire week if I had to own up to them all." She seemed nervous again, hinting at the things she's done. She
looked at all of us anxiously, waiting for a response.
"I'll hold you to that sister," Emmett said, reaching over and patting her on the back. Rose scoffed from the corner of the
room.
"If you won't tell us how many vampires you destroyed, will you at least tell us how many humans you've murdered?" Rose
said sharply. Bella flinched at Rosalie's tone and dropped her head. I could see Bella retreating back into herself, closing
off once again after we'd worked to get her relaxed with us. Bella withdrew her hand from mine, causing my fury at Rose to
boil over. I shot her a murderous glare.
What, don't like being reminded that your precious Bella isn't so innocent? Her thoughts said smugly. I couldn't stop the
growl from coming, my lips curling back slightly. Rose was still mocking me in her mind and I had been mere seconds
away from leaping over the back of the couch and tearing her apart when an electricity shot through me. I turned in its
direction and saw that Bella was watching me while clutching my arm. I relaxed a bit, the growl dissipating.
"It's okay Edward, I'll answer that. I've killed seven humans, which if I recall correctly is the same amount as you've killed."
All of our mouths hung open in shock at Bella's words. Not only was it borderline suicidal, but I couldn't figure out how Bella
would even know about that. I tensed up, waiting on Rose's reaction.
"They deserved it," Rose said fuming.
"Yes, they did. I actually commend you for what you did. But you asked, so I answered. We've stopped the same number
of heartbeats."
Rose didn't snap she stayed calm and nodded once in acknowledgment. Stunned, Jasper changed the subject quickly
to try to diffuse the hostility in the room.
"So, Bella, why'd it take you nearly 40 years to see us?" he asked. I tensed, anticipating her answer. I had wanted to ask
her this question myself, but was afraid of what the answer would be. I knew I had hurt her, but that was a long time for her
to exist in our world and not try to seek out the ones she had been closest to. I thought maybe she hadn't loved me, but my
name had been the first thing she said upon stepping out in the world for the first time.
"Actually it only took me about 10 years."
BPOV:
I couldn't believe I was sitting there, on the couch inside the Cullen's living room, answering all of the questions I'd been
trying to avoid. And it had only just begun; we'd yet to even touch upon any of the serious issues that I knew Edward
wanted to address. As he stood in front of the window when I entered, not moving, I shot my shield around him and for the
first time delved into his mind. His thoughts were frantic and he was quickly sorting through the dozens of questions he
had. He had also been nearly panicked, continually telling himself to remain calm. It was also quite clear from his thoughts
that the sight of me set something on fire inside of him, his adoration of me quite evident. As I wrapped my arms around
him, I mentally kicked myself for not reading his mind sooner. It would've saved the both of us a lot of trouble.
Edward had been uncharacteristically patient, but I knew that would only last for so long before he started demanding
answers from me.
Jasper just asked me why it took me nearly 40 years to visit them. I looked to Carlisle, who smiled and nodded for me to
answer them. I sighed. I wasn't sure if anyone had taken notice or not, but I had kept Carlisle and Esme inside my shield
since nearly the first moment we walked in the door. I didn't want Edward reading their minds and finding this out. He
needed to hear this from me, as did the others.
"Actually. It only took me about 10 years," I said calmly. They all looked at me, confused.
"10 years?" Edward asked.
"Yeah. I'd been working as a guard for a few years at that point. I got hurt on a mission because of my own stupidity, which
caused Demetri to have a heart-to-heart with me. He knew something was bothering me and told me to go out and find it.
So I did. You were living in Bear Creek at the time. I found your scents in some woods and traced them to the house, but I
backed out at the last minute. I couldn't interrupt your lives; I didn't think it was fair. I convinced myself that it was a big
world and I could live out my existence without us crossing paths, but obviously that didn't happen. Fate threw you right at
me in Volterra."
I was watching Carlisle, who was staring intently at Edward. His brow wrinkled after a moment, as Edward wasn't paying
him a bit of attention, and Carlisle quickly shot a look at me. He laughed lightly, shaking his head.
"I guess that's the shield," he said. Realization struck me that he had been trying to communicate with Edward and figured
me out when Edward wasn't acknowledging him. I pulled my shield back quickly.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I was keeping Edward out of your head." I laughed, as Edward looked between Carlisle and me,
confused.
"No need to apologize. It could come quite in handy honestly. Just warn me next time so I'm not silently screaming for
nothing."
Edward was eyeing me now, having put the pieces together.
"Keeping me out, huh? That's shady," he chuckled. I smiled and shrugged.
Carlisle was silently communicating something to Edward again, this time successfully. Edward's smile fell and he kept
glancing at me from the corner of his eyes. He dropped his head before nodding.
"Let us give Bella and Edward some time alone now," Carlisle said. The family got up and exited swiftly, throwing small
smiles in my direction. When they were all gone, Edward sighed loudly.
"I know why you changed your mind about seeing me that time." I nodded, knowing this was likely what Carlisle had been
insistent about telling him silently.
"I thought" I begin, sighing. "I believed that you were happy with Tanya, that I meant nothing to you. I'd always hoped that
the words you said the day you left me weren't true, but seeing you with her like that that confirmed every fear I had. I had
to walk away."
"I understand how it looked. But you need to understand that I barely even noticed she was there. My mind was focused
completely on you it's always been only you."
I closed my eyes, absorbing his words. I wanted to believe them, believe that he'd always loved me, but it was hard to let
go all of everything I'd been convinced of over the years.
"Did Carlisle tell you anything of what happened when you visited Volterra?" I asked. He shook his head. "You need to
see that day from my viewpoint, understand how it looked to me. I get called and told they have a dire situation that they
need my presence for. I arrive, absolutely out of control already because I had just gotten back from dealing with my
mothers death and some jackass stole my car, and walk in to see you standing there. Imagine my surprise when not only
did I realize you were the aforementioned jackass, but that you had done it in an attempt to come to Tanya's rescue. And
when it was discovered that she had attempted to kill me and declared she had done it for you, and all you could do was
scream about how it was a mistake because Tanya wouldn't do such a thing, I lost all control. Can you see how that would
look to me?"
He nodded and wiped at his eyes, which were glistening with unshed venom.
"I walked into the chamber, absolutely furious. I interrogated her about what role you played. I'm not telling you this to hurt
you, but because I feel you deserve to hear it. I was convinced, in all of my rage, that you had wanted me dead. That Tanya
had done it because you wanted it done and were too much of a coward to do it yourself. But when it came down to it, I
couldn't destroy Tanya. I couldn't do it, because I thought you loved her. And as much as I hated you at that moment for it, I
couldn't let you suffer any more than you had to. Aro would've destroyed you Edward, he intended to because he thought
I'd want that. So Demetri offered to take care of Tanya so that I could ensure you left Volterra in one piece."
Edward was quiet for a moment. I couldn't bear to look at him, afraid to see the look on his face. He reached over and
grabbed my hand, squeezing it lightly while interlocking our fingers.
"Bella" he began. His voice was thick and cracked with emotion. "I need you to know that I would never have done that. I
know I hurt you, and I understand if that's something you can never forgive me for. I walked away from you, I left you
vulnerable and weakened. I wasn't there when you needed me and that's something I've had to live with. I've blamed
myself for your death, and even though you didn't die it still doesn't take the blame over what happened from me. But
never, never would I have EVER wanted you to die. I died with you Bella, I was never the same."
He was getting hysterical, pouring everything out. He jumped up mid-rant, and was pacing the floor. I wanted to reach over
and pull him back down to comfort him, but I couldn't seem to force myself to move.
"Alice is the only one that's ever known this, but less than 24 hours before you were attacked I gave up. I gave up trying to
live without you. I was going to go back for you Bella. I was miserable and couldn't go on anymore. I thought you were
better off without me, that you deserved to live a life free from the dangers I brought. But I was selfish and needed you.
Alice saw it; she saw me getting on a plane for Forks. But that vision dissolved quickly, because Tanya snapped and did
what she did. And instead of seeing us reunited, we watched you die. Oh God, Bella, we fucking watched you die! And
neither Alice nor I ever got over that. I've had to live these years knowing I just too late to save you, believing I was too late
to save us. I've barely survived, the only reason I didn't will myself dead is because we never found your body and I couldn't
rest until you could. And Alice needed me; she had lost so much that I couldn't torture her more. I can't ask you to forgive
me, but I just need you to understand Bella. I need you to understand that I never meant that shit I said in the woods. There
was never anyone else for me and there will never be. I loved you fuck that, I still love you Bella."
His words shot through me like lightening, accentuated by the fact that he was cursing. I'd never seen him this way before,
so downright passionate and unhinged. There was still a part of me that doubted everything. Doubted he ever truly cared
for me, doubted that he never moved on, doubted that he could possibly ever want me again. But there was a bigger part
of me that was set on fire when he said those three words, a part of me that desperately wanted to believe them to be
true. That he could still love me after all this time. That he could still want me. That he couldn't imagine life without me.
Because deep down, I needed him. I couldn't survive for eternity without him, 36 years was hard enough. And that big part
of me needed to believe him, because I loved him too.
Edward was still pacing in front of me. I reached out and grabbed him by his arm and yanked him towards me with such
force that it knocked the couch back a few feet, slamming it into a wall. He landed on top of me and his eyes widened in
shock. He sat up quickly, pulling me onto his lap. I laid my head on his shoulder, my face in the crook of his neck. The
scent of him was intoxicating. I started sobbing loudly, unable to control the emotions pouring out of me. He wrapped his
arms around me tightly and started rocking me back and forth.
Edward started shushing me, whispering that everything was okay, that I'd be okay. But it was doing nothing to dull my
sobbing. I heard someone crash loudly through the front door it startled me, but Edward murmured that it was just
Jasper going outside to get a little space.
We sat like that for a long time as the sun started to rise, my sobs dulled to whimpers and his shushes turned into
humming. I sensed members of the family coming into the room periodically throughout the night but they never disrupted
us.
As my whimpering diminished, the humming was becoming clearer. I could make out the melody and recognized it as my
lullaby. The realization caused me to collapse into another round of sobs. Edward squeezed me tighter.
When I finally regained my composure, I lifted my head up and looked at Edward. His face was soft and serene, his eyes
warm. He was still lightly humming my lullaby and the corner of his lips turned up slightly when our eyes met.
"Do you really not play anymore?" I asked. He shook his head no hesitantly and stopped humming.
"I haven't done much of anything frankly," he said softly.
I nodded in understanding. "Maybe we should finish talking about some things." I leapt off of his lap and walked towards
the window. Edward followed me, took my hand and led me towards the front door.
"Let's go for a drive," he suggested. We walked around towards the garage and Edward pulled out his keys. I snickered
he drove another Volvo. He opened the passenger door for me and waited but I didn't make a move to get in.
Edward cocked an eyebrow at me. "Problem?"
I smiled, reached in my pocket and pulled out my keys. I tossed them at him quickly he caught them in mid-air. Before it
could register what I'd thrown him, I was at my car and sliding into the passenger seat. He stood gaping at me, clutching
the keys.
"Problem?" I asked sarcastically with a smirk. He laughed and shook his head, sprinting towards the driver's side.
"This isn't a trick is it?" His smile was so bright it made me laugh he looked like a little kid in a toy store.
"No trick just promise you'll make use of the key this time instead of savagely defiling it." He rolled his eyes playfully and
started the car up.
"I really am sorry about that, but in my defense there's no way I could've known it was yours."
"Oh Edward, it doesn't matter whose it was, you never tarnish a beauty like this."
He laughed, threw it in gear and flew out of the driveway. He hit the main road, gunning it and hitting 60 in under 3
seconds.
"How fast have you got it to go?" he asked.
"Um, I topped it out at 253 once on the German autobahn last year but it should be able to go slightly faster. I'm not even
going to bother asking how fast you ran it, because I'm not sure I even want to know."
He flashed me a crooked smile and shook his head. "No, you don't."
He didn't push the car too hard, hitting 200 once and letting it level out as we drove around. I was quiet, allowing him to just
enjoy the drive. After awhile he pulled over near a park.
"Shall we?" he asked, motioning towards a small dock leading into a lake. I nodded and reached to open my door, but he
was faster and flung it open for me.
I took his hand and he led me to the dock, but I tugged him to a stop before he reached it. I leaned down and slipped my
shoes off, heading towards the water. He cocked an eyebrow but didn't make a move to stop as I drug him along.
I put my feet in the water and leaned back in the grass. Edward sat down beside me, hugging his knees to his chest.
Some ducks in the water started heading our direction, but as they neared us their internal alarms went off and they flew
away in a panic. I sighed.
"One day I'd love ducks to get close enough so that I could feed them. When I was young and had to come to Forks during
the summers, Charlie'd take me fishing and we'd feed the ducks. That was always the highlight of the visit. It would be nice
to do again, but they won't accept food from me."
Edward laughed. "One day it'll happen. One day you'll come across that one rare duck who seems to lack any sense of
self preservation. That duck'll be drawn to you and you'll get the opportunity to experience what you once thought you'd
have to spend eternity without."
I laughed. "Something tells me we're not referring to ducks anymore." He shrugged his shoulders.
"Speaking of Forks," Edward said. "Have you been back? I mean, other than the trip to the meadow."
"Yeah, one other time. You?"
Edward sighed, running his fingers through his untidy hair. "Twice. The whole family returned for your funeral, and I made a
quick trip after your father passed."
"You went when Charlie died?" I asked. He nodded.
"It felt right to make peace with him. The last time I saw him was at your funeral and some things were said he wasn't
too pleased with me. So I slipped in and watched his funeral from the tree line, and then just after sunset slipped in the
cemetery to say my peace." He laughed and shook his head. "I actually brought you flowers that day too, I put them on your
grave."
"That was you that gave me freesias?" I asked incredulously. He looked surprised.
"Yeah, how'd you know what they were?"
"I was there that day Edward, that was the only day I went back. The day of his funeral. I visited the cemetery around
midnight and saw the flowers there. It was all a bit surreal honestly, seeing my own grave." He nodded in understanding.
"I can't believe we were that close and didn't cross paths. But it's likely a good thing, because if I would've seen you
standing in the cemetery I probably would've freaked out a bit thinking you were a ghost."
"Yeah." I laughed. "So Charlie gave you a hard time at my funeral, huh? Between him and what Jake did to you, that
must've been one hell of an afternoon."
He narrowed his eyes slightly. "How do you know what Jacob Black did?"
"He told me when I visited for Charlie's funeral."
"Wait, you let them see you? Did they know all along that you were like this? Are they still phasing?" He shot the
questions at me quickly.
"Jake figured out I was in the woods behind the house. Him and I talked for a while. The Quileute's apparently believed it
had been a vampire attack and not an animal, and believed me to be changed. That's why Billy was so insistent on
Charlie accepting my death and moving on. Jake did what he did because he thought you had me. The two youngest
are still phasing but the others stopped years ago. The ones that phased didn't come after me because they knew why I
was there. A truce of sorts, for Charlie. But they weren't particularly happy about it."
I lay back on the grass completely and stared up into Edwards face. He was smiling down at me. He brought his hand up
to graze my jaw line lightly, caressing my face. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation.
"Bella?" he asked after a moment. I didn't open my eyes but muttered 'hmmm'. "Do you think you could ever forgive me for
what I've done?"
"Only if you could find it in you to forgive me Edward."
*Chapter 30*: 30: You Owe Me Nothing in Return
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight Share

And there are no strings attached to it

You owe me nothing for giving the love that I give.
You owe me nothing for caring the way that I have.
I give you thanks for receiving, it's my privilege,
And you owe me nothing in return.
"You Owe Me Nothing In Return" - Alanis Morissette
EPOV:
"Geez, Edward, get a grip! It won't be too much longer." I heard silence ensue, followed by a string of beeps. Alice had
hung up on me.
I mumbled a string of profanities and tossed my phone onto the couch. I was never one for foul language, as in 1918 it was
unheard of for such vulgar things to be said and I've always retained a large chunk of my manners from when I was
changed. And plus, Esme cringed every time a curse rolled from one of our lips so I tried to refrain out of respect. But over
the years those four letter words started creeping into my vocabulary more and more. Emmett found it funny when they
came from my lips him and Rose had no qualms of using every foul word in the book. Bella was caught off guard every
time I cursed in her presence. She had quite the foul mouth on herself, I imagine stemming from so many years of doing
God-knows-what with the Volturi, but she still didn't expect it from me.
Speaking of Bella, Alice had kidnapped her this morning and dragged her off to a mall somewhere. Alice claimed it was
purely consensual and no kidnapping had occurred, but I knew from experience just because someone agrees to go
shopping with Alice doesn't mean they want to be there. I'd been calling Alice every 30 minutes, trying to find out when she
was going to be bringing Bella back apparently Alice didn't appreciate my calls.
Bella has been back in our lives for nearly 2 months now. Whether or not she was going to be rejoining our family was
never discussed, she had simply just never left. It likely had something to do with the fact that one of us was always with
her, therefore she really never had the opportunity to leave. All of us secretly feared she'd walk out of our lives again so we
tried to keep her busy and show her how much we wanted her with us.
As for my relationship with Bella, it was at a stand still. We'd spend time together and hold hands, but that's the extent of it.
She hadn't explained to me how she felt or what she wanted, and I'd been too chicken to ask her. I longed to hear her say
those three words to me I told her I loved her every chance I got and her eyes would light up, but she never said them
back. Hell, I hadn't even kissed her.
But things were going to be changing soon. We were all just floating by, oblivious to the outside world, but it wouldn't last
much longer. School started in less than 2 weeks and we'd be forced to play the game again and go back to high school.
Carlisle was intending to sit Bella down tonight when he returned home from work to discuss her plans. He was going to
ask her to stay permanently. He wanted to enroll her in school with the rest of us.
And I was scared shitless and wanted every second I could get with Bella right now, because I feared when Carlisle said
the words "permanent" and "school", she'd hit the door running and never look back. Alice felt the same way, which is why
she kidnapped her for shopping. Alice didn't like not knowing what was going to happen she could still see our futures,
but they were mundane things that Bella wasn't involved in. So she couldn't rely on her visions (or lack thereof) to gauge
how Bella was going to react.
Bella hadn't told us much of her life with the Volturi, but the little she has shared indicated that she'd had the world at her
fingertips. There wasn't a single country we could name that she hadn't seen at least once what she did in those
countries was the mystery. I know she had destroyed vampires but I wondered if that was it. With so many opportunities at
her fingertips I figured she had to have enjoyed some of the greater things in life while out there. So why would she ever
agree to settle down in this ridiculously small town and be doomed to repeat high school?
I heard the sound of Alice's car approaching. I met them in the driveway and pulled Bella into a hug the moment she
stepped from the passenger seat. She laughed and squeezed me back.
Alice cleared her throat and pointed at the trunk she had opened. It was piled full of bags; I wondered how she even ever
got the trunk to close. I snatched up some bags and Jasper came outside to grab the rest. We dropped them on the living
room floor, and Alice started scouring through them. I grabbed Bella's hand and tugged.
"Can you spare some time for me?" I asked. She smiled and nodded, waving goodbye to a pouting Alice. She followed
me outside and into the woods. We were running at a slow speed, still holding hands.
"Where are we going Edward?" she asked.
"It's a place I found, I wanted to show it to you."
I slowed to a walk when we neared We strolled out of the woods into a large field and Bella gasped. It was acres of
nothing but wildflowers in every direction. Purple, Pink, Yellow, and Orange splashes of color embedded into a nest of
green. The smile on Bella's face was radiant and her eyes twinkled.
"This is beautiful Edward, how did you find this?" she asked enthusiastically. She reminded me of Alice at that moment,
she was bouncing lightly with excitement.
"I caught the scent of it one day when hunting," I said with a shrug.
Bella squeezed my hand once before letting so and sprinting out into the middle of the field. Every step she took through
the flowers sent waves of scent in the air. I watched her as she twirled around and danced, laughing. She turned around
and motioned for me to join her, so I obliged.
We wandered the field of flowers for a while, and Bella would randomly reach down to pluck one. She was studying them
intently and choosing which ones to pick carefully. I couldn't make out a pattern or common factor indicating why she
picked the ones she did, but she seemed to know what she was doing. It was fascinating to watch.
At twilight, I grabbed her hand and made her come to a stop. As much as I wanted to stay out there with her forever, I knew
Carlisle was home by now waiting. And as much as I was afraid the conversation would go horribly, I knew it was
necessary.
We ran back towards the house and slowed when we reached our property. Bella stopped abruptly in the back yard and
was gazing at me with an odd expression on her face. I cocked an eyebrow at her, causing her to giggle and shake her
head. She reached up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to my cheek. It was a small peck, but the feeling of her lips
pressing against me, her breath again my skin, made me shiver and my body warm. She giggled again and headed into
the house.
Carlisle caught up with her as soon as she entered. "Bella, could we talk in my office for a bit?" Bella nodded and told him
she'd be there in a minute. She grabbed a crystal vase from the cupboard in the kitchen, filled it with water and put her
wildflowers in it. She sat it down in the center of the dining room table we usually reserved for 'family talks', and
scampered off to Carlisle's office.
"Bella seems happy," Emmett observed. I smiled and nodded; she did seem happier now than she had been.
I tried to give Carlisle and Bella some privacy, but I had a hard time not eavesdropping. I heard Carlisle ask Bella what her
plans were for the future and her tell him she didn't know. Carlisle asked her if she'd considered moving in permanently
and Bella merely replied that she had contemplated it. I was starting to wonder if my fears were irrational, but then I heard
him ask her if she'd be willing to settle down with us and go to school and she didn't respond. The silence from the office
was torturous. I couldn't hear Carlisle's thoughts Bella had a habit of shielding whoever she was with, which of course
blocked me out. It was quite frustrating, but I didn't think she did it intentional. Another part of her Volturi training I
supposed.
After a minute Bella said she'd think about it. Carlisle told her that school started in less than 2 weeks, so if she'd let him
know by then he'd enroll her.
Bella smiled at us as she left the office, but it wasn't the same smile she went inside with. She retreated up the stairs and
went directly into the guest room, shutting the door behind her.
The evening was long. My siblings played games, Carlisle and Esme both read books, and I sat at my piano bench. I
ghosted my fingers along the keys, thinking about Bella and wondering what she was thinking. Sometime around 3am, I
was in the midst of lightly tapping out the notes to Bella's lullaby and got the urge to hear a note. So I pressed down; the
note rang out loudly, echoing through the house, causing my family to pause and look at me. It was the first time I'd played
since that day in Canada. I pressed down on a few more notes, and before I knew it I was playing the entire selection out
loud. Esme was smiling brightly.
I played for an hour or so before rounding out some notes and stopping. Bella hadn't left the guest room, although I knew
she'd have heard me playing. I was worried about her. Alice could tell by the look on my face.
"I think I'm gonna go check on Bella," my sister said. "I want to ask her a question about something we bought."
Alice retreated up the stairs. I heard her knock on the guest door but Bella didn't respond or answer. After a few moments
of knocking, I heard the door swing open and Alice gasp.
She's gone!

A/N: I won't torture you for long, you'll see where Bella went in the next chapter (it'll be up soon, it's a long
one).And don't worry, the fun fluffy lemony moments you want will be coming ;)
*Chapter 31*: 31: Why Can't I Be You?
A/N: It's a long one, split POV. Thank you all for reading and reviewing, I try to reply to everyone but Share
sometimes I miss folks. Sorry :P
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

You turn my head when you turn around

You turn the whole world upside down
I'm smitten I'm bitten I'm hooked I'm cooked
I'm stuck like glue!
You make me
Make me hungry for you
"Why Can't I Be You?" - The Cure
BPOV:
I sat on the bed, gazing out the window. I just left Carlisle's office, where he asked me to join the family permanently. In
theory I already felt like a part of their family; I felt as if I always had been. But feeling like it and making it reality were two
separate things.
I couldn't imagine my life without any of them, especially Edward. Things between us had been pretty monotonous lately
neither of us made any moves to take our relationship to the next level. I wasn't sure I was completely ready to dive right
into things with Edward I knew that I loved him, but I hadn't been able to say the words. I was so afraid of being hurt
again, even though Edward told me every chance he got that he loved me and wanted me for eternity. The idea of not
taking things further though was unbearable. I longed to wrap myself around him and give all of me to him. The electricity
was as intense as ever, my desire for him growing every minute we're near each other. But I was afraid.
I could hear Edward downstairs sighing I know he wondered what I was thinking and I briefly considered throwing my
shields aside and letting him see. I'd thought about it a few times these past months I couldn't get my mouth to utter the
words 'I love you', but I knew if I let him in my mind he'd hear it and alleviate his concerns. But I decided against it every
time, as I couldn't guarantee what else he'd find inside this head of mine.
I did selfishly turn his powers on him occasionally and listen to his thoughts. I only did it when he confused me or was
staring at me with odd expressions. I found that his thoughts showed nothing but his devotion to me. He also was quite
vulgar inside that head of his I was slightly surprised to hear him curse out loud, but the things that occasionally went
through his mind were shocking. Esme didn't approve of his dirty mouth she'd have been downright ashamed of that
dirty mind. It's a good thing she wasn't the mind reader of the family.
Speaking of dirty minds, I made a point of not reading Emmett's. I never understood what Edward went through until I
probed into his brother's thoughts. I'd heard he had fantasies about me when they first heard of my existence, before he
realized exactly who I was. I pitied Edward for having to endure thatpitied the fact that he had to retain that memory. I
often wanted to pick on Emmett about it but it was slightly awkward.
I was supposed to be weighing my options and coming to a conclusion as to whether or not I was going to make my stay
here permanent. I couldn't help but feel ridiculous-of course I wanted to stay here permanently. But there was that small
part of me, that part that the Volturi built up, that wondered if I could truly do it. If I could just be an average girl, in love with
a boy, just living in harmony. No worries of the outside world, no worries of evil plots to destroy or expose our existence. I
know what's out there can I shut it all out and just simply be me?
Plus there was the prospect of going to high school. I studied immensely over the years but never earned any actual
degrees. I never even graduated high school. The idea of actually enrolling somewhere scared me.
Edward's scent was all over me, all over the house. It was clouding my mind and I couldn't think of anything but him. I
hopped in the shower to clear my head and put on some fresh clothes. I needed some time to think, somewhere quiet,
and I wasn't going to get that at the Cullen's right now. It was only a matter of time before one of them came knocking.
I hitched the window open quietly and leaped out into the back yard. I briefly wondered how they'd react to me being gone
but pushed it aside. They had to know that I'd return I was leaving my car here after all.
I ran for a while. I thought about hitch hiking for the fun of it but opted instead to steal a car. I felt guilt for taking someone
else's car, remembering how I felt when Edward stole mine, but knew I'd make sure it was returned to them in one piece. I
drove east towards Iowa and my house. I hadn't been there in months, but I knew it was the one place I could get the
solitude I needed to reconcile what I was doing.
When I arrived home, I parked the car I'd 'borrowed' behind the house and slipped inside. Things were exactly as I'd left
them. I'd left so abruptly that some of the lights were still on and none of the doors were locked. I hadn't been worried
about thieves no one even knew anyone lived out here.
The days flew by while I shacked up in my little house-I hadn't left the confines of it at all. I decided to venture out and hunt
one afternoon when the combination of my thirst and the complete silence started pushing me towards my breaking point.
I sauntered through the woods, in no rush, and caught the scent of a bear. I let my instincts take over and tracked it quickly,
pouncing on it before it even sensed my presence.
I took out two deer after that, as they were convenient. I wasn't ready to head back to the house yet so I took off running,
simply enjoying the feel of the wind against my face. I came upon a small stream in the woods and followed it. The stream
filtered into a larger body of water. I quickly shed my pants and shrugged out of my shirt, tossing them aside and leaving
me in my bra and panties. I dove into the water, loving the feel of the cold water enveloping me... It was refreshing and
caused a tingling sensation across my skin.
I broke the surface and took a deep breath, inhaling my surroundings. The sound and smell of the water and greenery was
soothing.
Slight movement behind me startled me, causing me to turn swiftly in defensive mode. About 50 feet from me, on the
surface of the water, sat a small white duck. Its head was cocked to the side, eyeing me suspiciously. I chuckled and took
a few steps forward, expecting it to flee. I startled it and it rose up a bit concerned, but it didn't fly away. When it settled
down, it started slowly swimming the rest of the distance between us.
The duck got close enough for me to reach out and touch it, but I didn't. I regretted that I had no food for him.
I stood there for a moment while he watched me closely. The fact that I was being stared down by a duck sunk in and
made me laugh out loud. I laughed louder than intended, and scared the animal in front of me, causing him to bolt into the
air. I could only shake my head and laugh some more Edward had been right.
I jumped out of the water and slipped my clothes back on quickly. When I made it back to the house I turned on my laptop
for the first time since arriving. I'd left my cell phone by accident in my hasty retreat from the guest bedroom and haven't
been keeping track of days. When the laptop booted up, I saw that it said the date was August 20th. I did the calculations
in my head and realized I'd been here nearly 2 weeks. In a few hours, it would be the first day of school in Astoria.
Without even really thinking about it, I made my decision.
I gathered up some of my belongings and threw them in the trunk of the car. I slipped inside, drove quickly out of the
woods and onto the main road heading west.
When I entered the outskirts of Astoria, I ditched the car and slipped some money in the center console for the owner. I
hadn't really damaged it but I felt I owed them something for keeping it so long.
I got my things out of the trunk and headed towards the Cullen's house. It was morning now, but late enough that they would
already be in school and Carlisle likely at work. I got to the house and stepped inside, not sensing anyone. I dropped my
things off in the living room, not bothering to take them upstairs to a bedroom. After I ran off, would I even still be wanted? I
changed clothes, throwing on the first thing I found. I glanced in a mirror quickly to make sure I looked acceptable and
smiled my fashion sense had grown over the years and I realized Alice would be proud of what I threw together.
I slipped into the garage and hesitated. They always tried to drive their least flashy cars when doing the mundane things
like going to school but I wasn't sure if it was acceptable for me to borrow one of theirs. I decided to take mine, regardless
of how ostentatious it may be.
I drove to the hospital and went inside, taking the stairs again to avoid people. As I opened the door onto the 3rd floor, I
immediately spotted Carlisle standing in the hallway holding a clipboard. He heard the door click shut and glanced up,
noticing me.
I didn't need to tell him why I was there. He could read it all over my face. He glanced at his watch and then smiled at me.
"Give me 10 minutes to finish this up and we'll head over to the school."
Carlisle met me down in the parking lot. He furrowed his brow looking at my car, obviously thinking the same thing I had
thought, but shrugged and told me to follow him. We pulled into the school parking lot and I parked in the spot beside
Edwards Volvo.
I followed Carlisle into the main office and took a seat. It didn't take him too long to enroll me. He must've had a hunch I'd
be back today, because he already had all the documentation he needed forged and on him.
Carlisle patted my shoulder as he turned to leave. "Have a good day Bella Cullen," he said with a wink. The name caused
a shiver to roll through me I hadn't considered the fact that he would've given me a new name as his daughter.
The secretary sent me down to the guidance counselor to discuss my placement and enroll in classes. I walked into the
office and was immediately thankful the counselor in charge of making my schedule was a young male; he couldn't have
been a day over 25. I could definitely flirt my way into the classes I wanted. I laughed out loud at the thought, remembering
how Edward had always dazzled the administration at Forks High to get his way.
"Have a seat Isabella," the guy said with a big smile.
"Please, call me Bella," I practically purred. I ran my finger along the nameplate on his desk. "Thank you for taking time out
of your day for me Mr. Ramsey."
His eyes were focused on my bare legs as I sat across from him. I had purposely hitched my skirt up to expose more thigh
when I took my seat. I cleared my throat to get his attention.
"Huh? Oh, yes, Bella". He shook his head to clear it. "Let's see about picking some classes. Any preferences?"
"Actually," I said, leaning forward and allowing him a better view of my chest. My shirt was low cut enough that he could
see the top of my breasts and the beginning of my lacy bra. "It would make me a lot more comfortable, being the new girl
and all, if I was able to have as many classes as possible with my siblings."
"Your siblings?" he mumbled. His eyes were focused solely on my tits. I chuckled, causing them to bounce lightly. I heard
him gasp softly.
"Yes, my siblings especially my brother Edward. He's a junior also. So if I could possibly find a spot in his classes it
would mean a lot to me."
"Umm uh it's kinda against policy for me to show another students schedule to a student." He still wasn't looking at my
face.
"Well you wouldn't really be looking it up for me, would you? You'd be looking it up for yourself. I promise not to look.
Please?" I poked my lip out a bit, giving the pouty look. His eyes finally reached my face again and he sighed, conflicted. I
slowly uncrossed my legs, drawing his attention back to them. I crossed them the other direction, inching my skirt up just a
tad more.
"Uh, yeah, um. Okay. No harm, I guess."
I did a tad more flirting as he typed in his computer, searching for open spots. It took about 20 minutes, but he was able to
get me in 4 of Edward's classes. Edward's first period and last period were filled, but he was able to squeeze me into
Alice's first period so I only had to endure taking a foreign language on my own. I chose Italian quickly, as I spoke it
fluently easy A.
He printed my schedule out for me and handed me a map of the school, going over it quickly. I memorized it with one look
but politely took the paper. A bell rang and Mr. Ramsey smiled.
"That would be lunch. Can you find the cafeteria okay?"
"Yes, sir. I truly appreciate your help. I owe you one." I stood up and gave him a wink, swaying my hips as I walked out the
door. I closed it behind me and could hear him panting, trying to keep his composure.
EPOV:
I walked into the cafeteria and threw myself down at our usual table. The day wasn't even halfway over yet and I was
already about to lose it. I had absolutely no classes with any of my family and the prick of a counselor wouldn't switch any
of them around for me. He was new and cited some bullshit policy forbidding checking student schedules and
coordinating classes, and no amount of persuading would work. I even tried to subtly bribe him but no go. I should've
known when I walked in and his first thought was that I was an 'arrogant dickhead pretty boy' that I wasn't going to have any
luck. The jackass didn't even take the time to listen to my name. I wondered what happened to the counselor from last
year, Mrs. Dial. All I ever had to do was smile at her and she'd agree to anything I asked.
I was thankful when I saw my family approaching with their trays. Alice silently chastised me for not getting any food but I
blew it off.
My first three classes had been horrific. I don't know if it's because of the memory of me actually being nice to a girl last
year or what but the female population in this place had grown brave. I'd be approached more times than I could count
already I've had phone numbers slipped to me, numerous notes. The fantasies were even more outrageous than before
now that they seemed to believe me to be approachable. It was utterly ridiculous; never have I loathed my ability to attract
my prey as I did today. And the incoming freshmen were even worse. All they knew was that I was apparently single and
obviously gorgeous, so they assumed me to be attainable.
I almost felt bad for them almost. They seemed so nave. That was, until I actually had one corner me in the hallway and
proposition me.
It'll get better. Alice thought, sitting down across from me. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair.
I realized that I likely was taking it all worse than I normally would. I've had these situations in other schools, being the only
single one in the group and I endured it without too much irritation. They'd stop, eventually. But today everything was
setting me off. I knew it was because I had allowed myself to hope that maybe this year I wouldn't be alone, maybe I
wouldn't be the odd man out.
Bella had bailed 2 weeks ago, not even saying goodbye. She left everything behind, including her car and her phone, so I
held hope that she wouldn't stay gone long but honestly I wasn't sure anymore. She was unpredictable the only person in
the universe, mortal or immortal, who completely baffled me.
I stole Alice's apple from her tray and started tossing it lightly in the air and catching it. Alice fixed her gaze on me and
narrowed her eyes, attempting to look intimidating. She tried to snatch the apple back but I shifted my chair back so she
couldn't reach. Alice eyes went wide then, gazing beyond me. It looked almost as if she were having a vision so I probed
her mind but all I found was her. Reciting capitals?
I turned around quickly, trying to find the focus of Alice's stare and nearly fell out of my chair. I jumped up quickly, sending
the chair toppling to the ground and capturing the attention of everyone around us. The apple I was tossing hit the ground,
as I'd completely forgot to catch it. But I didn't care all I cared about was what stood a few feet away.
"Bella?" I gasped.
She smiled and sauntered towards us, picking up my chair on the way and pushing it to me. She snatched a chair from
the table beside us, startling the guys sitting there. She said a quick "Hello Boys" in a seductive voice, before turning and
placing the chair at our table.
Bella sat down and crossed her legs. We all stared at her in shock, none of us able to speak.
"What?" She asked, seeing the looks on our faces. "You seriously didn't think I'd skip, did you? What kind of Cullen would
I be if I missed the first day of school?" She had a smirk on her face and shook her head at our expressions.
Bella reached into her purse and pulled out a lollipop. She took the paper off of it and popped it in her mouth. I gasped
and opened my mouth in shock that she was actually consuming human food
"Is that a lollipop?" Emmett asked in disbelief. Bella laughed and nodded.
"Yeah. They're actually the sore throat pops you buy in the kids medicine aisle at the store. They don't mess with the
stomach and taste fairly good." She saw us still gaping and shook her head. "Plus, it makes me look a hell of a lot more
normal than you guys." Emmett laughed in response.
I watched her sucking and licking on the lollipop and I couldn't stop the thoughts going through my head. There was no
doubt Bella turned me on and watching her was only making it worse.
"Are you going to sit down Edward?" she asked, bringing me out of my stupor. I realized I was still standing and laughed
nervously, running my fingers through my hair. I sat down beside her and she smiled slyly at me.
"That's better," she said. Bella leaned closer to me and lightly grazed my earlobe with her lips. I shuddered from the
sensation. "And those fantasies running through that head of yours are highly unnecessary "
My eyes widened when I realized she'd read my thoughts. She'd never admitted to doing that to me before, and I often
wondered if she ever tried. I laughed and apologized, telling her it couldn't be helped.
"I hate to break up the party but what are you doing here anyway?" Rose asked. She flinched at the hostile looks we all
shot her. "I don't mean it to be rude, seriously I'm just curious. Last time I checked, you ran away at the first mention of
you joining the family."
"I had to do some thinking and needed to be alone for it," she stated with a shrug.
Alice immediately plunged into a conversation with Bella and we all chatted. I was still stunned but felt immensely better
having her here.
The bell rang, indicating lunch was over and I groaned loudly.
"What's the matter?" Bella asked, placing her hand on my forearm.
"I don't like the thought of having to walk out of here and leave you to go sit in some class." She chuckled and I looked at
her questioningly, wondering what she found so humorous about what I said.
"Don't be silly Edward, you don't have to leave me." She took my hand and stood up, pulling me out of my chair. She
interlocked our fingers together and smiled as we started walking. "The counselor is quite the pushover. He could only get
me into four of your classes though, so you'll have to suffer without me for first and last periods."
I stopped abruptly, gazing at her with skepticism. Her smile faltered when she saw my face.
"I'm sorry, I should've asked first. I can get them changed"
Her face was heartbreaking and she took her bottom lip in between her teeth, chewing nervously. I worried she was going
to break the skin I knew venom stung but I wasn't sure if your own venom could hurt you if you bit yourself and I didn't
want her to have to find out. I reached my hand up that wasn't holding hers and ran it across her mouth. She let go of her
bottom lip, her lips parting and a breath escaping her. I don't know what overcame me, but I didn't hesitate. I leaned
forward and brushed my lips against hers softly. It was a chaste kiss, and brief, but we both moaned at the sensation. I
smiled at her relaxed face.
"Now you're being silly Bella." She seriously thought I was upset that she had somehow weaseled the dickhead of a
counselor into putting her in my classes. "It's just, I was in that mans office this morning and he wouldn't even entertain the
notion of switching my classes for me so I'm just a bit curious as to how you pulled it off."
She laughed. "You're not the only one who can dazzle now." She playfully bumped me with her hips.
I shook my head and couldn't wipe the smile from my face. I couldn't believe that my Bella was here, holding my hand.
Couldn't believe that I had kissed her, albeit it was an innocent kiss, but regardless she'd enjoyed it.
Bella yanked my arm to get me moving so we weren't late. I pulled out my schedule, noticing Biology was next. I started
laughing and pointed it out to Bella. She chuckled. We stepped into the classroom and the teacher smiled, telling us to
take any seat we wanted. Bella and I plopped down at an empty lab desk in the back
"Well, well Biology class with Edward Cullen again. Who would've thought?" She leaned in to whisper in my ear. "I just
hope he doesn't try to kill me this time".
I laughed loudly, earning looks from the entire class. They were gaping at me in shock. Most of the children in the class I
knew from last year. They weren't used to hearing me make any noise at all, much less laughing uncontrollably. A few
noticed the fact that Bella was still holding my hand under the table, adding to their shock.
The bell rang and the teacher went to close the door but a student burst through it, quickly apologizing for being late. I
noticed it was Melissa, the girl I had spoken to last year. She took a seat at the lab table in from of me.
"Hey Edward," she said, turning around and smiling. I smiled politely and nodded in her direction.
"Hello Melissa." I felt Bella tense slightly beside me for a moment, but it went away quickly.
The teacher started class then, going over the syllabus and other classroom policy nonsense. I tuned her out and decided
to take the moment to truly take in the beautiful woman beside me. She had on a white skirt that fell mid-thigh It looked
soft so I brushed my hand against it casually. Polar fleece, definitely soft. I heard Bella stifle a giggle and cocked an
eyebrow at her, but she just shook her head.
Bella had a low cut navy blue shirt on; from what I could see it was a tank top. She had a polar fleece zip-up jacket on top
of it that matched the skirt, so I couldn't tell for sure. But it was definitely tight fitting; it hugged her lean stomach and
breasts.
I couldn't see her shoes but I believe I remember them as being flats. But the shoes were irrelevant in comparison to
everything else. Her body was immaculate. She definitely developed more curves in transformation, a rounder ass and
plumper breasts.
My eyes were drinking her in, every inch of her. She was fidgeting, which surprised me but only added to it. She played
the human roll well even I couldn't fake the fidgeting bit as well as she was. My mind had started wandering, imagining
what she'd look like naked when a sharp kick to my stool shocked me out of my fantasy.
I looked around quickly, thinking maybe I got called on but the teacher was still droning on. I looked to Bella surprised
she was glaring at me.
"I'm not fidgeting to fit in, you're making me squirm by eye-fucking me," she hissed lowly, only loud enough for me to hear.
Another laugh came out, but I covered it quickly with a fake cough and throat clear.
"I can't help what goes through my mind when I look at you, Bella. It's 'enter at your own risk' when it comes to my head."
Bella rolled her eyes. "Have you always been such a pervert?" I chuckled.
"No I mean, yeah I've always been physically attracted to you. But let's just say I don't plan to take you for granted I
intend to appreciate every bit of you."
Bella smiled seductively, looking me up and down. She focused her attention back to the front of the classroom, having no
response to what I said.
The rest of biology flew by quickly. Bella and I walked hand-in-hand to our next class, which was English. This teacher
wasn't as nice as the first and assigned seats, but thankfully we shared a common last name at school and it was
arranged alphabetically.
Needless to say, English drug by slowly. I was able to feel the electricity coming from her the entire time; it was a feeling
I'd missed immensely. When the bell rang, I grabbed Bella's hand and led her into the halls.
I walked her to her next class, which was Italian. I couldn't hang around, because my class was on the other side of
campus, so I quickly kissed her hand and took off.
Sixth period was worst of all. I couldn't see or feel Bella, and I had to sit there for an entire hour knowing exactly where she
was but being unable to go to her.
When the bell rang I sprinted to the parking lot. Bella was already there, leaning against her car and chatting with Alice,
who was leaning against mine. She waved when she saw me approaching and I smiled. I slid in between her and Alice,
wrapping my arms around Bella and hugging tightly.
"I missed you too," she giggled, hugging me back.
It's nice to see you guys like this again. Alice conveyed to me. I had expected her to huff in annoyance that I interrupted
their conversation but she didn't. She was genuinely happy for us. And Alice's moods have improved significantly. She
was no longer the shell she had been over the years with Bella gone. Back was our chirpy little pixie.
We stood embracing for a while the students filtering into the parking lot gawked at us, taken aback by this mysterious
new girl who I had my arms wrapped around.
We finally pulled away from each other when Emmett threatened physical violence. I honestly wasn't sure he had a chance
in hell at taking down Bella, but I really didn't want to see him try.
*Chapter 32*: 32: Nylon Smile
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight Share

Looking out I want to know someone might care

Looking out I want a reason to be there
Cause I don't know what I've done to deserve you
And I don't know what I'll do without you
"Nylon Smile" - Portishead
BPOV:
"Bella, that's fucking crazy," Emmett said. I had expected him to be horrorstruck honestly, because I was, but his voice
sounded oddly excited. I shook my head only Emmett would be excited about this.
It had been a month since my return-since the first day of school. Things were going well, I was adjusting to living a
civilized life with a true family again. School was easy; Not only was I 'learning' information I already knew, but I had the
added benefit of tapping into Edwards powers and plucking answers out of peoples head if I came upon a question I don't
know the answer to. It also came quite in handy for when we aren't paying attention and got called on. It frustrated the
teachers like hell they knew for a fact we hadn't paid them a bit of attention but yet we always knew the answers and
aced everything. Our biology teacher was convinced we were geniuses and gushed over us, whereas the English teacher
had been convinced we were cheating and moved me to the back of the classroom and away from Edward. He did it
yesterday and was convinced we'd both fail miserably now. I couldn't wait to prove him wrong.
Edward and Carlisle had both been shocked when they found out I had never graduated high school. I wasn't sure why
they hadn't figured it out sooner; as for all intents and purposes I died in the midst of my senior year at Forks High and had
no reason to bother with a high school degree while with the Volturi. They were both excited now; knowing that next year
when I graduate it will be my first diploma. I didn't think it was a big deal, as it was simply a piece of paper.
The day after my lack of diploma came to light, Emmett cornered me when Edward was in the shower. He wanted to
make a bet he bet me that within 3 days, Edward would be looking into colleges already. I scoffed, because we had just
started our junior year and there was no reason to even think of college at this point and took him up on it. I knew Edward
liked to plan ahead and overreacted often, but the notion that he'd be stressing about college already was ridiculous. He'd
been to a few colleges and it wasn't like we had to study hard or stress about SATs we'd get in anywhere we wanted to
go, anytime.
The very next day, I got home from a shopping trip with Alice to find Emmett laughing hysterically. I asked him what was
going on and he merely pointed at Carlisle's office. I stepped into the office, stunned by what I saw. I narrowed my eyes
and huffed. Edward was sitting at Carlisle's laptop with a copy of the Princeton Review in front of him, researching
colleges.
Edward was truly excited over the whole college prospect and didn't get too bent out of shape when he found out we'd
made a bet about him, so I tried not to take my frustration out on him. I was, however, frustrated that I'd agreed to and lost
a bet without clarification of the consequences first. I had been so sure I'd win that I pretty much guaranteed Emmett
whatever prize he wanted, figuring it couldn't be too bad.
But I had been wrong. Emmett told me that because I lost, I had to tell him the number. The dreaded number that even I
wasn't sure of. So I'd spent an entire week, writing them down and going through things to calculate the total. Emmett was
stunned that I had to sort it out; I assume he expected me to simply just know. But I didn't because I wasn't sure I ever
wanted to really know myself. But I'd made a bet and lost, and I'd honor it.
Four days in I had to ask for clarification as to how broad he wanted the number to be. The question caught him off guard-
he couldn't answer it. Told me to just figure it out a lot of help he was.
But now here I stood, in Emmett's room, standing in front of a splintered and broken bed frame that had been completely
intact hours ago, exorcising my demons.
He wanted to know how many vampires I'd destroyed. I asked if they counted if I had help, or if he only wanted how many
I'd done single-handedly. He wanted both answers. I thought about giving him a hard time and saying he only got one but
figured there was no point. I had to calculate it all up, may as well be out with it.
The number had shocked me, and I had a feeling the entire family was going to be appalled. Edward comforted me and
told me it didn't matter to him how many creatures I've destroyed, but the fact was it did bother me.
So I had walked in Emmett's room and just blurted it out.
"1,523 826 were solely by my hands alone. I didn't include Tanya though, so maybe it's 1,524 I don't know. I didn't
really touch her."
I heard Esme gasp downstairs when I said it but Emmett didn't react with horror. He simply said, "Bella, that's fucking
crazy."
I nodded in agreement because regardless of how he meant that statement, it was true. It was fucking crazy.
I didn't stick around and offer explanations or stories I knew he'd ask and probably at some point I'd share. But as for
today, all he was getting was the number.
I bounded down the steps and found Edward sitting at the piano, ghosting over the keys. He gave me a small smile he'd
heard my confession and wanted to comfort me, but was unsure of how to do so.
Things with Edward had gotten better. We touched more held hands constantly. The hum that went through both of us
when our skin connected was indescribable and we reveled in it as much as possible. If it was that overwhelming just by
our hands connecting, I couldn't even begin to imagine what it was going to be like when the rest of us combined.
We hadn't taken that step, hadn't even gotten close. We did kiss, and the kisses had grown more intense over the past
four weeks but no clothes were ever removed. We were both anxious for it to happen but neither of us spoke about it
Edward had never asked if my virtue was intact and I'd never willingly confessed that it wasn't. I think he assumed it was
and I felt as if I had an obligation to tell him, but was afraid of his reaction at the fact that I'd given myself to another man.
I, however, knew Edward was still a virgin Emmett still occasionally teased him about it. And I felt like I was lying to him
by omission. I'd already confessed one dirty secret today figured another would be the icing on the cake.
I plopped down beside Edward on the piano bench. He leaned over and kissed me softly. "I heard," he whispered.
"Are you ashamed?" I asked nervously. He chuckled and shook his head.
"Honestly as long as it took you to count it up, I was expecting a lot more. And here I thought math was your strong suit," he
said playfully. I punched him lightly on the arm.
"It was hard to remember how many newborns I took out in the south a few years back it was a long week and they were
coming out of the woodwork."
Edward nodded. "Ah yes, the vampires in the south always loved their newborn armies."
"Yeah Jasper made a name for himself with newborn armies. They still talk about him." Edward cocked an eyebrow at
me.
"Do the Volturi know everything we've done?"
It was the first time Edward had directly asked me a question about the Volturi. I thought for a minute about the answer.
"Some, but not all. They of course know all about Carlisle. They knew what Rose had done to those men they know
about Jaspers role in the south. They know very little about Alice, Esme, and Emmett but only because there's not much to
know. Basically they know anything that could potentially become a problem."
"And me?"
I sighed. "They knew about your little vigilantly streak years ago that's what they called it when you rebelled and hunted
only evil humans. And they knew about you falling in love with a human."
He looked at me surprised. "They knew about that?"
I nodded. "They thought it was amusing. They often mocked me, sometimes even to my face, not knowing it was me
they were ridiculing." I saw him clench his fist, obviously getting upset. "Don't worry though, I got the last laugh. They'd
never dare mock me to my face."
"Why would they even care? We weren't hurting them."
I sighed. "I was a human Edward, they felt I had to have known too much. It was risky in their opinion. Actually, they were on
alert and dangerously close to descending upon Forks looking for me but called it off when they heard that you had a
change of heart and left."
"I may have left but I never had a change of heart," He said sternly, looking at me intently. "You know, it's hard to believe
you hold as much power as you do you seem like just the same Bella to me, the beautiful compassionate creature I fell
in love with."
I would've blushed had I still been human. I gave him a sheepish smile. "Will you play for me?" I asked, motioning towards
the piano in front of us.
"Uh, sure" he said, sounding a bit uncertain. I hadn't actually gotten to hear him play again since my return. I found out he
played the night Carlisle asked me to stay but by the time he had pressed down on the keys I'd already been gone.
He started off with a few random notes, improvising. It morphed into my lullaby, which he played passionately. He had a
big smile on his face and kept eyeing me. After playing my lullaby for a while, it morphed again into some improvising
before he slowed to a stop. I looked at him questioningly, wondering why he stopped so soon. He shrugged.
"There's plenty of time for piano later," he said casually. "I actually want to show you something."
He took my hand and I expected him to lead me outside, but we headed for the stairs instead. He led us into his bedroom
and shut the door behind us.
I'd spent a lot of time in this room lately. When first moving in, I kept my stuff in the guest bedroom. Edward hadn't even
had a bed in his room, and although it was completely unnecessary I liked the idea of having one. I could never sleep
again, but I enjoyed laying in bed when I had down time. Edward figured this out on his own, after having discovered me a
few times snuggled under the covers in bed in the guest room, and a few days ago had a bed delivered for his room. He
didn't say anything to me about it, no explanation as to why he suddenly bought a bed, but I understood. Edward had no
expectations of me but what he didn't lack was hope. He hoped one day to have a full relationship with me, and everything
that a relationship entailed. He wanted me to be comfortable in his space, because he hoped that one day it wouldn't be
his anymoreit would be ours. He wanted to share everything with me, including a bed. And I know that he wanted to
make love to me in that bed, and I wanted him to. But I couldn't, not until I came clean.
Needless to say, over the past two weeks more and more of my stuff started finding its way across the hall into Edward's
room, and I ended up snuggling under the covers of his bed when the urge hit.
Edward stepped into the closet and pulled a black box from the top shelf. "Bella can you grab me the little key under the
couch cushion?"
I stuck my hand down and found it. I handed it to Edward and he smiled. I'd seen the box in his closet but never questioned
what was inside. Curiosity was getting the best of me, so I peeked over his shoulder as he unlocked it.
It was full of mementos ticket stubs, pictures, and papers. He sorted through them and pulled out a picture, handing it to
me. I gasped when I saw it.
"It's our picture," I said softly, stating the obvious. He nodded. I smiled at the sight of him and I together so many years
ago. It was worn and I could tell it had been manhandled often, but I could still make out the subtle blushing on my cheeks.
Edward sorted through the box and pulled out a CD and an envelope that still held a drop of my blood on it He handed
me everything he had taken from my room when he left.
"I still can't believe you took all of this from me when you left," I said, shaking my head.
"Actually I didn't you had it the whole time. I didn't take it until the night of your funeral, I snuck in." I eyed him, confused. "I
hid it under a floorboard in your bedroom. I didn't like the idea of taking it away but didn't want you to have to be
reminded."
I nodded, now understanding why the floorboard was askew, and chuckled. "Like taking a picture would've helped me
forget. I actually found your hiding spot, but it wasn't until Charlie's funeral and of course there was nothing there then."
He smiled apologetically as I handed the items back to him. "They're yours Bella, keep them."
"Thank you but I don't want them to get damaged so can you still store them in your box?" His face lit up slightly and he
nodded.
I walked over to his bed, pulled the covers back and slid in. Edward put the box back in the closet and sat down on the
leather couch as usual. Even though the bed was technically his, he never joined me in it. At first I thought he wasn't fond of
it, but I walked in and caught him laying face down on it, inhaling my pillow one afternoon. I realized then that Edward never
joined me in the bed because I never asked him to. It was silly of me to think he'd just dive right in on his own he'd been
doing everything possible to let me lead and follow my cues.
Edward picked up the remote and turned on the stereo so soft classical music played. He started thumbing through a
magazine that was lying beside him, as he usually did when I lay in bed. He always gave me my peace and quiet but never
left.
"Edward?" I said after a moment. He looked up over the magazine at me. "Would you lay with me?" I asked softly.
He looked surprised and hesitated for a moment, but put the magazine down on the couch and stood up. He walked
slowly to the other side of the bed, pulled the covers down and slid in. We lay facing each other, not touching but close
enough that I could feel and smell every exhale. We just gazed in each other's eyes silently.
"What's the matter Bella?" he asked after awhile. I furrowed my brow at his question. "I can tell something's been
bothering you. You can tell me anything, you know."
I sighed and nodded. "I know. It's just I need to tell you something. And I've wanted to, but it never seems like the right
moment."
"No better time than right now," he said casually, but I could see the concern in his eyes. "Just spit it out, it can't be that
bad. Whatever it is, we'll deal."
"I" I started, unsure of how to say it. I had sex? I'm not a virgin? I gave myself to another man? I've been deflowered?
I took a deep breath and started again. "I've been with someone." I said it so softly, I wasn't sure if he'd catch it. I was no
longer looking at him, but from my peripheral I could see him freeze up and stop breathing.
"I know," he said equally as soft after a while. I looked at him then, confused. What did he mean, he knew? He was staring
at me, his face and eyes laced with sadness.
"When we were in Volterra, someone may have eluded to the fact that you'd been intimate with another guard member."
"Felix," I said dryly after a moment. Edward nodded.
"He was quite crude. I probably would've found out from Demetri himself, but you kept his mind pretty guarded."
"I'm sorry," I whispered. Edward sighed, and reached his hand out to stroke my cheek.
"Don't apologize. I've actually wanted to bring it up I'm surprised you never caught me thinking about it. It was such a
brief thought in the background in Volterra that it honestly never even registered with me until recently. I've wanted to talk to
you about Demetri before I even put the pieces together. It's hard to reconcile that the things I heard Isa did was actually
my Bella doing it, but even before it struck me that I'd heard Isa had been intimate with Demetri I sensed some type of
bond there."
"We were both hurting and used each other as a crutch. It was innocent at first he actually convinced me to leave them
and seek out the man I loved. And I did, and that's when I saw what I did in Canada and misunderstood. I ran back to
Volterra, shattered, and Demetri was there to try to put the pieces back together. It wasn't romantic we were just trying
to hold ourselves together."
"It's all my fault," Edward said, his voice filled with regret. I shook my head.
"You can't blame yourself Edward. When I was with the Volturi, everyone thought I was a machine. A cold calculated
soldier. I never spoke; I stayed guarded and barely acknowledged anyone's presence. I simply did what I was asked to
do. The only person who saw through it was Demetri. He knew I wasn't silent and isolated out of ruthlessness he saw
how fragile I truly was. Demetri and I were never in love. Our hearts eternally belong to others. But I'll always have a part of
me that cares for him and is thankful for all he's done. I hope you can understand that."
Edward sighed. I closed my eyes; worried about how he'd respond he'd always been possessive and I was frightened
he'd react badly to my confessing to caring for Demetri. I was braced for him yelling from anger or possibly some self-
loathing. I was prepared for him to push me away. I was even prepared for him to declare he'd exact revenge on Demetri
out of jealousy. But I wasn't prepared for what he did do.
Absolutely nothing.
I almost thought he had fled the room, but the bed hadn't shifted and I could still feel his cool breath on my face. After a few
moments of complete silence I squinted one of my eyes open to peek at him.
His face was relaxed, a small smile playing on his lips. He was gazing at me with adoration. There was no sign of jealousy
or anger or sadness written in his features. He seemed completely at peace.
Confused, I quickly shot my shield out as far as it would go and searched for Jasper. I felt him in the library and tapped into
his energy. When I focused it on Edward, I felt my heart swell and was overcome with nothing but complete and utter love
and devotion. It was so intense it made me gasp loudly, my eyes widening. Edward laughed.
"What was that?" he asked.
I smiled and giggled. "You really do love me."
*Chapter 33*: 33: Moondance
A/N: Folks, I now present you with... a LEMON! ;) Some sexin' is long overdue. And give the song Share
props, it's Van Morrison (Rob's favorite!)
Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight.

Well I wanna make love to you tonight

I can't wait till the morning has come
And I know now the time is just right
And straight into my arms you will run
And when you come my heart will be waiting
To make sure that you're never alone
There and then all my dreams will come true dear
There and then I will make you my own
And every time I touch you, you just tremble inside
And I know how much you want me that, you can't hide...
"Moondance" - Van Morrison
EPOV:
Bella lay facing me, her eyes tightly shut. She seemed braced for something her nose was scrunched up and her
forehead wrinkled. Normally I would have been concerned and made an attempt to alleviate whatever burdened her, but
she was entirely too cute for me to put an end to it yet. She looked like a little kid, nervous and afraid of punishment for
breaking one of her parents' favorite possessions, bracing herself for the worst. I held back my laughter, not wanting to
completely startle her.
She had just confessed to caring for Demetri, the man who was her first and thus far only lover. I'd heard about it in
passing in Volterra but it never really registered until recently. About 2 weeks ago I had been out hunting with Emmett and
he jokingly asked if I was ever going to man up and deflower Bella. I shrugged him off as I usually did when he made
offensive remarks, but later when I was moseying around waiting on Emmett to finish his hunt I started to think about it
and then it struck me. Bella wasn't a virgin.
The jealousy that shot through me at the realization was strong I snapped a few trees in half and succeeded in scaring
away all of the wildlife in a 5 mile radius. It may have been irrational but I felt murderous. I wanted to hop on the first plane
to Italy and dismember the guy that obviously took advantage of her.
Oddly enough it had been our most irrational family member to talk sense into me. I told him nothing was wrong at first, but
he saw through me. Emmett seemed amused when I told him that Bella was intimate with someone in Volterra and told
me I was being unreasonable. When I told him it had been Demetri, he laughed out loud. Emmett reminded me that it had
been Demetri that saved Bella's life and it had been Demetri that brought Bella back into our lives, so for me to want to rip
him to pieces was ridiculous. It was obvious he had never hurt Bella or pushed himself on her Emmett reminded me that
Bella was quite tough and no one would do to her what she didn't want done.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that Emmett was rightI was being unreasonable. In Volterra, Demetri's
thoughts had been quite pure. I had been surprised that such a highly regarded guard was frankly downright calm and
rational. Demetri was known for his hard no-nonsense attitude, but he'd been hopeful to get us out of Italy in one piece.
Far cry from the calculating solider that was rumored to enjoy destroying anything he could.
He'd been good to my Bella. When I wasn't there for her, he had been.
After a few days the jealousy had diminished. I was secure in my love with Bella she was here with me. She had given
up her power and status in our world to attend high school in a small dreary town just so that she could be with me. Nothing
else mattered. It didn't matter what she had done living in Italy under the alias of Isa the only thing that mattered was that
she had chosen me, that she loved me.
And now she was completely paranoid that I was going to snap. But all I could think about, all I felt was how much I loved
the woman lying in front of me. How much that love consumed me, every inch of me.
Bella peeked one eye open and eyed me cautiously. After a moment her eyes popped open wide and she gasped loudly.
I couldn't stop the laugh that erupted from me at her sudden response.
"What was that?" I asked.
"You really do love me." She said in surprise. I laughed again, louder this time.
"Of course I do. And you love me. And that's all that matters." Bella smiled in response and giggled.
I ran my hand along her cheek and jaw line, causing her eyes to flutter closed. My fingers moved down her neck and
across her collarbone, softly caressing the exposed skin. She moaned.
"Can we go somewhere Bella?" I asked softly. She smiled and opened her eyes. When she said yes, I took her hand and
led her to the window. She cocked an eyebrow at me, making me laugh. I'd taught her how to do that the week before I
had a habit of doing it and she tried to mock me but was convinced her eyebrows only worked in sync.
"I'd rather not have to walk through the house full of people right now," I said, answering her unasked question. She
nodded in understanding and quickly leapt out of the window.
I followed and took off into a sprint when I reached the ground. She quickly followed suit but was unable to pass me
Bella may have been nearly indestructible but she wasn't as fast as me.
I slowed when we neared the field of flowers I had shown her weeks ago. It was nearly the middle of the afternoon and a
rare completely cloudless day. Bella clasped my hand when I slowed to a walk and shot me a big smile.
We walked out into the field and Bella stopped, inhaling the sweet scent. She took off skipping, causing me to chuckle. I
stood back and watcher her twirl and dance to some melody that only she could hear. She was so carefree and cheerful
and smiling radiantly. She was literally glowing with happiness and sparkling under the sunlight. I loved her so much it
nearly hurt.
I sauntered across the field, picking a single pink flower that caught my eye along the way. Bella had stopped twirling and
was standing with her arms straight up in the air, her head cocked back and her eyes closed. She was smiling brightly,
absorbing the sunlight and allowing it to warm her skin.
I stopped in front of her, catching her attention. She dropped her arms and opened her eyes, gazing lovingly at me. I
twirled the flower in front of her and surprisingly, her smile was able to grow. I'd never seen Bella happier.
"Edward Cullen picked a pink flower?" she said playfully. I shrugged and tucked it behind her ear.
"It's nearly the same exact color you used to blush, love." She giggled and wrapped her arms around my neck. I placed my
hands on her hips, rubbing light circles with my thumbs. We stared in each other's eyes, seeing our love reflected back.
Bella's eyes shifted to my lips after a moment before quickly going back to my eyes. Her lips were parted slightly in
anticipation. I leaned in, lightly brushing her lips with mine, causing a soft moan to escape her. I kissed her again, a little
firmer but still innocently. Bella started playing with the hair on the back of my head, running her fingers through my locks
and caressing the back of my neck.
I ran my tongue across her bottom lip, asking for entrance. Her lips parted more and our kissing deepened. Our tongues
caressed one another, our venom mixing. I'd always loved the taste of Bella's kisses but now it was even more
intoxicating. Her venom was the sweetest thing I'd ever tasted; her kisses were nearly enough to bring me to my knees.
Her fingers were deep in my hair now, her nails lightly scraping against my scalp. I groaned at the sensation and pulled
her closer to me. My hands started roaming, stroking her sides and small of her back. Bella moaned, deepening our kiss
even more. She bit my lip gently, tugging on it before running her tongue across it. A growl rumbled in my chest and I
broke from her mouth to move to her neck.
I kissed and sucked on her neck, eliciting deep groans from her. Bella threw her head back, giving me better access. I
moved to the dip in her throat, licking it gently. I nibbled on her collarbones, placing kisses along them afterwards.
Bella was pulling on my hair, trying to get me even closer to her. She was squirming against me and breathing hard, her
chest heaving. I ran my hands along the small of her back again before dipping below the hemline of her shirt and running
them up her back under her clothes. She tugged on me, pulling me off of her neck and back up to her face. She kissed me
once, passionately, our tongues battling for control, before she dipped her head down and started kissing along my jaw
line. She kissed down my neck before nibbling at my Adams apple.
I grabbed the bottom of Bella's shirt and pulled it up slightly. Bella leaned back some, allowing me to tug it up over her
head. She quickly went back to sucking on my neck and I tossed her shirt to the ground beside us. Bella brought her
hands down and started slowly unbuttoning my shirt, never taking her lips off of me. When she got the last button done she
slipped it off my shoulders and allowed it to fall to the ground.
Our hands both started roaming each other's bodies. I ran my fingers along her shoulders and down the dip in between
her breasts before caressing her stomach. Bella grazed her fingernails over my nipples, causing a hiss to escape me. I
reached around to undo her bra but hesitated when I reached the clasps. We'd never gone any farther than this, and I had
to gauge whether or not she was okay with proceeding.
I pulled back slightly, causing her lips to break from my skin. She looked at me questioningly, and I just fingered the clasp
silently asking if it was okay. She chuckled and reached behind her, her hands brushing mine as she undid the clasp
herself. It fell forward and Bella shrugged it off of her shoulders and to the ground.
I groaned loudly at the sight of her. Her breasts were firm and round, perfectly proportioned. I grazed her nipples lightly
with the palm of my hand, causing them to perk up and Bella to throw her head back and moan. I started massaging both
breasts and leaned so my lips were at her ear.
"Perfect," I whispered softly.
Bella rubbed her hands up and down my back, her fingernails scraping the skin. It felt amazing, sending tingles down my
spine. I started kissing her neck again before dipping down and kissing her left breast lightly. I took her nipple into my
mouth, sucking and flicking it with my tongue. Bella groaned, her hands going back to my hair and tugging again. I moved
on to her right breast next, giving it the same treatment as the first. I got on my knees and kissed down her stomach,
flicking my tongue in her belly button, causing her to laugh lightly as it tickled her. When I reached the top of her jeans I
looked up to find Bella watching me. I cocked an eyebrow at her and she giggled, nodding. I put my hands on her hips and
stood back up. Bella looked at me confused but I just smiled and picked her up bridal style. She laughed and leaned over
to kiss my lips quickly. I laid her down gently in the flowers and hovered overtop of her, kissing her lips passionately. I
placed kisses down her jaw and neck as I brought my hand down and unbuttoned her jeans. She lifted her hips up so I
could tug her jeans down. I slipped them off of her and sat up on my knees.
I inhaled sharply at the sight before me. Bella laid spread out in nothing but a pair of black lacy boy shorts, every inch of
her body glittering in the sunlight. I placed my hands on her knees and ran them up her inner thighs, causing a shiver to roll
through her. I was staring into her eyes, which were completely black with hunger. It wasn't bloodlust consuming her, it was
pure desire. She was hungry for meand only me.
I growled, the thought of her needing me as much as I needed her bringing out the animal inside of me. I grabbed the
sides of her panties and slid them off of her, throwing them over my shoulder. Bella started to laugh but the force of my lips
crashing upon hers cut her off quickly. Our kiss was intense and deep.
Bella's hands went back into my hair I held myself up with one arm and brought my other hand down to caress her
stomach before rubbing over her mound lightly. She moaned loudly, a primal growl escaping her when my fingers reached
her clit.
I grazed her folds and clit lightly, her juices wetting my fingers. She started lifting her hips, trying to attain more friction. I
pressed down harder as I rubbed her clit, causing her to writhe. I was kissing and nibbling around her breasts, taking her
nipples in my mouth and sucking. My fingers found Bella's entrance and I slipped two inside, taking my thumb and
continually rubbing circles on her clit as I pumped my fingers in and out.
Bella gasped when my fingers entered her and moaned. It only took a minute before she started tensing up, her moans
escalating into growls. It sounded so animalistic, the sound going straight to my erection, causing it to throb hard. Bella
clenched around my fingers, screaming as she exploded into orgasm. She clawed at my back and pulled on my hair hard,
shaking as her body convulsed.
When her orgasm subsided I removed my hand and brought my fingers to my lips. I licked her juices off of me her
venom seeping out of her sex was amazing.
She was smiling brightly, completely relaxed, and I couldn't help but chuckle as I lightly kissed her neck.
Bella's hands undid the button on my pants, tugging them down. I helped her pull them off and tugged my boxers down with
them. Bella's eyes were fixed on my erection as it sprang free, seeing it for the first time. It was twitching with anticipation,
harder than I ever thought imaginable. She reached down and gripped it tightly; I hissed and threw my head back at the
feeling of her fingers wrapped around the shaft.
She started stroking it slowly, rubbing her thumb along the head lightly and spreading around the juices that prematurely
leaked out. It was the greatest torture I'd ever felt. She was staring at me, a look of pure lust on her face. She needed this
as much as I did, she needed me inside of her as much as I needed to be there.
I leaned down and kissed Bella deeply, my tongue exploring every inch of her mouth. She groaned and let go of my
erection, bring her arms up and wrapping them around me tightly.
I knew this wasn't her first time, but I wanted to be careful and slow none-the-less. There would be plenty of time for pure
raw animalistic sex later. I wanted to make love to her, as I was the only one who could ever do that. We loved each other
and neither of us would ever love another. Even though Bella had yet to be able to say the words out loud, I knew she loved
meit was written all over her face. She was mine, and I was hers. She was giving herself to me, all of her, and she could
have everything she ever wanted or needed from me.
I placed myself between Bella's legs. She pulled her knees up, opening herself wider and giving me better access. We
both groaned loudly when the head of my erection found her entrance. I pushed forward, entering her slowly. I paused
when I was completely inside, giving us both time to adjust to the feeling. She was tight and fit around me like a glove. The
heat radiating out of her and wrapping around me was overwhelming, unlike anything I ever imagined. Bella was trembling
beneath me, running her hands up and down my arms as I hovered over her.
I started moving, nearly pulling out before filling her completely again. Bella brought her hips up to meet each thrust,
bringing me in as deep as possible. We went slowly, neither of us in a rush for it to be over. My lips never left Bella, we
kissed passionately and I'd lick and kiss every centimeter of her skin that I could reach.
I felt Bella clench around me, she tensed up and screamed my name as her body was rocked with orgasm. After the
convulsions stopped, I nibbled on her earlobe and licked and softly blew in her ear, sending her body into another round of
orgasm nearly instantly. She was whimpering and moaning, running her hands all over my body as I slid in and out of her.
As Bella was hit with another orgasm, I felt my own body tense up. We reached release together me exploding inside of
her as she clenched around me, milking every drop I could give. I screamed and violently shook as I came, growling
Bella's name.
My arms gave out and I nearly collapsed on top of her, but rolled over quickly beside her, pulling myself out of her. Bella
whimpered at the loss of contact and rolled on top of me, her face in the crook of my neck and her arms around my chest. I
chuckled and wrapped my arms around her tightly, kissing her on top of her head.
"I love you, my Bella."
"I love you too, Edward," she whispered without hesitation.
*Chapter 34*: 34: Yearnin
A/N: Once again you can find all of the songs on my profile... also, theres a link to Bella's dress and Share
shoes I mention in my profile. I absolutely love the dress, anyone wanna buy it for me ;) lol
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

Oh baby what I would do

For one minute alone with you
You got me trembling way down inside
And your love I just can't hide
"Yearnin'" - The Black Keys
BPOV:
We walked back toward the house slowly, holding hands. The sun had just risen, or so we assumed anyway it was so
cloudy today that we couldn't see actually see it. We lay in the field all night long, just holding each other and kissing and
touching.
We didn't want to leave the flower field and head home. The field was now what the meadow had been to us in Forks
our own little piece of heaven on earth. But as daylight started to break, we knew we needed to put our clothes back on
and head back to civilization.
The sun rising indicated that it was now Monday, which meant we had school.
Edward pulled our hands up to his lips and placed a small kiss on the back of my hand. He was truly glowing I never
really understood what people meant when they talked about the post-coital glow until this moment.
"They're going to be able to tell, aren't they?" I asked as we neared the back yard. I already knew the real answer but was
hoping Edward would tell me otherwise. He chuckled and nodded.
I groaned loudly, as I wasn't in the mood for any of their joking this morning. "What if I put you in my shield? Jasper won't
be able to feel it then." I was grasping at straws and I knew it. Edward laughed and shook his head.
"Won't work, you'll still smell." I looked at him horrorstruck, causing him to laugh even harder. "No I'm not saying you stink
Bella. Sex has a familiar scent and Emmett of all people can smell it a mile away. I guarantee he's already caught a whiff
of it, so there will be no running to the shower quick enough to escape his notice."
I groaned again as we stepped out of the tree line. The back door of the house flung open with a loud crash and Emmett
stood in the doorway with a big grin on his face.
"Well Well Well, what do you have here?" Emmett's loud voice boomed and echo'ed off the trees. Edward and I both
cringed as we heard laughter ring out in the house.
"Told you," Edward whispered. I closed my eyes and shook my head.
"Emmett, leave them alone!" Esme yelled from inside the house. Emmett laughed.
"Ah c'mon mom, your son left a boy and came home a man this is cause for celebration!" Laughter rang out again, and
this time Esme even had a hard time stifling the chuckle.
Edward groaned and rolled his eyes. We were getting closer and I could see Emmett wiggling his eyebrows at us
suggestively. He must've been taunting Edward in his mind because Edward started growling lightly.
"Emmett," I snapped in warning. He ignored me and I heard Edward growl again louder. Something was really bothering
him.
I shot my shield around them both and used some of Edward's energy. I listened as Emmett silently told Edward not to
worry, he'd get better, and maybe in time he'd be able to successfully please a woman.
My mouth dropped open in shock. I stopped abruptly and swung Edward around to face me. His growling stopped and he
looked at me in surprise. I leapt up and wrapped my legs around his waist and kissed him passionately. Edward was
stunned momentarily but quickly recovered and deepened the kiss. I groaned loudly, fisting my hands in his hair as his
hands went to my ass. I bit his lip, bringing something primal out of him. He broke our kiss and went for my neck, biting
and sucking. I growled at the sensation.
A throat clearing loudly brought us out of it. Edward stopped his attack on my neck and I turned my head to look at the
house. Carlisle stood in the doorway. I dropped down off of Edward and smiled sheepishly. Edward chuckled as he
straightened his clothes out.
Carlisle shook his head and looked at his watch. "You don't want to be late for school," he said. He tried to keep his face
straight and sound stern, but his eyes danced with amusement and his lips were fighting to turn up in the corners.
We both nodded. I walked past him into the house with Edward behind me. Carlisle patted Edward on the back when he
entered and must've said something silently because Edward nodded and thanked him.
We showered separately at my insistence, causing Edward to pout. We were both in such a haze of lust still that if we
were to get naked in each other presence we'd likely never make it to school. The others had already left and we were
already going to be late so we took our time neither of us were really excited about having to sit through an hour of 1st
period without the other anyway.
I was feeling sexy, still on a high from our night, so I decided to dress up. I threw on my favorite Alexander McQueen
dress it was multicolored, mainly white, black, and pink printed, with cap sleeves and it fell near the knees. It was
inspired to look like a diamond or crystal would look like up close and always reminded me of a kaleidoscope. The dress
was modest, but sexy. I threw on a simple pair of black Christian Louboutin pumps to top it off. I bought them both back in
Italy and hadn't worn the dress for Edward yet my entire outfit cost more than most of the cars parked in Astoria High
School's parking lot.
I walked into the bedroom where Edward was waiting and he cocked an eyebrow at me. "Are you seriously wearing that
to school?"
"Yeah why?" I asked, suddenly nervous and feeling self-conscious.
He shook his head slowly. "Do you want me to have to drag you off to a janitors closet somewhere today?"
"My, my, my who are you and what have you done with the innocent Edward Cullen?" I asked playfully.
"I think we left him back there picking pink flowers," Edward mumbled. I laughed loudly and started gathering up our
school stuff, which somehow over the weekend ended up scattered all around the room.
"Bella?" Edward said softly after a minute. I turned to look at him; he looked worried about something.
"Yeah?" I asked
"Was it, uh, okay?" he asked hesitantly, nervousness etched on his features. "I mean, I've never so I dunno, I just hope"
he trailed off, looking at the ground.
I was silently fuming Edward had walked out of that field not long ago completely content and secure, floating on cloud
9, and Emmett had to go cause him to doubt himself again.
I sighed and crouched down in front of Edward when he refused to bring his eyes up to look at me. I had hitched my dress
up so I didn't rip it, accidentally flashing him my pink panties, causing him to inhale sharply and snap his eyes shut.
"Edward?" I said softly. He opened his eyes and looked at me. "It wasn't okay. Okay doesn't do it justice. It was more like
spectacular amazing mind blowing. And those words don't even seem to do it the justice it deserves."
He eyed me suspiciously, searching my face for any sign of deceit.
"You gave me my first orgasm Edward." His eyes went wide in shock at my confession. I'd never gotten off with Demetri
and had never partaken in self-gratification. "Well, you gave me my second, third, and fourth also."
His face was softer now but he still seemed skeptical. He laughed lightly.
"I know you feel the electricity between us it's always been there. But when we were together it was a million times more
intense. What we did was beautiful and nothing will ever match up to it. I never imagined it could ever be like that, not even
in my wildest dreams. I love you Edward Cullen, you were made for me and last night reaffirmed it in my mind. So stop
doubting yourself and quit listening to Emmett, because you're a fucking natural at that shit."
I ended my rant by standing up and grabbing our backpacks and leaving the room. Edward followed me silently we
reached the garage and he headed towards the Volvo but I stopped him.
"It's a special occasion, let's take the Aero." He smiled and nodded, holding his hand out for the keys. "Wait, who said you
could drive it?" He poked his lip out, giving me his best pout. I laughed and tossed the keys at him.
We arrived at school just in time for 2nd period. All the mindless chit chat and rumors had finally started dying down now
that the student body had grown used to the fact that Edward Cullen had a girlfriend I realize it was awkward at first,
considering I was his newly adopted sister, but Carlisle concocted a great cover story. I was evidently Edward's old
girlfriend, we met in the foster care system and Carlisle had finally been able to bring me into their home. A few of the
females were hostile and jealous still, but none of them dared approach Edward or confront me. They sat silently,
wallowing and hating, while smiling to my face and attempting to be my friend. Edward had told me that was how Jessica
Stanley had been back in Forks, shocking me completely. I had thought she was really my friend.
The first few classes passed quickly, as did lunch. We spent the hour in the car, listening to music, as neither of us were in
the mood to deal with our family yet. After lunch ended, we made out way to biology. I'd somewhat made friends with the
girl Melissa that sat in front of us. Edward had been nice to her last year apparently he had not only successfully raised
her social standing by being friendly to her but he'd improved her self-esteem greatly. The first day of school I'd been
apprehensive when she spoke to Edward and he said hello back, but I used his energy and found that she was relatively
harmless. Of course she found Edward attractive, but who didn't? Compared to the rest of the females, she was a saint.
Every time I tapped into his powers and focused it around I'd get bombarded with vulgar fantasies containing some skank
and my boyfriend. It was outrageous I asked him how he dealt with having to hear/see those thoughts every day and he
shrugged it off, saying he was used to it by now. Apparently Jessica Stanley had been one of the worst he'd ever
encountered another fact that shocked me. He hesitantly informed me that at my funeral, she brazenly fantasized about
him taking her from behind. She was supposed to have been one of my best friends and she was fantasizing about my
boyfriend screwing her while they were mourning my death. I was half tempted to look her up and give her a piece of my
mind I wondered if she were still alive.
When biology ended, we walked slowly towards English. Today was the first day we'd be forced to sit separately and I
wasn't looking forward to it.
Edward walked me to my new desk in the back, sighing. He gave me a quick kiss before moseying up to his desk at the
front.
I lasted an entire two minutes before it broke me. It was pure torture being this close to Edward, but not being able to
touch him or feel the connection we had. The teacher enthusiastically declared we'd be watching the 1960's black and
white version of Romeo and Juliet the next two days. The rest of the class was excited, knowing they wouldn't have to do
any real work and could essentially doze off or doodle, but Edward tensed up.
It was the movie we'd watched on my birthday, the day everything changed. The last time things were right between us in
my human life was when we were watching this movie. After the credits rolled, the universe shifted and nearly led me to
die at the hands of family.
I shot my shield out to gauge Edwards' thoughts and found that he was reliving that day in his mind. I sighed loudly,
knowing he was about to go into self-loathing mode.
The moment he started thinking about the blood I'd spilled, I did it without thinking.
Edward, knock it off! I silently chastised. He jumped, nearly knocking his desk over but catching it quickly before it hit the
ground. He turned and stared at me, wide-eyed. I'd let my second shield shift slightly, allowing him to hear a thought come
from me.
I was nervous, for reasons that were entirely irrational. I'd never let my second shield shift before with the purpose of
actually allowing another's talent to work on me. Of course I'd practiced with it but no one ever knew when I did.
I was letting Edward in, opening myself up, making myself completely vulnerable and that thought scared the daylights out
of me. But it was only Edward, and he loved me and would never intentionally cause me harm.
How the hell? He asked
I'd told Carlisle I could manipulate my second shield, but I believed he was the only one who actually understood what it
meant. I realized then that I'd never actually described to Edward that it was possible for him to hear my thoughts and he
never asked. No wonder it scared him.
Shield shifting. I said simply.
This is crazy, hearing you in my head.
I laughed out loud, drawing the attention of the teacher. He narrowed his eyes at me and I just shrugged, pretending to
focus back on the TV.
What's so funny? Edward asked.
You said it was crazy hearing me in your head. After you left Forks, I kept hearing you in my head I thought I was
going crazy.
You did?
I spent the rest of the class period silently explaining about how I'd heard Edwards voice whenever I found myself in a
sticky situation. He was amused but obviously slightly disappointed at everything I'd done to put myself in danger in his
absence.
The bell rung, startling us both. I let my shields snap back and took Edwards hand when he approached.
"That was interesting," he said with a smile. I nodded.
"I've never intentionally let anyone past my shields like that before." He smiled sheepishly and leaning in for a quick kiss,
thanking me. It had been slightly uncomfortable at first but I was glad I'd done it I successfully had made him forget what
movie we were watching.
Edward walked me to my last class and very hesitantly took off for his class. He hadn't wanted to leave my side.
I stood in the doorway of my class and waited until Edward was out of sight. I walked swiftly down the hallway away from
my class and across campus to the main building. I slipped in the side hallway and made my way to the nurses' office. I
paused and took a deep breath then I swung the door open quickly and stepped inside.
I made myself breath heavily and groaned loudly. The nurse looked up and saw me standing there and came towards me
quickly.
"What's the matter dear?" she asked, concerned.
"Mrs. Johnson, I'm afraid I don't feel good at all." I made a show of running my hands down my face and swayed. She
grabbed my arm to lead me to a chair nearby.
"My goodness dear, you are ice cold!"
"Am I?" I asked softly. "I feel like I'm burning up."
She murmured to herself and grabbed a thermometer. She handed it to me and asked me to hold it under my tongue
while she busied herself looking up my records on her computer to ensure I had no allergies or issues she needed to
know about. I stealthily got up and slipped the thermometer into a light, warming it up and slid back to my seat before she
could even notice I'd moved.
She approached me again and took the thermometer. "100.8, as I suspected, you're burning up."
I had a hard time suppressing the chuckle at her statement but covered it successfully with a hacking cough.
"Would you like me to call your father dear?" she asked
"No, he's at the hospital working. I think it would be better if someone took me to him so he can check me out instead of
having to interrupt him." She nodded in understanding.
"I can call one of your brothers or sisters out of class to take you." She glanced at my records again. "Edward maybe."
"No," I said quickly, sharper than I intended. She looked at me surprised. "He's got a big test this period, I don't want him
to have to miss it."
I hated it the instant the lie left my mouth and wanted to retract it I was tempted by the idea of Edward skipping out on
class and us running off together. But I was doing this for a reason and couldn't let my desires override me now.
"Maybe Emmett?" I asked. She nodded and wrote a note, sending a student helper out to retrieve Emmett from class. I
laid down on a cot, groaning a bit to keep up the act. A few moments later the door was thrust open with such force it
slammed into the wall, and Emmett bounded in.
"What's going on?" he bellowed.
"Bella here isn't feeling well, she has a pretty high fever so we thought it would be best if you took her to your father at the
hospital."
Emmett narrowed his eyes slightly at me, obviously trying to figure out what I was playing at. I faked a loud cough and
groaned again. The corners of his mouth threatened to turn up but he maintained his composure.
"Of course, I'll be happy to take her." Mrs. Johnson wrote notes for our teachers, excusing us from class. Emmett went to
pick me up but I told him I was okay to walk so he just linked his arm with him. I thanked Mrs. Johnson and we exited the
office.
We walked towards the parking lot quietly, but once we reached the cars Emmett shook his head. "What's really going
on?" He asked.
"Ya know, walking through the woods this morning I saw Edward happier than I'd ever seen him. It was really beautiful,
seeing him so content. None of those traces of worry or doubt. He's had it rough, ya know actually you know it better
than me. You've lived with him for a very long time."
Emmett nodded.
"You knocked him off of his cloud this morning Emmett. You may not have meant it to be mean I know you joke around
and that's one of my favorite things about you. But all of that doubt came streaming back in when we got back to the house
and Edward didn't deserve that. He tried to play it off like no big deal, but you put the idea in his head that maybe he
wasn't good enough for me. And that's not fair, because he is. He's amazing more than amazing."
I kept my voice calm and serious. Initially I wanted to scream at him, but knew it was better to be rational about it.
"I know Bella, I'm sorry. I've always tried to get a rise out of him and I honestly didn't even think about how he'd take it. Shit
Bella I could see how much you were glowing, I didn't think Edward would actually believe me."
"I know, you need to give him a break. This is all new to him and it's all moving so fast."
Emmett and I hung out in the parking lot for the rest of the period, chatting casually. The bell rung and students started
filtering out slowly. I saw Edward exit his building and I turned back to Emmett.
"I expect you to apologize to him and don't make me make you."
*Chapter 35*: 35: What Am I Living For?
A/N: Lemon ahead. The red dress is in my profile. Share
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

What am I longing for each lonely night?

To feel your lips to mine and hold you tight
You'll be my only love my whole life through
Baby nobody else, nobody else will do
I want you close to me, oh that's all I know
I want you all the time, darlin' I love you so
"What Am I Living For?" - Van Morrison
BPOV:
I sat outside the dressing room, laughing hysterically. In actuality it wasn't that funny but the irony of watching the scene in
front of me was too much.
The plain brown haired human girl, mumbling and fidgeting in a formal dress, complaining about not being able to dance
and not wanting people to spend money on her. The immortal vampire pixie, bouncing with excitement at playing 'dress
up', insisting that money is no option and pouting to get her way.
I felt like I was watching a rerun of life in Forks.
A few weeks ago I was sitting in biology with Edward, completely bored during a lecture on evolution. It was a subject I
could lecture on myself, and would've done a hell of a better job than the biology teacher was. I'd studied it in Italy, as the
Brethren were big on the topic. They'd all known Charles Darwin personally and had many conversations with him when he
was developing his theory of natural selection. Darwin knew of the existence of Vampires; and although he never
mentioned them in any of his works it was believed the fact of our existence helped mold some of his theories.
I was using some of Edward's energy and listening to my classmates' thoughts to pass the time. Edward thought they
were all immature children and did his best to block them all out, but I found it amusing and listened to them often. I had
heard Melissa's internal voice and expected the usual things, like band practice and academics, but was shocked to hear
her thinking about a boy.
Turned out Melissa had a crush on a boy named Jonathan but was too nervous and self-conscious to tell him. I recognized
Jonathan as being a boy in my 3rd period, so when Edward and I got to English class that afternoon I focused on
Jonathan to gauge where he stood romantically. Edward and I had taken to silently talking every day in English class, so
he knew something was up that day when I was slow to respond to him.
Jonathan was single but had a few ladies interested in him. He showed no concern for any of them they were all shallow
and plastic. He preferred a girl to be intellectual enough to be able to read a real novel, and not a girl whose extent of
reading came in the form of Cosmo.
I had taken it upon myself to hook Melissa and Jonathan up. I expected Edward to scoff and roll his eyes at my meddling,
but to my surprise he laughed and offered to help. He admitted that back in Forks he had done the same exact thing,
intervening to get Ben Cheney to ask Angela Webber out when he discovered Angela had a crush on him. I was shocked
when he said he did it because she was one of the purest minds in the school and he wanted to do something in gratitude
for her being such a good friend to me. I found myself doing this for Melissa because of some of the same reasons.
So now we stood in this dressing room, trying on dresses. Homecoming was 2 weeks away and Jonathan had
approached Melissa yesterday to ask her to go with him.
"Seriously, this is entirely too tight. And oh-my-god look at how much it costs!" Melissa screeched, holding the price tag
up. I laughed even harder, shaking my head.
"There's no use in fighting Melissa, and don't even bother to look at the price. Alice always wins, so you'll save yourself
plenty of time and energy if you just gave in." I said.
Alice nodded in agreement. "Plus, you want to look nice for Jonathan right?"
Melissa sighed but didn't respond. I knew Alice had her then.
I had to give her some credit, however she was stubborn and stuck to her guns when it came to the dresses
themselves. She said no strapless, no backless, no extreme low-cut, and under no conditions was it to be short. It took
some digging but we finally discovered one that looked great on Melissa and also passed Alice's tests.
It was deep red in color and fell to the knees-that was the compromise, as Melissa wanted it to fall to the ankle and Alice
wanted it mid-thigh. It had an empire-waist and overlapping neckline and was sleeveless. Modest, but sexy.
Alice paid with her credit card, refusing to let Melissa see the finally price. The dress was only $200, but after Alice threw
in a pair of Rupert Sanderson pumps and accessories, it came to over a grand.
Melissa suggested we stop for food on the way home and Alice reluctantly agreed. She found an Olive Garden and pulled
in there was an hour wait, but between Alice and I, we managed to get seated after only a few minutes. We ordered
soup and water, knowing it would be easiest to purge later.
We chatted about school while we ate the taste was wretched but I forced as much soup down as I could. Alice took to
tossing the chunks from her soup into various plants scattered around the room when Melissa wasn't looking.
While we were finishing up, my phone chimed. I reached in my purse and pulled it out quickly, figuring it was Edward.
He'd gone hunting and was due back soon.
I flipped my phone open and froze when I saw the number. It didn't belong to anyone in my address list, but the (+39) 0588
phone prefix was immediately recognizable: someone was calling me from Volterra.
I silenced the ringing and let it drop back into my purse. Alice was eyeing me suspiciously and I realized I had stopped
breathing.
"Was that Edward?" she asked, her voice sounding casual but I could tell by her eyes that she was alarmed.
"Uh, no wrong number I guess, no one I know." I shrugged and picked up my glass of water and forced a mouthful down.
The waitress came by with the check and I slipped a credit card inside, ignoring Melissa's complaints about us paying for
her again.
I was quiet the entire ride home. The last time I'd heard from anyone in Volterra was the day Demetri sent me the
message to tell me to pick up my car. I had messaged him back and thanked him, but there had been no other
communication between us. I missed him terribly, but I think we both knew we lived in separate worlds now. He was an
Elite Guard, traveling the world and maintaining world peace and I was a junior at Astoria High School who had a big
calculus exam to study for.
Whoever called hadn't left a message it couldn't have simply been a misdial, but I imagined if it were important they
wouldn't have just hung up without informing me of why they were calling.
I always considered the fact that Aro might call on me again someday for help I don't know how he took it when Demetri
returned sans me but I can't imagine he was too pleased. I wondered how I'd react if that day came and what the
consequences of my decision would be.
If they called on me, would I go? Could I leave Edward to go to them, even if it would only be for a few days? Would
Edward even accept it? The Volturi had been good to me, and although they never were true family I still felt loyal to them
in a way. I believed in what they were doing for the most part everyone needed rules, even immortals whose basic
instinct was to prey on humans. And if they needed me to help them with that, could I say no?
And what if I did say no? Aro knew he couldn't hold me to them, but how would he react if I blatantly refused to assist if they
came to me for help? Would he deem me an enemy? Would he try to destroy me? He likely could if he truly put his mind to
it, but he'd risk losing everything he holds dear to him. I knew too much, I knew their weaknesses, so I'd easily be able to
crumble his regime and take down a good portion of the guard before they could actually take me out.
But the part that bothered me most was the fact that the Volturi now knew my biggest weakness: my true family. Just by my
human name being revealed, they'd learned everything there was to know about how to get to me, and that was Edward.
Knowing that even as a human I'd been willing to risk everything for him, they'd definitely know that if they could somehow
hold him over my head, I'd do whatever they asked.
And that scared me shitless and I started to panic.
I snatched my phone out of my purse and quickly dialed Edwards cell phone number.
"Hey love," he said enthusiastically
"Hey baby you guys still hunting?" I heard Melissa mumble 'Edward hunts?' to Alice I had completely forgotten she
was even in the car with us.
"Nope, we actually just got home. Where are you girls? I missed you."
"I missed you too. We're almost home actually, Alice and I took Melissa dress shopping."
"I bet that was fun." Edward laughed. "I can't wait to see you, hurry up"
We hung up and I felt a little better, having heard his voice, but a small part of me wasn't calmed. It was irrational, freaking
out about a random phone call from a number that happens to be in Volterra, but I felt heaviness in my chest at what it
could possibly indicate.
We dropped Melissa off and told her we'd see her at school tomorrow. Alice pulled from her driveway and headed
towards the outskirts of town to our house.
"Who really called?" she asked, glancing over at me.
I sighed. "Honestly Alice I don't know who it was." She didn't look convinced but she didn't press the issue.
Alice pulled up to the house and Edward met us at the car. He pulled me out and snatched me into a big hug, placing
kisses on the top of my head.
"It's only been two days Edward," I said laughing.
"That's the longest we've been apart these past months it wasn't easy being away from you, I'm not entirely sure I'm ever
going to let you out of my sight again," he said softly. I closed my eyes and sighed.
He pulled away from me when Alice popped the trunk, grabbing our bags out for us. We followed him into the house and
Alice was immediately accosted by Jasper, who picked her up and swung her around. She giggled obviously he'd
missed her also.
I went straight to mine and Edward's bedroom. He came in a few moments later, shutting and locking the door. Locks
were truly fruitless, as we all could get through them easily, but it gave us the illusion of privacy.
"You okay Bella?" He asked, walking over and turning on the stereo.
"Uh, yeah, I'm okay." I said, not even convincing myself. Edward was staring at me, concerned. "It's just been a long day
and you've been gone so I've been missing you. I promise I'm okay though."
I mentally kicked myself for my half-assed attempt at trickery I'd gotten so good at lying over the years, but I just simply
couldn't seem to do it to Edward.
He seemed content with my answer and smiled. "Well, I'm back now. What can I do to make it up to you." His voice was
low and seductive.
Edward walked up behind me and placed his hands on my hips. He led me backwards toward the bed, sitting us down
with me on his lap. He brushed my hair over my shoulder and kissed the back of my neck gently, sending a shiver down
my spine. Edward had a habit of kissing the crescent shaped scar back there, as well as the one on my wrist from James.
Part of him felt responsible for both of them.
"Mmmm Bella," he moaned, pushing my shirt aside and kissing my shoulder. I felt him grab the hem of my shirt and pull
upwards. I raised my arms so he could pull it off and he tossed it on the floor beside us. He went back to kissing my
shoulder, his hands snaking around and slipping under the cups of my bra, massaging my breasts.
I reached back and unclasped my bra, letting it fall to the floor. His right hand left my breasts and traveled down my
stomach, unbuttoning my pants quickly when he reached them. He slid his hand inside my underwear, finding my clit and
rubbing it gently. I whimpered at the sensation and started bucking my hips for more friction. My ass was grinding against
his erection, causing him to groan loudly.
I threw my arms up and my fingers found their way into Edward's hair; he was still sucking and nipping at my neck. I raised
my hips up so he could pull my pants and underwear down I kicked them off.
I couldn't reach Edward's clothes, but thankfully he quickly discarded his own shirt. He undid his pants, and motioned for
me to rise up again he slid them down and kicked them off. Edward grasped his erection with one hand and placed his
other on my hip. He gently brought me back down on his lap, sliding himself inside.
We both groaned as he filled me. He put both hands on my hips and lifted me up until he was almost completely out, and
then slid me back down while he thrusted his hips up for maximum impact. My hands went back into his hair, his lips back
on my neck, while I sat on his lap and rode him. Our thrusts were hard and deep.
One of Edwards' hands slid forward and grazed over my clit. He pinched it, sending my body into convulsions as an
orgasm rocked through me. I clenched around him, causing us both to cry out. Edward fell back onto the bed, thrusting his
hips up harder as I came down on him. He grasped my sides and pulled me so I lay on top of him with my back against his
chest. He continually thrust in and out, his hands roaming my body and pinching my nipples.
Edward got impatient, the position not allowing him to go deep enough for his liking. He grasped my hips and rolled us
over, pulling me up onto my hands and knees. I arched my back as he slid inside again. He started pounding into me, fast
and hard. The bed was shifting from the force of his thrusts, the headboard slamming into the wall.
The sound of our skin slapping together was nearly drowned out by Edward's growls. It was primal; he was so animalistic
taking me from behind. It was erotic and caused my body to tremble beneath him. He was gripping me tightly as he
pounded into me, random curse words escaping in the midst of his growling.
My body started tensing up again and I screamed as another orgasm hit. Edward snarled when he heard me scream, his
climax reaching him. He exploded inside of me; I could feel him pulsating and filling me.
I collapsed face first onto the bed, causing Edward to pull out. He collapsed beside me; the force of his body hitting the
mattress combined with the abuse we had just put upon it caused the frame to crack in half, sending the bed to the floor
with a loud bang. It startled Edward, his eyes going wide.
"Shit, and I used to be disturbed when Emmett and Rose broke furniture."
"It's a shame, I actually liked this bed." I said with a laugh. Edward shrugged and smirked at me.
"We'll get another but don't go getting attached, because I have a feeling this won't be a one time only occurrence."
We'd apparently been at it for hours, because it was pitch black outside at this point. Edward leaned over and kissed my
lips softly.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I got a little carried away. I just realized we didn't kiss at all."
I smiled and ran my hand down his jaw line. "Don't apologize, you can get carried away anytime you want."
Edward gave me my favorite crooked smile, then leaned in and captured my lips with his. The kiss was passionate and
his tongue found it's way in my mouth, exploring and massaging my tongue.
A phone ringing startled us and Edward pulled back hesitantly. "I guess you wanna get that," he said with a groan, kissing
my lips once more quickly.
I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him forward again. "They'll call back if it's important."
*Chapter 36*: 36: The Way Young Lovers Do
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing everyone. You can find pictures of all the ladies outfits in my Share
profile.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

Then we sat on our own star and dreamed of the way that we were
And the way that we were meant to be
Then we sat on our own star and dreamed of the way that I was for you
And you were for me
And then we danced the night away
And turned to each other, say, 'I love you, I love you'
The way that young lovers do
"The Way Young Lovers Do" - Van Morrison
EPOV:
"Emmett, stop that right now," Esme hissed from where she was sitting on the couch. Emmett was sitting across from her
pacing, growing restless. In the haze of his impatience he had picked up one of Carlisle's iron golf clubs and was twisting
it into random shapes and designs. I shook my head and laughed.
Melissa was upstairs with the girls they'd invited her over to help her get ready for the homecoming dance tonight. It was
the first time we've had a human in this house in fact, the first time we invited a human into any of our houses since
Bella. But we never had to fake it with her-she knew what we were. As nice as Melissa is, we weren't interested in
revealing ourselves anytime soon. It seemed to keep slipping Emmett's mind though, because he continually found
himself doing things your average human wouldn't be caught doing.
Like twisting an iron golf club into intricate designs as if it were a thin piece of wire.
And heaven knows what would've happened if Melissa had paid attention to her surroundings when she arrived and
spotted Emmett single-handedly holding up the front of my car.
"Sorry," he muttered, doing his best to straighten it back out quickly. It was still bent a bit. Carlisle was going to kill him
those were his new clubs.
The girls were upstairs giggling and getting dressed, but Bella had her shield up over them all so I couldn't get a sneak
peek.
Jasper sat calmly in a chair, gazing at the TV. He wasn't as restless as Emmett and I. Alice had been nice enough to
model her dress for him in advance. Bella and Rose weren't as generous and I was anxious to see.
It seemed a bit ridiculous, but I was nervous and excited. This was Bella and I's first dance since I duped her into going to
prom back in Forks. It was funny how after all the years, I was experiencing and enjoying all these things I usually found
mundane. She made them exciting again, made me ecstatic to be living.
I heard Bella's cell phone ring out upstairs and her sigh. Her phone had been ringing quite a bit lately and she usually
always ignored it. I asked her often who was calling and she just shrugged me off and said it was nobody or that she didn't
know who it was. I didn't want to believe Bella would lie to me so I was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt. It was
hard to resist the urge to snatch it up and go through her missed calls, but she hadn't left it unattended lately so even if I
decided to succumb to the urge to snoop I hadn't had the opportunity.
And I didn't want to have to resort to snooping, but I was worried and she wasn't saying anything to alleviate the fears.
I looked at my watch if they didn't hurry up we'd be late.
Alice had gotten all of the guy's clothes. I had on a pair of black pants, a black button down shirt, and a royal blue tie. It was
dressy but still casual I had the sleeves rolled up a bit. Emmett had on a pair of black pants, a white shirt, and a black,
gold, and green striped tie. Jasper had on khaki pants, a white shirt, and a yellow and purple tie. Alice's dress was yellow
and purple, thus they were matching each other. From that, I gathered Bella was probably wearing blue.
And the thought of that went straight to my cock. I loved her in the color blue.
Alice bounded down the steps, laughing. Her dress was strapless with an ombre effect, sweetheart neckline and empire
waist the top was purple but it faded into yellow, and it fell at the knee. She wore a pair of silver, black, and gray Celine
sandals with 4.5-inch heels.
I'd never admit out loud that I knew so much about fashion but Alice and Rose talked and thought about it so often, I
seemed to have absorbed more than I should have.
Jasper leapt up and grabbed my little pixie sister, swinging her around. They looked so genuinely happy, it made me
smile.
Rose came down the stairs next, dragging a hesitant and nervous Melissa behind her. Jonathan was supposed to be
meeting her here soon.
Melissa barely looked like herself. She looked classy and exotic in her blood red dress and high heels. She was nervous
about how high the shoes were, but Alice had been generous and only forced her into 3-inch heels. Rose had done her
hair, pulling it up and curling it.
Rose looked gorgeous as usual. She had on a green cutout jersey dress with a strapless neckline and a bandeau back
strap. It had an empire waist with pleating and it fell about mid-thigh. She also wore a pair of satin champagne colored
Jimmy Choo's with 4.5-inch heels.
Emmett pounced at Rose, nearly knocking her to the ground. She pushed him off but otherwise maintained her
composure since there was a human present. I was surprised that Rose was not only accepting of Melissa's presence
here but that she seemed to be enjoying her company.
I heard the sound of heels and jumped up as Bella started coming down the stairs. My mouth dropped open when I got a
view of her she was absolutely stunning.
Her dress was indeed royal blue it was strapless with black trim, an empire waist with a black rhinestone studded bow.
It had a bustled skirt and barely fell mid-thigh. She wore a pair of black Christian Louboutin sling backs with peep-toes
and 5-inch heels. She had part of her hair pulled back with rhinestone clips and curled.
To sum it up, she was pure sex walking.
I took her in my arms as she approached and kissed her passionately. When I finally pulled from the kiss, I leaned in to her
ear.
"Perfect," I whispered. She giggled and squeezed me tighter.
We heard someone approaching, and Melissa jumped when a car door closed outside. Jonathan was just as nervous as
we walked to the door and knocked. I let him in and he stammered a bit, taken aback by how great Melissa looked. Bella
smiled brightly at them and shot me a wink she must've been listening to his thoughts also.
We all left and piled into cars after Esme took a few pictures. Bella and I were taking her Aero and driving separately. I
helped her in the passenger seat and got the keys, sliding in and starting the car up. Bella seemed nervous about
something.
"You okay?" I asked as we pulled out of the driveway. "You seem nervous. If it's about the whole homecoming court thing
I'm sorry, I had no idea that was going to happen."
We learned a few days ago that Bella and I had been nominated for homecoming queen and king. I immediately thought it
was my sisters doing, that she pulled some type of strings thinking we'd want something like this, but apparently it was
genuine and the students and teachers both voted us into the court.
"No, it's fine. I mean I hope we lose but no big deal," she said with a laugh. "I'm fine though, just a bit excited about the
dance."
I sighed. I could tell she was lying but didn't want to push it right now.
We arrived at the dance and I parked the car. Bella took my hand and led me inside. As soon as we walked in I groaned.
"What's wrong?" Bella asked.
"We won," I said, shaking my head. The moment we walked in the door the thought rang through every administrator's
head.
Bella laughed. "Do you want to bail?"
I shook my head again. "No you look too beautiful to just skip out we'll survive."
I led Bella onto the dance floor there was a slow song playing but nothing I could place. I didn't much listen to modern
music.
"Do you need to stand on my feet again?" I whispered playfully. She slapped my arm and laughed.
We danced for a while. Since her change she'd become graceful and could almost out dance me. About an hour into it,
the principal came to the stage to announce the king and queen. Bella gripped my hand tightly but kept a smile on her
face as our names were called. I kissed her hand and led her up onto the stage. Our family stood in the back laughing,
and Melissa cheered loudly.
If Bella could still blush, she'd have been doing it. They gave her a little tiara and I led her back onto the dance floor for our
dance as king and queen. I embraced her tightly as we swayed to the music, my lips by her ear.
"I love you My Bella," I whispered. "You are so beautiful. There will never be another for me. I'd do anything for you."
She sighed contently. "I love you too Edward."
After the dance was over, she pulled back and smiled brightly at me. "Can we go spend the night in the field?" she asked.
"Absolutely. You ready to go?" She nodded and grabbed my hand. We said goodbye to the family and drove the car back
to the house before taking off running. I was amazed that Bella could almost keep up with me even in 5-inch heels.
When we got to the field I slowed and picked her up bridal style. She giggled as I carried her out into the field.
I laid Bella down gently. We stripped down completely and kissed and caressed every inch of each other. We made love
for hours, rolling around in the flowers in ecstasy. In between love making sessions I'd hold her and whisper how much I
loved her.
Not long after sunrise, Bella sat up abruptly and started looking around. She startled me so I searched our surroundings
but couldn't sense anything out of order. I didn't hear any minds or sense any movements.
"What's wrong love?" I asked quickly.
"Uh, nothing. I thought I saw something move, guess I was wrong." She seemed to relax a bit but not completely. "We
should be getting back, I promised Alice we'd go hunting this morning."
We got dressed quickly and started running back towards home. Alice was waiting on Bella when we arrived. Bella ran
upstairs and changed into jeans and a t-shirt before they headed off into the woods.
I plopped down on the couch and watched Emmett play a video game for a while. I was worried about Bella; she'd been
off lately, distracted.
A ringing upstairs startled me I immediately recognized it as Bella's phone. She must've forgotten to grab it when she
changed clothes.
I waited a minute so Emmett didn't get suspicious of what I was doing, and then slowly headed up the stairs to our room. I
found Bella's phone and picked it up. I hesitated, already feeling guilty for invading her privacy but my concern for her
overrode everything else. I flipped it open.
1 missed call.
The number wasn't programmed into her phone so I had no name, but I knew it was an international call. I went back
through her call logs and saw the number repeatedly it had been calling her nearly every day, sometimes multiple times
a day, for 2 weeks and not once did she answer.
I quickly memorized the number and returned Bella's phone to her purse. I walked downstairs into Carlisle office and
opened his laptop. I pulled up a browser and googled the number.
(+39) 0588-86050
The moment the results popped up I got a heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Volterra, Italy.
The phone number itself was for city hall in the Piazza dei Priori. I immediately wondered why someone from city hall in
Volterra would be calling Bella and why she hadn't answered. I couldn't figure out why she hadn't told me about it either.
I deleted the search history and closed the laptop. Bella would be gone for a few hours so I had time to sort through what I
was going to do, whether or not I was going to bring it up to her. I knew it was wrong of me to go through her phone and if I
tell her I did I'd be breaking her trust, but the fact of the matter was she was breaking mine by keeping things from me.
A while later I decided to go for a drive to clear my head. I drove around Astoria for a while and abruptly pulled into the
parking lot of the hospital. I knew I might be making a mistake, but I had to talk to someone about it and Carlisle was the
only one I could think of who'd possibly be able to shed some light on the situation.
I scaled the stairs and found him sitting in his office. He looked happy and surprised to see me but his face fell a bit when
he took in my expression.
"What's wrong?" he asked, sitting down the folder he had been looking through,
I sighed, not knowing how to bring it up, so I just dove right in. "Do you have any idea why someone from Volterra City Hall
would be calling Bella?"
Carlisle was taken aback by my question, obviously not expecting such a topic.
"Uh, I know the Volturi used to keep some people on payroll in City Hall but I'm not sure why they'd be calling her. When
did they call?"
I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. "Every day for 2 weeks now."
Carlisle's face fell even more. "It must be important then. What has she told you?"
"That's the problem Carlisle, she hasn't. I've noticed her ignoring phone calls for days now, and when I ask her who it is
she says nobody or it's a wrong number. I only know who's been calling now because she left her phone at home and it
rang again. I looked up the number and it came back as being city hall in Volterra."
"So she hasn't talked to them?" he asked. I shook my head no.
We talked for a while longer. Carlisle tried to come up with some plausible explanation but nothing was alleviating either
of our concerns. When the sun started setting we headed out together towards home.
As soon as I walked in the front door of the house I saw Alice. "How long have you ladies been back?" I asked.
"Just a few minutes. Bella's upstairs on the phone."
I nodded and quietly climbed the stairs. I could hear her whispering but her words were so low I couldn't really make them
out. I heard her phone snap shut and her sigh.
I turned the corner to walk into the bedroom. Bella was gripping her phone tightly and looking in the closet. I was surprised
she hadn't turned to me or acknowledged me standing there yet.
When I noticed what Bella was gazing it, I gasped. The sound startled Bella she must've been deep in thought to not
sense me. She looked away from the long black and red cloak and faced me, her face blank.
"I won't let you go Bella."
She sighed, closing her eyes. I heard the sound of a car pulling into our driveway and stopping in front of the house.
"It's too late Edward."
*Chapter 37*: 37: Lovesong
A/N: There's a lemon in this chapter. Share
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

Whenever I'm alone with you

You make me feel like I am home again
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am whole again
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am young again
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am fun again
However far away
I will always love you
However long I stay
I will always love you
Whatever words I say
I will always love you
"Lovesong" - The Cure
BPOV:
I swear I sensed him. I may not have been around him for a while, but it had to have been him I could just feel it.
Edward and I made love all through the night in the sanctuary of our field. I've had a lot on my mind lately, and I knew
Edward could tell I was distracted. I didn't know how to explain it as it made little sense to me, so I didn't even bother to try.
Edward had a right to know that I'd been receiving calls from Volterra, but he wouldn't understand why I hadn't answered a
single one. So I just attempted to push it all aside and forget about it for a while, to just indulge in the man I love. I deserved
that much.
But as I lay there with Edward, him holding me and whispering sweet nothings in my ears, all of my avoidance and fear
caught up to me.
I sat up abruptly when I sensed him and threw my shield out. My natural response was to throw it around Edward for
protection, but I didn't want to alarm him so I threw it around the area instead. I felt them immediately. There was just
one, a vampire. I pulled some energy from them and recognized it as once. It was an energy I'd used countless times, one
I was highly familiar with.
Demetri.
I was conflicted. It was only Demetri after all We'd been so close and I trusted him immensely and never wanted to feel
afraid of him. He'd saved my life and I owed him everything. But at the same time, Demetri was one of Volturi's best and
he was obligated to fulfill his duties, no matter if he wanted to or not.
I felt Demetri retreat quickly I kept my shield around him as he left to keep his mind silent, not wanting to alarm Edward
with his presence. I didn't know what Demetri was here for, whether it be business or a social calling. He could just be
here to see how I'm doing since they haven't heard from me.
But my gut told me differently. It appeared safe for now, but I wanted to get out of there quickly.
Edward and I ran back to the house unfortunately I promised Alice I'd go hunting and couldn't find a plausible excuse to
get out of it. I convinced her to stay relatively close to the house so if anything were to happen I could get there quickly.
I was distracted the entire hunt I got anxious after a few hours and wanted to check in with Edward, so I reached in my
pocket to grab my phone. Realization dawned that I'd left it at the house.
"Alice?" I yelled. I couldn't see her but I knew she was within earshot.
"Yeah?" she asked as she quickly made her way through the trees toward me.
"You ready to head back?" She nodded with a smile, and we turned to run back towards the house.
When we arrived, Edward was gone. His car wasn't in the garage and Emmett nonchalantly said he had gone out a while
back for a drive. I headed up to the bedroom with all intention of getting my keys and going out to look for Edward the
bad feeling I'd had all day was growing.
Before I could reach our room, I heard my phone ring. I ran into the bedroom and grabbed it, hoping it would be Edward.
My bad feeling grew infinitely more.
(+39) 0588-86050
I hesitated, but this time I answered.
"Yes?"
"Oh! Isa?" The woman sounded shocked that I actually answered.
"Yes, Charlene," I said with a sigh, recognizing her voice.
"I've been trying to get a hold of you for a few weeks. Master Aro is desperately needing to consult with you." She sounded
nervous.
"Can you put me through to him?" I asked.
She stammered. "Well, uh see he'd rather do it in, uh person, ya know face-to-face."
I sighed, trying to find some time to stall. "Can you tell the Brethren I'll see if I can fly out next week?"
"Um, well actually" she was sounding even more nervous. "Since you hadn't been answering, Master Aro sent some
guards to where you are. They should be arriving shortly."
"Guards?" I asked anxiously. I had sensed Demetri earlier and I could handle him showing up, but I didn't much like the
idea that there was more than just him coming.
"Uh, yeah, I'm not exactly sure but I know he sent a few."
I snapped my phone shut and sighed. I was out of time. I could refuse to go and could likely handle whatever guards he
sent on my own, but what would the consequences of that be? What would I be bringing upon the Cullen's? They didn't
deserve to have the Volturi brought down on them and what type of life would they be living if I had to constantly keep them
on lockdown so I could shield them. It wouldn't be fair to them at all.
But could I just go willingly? What kind of message would that give the Brethren? They don't own me. I may have willingly
stayed as long as I did but I had my own life to live. If I went running back just because Aro snapped his fingers and
demanded it, would I ever really be free?
I gazed at my cloak hanging in the closet, contemplating my next step. I heard a gasp behind me and turned to see
Edward standing there.
"I won't let you go Bella," he said sternly.
I sighed and closed my eyes. I could hear a car approaching the house and knew that I was out of time.
"It's too late Edward," I said sadly. I took a deep breath and went to walk out the door but Edward grabbed my arm. He
looked determined, defiant.
"We don't have time for this," I said, pulling my arm back. "Just follow me and relax and I'll deal with it."
Edward reluctantly let go and followed me down the stairs. The family was gathered in the living room, all nervously staring
at the 4-door sedan in the driveway. No one had exited the car yet.
Carlisle looked to Edward and I imploringly. Edward nodded, causing Carlisle to sigh and shake his head.
"Volturi," I whispered, confirming it out loud.
I took a deep breath and stepped out onto the porch. The family started to follow but I stopped them abruptly and asked
them to remain inside. Edward looked like he'd refuse, but something Carlisle said silently must've changed his mind
because he reluctantly agreed.
I threw my shield out around the car, instantly sensing Jane and Alec. They could both potentially harm my family, but they
were always the most beneficial to me. I'd always used their talents simultaneously while on missions they were my
favorite weapons.
There were two other guards with them, neither possessing any talents. They were ultimately disposable to the Brethren
I didn't even know their names.
The guards still made no move to get out, making me nervous. I was conflicted as to where to put my shield I could
protect my family with it but then I'd be unable to access Alec or Jane's talents if I needed them. If I put it around the guard
to access their talents, they'd be immune to my family's talent and that's just the stupidest move I could make. So I just
threw it out around all of us Jane and Alec could still attack, but at least I could counter that way.
Another car slowed when it reached the driveway and pulled in. I shot my shield around it and drew some energy. I was
comforted, but also concerned: Demetri.
The car pulled up and stopped. The driver's door opened swiftly and he stepped out without hesitation. He had his hood
on so I couldn't get a good look at his face, but I could tell he wasn't smiling.
"Demetri," I said politely, nodding in his direction. He reached up and pulled his hood down, giving me a small sad smile.
"Hey."
The doors of the other car opened, all four guard members stepping out.
"I'm guessing you know why we're here by now," Demetri said softly.
"I know my presence is requested, so I'm assuming you're here to deliver the invitation," I said, trying to sound nonchalant.
I heard Jane snicker and Edward growled in the house.
"Yeah something like that," Demetri said. "We'll need to leave immediately but I can give you a few minutes with the
Cullen's first."
I laughed humorlessly. "Who said I'm going?"
Demetri froze. "Please Isabella, let's not make this get ugly." His eyes were pleading me.
"I'm sorry Demetri, it's just not a good time right now," I said with a shrug.
He sighed. "We were told by no means were we supposed to return without you, and I understand how much I'm asking of
you, but I need you to understand the position I'm in."
I scoffed, shaking my head. "So if I don't agree you're supposed to what, destroy me? My family? You might succeed in
killing me if you're extremely lucky, but if you think you'd walk away yourself you're crazy. I have to say, I'm a little offended
that Aro would think 5 guards two of which are completely talentless and dispensable could make me feel threatened
enough to cave."
"You know I care about you a lot Isabella," Demetri said, his voice dripping with remorse. "I wouldn't be here doing this to
you if I had a choice. And no, of course I have no intention of harming you or the Cullen's, nor am I convinced we could if
we even wanted to. But nonetheless, you have to return with us. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Please
don't make us do it the hard way."
I stood defiantly, glaring at him. If he had no intention of attempting to harm us, what did he mean by "the hard way"?
Demetri sighed and pulled out his cell phone, dialing a number quickly. "Are you in place?" he asked when the person
picked up. After the person answered, he snapped the phone back shut.
'Are you familiar with a girl named Melissa Bullard?" he asked. I froze immediately and heard growling come from the
house.
"What did you do?" I snapped, immediately concerned. "She's an innocent, she knows nothing of what we are!"
"True, but I needed leverage. I hate to do this Bella."
"Don't you dare call me that!" I growled. He flinched back from my words.
"Look, she's safe right now. Felix is standing guard. If you come with us, she'll be fine. We'll leave her where she is,
completely oblivious to our existence and never having to know that her life was in imminent danger. But if you refuse,
you're going to leave me with no choice. It's not my decision here, I'm just doing as I'm told."
I stood silently for a moment, contemplating. I had been prepared to argue my case and talk my way out of it. But
Demetri had one-upped me. He had thrown an innocent in the mix, a girl whose life was hanging in the balance simply
because she was unfortunate enough to cross paths with me. A girl with hopes and dreams a girl who had just gone out
with the guy of her dreams less than 24 hours ago. A girl with a future a future I couldn't steal from her.
I now understood how Edward felt all those years ago.
But Edward could I leave? How was he going to react? He still was irrational and over reactive by nature. Did I seriously
think he'd let me get into the car without a fight?
I heard Demetri ask me something, but the words went in one ear and out the other. I was too conflicted to focus.
Melissa's life hung in the balance, but essentially so did Edwards. He'd go after me, which would be a suicide mission.
The sound of Edward screaming broke me from my haze. I looked around quickly felt Jane's energy.
I pulled some of it and shot it back at her. She stumbled backwards and screamed. I let go of it quickly, not wanting to
cause a full-blown fight but wanting to get the message across. I was nearly knocked out of the way by a form coming out
of the house and heard growling and snarling as Edward lunged toward Jane.
"Edward!" I yelled. He knocked into Jane, sending her toppling backwards onto the ground. Jane retaliated quickly and
Edward let go, once again convulsing and screaming in pain. She pushed him off of her as I ran towards them. I grabbed
a hold of Jane's arm, swinging her around to face me and narrowed my eyes at her.
"Jane knock it off," Demetri said sharply, before I had a chance to throw her energy back at her. Edward stopped
screaming and jumped up, growling. I let go of Jane's arm and grabbed a hold of Edward, trying to contain him before he
lunged again.
Demetri turned to me and raised his eyebrows. "Isa?"
I sighed, looking between him and Edward. Edward's attention shifted off of Jane and onto Demetri. Edwards eyes were
narrowed, his teeth bared, still growling.
"Give me a minute," I said simply. He nodded and waved his hand, telling me to go ahead.
Edward followed me into the house and immediately accosted me.
"You can't do this Bella, there has to be another way."
"I'll be fine," I said softly, cupping his cheek. "I need you to promise me you won't follow me."
Edward growled and shook his head. "I can't do that Bella, I told you I can't let you go."
"You have to Edward. I promise you I'll be back but I need you to guarantee that you won't come to Volterra. I can't risk your
life."
"She's right." Demetri's voice rang out from behind me. "The moment they sensed you in Volterra you'd be done for she
wouldn't be able to save you, they'd take you out before she even knew you were there."
Edward snarled at Demetri, but I silenced him quickly by pressing my lips to his. He kissed me back, passionately, a
growl still rumbling in his chest.
When I pulled away, Edward was calmer.
"You better and I mean it. Her life is in your hands again." Edward said sharply. I looked at him confused for a moment
before realizing he was looking past me, answering something that came silently from Demetri.
I turned to see Demetri nodding at Edward.
"I can give you a few hours Isabella, but know that I can't call Felix off of Melissa until you're in the car with us. We'll be
back at 7."
I nodded. I knew this was Demetri's own doing, that he could possibly get into trouble when the Brethren finds out, but that
he wanted to at least allow me time before I was snatched away from my family again.
I bypassed my upset family and headed up the stairs to the bedroom. I needed to pack some clothes and take time to
absorb everything before I could face them. Edward followed, but I tried my best to ignore his overwhelming presence
behind me. He was going to be the hardest to face.
I started frantically throwing clothes in a bag when I reached the bedroom. Edward stood in the doorway silently, watching
me. After a few minutes I slowed down and came to a stop in front of the bed. I was trying to retain my composure but I
was trembling.
A sob escaped me, causing Edward to move from his place in the doorway. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled
me into a hug, shushing me and telling me everything was going to be okay. He was rocking me and kissing the top of my
head while I sobbed.
"Tell me what I can do for you I'll do anything," Edward whispered, his voice cracking.
"I'm so sorry," I sobbed. He shushed me again and hugged me tighter.
"Don't apologize love, just tell me what I can do to make this better."
"Make love to me," I whimpered. Edward stalled momentarily, but picked up his rocking and shushing quickly.
"Are you sure?" he asked hesitantly. I nodded, still sobbing. Edward sighed and picked me up bridal style, laying me in
the middle of the bed. He started removing my clothing slowly, taking the time to kiss every part of my body in the process.
When all of my clothes were off, he sat up and quickly removed his own clothes.
Edward kissed my lips softly, moving down my chin and sucking on my neck. Edwards' hand roamed down my body,
massaging my breasts and caressing my stomach before reaching my already dripping mound. He grazed his fingers
over my folds and entrance, causing me to whimper.
Edward kissed my collarbones, moving down to my breasts. He sucked and licked my nipples and kissed down my
stomach. He pulled my legs apart, kissing my inner thighs before moving upwards. His tongue shot out and flicked my clit
gently once before diving right in. His tongue caressed every inch of my sex, licking and sucking on my folds, nibbling on
my clit. He placed two fingers inside of me, sliding them in and out deeply. I cried out as my orgasm hit me, my walls
clenching down around his fingers. Edward groaned, lapping up every ounce of juice he could.
After my orgasm subsided, he moved back up and kissed my lips gently again. I could feel his erection pressed against
me, throbbing. I reached down and gripped him, causing him to hiss. I placed his head near my entrance and grinded my
hips, silently begging him to enter me. Edward got the hint and moved upwards more, allowing his head to slide inside.
We both moaned loudly as he thrust completely inside of me.
Edward lay down on top of me, allowing me to feel most of his weight. He usually hovered but he understood this is what I
needed. I needed the connection with him; I needed to feel all of him I could. It wasn't about the sex or getting off, it was
about us. The two of us becoming one.
I moaned and whimpered as he slid in and out of me. Edward was moaning and brought his lips to my ear.
"My Bella," he whispered. "God how I love you my Bella."
"There will never be another for me. You are my life, my world. You are everything to me."
"Do you feel this Bella? How we fit together? We were made for each other."
"You have to come back to me. I can't live without you."
We were both sobbing, gripping each other tightly, not wanting to let go. Orgasm hit us simultaneously, me clenching and
milking every drop out of him. After our orgasms subsided and our cries of ecstasy died down, we lay still connected,
sobbing in each other's arms.
After our sobs dulled, Edward hesitantly pulled up and pulled out of me. Neither of us spoke He dressed and headed
downstairs while I went and got in the shower.
Under the spray of the water, I tried to mentally prepare myself. I was heading back to Volterra and needed to compose
myself. If I was going to come back to Edward, I needed to be strong and not allow them to see a broken girl. I needed to
be feared and they didn't fear Bella Swan. I had to allow myself to become Isa again.
I dried off after my shower and went to the closet. I pulled on a tight black Alexander McQueen dress with a low neckline. I
slipped on a pair of black and bed Christian Louboutin platform pumps to match. I gave myself a quick look in the mirror
before snatching my cloak off the hanger, grabbing my bag and heading downstairs.
The family all sat silently in the living room. They all looked up at me when I entered but none spoke. I couldn't find the
words to comfort them, nor could I dare say 'goodbye'. Goodbye felt too final.
I threw my cloak on when I heard the car pull in. I glanced back over at Edward, he remained silently but his eyes spoke
volumes. He was heartbroken and I was doing it to him.
I stretched my shield out around him and shifted my second shield some.
I'm not giving up Edward. I love you and I'll fight for you.
With that, I let my shields snap back. I threw my hood over my head and exited the house quickly.
Demetri had come alone. I slid into the passenger seat, throwing my bag in the bag. He went to speak but saw the look on
my face and decided otherwise. He drove down the driveway and I watched the Cullen house disappear behind me,
leaving all traces of Bella there with it.
Demetri opened his phone and dialed Felix's number. When he answered, Demetri told him that I was in the car and for
him to head to the plane. Demetri took a detour in Astoria, driving by Melissa's house to show me that she was safe. I
didn't say a word or even acknowledge he'd done it we weren't friends at this moment. I had always known Demetri was
a Volturi soldier above all else regardless of if he liked it or not, he had no choice. The Brethrens orders came first, no
matter who he had to hurt in order to carry those orders out. I knew I couldn't truly fault him for how things were going but I
was bitter. I shouldn't blame the messenger, but he had been my friend and no matter how irrational it may have been I felt
betrayed.
We arrived at the airfield and I got on the plane, ignoring everyone. The flight was long, but I sat stone still, not allowing
them to see any emotion. Emotions made you weak and I wouldn't let them think of me as vulnerable.
When the plane finally landed, I exited before anyone else and quickly rented a car. I wouldn't give them the illusion of
escorting me, allowing any of them to believe for a moment that I was being forced to do something I didn't want to do.
They weren't going to beat me.
I sped to Volterra and parked quickly in the same spot I used to park my Aero in. I exited the car and made my way to the
entrance of the tunnels. I bypassed Charlene and a few guard members without acknowledging them. When I reached the
thick double doors, I pushed them open without hesitation and stepped inside.
I didn't approach or bow out of respect. I stood silently, my face hard.
The Brethren looked surprised and a bit nervous. I internally smirked at the thought that maybe they were second guessing
the stunt they had pulled, but outwardly showed no signs of amusement.
"Ah, Isa, how wonderful it is to see you."
I didn't respond. I stood for a few more moments, until Demetri and the rest of the guard entered behind me. Then I turned
and exited, climbing the tower to my room.
*Chapter 38*: 38: On My Own
A/N: I would've posted this chapter sooner, but I was stuck in my MTV Movie Awards hottness bubble. Share
Goodness Gracious, Rob is pure sex walking.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

I walk alone
Think of home
Memories of long ago
No one knows I lost my soul long ago
"On My Own" - Three Days Grace
BPOV
Bang Bang Bang
*Silence*
Bang Bang Bang
*Silence*
Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. I had to hand it to him-he was quite persistent. Annoyingly so.
Bang Bang Bang Bang
He'd been knocking for an hour now. It started as subtle taps but had morphed into hard blows. I was surprised he hadn't
cracked the door with the force he was putting behind it.
I'd been back in Volterra for 2 weeks I went on two brief missions with Demetri, neither being the one I was dragged
back here for. I wasn't even exactly sure what that mission was, but from the whispers I heard I presumed it dealt with the
fact that the vampires in southern America were at it again. There were armies building up and it was filtering south into
Mexico. The massive amount of bodies and missing people cases turning up were so far being blamed on the Mexican
Drug War, but it wasn't the drug dealers this time. It was another war brewing-a war for power and territory amongst our
kind. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say Maria had something to do with it. She evaded us last time we went south to take
down a newborn army and we had no proof she had any connection to that one but this screamed of her involvement.
I haven't spoken to Demetri any more than necessary. He attempted a few conversations when we were out working but I
shot him down with my silence. He had been respectful of the fact that I didn't want to talk and didn't press anything or try to
corner me in Volterra, but it appeared 2 weeks was his breaking point.
Because now he stood outside my door, pounding. Since there was no chance of him ever getting tired and needing to
rest, I had a feeling he had no plans of going away. He was going to stand there and beat on my door until I gave in
because one of us was going to have to give in and it wasn't going to be him. If I learned anything about Demetri during
my time here, it was that he was extremely patient and stubborn.
He could easily just open the door and come in, but he wouldn't. Not this time. He was going to make me open the door
for him, because that's what he needed. He needed me to open up for him and let him in again. Forcing himself in my
room wouldn't do the trick. He wanted to talk, and in order to get me to speak I'd have to be a willing participant, and being
a willing participant meant opening that fucking door for him.
I continued to let Demetri beat at the door. I watched as hour after hour ticked by on the clock. He never let up.
Finally, sometime after midnight, I stood and grabbed the door, swinging it open quickly. Demetri stood there still, his face
showing no emotion. I narrowed my eyes and stared him down briefly before stepping to the side to allow him room to
enter. He walked by me without hesitation and sat down on the edge of my bed. I slammed the door shut and sat down on
the bed beside him.
Neither of us spoke for a while it was slightly awkward but not as much as I expected it to be.
"We'll be leaving for Texas in a few days," Demetri finally said, breaking the silence. I nodded. So we were going to the
south after all.
"Why the delay? It's been going on for a while, we could've gone and dealt with it already instead of giving them time to
grow stronger. I mean, why insist that I come so damn quick only to have me sit around and wait for weeks?"
Demetri shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea Isabella, you know I only do what I'm told around here. You'll have to ask
Aro that. And it might be wise for you to go and try to regain some type of civil relationship with the Brethren, because your
attitude has left them cautious. I know you want to be able to return home without bringing any danger back with you, and
getting them worked up and distrustful isn't the way to achieve that."
"I know," I said with a sigh. I'd been thinking about that myself the past few days. I had every intention of heading straight
back to Edward and my family the moment the mission was completed, regardless of whether or not the Brethren gave
their blessing. But it would be wise to try to get back in their good graces in the hopes that my departure wouldn't be
cause for them to want to strike out.
"I really am sorry though, for having to bring you here. I tried to talk them out of it, telling them that we could handle the
situation on our own, but they were insistent that you needed to be here. When you refused to answer your phone I told
them we were wasting our time, as if you didn't want to be found we wouldn't find you, but unfortunately they knew I was
well aware of where the Cullen's lived and ordered me to start looking there. I hoped they had moved and that you were
with them, so we wouldn't have to invade their lives again but when I found you there, I had no other choice. And I had to do
something to get you to come without a fight, and I hated involving a human but it was the only way I could think of that
would keep everyone safe. You would all risk your lives, but there's no way any of you would risk an innocent human. It's
baffling, but I know that's how you animal eaters are."
I lay back on the bed. I knew everything Demetri was saying was true and I couldn't fault him, but it didn't make it any
easier or hurt any less.
"I knew you were there at the field of flowers," I said after a moment. "I sensed you."
He sighed and lay back beside me. "You looked so happy. I've never seen you that way before and I couldn't bear to
intrude on the moment you were having. I tried to give you as much time as I could get away with."
"Thank you," I whispered.
"Oh hell," Demetri said a moment later, jumping up quickly. "Wait here a moment." He ran from the room and a moment
later returned smiling, holding some blood.
"It's been awhile I picked it up this morning. I was determined to see you today." He tossed it to me and I cut it open
quickly. I was happy with my lifestyle and my diet, but nothing ever could match up to the taste and texture of human blood.
I sucked it down quickly with a moan, causing Demetri to laugh.
I asked Demetri how things were with him he told me him and Heidi had completely reconciled and were living together
in the tower again. He told me of some of the missions he'd been on and what's been going on in Volterra, and I told him a
bit about life in Oregon.
When sunset neared, Demetri got up to leave. "I've got a few things to do. Heidi's gone to get the feast she should be
back in a few hours. You might wanna go see about repairing your trust with Aro now."
I nodded and stood, slipping out of the room. I walked the tunnels quietly, not wanting to draw any attention to myself. I
wanted to be able to gauge who was in with the Brethren before alerting them to my presence I wasn't in the mood to
deal with some of the least favorable guard members while I resorted to basically groveling.
I crept up to the double doors quietly and threw my shield out. The Brethren were inside talking with only a few guards
present. I couldn't feel anyone of importance. Jane was such an ass kisser that she rarely left their side, so I was surprised
she wasn't there. I put my hand on the door to open it when a word escaping Caius's lips stopped me dead in my tracks.
Cullen.
I perked up to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"I know brother, I'm not sure this decision is the wisest though. There could be some devastating consequences if it's
discovered," Aro said.
Caius scoffed. "The consequences of not doing this are even more devastating. Isa has already been compromised. She
cannot be trusted. None of them can. I've always said that. It must be dealt with."
Aro sighed. "She has so much promise. I hoped she could be convinced. And Carlisle! I admit I am skeptical of some of
his coven, especially the mind reader and the one with experience in building armies, but Carlisle? Besides his weird
fascination with keeping humans alive, I just can't determine if he's truly done enough to deserve the fate we're bringing
upon him."
"Everything Carlisle does goes against our very nature. Their lifestyle makes them unstable. Just look at what happened
with Denali coven! We had to stop it before it got out of hand," Caius responded.
"But Isa" Aro said, sounding defeated.
"I know you were fond of her brother, and she did show promise. But she isn't loyal to us, therefore she is one of our
greatest threats. The moment Demetri returned without her, she made her choice. We already went through all of this and
came to a decision; we've already summoned her here, therefore it's already been set in motion. The Cullen's will be
taken care of shortly; Jane and company just departed Volterra. Once we are sure it's done with, we're sending Demetri
and Isa out with the rest of the guard to the newborn armies. The guard in Oregon will meet up with them, and we'll make
sure they're well aware that Isa isn't to walk away from it. With the chaos of the newborns, Isa won't have time to figure it
out. They can strike her from behind-the only way to destroy her will be to catch her off guard and from behind."
I retreated slowly from the doors, fear and dread sweeping through me. It was a trick. The entire thing was a ploy to
separate us and make us vulnerable enough for an attack. They were going to destroy my family and then send me to my
own demise.
I, essentially, was the mission.
Caius had stated Jane had just left, meaning it wasn't too late. The Cullen's were still safe for the moment, and there was
still time to warn them and get them out. I could depart for Oregon immediately, but Jane would have the advantage of the
private jet to speed up her trip. I couldn't pull the type of strings to get one at such short notice I mentally kicked myself
for never having made those connections.
When I was sure I was out of earshot of the Brethren, I started running through the tunnels and up the stairs to the tower. I
threw my bedroom door open and ran inside, throwing things around searching frantically for my cell phone.
"What's the matter?"
I swung around quickly to see Demetri standing in the doorway. I narrowed my eyes at him and growled.
"Whoa Isabella, calm down," he said, startled. His eyes were wide with confusion at my reaction to him. "What's going
on?"
"Did you think I wouldn't know? That I wouldn't find out? You fucking traitor!" I kept my voice low so no one would overhear
me but spoke sharply. "I deserve the right to fight, you owe me that much, so don't dare try to stop me."
Demetri furrowed his eyebrows. He took a few steps inside and closed the door behind him. "What the hell are you talking
about?"
"I'm talking about why the hell you brought me here Demetri. Did you think I was seriously stupid enough to not figure out
that I was the fucking mission? What do you take me for?"
Demetri blinked rapidly and shook his head. "You're confused, what are you talking about? The mission is the newborns.
What do you mean, you're the mission?"
I growled again. "Don't treat me like I'm stupid. I heard them Demetri, I know what's going on. I know why you really brought
me here. I know you've got a job to do, but the least you can do is stay out of my way until you get the official orders to
carry out your mission."
"I'm serious Bella, I have no fucking idea what you're talking about. I was told to retrieve you from Oregon because they
insisted we'd need your help with the armies. That's all I know."
I narrowed my eyes at him. He sounded sincere, his face showing no contradiction. He looked confused and concerned.
"Swear on Heidi's existence you're not playing me."
"I swear on mine and Heidi's," he said without hesitation. "What the hell is going on? What do you mean, you're the
mission?"
"Some guards have just been dispatched to Oregon to destroy my family. I've been brought here to ensure I'm out of their
way, and to wait for my own execution," I spat at him.
Demetri's eyes went wide and he gasped. "That can't be right, why would they do that?"
"You know Caius never trusted the Cullen's or me I guess he finally conned Aro into getting rid of us." I scattered the
belongings from my purse onto my bed when I found it, grabbing my cell phone. I flipped it open and dialed Edward's
number.
No answer. "Ugggghhh"
I dialed Carlisle's number. No answer.
Demetri was pacing my floor, muttering and rubbing his face in frustration. "You've gotta warn them."
"What does it look like I'm trying to do?" I spat at him, frustrated when Alice's phone went to voice mail.
None of the rest answered their phones-they all went to voicemail. I looked at the clock and realized the younger Cullen's
would all be in school, which would make sense as to why they didn't answer. Carlisle was likely at work. I called the
hospital line quickly.
"Good Morning, Astoria Memorial Hospital. How can I route your call?"
"Yes, I need to speak with Dr. Carlisle Cullen. Can you put me through to him please? It's an emergency."
I heard her type something and then sigh. "He has the day off today but I can attempt to page him for you."
"No thank you," I said, hanging up. If he wasn't answering his cell phone, he'd be even more unlikely to answer his pager.
"No luck?" Demetri asked. I shook my head.
"No one's answering. I know it's not too late, they wouldn't have gotten to them yet." Demetri nodded.
"Is there anyone else you can call? Anyone to ensure they get warned? You need to do it quickly because we need to get
on a plane as soon as possible." Demetri flipped his phone open and started dialing a number.
"We?" I asked incredulously.
He sighed. "Of course, do you think I'm going to let you do this shit alone?" He said quickly before focusing on the person
on his phone. He ordered whoever was on the line to prepare a plane quickly and quietly.
"Look you just said so yourself, they're going to order you destroyed. And I know damn well it's me they're going to order
to do it. They haven't mentioned it to me because they know I won't like it, but I'm closest to you and am their strongest
guard so the job is going to be mine. And the fact of the matter is, I can't fucking do it. I couldn't kill you as a newborn when
they wanted it done, and I especially can't do it now after everything. When I took you from Oregon, I promised your mate
I'd keep you safe and return you to him. I don't break promises if I don't have to. So either way it goes, I'm going to have to
do something that potentially is going to mean the end of me, and I'd rather go out for something I believe in instead of by
hurting someone who means a lot to me. I've always felt like little more than a murderer, and killing any of you would make
me just that. So until they order me to do it, I know nothing of it, which means I'm not forced to take that stance yet. Which
means, we need to get the hell out of here before it's too late."
I stared at him, stunned.
"Don't just stand there, Bella, make some fucking calls."
I snapped my phone open again and hesitated, but dialed the number quickly. I hoped they really were there, and it wasn't
one of those rare sunny days where the entire family went off together somewhere.
"Good Morning, Astoria High School. How may I help you?"
"Hello. I'm a relative of the Cullen's. There's a family emergency and I'm trying to get a hold of the kids and was hoping you
could help me. I need to speak with one of them immediately."
"Uh" she hesitated, conflicted, obviously knowing it was against policy but hearing the frantic tone of my voice.
"Please," I said again. "It really is a life-or-death emergency."
The word 'death' must've set her off because she gasped.
"One moment please."
*Chapter 39*: 39: Rule by Secrecy
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! Share
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight but sure wish I did.

Repress and restrain

Still the pressure and the pain
Wash the blood off your hands
This time she won't understand
Change in the air
And they'll hide everywhere
And no one knows who's in control
"Rule by Secrecy" by MUSE
EPOV:
I sighed, picking pieces of bread apart on the sandwich in front of me. With so many starving humans in the world, I always
felt guilty purchasing food I didn't need. It was ridiculous, a complete waste. If Bella were here, she'd probably tell me to
donate money to some "feed the children" program to make up for it. She was always doing that she came a long way
from that girl back in Forks who refused to let us spend a dime on her. She had no qualms pulling out my checkbook and
writing a check to a random charity these days to 'make up' for things I do. I'll never forget the entire family's reaction the
first time she pulled out a checkbook and wrote a check for quite a hefty amount to the world wildlife foundation. When we
questioned her about it, she said we took out enough wildlife that it was only right we paid back for it. Carlisle was
beaming in response to her actions I know Bella often worried about what he thought of her, whether or not he was
disappointed because of the things she's done, but the fact of the matter is Carlisle was very proud of her.
Ahhh, Bella. She'd been gone 2 weeks and we haven't heard from her yet. Carlisle thought it would be best if we gave
her space and not call her she needed to work out whatever it is she needed to do there so she could come back to us.
I respected what Carlisle said, but it was difficult. I missed her terribly and was worried. I didn't want to make things harder
or be a distraction, so I did resist calling and checking up on her. I took to leaving my phone in the car during the day so I
wasn't tempted the rest of the family usually did the same so I wouldn't be tempted to borrow one of theirs. It wasn't as if
I couldn't just walk out to the car and get one if I truly wanted to, but it made it easier not having it on me.
"Let's do something fun after school," Alice said in a fake chipper voice. My sullen mood had been dragging everyone
down again.
Today was Esme's "birthday", the anniversary of the day she awoke. Carlisle had taken the day off of work to surprise her
and they were having some "alone time" at the house. We all knew that was code for 'we'll be having sex all day so don't
bother us' so we were going to stay away from home until at least nightfall.
"Sure," I mumbled, still picking at bread. "Whatever you wanna do Alice."
The others unenthusiastically replied that they were down for some 'fun'. We were fooling ourselves though because none
of us were really going to enjoy whatever it is we were going to be doing. It was impossible to come up with something
that impulsive and adventurous Emmett would enjoy that would please both depressed me, and serious Jasper at the
same time. And the girls' idea of 'fun' usually included a mall, something that us three guys loathed.
"Edward Cullen, please report to the office."
My name coming from the loudspeaker startled me. My siblings all looked at me questioningly. I shrugged.
"Your guess is as good as mine," I said. I hadn't done anything that I knew of to warrant being called to the office,
especially being called over the loudspeaker. Usually they sent out one of those student helpers with notes to track you
down in class.
I stood up just as the bell indicating lunch was over rang. I took off towards the office as my family all moseyed their way to
class.
When I reached the main office, Mrs. Aniston smiled brightly at me. I shot her one of those smiles Bella always accused
me of using to dazzle people.
"I hope I haven't done anything to displease you, Mrs. Aniston," I said in a sweet voice. She laughed and blushed, instantly
thinking things that were highly inappropriate for a secretary to be thinking of a student.
"No of course not Edward. You actually have a phone call. We don't allow personal calls but the woman insisted it was an
emergency."
My brows furrowed in confusion. I thanked her quickly and picked up the phone.
"Hello?" I said hesitantly.
"Edward? Oh thank fucking God!" Bella's voice rang out frantically. "Look, I don't have much time. I've been trying to call
your cell phones but none of you were picking up. I need you to get the rest of the family together and call me right back
once you're out of the school. It's important; you need to do this right now. Do you understand?"
"What's going on?" I asked anxiously.
"I'll explain that in a minute, we don't have time right now. I don't care who you've gotta fuck or kill to get excused from
classes, but all of you need to go. Call me right back."
I went to speak but the line instantly went dead. I turned to the secretary.
"We've gotta leave, it's an emergency. There's been a bad accident." I said, panicked. She nodded.
"Okay, I can call the rest of your family for you."
"Thank you," I said, honestly grateful she wasn't fighting me about it or pressing for answers I didn't have and couldn't think
up sufficient lies for. "Tell them to meet me at the car."
I ran as quickly as I could get away with to the parking lot and hopped in my car. I grabbed my phone from the center
console.
1 missed call
Bella
I dialed her number immediately, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel impatiently.
"About time, what took you so long?" she said when she answered.
"I was as fast as I could be," I said. "What's going on Bella, what's wrong?"
"Look you guys need to get the hell away from there. It was a trick Edward; they brought me here to get me away from you.
I can't get there in time; they've got a head start on me. You've only got a few hours; I'm not sure how close they are. So
you guys need to get the hell out of there right now. They'll try to follow, but just keep running. I will be there as soon as
possible; I'm on my way to the airport now. Head south towards Texas, drive as fast as possible. There are some newborn
armies being built up, go where they are. When you get in the area, find me. It's the perfect place to hide out as the place
is swarming with vampires."
"Who's coming for us?" I asked frantically. My family had approached and was staring at me with concern.
"Guards. I don't know how many. But they're already on their way so there isn't time to talk about it. Just get the hell out. Do
you understand?" She was yelling now, her voice stern.
"Yes of course. We're going now. I love you Bella." I snapped my phone shut.
"Get in the cars, we've got to go. It was a fucking trap. The Volturi's coming."
Alice and Jasper jumped in my car quickly, and I slammed the gas and peeled out of the parking lot. Rose jumped in her
car with Emmett and followed me. We topped the speedometer out on the drive to the house, not slowing until I reached
the driveway. We pulled up in front of the house and jumped out.
We must've been loud squealing tires, because Carlisle and Esme ran to the door, looking disheveled.
"What's going on?" Carlisle asked as we all flew inside the house.
"Grab some shit and let's go," I said quickly. I usually refrained from cursing around Esme but I had no time to filter my
thoughts. "Bella's been trying to call us. It was all a trick; they just wanted her out of the way. The Volturi are coming. Bella
said she doesn't know how long of a head start she's giving us, maybe a few hours, but that we needed to get out now and
drive as fast as possible south. She's at the airport now, catching a flight. She said there are some newborn armies being
built up in Texas so to head there. When we get there, we're supposed to find her. The chaos of so many vampires in a
small area will help us for the time being."
I was throwing shit around, grabbing passports and documents and as much money as I could get my hands on in case
we needed it. We took as little as possible, not wanting to weigh down the cars more than needed be.
Alice and Jasper jumped in the car with me. I briefly considered taking Bella's Aero but it was too recognizable. The
Volturi would know that car anywhere. Rose and Emmett took her Mercedes, and Carlisle and Esme jumped in her
Nissan.
We drove swiftly out of town. I led, as I not only had the built in radar detector but Jasper rode with me and he was our best
bet in helping to locate the newborn armies.
I pushed the Volvo to its limits. Alice and Jasper remained quiet most of the ride Alice was worried about our family and
about Bella. She was mentally kicking herself for not trying to look into the future when Bella was gone, but she'd grown so
used to her visions not working that she rarely even bothered to try. If she had been looking, she might've seen it since
Bella hadn't been involved at all. I wanted to tell her not to blame herself, that Bella had warned us in time so it was okay,
but I knew Alice. She'd feel guilty regardless. Jasper was theorizing and strategizing. Periodically my phone would ring
and Carlisle would touch base with us.
Jasper told us to head as close to the border as possible. The newborn armies tended to filter into Mexico as their
behavior didn't raise as many red flags with Mexican authorities as it would with Americans, so our best bet was to start
there. The drive to El Paso Texas usually took around 27 hours from Astoria, but we found ourselves driving into the city
limits 14 hours after leaving home.
Jasper had been right. The stench of vampire was thick in the humid air all around El Paso. We pulled over in the parking
lot for a Wal-Mart and got out to discuss our next move.
"What do you think about touching base with Maria?" Jasper asked. Carlisle pondered the pros and cons of the idea,
while Alice silently begged for Carlisle to say no. Alice was afraid of the repercussions of Jasper being reunited with
Maria. She was secure in the fact that jasper loved her and they were soul mates, but Maria was unpredictable and
possessive and jasper had been her possession once upon a time. He'd bailed on her, leaving her feeling a bit betrayed.
"I'm not sure that's wise," Carlisle said after a moment. Carlisle offered no more explanation and Jasper didn't ask. Alice
silently thanked God.
"I think I'm gonna try to call Bella," I said after a few moments when we were out of ideas.
I hope this isn't the trap, Rose mentally scoffed. I growled at her, alarming the entire family.
"Bella would never do that," I yelled. Rose just shrugged and walked away. Emmett smiled apologetically and chased after
her.
I dialed Bella's number quickly, but got her voicemail. It had been 15 hours since I spoke to her and she said she was
heading for the airport. She should've landed by now. I just hoped she was okay.
Carlisle and jasper were quietly speaking about how to approach the situation and I took to pacing. After a few minutes
Jasper suggested us finding a hotel room somewhere to wait, so we weren't out in the open. Carlisle agreed and yelled
for Rose and Emmett to join us again.
My phone started ringing then, startling me. I flipped it open quickly. Bella.
"Bella?" I said frantically.
"Where are you?" she asked.
"Uh, we're at a Wal-Mart in El Paso. We can smell the newborns there's so many of them their scents are all mingled
together, it's hard to decipher them."
"Good, I figured. You'll be hard to track. Get out of the open; find a cheap motel near the border. I'll find you."
I hung up and relayed the message to Carlisle. We piled in the cars and checked into the La Quinta Inn. Carlisle turned on
the local news and we listened to tales of countless missing persons in the surrounding areas. I was surprised it wasn't
getting more national media attention.
An hour passed and still no sign of Bella. I was growing anxious and pacing. My phone finally rang again I flipped it
open.
"Bella?"
"I'm pulling in, I see your cars."
She hung up, saying no more. I told the family that she was there and swung the door open, freezing at the sight.
Instinctively I crouched and growled defensively.
Demetri stood in the parking lot, looking at my Volvo.
My family was alarmed at my defensive stance and gasped when they saw what I was looking at. I contemplated charging
him, but knew I had to assess the situation first.
Out of the corner of my eye I caught glimpse of Bella. I was frightened, wanted to warn her of Demetri's presence if she
hadn't seen him. Bella took a few steps forward and Demetri followed her. I snarled loudly, catching both of their
attentions.
Bella was alarmed at my behavior, until it dawned on her what I was looking at.
"Calm down," she said simply, walking forward again. Demetri stayed put, glaring at me.
"Come on Demetri," Bella said, turning to the Volturi Guard. He hesitated.
Told you. Rose snapped.
I snarled again, this time at Rose, but it coincided with Demetri taking another step forward.
"Damnit Edward, I said calm down. We don't have time for the macho possessive bullshit. He's here to help, try being
grateful and not an ass," Bella snapped, misinterpreting my last snarl.
"Sorry," I said quickly as Bella slipped into the room. Demetri paused in front of me momentarily and narrowed his eyes,
but walked by without speaking.
I shut the door and locked it once they were both inside. Bella quickly hugged the family, with the exception of Rose. Rose
wouldn't acknowledge her presence, once again blaming Bella for being the cause of trouble in her family.
She quickly made her way to me and pulled me to her, hugging me tightly. "I'm glad you're okay," she whispered. I
squeezed her tighter and kissed the top of her head.
"Okay," Bella said, pulling from my embrace and turning to Demetri. He was standing in the corner, away from us. "Are
you sure you're ready for this?"
*Chapter 40*: 40: Ticks and Leeches
A/N: I've taken a tad bit of liberty with El Paso's landscape. I have no idea if there's a hill and a valley Share
anywhere there, but for the sake of my story we're going to pretend.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

Suck me dry.
My blood is bruised and borrowed.You thieving bastards.
You have turned my blood cold and bitter,
Beat my compassion black and blue.
"Ticks and Leeches" - Tool
BPOV:
I complain about flights a lot. I loathed flying; I found it to be torture. But this flight took the cake. It was by far the worst flight
of my life.
Not only was it long, but also the unknowns of what was coming made it even worse. We had no idea what type of
situation we were about to encounter and what the next few hours were going to be like. No idea if we'd survive to see
another sunset or sunrise. If we'd survive to experience another meal if either of us would ever make love to the one we
loved again.
I had faith that I would, but I wasn't as confident about Demetri. I'd protect Edward and myself with everything I had, as
neither of us could ever live without the other again. I believed Demetri would walk away from this, but what would he walk
away to? By getting on that plane, he'd thrown away his life as he knew it. He'd betrayed the Brethren. There was no way
he'd ever be able to just go back. And he'd left the love of his life behind to help me.
As the plane landed in some remote stretch of land in Nickel Creek Texas, I vowed I'd make things right for him. He was
sacrificing his life and his happiness for mine, and I'd do anything I could to make sure it was worth it. I'd make sure he
didn't suffer because of me.
As soon as we got off the plane, I turned on my phone and saw that Edward had called. I redialed his number quickly. He
said he was at a Wal-Mart in El Paso and that the smell of vampires there was thick I told him to find shelter near the
border and I'd find him.
"El Paso," I said, turning to Demetri. He nodded.
"I figured as much." We found a house nearby and quickly and quietly stole a car. Demetri hit the US-180 W heading
towards El Paso. He drove quickly, making the 2-hour drive in half the time. As we drove towards the border, a silver car
caught my eye.
"There they are," I said, pointing at the Volvo parked at a small hotel. Demetri pulled in and got out as I called Edward and
told him I was here.
Demetri was eyeing the Volvo when I got out I started walking towards the hotel and he made the move to follow me
when a snarling rang out. I peered up to see Edward in the doorway of a room, in defensive mode. I looked around
quickly, trying to figure out what had him alarmed, when it struck me.
Demetri. I hadn't mentioned I was bringing him along.
"Calm down," I said, walking forward again. I turned and told Demetri to follow me he hesitantly moved to do so when
Edward snarled again.
"Damnit Edward, I said calm down. We don't have time for the macho possessive bullshit. He's here to help, try being
grateful and not an ass," I snapped, sharper than I intended. I know the sudden emergence of a high ranking Volturi Guard
must be alarming, especially knowing the Volturi were after them, but he was with me. Edward had to trust me.
I shot my shield around all of them, intending to keep it there the entire time if possible. I hugged the family quickly. Rose
wouldn't even look at me, so I used a bit of Edwards energy apparently she thought I was double crossing them and
harming her family
I hugged Edward tightly, telling him that I was glad he was okay. I wanted to try to reassure him, considering he was under
so much stress and was having to deal with Rose's thoughts of me being a traitor.
"Okay," I said, turning to Demetri. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"
He nodded and smiled slightly. He was a bit nervous about what was to come but he wasn't afraid. He was resolved that
whatever fate he met was the one that was meant to be.
"First of all," I said, turning to the family. "You are going to treat Demetri with the utmost respect he deserves. He doesn't
deserve this respect because he's a high-ranking guard or because he's powerful, he deserves it because he is
sacrificing his entire existence for all of us. You will also not second guess anything he tells you." I turned to Rose. "It may
be hard to put aside some of your irrational fears but you're going to have to in order to trust, because that's going to be
key to all of us making it out of this mess. We're going to have to trust one another completely, no hesitating."
"And you," I said, turning to Edward. He froze, anxious about getting a lecture. "You are going to take all that over-
protectiveness and throw it on the back burner. I don't need you to worry about trying to take care of me I know it's in
your nature to do so, but it's going to do nothing but put us in harms way. I've done this enough to know what I'm doing and
Demetri can attest to that. I've taken on some dangerous creatures and I've only been harmed once."
Demetri's blank face cracked at my mention of being hurt and he snickered. I narrowed my eyes at him and he attempted
to straighten up, but ended up laughing harder. "Sorry See-Saw," he spat out in the midst of the laughter.
"Go ahead, laugh it up." I said. Edward snickered behind me, then burst into hysterics.
"You can walk away from newborn armies unscathed, but a deranged old man puts you out of commission?" I groaned
and shook my head obviously he'd gotten the entire story from Demetri's mind.
"Yes, an old man bit me. And it didn't put me out of commission. They just overreacted. Can we laugh about this later? I
understand it is quite funny, but I don't think the right time to pick on me is when the Volturi are after us."
Edward and Demetri sobered up quickly at the reminder. I turned back to Edward to continue when Demetri's phone rang.
"Yeah?" he said quickly after snapping it open. "Okay. Good. Yeah. Thank you. Please do." He hung up and put it back in
his pocket.
"They took the bait," Demetri said. I smiled.
"Bait?" Carlisle asked.
"We took a detour on the plane, knowing that the Volturi would track where we were going in it. We landed the plane in
North Carolina and boarded a second one there. They figured out we were going to you guys so now they're assuming
you're in the Carolinas. They don't know we found another private flight here."
Carlisle nodded and smiled. "Smart move."
"They've called the guard off for now; Aro rerouted them down here to deal with the newborn problem. He knows that
between the shield and my tracking senses, it's going to be nearly impossible to find us and we'll be able to evade them.
He isn't giving up obviously, just detouring them because the issues here needed handled before they could undertake the
big task of finding us."
"Wait," Rose interjected. "Why the hell are we here then? They don't know where we are, we can run and be free, why are
we sitting the one place they're coming? That's crazy."
"Crazy? Maybe." I said. "But it's also perfect."
She narrowed her eyes at me.
"Look, Rosalie. If you want to go on the run then by all means go. But I won't spend my life running."
Demetri snickered. "The Brethren wanted an ambush in Texas and we're going to give them one."
"Ambush?" Edward asked sounding concerned.
"Yeah their plan was to keep me in Volterra until they took care of you guys, and then dispatch me and Demetri to
Texas. They were going to order the guard to ambush me while in the midst of the newborn chaos."
"That is perfect," Jasper said. "They're coming down here to focus on the newborns, expecting us to be across the
country. They won't know what hit them."
"Exactly."
They all nodded in understanding. Emmett looked excited Jasper was stoking himself up. This was his expertise and I
could tell he was feeling useful.
Demetri's phone rang again. "Yeah?" he asked. He listened intently for a moment and then started laughing. "You're
kidding! That's crazy. Be careful okay?"
Demetri hung up, still laughing. "Aro wants to call a truce, but can't figure out how to do so. He's sending Heidi to where
the plane landed in Carolina, hoping she can find us, knowing we won't harm her. She's supposed to tell us that we're
forgiven."
I started laughing, shaking my head. "We're forgiven?"
"Yep, the Pope is pardoning our sins baby, we're free to join the church again." Demetri winked at me playfully, still
laughing. I could hear a light rumble behind me, coming from Edward's chest. He was getting jealous.
"Well then how much time do you think we have until they get to El Paso?" I asked. Demetri squinted his eyes, thinking.
"An hour or so, I'd say. They'll move quickly so we'll want to be in place soon."
I nodded, turning to my blonde brother deep in thought.
"So, Jasper how about you and I go take a peek at Maria's handiwork?"
Jasper drove us quickly along the border, following the stench of vampire. Demetri had used his talent to give us a general
location of Maria and we used Jasper's expertise to lead us the rest of the way. It likely would've been easier send
Demetri out with Jasper, but I figured it was safer if we scouted it out with my shield around us. I didn't want us to be
detected yet and I definitely didn't want Maria to sense Jasper there.
We drove into a deserted rural area and parked. We got out and I followed Jasper through some woods. He stopped
when we reached a hill.
"They're down there," he said, no doubt in his voice. "A valley, on the other side of the hill."
We stood quietly and could hear faint growling and snarling in the distance. Jasper took a few steps forward up the hill
and I followed quietly. When he reached the top, he crouched down in the trees. I followed his lead, crouching beside him.
The sight before us was shocking. I quickly scanned the newborns, counting 156. I spotted three more vampires, obviously
older. Two were walking through the crowd of newborn while another brown haired woman stood to the side, observing
them.
"That's Maria" Jasper whispered, motioning towards the one observing.
"This is outrageous," I said. "And to think this is only the half of it. There's another army across the border being built up."
Jasper shook his head. "This is pretty big, even by Maria's standards. She always was one for show."
We stood and started retreating. We ran back to the car and hopped inside, needing to get back to the family to get our
plans in order. Jasper sped and pulled into the parking lot of the hotel within minutes.
The room was filled with tension when we arrived. Rose was fuming, Demetri was glaring at her, and Edward was shaking
his head and running his hands through his hair stressed.
"I'm not even going to ask," I said simply, taking in their expressions.
"I think that's wise," Carlisle said, sounding exasperated.
"Anyway, we found them easily, they're down in a valley in the outskirts of town near the border. Maria was there with 2
other experienced vampires, and I counted 156 newborns."
The family gasped but Demetri just nodded, expecting as much.
"Why don't we go take them out now?" Emmett asked. "That way when the Guard comes, we don't have to deal with both
problems at once."
"I thought about that, but there just isn't enough time to undertake that task before they arrive."
"Could we at least get a head start on it?" Carlisle asked.
"No," I said. "We need to be on our toes when the Volturi arrive, and if we were in the midst of a fight they'd be able to
catch us off guard. Plus it's not going to be easy taking one 3 experienced and 156 newborns by ourselves we'll need
the Volturi to get the head start on it before we jump in, and it'll also be easier to accomplish if I had access to their
talents."
They nodded, understanding.
Demetri's phone rang again. "Yeah? Already? Good."
He snapped his phone shut and shoved it in his pocket. "Well, they've arrived. Heidi was about to depart for the airfield
when she overheard Aro report that Jane and the others had reached El Paso and located Maria. They should be fighting
now" He turned to Jasper and I. "You guys were lucky you got out when you did, you must've just eluded them."
We left the hotel room and piled into our cars. Demetri took our rental, with Edward and I joining him. Carlisle and Esme
rode with Jasper and Alice. Rose insisted on driving herself, dragging Emmett along with her. Demetri led, using his
tracking senses. We pulled up in front of a warehouse and parked the cars.
"Yeah they're here," Demetri said, looking around. "They sent seven Guards, including Jane and Alec."
I nodded. Demetri turned and started heading into the woods, the others following behind him. Edward grabbed my arm
when I went to move and pulled me into a hug.
"I love you Bella," he said, sounding panicked. I sighed, reached up and pressed my lips to his firmly. He kissed me
passionately and deep. I pulled away after a moment.
"I love you too, but what did I say? You need to relax Edward." He sighed and nodded. I grabbed his hand, intertwining our
fingers, and took off into the woods after the others. They were standing atop the hill that Jasper and I had scoped out
earlier.
I crept up beside Demetri, pulling Edward beside me. Down below the battle had already started. Maria was still going
strong, as were the two seasoned vampires. The Guard was holding their own, and had taken down at least a dozen
newborns already. I heard Demetri snicker and cocked an eyebrow at him.
"They're out of practice, look at them," he said. "They're so used to relying on you and I these past few decades that
they've let themselves go. They're making the simplest mistakes."
I nodded when I finally took in the sight before me. "Why aren't they guarding Alec and Jane? Everyone knows you keep
the strongest players protected. They've left them vulnerable to attack."
"Exactly," Demetri said. "Neither one is good at physical combat, they've never really had to do it. But with the clusterfuck
they've created, neither Jane nor Alec can keep a hold of the group to stun them with their talents. It's coming at them from
all directions."
"Every man for themselves," Jasper chimed in with.
"Yeah and that breaks every rule the Volturi have. No matter the circumstances, you always work as a unit. They've
pounded it in the guards heads time and time again if you aren't working together, you're basically working against
each other," Demetri stated, shaking his head.
"They could've had it finished by now all they had to do was have the other 5 hold the newborns off and allow Jane and
Alec to stand back and stun them. After they were stunned, they could've quickly dismembered the group," I said, in
complete disbelief of the scene in front of me.
We all stood silently watching for a moment, before simultaneously gasping as one of the vampires successfully tore the
limbs from one of the Guard.
"Isabella? Do you want to put a stop to this, or are you enjoying the show?" Demetri asked, leaving it up to me how to
proceed.
"Well it is entertaining," I said with a shrug. "But maybe we should put them out of their misery. How do you want us to do
this? I can easily pull the energy and stun the entire group before they even realize it, so none of them would put up a fight.
Or I could stun select ones and allow you all the opportunity to actually fight them."
No one answered for a moment, all just staring down at the battle raging on. The guard that lost its arms was no longer
visible, having been completely overtaken by a group of newborns.
"Or I can just do it all myself," I said with a laugh.
I felt Edward tense up at my words, obviously not liking the idea of me going down there. I gave him a reassuring smile.
"Do it," Demetri said simply. I cocked an eyebrow at him questioningly. "Seriously. I honestly thought we'd have to fight, I
expected the Guard to be on their game. Some of Volturi's best are down there and are frankly disappointing me. You can
take them out easily. In fact, it would be fun to watch you kick ass one more time."
I smiled and nodded, psyching myself up. Everyone else was eying me warily, obviously having never witnessed me in a
fight and unsure of what was going to happen. They were mainly curious and a tad bit excited, but slightly frightened.
"It'll be fine," I told Edward. I pressed my lips to his quickly one time before turning to Demetri. "Make sure he doesn't try to
follow, no matter what," I said, motioning towards the love of my life. I heard Edward groan in frustration.
"Will do. Oh and here." Demetri took off his cloak and tossed it at me. I hadn't brought mine, but Demetri never went
anywhere without his even if he were in essence betraying his cloak. "Figured you'd be more comfortable doing it while
donned in the uniform."
I smiled and slipped it on. He was right putting on the cloak made me feel dangerous and feared, and put me in the
zone. I threw the hood on and started walking forward. I quickly walked down the hill towards the fight, making sure to stay
out of sight in the trees. I got near the fighting and threw my shield out to encompass the entire area. I drew all of the
energy I could from both Jane, took a deep breath, and threw it back at the valley in front of me.
Instantly, the fighting stopped and screams rang out as they all collapsed to the ground. I moved forward and started swiftly
kicking the newborns in the neck, cutting off their screams as their heads came unattached from their bodies. I skipped
over Jane and Alec but beheaded the five other guards.
After the five guards were quieted and the newborns all taken care of, I paused overtop of Maria. I only hesitated for a
moment before silencing her also. I quickly assembled the bodies I had beheaded, dismembering them briefly and
tossing them to the side. I pulled some matches from inside Demetri's cloak, struck one and threw it on top of the pile of
body parts. It went up in flames quickly, throwing purple smoke into the air. Thankfully it was past sunset and the smoke
wouldn't be that noticeable.
I walked to where Jane and Alec lay, screaming in agony, and slowly let the energy off of Jane. She jumped up quickly,
crouching and hissing. She looked around quickly, gasping when she saw me.
"Isa!" she hissed.
"Hello Jane," I said, smirking. She snarled and looked to where her brother lay on the ground, screaming.
"Let him up!" She screamed. "What have you done?"
I laughed dryly. "Well, Jane, what I have done is one upped you. Are you surprised I foiled your attempts to massacre my
family? You really should've known better, I thought you were smarter than that. But I imagine it mustn't make you too
happy, knowing you were outsmarted by the person you've mocked so much over the years. Tell me, Jane, how does it
feel knowing the weak pathetic girl named Bella Swan is going to be the one to take you down?"
She hissed loudly, but said nothing.
"Thought so."
I pounced immediately, dismembering her quickly. She didn't put up a fight she was so used to using her talent as a
crutch that she'd never really learned how to ward of physical attacks.
Alec was on his feet at that point, his eyes wide in shock. The moment I'd beheaded his sister her energy went out, thus
letting him out of his agonizing state.
"Isa?" he asked incredulously. He looked around, spotting his sisters dismembered body strewn around and viewing the
raging fire of body parts.
He was beyond frightened, trembling in fear. He was staring right at me, in shock. He took no aggressive stances,
whether it was because he was too afraid to or because he knew it was fruitless I wasn't sure.
"You may go," I said simply. He furrowed his brows confused.
"What?" he stammered out.
"I said you may go. I'm going to allow you to live for now under one condition. You're going to leave here, catch the first
plane back to Volterra, and relay a message to the Brethren for me. Do you understand?"
Alec nodded slightly, still trembling.
"You are going to tell Aro that I, too, don't give second chances. Got that?" He nodded again.
"Good. Now go, before I change my mind."
He hesitated, obviously afraid this was a trap. I snarled once, loudly, causing him to sprint off as fast as his legs would
carry him. I picked up the pieces of Jane that lay around and tossed them onto the fire.
The entire exchange took only a few minutes.
I climbed the hill to where my family stood. They were all watching me intently. I couldn't look any of them in the eye, not
after what they had just witnessed me doing. I was afraid of what I'd see Disappointment? Fear?
I bypassed them and started walking through the woods, back towards our cars.

A/N: I know, I know... you're probably slightly dissapointed that the Cullen's didn't get to kick any asses. I
understand. For the sake of the story we're going to let Bella have the control for now ;) Oh and before anyone
gets confused by Bella's reaction at the end, she's got two sides of her fighting for control: the volturi soldier
and the innocent Bella. The volturi soldier kicked ass and Bella feels bad.
*Chapter 41*: 41: Counting Stars
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight Share

Counting stars wishing I was okay

Crashing down was my biggest mistake
I never ever meant to hurt you
I only did what I had to
Counting stars again
"Counting Stars" - Sugarcult
EPOV
I hesitantly let Bella walk down the hill towards the battle brewing below. I wanted to run after her and help, but I knew deep
down she didn't need me. Bella could handle herself. However, the man inside of me-the man that loved her more than
anything in this world-wanted to protect her from everything undesirable.
But I knew I had to stay where I was and let Bella do this.
The moment she reached the bottom of the hill, the entire field of vampires collapsed on the ground screaming. Demetri
snickered beside me. I looked over at him and he smiled, nodding.
"Don't worry," he said nonchalantly, as if those 2 words were simply going to alleviate all of my fear for her. It may be
irrational of me to be afraid, but she was my world and I couldn't stand the idea of losing her. Not again, never again.
Bella quickly made her way through the sea of vampires, their screams cutting off abruptly as she kicked their heads from
their bodies. I was shocked at how efficient it was, how easy she made it seem. I remembered the battle with James all
those years ago, how it hadn't been that physically easy to dismember him. The realization of how much strength Bella
must have dawned on me while I watched her.
She truly was an incredible creature.
She gathered up the body parts and set them on fire. Bella turned away from the fire and Jane popped up defensively. Her
and Bella exchanged some words Jane was sneering at Bella, and Bella calmly mocked her.
It was ridiculous, but I felt my pants grow tighter at the sight of my girl being in so much control, being so downright
dangerous.
"She's pretty hot to watch," Demetri said, obviously having the same feelings I was about the situation. I was jealous and
couldn't stop the rumble in my chest from escaping. I knew she loved me, but it didn't change the fact that she had given
herself to him once. I had accepted it and understood, but it didn't mean I liked it.
"Whoa, relax," Demetri said, putting his hands up in a sign of peace. "Look, I know you know what happened between her
and I. I'll never regret it, she means a lot to me, but she never loved me. She never belonged with me. She's happier with
you than I ever saw her, and that's the only reason I'm here right now. I'm giving up my own life to ensure that she gets hers
because 36 years ago I vowed I'd look after her. I don't know what's going to happen with me, but I'm telling you right now,
you better give her the happily ever after she deserves. Don't make me regret my decision."
I nodded and went to speak, but the sight of Alec running away from Bella startled me. Demetri looked just as confused.
"What just happened?" he asked, looking around.
"She told him to go back to Volterra and tell Aro that she doesn't give second chances," Carlisle said, sounding shocked.
Demetri groaned. "I should've known," he muttered.
Bella walked up the hill and passed us all without speaking or even acknowledging us. We hesitantly followed her through
the woods, back to the cars. I wanted to run and catch up to her and grab a hold of her, and hug her, and tell her how
happy I was that she was okay but I didn't, because she seemed to want to distance herself from us.
Bella slid in the driver's seat of the rental car and started it up. Demetri caught a hold of my arm.
"She's likely feeling ashamed she often does afterwards but tries to hide it. I imagine it has to be even worse, knowing
you saw it."
I nodded and slid into the passenger seat beside her. Demetri walked away and jumped into Rose's car, much to her
dismay. Bella gripped the steering wheel tightly, staring straight ahead. She still had the cloak on, covering her from my
view.
I sighed and reached up and snatched the hood down. It startled Bella and she looked over to me with skepticism.
"I don't like not being able to see your face," I said softly. Her eyes were sad and she was frowning. I reached my hand up
and cupped her cheek with it. She closed her eyes and leaned into my hand, sighing at my touch. I leaned in and kissed
her lips softly it was an innocent kiss, but it felt perfect for the moment.
"I love you, don't ever hide from me. And you shouldn't be ashamed of what you just did you saved my life today Bella.
It's all over now."
Bella sighed and turned back to face the road. She put the car in gear and sped off onto the road back to the hotel. She
said nothing during the drive. The others were already assembled at the hotel when we arrived.
"What now?" Carlisle asked. "Is it safe to return home?"
Bella nodded. "Yes, returning to Oregon would be wise. If they send anyone, that's honestly the last place they'll look."
Demetri nodded also, agreeing with her.
"I'm going to meet up with Heidi. I'll be in touch though." I reached out and took Demetri's hand to shake it.
"Thank you, for everything" I said.
"Yes, thank you. You are more than welcome to join us anytime in Oregon. Our home is your home," Carlisle added, also
shaking his hand.
"I had to do what was right," Demetri said with a shrug. He walked over to Bella and pulled her into a hug, lifting her off the
ground. He whispered in her ear, too low for me to hear. Bella looked sad, conflicted. He put her back on the ground and
kissed the top of her head once. She handed him the keys to the rental.
"Well we should be going," Carlisle said. The rest of the family agreed and we started heading towards the cars. I opened
the passenger door to the Volvo and turned to see Bella still standing near the hotel she hadn't moved an inch. The rest
of the family spotted her and looked at her, confused.
"Bella?" I said, holding my hand out to her.
"I can't go with you Edward," she whispered softly. She was staring straight at me, her eyes imploring me to understand.
I froze at her words. What did she mean she couldn't go with me? I felt panic creeping up, paralyzing me. I couldn't lose
Bella; I wouldn't let her walk away from me. I'd fight for her.
"Isabella Swan, don't you dare do this," Demetri yelled, standing in front of the cars. Bella turned to look at him and smiled.
"You know I have to," she said. Demetri shook his head fiercely.
"I should've known, the moment you said what you said to Alec and let him go. But this is completely unnecessary and
utterly reckless."
"I may have saved my family," Bella said softly. "But I practically signed your death warrant myself. You know as well as I
do that it's not over."
Demetri growled and slammed his fists on the hood of the rental car, denting it. "Why must you do this to me?"
"I have to go to Volterra. There's no other way," she said.
I gasped. "What do you mean you're going to Volterra?"
"Taking down 6 guard members doesn't solve this problem Edward. They aren't just going to give up it may not happen
tomorrow or the day after, but one day there will be more guards sent for us. And they aren't going to just accept Demetri's
actions and allow him to go free. They will hunt him and I can't allow him to sacrifice himself for me. He's done enough."
"Let's look at this rationally," Jasper interjected. "It's true we'll someday have to face the Volturi, and I agree that it's better
to do it on our terms but you can't just go hop on a plane and fly to Volterra tonight and face them alone. I don't doubt
your ability to handle yourself, especially after what we just witnessed but it would make it a hell of a lot better if you had
a plan of action and some backup."
Bella opened her mouth to speak but Demetri cut her off. "Listen to your brother, he knows what he's talking about. If
you're going to Volterra, you're taking backup. Jesus, Isabella, did you seriously think I'd let you go there alone? Let's give
it a few days, let Alec relay your message and see how they react to the news and gather up some support."
Bella was silent for a moment, contemplating. She finally nodded in defeat.
"A week," she said. She walked forward and slipped into the passenger seat of my Volvo without another word. Demetri
sighed, shaking his head in frustration.
"I'm heading to North Carolina. I'll be in touch in a few days." He got into the car and sped away quickly. We shared some
quick glances at each other before climbing in our cars. I slipped in the drivers seat beside Bella, who was staring out the
window. I reached over and grabbed her hand, intertwining our fingers. I gave it a quick squeeze but didn't speak. I wanted
to give her some time.
The drive back to Oregon was agonizing. We spent the entire 14 hours in total silence. Bella never let go of my hand, but
she made no other attempt to even acknowledge my presence in the car with her. Alice and Jasper had caught a ride with
Rose, wanting to give us time alone. It would've probably been better if they'd ridden with us.
Periodically, Bella would pull out her cell phone and exchange texts with someone. I was curious and wanted to ask who it
was, but I didn't want to come off as sounding like an immature possessive jealous boyfriend. I wasn't sure if Bella ever
figured out that I'd snooped through her phone and didn't want to give her reason to doubt my trust even more.
We pulled up to the driveway of the house in Astoria and immediately noticed the house had been ransacked. The Volturi
must've done it when they arrived. We did a quick inventory of the house and saw that nothing had been stolen, but a lot
deliberately damaged. Emmett huffed when he saw his video game systems were smashed and the flat screen cracked.
Some of the windows were busted out, the front door cracked down the middle. Esme huffed at the state of her house, but
Carlisle reassured her that everything would be back to normal in no time.
I was upstairs assessing the bedroom my music collection was scattered around and scratched up, but thankfully it
could all be replaced. I was just grateful they hadn't assaulted my piano.
A piercing scream rang out downstairs, sending shivers down my spine. I ran down the stairs, following the sound into the
garage and gasped.
Bella stood there, staring at her car, screaming. The car was destroyed every inch of glass shattered into millions of
little pieces. The exterior was scratched and dented and misshapen Rose stepped back and eyed the frame, sighing.
Frames bent. There's no way to fix that, she thought.
I reached inside the car and popped the hood, groaning at the sight. It looked like they'd taken a baseball bat to it
internally also, completely clobbering the engine. Nothing was salvageable.
Bella was no longer screaming but had a murderous glare on her face and was shaking in anger. Without a word, she
stormed out of the garage and up the stairs into the guest bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
"Can this be replaced?" Esme asked, hopeful.
I shook my head sadly. "It's possible to find another one for her eventually, but it won't be the same. This was the actual car
that broke the world record. You can't replace that."
Esme sighed, shaking her head. Poor girl can't win, she thought.
We walked back into the house and my family started picking up broken objects and fixing what they could. I scaled the
steps and stood in the hallway between my room and the guest room where Bella was, deliberating. I wanted to talk to her,
comfort her. We just spent 14 hours in a car together, just us alone, but it felt like I hadn't seen her in forever. But I couldn't
be selfish; I couldn't just do what it is I wanted, what would make me feel better. I had to respect Bella's wishes and
given her utter silence the entire drive back and the fact that she locked herself in the room she used to go to in order to
isolate herself from me, I'd say her wishes were quite obvious. She wanted me to leave her alone.
I sighed and walked into our bedroom, leaving the door wide open in case Bella decided to come out. I started picking up
my CDs and vinyl records, inspecting them for scratches. I threw away the ones I knew would not longer play, mentally
making a list so I could have Alice purchase new copies for me the next time she made it to the mall.
It didn't take me very long, but nearly half of my collection ended up in the trash. I was thankful that was as far as they
went I would flown to Volterra myself without a moments hesitation had they have gotten into my locked box on top of the
closet.
I tied up the black trash bag and hauled it down the stairs, tossing it out onto the porch. Alice came up beside me and
threw out a bag of broken stuff from their room.
"Everything will be okay," she said nodding, her face optimistic. I could tell it was forced though. Alice had no idea how
things were going to turn out, but she was trying to use the power of positive thinking.
"Let's hope," I said in response, sighing.
*Chapter 42*: 42: Daydreamer
A/N: We shall call these next chapters 'the calm before the storm' Share
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

Daydreamer, with eyes that make you melt

He lends his coat for shelter because he's there for you when he shouldn't be
But he stays all the same, waits for you and then sees you through
There's no way I could describe him
All I say is, just what I'm hoping for
"Daydreamer" - Adele
BPOV
Two days down, four more to go.
I told them I'd give it a week and that's exactly what I intended to do but the past 48 hours had been excruciating and I
wasn't sure how much longer I'd last.
I hadn't come out of the guest room since returning. And I know it was eating at Edward and I felt bad for making things
harder on him, but I needed time and space to cool off. After what had happened in Texas and coming home to find my
car destroyed, my anger was out of control and I didn't want it to be misplaced and end up hurting someone I loved.
I knew it was just a car it was just a hunk of metal, a material possession. But it held more meaning to me than just
being transportation. It was the only thing I'd ever used my status with the Volturi to get. Demetri had helped me by pulling
strings as a gift to me. I felt like myself when I drove that car; I felt happy and free with no mask or barriers. In the past 36
years, it was the only thing I let myself love and enjoy. As pathetic as that sounded, it was my one indulgence.
And they had taken that from me. I knew in reality I didn't matter, as I had something much greater in my life. I had my
family back, and I had Edward. Nothing could ever match up to that, nothing would ever mean more to me than their love.
But the Volturi had tried to destroy my family, and destroying the car was just icing on the cake.
They'd tried to destroy everything they knew meant something to me, and I wasn't having that.
The sun had just risen. It was Monday morning now. I needed to do something-anything-to pass the time. I couldn't
continue to sit and reel in anger. I jumped up and walked to the door, unlocking it and opening it. Edward stood in the
hallway, his eyes going wide and his jaw dropping open when he spotted me. He'd been spending a lot of time pacing the
hallway outside the door the past two days, obviously agonizing over me locking myself away.
I gave Edward a small smile and brushed past him, heading down the stairs. I walked to the garage and paused.
Obviously I hadn't thought out my plan.
"Uh, Edward?" I said tentatively. He flew down the steps quickly and was at my side in a second.
"Yeah?"
"Can I, uh, borrow the Volvo?" I asked, eyeing the shattered remains of my Aero. "I mean, I know you don't like people
driving your car and all, but I kinda can't take my own." Edward furrowed his brow.
"Um, sure," he said, eyeing me suspiciously. He reached in his pocket and handed me the keys without questioning
where I was going, showing just how much he trusted me. I smiled lightly as I took them.
"What are you guys doing today?" I asked.
"Everyone is out shopping the ladies are replacing the broken items and the guys are at the hardware store, getting
stuff to fix up the house."
"Why didn't you go?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
"I didn't wanna leave you," he said softly, looking at the ground.
I smiled, reached over and grasped his chin, nudging his head up so our eyes met. "Thanks." I turned to leave, pausing in
the doorway. "Uh, do you want to come?"
He looked taken aback at my invitation. "Yes," he said without hesitation. He followed me out the door and hopped into
the passenger seat of the Volvo. I paused but slid into the drivers seat.
"You're still going to let me drive?" I asked skeptically. Edward laughed.
"Yep. After all, I don't even know where we're going." He said with a shrug. I started the car and pulled out of the drive,
heading north on the main road.
The speedometer inched past 100 quickly. Edward was gazing out of the window, watching the scenery fly by. He
appeared completely relaxed at first glance, but I noticed his fist was clenched up. I tried to stifle a laugh but it slipped
through anyway.
"Relax Edward, I won't hurt your baby," I said. He turned and smiled at me, relaxing some. He reached over and grabbed
my hand, intertwining our fingers.
"I trust you," he said confidently.
We both grew silent after that, but it wasn't uncomfortable like the ride home from Texas had been. I wanted to apologize
to him for it and for my immaturity in locking myself away but I couldn't find the right words to explain it.
When we crossed into the state of Washington on Us-101 N, Edward turned to me. By now he'd figured out our
destination.
"Forks?" he whispered. I nodded.
"I've been thinking the past few days about everything you did all those years ago in order to keep me safe." Edward
instinctively looked down at the crescent shaped scar on my wrist, running a finger over it lightly.
"I would've done anything for you," he said softly. "Even give up my life for yours."
I smiled lightly. "Yes, I know. That's why I hope out of everyone, you understand the most as to why I have to go to Volterra."
Edward sighed. "I do."
We drove the rest of the way in silence. It started raining as we crossed under the "Welcome to Forks" sign, causing both
of us to laugh.
"Of course it would be raining," Edward muttered.
"At least it's not snowing yet," I said with a shrug.
It was mid-November and the town of Forks already had their Christmas decorations up. Seeing them made me sad.
Edward noticed my solemn expression and rubbed my cheek.
"What's the matter?" He asked softly.
"Just feeling a little nostalgic, I guess. I haven't celebrated Christmas in a very long time."
"Neither have I," Edward said. "The family always goes through the motions but the past few decades none of our hearts
have been in it. I don't think I even came out of my room the past few Christmases."
"I usually spent them in the tower, locked in my room. I wouldn't even know I missed Christmas until weeks later." I thought
back over the past few years. "Well, except for one year, Demetri and I were out on a mission on Christmas." I started
laughing, remembering.
"What?" Edward asked, my laughter being infectious and causing him to chuckle at me.
"It's just, one year they sent Demetri and I out on our own after this vampire who was making a spectacle of himself we
arrived and the guy was dressed in a Santa suit. He of course knew who we were and what we were there for. Instead of
begging like most did when they realized what was happening, he went with humor. He was actually pretty funny, even
gave us presents. Most people we went after hated us instantly, feared us, thought of us as evil but that guy had no hard
feelings. He said Santa liked the Volturi Guard, even if they did wind up on the Naughty List."
Edward laughed, but after a moment his face fell. "And what came of him?"
I was silent for a moment. "We let him go." Edward looked surprised. "One of the few who walked away. Aro wasn't happy
about it when we returned, gave the whole 'we don't give second chances' lecture."
"So I'm not the only one whose life you spared?" Edward asked.
I sighed. "Demetri actually spared that guy. If it came down to it I dunno if I would've been able to do it, but I didn't have to
come to that decision. Demetri warned him sternly that we never wanted to hear his name ever again and the guy took it
seriously, so Demetri walked away leaving him alive. See, Demetri comes off as cold-hearted, but he isn't. I'm sure you've
gathered that from his thoughts. He thinks he's little more than a murderer and that it's bad enough having to destroy
countless despicable creatures. He's accepted that, but he has a hard time harming those he thinks are innocent."
Edward smiled. "Yeah, I can tell he's not as big of a hard ass as he comes off as being."
"He hasn't spared many, he follows Volturi Orders regardless but sometimes the orders are flexible. I think he had a
more difficult time because the guy was dressed as Santa made him seem more human, ya know?" Edward nodded. "I
myself usually remained silent. I had that incident with the old man, but I just didn't understand the situation at the time. The
only time I ever actually spoke up in defense of someone before the Volturi was when you were being judged. I knew Aro
would've destroyed you after discovering the connection between us."
"What did Tanya say?" Edward asked softly. I shot him a questioning glance. "When you took her to be punished. What
did she say to make you decide to spare me?"
"It was honestly nothing she really said. She could've sworn that you were to blame and I still would've spared you because
regardless of whether or not you loved me, that fact was that I loved you. But after I told her that I'd destroy you myself if she
didn't speak up, she said that you had nothing to do with it and that you had loved me."
"I'm sorry," Edward whispered. "It's still all so hard to come to grips with. I knew Tanya for so long, she was rash and pushy
but she had always been like family. It's still hard to believe that she would've done that to me, to us that she would've
seriously tried to kill you."
"Don't feel guilty for it Edward, you can't blame yourself." I turned the car off and Edward looked around, surprised to see
we were parked in the driveway of his old house. "Look, the fact that she wanted to kill me was bad, I'll agree. But I can't
exactly hold a grudge or be hostile about it, because I'm here now. Of course how it happened wasn't the best of
circumstances but I'm grateful nonetheless that it did because it gave us this opportunity."
"I'm glad you're here. And you're right, we have forever together," Edward said, giving me a small smile.
I sighed and faked a smile back at him. The concept of forever sounded so nice forever with Edward, making love and
just being together. But there were no guarantees of our future. In four days time I was going to be instigating what would
likely be the biggest battle in the history of our kind. I was strong, I was blessed with a talent that others only dreamed of,
but I wasn't untouchable. And my family, although strong and talented themselves, weren't indestructible either. I feared
what would happen and who was going to have to pay with their lives.
"Come on," I said, getting out of the car. The rain had dissipated, but the air was still moist. Edward followed me as I
walked past the house and into the woods behind it.
"Where are we going?" Edward asked.
"Hunting and then I thought it would be nice to spend some time in the meadow."
Edward smiled and grabbed my hand. "Sounds perfect," he said.
We started sprinting I was running as fast as my legs would carry me. I knew Edward was holding back some, because
he was naturally faster but he opted to stay by my side, never letting my hand go.
The wind on my face felt fantastic. I felt happy and free, and judging by the carefree look on Edwards face he felt the
same. We were leaving everything behind, running away from it all, and just being for just a little while.
*Chapter 43*: 43: Underneath The Stars
A/N: There's some lemony goodness in this chapter. Share
I dunno how I feel about this one, feel free to tell me if the chapter sucks.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

Spinning round and round with you

Watching shadows melt the light
So shining from our eyes a tear
Another space is ours alone tonight
Watch as shadows melt
"Underneath The Stars" - The Cure
EPOV
I waltzed into the meadow slowly, Bella beside me. We had just hunted, each of us feeding until we couldn't take in another
drop. Our eyes were light golden, the burn in our throats almost completely gone.
"Ya know, all those years ago I never realized exactly how amazing this place was. I mean I knew it was beautiful, but the
sight of you had overpowered it."
I shook my head. "You were the beautiful one Bella."
"Puh-lease, Edward. You were stunning. Actually scratch that, you ARE stunning. Magnificent. Brilliant. Amazing."
I laughed, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards me. "Mmmm, are you trying to flatter me? Because if so, it's working."
I leaned down and kissed her lips softly. "But you, my Bella, are the stunning one. Incredible. Gorgeous. Astonishing.
Glorious. Dazzling." I placed soft kisses down her jaw line between each word.
Bella's hands came up, weaving into my thick hair. Her fingernails lightly scraped my scalp, causing my chest to rumble
softly.
"My, My, My is Edward Cullen purring?" Bella whispered in my ear. I growled lightly, the seductive tone of her voice
arousing me.
"The things you do to me" my voice was thick, my desire and need evident. Bella pulled my face down to her and
pressed her lips against mine roughly. She kissed me deep, passionately, our tongues mingling together.
I ran my hands along Bella's back, letting them come to rest on her hips. I pulled my lips from hers and whispered, "I love
you."
Bella moaned, placing kisses along my chin and jaw, moving down to my neck. "I love you too," she whispered back.
I pulled Bella down onto the ground. She lay back on the grass, propping herself up on her elbows. I hovered on top of her,
capturing her lips with mine so we were locked in a passionate kiss once again. The black dress Bella had been wearing
was jacked up to her waist, exposing her white see-through panties. I could smell Bella's arousal through the thin material,
the scent of her driving me to the brink of madness. My erection was throbbing, nearly painful due to how hard I was. Bella
wrapped her legs around my waist, pulling me closer to her. I ground my hips into hers, the bulge in my pants rubbing
against her wet panties. She groaned as her fingers found their way back into my hair, tugging on the locks, trying to pull
me even closer.
Bella was squirming beneath me as I bucked my hips the button on my pants grazed against her clit and she gasped
against my lips.
An orgasm rocked through her quickly. She arched her back and threw her head back, a cry escaping her lips. I kept the
friction going as she rode the orgasm out her body relaxed after a moment and I stopped movement.
Bella smiled slyly at me, reaching up and kissing my lips quickly. "I told you that you were amazing you didn't believe
me," she said softly.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. I must be if I got you cumming before I even get your clothes off," I said with a laugh.
"Oh so you do intend to take my clothes off?" she asked playfully. I lowered my head so my lips were right beside her ear. I
inhaled deeply, taking in her scent.
"Absolutely," I said with conviction. I reached down and tugged on her dress, Bella rising up a bit so I could pull it off. I
reached around and unclasped her bra, pulling it off also. I took her nipples in my mouth one at a time, sucking and
nipping at them while my hand slid into her panties and over her wet folds. Bella groaned as I dipped two fingers inside,
my thumb finding her clit.
"Edward," she moaned.
"Yeah baby?" I licked her earlobe as I whispered in her ear.
"I need you." Bella was gasping and moaning as she neared another orgasm. "God, as great as your hand feels, I'm
going to lose it if I don't feel you inside of me soon."
I chuckled, removing my hand and ripping her panties off of her in one fluid motion. Bella instinctively groaned at the loss
of contact, but I discarded my clothes and was touching her again in a matter of seconds.
I nudged Bella's legs wider and placed the head of my cock at her opening. I pushed forward, filling her completely. Bella
wrapped her legs around my waist, pulling me in deeper.
My strokes were long and hard as I thrusted in as deep as I could go. Bella pushed my chest, causing me to sit back on
my knees, and surprised me as she threw her legs on my shoulders. I leaned forward and groaned at how deep it let me
go inside of her.
I was pounding into her, both of us crying out at the sensations. She was tight, warm, and wet; her juices coating both of
us. She smelled so sweet I could barely contain myself every time a whiff of her arousal hit me a growl escaped my
chest.
A storm rolled in the rain soaking us, thunder booming around. Neither of us minded or even really noticed for that
matter. We were so wrapped up in each other that only the sounds of our cries and skin slapping registered with our ears;
the only thing I felt was her body beneath me and around me.
I felt my orgasm coming on strongly but I gritted my teeth and held it off as long as possible. I didn't want it to end yet and I
wanted Bella to get off one more time before I did.
After a few minutes the tension inside me was building to the point where I started shaking, my body needing release. I felt
Bella start to tense up beneath me.
"Cum for me baby," I whispered, my voice shaky and broken. Bella cried out and quivered, her body starting to convulse. I
screamed loudly as my own body exploded and I filled Bella with my venom-laced juices.
"Fuck," I muttered, collapsing on top of her as her legs slipped from my shoulders to the ground. I usually rolled to the side
so not to make her bear my weight but the intensity of my orgasm left me spent.
Bella giggled and wrapped her arms around me tightly. "I still can't believe how vulgar you talk." I chuckled in responseI
never would've said such words in her presence decades ago.
We lay that way for a while, just letting the rain soak us. It felt nice, the water coating our naked bodies. Bella pushed on
me eventually and I rolled over onto my back. I expected Bella to get up, but she surprised me by throwing her leg over
mine and snuggling to my chest. I smiled and wrapped my arms around her.
"Our clothes are ruined Edward," she said after a while.
"There are still clothes in the old house I'm sure something of Rose's or Esme's will fit you," I said as I kissed her head.
"So I'm supposed to run back to the house naked?" she said with a laugh. I laughed with her, nodding.
"I'm afraid so."
Bella slapped my chest playfully and got up. She grabbed her dress from the ground, which was ripped on the side and
coated in mud. I pulled up onto my elbows, admiring her. Her pale skin was soaked, rain running down her body and
causing her to glisten. She had splatters of mud all over her, her hair matted with mud and grass.
She was a complete mess, but I'd never seen her more beautiful in my life.
She slipped the dress over her head and tossed me my shirt and pants. They, too, were ripped and covered in mud.
When we were both sufficiently covered just in case, we held hands and ran back to the house. We slipped in the back
door and Bella paused in the hallway, hysterically laughing. I turned to see what was so funny and caught our image in the
mirror on the wall. I looked just as tore up as Bella did.
"We look like savages," I said. Bella nodded, picking leaves from my hair.
"I look more of a hot mess than Victoria did that day," Bella said, laughing.
I froze at the mention of the name and turned to look at Bella. She was still laughing lightly and trying to get the leaves out
of our hair. She caught sight of my face and paused.
"What?" she asked.
"I haven't thought of her in awhile," I said, shaking my head. "I tried to track her years ago, after I left Forks, but didn't have
much luck. Apparently tracking isn't my strong suit."
Bella laughed. "Woah, wait, you mean we found something Edward Cullen wasn't perfect at?" I punched her arm lightly
and smiled at her playfulness.
"Don't worry, we had much better luck than you," Bella said softly after a minute. I cocked an eyebrow at her and she
shrugged. "She was number 625 on my list."
"You destroyed her?" I asked incredulously. She nodded, biting her bottom lip. "Did she know it was you?"
She smiled lightly. "Yeah Demetri left me on my own so on a whim I told her who I was. She wasn't very happy, to say
the least."
"Wow," I said softly. Bella nodded and cleared her throat.
"I'm gonna go take a shower, care to join me?" She asked with a wink. I laughed and nodded, grabbing her hand and
leading her up to the master bathroom since it had the largest shower. I found some soap in the cabinet and found some
of Alice's old shampoo in her room. I lathered Bella up, washing the dirt from her body and hair. She lathered me up next,
doing the same. After we were both sufficiently clean, I hitched Bella up against the wall and captured her lips with mine as
I slid inside of her. We both hit orgasm quick, her convulsing and me filling her, both of our juices running down her thighs. I
cleaned her up quickly and shut off the water.
I grabbed a towel and dried Bella off, wrapping it around her. She kissed me quickly and headed out of the bathroom. I
grabbed my own towel and dried off, wrapping it around my waist and heading to my old bedroom. I found a pair of jeans
and a plain white t-shirt in the closet and slipped them on quickly. Bella waltzed in the room as I slid the shirt over my head.
I laughed when I caught sight of her. She had on a pair of baggy khaki cargo shorts that fell mid-calf on her and a plain
black T-shirt, both obviously not belonging to any of the women in our family.
"Like my threads?" she said laughing.
"Whose pants?" I asked, shaking my head and chuckling.
"Carlisle's oddly, I never realized how skinny he was. They're still too big but I found a belt." Bella pulled her shirt up,
showing me a plain black belt. "The shirt I found in Alice's old room I'm going to guess its Jaspers, as I don't think Alice
would be caught dead in a plain black T-Shirt."
"You'd be guessing correctly." I grabbed a pair of shoes from my closet a pair of white Nike's that still sat in their box,
unused. As I put them on, Bella slipped out of the room and came back after a moment with a pair of black ballet flats.
"These are Alice's unless Jasper has a hobby that I don't know about?" she said, cocking an eyebrow at me. I laughed
and shook my head. She seemed so happy and carefree it was heartwarming.
"Definitely Alice's." I stood up and grabbed Bella's hand. "Come on, let's go for a drive around the big city of Forks."
Bella followed me outside. I opened the passenger door of the Volvo and she hopped inside. I slipped into the driver's
seat and smiled at the beautiful woman beside me.
"No offense, but I don't think I can do the passenger seat thing ever again."
I started the car and a light on the dash caught my attention. I muttered a curse under my breath, causing Bella to look over
to me.
"Uh Oh," she said, noticing what caught my attention. The gas gauge was riding on empty. I had no idea how long it had
been that way so I couldn't determine how long we could go before we ran out completely. The Volvo got pretty good gas
mileage, but I wasn't sure if we could make it the whole way to Port Angeles or sufficiently far enough away from Forks to
get gas.
"So, which one of us is least likely to be recognized? The super human stunning seventeen year old, whose face is forever
etched in every woman's mind he comes across, or the eighteen year old daughter of the beloved police chief who
supposedly died years ago but whose body was never found?"
I laughed at the absurdity. I pulled into the small gas station in town, looking around to take in the people around us. I didn't
recognize anyone, but realized that I wouldn't anyway considering they've all aged nearly 40 years and our old high school
classmates would naturally be starting to wrinkle and get gray hair.
I reached into the center console and pulled out my wallet. I grabbed a black credit card and handed it to Bella. "Pay at the
pump. I haven't changed over the years but you're subtly different enough that they'd second guess themselves if anyone
did think you looked like Bella Swan."
Bella nodded and got out. She kept her head down and swiped the card a few times but the gas pump wasn't kicking in.
"The thing's not working Edward," she whispered, only loud enough for me to hear. "I'm going to have to go inside and
pay."
I sighed and told her okay. She slipped in the store quickly. I watched as she walked up to the register, the boy standing
behind it smiling brightly at her. I groaned, hearing him start thinking disgusting things about Bella.
Bella smiled and handed him the credit card, telling him she wanted $25 in gas. He looked at the card and hesitated,
reading the name. I realized I'd given her the card with my real name on it and mentally kicked myself. How stupid could I
be?
"Edward Anthony Cullen, that name sounds familiar," the boy mumbled. I know Bella heard him but she ignored it. The boy
looked to be in his younger 20's so I had no idea how he could possibly know me; we'd been gone for over a decade
before he was even created.
He handed Bella the card back and waited for the machine to process it. I impatiently drummed my fingers on the steering
wheel, cursing the fact that Forks couldn't seem to update their payment systems in decades. As many advances as the
world has had in technology, we were still sitting here waiting for this ridiculous gas station to use dial up to process a
credit card payment.
Meanwhile, the boy behind the counter was frantically trying to figure out how my name was familiar. I gasped as
realization dawned on him. Bella heard me and turned in the direction of the car.
"Edward Cullen, is he your dad? My mom used to talk about him all the time," the boy said animatedly. He was truly
excited, believing now he had a reason to strike up conversation with the girl and possibly hook up with her.
"Uh, yeah. He's my dad," Bella said nervously. "Whose your mom?"
"Jessica Newton. Well, Jessica Stanley was her maiden name. Her and my dad went to high school with your dad."
"That's cool," she said, trying to act nonchalant. The register finally printed the receipt and he handed it to Bella to sign.
"Yeah, my mom used to bring him up a lot, pissed my dad off. Dad said he was arrogant or something no offense or
anything," the boy said.
Bella shrugged and smile. "None taken."
"So is your dad single by chance? Because my parents are divorced now and I know my mom would love to see him
again."
I watched Bella struggle to contain herself, laughter threatening to explode out. "No, sorry."
"That's too bad. Anyway, nice meeting you maybe I'll see you around?" he said, his voice hopeful.
"Yeah, maybe." Bella said, smiling brightly at him. She left the store quickly and sighed loudly while pumping the gas.
When it was done, she hopped into the passenger seat.
"Well that was fun," she said, rolling her eyes.
"Yeah well, at least you weren't listening to his thoughts," I said, shaking my head. "Wait, you didn't, did you? Because they
were not pleasant."
Bella laughed. "Nope the kid carries both Jessica Stanley and Mike Newton's genes, there was no way I was probing
that mind. Anything I heard would probably make me drop a few IQ points."
I laughed and nodded. We drove by the high school and down the street Bella's old house stood on. There was a "For
Sale" sign in the front yard now. Bella sighed, chewing on her bottom lip.
"We can buy it," I said softly. Bella turned her head to look at me, a confused look on her face. "Of course we can't move
into it, not right now anyway. But we'll move back to Forks someday when everyone we ever met is long gone. When I met
you, it was our second time living in the area. The first time was when the treaty was created in the 1930's. The family
always loved this town."
Bella hesitated, but eventually nodded. "Yeah, I think I'd like that," she said softly. I grabbed her hand, bringing it up to my
mouth and placing a kiss on her wrist over her scar.
We drove out of Forks and headed back towards Astoria after that.
*Chapter 44*: 44: Exitlude
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight Share

Aggressively we all defend the role we play

Regrettably time's come to send you on your way
We've seen it all bonfires of trust flash floods of pain
It doesn't really matter don't you worry it'll all work out
No it doesn't even matter don't you worry what it's all about
We hope you enjoyed your stay
"Exitlude" The Killers
BPOV
We joked and laughed the entire drive back home from Forks. The atmosphere was light it was nice to just be able to
relax and forget about everything.
When we pulled into the driveway of the house in Astoria, the family was hanging around outside. I saw they had pulled my
car from the garage, as all that was left was some scrap metal and glass on the floor. I had no idea what they had done
with it nor did I want to know.
Emmett was picking up the scrap metal from my car Carlisle and Jasper were fixing the front door. The ladies were
unloading bags from their cars, as they had arrived back only a few minutes before us.
Edward jumped out of the car and ran over to help unload the cars. I stepped out and headed towards the garage,
intending to grab the broom and sweep up the glass.
"Bella, what are you wearing?" Alice asked, loudly. I looked down, remembering I was wearing random pieces of their
clothing. I looked to Edward and laughed. He chuckled, shaking his head.
The rest of the family watched us in confusion.
"Wait are those my pants?" Carlisle asked in amazement. Edward and I laughed even harder.
"Yeah hope you don't mind," I said with a shrug. Alice was eyeing me suspiciously.
"Are those my shoes?" she asked. I nodded. "So whose shirt is that? I know it's not yours; it's definitely a guys. Edwards?"
"Not mine," Edward said, still laughing.
"Uh I think it might be mine," Jasper said. Alice shot him a look of disbelief. "Remember I bought those plain black
shirts that time and you forbid me to wear them because they cost like $3 at Wal-Mart. You made a big spectacle about it,
that was the last time you ever let me go shopping alone."
Alice nodded, remembering. "Yeah, that was when we lived in." she trailed off, shooting Edward and I looks.
"Yes, we went to Forks today. My clothes got ruined so I had to borrow some from the house." I said, answering the
question she had yet to ask.
Everyone laughed, but Alice continued to eye me suspiciously with a smirk. "Clothes got ruined, huh? I'm assuming
Edwards did also, considering he's wearing a pair of Nike's right now. Freaking Nike's. I bought those shoes for Edward
decades ago and he stuck them in the closet and refused to put them on."
"Yeah his got ruined too. Freak accident."
Alice opened her mouth to continue to press, obviously wanting me to admit how the clothes got ruined, but Edward cut in
abruptly with a change in subject.
"We bought a house," he said quickly. Everyone turned to look at him, their eyes wide with shock.
"What do you mean you bought a house?" Esme asked hesitantly, obviously worried. She was afraid Edward was telling
them we were moving out. She hated any of her family living away from her.
"We haven't bought it yet but we're going to buy my old house in Forks. I thought it would be nice to have. I know that
probably sounds stupid but it feels right."
Esme relaxed a bit at that and Carlisle nodded. "I understand. Some of us hold on to homes that are sentimental to us."
Edward smiled. "I still own my parent's estate in Chicago did I ever tell you that?" I shook my head. "Carlisle helped me
purchase it after my change. I rent it out, brings a little money into the family. You don't have to rent out Charlie's place if
you don't want to, of course, but I personally like knowing the house I grew up in is being taken care of and put to good
use."
"No, that's a great idea. It would be a shame for it to stay empty," I said.
Edward nodded. He grabbed the last few bags and closed Alice's trunk. I walked to the garage finally, grabbing the
broom and smiling at Emmett.
"Thanks for cleaning this up," I said. He waved me off, gesturing that it was no big deal. I swept up the glass quickly,
discarding it in the trashcan. I slipped into the house and scaled the steps quickly and found Edward in the bedroom,
glancing around at a bunch of bags.
"What's all this?" I asked.
He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Music. Alice picked up new copies for me today while they were out."
I glanced around, just now noticing that Edwards wall of music was barren. "They destroyed your music collection?" I
asked, getting angry. He sighed and nodded.
"I'm just glad they left the piano alone." He started pulling CDs and records out of bags, reading them quickly and placing
them on the shelf on the wall. I sat down on the bed, against the headboard, to watch him. He was quick and efficient with
it, knowing exactly where each one went. It was fascinating to watch, especially since the order appeared so random to
the average person.
It didn't take him very long to get everything back in order. When he was finished, he pulled one out and popped it in the
CD player before coming to sit beside me on the bed. He leaned down and untied his shoes, throwing them across the
room.
"I hate those damn shoes," he grumbled. I laughed and reached over, stroking his hair. He leaned into my touch for a
moment before deciding to lay his head down on my lap. I could hear and feel his chest rumbling and smiled at the fact
that my touch could cause him to practically purr like a kitten. I didn't tease him though he was so content and I didn't
want to put a damper on his mood.
I was running my fingers through his locks and massaging his scalp. I always loved Edward's hair, it was the most
gorgeous shade of bronze and was one of the softest things I'd ever touched.
The sound of Rose's heels stomping up the stairs ruined our moment. She slammed her bedroom door hard, vibrating the
walls and causing the CD to skip that we were listening to. Edward groaned and sat up.
"She's pissed because we're not helping enough and it's my fault all of this happened anyway, right?" I asked. Edward
furrowed his brow.
"Did you read her mind or was that just a guess?" he asked.
I scoffed. "Lucky guess. I'm not stupid though, I know she blames me for it all and thinks I'm destroying her life. But then
again that's nothing new, she always felt that way about me."
I got up and bounded down the stairs. I helped Esme fix up things inside while Edward went to the porch to help Carlisle. It
only took about an hour before everything was back in order.
The next two days flew by quickly. Edward and I stayed in our own little bubble, oblivious to the outside world. I knew
avoidance wasn't the smartest thing to do, but I wanted to spend as much time in complete harmony with the man I loved
as I could. We talked about everything, but really nothing of consequence as we skirted around the heavy topics. We
made love a lot. We listened to music and watched movies.
At one point I borrowed the Star Wars series from Emmett, and Edward and I snuggled up to watch it. He slipped the 3rd
movie in and pushed play, only to have a naked brunette and a naked blonde pop up on the screen, partaking in mutual
self-gratification. Edward froze in shock and I burst into hysterics. Edward jumped up quickly, blocking my view of the TV
and ejected the DVD. I tried to convince him to watch it anyway but he was adamant in his refusal. It was so easy to forget
the man who spoke naughty in the heat of passion and could give me multiple orgasms and turn animalistic in bed still
held a part of that proper gentleman raised in the early 1900's. He felt porn was crude and sex wasn't to be a spectacle
it was special and sacred. Needless to say, Edward had flung the DVD at Emmett and asked him if he knew where the
real star wars disk was apparently it got Emmett in trouble from Rose.
The realization that the week was already over halfway over didn't escape me. On Thursday morning, my phone chimed,
startling both Edward and I. I grabbed it quickly and opened it to find a text message from Demetri.
Heading your way
Be there tonight.
I sighed and closed the phone, turning to look at Edward. He had a distressing expression on his face; obviously realizing
that the perfect little bubble we'd been living in was going to pop momentarily.
"Demetri's on his way, he'll be here sometime tonight," I said. Edward nodded, running his fingers through his hair.
"I'll let everyone else know," he said softly, his voice laced with sadness. I watched as he exited the room and then I went
and jumped in the shower to relax myself. I scrubbed my body, loving the feeling of the hot water on my skin. I got out and
wrapped a towel around me and went back into the bedroom. Edward wasn't there but I could hear soft piano music
coming from downstairs, so I knew he wasn't too far.
I dressed quickly, throwing on a pair of worn out jeans and one of Edwards concert T-Shirts. I'd discovered the stash in a
box on the bottom of his closet, memorabilia from over the years. I laughed at some of the shows he had gone to and
taken a few of the shirts as my own. Today I was rocking a New Kids on the Block shirt from The Magic Summer Tour they
went on in 1990I was only 3 at the time. Edward was embarrassed when I found it and told me that Alice had been a big
fan of everything 80's and dragged him along to a show. I thought it was cute.
I went downstairs and found everyone gathered around the living room. Edward was sitting at his piano playing what I
recognized as a Mozart piece. Carlisle and Jasper were reading books I couldn't get a look at the titles but gathering
from their age and the photos I saw, it wasn't reading for pleasure. They were studying for what was to come. Rose and
Emmett were playing a fighting game Rose was apparently beating Emmett because she had a smile on her lips and
Emmett's signature grin was nowhere to be found. Alice was sitting on the couch, her eyes narrowed and her lips in a thin
crease. She was concentrating and straining, trying to will a vision to come.
Edward motioned for me to join him but I held up a finger, telling him to wait a moment. I knew Alice's visions were
subjective and that she couldn't actually force any to come through if they weren't meant to, but I knew I could possibly give
her a little hand. If I shot my shield around her and moved the second one off of me, it was highly possible that she'd finally
see something. I couldn't be positive, but it worked with other talents. I'd never actually tried with her because there were
so many variables to mixing us I had a difficult time using her energy to see visions. Her and I were like oil and water in
the talent department.
I walked over to Alice and sat down beside her she was so deep in concentration that I startled her and caused her to
jump up. She apologized and sat back down, smiling at me.
"Let's try something," I said. She perked up and nodded. "Try to find a vision of Jasper."
She sighed. "I have been, I'm getting nothing but brief flashes. I can't even make out his face"
I laughed. "I bet that's annoying, I'm sorry. But try again, because I have an idea."
She nodded, her face straining with concentration. I threw my shield out around only her and pushed the second one to the
side. Edward was watching us curiously, no longer focusing on the music and just randomly playing notes. He couldn't see
or hear Alice's thoughts anymore since she was blocked by the shield, which I had intentionally done. I had no idea what
Alice may find, if anything, and I didn't want him to know yet in case it wasn't pleasant.
After a moment Alice's face went completely blank, her eyes glazing over. I smiled, realizing a vision was finally coming
through. After a while she squealed and started clapping.
"I saw one!" she declared. I laughed.
"I'm guessing it was nothing vital though."
She sighed and nodded. "Just Jasper trying on tux's. Why would he need a tux? Hey, can we try again?"
Alice and I kept it up for hours her visions were getting clearer, but still nothing of importance was coming through. She
still couldn't see me but I was thankful when she declared she saw a vision of Edward playing his piano in front of a bunch
of people. Edward's playing faltered and he looked at her as if she was crazy, but she just shrugged. I put him in my shield
for a moment so she could show him that it was the truth, and he just shrugged at what he saw, confused.
We were both mentally exhausted after awhile and decided to give it a rest. She felt better knowing things that were to
come, even if they were trivial. She hated being completely in the dark.
It reassured me also that as things stood, my family was going to be okay. I was slightly concerned that I was nowhere to
be found, but figured it might just be part of my design. I couldn't completely remove the second shield, so it just touching
me may still block me somewhere from her visions. The thought didn't escape me, however, that it may mean I had no
future for her to see.
I walked out back and sat down in the grass. The sun was setting it was one of those rare days in Astoria where we
actually got to see it. The music in the house stopped and Edward came outside, sitting down beside me.
"Bella?" He said softly. "Why uh" he trailed off, going quiet for a moment.
"Why what?"
"Why weren't you in any of Alice's visions?" he asked hesitantly.
I sighed and turned to look at him. "You noticed?" He nodded slowly. He hadn't been able to see the visions but Alice had
described them outloud, obviously having no mention of me anywhere. "I'm not sure. It doesn't have to mean something
bad, it may just be that she simply just can't see me still."
He reached over and grabbed my hand, squeezing it. "I can't lose you," he said softly.
"I know, I can't let anything happen to you Edward. Which is why I don't want you to come to Volterra."
He narrowed his eyes at me and scoffed. "You can't seriously think I'd ever let you go without me. If you go, I'm going.
That's not up for negotiation. I'll follow you to the gates of Hell if I have to."
I sighed and rolled my eyes at his dramatics. "I know I wish you'd change your mind though. I could be taking us on a
suicide mission, ya know. I want to talk as many of the family out of going as I can."
Edward laughed dryly. "If you seriously think any one of them in the house would even consider not going along, you're
crazy."
"Rose?" I said cocking an eyebrow. He smiled and nodded.
"Oh she'll be there. She won't be doing it for you by any means, she'll be doing it because someone messed with her
family and that's something Rose doesn't tolerate. She's protective over her family."
"So I've noticed," I muttered.
I heard a car approaching and sighed, standing up. I held my hand out for Edward and he took it, getting up. We walked
back into the house and saw Demetri walk through the front door. He was dragging Heidi along behind him she looked
scared, glancing around the room nervously. Rose was glaring at her, obviously only increasing her discomfort.
"Hello Heidi," I said as warmly as I could. Heidi and I were never very close, I often felt like she resented me because of
my relationship with Demetri. But Demetri loved her and always had, so I made my best effort at all times to be civil.
She smiled at me. "Hey Isa uh, Isabella?"
I laughed lightly. "You can call me Bella."
She nodded. "Bella."
Demetri introduced her to the rest of the family quickly and she relaxed a bit. He took Heidi towards the couch and they
sat down, never letting go of each other's hand.
"So, here's the deal," Demetri began as we all gathered around them. "Needless to say, the Brethren aren't happy. When
Alec arrived back and told them what had happened, all hell broke loose. There is fighting within the hierarchy, Aro's
blaming the entire mess on Caius. The guard is nervous. They've always been nervous around Bella, hell even when
fighting on the same side they steered clear of her. But now they're frightened."
I nodded in understanding.
"Are they expecting us?" Carlisle asked.
"Somewhat," Heidi chimed up with. "They don't expect all of you to come to Volterra, but they are expecting Bella to
retaliate. They're not sure if she'd actually come into the city so they're calling all of the Volturi back home, thinking they'd
be safe if they didn't have anyone out in the field."
"What about you?" I asked Heidi. She sighed and shook her head.
"They've figured her out by now," Demetri said softly. "They called her back two days ago and she obviously didn't go."
"Sorry," I whispered, understanding Heidi's fear now. She had just given up everything she ever knew to follow the man
she loved in fighting for a cause she was unsure of. She trusted Demetri wholeheartedly, but she was uneasy about us.
"Anyway," Demetri continued. "I made some house calls, so-to-speak, and rounded up a few people that could be
beneficial. People that not only owe me, but that have just as much cause as us to go against the Volturi. I got a few
nomads that are going to go to Volterra Saturday morning and just wander around to catch the Volturi off guard, to distract
them. I found Kate and Garrett this morning and they're going to meet us in Italy. Garrett was more than happy to help and
his ass owes me big time, Kate was skeptical of me of course considering I destroyed her family but she's going along
with Garrett. She doesn't trust any of us that have Volturi connections but she does trust Garrett and you Cullen's. I couldn't
find Eleazar but maybe that's for the best. I also unfortunately couldn't find Vladimir and Stefan, which I'm not happy about."
I laughed lightly, causing everyone to look in my direction. "I've got them. I knew they'd be up for it and located them on the
drive back from Texas."
"Seriously?" Demetri's face looked hopeful for the first time since walking through the door.
"Yeah, I sent a few messages to my connection and he tracked down someone who knew where they were quickly. I got a
message to them and they sent one back, saying it would be their pleasure and thanking me for the opportunity."
Demetri laughed, shaking his head. "Only those two idiots would thank you for allowing them the chance to partake in the
biggest altercation in our history."
"Who are Vladimir and Stefan?" Emmett asked.
"Their coven used to rule our kind, until the Volturi overthrew them. They were the only two that walked away from it; they
want revenge and will do anything to get it. The Brethren have wanted them dead for a long time, but they're good at
evading me."
I smirked. "All it took for me was pressing a few buttons and I knew exactly where they were."
Demetri narrowed his eyes at me. "One day you'll tell me who your connection is."
I shook my head, still smirking. I'd never give up Jenks he was entirely too talented. As much as I trusted Demetri, I
wasn't sure how he'd take the idea of a human being able to do what he couldn't. I didn't question how Jenks got his
information, how he managed to locate two nomadic vampires that lived in hiding, but I never doubted that he wouldn't be
able to. He reminded me of the book "1984" Jenks, indeed, was Big Brother.
Demetri sighed and continued. "Anyway, you'll have tonight and tomorrow to get everything in order. I'll have a plane
waiting tomorrow night a few miles from here that'll take us to the town of Nice in France. The Volturi have connections at
all of the airfields in Italy so I don't want to land in the country. We can drive from there, it's about a 5-hour drive if you go
the speed limit but we can make it in half of that."
"And then what? What happens when we get to Volterra?" Rose asked. "I mean we very well can't just go waltzing in, now
can we?"
Demetri looked up at me and we both smiled.
"Oh, but that's exactly what I intend to do."
*Chapter 45*: 45: Let's Play House
A/N: There's a bit of sexin' in this chapter, not sure I'd call it a full blown lemon though. Share
Don't hate on Bella's outfit. I actually own it and I rock it sometimes when the mood hits. It makes me feel
empowered lol. You can see it in my profile, the links for it all.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

Let's play house

Come and live with me in my dreams
Our secret hideaway
Let's play house
Take a ride the night has just begun
Let me love you 'til the morning light
"Let's Play House" New Kids On The Block
EPOV:
I stood in the doorway to our bedroom, watching Bella and Demetri whispering back and forth. They were speaking so low
that I couldn't make out what they were saying from 50 feet away, but their tones were frantic. They held a map in front of
them and occasionally one of them would point to something on it. Bella kept her shield up over them, so I couldn't even
get an idea of what it was from Demetri's thoughts.
I didn't enter the room, knowing they wanted some time alone. It was making me jealous, and I was growing angry with her
from keeping things from me, but I tried to push those feelings aside. We didn't have very long until chaos erupted and I
didn't want to spend our last few hours until then in a bad spot.
Demetri's tone changed, and he sighed. He whispered something to Bella in a calm soothing voice and she lifted her
head to look at me.
"Yes," she said softly, this time loud enough for my ears to register. Demetri nodded, folded up the map and stood up. He
walked past me, giving me a small smile, and bounded down the stairs.
"Come here," Bella said, patting the space beside her on the couch that Demetri just departed from. I sighed and slowly
walked towards her, plopping down. "You okay?"
I sighed and nodded. Bella didn't look convinced. She reached over and ran her fingers through my hair as she usually did
when she wanted to comfort me. I closed my eyes and sighed. It was one of the greatest feelings in the world, Bella
playing with my hair and massaging my scalp. I tried to resist the urge to make noise but it was fruitless. She could bring
me to my knees playing with my hair.
Bella pulled me down so I lay with my head in her lap. We were quiet for a while, the only sounds in the room coming from
deep in my chest.
"Ya know, after I woke up from the change, I didn't remember much of anything," she said softly, finally breaking the
silence. "When Demetri took me outside a week later to take me to Italy, I finally remembered you. It was just a flash; an
image of you all I knew at that moment was that your name was Edward and that I loved you. I spent the entire flight
trying to recall more facts. I realized that you were a vampire and that you had a family I recalled some of you had
special talents but couldn't place what yours was until I met Aro and he told me what his talent was."
Bella started chuckling and I opened my eyes to peek at her.
"I remember pouting on the plane because I wasn't talented. It was utterly ridiculous." She shook her head, still chuckling.
"Anyway, it took me a few weeks before the rest came back to me. I killed 7 men before I could even recall why your eyes
were gold. I'll never forgive myself for that."
"You didn't know any different. It's unfortunate, but it only lasted a few weeks and at least you stopped when you realized
there was another way. I spent 4 years hunting humans and I knew better I don't even want to get into how many lives I
took, I stopped counting. I justified myself by saying they were bad people, and yeah they were, but that doesn't change
the fact that they were someone's child, someone's brother, someone's mother or father."
Bella sighed and was silent for a while. She continued to stroke my hair and I let my eyes drift closed again.
"One of the first memories to come back to me was that night in Port Angeles when you saved me from those guys."
"The night you found out what we were. You were utterly absurd, telling me it didn't matter if I wasn't human," I said,
remembering the drive home clearly.
Bella laughed. "It was the truth, it didn't matter to me. I realized that night that I was irrevocably in love with you."
We both grew quiet, lost in thoughts of our time together in Forks.
"I knew it before you did," I said softly after awhile. "I realized I was forever in love with you the first night I snuck in your
bedroom window."
"And when was that, exactly?"
"Hmmm I don't know if you'll remember it, but it was the day all of the guys kept asking you to the dance. I watched you
sleep that night and you said my name, and it just struck me. There was no turning back from it, so I gave up. The next day
I asked you to go to Seattle with me and asked you to sit with me at lunch."
Bella laughed lightly. "Of course I remember that. I always wondered what caused the sudden shift. You wouldn't even look
in my direction for weeks, and then suddenly you were staring at me in class. The next day, it was as if you were a
completely different person."
"I was. Love is the only thing that can change our kind, ya know. I finally looked at you that day because I realized I was
jealous I felt jealousy for the first time ever. I wanted to throw the Newton kid into the wall for even asking you out." I
laughed, reminiscing. "Of course, I knew it was going to happen long before then, but I was in denial. I thought I could
change it, thought I could spare you the fate you'd find if I fell in love with you. That's why I was so adamant about ignoring
you for those weeks after I saved you from the van you thought I regretted saving you, when in reality Alice had told me
that night that I was going to fall in love with you. I couldn't just accept that fate, no matter how much I may have longed for
it. You were too innocent, you deserved much better."
"I don't regret how my life turned out Edward," Bella said softly. "I could never regret loving you."
A loud crack rang through the house, followed by the sound of Emmett cursing loudly. I groaned and sat up, while Bella
started laughing as Esme's voice carried through the house, telling Emmett to watch his language. Emmett didn't respond,
but we could hear the distinct sound of wood and metal banging now.
"I think they broke another piece of furniture," Bella whispered.
I chuckled and sat up. "Yeah and they're still going at it."
"Sounds like fun," Bella said in her seductive voice. I peered over to her and cocked an eyebrow. "I think we're the only
ones not doing it right now."
I laughed and nodded, realizing she was likely right. Everyone would be taking advantage of the calm before the storm.
"That can easily be rectified, ya know."
I leaned over and kissed her lips, my hand going under her shirt to find her breasts. Bella moaned as I pushed her bra out
of the way and pinched and tugged on her nipples. She pulled from the kiss so I could take her shirt off and I got a good
look at what she was wearing for the first time. I groaned and rolled my eyes.
"Seriously, Bella? New Kids?" She laughed and pushed me playfully.
"Don't hate on the New Kids." Bella got a wicked grin on her face and licked her lips. She climbed up onto my lap,
straddling me, and leaned in so her lips were at my ear.
"Baby come and let me love you all night," she said seductively, her breath blowing in my ear. A shiver shot down my
spine and I closed my eyes. "Can you imagine what we could do alone?"
Bella brought her hand down and started slowly unbuttoning my shirt, her lips still at my ear. "Turn off the phone, I'll teach
you passion. Come inside your happy home."
She had my shirt completely open and ran her hands along my chest and stomach. "I'll do you right, Oh baby please stay.
Stay with me forever, Make love every day."
Her fingers found the button on my pants and undid it. Her hand slipped inside my pants. "We'll be makin' love, Let's do it
together."
I raised her up a bit so I could quickly pull my jeans down and kick them off. Bella did the same with her own, pulling them
off and tossing them across the room before resuming her spot on my lap. She was wet already, her arousal seeping onto
my throbbing erection.
"Take a ride the night has just begun," she said, grasping me and positioning herself so I could slip inside. "Let me love
you 'til the morning light."
I groaned loudly as I entered her completely, throwing my head back. Bella giggled. "What do you think about the New
Kids now?" she asked playfully.
"Fuckin' love them," I panted, as Bella started raising up and coming back down, me sliding in and out of her.
We made love for hours, taking our time to savor each thrust. I drank in her noises, memorizing the way she sounded as
she moaned my name, committing to heart the way her face twisted in agonized pleasure as orgasms rocked her. We
went at it well past sunrise, completely oblivious to the existence of the outside world.
We finally slowed and collapsed together I wrapped my arms around her tightly, never wanting to let go. Bella sighed
and leaning in to kiss me softly.
"We need to get ready," she said, her voice remorseful. I nodded. Bella got up and went into the bathroom to clean herself
up. I threw on a pair of jeans and a black sweater with a pair of black shoes, not bothering to wash up. I wanted the smell
of Bella to remain on me as long as possible.
I told Bella through the bathroom door that I was heading downstairs and she said she'd see me there in a few minutes.
Everyone was starting to gather around the living room the clock indicated we'd spent nearly the entire day in the
bedroom and we were slowly running out of time.
I didn't bother to sit-there was no reason. I stood in the window, gazing outside and trying to prepare myself. Jasper and
Alice sat on the couch whispering to each other Carlisle and Esme sat across from them in complete silence. I had no
idea where Demetri and Heidi had gone, but Carlisle's Mercedes was missing.
Rose and Emmett entered the living room next Rose plopped down beside Alice, and Emmett stayed standing near the
stairs.
"We're gonna have to hunt before we do this," Rose said. Everyone murmured in agreement.
I heard Bella's footsteps coming down the stairs, and Emmett burst into sudden laughter. I turned around to look at Bella
and wavered somewhere between arousal, amusement, and horror.
She was wearing a very tight fitting black shirt and some barely there purple shorts, which is where the arousal came from.
The amusement stemmed from the fact that she had the words "Vampires Suck" written across her chest in large purple
letters. The horror? Well, I'd venture to guess the fact that she topped the outfit off with a pair of black cowboy boots may
have had something to do with it.
The rest of the family found it humorous Rose tried to fight the smile that overcame her mouth, and Alice alternated
between giggles at the shirt and groans at the tackiness of it all.
Bella smiled and shrugged and joined me at the window. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into a hug.
I heard the vehicle approach and watched as Carlisle's Mercedes pulled into the driveway. Demetri and Heidi got out,
each carrying a bag. They entered the house swiftly, dropping the bags on the floor in front of them.
Demetri looked at Bella and rolled his eyes. "I imagine you all are going to want to feed before we leave," he said. We all
nodded. "Well, when we were out I grabbed a bunch of blood I assure you no one died for it, but I completely understand
if you don't feel comfortable about it because it's human. But I'm sure you know the benefits of human blood over your
natural diet in terms of strength so I figured I'd give you the option in this situation. The choice is of course yours, you are
all free to go hunt now if you prefer. Don't be gone too long, though."
Demetri unzipped the bag in front of him I could faintly make out the smell of human blood through the plastic packaging
and it caused venom to start flowing down my throat. I looked around to my family, who were all weighing the pros and
cons. Jasper unsurprisingly was the first to decide. He was a man of reason and strategy, and logically human blood
made more sense. Morally, however, the rest of us were torn.
I gazed at Bella and she was watching all of us with interest. I knew she was accustomed to Demetri bringing her donated
blood, so I imagined she didn't even have to consider it. She had her answer.
Carlisle stood up and smiled. "As tempting as it is, I'm going to have to turn it down. I completely understand if the rest of
you choose it and please don't turn it down on my account. I know all of you worry about being a disappointment and I want
you to know that this would not disappoint me in any way. I am turning it down simply because I've never tasted human
blood and would rather not experiment with it in my system. My job is too important to me and I've successfully curbed the
bloodlust enough to be a doctor and work around bleeding humans. I fear my control in that department would be harmed
if I allowed myself to taste even a drop. None of you have that worry, so I implore you to honestly consider it, as it would
benefit you."
Carlisle left the room, and Rose quickly jumped up to follow. She'd never drunk human blood, but her motivation for turning
it down wasn't as morally sound as Carlisle's. She was refusing it simply because she was too stubborn to accept
something from Demetri.
A part of Esme wanted to decline and follow her husband, and a part of Alice wanted to keep her bragging rights of never
drinking human blood, but in the end the benefits outweighed everything. The most Carlisle was going to find out in the
woods nearby were deer, and they wouldn't even help as much as big game would.
Demetri tossed us the blood and we drank it down quickly. It wasn't as warm as it would've been had we been getting it
from the source, but I tried to ignore that fact. The liquid was still divine and I could feel my strength growing with every
drop. My thirst hadn't been that quenched in decades, the dull ache nearly completely drowned out.
Demetri reached down and unzipped the second bag, pulling out his black Volturi cloak. He pulled out a gray cloak, which
I realized was Heidi's. They slipped them on quickly. Demetri reached down and pulled out another black Volturi cloak and
threw it at Bella.
"I knew you left all of yours in Volterra, but I figured you'd be more confident doing this with one on so I brought you one of
my spares."
Bella nodded and put it on. Carlisle and Rosalie arrived back from hunting and from their thoughts I gathered I'd been
right all they found were deer.
"Alright, let's head out."
*Chapter 46*: 46: Schism
A/N: This chapters song is the one the entire story is named after. If you don't listen to any of them, go Share
listen to this one ;) It's in my profile.
And the fight begins... it may be a little grotesque for overly sensitive people
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

I know the pieces fit

'Cause I watched them tumble down
No fault, none to blame
It doesn't mean I don't desire to
Point the finger, blame the other
Watch the temple topple over
To bring the pieces back together
Rediscover communication
"Schism" - TOOL
BPOV:
Never had I been more grateful for my gift than I was now. We had just spent 10 hours on a plane, and I attempted to keep
myself calm but it was futile. I was nervous and afraid for my family, terrified of what was going to happen. And I was utterly
thankful that none of them had any ideathankful that Jasper couldn't feel my emotions.
Outwardly I looked completely in control I appeared detached and composed. Demetri held the same expression. It was
a product of our grooming as Volturi soldiers, the mask we were able to wear. Heidi, who had long history with the Volturi,
wasn't able to keep herself in check and was restless. That was part of what set the Elite apart from the rest of the Guard-
we were difficult to read.
Edward grabbed my hand and squeezed it the moment we landed in Nice, France. He was anxiousit was written all
over his face. I could tell he was fighting the part of him that screamed for him to protect me and I appreciated it. The last
thing I needed was Edward pulling some sacrificial move to try to save me when it's completely unnecessary. I was more
worried about his survival than my own.
We exited the plane and set off through some nearby woods. We ran for a few minutes before coming upon a dirt path
with 2 black Cadillac Escalade Hybrid's parked on it. Demetri tossed me a set of keys.
"Some can ride with Bella, the rest with me," he said, motioning towards the massive SUVs. Demetri turned to me and
sighed. "On the drive to Volterra, explain to them what we discussed and what the plan is. I'll do the same."
I sighed and nodded. I slipped in the driver's side of the first SUV and Edward quickly jumped into the passenger seat.
Jasper and Alice jumped in with us, while Rose and Emmett decided to ride with Demetri and Heidi. Carlisle and Esme
debated for a moment, looking between the vehicles, before deciding to ride with me.
Demetri led the way and I followed him down the dirt path. When we hit a paved road, I turned to the family.
"Being sneaky is pointless. I've worked with them long enough to know that; they're expecting me to retaliate so they're
already anxious. What we need to do is catch them off guard, throw them completely off their game. And we're going to do
just that. We're going to pull into Volterra, park the cars, and immediately take to the tunnels. They are already going to be
running around like crazy, considering Demetri sent about a dozen random nomadic vampires into Volterra, that they're
going to be shocked and confused by our sudden presence and bold approach."
"And what happens then? What happens once we're in the tunnels and they realize it?" Jasper asked.
"Well, the Brethren won't have time to pull everyone back down that are roaming the city monitoring the nomads before we
reach them. Carlisle I don't know how you'll feel about this, but we are going to be taking down Aro and Caius as quick as
possible. They are our first two goals."
Carlisle sighed. "I honestly figured as much Bella. You know how I feel about destroying anyone, especially people I'm
acquainted with, but I understand the need to do so. My family's safety relies on it."
"What about Marcus?" Alice asked. "There are three of them, you only named two."
"Don't worry about Marcus, he's not a threat. He's indifferent about everything, frankly doesn't give a shit about any of it.
We could walk in and dismember every other member of the Volturi right in front of him and he'll do nothing about it.
Demetri wants to offer him a second chance and allow him to walk away."
"Is that smart?" Jasper asked incredulously. "Do you seriously think he'd do nothing about us destroying their empire?"
"Yeah, I do. Marcus may be there in body, but his spirit was gone long ago," I said.
Carlisle sighed. "A long time ago Marcus chose a different life. He chose to leave the Volturi because he had fallen in love
and wanted a different life, just as Eleazar had done. Unfortunately Marcus hadn't been as lucky. Aro destroyed Marcus's
mate in an attempt to keep their group together. Ever since, Marcus has basically been a shell, just existing but never truly
participating."
"Very true," I said. "So don't worry about him. The goal is Aro and Caius and whichever guard members stand in the way. I
do have a few things I want to address, however."
I turned to look at Edward. He gave me a small sad smile, likely already knowing what was coming.
"Under no conditions, Edward, are you allowed to play martyr. I really wish you weren't coming, because the Volturi know I
only have one weakness, and that's you. It's stupid to be bringing my only weakness right to them. But I respect the fact
that you can't bear to sit back and do nothing. But I do insist that you trust me and don't do anything rash."
Edward nodded in understanding, squeezing my hand.
"Just follow Demetri and I, and use common sense and everything should be fine."
The silence that ensued was uncomfortable, all of us lost in thought. After awhile Jasper cleared his throat. "I have one last
question."
"What's that?"
"What happens then? What happens after we take the Volturi down? What happens when our kind no longer has a
leader?"
I sighed this was the question I dreaded. "Well, the plan isn't to rid our kind of a leader, it's to replace the leaders. But
we'll talk about that afterwards."
Jasper nodded, accepting my answer for now. I wasn't ready to get into what the future held yet; I needed to focus on
doing the task at hand. As we neared Volterra, my cell phone rang. I pulled it out quickly and flipped it open.
"Yeah?"
"There's a car following us," Demetri said. I looked into the review mirror and noticed the sleek black sports car behind
me. It was keeping a considerable distance and the windows were completely blacked out with tint, indicating it was likely
one of our kind and not a human. I tapped the brakes and slowed down some and the car behind us flashed its bright
lights at me twice. I smirked and sped up again.
"No problem," I said. "It's not a threat."
Demetri hesitated, obviously wondering how I came to that conclusion and wanting to question me, but he opted to go with
trust and hung up with a simple "okay."
The walls surrounding Volterra came into view. It was dark out, the middle of the night, so we wouldn't need to worry about
the sun or too many humans being out to observe us. Demetri sped into the city, pulling over quickly near the entrance to
the tunnels. I pulled in behind him and we all jumped out. I threw my hood over my head and shot my shield out around the
family as the black sports car zipped by us, driving deeper into the city.
Demetri caught my arm as I headed for the back alley to the entrance in the ground. "I'm taking the front entrance."
I cocked an eyebrow but just nodded. It hadn't been what we planned, but we'd only be separated for a moment and I
trusted him. Demetri disappeared quickly and Heidi ran after him. I turned and continued through the alley swiftly,
everyone following behind on my heels. I jumped down the hole in the ground into the tunnels and the family followed.
Rose, Emmett, and Esme hesitated briefly, never having been here before so not knowing what was down there, but
followed suit.
I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and started walking swiftly forward, towards the light where the receptionist's office
was. I heard Charlene scream briefly, but it was abruptly cut off followed by a loud thump. I ran into the room and saw her
lying on the floor, not moving, with Heidi standing above her. Demetri entered the room from the other doorway, followed
by Garrett and Kate. I realized that must've been why he differed from the plan, to get them.
Kate looked at me hesitantly but Garret smiled and nodded once in acknowledgement. I respected Garrett, he was a pain
in the ass and liked to wreak havoc, but he was brave I had to give him that much. I jumped over Charlene and entered
the tunnel leading to the Great Hall. The Cullen's followed right behind me, followed by Garrett and Kate, and Demetri and
Heidi took up the rear.
As we neared the large double doors, they swung open and I came face-to-face with Felix. Aro had dispatched him to
check on Charlene, worried after hearing her scream. Felix's eyes went wide and he froze when he saw us. I brushed by
him and entered the room quickly. I stopped halfway inside and everyone else stopped behind me except for Demetri,
who took his place beside me. Aro and Caius were frozen in shock, torn between fleeing and fighting. They were
obviously fearful, you could read it in their eyes, but they kept their faces composed. Marcus, as expected, stayed
indifferent.
"Uh, Isa, what a surprise!" Aro said, forcing a large smile. I chuckled darkly.
"I imagine it is a surprise, seeing me still standing after you sent those imbeciles to ambush me. I have to say, Aro, I'm a
bit disappointed. I thought you would've concocted a better plan in order to get rid of me."
Aro's smile faltered, but he composed himself quickly. "Whatever are you talking about? An ambush? I assure you there's
a mistake as we'd never do that, you're family and"
I snarled loudly, causing him to cut off mid sentence. "Don't speak to me of family, you know nothing of the meaning of the
word. You have no family, Aro. You destroyed Didyme, your own sister, in order to retain the power you love so much. You
attempted to massacre my true family for the same reason. But as you see, judging by the fact that they all stand with me,
you've failed this time."
Aro's smile disappeared, his face twisted in anger. I pulled some of Edward's energy to listen to his thoughts he was
debating whether to stall and wait for more guard to arrive or to have the ones present pounce, giving him the opportunity
to either take me out while I was distracted or flee.
"What are we waiting for?" Demetri whispered, so low only I could hear him.
"You'll see, just a few more seconds." Noises rang out in the tunnels behind us. Demetri tensed up but I grabbed his arm
and squeezed reassuringly so he didn't overreact. I took a few steps to the side and everyone quickly followed me, moving
away from the doors. I was thankful my family was being so trusting of me.
The doors swung open with brutal force, hitting the wall beside it with a loud crack. Two vampires dressed in all black ran
inside as I yelled "Now!"
The two recently arrived vampires went straight for Caius. The dozen or so guard members present sprung into action. I
searched around, unable to find Alec present and groaned. I'd specifically spared him that day and not one of the others
because I knew his talent would've been useful for me in Volterra.
My family went after the guard members. I looked up to where Aro had been standing and noticed he was gone, but
caught sight of the door behind the thrones closing. He'd taken the cowards way after all and fled.
I glanced around quickly, taking stock of the situation. Caius was nearly completely unrecognizable. My family was holding
their own and had already taken down a few guard. I wanted to go after Aro, but I was afraid of what would happen if I left
the room. I knew more guard would arrive soon, and with them would come talents that I wouldn't be able to protect them
from if I depart. Like Alec's. He surely couldn't fight but if he lay back away from the violence he could quickly incapacitate
all of them by blocking out all of their senses.
"Isabella," Demetri yelled from across the room. I looked up quickly, our eyes meeting. "Go."
I nodded Demetri had sensed my dilemma and answered it for me. I ran for the back door behind the thrones and was
stopped abruptly by someone grabbing my arm. I hissed and swung around defensively and came face-to-face with
Marcus.
"Parco Archeologico," he said simply, letting go of my arm. He continued watching the battle ensuing in front of him. I was
momentarily stunned, realizing this was the first time he had ever spoken to me directly.
He waved his hand at me when I paused, signaling for me to go. I regained my focus and sprinted out the door, heading
down into the tunnels. I ran through the receptionist's office, leaping over Charlene, and exited the tunnels quickly.
I ran southeast, to where the archaeological park was located. I was not as great a tracker as Demetri obviously was, as I
was relying solely on my sense of smell, whereas Demetri tracked using the mind. But Aro's scent was strong and it made
following him quite easy once outside.
I arrived at the place where the acropolis once stood and slowed. His scent was stronger there, he hadn't gone far. I
followed his trail towards the Medici Fortress and spotted movement on the roof. The Medici Fortress was a top security
prison it housed 200 of the vilest humans in Italy. Most of the Sicilian Mobsters that weren't smart or lucky enough to get
away with their crimes were housed inside the walls. The Volturi had connections in the Fortress and it was almost as
difficult to get in, as it was for those inside to ever get out.
I leapt up onto the wall and then onto the roof quickly, before any of the guards could catch my movement. I followed Aro's
scent to the other side of the building it abruptly cut off at the edge. I considered the fact that he may have ran off but
knew better. The fortress was the best place for him to hide out.
I leapt down into the yard of the prison. A man stood at the front entrance to the fortress he was talking on his cell phone,
not paying attention to anything around him. I quietly walked forward toward him. He was telling a crude joke to whomever
he was speaking to and was laughing loudly. I stopped about 50 feet in front of him and waited it was annoying, exactly
how unobservant he was. It took nearly a whole minute before his eyes looked in my direction. His brow furrowed and his
jaw unhinged. He looked at me with shock and utter confusion. All he could see was a black mass in front of him, as my
cloak completely shrouded me.
He hung up the phone quickly and took a few steps forward for a better look. I reached up and pulled my hood down,
showing him my face. He gasped, his eyes going wide. I wasn't sure if he knew what I was, if he knew that vampires lived
underground and were who truly ruled the city, or if he was simply in shock that a beautiful teenage girl was standing
before him.
He started muttering something incoherent. I smiled and put my finger to my lips, telling him to be quiet. He said no more
but continued to gape at me in shock. I walked forward and he took a few steps back automatically, tripping over
something and falling. I could see the fear in his eyes, his body starting to tremble, and he brought his hands up in
defense.
"So you're one of the enlightened ones," I said softly as I approached him. He wouldn't have had that reaction to a teenage
girl so it only made sense that he was well aware of my kind.
He was trembling harder and opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. I was thankful he was in such shock that
he couldn't make noise, as I didn't want to have to hurt him or even worse, kill him. But I couldn't let him alert anyone else
so his silence was important.
"I don't want to kill you, but if you scream I will. I need to get inside, and that's where you come in. I could get in myself, but
it would be much less painful for everyone here if you'd just tell me your code and stay out of my way. Do you understand?"
He nodded frantically. "It's uh 567 uh, no 576984," he stammered. I nodded and walked past him, punching the code
in. The metal door unlocked automatically and started opening. I slipped inside and walked the halls quickly and quietly,
avoiding all of the humans. Thankfully the inmates were sleeping, so there were only a few guards I had to evade.
I walked past the kitchen area on the ground floor and caught a whiff of Aro's scent. I peered inside and saw a black form
in the corner. He was alone and facing away from me. I could hear whispers but was unable to make out words I figured
he had to have been talking on a cell phone.
I approached him quietly from behind. There were no other vampires nearby, no one I could use. I had my shield, which
made me slightly more durable than him, but he'd been around a lot longer than me. He was skilled at fighting, there was
no doubt about that, but he was out of practice. He hadn't had to fight fair in centuries, if ever.
"I really didn't take you for a coward," I said sharply. Aro jumped around swiftly, crouching and growling.
"And I didn't take you for a traitor." He spat the words at me.
I lunged forward quickly, but he reacted and jumped to the side. He ran straight into a window, shattering the bulletproof
glass and bending the metal bars. An alarm sounded loudly throughout the building and red lights started flashing. The
overhead florescent lights came on and footsteps came running down the hall. I jumped out the window quickly and
chased Aro's form over the fence.
I was slightly faster than him and caught up quickly. I grabbed his arm and yanked, pulling it out of socket. It didn't hurt him,
but I did succeed in pissing him off, which is what I wanted. He was going to be a coward and run, I needed to ignite some
anger so he'd stay on a whim.
He swung around and lunged at me, but I pushed my hands out and shoved him. He went flying backwards, hitting a tree
and toppling it with a loud crack. He jumped up quickly and pounced behind me. I swung around but wasn't fast enough
he lunged and knocked me to the ground, sinking his teeth into my neck. I screamed loudly, the pain from his venom
entering my system was immense. I pushed up, yanking him off of me, and he spit a chunk of my flesh out of his mouth. I
brought my hand up and found the gaping wound in my neck it was oozing venom and a bit of blood from my recent
feeding.
"You think you can beat me Isa or should I call you Bella? Bella Swan." I growled and lunged at him, grabbing a hold of
his torso. He pushed back and we went rolling across the ground, each of us growling and trying to get our teeth on the
other. He eventually pinned me to the ground and I kicked upwards, sending him flying across the field.
We jumped up at the same time. My neck was still burning, the liquids flowing from it soaking my shoulder. I needed to
end this soon, because the more venom and blood I lost the weaker I would grow. I'd need to replenish it to match him
soon, and there was no time for that.
"You're making a mistake," Aro growled at me. "You had it all here and you threw it all away for those despicable animal
eaters it goes against nature!"
I shot forward and Aro tried to evade, but I got a hold of him and sunk my teeth into his forearm. He yelled and pushed me
off, but part of his limb came with me. I threw it to the side and crouched to lunge, but he was quicker and hit me hard,
sending me flying backwards. He was on top of me in an instant, his teeth coming down on my shoulder. He tried to yank
my arm off with his teeth but he struggled doing so, thanks to my harder-than-normal exterior. I screamed as more of his
venom entered me, my own venom and blood streaming out and my flesh being torn away.
"It's a shame I have to destroy you. But don't worry, if you find yourself in Hell you won't be alone," he growled as he spat
another small chunk of my flesh out. "I'll get Edward next."
I snarled loudly at his mention of Edward and pushed up with all of my strength. He went flying backwards, landing on the
ground with a loud thump. I was on top of him before he could react, sinking my teeth into his neck. I gnawed ferociously,
cutting off his screams as I sliced through his larynx. He fought back but I didn't let go. I chewed until the flesh was gone
and his head completely detached from his torso.
I'd never been more of a savage than I was at that moment. I was completely disconnected, all traces of humanity absent. I
was snarling loudly, growling. I was in a rage and murderous. I'd killed many creatures, but never had the demon sprung
through as it did when I dismembered my Master.
*Chapter 47*: 47: Wasted Time
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight Share

Show your face

Livin' in the shadows like you got no name
Enough to make a little girly go insane
Be my guest to let it out tonight
It's ok
"Wasted Time" - Kings of Leon
EPOV:
I struck a match and tossed it on top of a pile of body parts Demetri and I had collected. I watched as the flames quickly
took off, a sickly sweet smell perforating the air and purple smoke billowing up into the sky.
The rest of the family was still up in the tower, tossing down random chunks of vampire for us to add to the pile. We'd
come out relatively unscathed Rose had one of her pointer fingers bitten off but Carlisle was able to find it and get her
mending. Needless to say, though, she was seething, as it was painful. Except for the finger, none of us lost any flesh. I
was bitten on the shoulder, Carlisle got a slice on his leg and someone's teeth grazed Esme's hand, but besides that we
weren't really touched. They were unprepared and outnumbered, essentially. By the time any of the talented guard
members had arrived, we'd taken down most of the first batch. Alec had momentarily stunned some of us, which is when
someone bit me, but he had a hard time focusing and lost his hold. Demetri took him out without too much of a hassle. I
personally made it a point to dismember Felix painfullyI had a feeling it was his venom coursing down my arm from my
wound.
I rubbed my stinging shoulder and sighed, gazing off to the southeast and the purple smoke stack that could be seen in
the distance. I had wanted to go running off after Bella, but Demetri practically forbid me from doing it. I would've ignored
him and gone anyway, but I'd promised Bella I'd let her do her thing and not try to play protector. It was hard, though I
was worried.
We'd seen the smoke coming from that direction for about 10 minutes now, and still no sign of Bella. Demetri was
convinced she was fine, that the smoke was a good thing, that it indicated she destroyed Aro. He was highly confident
and optimistic about Bella's abilities and I didn't want to doubt her, but there was that nagging pessimistic part of me that
questioned if maybe he was wrong. If maybe that purple cloud of smoke was essentially my worst nightmare come to life.
That maybe Bella wouldn't be coming back. Aro was practically a legend and regardless of how tough Bella was, her
talent was almost useless out there alone.
I tried to fight that voice off and ignore the negative thoughts. I had to be strong and believe in her. I owed her that.
So I kept repeating over and over again in my head that she'd be here soon, she was fine, and we were going to live
happily ever after. There was nothing standing in our way now.
I went back into the tunnels and headed back into the Great Hall where my family was. Alice jumped up when I walked in, a
hopeful look on her face. I shook my head lightly and she frowned, sitting back down beside Jasper. She was worried
about Bella also, wondering if she'd returned yet.
Carlisle came over and clasped my shoulder. He hit my wound and I winced, causing him to apologize. He was limping
lightly but seemed to not be in much pain.
She'll be fine son, he thought. I nodded in agreement, willing myself to truly believe it.
Demetri joined us in the room, sighing. He plopped down in one of the thrones, Heidi sitting down beside him. She
grabbed his hand and squeezed, giving him a small smile. He attempted to smile in return, but it was obviously forced.
I paced around the room, running my fingers through my hair. Time seemed to be going so slow waiting I couldn't tell
you if it was minutes or hours, it seemed like an eternity.
Demetri stood up and walked out of the room. His thoughts told me he was going up to Bella's room in the tower. I turned
and followed behind him. He cocked an eyebrow at me but shrugged, motioning for me to follow.
I was nervous I'd never seen her room before, never gotten even a glimpse at her life in Volterra. Demetri was anxious,
growing really worried about Bella. I don't know what compelled him to want to visit her room, or what he thought he'd find
there, but I felt oddly reassured suddenly.
He stopped in front of a door toward the top of the tower and pushed it open. I followed him inside. Nothing in the room
screamed "Bella" to me. Everything was gray and black, no color anywhere. There was a large bed in the middle of the
room. Demetri gazed at it and I was hit with a barrage of memories of him and Bella in here. I groaned as a flash of him
and Bella being intimate ran through his mind. He turned and sent me an apologetic glance, muttering a quick "sorry." I
waved him off, not wanting to get into it.
I wandered over to her desk she had some papers strewn across it. I pushed through them, unable to fight the curiosity. I
smiled when I came across the note I had written her it was well warn, almost falling apart at the crease.
"She used to read that over and over again," Demetri said, glancing over my shoulder. "I'd come in here the same time
every day and find her clutching it. I never gave her grief about it, but every day I'd ask her if she were ready to go to you
yet." He paused. "The check is still over there somewhere too."
I shifted through the papers again, finding the check at the bottom. "Why didn't she cash it?"
He laughed. "She didn't want your money. She actually wouldn't even take the car to have it fixed, wouldn't even drive the
damn thing for months I finally got tired of it and had it done for her."
"Why wouldn't she drive it?" I asked, confused.
"It smelled strongly like you. She didn't want to open up the door and have it hit her, she thought it would hurt too much. The
first time she got in it was when we were heading to the plane to come to Forks. It still smelled like you even then."
I sighed, laying the check back down and reading over the letter I had sent. I chuckled to myself I had no idea it was
Bella I was writing to and I'd kissed ass in it, wanting to dispel any leftover anger. If only I had known.
Demetri cursed loudly, causing my head to pop up. He was standing on Bella's balcony, looking down at the plaza. I
dropped the note back on the desk and walked over to him. I glanced down to where he was looking and froze.
A cloaked figure sat on a bench down below. I knew immediately that it was Bella she sat still, not moving an inch. I
turned and ran from the room, bounding down to the tunnels quickly. I ran through them and come out in the alleyway. I
slowed some, not wanting to startle her, and walked at an almost human pace to where she sat.
I stopped in front of her, but she didn't look up or acknowledge my presence. I sighed, worried, unsure of what to do,
unsure if she was okay. I crouched down in front of her, trying to see her face, but she still had her hood on and kept her
head down.
"Bella?" I said softly. Her stillness broke and she whimpered, a small tremor shaking her body, but she still made no move
to look at me. I reached out to pull her chin up to see her face, but she moved her head away.
"Bella, love, you're scaring me," I said, my composure breaking, my voice growing frantic.
Bella brought her head up so I could see her face, but she kept her eyes closed. I reached out to cup her cheek and ran
my hand down to her neck. I gasped as I felt something wet and pulled my hand back quickly. My fingers were covered in
a sticky yellowish substance streaked with red.
"You're hurt!" I yelped. I pushed her hood and pulled her cloak to the side, gasping in shock. She had gaping wounds in
her neck and going down her shoulder that desperately needed mending they were oozing venom and blood.
Bella sighed, opening her eyes. My own eyes grew wide when she looked at me and I froze.
"Your eyes," I said, bewildered. I was no longer looking at the orange orbs I had seen earlier. After we drank the blood
Demetri had given us, our gold tint brightened significantly to orange but didn't turn red. But now Bella's eyes were dark
burgundy, quickly fading to black.
"I fucked up Edward," she said calmly, her voice flat. She was looking directly at me, but there was no spark or passion
there. She looked as if she were seeing right through me.
"Carlisle!" I yelled, loud enough that I knew he'd hear inside the building. I heard footsteps behind me nearly instantly and
turned to see Demetri and Carlisle approach.
Carlisle gasped and instantly went into doctor mode when he spotted her wounds. Bella practically ignored Carlisle and
gazed up at Demetri. He sighed, his face compassionate when he noticed the color of her eyes.
"I was wondering what took you so long See-Saw," he said, attempting to lighten things and not wanting to make a big
deal out of it.
"I fucked up," Bella said simply again, looking away.
"These are pretty significant, I'm not sure they're going to close up on their own. We're going to need to find the pieces to
mend them. Do you know where they are Bella?" Carlisle asked in his professional voice. He was torn up inside seeing
her, wanting to console her and tell her everything was okay, but he wanted to maintain his composure and heal her first.
Bella nodded and pointed towards where the smoke was still lightly filtering into the sky.
"Did you burn them?" Carlisle asked hesitantly.
She shook her head no and Carlisle let out a sigh of relief. He yelled for Jasper and Alice, and asked them to go with him.
After they departed, I sat down beside Bella on the bench and took her hand in mine, intertwining our fingers. She didn't
pull away from me thankfully.
"What happened?" Demetri asked, crouching down to look her in the eyes. Bella sighed and went to turn her head, but
Demetri grabbed her chin to stop her. "Tell me," he said firmly.
"I don't know," she said softly, closing her eyes. "I was like an animal, I didn't even recognize myself, didn't even know what
had happened until it was over. He wounded me, I was losing my strength and I needed blood. He said he was going to
kill Edward next and I snapped. The next thing I knew, I was back inside the fortress and massacring prisoners."
Demetri laughed and Bella glared at him.
"Sorry, but you really shouldn't beat yourself up for that. The humans inside the fortress deserve execution."
I nodded, squeezing her hand. "You still don't have me beat," I said softly. Bella sighed.
"I killed a guard too. The one at the front gate. I told him I'd let him live if he didn't scream and gave me the code. He did.
And without thinking, I went back and killed him anyway."
I reached over and rubbed Bella's back, unsure of what to say. I looked up to Demetri, hoping he'd have some words of
wisdom to make it all go away and he just shrugged, just as much at a loss for words. Demetri had no qualms feeding
from humans, regardless of their innocence. Humans were little more than food to him and he didn't understand the guilt
she was feeling, so he stayed silent.
Carlisle arrived back then with Alice and Jasper. Everyone backed away while Carlisle went to work, but I stayed by her
side holding her hand.
She seems to be in shock, Carlisle thought, shooting me quick glances. These wounds are immensely painful, she
should be crying out.
I nodded slightly in acknowledgement.
Did she feed from an innocent? Carlisle asked. I nodded again and he sighed. Go and give us a minute alone please.
I hesitated, but let go of Bella's hand and stood up. She looked at me questioningly I gave her a small smile and walked
to where everyone had gathered.
"Let's go back inside."
*Chapter 48*: 48: 'Til We Die
A/N: You can see the links for all of the alabaster goodies in my profile... they really are gorgeous and Share
are seriously made and sold at a store in Volterra.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

The start of a journey is every bit worth it, I cant let you down anymore.
The sky is still clearing, we're never afraid and the consciences opens the door.
I never stopped trying, I never stopped feeling like family is much more than blood.
Don't go on without me, the piece that I represent compliments each and everyone.
"'Til We Die" - Slipknot
BPOV
The scorching pain radiating from my neck was excruciating it was shooting down my side and arm and into my head.
The small bite I'd endured years back had nothing on what I felt now, it was like comparing a paper cut to being burned
alive. It reminded me faintly of the pain I felt while being transformed.
Carlisle's hands were on my neck, doing God-knows-what to mend me. In all my years, I'd never witnessed a vampire
being pieced back together so I had no idea about the logistics of it. None of the Volturi had ever been hurt to the point of
needing repair before in my presence.
Despite the pain, I remained composed on the outside. Too calm, to be honest. I worried what would happen when the
shock of the situation wore off, when my feelings came pouring out. Everything was being bottled up and stored away, and
that wasn't safe. I was utterly disgusted with myself; appalled at what I'd done. The demon inside of me had truly broken
free for the first time and I'd become a true savage with no regard for anything or anyone. I finally understood what
everyone talked about with newborns, how the demon is so strong and the bloodlust so overwhelming that they are
physically unable to contain themselves or pause to rationally think. Because that's exactly how I had been. I'd acted on
nothing but impulse, no rationalization or sign of humanity left. I was uncivilized and unrecognizable.
"You're going to be okay," Carlisle said softly, his voice full of compassion. Something told me he wasn't just referring to
my wound, but to everything in general. I snorted, laughing humorlessly.
He got up out of his crouch and sat down beside me on the bench.
"Half of the family has come home at some point with that same look on their face," Carlisle said after a moment. "Esme,
Emmett, and Jasper all had slip ups along the way. Unfortunately sometimes, no matter what you do, it can't be helped. It
happens. None of them knew what they were doing until after it was done with. Edward especially dealt with the guilt, you
know how he lived off of humans for years. The look on his face when he returned was devastating. You've been living
pretty much your entire vampiric existence with the Volturi, who were gluttons of slaughtering innocent humans. You've yet
to really get to live among the civilized so I understand you may not grasp how much all of us struggle with that demon still."
I nodded, but didn't speak. I could feel his eyes on me. He sighed loudly.
"If anyone understands how you feel right now, it's Jasper. He struggled more than the rest of us. He dealt with the guilt of
your birthday for decades. Jasper had grown to truly care for you as a sister, and in one second the demon sprang out
and he nearly killed you. He would've, had Edward not been so quick to react. He would've killed you and drained you dry
before even realizing what was happening."
I absorbed Carlisle's words. I had never blamed Jasper for what happened that day; I knew it was beyond his control. He
hadn't known what was happening until it was too late. But yet, I loathed myself for having the same problem. For the
demon springing out without my consent. Jasper had been lucky enough to be surrounded by family at the time, and had
someone there to stop him.
I looked up at Carlisle. He stared into my burgundy eyes and showed no signs of disgust or disappointment. All I saw was
compassion and love and understanding shining at me.
"We should go join the others," he said after a few minutes.
I nodded and stood up. "Thank you," I said softly. He smiled in return. I followed him into the tunnels and towards the Great
Hall.
When I stepped inside, I saw Demetri perched in a throne with Heidi sitting on his lap. The room was nearly demolished
from the battle. The rest of the family stood around quietly. They looked up when we entered, Esme gasping at the sight of
my wound. I waved off her concern.
"I'm going to guess you've won the battle?" I asked. Demetri nodded. "And what of Marcus?"
He sighed. "I offered him a chance to walk away and he wouldn't budge. He asked me to destroy him, said his reason for
remaining on the earth had been gone for a long time. Asked me to please do him the favor of allowing him to join her."
I nodded, not surprised. "And the wives?"
Demetri smiled. "Vladimir and Stefan went after them."
"What now?" Emmett asked. "Do we just go home? I mean I was all for taking out the Volturi, they wanted to kill us, but I
didn't really think about what would come next. Are we just going to leave this place empty?"
Demetri's eyes met mine and we stared at each other for a moment.
"No, we won't leave this place empty. Our kind still needs leadership. Demetri has connections already formed and is
widely feared enough to be able to take command without any problem. After word gets out that he revolted and the
Brethren and Guard were wiped out, the fear of him will be even greater. I don't foresee too many vampires pushing the
limits because of this. But he will need to build up his own guard for safety purposes."
Demetri nodded. "I already have a few people in mind. I'd offer all of you a home here, but I know this isn't the place for
you. You've built your family and forged your life and we're on different paths."
I smiled. "You know if you ever need me, you can call on me."
"Of course. And don't be surprised when I do, because I'm sure I will at some point," he said, returning my smile.
"You can count on all of us," Carlisle chimed in with. "We owe you a lot for what you've done for our family, especially for
what you've done for Bella."
Demetri made a few calls then and had a plane fueled up and ready at the airfield so the family could return back to
Oregon. I decided I was going to stay back for a while and help Demetri get things in order, and Edward insisted on
staying by my side. Reluctantly the rest of the family departed, but only after we promised we'd return as soon as possible.
The next few weeks flew by quickly. Kate and Garrett ended up sticking around the city after the battle and Demetri
offered them a place in the tower. They agreed to join him under the condition that they'd be allowed to leave without a
fight if they ever chose to do so. Demetri agreed, not willing to run things as the Brethren did. Anyone who joined him
would have the freedom to walk away whenever they wanted.
Vampires filtered in throughout the weeks, and Edward and I helped Demetri gauge who was worthy of being invited to
stay. About a month after the battle, a boy named Benjamin wandered into the city. Benjamin was immensely talented and
surprised even myself, as he was able to physically manipulate the elements. It was the first time I'd ever encountered a
talent that even I wasn't immune to. He seemed really genuine and wasn't someone who would be pushed around or used.
He had grown tired of his coven and left, along with his mate Tia. Demetri not only offered him a place in the tower, but
also a throne.
About a week after Benjamin's arrival, a girl named Maggie appeared. She had been in a coven in Ireland for many years
and had decided to go out on her own. She was also enormously talented, able to decipher whether or not people were
lying. Edward said she was trustworthy, having heard of her from Carlisle over the years. She quickly agreed to join
Demetri. At that point, he'd assembled about a dozen vampires. Maggie assured us they were all genuine in their loyalty,
and most of them were quite powerful.
It was nearing the end of December, and I knew Edward was growing homesick. He wasn't unhappy he would've been
content living under a rock as long as I was by his side. But the fact was, Volterra wasn't home to him. He didn't belong
there. He missed the family more than he'd admit to; he missed the monotony of living day-to-day in relative peace. He
didn't enjoy living amongst savages, even if they were somewhat civilized.
One afternoon Edward and I made love in my room in the tower. We hadn't been able to spend much time together alone
as everything was so business-like, and I missed just being with him. Afterwards we got dressed and headed down into
the tunnels. Edward took a left to head to the great hall where we usually spent most of our time, but I grabbed his arm to
stop him. He cocked an eyebrow at me questioningly and I smiled.
"Let's go out for awhile," I said. He smiled and nodded enthusiastically, his face lighting up. I felt horrible at that moment,
realizing exactly how much Edward was putting his own needs and desires aside for me.
It was a cloudy day, and snow was lightly falling. Edward and I strolled through the town, hand in hand. It felt good, just
spending time together.
I paused at one point on a whim, sticking my tongue out and catching a snowflake. I never got snow in Phoenix growing
up, but it was something I'd always done when I visited Charlie growing up and it snowed. Edward gave me the oddest
expression, a look of sheer bewilderment crossing his face.
"Don't tell me you never caught snowflakes with your mouth before," I said with a laugh. Edward furrowed his brow,
thinking, and shrugged.
"Not that I can recall. It's possible I did as a kid, but I don't remember much of anything from back then," he said, his voice
slightly sad.
"Well, that's completely unacceptable," I said playfully. "You've gotta do it now then."
Edward shook his head. I stuck my bottom lip out, giving him my best pout. He conceded, laughing lightly, and stuck his
tongue out. He caught a few snowflakes and smiled.
"See, that didn't kill you, its just water. But wasn't that fun?" I stuck my tongue back out and caught some more snowflakes.
Edward laughed at my childish antics and pulled on my hand to get me to move again. We resumed walking through the
streets, chatting and joking around. He'd occasionally lean over and kiss me lightly on the lips or on my neck.
We walked past a shop in the middle of town and Edward stopped abruptly. He let go of my hand and walked towards the
store, gazing in the window at something on display. I stood back and watched him, smiling.
He looked absolutely stunning. He was wearing a pair of black dress pants with black dress shoes. He had on a light blue
button up shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms, and the front only partially buttoned. Underneath he was
wearing a simple black shirt. His bronzed hair was flecked with white from the snow the snow also made his pale skin
appear even paler, his lips redder. He turned back to look at me, a breathtaking crooked smile on his face, his eyes
practically dancing with joy. I smiled back at him and walked forward.
He turned back to the window and I saw that he was gazing into an Alabaster Shop. Alabaster was a white chalky rock
that Volterra was well known for.
"Jasper would love that," I said, pointing to an amazing chessboard in the display. Edward nodded.
"Let's get it for him for Christmas, it's only a few days away." I looked up at Edward in shock It hadn't struck me that
Christmas was so close. I remembered us talking about it during our drive to Forks before coming to Volterra, how we
were going to make this Christmas special since neither of us had really celebrated it in a long time.
I grabbed Edward's hand and pulled him into the shop. The man behind the counter smiled brightly. "What can I help you
with today?" he asked.
"I'm afraid we haven't purchased a single Christmas present yet and we have our entire family to buy for," I said. The
man's face lit up at the prospect of a large sale.
Edward and I browsed around. We picked out the chessboard for Jasper, a lamp shaped as books for Carlisle, a pair of
spiral candlesticks for Esme, a framed mirror for Rosalie, a box with different sized triangle compartments for Alice, and a
real working carved guitar for Emmett. Edward pulled out his black credit card and paid for all of it, ignoring my insistence
on paying for half. Demetri now had access to all of the Volturi's bank accounts and had transferred an ungodly amount of
money into mine, but Edward refused to let me spend any of it. He'd rather spend his.
Edward told the shopkeeper that we'd be back with a car to pick up our purchases, as we couldn't carry it all on our own
without possibly raising suspicion. We strolled back towards the tower, holding hands.
"We'll have to drive to the post office tomorrow to ship them out," Edward said. "I'll be mad if any of them get broken in
transit."
I smiled. "I know how to keep that from happening."
"How's that?" he asked.
"Personal delivery."
Edward stopped walking, turning to look at me. "You mean?" he started, trailing off while cocking at eyebrow at me. I
nodded.
"Yeah let's go home."
*Chapter 49*: 49: When You Were Young
A/N: Don't fret folks, there are still some more chapters to go... it's not over yet :) Share
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

Can we climb this mountain

I don't know
Higher now than ever before
I know we can make it if we take it slow
Let's take it easy
Easy now, watch it go
We're burning down the highway skyline
On the back of a hurricane that started turning
When you were young
When you were young
"When you were young" The Killers
EPOV:
We were on the interstate leading north out of Portland. Demetri had gotten us a private flight in and we rented a blue Audi
TT to make the drive home. It was mid-afternoon on Christmas Eve and traffic was heavy, so I was unable to drive as fast
as I wanted. I was beyond anxious to get home and was cursing the humans in the cars in front of me for being so
painstakingly slow. Bella kept trying to remind me that the road was slick since it was snowing, and that there was ice on
the road since the temperature was below freezing, so humans would naturally have to slow down so they wouldn't wreck.
But it was going in one ear and out the other, because I had a one-track mind at the moment and that track was leading
me home.
I had been beyond ecstatic when Bella suggested we go home. I hadn't said anything to her but I had been really missing
the family and life back in Oregon. I wasn't sure if she was just that in tune with me, or if she'd read my thoughts, but she
seemed to know exactly how I felt and what I needed. And I was very grateful for that.
I would've stayed in Volterra forever if that's what Bella wanted, if that's what it took. She was the most important thing in
my life I could never live without her.
After she suggested we go home, she went up into the tower to tell Demetri of our plans while I took a car and went to pick
up the things we had purchased for the family. On the way back, I stopped in a store and picked up Bella's Christmas
present. I was anxious to give it to her but wanted to wait until we were back home. I knew Bella didn't have the chance to
get me anything, as she hadn't even known Christmas was so close, but it didn't matter to me. I had been given the
greatest gift I ever could've received already this year: Her.
I took our exit and hit the highway headed west. There was less traffic on this road, so I was able to speed up and swerve
between cars.
The family had no idea we were coming. Alice wouldn't be able to see it, and neither of us had spoken to any of them in
nearly 2 weeks. I was excited about the fact that we'd be surprising them I'd never been able to do it before, as Alice
was always all knowing so there frankly were no surprises in our lives. Bella brought that element back, made things more
unpredictable. It frustrated Alice some, not being able to utilize her gift, but it added a level of excitement at the same time.
Before we knew it, we entered the Astoria city limits. I drove quickly through town and flew down our driveway. Bella
started laughing as I came to a screeching halt right in front of the house, squealing tires and sending gravel and dirt flying.
"You aren't anxious, are you?" she asked playfully. I smiled and wink at her, jumping out quickly and opening her door
before she could. I grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the car and into a hug.
"Thank you Bella," I whispered.
"You're welcome," she said. I didn't have to tell her what I was thanking her for, she already knew it all.
I heard laughter behind me and turned to see Emmett standing on the porch, grinning widely. Carlisle and Jasper joined
him outside, also smiling.
"It's great to see both of you," Carlisle said cheerfully. He clasped me on the shoulder as I approached. Emmett snatched
up Bella quickly, swinging her around in a hug.
"Great to see you guys, too," Bella said, laughing. Emmett put her down and reached over, punching me lightly on the arm.
"Welcome home bro," he said warmly.
"Thanks. Where are the ladies?"
Jasper groaned loudly, rolling his eyes. "Last minute shopping. They're crazy."
We all laughed and went inside. Bella said she was going to go upstairs to take a shower it was completely
unnecessary but I knew she liked taking them so I didn't question it. Bella still had quite a few habits she brought over from
her human life, like showering and lying in bed.
I plopped down on my piano bench, ghosting my fingers across the keys. I missed my piano while we were in Volterra and
had the itching to play. I was shocked there weren't any musical instruments anywhere to be found in the Volturi towers
I started off playing Beethoven's Fr Elise and it morphed into Debussy's Clair de Lune. Bella came down the stairs from
her shower and sat down on the bench beside me. I started playing Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu, Op. 66.
The music once again morphed into another song. Bella looked at me questioningly at first, having never heard me play it
before, but after a moment the melody struck her and she started laughing.
"Since when do you play rock music on the piano?" She asked. I smiled and shrugged and continued to play. One of
Bella's favorite songs had been "When You Were Young" by the Killers and I figured out how to play it one afternoon when
it was stuck in my head. Bella started to lightly sing along to the song, her voice warm and beautiful.
A car pulled up outside and the front door flew open with so much force it knocked a hole in the wall. My playing
immediately ceased and Bella and I sat gaping at the sight of Esme standing in the doorway. She was always the one to
chastise us for using too much force around her house and the last person I expected to see doing it.
"Don't stop playing!" she screeched. I laughed and turned back to the piano. I started playing Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker
it was Esme's favorite thing to listen to at Christmas and it had been decades since I'd sat down and played it for her. She
smiled, her eyes shining brightly. Bella stood up from the piano bench and my playing waned as my hand instinctively shot
out to stop her. She laughed and pried my fingers from her, motioning for Esme to come sit down beside me.
I resumed playing when Esme sat down on the piano bench. I completely went through the entire Nutcracker ballet and
started in on some of the family's favorite traditional Christmas songs. We sat around as a family for hours, listening to the
sounds of my piano and chatting.
Close to twilight, Bella's voice rang out. "How come you have no Christmas tree?" she asked incredulously.
Alice sighed. "Edward always went with me to get one. He's made himself scarce around the holidays over the years so
we haven't gotten trees."
"You haven't gotten trees in years?" I asked, shocked. They'd always gone through the motions of the holiday and I
assumed they always got a tree as part of that.
"Why am I not surprised you never noticed?' Alice said, rolling her eyes.
"You couldn't get one without him?" Bella asked, her face scrunched up in confusion.
"Yeah, we could've, but it just didn't feel right," Alice said softly. I glanced around at everyone and saw they all held sullen
looks. It wasn't until that moment that I truly realized how hard my family had taken my obscurity and absence.
I stood up, sighing and running my fingers through my hair. I was feeling guilty. Jasper eyed me in confusion, not
understanding my remorse.
"Come on Alice," I said. Her eyes shot to me and she furrowed her brow.
"What?"
"I said come on. We've got a tree to pick out. It's the first Christmas with all of us together and we're going to do it right."
She squealed and jumped up, launching herself at me for a hug. I laughed at her enthusiasm. I borrowed the keys to
Jasper's SUV, not wanting to scratch up my Volvo. We could've easily walked out back and kicked down a tree and
carried it in the back door like we always did in the past, but I knew Alice would appreciate it more if we did it the
traditional way and I owed her. She had absolutely no human memories, making simple human things seem more
important to her. All of us could conjure up a story from our human years of Christmas traditions with our families, with the
exception of Alice. She heard all of our stories but all she had to go on personally was what she experienced with us
and I'd been a shitty brother in that department lately.
"You wanna come Bella?" I asked, turning to the love of my life. I didn't want her to feel neglected. I'd been playing the
piano for Esme for hours and now running off with Alice.
"No, you two go," she said with a smile. I nodded and kissed her quickly, before being pulled out the front door by my little
pixie sister. It took 45 minutes and driving through three towns before we found a tree farm still open this late on Christmas
Eve. I pulled out some cash from my wallet and handed it to the elderly man working he counted it and smiled.
"Pick any tree you want," he said, handing me a handsaw. I laughed and thanked him, following Alice through the lines of
trees.
"Do you know how to use one of those things?" Alice asked, pointing to the saw.
"It can't be too hard," I said with a shrug. We wandered through trees for nearly 20 minutes they all looked pretty much
the same to me, but apparently to Alice every one we looked at wasn't good enough. Finally she stopped in front of one
with a smile.
"This is the one," she said confidently. I knelt down and started sawing at the trunk, but evidently put too much strength
behind my movements because the saw snapped in half.
I groaned loudly while Alice just giggled. I stood up and kicked the trunk of the tree swiftly, causing it to topple over at
once. I hauled the tree back to the car, pretending to struggle a bit when the man working looked in our direction. We
securely tied it to the top of Jaspers SUV with rope, before I ran over and handed the man another wad of cash for
breaking his saw.
Alice was bouncing with enthusiasm on the drive back home. She sprang from the car when I pulled up at the house,
untying the tree quickly and dragging it inside. I walked inside, laughing at her. Esme had drug out all of the old Christmas
decorations we'd accumulated over the years while we were gone and most of the house was already decorated. All that
was left was putting the lights and ornaments on the tree.
I looked around but didn't see Bella anywhere. I walked up the steps quietly and peeked in the bedroom. She was lying
across the bed on her stomach, her legs in the air with her ankles crossed. The black box I kept on top of the closet was
open in front of her, and she was gazing at the picture of her and I.
I walked over and sat down beside her. She looked up briefly and smiled before turning back to the picture.
"I was looking forward to Christmas that year," she said softly. "I had the perfect gift for you planned."
"Yeah?" I asked. She nodded. "What was it?"
She huffed. "I can't remember exactly. I just remember being so ecstatic about it; I even started doing jobs for Charlie
secretly to earn some extra money. I figured I had a few months to save up for it." Her voice was low and had a hint of
longing to it.
I opened my mouth to apologize but she cut me off quickly, jumping up.
"Come on, lover boy, let's go decorate a tree."
I followed her down the steps, snickering at the sudden shift in her mood. The family was all sitting around, waiting for us
before taking out any of the ornaments for the tree.
Bella flopped down beside Jasper on the couch. He reached over and patted her knee, grinning. I couldn't help but smile
at the scene. For decades Jasper had been miserable, believing he'd been responsible for Bella's destruction. And now
he sat there beside her, both of them appearing completely content and at ease. It was a sight I never wanted to forget.
Alice was standing over the box of decorations, bouncing up and down with excitement. She was rapidly glancing around
the room, her attention shifting from person to person. Her eyes fell upon me and I smiled and nodded. She squealed in
response.
She started digging into the box of tree decorations, sending things soaring in every direction. Jasper and Bella ducked
from a flying strand of garland, laughing hysterically as it flew right past their heads and hit Emmett, wrapping around him.
Rose even snickered. Esme jumped up to grab things from Alice, afraid that in her fit of excitement she was going to
break something important. Esme gathered up all of the ornaments that held sentimental value and handed them out to us
to hang on the tree. Alice threw the lights on the tree quickly and I groaned when she pressed a button and they started
flashing every color of the rainbow and playing a ridiculous kiddy version of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Alice
narrowed her eyes at me and I laughed, shaking my head.
Bella got up and walked over to me. I smiled when I saw the ornament she had in her hand. It was a snowman, handmade
out of cotton balls, with crooked black eyeballs and a falling off nose. "I'm guessing there's a story behind this," she said
with a laugh, holding it up.
I nodded. "A little girl made it for Carlisle a long time ago, he was her doctor and she had a crush on him." We all laughed
at the memory of the little blonde haired girl who had been infatuated with him decades ago.
We finished decorating the tree, sharing stories with Bella of where the ornaments came from. We all started sharing our
favorite Christmas memories. It was nice, being able to sit around as a family and reminisce.
Shortly after midnight Emmett jumped up. "It's Christmas! Can I have my presents now?" We laughed at his enthusiasm
and Rose smacked him in the back of the head, rolling her eyes.
"No, idiot. You and I are going hunting," Rose said. Emmett shrugged and smiled.
"Okay, later then." He grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her out of the backdoor quickly, his thoughts telling me that hunting
was the last thing on his mind.

A/N: You can watch someone playing "When You Were Young" on the piano on youtube, the link is in my
profile!
*Chapter 50*: 50: Bubbly
A/N: I know-updates have slowed down. I've been busy and fighting off one hell of a cold at the same Share
time. This chapter is pretty fluffy, being a continuance of Christmas, but I think you'll enjoy it ;)
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

It starts in my toes
And I crinkle my nose
Where ever it goes I always know
That you make me smile
Please stay for a while now
Just take your time
Where ever you go
"Bubbly" - Colbie Caillat
BPOV:
I sat on the floor of the guest bedroom, boxing and wrapping up presents. After Rose and Emmett left to hunt, the rest of
the family disbursed to do whatever it was they did to pass the time. Edward had tried to lure me to our bedroom, hunger
shining in his eyes, but I brushed him off and sent him to Carlisle's study. I wanted nothing more than to be locked away
with Edward and let him have his way with me, but I knew Carlisle wanted to catch up with him. Plus, I had things to do.
When Edward left earlier with Alice to go pick out a tree, I slipped out and took Edwards Volvo, speeding into town
quickly. I had panicked that day in Italy when Edward had pointed out how close Christmas was. When he left to go pick
up the gifts we purchased, I flew into action, desperate to find the perfect gift for him. Demetri had helped me pull some
strings and everything had come together nicely. I received a text while Edward was playing piano, Demetri informing me
that my package was sitting at the post office in Astoria. I was frantically trying to figure out how to slip out to pick it up
without anyone noticing and informing Edward. I didn't want anyone to jump to conclusions if I got caught sneaking around.
So when the tree subject came up, it gave me the perfect opportunity. The post office was closed, but I used a few tricks
I'd learned over the years and slipped inside undetected. It took awhile but I found the package with just enough time to
get back to the house before Edward. When I arrived back home, I went up to our bedroom and pulled out the locked
black box from on top of the closet and unlocked it. I sorted through some of the papers inside, smiling when I came
across a memento he had kept from his childhood. It was one of the few things I'd seen that he retained from his human
life so I knew it had to have been important. I had spotted it the afternoon Edward had shown me the picture of us, and for
a while wanted to ask him about it. Every time the box got opened his eyes would fall upon it and he'd smile. I only hoped it
meant what I thought it meant, and that my gift wasn't going to backfire on me.
So while Edward was down in the study with Carlisle, I was wrapping his gift, silently praying it was going to go over well.
The package was small and thin. I realized Edward didn't really have the chance to shop for me and he would probably
feel bad when he realized I got him something, but the fact was I didn't need anything. He'd already given me so much
he'd given me my life back.
I finished up and bounded downstairs. I placed Edwards present under the tree along with the others that had
accumulated there. I saw Emmett eyeing the presents longingly, obviously wondering what was in the huge box in the
corner with his name on it from Edward and I.
The rest of the family filtered into the living room as dawn approached. Alice declared it was present time and Edward
smiled brightly, coming to my side with a huge grin on his face. I looked at him suspiciously it was obvious it was up to
something. I put my shield around him to drawn some of his energy and he laughed.
"I know what you're doing Bella," he said. My shield snapped back and my brow furrowed, him catching me off guard.
"What I'm doing?" I asked, feigning innocence.
He laughed some more, shaking his head. "I can tell when you're trying to use my power on me." My eyes went wide,
confusion overcoming me. "It's not exactly that I can feel you using it, it's just the electricity between us grows a bit. Plus, I
know you and can tell by the look on your face that you're up to something."
I chuckled. "How long have you been able to tell?"
He shrugged. "I figured it out in Volterra. But regardless, don't bother trying to probe me now because you won't find what
you're looking for. You'll just have to be patient." He winked playfully, and grabbed my hand, squeezing it.
I intentionally sighed loudly, and he chuckled. Alice interrupted us, practically demanding we be quiet and cooperate. She
was a bossy little thing, quite demanding when she wanted something. I saluted playfully and she smiled. She handed out
presents and I snatched Edwards from her, wanting to give it to him myself. He cocked any eyebrow at me but I waved
him off, telling him it had to wait for last.
The family was ecstatic about the gifts we'd given themespecially Emmett. Everyone else groaned when they saw we
had given Emmett a real working electric guitar, grumbling about never having quiet time again, but I ignored them. The
joy on Emmett's face was contagious. I got a leather bound journal from Alice and Jasper. Rose and Emmett gave me a
ballerina music box that played "Somewhere over the Rainbow". I opened it and hysterically laughed when I saw the
Ballerina had been altered and wore a miniature black and red cloak. Rose shrugged and pointed at Emmett. He smiled
brightly, obviously pleased with himself. "Yeah, my idea, but Rose made it," he said. Carlisle and Esme handed me a long
jewelry box. I opened it and gasped when I saw the silver chain with a pendant of the Cullen family crest. I thanked them all
profusely, deeply touched.
After everything was cleaned up and the family started filtering off to enjoy their newest possessions, I grabbed Edward's
hand and led him to sit down on the couch beside me. He kept glancing at the gift I still clutched, obviously confused.
"I got this for you," I said. He appeared surprised but excitement shined through. I handed it to him and he opened it
carefully, slowly, treating the paper it was covered in as if it were fragile and valuable.
When he got the paper off he opened the small box. His eyebrows shot up in surprise when he spotted what was inside
and he glanced up at me quickly. His eyes were wide, sheer shock on his face.
After a moment of completely stillness, his face scrunched up in confusion. "How did you know?" he asked.
"I saw the copy in your box upstairs."
He closed his eyes, a sense of peace coming over him. He broke out into a huge smile and looked over to me, his eyes
shining brightly with pure bliss. I couldn't help but smile in response, his expression infectious. I breathed a sigh of relief
that it had been a good idea.
Edward reached into the box and pulled out the two tickets. They were for a showing of "The Love of Three Oranges" at
the Lyric Opera of Chicago. It was an opera based on a fairy tale about a cursed prince's quest to find and save the
princess he was destined to love. I had seen a copy of the fairy tale in Edwards box and assumed he must have read it
when he was youngpossibly his mom read it to him. Prokofiev created the opera in 1919 in Chicago, the year after
Edward's family died and he had been changed. If it had meant so much to them that he still kept the fairy tale, I figured if
they had lived they likely would've gone to see it.
"Thank you," he whispered, his voice breaking with emotion. "It was my mothers favorite story, one of my strongest human
memories is of her telling it to me."
Edward leaned over and crushed his lips against mine passionately. His hand went up into my hair to hold my head still as
he devoured my mouth. I moaned into his kiss and he leaned into me, pushing me onto my back and laying on top of me. I
wrapped my legs around his waist and he groaned as his erection grazed my arousal. He was rubbing against me, both
of us moaning at the friction.
"God, I love you so much Bella," he said passionately, pulling his mouth from mine briefly. A throat clearly loudly behind us,
and Edward sat up quickly. I looked up and saw Emmett standing there, grinning.
"Didn't know you had it in you, bro," he said. Edward growled. I sat up quickly, putting my hand on his chest to calm him
and laughed.
"Oh if you only knew," I muttered. I jumped up and grabbed Edward's hand, pulling him towards the stairs. "If you'll excuse
us Emmett, we're going to go finish what you rudely interrupted."
Emmett cocked an eyebrow at us and Edward chuckled, following me up the stairs. We got to the room and I headed
straight for the bed but Edward grabbed my arm. His expression was serious, causing me to stop in my tracks.
"Is something wrong?" I asked, concerned. He shook his head no but his expression didn't lighten. He shut the bedroom
door, locking it. He opened his mouth to speak but all that came out was a nervous chuckle.
"I have something for you, too," he said after a moment. I smiled and nodded, encouraging him to go on. He ran his hand
through his thick hair nervously and started muttering under his breath, pacing the floor.
"Edward, what's" I began, reaching out and grabbing his arm. He smiled but cut me off by placing a finger over my lips.
"Just let me get it all out before you say anything, okay?" He looked serious again as he spoke. I nodded and pretended
to zip my lips playfully. He chuckled and seemed to relax a bit.
"You can't imagine how much these past few months have meant to me, having you back in my life. A big part of me died
the day you died and I never thought I'd ever be happy again. You don't know how many times I considered going to the
Volturi and begging them to destroy me so that I could maybe see you again on the other side, but I never did it because I
didn't want to cause anymore pain to the people I loved. Plus, I couldn't rest not knowing what happened to you. I still
walked the earth, but I knew I'd never really live again. You are my everything Bella, you've brought me back to life. I know
we have eternity ahead of us and there's no reason to rush anything, but I am absolutely certain that I can't survive a single
minute without you in my life and don't want to waste anymore time. It's always been only you and it'll always only be you.
There is no one else for me. I love you Bella, I need you."
Edward paused, running his hand through his hair again. He stared at me-his eyes bore into mine. He looked so young
and vulnerable at the moment, not a day over the age he was frozen at.
He slipped his hand in his pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box. My eyes widened when I realized what it was
and gasped as Edward got down on one knee in front of me.
He opened the box to expose a gorgeous 14K white gold ring, with a pastel colored opal stone and diamonds adorning it.
"Isabella Marie Swan, will you marry me?"
I stared at the ring, in shock. It was absolutely stunning and it was taking a moment to sink in that it was all really
happening, that Edward truly was on one knee in front of me with a ring, asking me to spend all of eternity by his side as
his wife.
I must've sat there staring at it for a while, because Edward started fidgeting nervously. I glanced up at his face and saw
fear flash through his eyes. His expression, which appeared pained as if he were fighting off devastation that threatened
to overtake him, shifted me out of my thoughts and back into the moment.
I smiled brightly, and his expression softened immediately before hope shined through again.
"Yes," I whispered, nodding.
"Yes?" he asked, his voice anxious but encouraged.
"Yes!" I said again, this time louder. I giggled and threw myself forward, knocking him to the ground. He laughed and
wrapped his arms around me tightly.
"I love you," he said tenderly.
"I love you too Edward."
*Chapter 51*: 51: Awkward Last Words
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight Share

I wanna live again

I wanna start everything over again
I wanna get this right
I'll meet you in another life
Over again
"Awkward Last Words" - Armor for Sleep
EPOV
She said yes. As I lay on the ground, arms wrapped around Bella tightly after she pounced on me, that's all I can think
about. She said yes.
I hadn't considered the option that she'd say no because I was confident that we were supposed to be together. It was
fate. I never before believed in any of that, lost all hope in the existence of my soul and of a God up above, until Bella
walked back into my life. She was my destiny. We were meant to be.
So when I found myself down on one knee, holding a ring, and Bella said not a single word but stared at the ring in shock, I
was caught completely off guard. Every doubt and fear I hadn't had before sudden came flying at me. I knew my face had
to be showing every single negative thought and feeling but it couldn't be helped. I was freaking out, afraid of losing the
only thing that truly mattered to me.
But then she said yes. She smiled, and said yes, and threw me to the ground in joy.
"Bella," I said after a moment, her name coming out in the midst of happy laughter.
"Yeah?" she asked.
"I don't know where the ring went, you knocked it out of my hand when you jumped me."
She gasped and jumped up. I got up and scanned the area quickly, locating it across the room. I took it out of the box and
got back down on one knee in front of Bella, slipping it on her finger. I got back up and smiled, leaning in to kiss her.
Bella was gazing at the ring on her finger, smiling.
"I have a more traditional ring if you don't like that one I have my mother's wedding ring. But I figured this one suited you
better."
Bella leaned in and kissed me quickly. "It's beautiful Edward," she said. "I'm sure your mothers is also and wow, I'd be
honored to wear Elizabeth's ring, but this one is perfect."
"You can have both," I said. I kissed her nose before wrapping my arms around her, hugging her tightly and rocking us
back and forth. "You know, there's nothing I'd rather do right now than to make passionate love to you, but in about 20
seconds Alice is going to come flying into the room. Jasper's held her off as long as he could."
Bella pulled away from my embrace, kissing me quickly once before heading towards the door. As predicted, the door
swung open, barely missing hitting Bella, and Alice stood there. She was beaming with joy, bouncing in anticipation.
"Does this mean I get a wedding to plan?" she asked. I deferred the question to Bella and she laughed.
"I guess it does, Alice," Bella said. Alice squealed but Bella stopped her. "My wishes will be considered and I get veto
power."
Alice nodded in understanding. "Of course, it's your day!"
Alice pulled Bella into a hug, squeezing her tightly. Jasper appeared in the doorway and smiled at me, his thoughts
congratulating me, before he grabbed Alice and pulled her from the room. He tried to shut the door on their way out but it
had been locked when Alice forced it open, so it wouldn't latch. She muttered an apology but we all just laughed.
"Come on, let's go hang out with the family," Bella said. I groaned, really wanting alone time with my new fiance. Bella
rolled her eyes at my whininess and pulled me along behind her.
We acted completely clich all day and night long, watching Christmas shows and listening to Christmas music. We'd all
seen them countless times, but it felt so different this time around. Everything about the day was so new. Bella's playful
voice sang "Rudolph" along with Emmett. Bella and Carlisle recited lines from "A Christmas Story" together.
Bella and Alice even found a bag of microwave popcorn in the back of the cabinet that one of us absent-mindedly
grabbed during one of the grocery trips we took for show. The smell was appalling but it was humorous watching a couple
vampires standing around attempting to operate a microwave for the first time. Bella of course knew how to work one
from her human years and I'd learned how to back in the day with her, but the rest were baffled. They finally got it working
after a moment and were quite pleased with themselves. After the popcorn was popped, Alice and Bella strung it onto
thread and put popcorn garland around the tree. On a dare Emmett even ate a piece, but it got caught in his throat and he
had to choke it back up immediately. That wasn't pretty.
When a new day dawned, we all started filtering off in our own directions. Alice wanted to hit After-Christmas sales and
Jasper begrudgingly agreed to tag along. Rose and Emmett decided to go for a drive and told us they may not be back
for a day or two. Carlisle had off of work and whisked Esme away for the day, leaving Bella and I with the house alone.
"So, what do you want to do?" I asked when everyone was gone.
"Play my lullaby for me?" she asked, motioning towards the piano. I smiled and nodded, pulling her over onto the bench
with me. I started playing it, barely even having to glance at the keys as I had it memorized so well. Bella's face lit up, her
eyes sparkling with love. As soon as the song ended I started it right back up, not wanting that look on her face to leave.
About halfway through Bella reached out and stopped my hands on the keys. She pulled them away and climbed over
onto my lap, straddling me. I looked up into her face, startled by her expression. Her eyes were blackened with hunger,
lust radiating from her. She leaned down and kissed me passionately, her tongue darting out to mingle with mine. I
groaned at the sensation and Bella wiggled in my lap, grazing against my erection. I stood up, her legs wrapped around
my waist, and propped her up on the piano.
Bella pulled my shirt up over my head and I worked to pull her clothes off. It only took a moment before both of us were
completely naked. Bella laid sprawled out across the top of my piano, her nude body sparkling in the sunlight coming
through the window.
I leaned over her and kissed her passionately, my hands roaming her body. She was moaning with desperation, her
hands raking down my back. I could smell her arousal and feel the wetness seeping out of her.
I lined myself up at her entrance and entered slowly. Bella threw her head back and moaned and I gently bit at her neck.
The feeling of her tightness around me was amazing and I had a hard time containing myself. I desperately wanted to
thrust into her hard, pound her viciously, but knew it wasn't the time for animalistic sex. She had just agreed to be my wife
I needed to cherish her, show her I appreciated her body. Plus, I didn't want to damage the piano.
We made love that way for hours, occasionally hitting keys and melodies would ring out, mingling with our groaning and
moaning and skin slapping. There was no doubt about it-we made beautiful music together.
Bella and I finally came to rest, our movement coming to a halt, in the mid-afternoon. I stepped back and admired herher
naked body, shining with our juices and still glittering in the faint sunlight peeking in. Before Bella, music was all I had, the
piano being the only sense of peace I'd find. Now, seeing her sprawled out on top of it, her face serene and love shining in
her eyes, I finally found true tranquility.
I helped her up and we went upstairs to wash up quickly. We dressed, Bella throwing on one of my old concert shirts and a
pair of my flannel sleep pants. They were baggy and swallowed her small frame, but she looked comfortable and content
so I didn't question it. She looked amazing in anything she wore.
She sat down on the couch in our room, picking up the journal Alice had bought her and grabbing a pen. She started
writing, chewing on her bottom lip in concentration. I stood back and watcher her for a while, still just as fascinated by her
as ever. After a few minutes I walked over to the desk in the corner, sitting down and turning on the laptop sitting there. I
mindlessly started playing solitaire, easily beating game after game quickly. I heard a chime behind me and glanced
around to see Bella holding her phone, reading the screen. She still had the journal on her lap and was still chewing her
bottom lip, tapping her chin with the pen. I had to smile; she looked so human at the moment. She dropped the pen after a
moment and started typing on her phone, sending someone a text.
I was curious, but I trusted her. I turned back to the computer and started up another game. Bella's phone chimed again
behind me.
"Edward?" she said after a moment.
"Yes love?" I asked, turning back to her. She looked nervous.
"I, uh, was just talking to Demetri," she started. She sounded worried, her words hesitant. Panic flashed through me and I
instantly feared the worst. Was he asking her to come back?
"Yes?" I said, my voice barely composed, urging her to continue.
"Look I know this might sound stupid but I want to do something and I wanted to ask Demetri about it first. I didn't want to
act out of line or whatever, didn't want to disrespect his leadership."
I furrowed my brow in confusion, unsure of where she was going with this. "What do you want to do Bella?"
"I want Angela Webber to marry us."
I stared at her in shock, unsure if I heard her right. "You what?" I asked.
"I want Angela to marry us. You know she followed in her dad's footsteps, took over his church when he died. I know it's
completely ridiculous but she knew us from the very beginning and was my one truly supportive friend through the entire
thing. I've never met another person as genuine as her. And believe me, I know it's a crazy thought and would involve
disclosing a lot to her that normally would be completely unacceptable, but I trust her. I mean, I ran it by Demetri first
because it breaks all kinda Volturi rules but he simply said he trusted my discretion. If you don't feel okay with it I
understand but it just feels right to me."
I still stared at her in shock, trying to absorb what she was saying. "What you're saying is you want us to go to Forks and
inform a 50-something year old Angela Webber that nothing in the world is as it appears, that her best friend from high
school never died, that she and her high school boyfriend are immortal vampires frozen in the form of teenagers and finally
reunited and getting married, and that we want her to marry us? Is that correct?" I asked incredulously.
Bella nodded. "Yes."
"And you are aware that as a very religious woman, there's a chance that she's going to believe we're demons sent from
Hell, right? I mean, everything she believes defies what we're going to tell her."
She nodded again.
"And you still want to do it?"
Bella nodded once more. "Yes."
I turned back to the laptop, still in shock. I shut it down quickly and stood up, reaching my hand out to her. Bella took my
hand, getting up. She looked at me questioningly and I shrugged.
"No time like the present," I said. Bella laughed, her face lighting up.
"Really?" I nodded. Bella let out an Alice-like squeal. "We should get dressed first," she said, giving me the once-over with
a laugh.
I looked down, realizing I was wearing nothing but a T-Shirt and boxers. I smiled and chuckled, pulling out a pair of jeans
and slipping them on. Bella stripped quickly, going into the closet and grabbing a pair of tight dark blue skinny jeans. She
threw on a tan sweater and pulled on a pair of tan fur trimmed boots. I grabbed the jewelry box off the desk, pulling out the
Cullen necklace Carlisle and Esme had given her, and slipped it around her neck. She fingered the pendant, smiling
brightly.
"Ready now?" I asked. She smiled excitedly and nodded. She followed me down the stairs and out into the garage. We
slipped into the Volvo quickly and I was out onto the main road heading towards Washington in no time.
The drive was fairly short. Bella spent the entire drive texting someone excitement still registering on her face.
I was nervous; there was no doubt about it. I also trusted Angela but what we were about do to was huge. I wasn't sure if
the magnitude of the situation was dawning on Bella, but we were about to voluntarily reveal our true nature to someone
from our past. That was big.
As we neared the Forks city limits, I turned to Bella. "I just realized I have no idea where Angela lives."
Bella held up her phone. "I just got the address. It's near my old house."
I looked at her, surprised. "Google?" I asked.
She laughed. "No, she's unlisted anywhere. I had to text my information guy to dig it up quickly. I owe him a fortune for
that."
We drove into the city limits and I headed in the direction of Bella's old house. "Your information guy, eh? Does he have a
name?"
Bella smiled. I drove onto her old street and she pointed to a house a few down from where she had lived. I pulled up in
front of it, parking along the street.
"Yeah, his name is Jenks." My head snapped in her direction, shock overcoming me.
"Jenks?" She nodded. "Michael Jenks?" She nodded again, appearing surprised. "Is Jenks the person who you get all
your information from?"
"Yes. You know Jenks?"
"Yes," I said quickly. "So is Jenks the person you had dig up our address in Canada those years ago?"
Bella nodded hesitantly. I laughed, shaking my head. "What's so funny?" she asked.
"Bella, we've been using the Jenks family for decades-since before you were even conceived." I shook my head. "It's kind
of messed up that he'd give our address out, we pay him good money for his secrecy."
"I must've paid more," Bella said playfully with a small laugh. I rolled my eyes. "Seriously, though, he was pretty hesitant to
give me anything on you all. I asked him to find Carlisle Cullen for me and it took him days before he even responded. He
even had the nerve to ask me why I wanted it, not giving me anything until I assured him I meant no harm to the Cullen's.
Hell, even then he'd only tell me the name of the hospital Carlisle worked at, I had to track you down myself."
I smiled. "Good."
Bella reached over and punched me playfully. I grabbed her hand as it connected with my arm and pulled it up to my lips,
placing a kiss on the back of it. She smiled.
"Come on love, let's go get us a preacher."
Bella nodded and opened her door, getting out. I got out and followed her up the driveway, to the front door. I asked her
again briefly if she was sure about this and she assured me it was what she wanted, so after taking a deep breath to calm
my nerves I reached up and knocked on the door.
After a moment it swung open and a little girl stood in front of us. She appeared to be around six years old, long brown
hair in piggytails secured with pink ribbon. Her brown eyes went wide at the sight of us and she smiled. She was missing
a front tooth.
Bella seemed awestruck, staring at the little girl. She looked like a miniature Angela Webber.
The little girl cleared her throat after a moment of neither of us speaking and I laughed. "Hello," I said, using my most
gentle voice. "Is Angela Webber home?"
The little girl narrowed her eyes and I laughed again at her thoughts. It hadn't even struck me that she'd be married and
have a different name.
"Cheney," Bella said, finally joining the conversation. "Angela Cheney. Is she home?"
The little girl smiled and nodded. She turned from the door and bellowed out 'grandma!'
Bella turned to me and smiled. I grabbed her hand, intertwining our fingers and gave her my best grin. I was undoubtedly
nervous but trying not to show it. After a moment I heard footsteps approach the door.
"How can I help you?" a females voice said. Bella and I looked at the woman standing in front of us. Her hair was still
brown but streaked with gray. It was up in a bun and she had a pair of glasses on top of her head. She was dressed
casually, jeans and a shirt. Her face was tanned and lined with wrinkles. She looked every minute of her age, but behind it
all it was still evident that it was the same girl from high school.
Her eyes widened as she took our appearance in. She narrowed her eyes briefly, trying to focus on details of us, before
her eyes widened again in shock. She quickly pulled her glasses from the top of her head and put them on, looking us
over closely once more. She froze momentarily in shock, before her eyes rolled into the back of hear head and her body
went limp.
*Chapter 52*: 52: Poprocks & Coke
A/N: The nominations for the Indie Twific Awards open tomorrow, go show me some love ;) Voting is in Share
July
theindietwificawards (dot) com
This chapter's really short, I know. Don't kill me, I promise there's more to come soon.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

If you should fall

You know I'll be there
To catch the call
You I'll be there
I'll go anywhere
So I'll see you there
I don't care if you don't mind
I'll be there not far behind
"Poprocks & Coke" Green Day
BPOV:
Edward leapt to action quickly, grabbing a hold of Angela before she hit the ground. I just watched in shock as he pulled
her up and carried her into the house, laying her down on the couch. I looked around the house quickly, noting that we
were alone with the exception of the granddaughter that had answered the door. She was in the backyard, swinging on a
tire swing.
I joined Edward in the living room. He was running his hands through his hair, looking down at Angela's limp form. "You still
want to do this?" he asked, his voice somewhere between disbelief and amusement. I hesitantly nodded.
"Should we maybe call a doctor or something? I mean, is she okay?" I asked, unsure. She was obviously still breathing
and I could hear her heart still beating strong, but she was out cold.
He shook his head. "She'll be fine."
"Are you sure?" I asked, picking her arm up and letting go of it. It fell limply at her side.
"Yes, I'm positive. I have two medical degrees, remember?"
I rolled my eyes and pushed him playfully. He smirked. We stood there for a moment gazing at Angela. I was watching her
with concern, whereas Edward was holding back laughter.
"What's so funny?" I whispered.
"She's coming to, her thoughts are lucid again. She believes she must either be dreaming or she's suddenly gotten
dementia."
Edward and I both froze as Angela started stirring. She opened her eyes and sat up, blinking rapidly and shaking her
head to clear her mind. She glanced up and spotted us standing there, and rubbed her eyes frantically.
"Wha" she started, shaking her head again.
"No, you haven't gone crazy. And don't freak out, we'll explain," Edward said.
Angela's eyes shifted from Edward to me. "Bella? It can't be!" she said. She rubbed her face with her hands, obviously
deep in thought trying to come up with a plausible explanation.
"How" she started, furrowing her brow. The back door of the house swung open and the little girl bounded into the room.
"Everything okay grandma?" she said, glancing around at all of us. She obviously noticed Angela's frazzled appearance.
"Yeah sweetheart why don't you go back out and play and let the grownups talk," she said, keeping her voice composed.
The little girl looked at Edward and I and huffed while narrowing her eyes, before turning back and running out. Edward
chuckled and I cocked an eyebrow at him.
"She thinks we're not grown-up's," he said. I giggled.
"Okay this is just crazy," Angela interjected with, gaining our attention again. She was sitting up straight and appeared to
be completely coherent now. "First of all, how in the name of all things holy is Bella Swan standing in front of me? You
died!" She pointed her finger at me, her face serious.
She turned back to Edward and narrowed her eyes. "And you were at her funeral! Did you know she wasn't dead?"
She seemed madvery mad. Edward's eyes widened at the obvious fury in her voice. "No I swear I didn't know, I only just
found out."
Angela nodded and got quiet. None of us said anything for a moment. I was completely baffled that she hadn't mentioned
the fact that we still appeared to be teenagers.
"You're going to have to tell me this story because I'm not coming up with anything that explains it," she said after a
moment.
Edward ran his hand through his hair and sat down in a chair across from Angela. He looked up at me, cocking an
eyebrow.
"Okay," I said, turning to face Angela. "Obviously I didn't die. Well I mean, I guess I did in the technical sense."
Angela looked confused and shocked, like she was about to pass out again. Edward groaned.
"Let me see if I can explain this without freaking you out Angela. First of all, you're correct with your thought that neither
Bella nor I have aged a day since the last time you saw us. You are also correct that there's something not normal about
us. We are, in fact, different."
Angela nodded. I was suddenly very grateful for Edward, as I knew any explanation I pulled out wouldn't have been as
rational.
"My family, as you remember, has always been different. We always stuck out and we isolated ourselves. Well, we did
until I fell for Bella anyway. But the fact is, we aren't like you."
"What are you?" Angela asked.
I opened my mouth to say 'vampires' and Edward chimed in quickly before I could. "Immortal," he said simply.
"So you don't age and you don't die?" she asked. Edward nodded.
"Correct. What you see is what you get."
She was silent for a moment. "What about Bella?"
"I wasn't always immortal. There was an, uh, incident. When I disappeared and everyone thought I died, I was actually
rescued. But in the midst of it all I, uh changed."
"How? Is it like a fountain of youth or something?" she asked seriously.
"Not quite," Edward said with a chuckle. "Only an immortal can turn someone into one of us."
"How?" she asked. Edward and I looked at each other, obviously wondering how much to tell her. She saw our exchange
and sighed. "Maybe I don't want to know."
I laughed. "You're probably right. That's not a pretty story and really irrelevant so I'd rather spare you those details."
"So you're immortal, alive but not really alive." We nodded. "Why the secrecy? I mean your dad was a doctor Edward, if he
had the secret to immortality wouldn't that be some big major medical discovery?"
Edward sighed. "Our kind shouldn't exist. As a religious woman, you know that. The thought crosses your mind as you sit
here and look at us. There shouldn't be such a thing as immortal beings. Not only that, but there are consequences to it
it's just as much a curse as it is a blessing. The majority of our kind aren't civilized, they're savages. If our existence were
to be exposed, it would not only cause mass hysteria and panic, but we'd be hunted down."
Angela and Edward were both quiet for a moment before Edward smiled. "Yeah, you're right. Kind of like the Salem Witch
Trials."
Angela's eyes widened in shock and a moment later it dawn on Edward that he'd answered her thoughts. He sighed.
"Yes, I can. No, Bella can't. Well I guess she can actually. It's complicated."
I looked at him confused. "She wanted to know if I read her mind and if you can also." I nodded, smiling.
"I can if I choose to. Edward doesn't have the choice though, he hears it involuntarily."
She nodded. She asked a few more questions and Edward and I answered them to the best of our ability, skirting around
the word 'vampire'. We tried to stress to her that we could be dangerous if we lost control, which is why the Cullen's always
kept their distance, and she seemed to understand somewhat. She took it better than I expected, absorbing what we told
her. She seemed to believe us, obviously as the proof was right in front of her.
We spoke for a little while longer, touching upon lighter topics. The little girl came back in the house sometime later and
Angela got up to make dinner. She invited us to stay but we declined.
"We should be going but there is something else we wanted to discuss with you," Edward said. Realization struck me that
we had come here to ask her to marry us, and in the midst of our reunion I'd gotten so caught up and forgotten all about it.
"We were hoping you'd consider marrying us. We wouldn't have disturbed your life, and I know it must be a lot to deal with,
everything we just told you. It was probably wrong of me to want to tell you, you don't deserve the burden of having to carry
the knowledge of our existence, but I wanted someone to marry us that knew us back then."
She nodded. "Don't be ridiculous, I'm glad you've told me. And I'd be honored to marry you, just let me know when and
where and I'll be there."
We thanked her and headed for the door, telling her we'd be in touch. Angela grabbed my arm and pulled me into a hug
as I headed out, catching me off guard. I held my breath and waited for her to flinch away out of instinct or because of my
coldness, but she didn't. She finally let go and smiled.
Edward and I were halfway to the car when Edward stopped short and turned around.
"Angela?" he called. She looked at him. "You can tell Ben, it's okay." She smiled and thanked him. We got into the car
and I looked at him questioningly.
"She was worried about keeping things from her husband. They shouldn't have secrets secret's only hurt relationships."
I smiled. "Thank you Edward. For doing this." He nodded, taking my hand and squeezing it.
"Of course, anything you want love. All you ever have to do is ask."
We drove in comfortable silence back home, soft classical music playing on the car stereo. I'd never felt more content.
*Chapter 53*: 53: She Will Be Loved
A/N: SO sorry it took me so long to get this out to you. I've got another chapter out being beta'd right Share
now so you won't have to wait very long for the next one, promise :P. Updates will come fairly regularly again,
I got so wrapped up in finishing my other story that this one got put aside for a bit.
Disclaimer: I don't own twilight

Tap on my window knock on my door

I want to make you feel beautiful
I know I tend to get so insecure
It doesn't matter anymore
It's not always rainbows and butterflies
It's compromise that moves us along
My heart is full and my door's always open
You can come anytime you want
"She Will Be Loved" Maroon 5
EPOV
We fell into a comfortable routine. After the holidays passed and a new year dawned, life went back to normal. Carlisle
had smoothed things out with the school somehow, explaining away our fairly long absence so we were still on track.
We'd go to school, Carlisle would go to work and Esme took art classes and did some interior design work. We'd spend
a few hours all together every evening, doing things as a family. It was amazing, the changes that occurred within our
family dynamic because of Bella's return to our life. There was no more isolation, no more constantly walking on eggshells.
Before we'd avoid each other often, now we couldn't seem to get enough of time together.
We'd even do completely ridiculous things, like family game nights. We'd never been able to do it before, but with Bella's
ability to block Alice's visions and keep me out of everyone's mind the playing field was finally level. We'd play monopoly
but Emmett was forbidden to be banker because he cheated. We'd play clue, scrabble, boggle, scattegories, and
charades. Bella even convinced us to play ridiculously childish games, like Memory and Candy Land. We'd occasionally
playfully roll our eyes at her choices, but the truth of the matter was every single one of us enjoyed it. She brought our
humanity back ten-fold.
Alice especially loved it. Alice was up for anything. I have no idea how Bella managed it, but she got her hands on some of
the absurd girly games from the 1980's with all the pieces still together and everything still in working order. Bella and
Alice would play Girl Talk and Dream Phone and Mall Madness. It was highly comical to watch but I adamantly refused to
participate.
Late night was reserved for alone time when we'd sneak off as couples. Bella and I made love nearly every night, not able
to keep our hands off of each other.
Bella and I even dated. It may have been crazy, considering she was my fiance and destined to be my mate for all of
eternity, but she brought out the teenager in me. I'd plan stuff and nervously ask her to do mundane human things with me,
often dragging someone along with us to double date. I took her to movies and amusement parks and museums and
concerts.
Bella spent a good bit of time with humans, also. The women would spend hours with Melissa, gossiping and doing
whatever it is teenage girls did. Melissa's boyfriend Jonathan would come around occasionally, but Emmett intimidated
him so it didn't happen too often.
It was all truly amazing. The wedding plans were coming along nicely. I wanted to get married as soon as possible, but
Bella was worried about keeping up pretenses. As far as anyone knew, Bella and I were both only seventeen. Our
documents were forged with our human birthdays, so I wouldn't be eighteen until June and Bella wouldn't be eighteen until
September. I told her no one in town would ever know, that we could get married quietly, but she refused. Bella didn't want
our wedding to be a huge spectacle but at the same time she didn't want to hide it. She insisted we wait until we were
considered adults in the eyes of the law as much as I didn't want to wait, I was more than willing to. I'd do anything Bella
asked me.
So the wedding was set for September 20th, a week after Bella's eighteenth birthday.
It was Friday, the first of March, and Bella and I were about to leave for our trip to Chicago. The opera Bella got me tickets
to for Christmas was tomorrow night.
I glanced at my watch and sighed exaggeratedly. If she didn't hurry up, we were going to be late. I was already going to
have to speed like crazy to make it to the airport in Seattle in time for our flight.
"Impatient much?" Emmett asked, practically throwing himself down on the couch beside me. I glared at him as the couch
shifted backward, scraping along the floor. Esme yelled at Emmett from the kitchen, having heard it scratch the wood, and
I smirked. I opened my mouth to goad him when Bella's appearance stopped me.
"Impatient is Edwards middle name," she said. I glanced at her and smiled lightly. She looked frustrated, slightly annoyed
but entirely too cute.
"If impatient is my middle name, procrastination is yours. Why'd you wait so long to pack? We're going to be late," I said.
Bella narrowed her eyes at me.
"If I recall correctly, I tried to pack last night but someone couldn't keep their hormones under control," she said pointedly. I
chuckled, shrugging.
"You didn't complain about it last night," I said playfully. Bella groaned, grabbing her bag and heading out the door without
another word. I stood up and grabbed my bag while Emmett laughed.
"Can you ever stay out of trouble?" he asked. I shrugged. The fact that our relationship was slightly more like Emmett and
Rose's than I'd ever imagined it would be didn't escape my notice. Bella and I bickered a lot, annoying each other but in a
playful manner. We didn't really get into any big fights, didn't have any major problems, but we did manage to get under
each others skin.
I finally understood the concept of make-up sex and very much appreciated it.
I walked out to the Volvo and threw my bag in the trunk beside Bella's. She was already in the passenger seat of the car,
so I hopped in the driver's side quickly. She looked over at me, cocking an eyebrow and tapping her finger lightly against
the face of her watch.
"You better hurry up or we're going to be late," she said, smirking. I laughed and started the car up, throwing it in gear and
flying out of the driveway quickly.
I drove as fast as I could get away with to the airport. Bella kicked back and played with her cell phone the entire drive. I
had no idea what she was doing, texting or playing a game, but it had her undivided attention.
We arrived at the airport, checking in and going through security as quickly as possible. We barely made the flight,
running to catch it as they closed up the gate from boarding. We had first class seats, thankfully pretty isolated from other
passengers.
It was a 4 hour flight and we spent most of it chatting mindlessly. When we landed in Chicago, I rented a car and we set
off through the city, toward our hotel. It was evening, around 8 pm.
"I meant to ask, have you ever been to Chicago?" I asked after a few minutes. Chicago was, of course, my hometown. I
don't visit often, maybe once every few years and only then to check on my real estate. I didn't recall much of it from my
human life and it was significantly different now, but it was still a beautiful city.
"Nope, never had the chance," she said, smiling. "I'm excited though, knowing I'm visiting where you grew up, even if it is
nothing like it was in the early 1900's."
I smiled, the idea that she was happy to be in my hometown warming my heart. "Yeah it's sure changed. Some of the
historical places still stand, as does my parents estate."
"Will you show it to me?" she asked softly after a moment. I turned my head to glance at her, smiling.
"Sure," I said with a shrug. I drove to the Four Seasons Ritz-Carlton on the north side and checked us in. It was quite
upscale and Bella wasn't too happy about the fact that I'd chosen here to stay. She didn't quite understand the point in
renting a hotel room, considering we didn't sleep. She thought it was a waste of money but I insisted anyway.
Bella and I went up to the room to drop off our bags. She walked around, checking out the room and grumbling under her
breath about how ostentatious it was. I didn't miss the slight gasp that came from her when she walked into the bathroom
and spotted the giant garden tub. Bella was fond of bathtubs and ours at the house in Astoria was decent sized, but it had
nothing on the one here. You could probably fit half a dozen people in this bathtub.
I grabbed some clothes out of my bag to change. It was unnecessary but at some point during the flight I'd managed to get
something black on my white shirt and it was annoying me. Bella walked out of the bathroom and smiled lightly, cocking
an eyebrow at me when she saw what I was doing. I shrugged, not bothering to answer her unspoken question. She knew
me well enough by now to understand I could be a bit finicky.
She walked over to the window and pulled the curtain back. We were in a lakeside suite on the 22nd floor and had a
panoramic view of both the city skyline and the navy pier on Lake Michigan. The water was nearly sparking from the lights
coming from the city. I changed my shirt quickly and stood back, watching Bella. She had a look of amazement on her
face, her eyes sparkling and a small smile playing on her lips. It was a clear night and her skin was glowing in the
moonlight coming in. She looked utterly beautiful, mesmerizing. I knew it was worth it to rent a room here.
I walked forward and wrapped my arms around Bella, pulling her back to me. She laid her head back against my chest,
her eyes still focused out the window.
"It's too sunny to live here, isn't it?" she asked after a moment. Her voice sounded wistful, longing. I was a bit taken back
by it, slightly surprised Bella would want to live in a large city like Chicago.
"It's not too sunny to live anywhere, Bella. Our lifestyle would have to alter a bit and we'd be forced inside during the day
more often than we're used to, but we could manage. I mean, the family hasn't always lived in such dreary places as Forks
or Astoria. We've lived in our fare share of sunny places also."
She nodded lightly but otherwise didn't say a word. We stood there for a while, both gazing out in silence. I wasn't sure
how to gauge Bella's mood, she didn't appear to be upset or anything but she almost seemed a bit sad.
"Can we go see your parent's house now?" she asked after awhile, turning slightly and glancing up at me. I gave her a
smile and nodded.
"Anything you want," I said. I grabbed her hand and we headed for the door. She paused abruptly halfway out, reaching
into my bag and pulling out my coat.
"It's like 20 degrees out Edward, you can't go out in just a T-Shirt," she said when I looked at her questioningly. I rolled my
eyes playfully but took the coat, slipping it on.
We headed down and I led her out to our rental car. I started the car up and started out into the city while Bella played
around with the stereo. She put some local radio station on and some horrific rap song came blaring out of the speakers,
the bass so loud it rattled the windows. I waited for her to change it quickly but she didn'tshe paused with her hand on
the radio, her brow furrowed as if she were confused about something. I looked over at her with confusion.
"Bella, you okay?" I asked. The sound of my voice seemed to bring her out of her daze. She blinked rapidly and glanced
over to me, smiling lightly. She turned the radio station quickly, turning on some classical music.
"I'm great," she said.
"You sure? You kind of dazed for a moment there."
She nodded. "Yeah, I just remembered something, that's all."
I waited for her to elaborate but she didn't. She was looking out of the window, chewing on her bottom lip as she did when
she was nervous about something.
"What did you remember?" I asked after a moment, unable to bear not knowing what she was thinking.
She shrugged. "I just recalled what it was I planned as a Christmas present for you all those years ago."
"Really?" I asked, slightly surprised. Bella had an immaculate memory. Most of our kind barely remembered their families
from their human lives, much less something as insignificant as a Christmas present that never happened.
"Yeah, it was really kind of stupid now that I think about it. It would've been a complete failure," she said with a shrug. She
was frowning, her expression sad.
"I'm sure that's not true, I would've loved anything from you. What was it?" I asked, extremely curious as to what Bella
would've planned for me for Christmas that had her so excited as a human.
"Dancing," she said simply, shrugging. I looked at her with confusion, not understanding. She noticed my expression and
sighed. "Dance classes, Edward. It was evident you were an amazing dancer and I was far from it. I saw how much you
enjoyed dancing with me at prom even though I cheated by standing on your feet and thought if I bought dance classes for
us to go to you'd like it. But like I said, it would've been a disaster and was a terrible idea."
My eyes widened in surprise, slightly shocked that she had been planning on that. I knew how much Bella had despised
the idea of dancing, how out of place she felt on the dance floor. The fact that she'd go to classes and try to learn while
doing something with me she knew I enjoyed was heartwarming. Bella truly was selfless, and the fact that she was sitting
there shrugging it off like it was nothing was ridiculous. She didn't give herself enough credit.
I reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. She glanced at me, still chewing her bottom lip nervously.
"I would've loved that Bella, truly. In fact, I'd still love that. We should do it," I said.
She smiled lightly. "I'm perfectly capable of dancing now, Edward. I can hold my own on the dance floor," she said
playfully. I chuckled.
"Of course, but it would still be fun."
She shrugged lightly. "Okay, if you want," she said nonchalantly, but I could see the excitement in her eyes at the fact that I
liked her idea so much.
We finished the drive in silence. I pulled up in front of my parents estate and Bella glanced around. Her eyes widened as
her gaze fell upon the house. It was Queen-Anne style Victorian architecture, white with a tiled roof, towers, turrets, a
widows peek and bay windows "Wow, it's beautiful," she said softly.
I shrugged. "Yeah, it's nice." We got out of the car and I walked around to her side. I leaned against the side of the car and
pulled her back to me, wrapping my arms around her. I laid my chin on her shoulder, tilting my head over to place a light
kiss on Bella's neck.
"Do you remember living here?" she asked after a moment.
"Somewhat," I said. "I remember a bit about my parents and being here with them, but I only actually know the house itself
because I've been inside of it a handful of times over the past century."
"Is the inside as beautiful as the outside?"
I smiled. "Of course. I've made sure it's stayed in flawless condition. It has about a dozen rooms in total."
"Can I see?" she asked, her voice hopeful. I pulled back slightly and looked at her. She was smiling excitedly. I sighed.
"I have tenants, Bella. People live here. I can't exactly just got barging in, it's the middle of the night."
Bella's smile fell and she narrowed her eyes slightly, her face a mask of concentration. It was the look she got when she
was utilizing her powers.
"They're not even home Edward," she said pointedly after a moment. "Not only could I hear no heartbeats, but there aren't
any thoughts at all coming from the place and I know for a fact you can hear when people are dreaming."
"I know they aren't home but it's still rude. It's wrong to just walk in, their stuff is inside. It's an invasion of privacy."
She laughed. "The mind reader is concerned with invading peoples privacy. That's kinda funny."
I couldn't help but chuckle. Bella started biting on her bottom lip again and I was a bit nervous, wondering what she was
thinking. She finally huffed and pushed away from me, walking toward the house. My brow furrowed in confusion and I
started after her.
"Where are you going?" I asked as she pushed open the black cast iron gate and stepped into the front yard.
"You can stay out here if you want but I'm going inside," she said. She headed straight for the front door and I groaned.
"Bella you can't just break down the door. I'll have to pay to have it fixed you know. And who knows when they'll be back,
they might end up robbed if you leave them with a damaged unlocked front door."
She turned her head to glance at me and rolled her eyes. She reached into her hair and pulled out a bobby pin, causing
part of her hair to fall down from the updo it had been in. I watched with disbelief as she bent it slightly and slipped it in the
lock, wiggling it around. She turned the knob and pushed lightly and the front door opened smoothly.
Bella glanced behind her at me and smirked. "Ye have little faith," she muttered.
She turned and disappeared into the house, leaving me standing there slightly stunned. I guess I could add breaking and
entering to the list of Bella's escapades.
*Chapter 54*: 54: It's Not Just Me
A/N: I must warn you of the Lemony Goodness in this chapter, as there is some :P Share
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

Tell me that you live for love

That forever is never enough
That you've waited all your life to see
That you want so badly to believe
Tell me that it's not just me
"It's Not Just Me" Rascal Flatts
BPOV:
I don't exactly know what's gotten into me. I was standing in the bedroom back in Astoria, packing my bag for our trip to
Chicago, when a strange feeling overcame me. It was pretty powerful and I had a hard time shaking it. It's hard to pinpoint
exactly what the feeling was, nostalgia and maybe a dash of dj vu mixed with desire. What it was I was longing for I
wasn't entirely sure. The life we could never have? The humanity we both lost long ago? The days of yesterday? It wasn't
entirely a new feeling though; it's one that was boiling under the surface for a long time.
Things were going so great between Edward and I that the shift in my disposition startled me. I tried to push it aside
though, because we had plans for the weekend and I didn't need anything interfering. I spent the drive to the airport
mindlessly playing Tetris on my phone, my thoughts elsewhere. Edward had sufficiently distracted me on the plane and I
nearly forgot the ridiculous feelings I was having, but it all came crashing back to me as I stood in front of the window at the
hotel, overlooking Chicago.
I felt robbed. It felt like we'd had something important stolen from us. I never really regretted my transformation, in fact I had
been eager to forfeit my humanity all those years ago. But as I stood there, all I could think about was the things we'd lost
out on.
I'd only ever known Edward in this form, as he'd been changed well before my time. I never gave much thought to what his
life had been like growing up in Chicago before the Influenza struck. Did he ever long to go back, to relive those days?
Did he ever feel robbed? I knew he didn't retain much of his memory from that time, did he wish he could? I knew now that
Rosalie had, and that's why she had always resented me so much. I was so willing to throw away the one thing she
desired most.
I knew it was fruitless to brood over it all, considering those days were long gone and it was impossible to turn back time.
But still, I couldn't help but wonder and imagine how different things could've been for the both of us.
Edward drove us to his parents' estate and I was completely awestruck at the beauty of it. I wasn't sure what I imagined it
to be like, but the house before us was spectacular. It was exciting, standing in front of the house Edward had grown up in.
It was like I was getting to experience a part of his life I'd missed out on, getting a glimpse into a piece of Edwards soul I
hadn't been able to see before. He looked at me as if I were insane when I asked to see the inside, acted as if the house
was nothing more than some concrete and wood and metal. He didn't seem to understand that it was much more to me
than that, that the structure in front of me was much more than just a piece of real estate.
I walked toward the front door quickly and Edward seemed to panic slightly, spatting off something about me causing
damage he'd have to pay for. I rolled my eyes-he was underestimating me.
I pulled the pin out of my hair and slipped it in the lock, wiggling it around and turning the knob as I gently pushed on the
door. It shifted and the lock released, the door opening smoothly. It was ridiculous how easy it was.
I stepped inside quickly, glancing around for a security system. They weren't usually a problem either, another trick
Demetri taught me in Volterra. I can't count the number of times we'd snuck into buildings in the city on Volturi orders and
had to disengage alarms. I furrowed my brow slightly surprised to not see one. I thought for sure Edward would've had one
installed in his property.
"I can't believe we're breaking in," Edward muttered as he stepped inside the house, closing the door gently behind him.
I couldn't help but laugh. "So says the guy who snuck into the police chiefs house more times than I can count." I turned and
cocked an eyebrow. He smiled sheepishly and shrugged.
I started walking through the downstairs, looking it over. It was modernized a bit, mostly due to the possessions belonging
to the family who rented it, but you could still tell it was nearly a century and a half old by the antiqued fireplaces and the
original woodworking. It truly was spacious and open but homely at the same time.
I headed for the stairs and started up them slowly, running my hand along the smooth wooden banister. Edward followed
behind me quietly, not commenting. I glanced back at him a few times and saw his expression was soft, a light smile on
his lips.
I made it to the second floor and walked down the hallway, glancing into the rooms. The bedrooms were well lived in,
some of them I could tell belonged to children by the clutter and toys scattered around. The bathrooms were obviously
updated and modernized but there was still something classy about them.
Edward paused abruptly at the end of the hall. He was staring into a bedroom and appeared to be lost in thought. I walked
toward him, stopping beside him. The bedroom obviously belonged to a teenage boy. There was a pile of dirty laundry on
the floor, and a massive sound system on a stand with a guitar propped up against it. The wall was cluttered with posters
of rock bands and bikini-clad half naked women.
"This was my room," he said after a moment.
"I surely hope it didn't look like this when you lived in it," I said playfully, motioning toward a poster of a playboy model,
hands over her bare breasts wearing nothing but a pair of tiny pink underwear.
He chuckled, taking a step into the room and glancing around. His face twisted with anger momentarily but he put his calm
mask back on quickly. I walked in the room and looked around, noticing the closet door was leaning against the wall,
having been pulled off, and there was a hole in the wall where it appeared as if someone's fist had gone through.
"Some people have no respect," he muttered, turning and walking back out the room. He grabbed my hand and pulled me
down the hallway, back to the stairs. We went up to the 3rd floor and walked past the rooms, which were empty for the
most part.
"My parents had a library up here, all sorts of books," he said as he pulled me into a large room. There were shelves lining
the walls, a coat of dust lining them from not being used. The room was fairly abandoned, a few boxes and pieces of
furniture sitting around with sheets thrown on top for storage.
"What happened to the books?" I asked. I could imagine a young Edward in here, scanning the rows of books.
"Carlisle has most of them," he said with a shrug. "The rest were donated or auctioned off."
He was quiet for a moment, gazing into the room. He looked reflective and my curiosity got the best of me. I shot my shield
around him and pulled some of his energy so I could see what was on his mind. I was hit with a memory of a woman who
looked a lot like Edward, with her bronze shaded hair and striking features. She had sparkling green eyes, so deep they
were nearly the color of emeralds. The picture of her in his mind was a bit hazy, like he knew her but had a hard time
conjuring up the image-I realized instantly that it was his mother. In his mind she was standing in the library, running her
fingers along the spines of the books lined up on the shelf, smiling brightly.
"Your mom was beautiful," I said softly, letting my shield relax back. My voice startled him a bit, as he was lost in his
memory, and he flinched and blinked rapidly.
He glanced over at me, confusion on his face at first before realization dawned that I'd gotten a glimpse into his head. He
nodded. "Yeah, she was. Wish I could remember her better."
He took a deep breath, turning to me and smiling. He grabbed my hand, intertwining our fingers, and led me from the
room. I followed him down the stairs and he headed for the front door without saying another word. I locked the front door
back up, making sure it was secure, and followed him out the gate and toward the car.
"What now?" I asked. Edward shrugged.
"Let's go hunting," he said. I looked at him incredulously.
"What's there to hunt in Chicago?"
"Hmmm people?" he suggested, cocking an eyebrow at me. I stared at him with shock and he started laughing. "I'm
kidding Bella. There's coyote around the area, if we're lucky we can find some."
"Wolves, Edward? Really?"
He groaned. "Coyotes aren't exactly the same as the wolves you're thinking of Bella."
"It doesn't matter, it's still a dog."
Edward sighed loudly. I knew he didn't understand my aversion to taking out anything that even remotely resembled or
was related to a wolf, but I couldn't help it. Wolves reminded me of Forks, of Jacob and the Quileute's.
"There's deer and elk in the woods in the outskirts of the city," he said finally. I nodded and he drove through town, pulling
the car over outside of Chicago near some woods. We sent off into the trees and split up. I picked up the scent of some
elk quickly, taking one down and drinking from it. I wasn't really thirsty but knowing we'd be stuck in a room with a bunch of
humans in a few hours was enough incentive to drink.
I sauntered around the woods, coming across Edwards scent eventually. I followed it quietly, tracking him. After a few
minutes I caught up to him, just in enough time to watch him crouch and spring at an elk. Edward was usually so docile and
gentle but when hunting that primal animal part of him is unleashed. It's startling but so mesmerizing at the same time,
downright erotic. I stood back and watched intently, his sharp teeth piercing flesh and his throat muscles flexing as he
drank. His nose was scrunched up, his lips twitching with aggression. I could hear the faint growl in his chest and it sent
shivers down my spine. As a human I'd always been intrigued by the idea of Edward hunting, always wanted to watch. I
understood now why that was out of the question but my suspicions were confirmed. Edward hunting was stunning, so
stunning I felt myself getting aroused.
I took a step forward, my movement catching his attention and startling him. He let go of the animal and swung around
quickly, eyes narrowed and teeth bared as a snarl ripped from his chest. I watched as a drop of blood escaped from the
corner of his mouth, running down to his chin.
I didn't even give it a second thought. I sprung at him quickly, tackling him and throwing the both of us backward onto the
ground. He was growling beneath me and I instinctively growled back, but it wasn't entirely menacing. He knew it was me,
he knew there was no harm, but regardless the natural reaction to get defensive was there. I pressed my lips against his
firmly and he automatically kissed me back passionately. I broke my lips from his and kissed down his jaw, my tongue
shooting out and licking up the drop of blood that ran down his chin. He groaned, his hands roaming up and down my
body feverishly. He started tearing at my clothes, trying to pull them off. He got my ripped open and snatched my bra off,
his hand grabbing my breasts and massaging them, pulling on my nipples. I moaned and reached down, pulling on the
button on Edward's pants. It flew off and I ripped his zipper down, reaching my hand inside and grasping him immediately.
He hissed and kicked up, throwing me off of him.
Before I could react he landed on top of me and smashed his mouth against mine. His teeth grazed my bottom lip as he
nipped at me and I growled, nipping back at him. He reached down and grabbed my pants, pulling them down along with
my underwear. Once I was bare he grabbed a hold of his erection and lined it up at my entrance, thrusting forward
forcefully. I cried out as pleasure rocked through me.
He started pounding into me, primal noises escaping both of us. I ripped his shirt off of him and kissed and licked his
chest, nipping at his flesh. Orgasm rocked through me and I arched my back, screaming out as my body started
convulsing. Edward brought his mouth down to my neck, sucking on the skin there.
We kept at it all night long, sucking and nipping at each other, both of us growling. It was raw and animalistic, nothing
sweet or gentle about it. It was full of passion, desire, and primal need.
When the sun started to rise I felt Edward's body tense up, the muscles in his chest and back taunt. His lips pulled back,
exposing his teeth and he let out a loud snarl as his body shook, exploding inside of me. He collapsed on top of me
afterwards, the growl still vibrating his chest. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him as tightly as I could. It had been
intense, both of us needing time to recuperate.
"Edward," I whispered after a moment. "The sun's rising, we need to get out of here."
He groaned and pulled out of me, jumping up to his feet. He reached his hand out to me and I took it, allowing him to pull
me to my feet. Our clothes were destroyed but Edward gathered them up anyway. We ran back to the car as quickly as
possible, slipping inside. We were both still exposed, slipping on what clothes we could salvage but not covering up
much. Edward started driving back into the city and abruptly started laughing.
"I can't believe you attacked me like that," he said.
I smiled. "Couldn't help it." Edward glanced over at me and grinned, his eyes shining.
"You're an utter mess, you've got dirt and leaves all over you." His brow furrowed in concentration as we entered the city
and he pulled over abruptly in front of a row of buildings. He glanced around and opened the car door, disappearing
inside of a store. He came back a few seconds later, clutching a pile of clothing. He took off again quickly, driving back
toward the hotel.
"You give me hell about going into the house you own but you have no problem robbing a store?" I asked with disbelief as
I pulled on one of the shirts. He sighed.
"I left them money for the clothes Bella, a lot more than they're worth."
I rolled my eyes and slipped on a pair of black leggings. He accelerated briefly before letting go of the gas. I reached over
and grabbed the wheel, steering so Edward could change quickly. We pulled up in front of the hotel and got out, both of us
looking decent enough to slip inside.
We got up to the room and I went into the bathroom to draw a hot bath. I squirted some strawberry bubble bath into the
water and stripped. I lowered myself into the tub when it was full, the hot water warming my cold skin. I relaxed for a few
minutes, leaning back and closing my eyes.
Edward didn't make a sound but I sensed him. My skin prickled from his nearness, his scent growing stronger as he
approached me. I kept my eyes closed and moaned lightly as his hand dipped into the water, running over my breasts
softly. The hot water had warmed my skin slightly and I could feel the coldness of his hand. His hand caressed my stomach
before it dipped lower, hand coming between my thighs. I opened my eyes to see Edward sitting on the edge of the tub,
smiling lightly. His expression was full of love, happiness.
His fingers grazed over my folds and I spread my legs a bit, allowing him better access. He slid two fingers inside of me
and I moaned loudly. He smirked at my response, his expression almost cocky. I gazed at him for a moment, neither of us
saying a word as he slowly pumped his fingers in and out of me. His hand left the water eventually and he pulled his shirt
off, tossing it to the side. He stood up and pulled the rest of his clothes off before slipping into the tub across from me.
I lifted up so he could spread his legs out and I moved to straddle him. He gripped my hips and pulled me down onto him,
his erection sliding into me smoothly. I threw my head back and moaned while Edward's lips found their way to my
breasts.
Our movements were slow and calculated, his touches soft and kisses gentle. It was the exact opposite of the encounter in
the woods. We were savoring each other, relishing in every sensation.
"I'll never get enough of you," Edward said softly, his lips right beside my ear. I shivered as his breath hit me and he
leaned down to kiss my neck softly. I laced my fingers through his hair, my head thrown back in passion.
We orgasmed together after awhile and stilled our movements but didn't break our contact. After a few minutes Edward
pushed me back slightly and reached over to grab a washcloth and soap. I lay back and allowed him to wash me, his hand
caressing every inch of my body. He grabbed the shampoo and washed my hair, and I moaned as his fingertips
massaged my scalp.
After he was done he got out of the tub and grabbed a towel. He pulled me out and wrapped it around me, leaning forward
and pressing a light kiss on my lips. "I love you," he said softly.
"I love you too." He smiled and nodded, reaching his hand out and brushing it along my cheek quickly.
Edward and I spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around the room, talking and laughing. As dusk neared I headed into
the bathroom to get ready. I pulled on a long strapless navy blue dress and a pair of black jimmy choo satin heels. I curled
my hair and pulled it halfway up.
I walked out and found Edward fiddling with his navy blue tie. He was wearing an average suit but he looked stunning in it.
"You look amazing," he said, smiling. "Are you ready?"
I nodded and he grabbed my hand, leading me out of the room. We got a few looks in the lobby and Edward stopped
abruptly to glare at a man who was ogling me. I chuckled at his jealous reaction, it was ridiculous but I couldn't deny it was
endearing.
He drove us across town to the Chicago Opera House. We were led to our seats, which were thankfully secluded. The
opera itself was stunning, the story beautiful. My attention was divided between the show itself and Edward, who seemed
to me mesmerized by it. His attention was devoted to it, his expression heartwarming. He had a smile on his face the
entire time, a twinkle in his eye. Curiosity caused me to use my shield and sneak a peek into his mind. His thoughts were
alternating between memories of his mom and his love for me. He held my hand in his lap the entire time, his other hand
on top of mine rubbing circles on it mindlessly.
When it was over Edward turned to me and smiled. "Thank you," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. He didn't
have to elaborate on what he was thanking me for, I understood it completely. It wasn't just the show itself, it was for
allowing him the experience of it, allowing him the chance to live in the memory of his mother if only for a while. It was clear
from his expression that he, too, understood and felt what I'd gone through the day before. He, too, sometimes longed for
what could have been, wished he could have back what he'd been robbed of. I smiled and nodded.
"Anything for you," I said, using the phrase he usually pulls out when I thank him for something. He chuckled and stood up,
pulling me to my feet.
"Come on, my princess, let's head home."