Title: Forever
Writer: Clashingway
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, locations, or anything else connected to Twilight. It all belongs to the author of the series.

Summary: Forever. It wasn't just a three syllable word that, by coincidence, happened to become a promise. A promise to not only be there for the forever of a lifetime – of seventy, eighty, ninety, or maybe even a hundred-and-four years. No. His forever, would literally last until the end of time… and maybe, even longer. That, she wasn't sure of. But what's a vampire's definition of forever?
Takes place after the first book of the series, "Twilight".
Complete. Oneshot.

Acknowledgment: I dedicate this story to my friend Lisa, without whose MySpace I might have never bothered buying the book.

Forever

Forever.

That's what he had promised her. Simple, you would think. Lots of people promise one another to be there for each other forever.

But for them, forever was something different.

It wasn't just a three syllable word that, by coincidence, happened to become a promise. A promise to not only be there for the forever of a lifetime – of seventy, eighty, ninety, or maybe even a hundred-and-four years. No. He had promised her to be with her forever. And his forever, would literally last until the end of time… and maybe, even longer. That, she wasn't sure of.

Philosophing about a vampire's definition of forever, Isabella Swan sat on her windowsill, looking out into the more or less dark night. It was full moon, and the moon and a million shiny little stars lit up the night.
"Without the dark, we'd never see the stars", she remembered herself saying to Edward, when he had first warned her about the dark.

„Good night birthday girl," she heard her dad say from the bottom of the stairway.

„Night Char-… Dad."

She still had a tendency to calling him Charlie, although she had lived with him for quiet some time now. But some things would never change. Like them constantly having too much fish for their own good in the freezer, like him being the sometimes overly protective Chief Swann, or… like her calling him Charlie, instead of Dad.

„Everything okay up there? You sound a little… unhappy. I thought you enjoyed yourself today."

„I'm fine Dad, really."

Like hell she was. Stupid, unreliable vampire.

Apparently, some things had never changed. But maybe, just maybe, the definition of forever had - over night. She might have to go off to buy a dictionary one of these days, just so she could be sure Webster hadn't found a new truth about forever. After all, forever couldn't just suddenly end, right? Especially not on her birthday. What kind of forever would that be? One that would suddenly end, just because she somewhat was a year older than him now? After all, he would never be any older than seventeen… sort of, at least. Then, all of the sudden, a hint of fear found its way into her head. What if that was why she hadn't seen him at all all day long? Maybe with forever, he had meant forever, as long as you're seventeen. But… that's not what he had promised her. And she trusted him, trusted him with all she had. That's when another sort of fear crept through her body. What if… what if something had happened to him?

No.

That couldn't be.

What had he said when she had asked him how a vampire could be killed? You would rip him apart and burn him completely, until ashes would be ashes, and dust, would be dust.

And no one would do that to Edward, right? After all, Alice hadn't seen it. If she had, she had said something, and she hadn't.

At least not to her. What if… no, then she would have said something to the others, and they would have been there to help

Edward. And eliminating all the Cullens in one day… that sounded impossible to Bella.

So… back to forever. It would go on for ever, and ever, and ever, and…

Suddenly, she could feel a light, comforting breeze. But when she turned around, she couldn't see anything. Anyone. Shaking her head a little, she turned back to look out of the window again. Great. Not only had forever ended now, but she was also going insane. Closing her eyes for a moment, she took a deep breath. There it was. This familiar smell… this smell, only he –

„Bella?"

Her thoughts interrupted, she opened her eyes and slowly turned her head the way that musical voice had come from.

„Edward?" she asked, and not being able to keep the excitement out of her voice, a smile crept onto her face. In return, one of those crooked smirks she loved so much magically played around the corners of his lips.

„Didn't I tell you to stop being all suicidal? With your luck, you could fall out of the window any second."

Rolling her eyes a little, and sighing with fake annoyance, Bella climbed back into her room. Within the fraction of a second,
Edward was less than a centimeter away from her, his arms quickly around her. His eyes were especially gold today, it seemed. She was just about to say something, when his cold lips slowly brushed hers, and his cold fingers, ever slower, slid from her cheek under her hair, and partly down her throat. Once again, she realized that Edward Cullen was exactly her brand of heroine.

„Ready to go?" Edward asked, his voice barely loud enough to pass as a whisper.

„Where?" She didn't need to ask, he could take her wherever he wanted to take her. But curiosity had always seemed to be her second name with him.

„It's your birthday, isn't it?"

„Yeah… but…"

„No but, Bella. I'm taking you on a little… let's call it birthday trip."

„To where?"

„Surprise. I told Charlie we'd be gone for a few days."

„He didn't say anything, and - " she started to complain, but as always, looking into his eyes got her dazzled. She should've never told him what effect his eyes had on her – they always got used against her, in a way.

„I already got some of your stuff in the car."

„You were gone all day."

„No, I wasn't," he contradicted, the smirk back on his face.

„You…"

„Bella," he sighed. Seconds later, he had grabbed her and jumped out of the window with her.

All throughout the car ride, she had questioned him about where they were headed, and what they would do. But never had she gotten any answers; just smirks, and smiles… sometimes a frustrated sigh, or a growl, but never even once, an answer.

„You could've simply told me we were going to your place," she stated, as they got out of his car.

„And miss all the complaining in the car?" he asked, all sarcastic, while placing a cold hand on the small of her back, and leading her inside.

„Where are all the others?" she asked, once they had arrived in his room, without having met Alice or Emmett, Jasper or Rosalie, or even Carlisle or Esme.

„It's the weekend, Bella," he said, as if that was explaining everything. And it was. They were out hunting. And apparently, Edward had just been out, too – which would explain the extra goldness in his eyes.

„You got me a cake?" Bella's eyes widened a little in surprise.

„It's been a while, but isn't that what you actually – usually - get when you turn a year older?"

„And… I now, by myself, have to eat a whole cake?" She didn't seem to fond of that, but her arms already were around him again, and instead of saying ‚thank you' out loud, her lips slightly brushed his cold ones. She had to be careful not to let their lips touch for too long, so she wouldn't cross the line again. That tended to making him crazy.

„I'll eat a bite of dirt for you," he smiled, while putting a piece of her birthday cake onto a plate for her. Moments later, he had put on some nice music, too.

„How was your day so far, Bella?"

„It was… pretty good. I wondered about forever a lot." He frowned, which made her cock an eyebrow. „I mean, not that I was seriously doubting you, you were just… gone. And I… obviously didn't give the fact that it has been Saturday any thoughts. I'm… sorry."

„Soooo… you thought about forever," he started, looking like he was in deep thoughts, while she choked down the piece of cake. It was really good, but people in Forks seemed to be having a weird tradition with cakes – she had to have tried at least twelve – now thirteen – different cakes in one day.

„…you know... forever is a long time… a really long time... Do you still… want to become one of us?"
Edward's question obviously startled her. Clearing her throat, she gave it a tiny thoughts, before nodding. Although he had thought about it a lot, and had already known her answer, he frowned a little.

„It would mean a lot of pain. Three days. Three long days, of unbearable pain."

„I know… Alice… she told me about it."

„I want you to be aware of that, Bella. It's an unbearable kind of pain – one you could not imagine in your wildest nightmares."

„My worst nightmare is to ever be without you, Edward. I love you. I want to be with you. Forever."

The word forever was a constant word that day. Maybe she should get it tattooed. As a constant reminder of the word's importance. She put the cake aside, and stepped closer to him again.

„Your eyes are especially gold today. You drank a lot, huh?"

Edward nodded.

„I… wanted to make sure I could stop. If… this still is what you really want, that is."

Now it was Bella, who nodded. Yes, she was a little scared of what pain she would have to experience, but she knew, it would be worth it. It would mean being with Edward forever. A forever, that wouldn't only last a human lifetime. She would be with him forever and one day.

She could feel his cold fingers carefully brushing back her hair, putting it over her shoulder, exposing her neck.

„I love you Bella, and I am sorry for all the pain this will bring you," he said, as his cold lips once again brushed Bella's. She could then feel them slowly wandering over her jaw, back to her ear, and even slower, down to her throat.

„I love you too, Edward…," she replied, and could feel his mouth slowly opening against her throat. His breath was lightly tickling her throat. Bella was standing still, as still as she had never stood before. This was what she wanted; what she had wanted, ever since she had learned about the Cullens. She had wanted to be one of them, to be able, to be with them forever. She inhaled deeply, sharply, as she could feel his teeth finding their way through her skin, and a scream escaped her mouth. Pain. Pain was understated, although it wasn't as bad, as she had expected it to be.

„…forever," she then finished her sentence, quietly, as the venom started to spread through her body. All of the sudden, everything turned black.

And in the dark, Bella Swan was about to become one of them.