Summary: "His eyes were red, wild and feral, the blood dripping down my neck from Edwards abrasions to my skin flowed softly to the forest floor. He snarled. I froze. Edward looked at me in a state of terror as the vampire lunged at what I thought was, me."

Rating: Mature audiences only for... well I am not sure. Just a precaution. The second chapter contains attempted rape YOU'VE BEEN WARNED If it makes you feel uncomfortable, please don't read it and skip to the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for the storyline!

A/N: I have been sitting here for hours... Hours. I repeat. Fumbling around with the plot of my story. Since my recent chapters have become a bit confusing I have decided to post this chapter prior- in order to help with the timeline of events. Set in NM. All credit goes to Stephenie Meyer. (Bits and pieces of this dialogue are from NM- it's the main basis of this first chapter) I made it easier for you guys to understand. I would, however, like to keep the rest of the chapters 99% of my own original content. Just using the characters for my own story.

I edited and fixed up all the newest chapters, however, I really am not happy with them as I was before. I am going to fix those up to be better. I am also looking for a Beta Reader if anyone's interested.

THE BOND OF A SOUL MATE: CHAPTER 1: BIRTHDAY'S, PAINTINGS, AND BLOOD.

(Bella's POV)

I woke with a start my eyelids popping open wide, the dream I had seemed more real than ever before and I gasped. Dull grey light, the familiar light of an overcast morning, took the place of the blinding sun. I remember I was standing in the meadow, with Edward. The flowers had bloomed early this season and were out there on our usual date, every Friday. The crisp air and the wonderful scent of lavender made me feel calm. However, Edward sat across from me and handed me a mirror. 'Don't you want to see how beautiful you are to me?' I remember grabbing the handle and the reflection that was before my eyes, shocked me to my core. I was old. It was one of my biggest fears when I thought about Edward and me. It was time. There never seemed to be enough of it and today was no exception. The little calendar in the corner of the clock's display informed me that today was indeed September, my birthday. I was officially 18 years old. An adult. I took a deep breath and then jumped again when my alarm went off.

I'd been dreading this day for months. All through the perfect summer, it had been the happiest summer I had ever had, the happiest summer anyone anywhere had ever had, and the rainiest summer in the history of the Olympic Peninsula - this bleak date had lurked in ambush, waiting to spring. And now that it had hit, it was even worse than I'd feared it would be. I could feel it - I was older. Every day I got older, but this was different, worse, quantifiable.

I was 18.

And Edward never would be.

I sighed as I pulled back the blankets, I was more than surprised that Charlie had not yet come in to surprise me. However, my birthday did fall on a Tuesday this year, so for the both of us it sucked that we could not stay home and hibernate for the day as Charlie had to go into work and I had school. Knowing Charlie, all he wanted to do was to sit, watch the game, and have a beer and a fatty pizza on the side. I shuddered to imagine the plans that Alice had for me. She was a force to be reckoned with, with just shopping alone, but having her in charge of birthday parties? Complete insanity. I shook my head, heading for the shower.

After washing the sweat away from my dream, I contemplated heading downstairs, and whether I could have a peaceful breakfast. I decided to skip breakfast, as I was in a hurry to get out of the house as quickly as possible. I wasn't entirely able to avoid my Dad though, and so I had to spend a few minutes acting cheerful. I honestly tried to be excited about the gifts I'd asked him not to get me, but I rarely got to enjoy having a father/daughter moment. I wanted to cry at the thought of not seeing Charlie once I was turned but I am in love with Edward. Seeing my Dad be happy for once brought tears to my eyes, knowing the heartache he would feel, forever searching for me, if I disappeared. He would never ever really believe that I would be gone. A true parent knows when their child has gone. He would be devastated, hell it might kill him. I shook my head drawing myself out of those thoughts and turned them back to Edward.

Edward would be waiting for me in the school parking lot, so I rushed to grab my books and folders form my table, to my bag and heading to the Chevy. He usually picks me up, but today I insisted that I was going to be the one to drive myself to school.

I struggled to get a grip on myself as I backed out the driveway. The vision of myself in the mirror, the one in my dream, the version I would not think of it as me, was hard to get out of my head. I couldn't feel anything but despair until I pulled into the familiar parking lot behind Forks High School and spotted Edward leaning motionlessly against his polished silver, Grandma driving Volvo. The dream had not done him justice, he was beautiful. And he was waiting there for me, just the same as every other day. It was no surprise to see Alice by his side, but Jasper as well? Great. My daily dose of Alice has come early, lucky me.

The sight of Alice waiting there, her tawny eyes brilliant with excitement, and a small silver-wrapped square in her hands, made me frown. I'd told Alice I didn't want anything, anything, not gifts or even attention, for my birthday. Obviously, my wishes were being ignored. It seemed to be a constant occurrence ever since James hurt me in the ballet studio and Alice had lost me in the airport, Edward had apparently ripped into her about it when we got back. Emmett told me while we were gaming in the lounge room, another thing Edward and Alice seemed to lack.

I slammed the door of my truck, a shower of rust specks fluttered down to the wet blacktop and walked slowly toward where they waited. Alice skipped forward to meet me, her pixie face glowing under her spiky black hair.

"Happy birthday, Bella!" Alice wrapped her arms around me in a tight squeeze, I hugged her closer, a dark feeling settled in my stomach. I actually pulled her closer and she laughed at my enthusiasm. Something was off about today, and I just could not put my finger on it.

"Shh, not so loud, everyone will hear you." I had successfully kept my birthday hidden from the rest of Fork's population. Heaven forbid if Mike found out, he would not stop continuously asking me out since he would have 'forgotten' to get me a gift. Like he had done with Jessica, earlier this year. I shuddered, looking at the gift in Alice's hand that she had yet to force it on me

"Do you want to open-" I cut Alice off and took the gift from her, stashing it in my bag. I would 'open' it later, stuffing it back into her locker when Edward could hide her thoughts from her. So her gift would not be able to see it. She grinned and winked at me. Jasper stood off from the side, it always filled me with a sense of anger that he was never really apart of anything because of Edward and Alice's doubt in him. He winked and mouthed, 'Happy Birthday.' I smiled, and nodded as a 'Thank you.'

Edward held out his hand for mine. I took it eagerly, forgetting, for a moment, my glum mood. His skin was, as always, smooth, hard, and very cold. He gave my fingers a gentle squeeze. I looked into his liquid topaz eyes, and my heart gave a not-quite-so-gentle squeeze of its own. Hearing the stutter in my heartbeats, he smiled again. I was still filled with dread, something bad was coming and it seemed to not just be my old age.

"Okay... later, then. Did you like the scrapbook your mom sent you? And the camera from Charlie?" Alice bounced up and down, excited for the opportunity to decorate something as per usual.

I sighed. Of course, she would know what my birthday presents were. Edward wasn't the only member of his family with unusual skills. Alice would have "seen" what my parents were planning as soon as they'd decided that themselves. I would not be surprised if the gift she gave me was an outfit she coordinated for tonight.

"Yeah. They're great." I pursed my lips, it wasn't that I was ungrateful for the gifts, it was their reasoning behind it that really bothered me, not every moment in history had to be documented.

"I think it's a nice idea. You're only a senior once. Might as well document the experience."

"How many times have you been a senior?" I stuck out my tongue at her, my cheekiness, however, did not go past Edward. Edward shook his head and chuckled. He ruined the moment though and turned to me with his usual 'That's not ladylike behavior,' frown. I forced a smile at Alice to show I was kidding. Alice walked a little further to give us some privacy holding Jasper's hand, he twirled her through the parking lot. Staring at them both at ease with each other, filled me envy, Edward was always so protective of me that our affection towards each other was minimal now more than ever.

He lifted his free hand and traced one cool fingertip around the outside of my lips as he spoke. "So, as discussed, I am not allowed to wish you a happy birthday, is that correct?"

"Yes. That is correct." I could never quite mimic the flow of his perfect, formal articulation. It was something that could only be picked up in an earlier century. It always made me feel even more out of place, how Edward seemed to be stuck in such another era. I hoped when I was turned I would match his level of perfection. And I supposed... if I could be sure of the future I wanted, sure that I would get to spend forever with Edward, and Alice and the rest of the Cullen's (preferably not as a wrinkled little old lady)... then a year or two one direction or the other wouldn't matter to me so much. But Edward was dead set against any future that changed me. Any future that made me like him, that made me immortal, too.

An impasse, he called it. I couldn't really see Edward's point, to be honest. What was so great about mortality? Being a vampire didn't look like such a terrible thing - not the way the Cullens did it, anyway.

"Just checking." He ran his hand through his tousled bronze hair. "You might have changed your mind. Most people seem to enjoy things like birthdays and gifts." His eyes glazed over as if he was already bored with having this conversation with me. By this time we had just caught up with Alice and Jasper, we were near the entrance to the main hall.

Alice laughed, and the sound was all silver, a wind chime. "Of course you'll enjoy it. Everyone is supposed to be nice to you today and give you your way, Bella. What's the worst that could happen?" She meant it as a rhetorical question. I looked at her, my stomach dropped. For someone who could see the future, her question, ironically enough, was just supposed to make her laugh, but the dark clouds above me held a promise of terror that was soon to be unleashed upon this town.

I shook my head and associated my feelings towards my horrible feeling as just my birthday overshadowing Edward's frozen age.

"Getting older," I answered anyway, and my voice was not as steady as I wanted it to be.

Beside me, Edward's smile tightened into a hard line.

"Eighteen isn't very old," Alice said. "Don't women usually wait till they're twenty-nine to get upset over birthdays?" Alice huffed, hoping to bring Bella aboard with her plans.

"It's older than Edward," I mumbled. He sighed. He almost let go of my hand, however, he brought it up to his lips and kissed the back of my palm. Warmth spread through me. He had barely paid any attention to me just yet, Alice still wouldn't back off the idea of a birthday party, and it seemed to be happening whether I approved of it or not.

"Technically," she said, keeping her tone light. "Just by one little year, though. What time will you be at the house?" Alice continued, changing the subject. From her expression, she was up to exactly the kind of thing I'd been hoping to avoid. Jasper sent waves of calm through me, I stuck my tongue out at him this time, which made him laugh. Edward pulled me closer, shooting Jasper a glare. I frowned. Jasper was only laughing. The smart ass comments flew from my mouth at Alice, it was my birthday after all.

"I didn't know I had plans to be there, it is my birthday after all." I let go of Edward's hand and headed through the main doors. Alice was hot on my tail.

"Oh come on Bella, please don't ruin our fun, Esme and Carlisle are so excited." Alice knew guilt tripping me, 9 times out of 10 worked but throwing in my second parents who I adored wholeheartedly? She was playing dirty for sure. I turned to look at her, I raised my eyebrows and glared. Mimicking Rosalie's face. I swear Alice was going to stomp her little feet in frustration.

Finally, Alice lost the smug smile and glared at me. "This can be easy, or this can be hard Bella, but one way or the other -" Edward interrupted her threat. "Relax, Alice. If Bella wants to relax on her birthday then she can."

"So there," I added, expecting him to follow through with making plans with me. Instead, he had said the worst thing I wanted to hear.

"I'll bring her over around seven," he continued. "That will give you more time to set up." I gaped at him. Alice began jumping up and down with excitement. She had won.

Alice's laughter chimed again. "Sounds good. See you tonight, Bella! It'll be fun, you'll see." She grinned - the wide smile exposed all her perfect, glistening teeth - then pecked me on the cheek and danced off toward her first class before I could respond.

I was never more pissed at Edward then I was in this moment of time. How dare he undermine me like that? Did I really not get a say in what I was doing for my birthday?

"Edward, please -" I started to say in a firm tone. He pressed a finger to my lips, silencing me, blowing his sweet breath across my face, it stunned me for a moment and I briefly forgot what we were talking about.

"Let's discuss it later. We're going to be late for class." He grabbed my hand and led me further down the hall.

I was stunned at his blatant lack of respect for me. He wasn't usually this forceful or crabby. I turned and as we sat down, I threw my bag on the ground. Mike, who was sitting a chair to my right, huffed and whispered to Eric, 'couples spat, for sure,' as he handed Eric 10 bucks. Great. So I was nothing more than a bet to these people? Mike had changed over the summer, his face had lost some of the roundness, making his cheekbones more prominent, and he was wearing his pale blond hair a new way; instead of bristly, it was longer and gelled into a carefully casual disarray. It was easy to see where his inspiration came from - but Edward's look wasn't something that could be achieved through imitation. I snorted, it did actually make me laugh how desperate Mike seemed, but then it made me sad. It reminded me of Jacob, and our last conversation at Prom had not gone down well, thanks to Edward.

I sighed loudly and Edward pulled my chair closer to him. It seemed like today was the day people were willing to pick a fight with me. Jessica and Lauren were at the back of the room, to our right, just further than Mike and Eric, they were passing notes back and forth. Edward was smiling, I turned to him, and he was staring at Jessica. Her thoughts must have been extra stupid today. I pushed the feeling of insecurity away, after all, she had been here for years prior and Edward had not even noticed her before I arrived.

He chose me.

As the day progressed, I considered ways to get out of whatever was going down at the Cullen house tonight. Could I sneak away to the reservation and see Jacob? Alice always caught me though. It would be bad enough to have to celebrate when I was in the mood to mourn. But, worse than that, this was sure to involve attention and gifts. Attention is never a good thing, as any other accident-prone klutz would agree. No one wants a spotlight when they're likely to fall on their face and it was as if Edward enjoyed making me uncomfortable to make sure I documented the important moments. I especially was always made uncomfortable in their house whenever gifts were involved, because I'd never had much money, and that had never bothered me. Renee had raised me on a kindergarten teacher's salary. Charlie wasn't getting rich with his job, either—he was the police chief here in the tiny town of Forks. My only personal income came from the three days a week I worked at the local sporting goods store. In a town this small, I was lucky to have a job. Every penny I made went into my microscopic college fund. Something Edward was always insisting on paying for, just because he had more than enough money.

Edward had a lot of money—I didn't even want to think about how much. Money meant next to nothing to Edward or the rest of the Cullens. It was just something that accumulated when you had unlimited time on your hands and a sister who had an uncanny ability to predict trends in the stock market. Edward didn't seem to understand why I objected to him spending money on me, why it made me uncomfortable if he took me to an expensive restaurant in Seattle, why he wasn't allowed to buy me a car that could reach speeds over fifty-five miles an hour, or why I wouldn't let him pay my college intuition. He was always putting his needs, thoughts and wants before my own. I did not realize it much before, but today especially, it was brought to my attention.

The afternoon passed quickly. School ended and Edward walked me to my truck as he usually did. But this time, he held the passenger door open for me. Alice must have been taking his car home so that he could keep me from making a run for it. Another example of his possessive behavior. Did Jasper notice? Is that why he keeps to the outskirts? Was he trying to help me?

I folded my arms and made no move to get out of the rain. "It's my birthday, don't I get to drive?" And as per usual Edward had a smart ass comment ready.

"I'm pretending it's not your birthday, just as you wished." He grinned, walking me to the passenger side of my car. I usually did not argue with Edward because I never felt the need to argue, but I wasn't going to be pushed around as much anymore. I was beginning to get sick of it.

"If it's not my birthday, then I don't have to go to your house tonight..." I stopped and folded my arms across my chest. I was going to be firm this time. He opened the car door and lifted me into the seat like a child.

"All right then. Happy Birthday," he said, kissing me long and hard.

My heart began to race quickly. The kiss was unexpected, he usually asked beforehand. I pulled him closer, my fingers wrapped in his jacket, his scent was overwhelming me. It made me dizzy, in a good way. He pulled away all too soon before I could run my hands through his hair. His eyes were black, he was holding his breath. I forgot that after all our time together my blood was still an issue for him.

I sat down on the passenger seat and sent him a look of 'Sorry'. Edward had drawn many careful lines for our physical relationship, with the intent being to keep me alive. Though I respected the need for maintaining a safe distance between my skin and his razor-sharp, venom-coated teeth, I tended to forget about trivial things like that when he was kissing me.

Edward played with the radio while I drove, shaking his head in disapproval. He was constantly chopping and changing between radio stations, knowing full well it irritated me. It was my car, my stereo, and my music. He knew my rules about changing my steer.

"Your radio has horrible reception." I frowned. I didn't like it when he picked on my truck. The truck was great—it had personality. Plus Charlie had given it to me as a gift for when I got here. Despite how I felt about gifts, it had sentimental value to me. Not everything had to be brand spanking new.

"You want a nice stereo? Drive your own car." My snarky comment had him frowning, he knew I would be safe in a Volvo, but I would rather drop dead than have a car suitable for a grandmother. I shuddered as I remembered my dream, my old face covered in wrinkles, it terrified me. I was so nervous about Alice's plans that the words came out sharper than I'd meant them. I was hardly ever bad-tempered with Edward, and my tone made him press his lips together to keep from smiling. As we were nearly at my house, the clouds above us were overbearing, the sun could not be seen at all. Dark and gloomy just like the mood Edward and Alice had put me in.

He pulled into my driveway, the car screeching to a halt—the old guy was struggling to keep up with Edward's need for speed. It was ridiculous really. For someone who had some much time on their hands, they had little patience when things weren't going their way. It seems like some things never change, he was still that 17-year-old, rather than the 109-year-old he should be.

"Be in a good mood, please. It's been years since my family has ever had anything decent to celebrate." His tone held a sense of dominance, and he sounded impatient. He had started this attitude towards me ever since I had been in the hospital. It was starting to rub me the wrong way, I should be able to speak my mind and make my own decisions

"And if I don't want to be in a good mood?" I asked, my breathing uneven as I had only just taken off my seat belt, I wasn't actually out of the car yet so I wasn't sure how he was going to react. He leaned closer towards me, his mouth in a small smirk. My head was already spinning by the time he leaned even closer and pressed his icy lips against mine. As he intended, no doubt, I forgot all about my worries and concentrated on remembering how to inhale and exhale. I leaned my head against his. He knew he got me every time he kissed me like that.

"Too bad," he said as his golden eyes smoldered. His mouth lingered on mine, cold and smooth and gentle until I wrapped my arms around his neck and threw myself into the kiss with a little too much enthusiasm. I could feel his lips curve upward as he let go of my face and reached back to unlock my grip on him. He always did that every time we kissed. He would lead me on for a few minutes only to stop me whenever he was overwhelmed.

I blushed in disappointment. I leaned back into the passenger seat and sighed. I grabbed my bag from the back and opened the door. The fresh air was refreshing since the suddenly too hot car made me feel stuffy. My bag was heavier than I thought. I opened it and realized that I forgot to get Edward to give the gift that Alice gave me back. Damn it. My phone vibrated suddenly. Speak of the she-devil and she shall appear.

Edward was at the front door by the time I got my phone out to see her message.

Wear it tonight, with your black pumps, keep your hair down and put on some make-up, it's going to look so nice. -Alice xoxo

I scoffed. My guess earlier had been right and as for those death traps, ugh. I hid those in the back of my closet for a reason. I should have thrown them out, or, better yet, set them on fire. But knowing Alice, a new pair would be back where they were, so I shouldn't bother.

I grabbed my keys and Edward grabbed them from my hand, opening the front door for me. Really? Am I that incompetent? I snorted and he raised an eyebrow at me. I smiled, I was tired of arguing with him for now.

"Thank you." I put my bag down near the entrance and headed for the kitchen. I grabbed a glass of water and started making a quick peanut butter and jam sandwich. I had no doubt that Alice was going to have heaps of food prepared, regardless as to whether or not anyone else was going to consume it. Plus, Charlie was going to be home soon and he would like to spend some quality time with me before I left for a few hours.

"You're welcome, Bella." Edward followed me into the kitchen and sat down at the table.

Seeing him scrunch his nose at the old chairs always made me feel like my house, family and myself were always going to be inadequate to his set of high standards. He wasn't usually so snobby towards my house. I thought it was cozy and it just needed more of a woman's touch.

I looked around the kitchen, the cupboards were still a faint yellow from when my mother, Renee, had painted them 17 years prior to lighten the house up. The old wooden bench top had a unique, antique quality to it and I loved that in this house. To me, it was home.

Maybe I would spend a few weekends with Esme and design a better plan for this house. She would love to do a project with me and I am sure Charlie would not mind, in fact, I think he would encourage it. He has a small crush on Esme, so he would say yes to anything. She loved that he got all flustered around her when she invites us over for dinner or drops off leftovers. She finds him so endearing and it always made me giggle. Plus my dad was lonely, some attention would be good and it's not like Carlisle would think anything would happen, he's been fishing with Charlie ever since they 'moved' to town 3 years ago, so they're friends. Charlie would never do that to Carlisle, either.

My musings were cut short by Edward waving a hand across my face. I put the crust of bread down, slowly chewing it. I looked at him and he laughed. He pulled me into a hug, inhaling the familiar scent of my hair.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked. I didn't really want to tell him. He seemed to always get in a terrible mood when I tell him the truth. So, I turned to my next issue with him, tonight.

"Tonight. I don't really want to go," I answered, keeping it short and blank. He was about to argue, but then he let it go.

"Moot point," he reminded me. Abruptly, he pulled himself up into a more formal posture, shifting me to the side so that we were no longer touching. He knew Charlie did not like Edward being so affectionate with me in his presence, but I thought sometimes he used it as his excuse not to touch me.

"Charlie?" I guessed. Edward smiled.

After a moment, I heard the sound of the police cruiser pulling into the driveway. I reached out and took his hand firmly. My dad could deal with that much. As per usual and as I predicted, Charlie hung up his gun and came into the kitchen with a pizza box in his hands.

"Hey, kids." He grinned at me. "I thought you'd like a break from cooking and washing dishes for your birthday. Hungry?" I looked at the boxes and thought why not. The less food Esme would make for me tonight if I had already eaten.

"Sure. Thanks, Dad." I grabbed three plates from the cupboard near the sink and I grabbed a few slices. Charlie didn't comment on Edward's apparent lack of appetite. He was used to Edward passing on dinner.

"Do you mind if I borrow Bella for the evening?" Edward asked when Charlie and I were done eating 30 minutes later.

I looked at Charlie hopefully. Maybe he had some concept of birthdays as stay-at-home, family affairs, this was my first birthday with him, the first birthday since my mom, Renee, had remarried and gone to live in Florida, so I didn't know what he would expect.

"That's fine. The Mariners are playing The Sox tonight," Charlie explained, and my hope disappeared. "So I won't be any kind of company. Here." He scooped up the camera he'd gotten me on Renee's suggestion because I would need pictures to fill up my scrapbook and threw it to me.

"Hey, say hi to Alice for me. She hasn't been over in a while." Charlie's mouth pulled down at one corner.

"It's been three days, Dad," I reminded him. Charlie was crazy about Alice. He'd become attached last spring when she'd helped me through my awkward convalescence; Charlie would be forever grateful to her for saving him from the horror of an almost-adult daughter who needed help showering. "I'll tell her." I remained blushing as the first night I came home and attempted to ask Charlie to help me once I realized I couldn't use my full right arm to help nor my left leg due to it being broken in three places.

"Okay. You kids have fun tonight." It was clearly a dismissal. Charlie grabbed the remote and switched the TV on and I knew at this point there was no evading the party now. Edward smirked as he looked at my face.

I headed upstairs to change into the outfit Alice organized and I followed her instructions and I did have to admit I did look good. The green dress sat just above my knees, the heels made my legs seem to go on for miles. It was tight around the chest and waist. It was cute and not in the over the top way. Classy. Which is what I would have picked. But there was one issue, the weather was freezing and my puffy parka would not cut it for sure. Alice would have a heart attack at the sight. I put on a pair of stockings and found a brand new black and woolen cardigan. Perfect. My hair flowed down my back in nice, neat curls and I only wore minimal makeup; mascara, eyeliner and a bit of ChapStick. My doe-like eyes looked wider, more feminine. I actually loved the way I looked, and it had been a long time since I felt that way.

I met Edward downstairs and he looked me up and down, making me blush. He grinned taking my hand, walking me out of the front door. Okay, maybe Alice was right. Edward seemed to notice me more than he did this morning.

When we got to the truck, he opened the passenger door for me again and this time I didn't argue. I still had a hard time finding the obscure turnoff to his house in the dark. Edward drove north through Forks, visibly chafing at the speed limit enforced by my prehistoric Chevy. The engine groaned even louder than usual as he pushed it over fifty.

"Take it easy," I warned him.

I knew he would break my truck and make it look like an accident just so he could buy me a new car. I wasn't having any of his crap about my car today, considering it had lasted me a long time. Maybe I could ask Rosalie to have a look at her? Even then the chances that she would accept were slim to none. Rosalie still could not stand me and no one will tell me why, especially Edward. He did not want me to be exposed to the dangers of their world. As if it would make me less of a woman to be educated. Further yet showing just how far back in time he was. Actually, the feeling was a little bit stronger than just dislike. As far as Rosalie was concerned, I was an unwelcome intruder into her family's secret life. I shoo that off as Edward was still trying to push the speed limit of my truck.

"You know what you would love? A nice little Audi coupe. Very quiet, lots of power." Edward bounced up and down with what I thought was frustration, but with his tone, it seemed as if he was still annoyed with me.

"There's nothing wrong with my truck. And speaking of expensive non-essentials, if you know what's good for you, you didn't spend any money on birthday presents." I had warned him earlier on our way back, that I would not be taking anything home with me.

"Not a dime," he said virtuously. "But that doesn't mean the others would have followed through, Esme would never want anyone to be rude." He smirked, he had evaded the main rule I had given him. He knew I would have felt horribly guilty about the present situation, however, I enjoyed the gifts Emmett gave. He was in many ways just like the big brother I'd always wanted... only much, much more terrifying.

We were pulling up to the house now. Bright lights shined from every window on the first two floors. A long line of glowing Japanese lanterns hung from the porch eaves, reflecting a soft radiance on the huge cedars that surrounded the house. Big bowls of flowers, pink roses, were lined up along the banisters, towards their basement.

I moaned. I knew letting Alice do all this was crazy, but I never thought it would be THIS crazy. Edward took a few deep breaths to calm himself.

"This is a party," he reminded me. "Try to be a good sport." He grabbed my hand as we headed down the basement stairs. I needed to hold his hand in order to stay upright in these heels, I was sure I was going to break an ankle. The feeling I had in my gut earlier had resurfaced. I knew this was going to be a bad idea.

"Sure," I muttered. I grabbed the camera from my bag and turned to him, with a serious expression on my face. Today has been full of drama and I missed his laugh. "I have a question." He waited warily. "If I develop this film," I said, toying with the camera in my hands, "will you show up in the picture?" Booming laughter could be heard the more we made it into the basement and Edward laughed harder than ever.

He loved that I still asked him about the clichés of their kind. Before we went down to see everyone we passed a new painting that was hung near Carlisle's office. I stopped to stare at it. It captivated me.

"Ah, Carlisle's adventures with the Volturi. This was painted in the 17th Century by an artist name Francesco Solomona." Edward stood behind me, looking at the painting as if he had seen it a hundred times before. "He was a famous painter, who Aro had hired because he was the only one who could capture our transcendent beauty." Edward began walking away but I could not keep my eyes off of the figure sitting beside the blonde. His features wore the expression of boredom. His bright red eyes glowed almost. He had long hair and his face, whilst it wasn't as handsome as Edward's youthful one, it did not deter me away. He was handsome. My heart began to race and Edward pulling on my hand distracted me from the painting for a brief moment. It was one of the most vivid, most wildly colorful canvas I had ever seen, it took up most of his wall.

"What's a Volturi? Who's Aro?" I asked. I was more than curious now that Edward looked bored. Served him right for not telling me the whole truth.

"The Volturi is more of a who than a what. They're a very old, very powerful coven of our kind. They are the closest thing our world has to a royal family, I suppose. Carlisle lived with them briefly in his early years, in Italy, before he settled in America. Like I said. The trio, two black-haired, one snow white are formally known as Master Aro, Master Caius, and Master Marcus." Hmm, Marcus was his name. I looked away and Edward looked more than ready to get the night over with, so I walked away from the painting. I could not shake the image of Marcus's face from my mind.

They were all waiting in the huge white living room, it was the third in the house, down in the basement, and when I walked through the door they greeted me with a loud chorus of "Happy birthday, Bella!" while I blushed and looked down.

Alice, I assumed, had covered every flat surface with pink candles and dozens of crystal bowls filled with hundreds of roses. There was a table with a white cloth draped over it next to Edward's grand piano holding a pink birthday cake, more roses, a stack of glass plates, and a small pile of silver-wrapped presents. It was a hundred times worse than I'd imagined.

Esme saw my face and pulled me into a hug, her soft, caramel-colored hair brushing against my cheek as she kissed my forehead and then Carlisle put his arm around my shoulders. Both had always felt like the parents I should have had. Don't get me wrong, I love Renee and Charlie, but Esme and Carlisle have always made me feel like their daughter.

"I would apologize for all of this Bella, but Alice is harder to reign in than you think." Carlisle laughed and kissed my forehead as well.

"I can imagine." I chuckled a little. The queasiness in my stomach didn't go away.

Emmett and Rosalie were further behind them. Rosalie didn't smile, but at least she didn't glare. Emmett's face was stretched into a huge grin. It had been months since I'd seen them; I'd forgotten how gloriously beautiful Rosalie was, it almost hurt to look at her. And had Emmett always been so huge? Damn. They were a striking pair.

"You haven't changed at all," Emmett said with mock disappointment. "I expected a perceptible difference, but here you are, red-faced just like always, whilst checking me out! Pfft, you should know better Bella, I'm unavailable." I blushed deeper and laughed. He was always doing that to me.

"Ew, I was not. But whatever helps you sleep at night." I winked at Emmett as Jasper laughed behind me and I also slapped Emmett's broad shoulder. I missed his cheekiness, he was a riot. Rosalie's frown deepened, she knew I was only joking with Emmett and she still didn't like me.

"I have to step out for a second," he laughed and then paused to wink conspicuously at Alice. "Don't do anything funny while I'm gone." Emmett walked out of the door as Alice let go of Jasper's hand and skipped forward, all her teeth sparkling in the bright light. Jasper smiled, too, but kept his distance. He leaned, long and blond, against the post at the foot of the stairs.

During the days we'd had to spend cooped up together in Phoenix, I'd thought he'd gotten over his aversion to me. But he'd gone back to exactly how he'd acted before, avoiding me as much as possible. I knew it wasn't personal, just a precaution, and I tried not to be overly sensitive about it. Jasper had more trouble sticking to the Cullens' diet than the rest of them. The scent of human blood was much harder for him to resist than the others, but something did not sit right with me.

Alice and Edward shared a look as the future must have changed. I was hoping Alice and Edward weren't petty enough to ban Jasper from spending time with me.

"Time to open presents! I know you said you did not want any, but before you say anything, we obviously did not listen," Alice declared. She put her cool hand under my elbow and towed me to the table with the cake and the shiny packages. I put on my best martyr face. "Open it." She took the camera from my hands and replaced it with a big, square silver box.

The box was so light that it felt empty. The tag on top said that it was from Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper. Self-consciously, I tore the paper off and then stared at the box it concealed. It was something electrical, with lots of numbers in the name. I opened the box, hoping for further illumination. But the box was empty. I shook it and laughed.

"Um... thanks." Rosalie actually cracked a smile at me.

"It's a stereo for your truck," Jasper laughed as he explained. "Emmett's installing it right now so that you can't return it." He slid his hands into his jean pockets, he was calm, suave even. I could tell tonight was a good night for him to be around me, even if the family were all present.

"Thanks, Jasper, Rosalie," I told them, grinning as I remembered Edward's complaints about my radio this afternoon, all a setup, apparently. "Thanks, Emmett!" I called more loudly. Alice was always seemed to be one step ahead of me. I heard his booming laugh from my truck, and I couldn't help laughing, too.

"Open mine and Edward's next," Alice said, so excited her voice was a high-pitched trill. She held a small, flat square in her hand.

"You promised." I turned to give Edward the biggest death glare. He said in the car he did not get me anything. Before he could answer, Emmett bounded through the door

"Just in time!" he crowed. He pushed in behind Jasper, who had also drifted closer than usual to get a good look.

"I didn't spend a dime," Edward assured me. He brushed a strand of hair from my face, leaving my skin tingling from his touch.

"Give it to me," I sighed. I inhaled deeply and turned to Alice. Emmett chuckled with delight. I took the little package, rolling my eyes at Edward while I stuck my finger under the edge of the paper and jerked it under the tape. The wrapping was indeed beautiful and if I was going to document everything I could cut a frame for it, when I print out the photos, keeping it as a small reminder.

"Shoot," I muttered when the paper sliced my finger; I pulled it out to examine the damage. A single drop of blood oozed from the tiny cut. I looked around the room and it all happened way too fast.

"No!" Edward roared. He threw himself at me, flinging me back across the table. It fell, as I did, scattering the cake and the presents, the flowers, and the plates. I landed in the mess of shattered crystals.

Jasper slammed into Edward, and the sound was like the crash of boulders in a rock slide. Emmett grabbed Jasper from behind in the next second, locking him into his massive steel grip, but Jasper struggled on, his wild, empty eyes focused only on me.

Beyond the shock, there was also pain. I'd tumbled down to the floor by the piano, with my arms thrown out instinctively to catch my fall, into the jagged shards of glass. Only now did I feel the searing, stinging pain that ran from my wrist to the crease inside my elbow. Dazed and disoriented, I looked up from the bright red blood pulsing out of my arm, into the fevered eyes of the six suddenly ravenous vampires. Blood was everywhere.

"Emmett, Rose, get Jasper outside." Carlisle seemed not to be the only one that was calm. Centuries of experience in the emergency room were evident in his quiet, authoritative voice. It was going to be okay, everyone was going to be okay.

"Come on, Jasper." Emmett nodded. Jasper struggled against Emmett's unbreakable grasp, twisting around, reaching toward his brother with his bared teeth, his eyes still past reason. Edward's face was whiter than bone as he wheeled to crouch over me, taking a clearly defensive position. A low warning growl slid from between his clenched teeth. I could tell that he wasn't breathing.

Rosalie, her divine face strangely smug, stepped in front of Jasper, keeping a careful distance from his teeth and helped Emmett wrestle him through the glass door that Esme held open, one hand pressed over her mouth and nose. Esme's heart-shaped face was ashamed.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," she cried as she followed the others into the yard.

"Let me by, Edward," Carlisle murmured. A second passed and then Edward nodded slowly and relaxed his stance. Carlisle knelt beside me, leaning close to examine my arm. I could feel the shock frozen on my face and I tried to compose it. I felt so ashamed that I had brought this one their family, but I was the one who said not to throw a party at all. My head was pounding as I tried to breathe in the scent of salt and rust from the blood, it always made me sick.

"Here, Carlisle," Alice said, handing him a towel.

He shook his head. "Too much glass in the wound." He reached over and ripped a long, thin scrap from the bottom of the white tablecloth. He twisted it around my arm above the elbow to form a tourniquet. The smell of the blood was making me dizzy. My ears rang.

"Bella," Carlisle said softly. "Do you want me to drive you to the hospital, or would you like me to take care of it here?"

"Here, please," I whispered. "If you take me to the hospital, there would be no way to keep this from Charlie. So it's safer for us all." My words were slurred as I tried not to pass out. If Edward hadn't thrown me into the plates I would not have been bleeding so much.

"I'll get your bag," Alice said.

"Let's take her to the kitchen table," Carlisle said to Edward. Edward lifted me effortlessly, while Carlisle kept the pressure steady on my arm.

"How are you doing, Bella?" Carlisle asked.

"I'm fine." My voice was becoming reasonably steady, which pleased me.

Edward's face was like stone. Alice was there. Carlisle's black bag was already on the table, a small but brilliant desk light plugged into the wall. Edward sat me gently into a chair and Carlisle pulled up another. He went to work at once. Edward stood over me, still protective, still not breathing. I was thinking he should have Esme build a small hospital on the property, god knows I would need it and Emmett would get a kick out of it.

"Just go, Edward," I sighed. He didn't have to be the martyr, we all knew how well his control was. "You don't need to be a hero," I said. "Carlisle can fix me up without your help. Get some fresh air." I winced as Carlisle did something to my arm that stung.

"I can handle it," he insisted. But his jaw was rigid; his eyes burned with the intensity of the thirst he fought, so much worse for him than it was for the others. "I'll stay," he said and it seemed as if his word was final.

"Edward, you may as well go find Jasper before he gets too far. I'm sure he's upset with himself and I doubt he'll listen to anyone but you right now." Carlisle decided it was time to intercept their argument. As the leader of their coven, it was his last word that seemed to have the last say.

"Yes," I eagerly agreed. "Go find Jasper." I really just wanted one moment where I did not have the eyes of a hunter staring at me. I wanted Edward back. Edward's eyes narrowed as we ganged up on him, but finally, he nodded once and sprinted smoothly through the kitchen's back door.

I was sure he hadn't taken a breath since I'd sliced my finger. A numb, dead feeling was spreading through my arm. Though it erased the sting, it reminded me of the gash and I watched Carlisle's face carefully to distract me from what his hands were doing. His hair gleamed gold in the bright light as he bent over my arm. I could feel the faint stirrings of unease in the pit of my stomach, but I was determined not to let my usual squeamishness get the best of me. There was no pain now, just a gentle tugging sensation that I tried to ignore. No reason to get sick like a baby. If she hadn't been in my line of sight, I wouldn't have noticed Alice give up and steal out of the room. With a tiny, apologetic smile on her lips, she disappeared through the kitchen doorway. This must have been why my stomach felt terrible all night, it had not left me yet but I must have known something bad was going to happen.

"Well, that's everyone," I sighed. "I can clear a room, at least."

"It's not your fault, and don't bother it'll be much quicker for us to clear it." Carlisle comforted me with a chuckle. "It could happen to anyone."

"Could," I repeated. "But it usually just happens to me."

He laughed again. I couldn't find any trace of anxiety on his face. He worked with quick, sure movements. The only sound besides our quiet breathing was the soft plonk, plonk as the tiny fragments of glass dropped one by one to the table.

"How can you do this?" I asked, "Even Alice and Esme..." I trailed off, shaking my head in wonder. Though the rest of them had given up the traditional diet of vampires just as absolutely as Carlisle had, he was the only one who could bear the smell of my blood without suffering from the intense temptation. Clearly, this was much more difficult than he made it seem.

"Years and years of practice," he told me. "I barely notice the scent anymore." His relaxed calm was only more amazing set in direct contrast to everyone else's reaction.

"Do you think it would be harder if you took a vacation from the hospital for a long time and weren't around any blood?" I was very curious as to why he truly became a doctor, Edward mentioned it briefly.

"Maybe." He shrugged his shoulders, but his hands remained steady. "I've never felt the need for an extended holiday." He flashed a brilliant smile in my direction. "I enjoy my work too much." I knew he enjoyed his job, but I thought he would need a break regardless. He was the only one that was truly closest to his humanity that I indeed did forget sometimes that he was immortal. I was surprised at how much glass there seemed to be in my arm. I was tempted to glance at the growing pile, just to check the size, but I knew that idea would not be helpful to my no-vomiting strategy. He finally stopped and started bandaging the wound. He was almost if not already finished.

"Thank you, Carlisle. I would probably be dead if it wasn't for you. My tombstone would read, Bella Swan, died of clumsiness, rather than old age." Carlisle laughed hard and put my face in his hands. He kisses my forehead and turned away from me. Burning the remnants of the blood and glass in a bowl.

"Thank you, Bella." I looked at Carlisle strangely. Before I could ask he starting elaborating. "You've never not once judged us for being who we are, let alone what we are. You make me think there's a chance our souls won't end up damned in hell for eternity." The look on Carlisle's face brought tears to my eyes. He thought he out of all people would end up in hell?

"Carlisle, there's no way you could be damned. That's not possible at all. Look at the life you've led, you're a vampire doctor. How many of those exist? Day in and day out over 300 years of your life, you've always put others above yourself and you've never given in to your urges. If heaven does exist, the pearly gates would welcome you with open arms. Don't doubt that." I was so emotional by the time Edward walked back into the room. Carlisle looked like he would cry if he could. He hugged me again. His face full of relief. I always had faith in Carlisle. Edward looked at my bandage and he was handed a bottle of pills that I would need overnight. He had my bag in his hands which was his sign that I was leaving. I bid farewell to Carlisle and slipped my shoes off, I headed out into the main foyer.

"Bye guys, I'm sorry," I shouted out so everyone would hear me. Edward was still holding his breath as we exited, his eyes were a bright gold. He must have quickly hunted. It was refreshing to see their yellow color instead of the dark pitch black they had been earlier. He looked more like my Edward.

It was about 9:30 p.m. by the time I got home. I was practically falling asleep in the car. Edward carried me through the door and up to bed. He kissed my forehead and bid me goodnight but I knew he would be there in the morning when I awoke. We had a lot to talk about, for sure. As far as Charlie was concerned, I was in bed alone. My eyes refused to stay open and I finally succumbed to the darkness.

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