Time is always against us. The time I spent not even knowing she existed; seemed unreal to me. Bella. My Bella. How had I gone so many years without her?

Now time was running out. I might lose her.

Part of my brain couldn't fathom it. However, being a vampire, I could think many things at once. Though I couldn't picture losing her, I knew what I'd do if I did.

Volterra. It was really the only solution to me. My family seemed to be aware that this would be what I'd do if we didn't find Bella in time. I wasn't sure if it was their own love for Bella, or their concern for me that drove them to help me find her.

After we arrived at the airport and found a frantic and apologetic Alice with Jasper, part of me turned cold. I had probably never been more lethal, even in my newborn state. I didn't hear Alice's explanations, or the plan Jasper and Carlisle were forming. I didn't feel Emmett's reassuring hand on my shoulder. All I saw was the vision on replay in Alice's brain.

Bella lying in a pool of blood, her eyes open and unseeing.

I felt my throat and chest tighten now as the vision played in my mind. A hand on my arm reminded me I wasn't alone in the speeding car.

"Edward we're going to find her." Jasper said with determination. I wish I could explain to him without growling why I couldn't listen to him.

No one would understand my position. I could lose Bella far easier than any of them could lose their mate.

We were speeding towards the ballet studio where Alice believed Bella to be. I could barely hold myself in the car. I wanted to burst from it and run on my own. I wanted to tear James limb from limb. But I understood Bella's best chance was if we were all together.

Once the studio was in sight however, and I could hear, even from a distance, James's laughter and Bella's screams, and I lost control.

The car was still moving when I kicked the door and ran out. I didn't stop to look and see if anyone was around to witness my supernatural moment. I didn't care. I cared about only one thing.

Getting to Bella for time ran out for us both.

Her fate was my fate. I had no doubt in that.

I threw open the doors of the studio and my still heart clenched as I saw James hunched over Bella's still form. Something came over me in those first few moments. It was a feeling I have never experienced before. I had gone through some animalistic times in my vampire years. This was something different though. I wasn't just saving her. I was saving the part of me that was still human. The part that she brought out.

I launched myself at James and though he was a vampire whose skills may have been above my own, smelling Bella's blood and knowing he had spilt it; had fueled me.

The screams I had heard were still echoing in my mind as I tore him apart. I didn't even see clearly until Emmett and Jasper were picking up the pieces of him to burn. Once I could see through the haze of rage, all I saw was her.

My breath caught. Odd strangled sounds came from my throat. I knew I moved, but I couldn't feel it. I was shaking.

"Oh no, Bella, no!" I heard myself say over her. There was blood everywhere, seeping from her head and leg. Her skin was paler than mine, her heartbeat fading. It didn't look like she was breathing.

"Bella, please! Bella listen to me, please, please, Bella, please!" I begged, as if it could keep her with me. I looked around the studio until I found my father. "Carlisle!" I called and looked back to Bella in terror as her heartbeat slowed. "Bella, Bella, no, oh please, no, no!" My breath caught again and I felt sobs rack my body. I never felt more scared, human, and helpless.

Carlisle checked her over and as he did she finally stirred. She screamed as Carlisle probed her head and somehow the sound caused me both pain and relief.

"Bella!"

"She's lost some blood, but the head wound isn't deep. Watch out for her leg, it's broken." Carlisle said and I growled, wishing I could kill James twice. "Some ribs, too, I think." He looked at me sadly.

"Edward." Bella said in a soft voice thick with pain.

"Bella, you're going to be fine. Can you hear me, Bella? I love you." I hoped that offered some form of comfort.

"Edward." Bella said sounding more persistent.

"Yes, I'm here." I wondered if she hadn't heard me the first time.

"It hurts," She whimpered, causing pain to stab through me as well.

"I know, Bella, I know" I said to her and caressed her face. I turned to Carlisle, "Can't you do anything?" I begged him.

"My bag, please… Hold your breath, Alice, it will help," Carlisle said to my struggling sister.

"Alice?" Bella asked.

"She's here, she knew where to find you." I said, the only way I could thank Alice right now.

"My hand hurts." She said in a low voice.

"I know, Bella. Carlisle will give you something, it will stop." I soothed.

"My hand is burning!" She yelled, her eyes flying open and searching for me.

"Bella?" I asked suddenly feeling the fear in me build.

"The fire! Someone stop the fire!" She screamed, and I felt a burning too.

"Carlisle! Her hand!" I said and Carlisle turned over her wrist.

"He bit her." His voice was no longer calm, which sent my terror over the edge, to where my breath caught more than ever.

"Edward, you have to do it." Alice said, also looking fearful.

"No!" I yelled. I could not condemn her to this life. I could not let her die in any form.

Bella moaned Alice's name again and Carlisle formed a plan.

"There may be a chance," Carlisle said.

"What?" I begged.

"See if you can suck the venom back out. The wound is fairly clean."

"Will that work?" Alice's voice was strained with the effort of resisting Bella's blood.

"I don't know but we have to hurry." Carlisle said and gave me a look of confidence.

"Carlisle, I…I don't know if I can do that." What if I killed her myself? What if I couldn't stop? The pain of losing her by my own hand was more painful than I could bear.

"It's your decision, Edward, either way. I can't help you. I have to get this bleeding stopped here if you're going to be taking blood from her hand." But his expression told me what he thought I should do.

"Edward!" Bella screamed. She opened her eyes and locked on mine. The pain contorted her expression, but her love and trust in me was clear. She needed my help.

"Alice, get me something to brace her leg!" Carlisle said as he prepared Bella. "Edward, you must do it now, or it will be too

late."

It wasn't his urgency that decided me. It was Bella's trust. I took her wrist in my hand and braced myself. Then I took her bitten wrist to my mouth, and sucked in venom; along with the most delicious blood I have ever tasted.

She thrashed against the fire the venom had given, but I barely felt her move. I had lost all control to the euphoric taste of her blood. It was sweet and intoxicating, just the way a vampire is described, yet she was human and I was a predator.

But I forced my eyes open. Somehow, even through the haze her blood had put me in; I was able to remember everything I had experienced since I had met Bella.

The first time I had seen her face. The first time I touched her. The first time I heard her laugh. The first time I smelled her hair as I kissed the top of her head. The way I felt around her.

How much I love her. How much I need her.

And I stopped. I didn't fully understand how it was possible.

Her whisper of my name calmed my terrified system.

"He's right here, Bella." Carlisle told her, looking at me proudly.

"Stay, Edward, stay with me…" She trailed off, the morphine already hitting her system.

"I will." I promised.

She sighed and Carlisle turned to me. "Is it all out?" He asked and I nodded.

"Her blood tastes clean. I can taste the morphine." I explained and Carlisle asked Bella if the fire was gone.

"Yes. Thank you, Edward."

"I love you." I answered.

"I know." She said sleepily and I chuckled softly. I finally felt a slight bit of relief.

"Bella?" Carlisle interrupted her rest.

Her resulting frown was pure Bella. "What?"

"Where is your mother?"

"In Florida," She sighed, annoyed with herself it seemed. "He tricked me, Edward. He watched our videos."

"Alice." She suddenly sounded desperate and looked for Alice. "Alice, the video — he knew you, Alice, he knew where you came from." She said, causing us to look confused at each other. "I smell gasoline," She said and her eyes drooped again.

"It's time to move her," Carlisle said.

"No, I want to sleep," She whimpered again.

"You can sleep, sweetheart, I'll carry you," I said, thrilled that I could finally hold her. I wanted nothing more than to feel her heart beat close to me. I lifted her carefully, and sighed in contentment at the feeling of knowing she would stay with me, and not depart to a world I'd never see. "Sleep now, Bella" I told her. And for once she listened to me completely and did just that.

Maybe time would always be against us. And I knew one day Bella's human life would run out. I knew that's when my time would end too. At least now I knew, that not only did I have more control than I thought, but also our relationship was stronger than I imagined. It had withstood the power blood had over me. Our love was more powerful.

As I walked Bella out of the studio, I cradled her as close to me as I dared. I wasn't sure what would come out of this, and even though that worried me, I knew as long as I had her, my mind would be easy.