The final moment had come. The moment that I would cease to exist.

It was my choice, pre-determined a long time ago. I would not live in a world where she did not exist.

The hands on the giant clock tower inched closer and closer to the moment of my demise. The sun beat down from the exact center of the sky.

It was time. For I had failed her and this was the end of my story.

***

Chapter 1

The digital red numbers on Bella's bedside table switched from 11:59 to 12:00am. At the same precise moment Bella stirred anxiously in her sleep, as if somehow – in her slumber – she knew.

Her eighteenth birthday had come.

Eighteen. Much to Bella's dismay, she'd done the impossible and passed me in age. I was frozen at seventeen, to only grow wiser mentally…never physically changing.

But Bella would change. She would grow, mature…blossom like the delicate flower that she is…if I had my way. It was the natural order of things, to evolve, to change. While neither I nor my family would experience that part of life again, Bella was safe from our fate. Bella was protected, free from harm, free to move about her world without interference.

The only problem was…she did not want to.

I did not understand this desire of hers, to become a soulless monster. She wanted me forever and I felt the same, but forever had different meanings in our world. I longed for the forever of the human world, to watch as Bella grew older.

If she had her way, I would not get that chance.

I leaned over and brushed Bella's chestnut hair away from her face. In the moonlight, Bella's pale skin was even more translucent. I could hear her heart beating faster – her dream was making her anxious.

"Edward, no, she'll see," Bella spoke in her sleep.

Though I was used to hearing her talk in her sleep, I still adored the breathless way my name rolled off of her lips.

Bella stirred again, this time wrapping her arms around my icy chest. I did not understand how she could be so comfortable lying next to an ice cold rock. But Bella never complained. In fact, she insisted that she could not sleep without me.

"Edward," Bella breathed again, her scent hitting me like a wall of fire.

In six months, I had not grown immune to the burning that being near Bella caused. Where I used to shy away from it, I now welcomed it. The fiery sensation in my throat meant that she was near. As long as I burned, Bella and I were together.

"Happy birthday, Bella," I whispered and hugged her tighter…carefully.

I stayed until I heard Charlie stirring in the next room, my cue to exit out of the window as I did every morning for the past eight months. I had to get ready for school as well. And try to talk Alice out of the plan I saw her hatching last night before I left.

Alice was the only one in the living room when I returned to our home, nestled deep inside the forest. Her eyes were brilliant with excitement as she put the finishing touches on a small silver wrapped gift. Bella was going to be so upset. She'd made us swear that we would not get her any gifts of any kind. But when Alice broke the promise, the rest of us followed behind, hoping that Alice would bear the worst of Bella's wrath. After all, she was planning a party.

We rode to Forks High School in silence. Well, we were not speaking, the conventional way, that is. Alice was keeping up a constant stream of chatter in her head as she planned Bella's surprise party down to the minutest detail.

"And don't you say anything to her about the party," Alice warned me, trying her best to look frightening and tough. It didn't work.

"Don't worry about that," I answered. "I'll let you handle that."

I rounded the corner, amazed that even after all these years in Forks, the student body still parted like the Red Sea when I pulled my Volvo into the student parking lot. Bella had not arrived yet but I could hear the rumbling of her '53 Chevy truck barreling down the street at the slowest speed possible.

I wanted to get her a new car, something prettier and definitely faster but Bella was not hearing any of that. She loved her old truck and every once in awhile the thought passed through my mind that the reason she loved the rickety automobile is because it once belonged to Billy and Jacob Black, her close family friends. But the thought never lingered long. I refused to be jealous of one of the many complications in my relationship with Bella.

"Here she comes," Alice announced and hopped out of the car.

I stood patiently by the car, waiting for Bella while Alice literally skipped forward to meet her.

"Happy Birthday Bella!"

Bella grimaced. "Shh!"

"Do you want your present now or later?" Alice asked eagerly as they made their way to my car.

Bella looked apprehensive on what should have been a joyous occasion. I could read the pain in her eyes as she approached. Her eyes never could hide her true feelings. She hated the fact that today was her birthday and I would never have another birthday again.

"No presents," Bella mumbled and Alice finally processed her sour mood.

"Okay...later, then. Did you like the scrapbook your mom sent you? And the camera from Charlie?"

Bella sighed and glanced at me. Of course Alice had seen what Renée and Charlie had given their only child for her eighteenth birthday.

"Yeah, they're great," was Bella's unenthused answer.

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

Bella's brow tensed and her eyes lowered. "How many times have you been a senior?"

"That's different."

The two girls, similar only in general paleness, but best friends nonetheless, finally reached me and I held my hand out to Bella. She took it eagerly, seeming to forget her sullen mood. It was like that all the time, even if it was momentarily. When we looked into each other's eyes, all was forgiven and forgotten.

I lifted my hand and traced around the outside of her lips, the warmth of her skin warming my fingertips.

"So, as discussed, I am not allowed to wish you a Happy Birthday, is that correct?" I asked.

"Yes. That is correct."

"Just checking. You might have changed your mind. Most people seem to enjoy things like birthdays and gifts."

As soon as the words were spoken, I knew that they were wrong. Most people. Isabella Swan was nothing like most people. Most people shied away from the strange Cullen clan, including our own kind. Most people were selfish and self serving and Bella was a saint.

Alice laughed at my words. "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?" It was a rhetorical question but Bella's deep brown eyes told us that she had an answer ready.

"Getting older," Bella replied shakily.

My smile hardened. This was not the time to bring this subject up again.

"Eighteen isn't very old," Alice said. "Don't women usually wait until they're twenty-nine to get upset over birthdays?"

"It's older than Edward," Bella mumbled and I sighed. She would not let this go.

"Technically," Alice said, trying her best to keep the conversation light. "Just by one year, though."

But it would be more than one year. We'd escaped Bella's transformation just months ago in Phoenix and I decided then what my next plan of action would be and it was not to make her one of us. No matter how much she insisted, I would not allow it.

And she insisted all of the time. So there we stood at a crossroad...an impasse.

"What time will you be at the house?" Alice said to Bella, interrupting an intense staring contest.

"I didn't know I had plans to be there."

"Oh be fair, Bella!" Alice complained. "You aren't going to ruin all our fun like that, are you?"

"I thought my birthday was about what I want."

"I'll get her from Charlie's right after school," I interrupted.

"I have to work," Bella weakly protested.

"You don't actually," Alice informed her smugly. "I already spoke to Mrs. Newton about it. She's trading your shifts. She said to tell you 'Happy Birthday.'"

"I-I still can't come over," Bella stammered, searching for an excuse, any excuse. "I, well I haven't watched Romeo and Juliet yet for English."

Alice snorted. "You have Romeo and Juliet memorized."

"But Mr. Berty said we needed to see it performed to fully appreciate it-that's how Shakespeare intended it to be presented."

Automatically, I felt my eyes roll to the back of my head. Romeo and Juliet.

"You've already seen the movie," Alice argued.

"But not the nineteen-sixties version. Mr. Berty said it was the best."

Finally Alice stopped smiling. "This can be easy, or this can be hard, Bella, but one way or the other-"

"Relax, Alice," I interrupted before my dark haired sister could get upset, "If Bella wants to watch a movie, then she can. It's her birthday."

"So there," Bella added and for a split second I thought she was going to stick out her tongue at Alice.

"I'll bring her over around seven. That will give you more time to set up."

Alice smiled and laughed. Just what she needed...more time to make this party even more extravagant.

"Sounds good. See you tonight, Bella! It'll be fun, you'll see."

She grinned and pecked Bella on the cheek. She was off to her first class before Bella could respond.

She turned to me, her face a desperate plea for help.

"Edward, please," she started but I pressed my finger to her lips. As much as I wanted to allow her to forget about it, Alice would never forgive me. And a vampire grudge was not something that I wanted to endure. Bella could and would survive a few hours at a party for her.

"Let's discuss it later," I suggested. "We're going to be late for class."

Months ago Bella had accused me of dazzling people to get what I wanted. I had not noticed. Now that I was aware of this talent, I tested it on the female administrators at Forks High School and now Bella and I had the majority of our classes together.

We passed an angry Mike Newton as we took our usual seats in the back of the English classroom.

Pretty boy loser...look how he holds Bella's hand so tighty, like he's afraid that he'll lose her. might as well put her on a leash.

For months Mike Newton had tried to pursue his crush on Bella but we had been together too long and he now realized that the small girl was mine. That she'd chosen me. And he didn't like it. He hid his evil thoughts behind a small smile, only I could hear how disgusted he was.

I watched Bella from the side of my eye through out the day. No one attempted to wish her birthday blessings because she had told no one that her birthday was approaching. Going through the day without the well wishes of others seemed to make her happy, though her face stayed tense and I was curious to know what she was thinking of.

Then it was time for lunch.

Now that Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett had graduated, Bella and I migrated to the table that she had shared with her friends. It was an interesting kind of truce that existed between us. Alice joined us and surprisingly, she was accepted more by Bella's friend than I ever was. It was because she was a girl. Even the evil Lauren was drawn to my pixie like sister.

The conversation was boring...at best. Alice's party planning in her head was the interesting topic that I focused on. She was going all out for Bella but I knew that I would stop her if she went too far. Bella did not like attention. Attention is never a good thing for the accident prone. And Bella was an accident magnet.

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly. I was thankful. High school, even with Bella there, was a tedious task that I longed to never have to do again. When we moved away from Forks, we would need a new cover story. Neither me, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and especially Rosalie, wanted to repeat another four years of high school. College was easier to repeat.

At the end of the day, I walked alongside Bella to her rustic truck, as usual. This time I held open the passenger door. Alice had taken my car, making sure that Bella had no escape plan.

"It's my birthday," Bella pouted, "don't I get to drive?"

"I'm pretending it's not your birthday," I replied. "Just as you asked."

"If it's not my birthday, then I don't have to go to your house tonight..." Bella pointed out and she had a point.

"Alright." I shut the door regretfully. I hated being the passenger in her truck. "Happy Birthday," I threw in for good measure.

"Shh," she said as she climbed into the truck.

As we drove down the street at a snail's pace – Bella's truck sounded like a dying animal if you tried to go over 55mph – I fiddled with her radio.

"Your radio has horrible reception," I commented.

"You want a nice stereo? Drive your own car," Bella snapped and I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling. Bella was truly not happy about her birthday.

Bella pulled the truck to a stop in front of her house. I saw nervousness in her eyes as she glanced at the watch on her wrist. Only a few hours to her doom, her eyes read. I reached over to take her face in my hands, pressing the tips of my fingers against her temples, then her cheekbones. She was so soft, so delicate.

"You should be in a good mood, today of all days," I whispered.

Bella's breath was uneven. "And if I don't want to be in a good mood?"

"Too bad."

I leaned closer and pressed my lips against hers. Kissing Bella was a blessing and a curse, invoking two different types of instincts, both equally dangerous. However, as I knew it would, my kiss allowed Bella to temporarily forget about the party, forget about the attention, and focus all her energy on me.

And as usual, Bella let her emotions take over – not a choice for me – and wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me with a little too much enthusiasm, nearly crossing the line I'd so carefully drawn for our physical relationship. Bella wouldn't or couldn't understand how much restraint it took to keep her alive while she was in my arms, her blood boiling under her thin skin.

"Be good please," I pleaded as I pulled away. I grinned at the sound of Bella's thudding heart. It drummed hyperactively as she held her palm up to her chest.

"Do you think I'll ever get better at this?" she wondered out loud. "That my heart might someday stop trying to jump out of my chest whenever you touch me?"

"I really hope not," I answered. I adored Bella's reactions to me. I couldn't help sounding a bit smug at the idea that it was me who caused her to react the way she did.

"Let's go watch the Capulets and Montagues hack each other up, alright?" Bella suggested, rolling her eyes.

"Your wish, my command."

Bella smiled at my words as if they had a secret meaning that I knew nothing about. In fact, if she only knew how true my words were. Whatever Bella wanted I would do...except...

No! I forced the thought out of my head. I wouldn't think about that today. Bella would enjoy the remainder of her birthday. Her disposition would be unpleasant enough. She'd probably sulk all the way to my house. I, however, would not add to her displeasure.

I followed Bella into her house with a sense of familiarity. My scent was everywhere in the small house. I spent more of my time here than anywhere else. I would have it no other way. It pained me to be away from Bella for any length of time.

I made myself comfortable on the couch, lying across it as if it were my own while Bella sat anxiously on the edge, fast-forwarding through the opening credits of the movie.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her close to my chest. It had taken me some time to adjust to the fact that Bella enjoyed lying close to my frigid body. From the beginning, she'd never shown the slightest discomfort. I still insisted on wrapping her in an afghan as she pressed her small body closer to mine. I'd caught her teeth chattering on more than one occasion as we laid together on this couch, enjoying our time together before Charlie came home.

As the movie began I watched Bella intently instead of the classic, a favorite of Bella and Esme. Truth be told, Romeo and Juliet was my least favorite of all the Shakespearean works. There is no rhyme or reason to it. Neither one of them had to die.

"You know, I've never had much patience for Romeo," I blurted out.

Bella jolted in my arms. How dare I speak ill of her precious Romeo!

"What's wrong with Romeo?" she asked, a little offended.

"Well, first of all, he's in love with this Rosaline," I answered smoothly. "Don't you think that makes him seem a little fickle?"

I did. If he really truly loved Rosaline, as he claimed, there was no way that another woman would have caught his attention, as Juliet did for him. Either he did not love Rosaline or Juliet was just a phase.

"And then," I continued my explanation, "a few minutes after their wedding he kills Juliet's cousin. That's not very brilliant. Mistake after mistake," I grumbled. "Could he have destroyed his own happiness any more thoroughly?"

Bella's face went through a range of emotions before she settled on mild agitation.

"Do you want me to watch this alone?"

She tried to ease away from me but I held her tighter as my finger traced small circles across the warm flesh of her arms. My cold hard fingers left trails of goose bumps in their wake.

"No," I murmured. "I'll mostly be watching you anyway. Will you cry?"

"Probably, if I'm paying attention."

And I could tell that she wanted to pay attention. I was a complete distraction to Bella, as I'd come to acknowledge in the months since we became a "couple".

I leaned closer, brushing my lips against her silky hair, inhaling her luscious scent.

"I won't disturb you then," I promised and I tried not to but the movie was so tediously boring considering how often I was forced to watch it when the movie was first released back in 1968. Esme would sit for hours watching the tale on our color television set – we were the first to own such a thing – and force us all to watch it with her. It grew to be quite tiresome. And now, here I was again, forty years later, doing the same with Bella.

Bella soon became engrossed in the tale of the two star-crossed lovers. Out of sheer boredom and to see Bella's reaction, I whispered Romeo's sappy lines in her ear as the movie progressed. Bella seemed to melt against my stone chest as I whispered the classic words. Her heart raced and her cheeks became flushed as I imagined that she was envisioning herself as Juliet.

I chuckled softly as the movie came to an end and Bella was shedding silent tears when Juliet woke and found her Romeo dead.

I used a lock of hair to wipe the tears from Bella's wet face. I loved touching Bella's hair. Her hair was long, thick, and so fragrant. Bella's hair was safe, the only thing on her fragile body that I could not break.

"I'll admit, I do sort of envy him here," I uttered.

"She's quite pretty," Bella sighed.

I frowned. Juliet was just pretty. In comparison to Bella, Juliet's so-called beauty was nothing.

"I don't envy the girl- just the ease of the suicide.

For a second Bella looked confused.

"You humans have it so easy," I teased. "All you have to do is throw down one tiny vial of plant extracts..."

"What" Bella gasped, sitting up and staring at me.

"It's something I had to think about once, and I knew from Carlisle's experience that it wouldn't be simple. I'm not even sure how many ways Carlisle tried to kill himself in the beginning..." I realized my tone had turned grave so I lightened it. "And he's clearly still in excellent health."

"What are you talking about?" Bella demanded. "What do you mean, this is something that you had to think about once?"

I know she had not forgotten what had happened last spring. Though we rarely spoke of the events that had nearly ended her life in a ballet studio at the teeth of a sadistic vampire – the evidence was scarred on Bella's arm – I was positive that the nightmares that often woke her up in a screaming fit were due to said events.

"Last spring, when you were...nearly killed..." I paused. I wanted to keep this conversation light so I tried to bring back the teasing tone I was using earlier.

"Of course I was trying to focus on finding you alive, but part of my mind was making contingency plans. Like I said, it's not as easy for me as it is for a human."

This was something I had not shared with Bella or any of the other emotionally sensitive females in my family. Only Carlisle and Emmett knew of my thoughts, had it really been necessary.

"Contingency plans?" Bella repeated her eyes wide with horror.

I ran my finger gently along her jaw.

"Well, I wasn't going to live without you," I stated matter of factly. It wasn't like she didn't already know that, considering the measures I would take to keep her safe.

"But," I continued, "I wasn't sure how to do it. I knew Emmett and Jasper would never help. So I was thinking maybe I would go to Italy and do something to provoke the Volturi."

Ahh, the Volturi. I hadn't thought bout them in months. The Ancients...the only sure fire way to end my life.

Bella was furious. "What is a Volturi?"

"The Volturi are a family," I explained. "A very old, very powerful family 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. Do you remember the story?" I asked.

"Of course I remember." Bella's eyes were far away revisiting....something.

"Anyway, you don't irritate the Volturi," I continued, interrupting her reverie. "Not unless you want to die or whatever it is that we do."

Carlisle and most others believed that we – vampires – did indeed die, but in order to die you have to believe that we were in fact alive. I do not believe as most others do. I believe that once my kind is destroyed, we simply cease to exist, though dying or death provided an easier explanation. Most people understand death.

Bella placed her hands tightly against my face. I could see the upset swimming in the deep pools of chocolate that were her eyes.

"You must never, never think of anything like that again! No matter what might ever happen to me, you are not allowed to hurt yourself," she ordered.

"I'll never put you in danger again so it's a moot point." I could have easily removed Bella's hands from my face but I liked the feel of her warm hands against my cold skin.

"Put me in danger!" Bella scoffed. "I thought we'd established that all the bad luck is my fault? How dare you even think like that."

On the day that she officially became an adult, Bella no longer resembled the feisty kitten. Her rage had propelled her to a feisty lioness. She was angrier than I've seen her in quite awhile. I understood her pain but she must understand mine.

"What would you do, if the situation were reversed?" I asked her.

"That's not the same thing."

She would say that. Bella always seemed to think that she was inferior to me, that she loved me more than I loved her, as if that were even possible.

"What if something did happen to you?" she questioned me in return. "Would you want me to go off myself?"

A twinge of pain shot through me as I realized that Bella was making perfect sense.

"I guess I see your point...a little," I admitted. "But what would I do without you."

"Whatever you were doing before I came along and complicated your existence," was Bella's angered reply.

Go back to doing nothing? Go back to endlessly trying to decipher the meaning of my existence. I'd rather visit the Volturi.

"You make it sound so easy," I sighed.

"It should be. I'm really not that interesting."

I had a few words to disprove her theory right there on the tip of my tongue but we'd had this conversation too many times. Arguing with Bella over whether she was interesting or not was a waste of time.

"Moot point," I said, sitting up abruptly and shifting Bella to the side of me with ease. I could hear her father's cruiser approaching.

"Charlie?" Bella guessed correctly.

I nodded and smiled as Bella gripped my hand. We didn't show too much affection around Charlie, much to Bella's disappointment. If she had her way she would never stop touching me, never stop kissing me. But I explained to her that Charlie was still not comfortable with his daughter being in love.

Charlie entered the house carrying a large pizza box. The smell of freshly baked dough, tangy sauce, and Italian spices made Bella's stomach rumble. I'd grown used to the smell of human food – it no longer stung my nostrils – but still, I did not find it appealing.

"Hey kids," Charlie said and grinned at his daughter. "I thought you'd like a break from cooking and washing dishes for your birthday. Hungry?"

"Sure. Thanks dad."

I politely declined his dinner invitation which bothered Charlie none. He was used to my lack of appetite. He passed it off as me being a "health nut", avoiding regular food to keep my body in great physical condition.

I watched Charlie and Bella retreat to the kitchen. As I did most times when they were together, I avoided listening to their conversation. Charlie deserved some private time with his daughter, especially since I was a constant fixture at the Swan house.

I've always enjoyed the casualness and relaxed way Bella interacted with her father. If she only knew how often he suspected that he not was doing enough for her, not spending enough time with her. I heard it all but I chose not to inform Bella. It would only make her anxious.

When I was sure that they were finished eating, I entered the kitchen slowly. Charlie was still seated while Bella put the remaining pizza in the fridge.

"Do you mind if I borrow Bella for the evening?" I asked Charlie.

Bella glanced at her dad, hopefully, but fate was on my side...or Alice's.

"That's fine," Charlie answered. "The Mariners are playing the Sox tonight so I won't be any kind of company."

Bella's face dropped and I guessed that she was hoping her father had plans for the two of them, anything that would prevent her from having to come to our house.

What did I say? Charlie wondered. Maybe she doesn't want to go with Edward. Maybe I should have said no. But that's crazy. Bella always wants to be with him.

Charlie scooped up the camera that was his gift to Bella and tossed it to her.

"Here," he said as we both watched the camera graze Bella's uncoordinated fingertips and tumble to the floor. I grabbed it before Charlie's gift could hit the linoleum and be forever ruined.

"Nice save," Charlie remarked. "If they're doing anything at the Cullens tonight, Bella, you should take some pictures. You know how your mother gets. She'll be wanting to see the pictures faster than you can take them."

'Good idea, Charlie," I added, handing the camera to Bella. Immediately she pointed the camera at me and snapped a picture.

"It works."

"That's good. Hey, say hi to Alice for me." Charlie's mouth pulled down into a slight frown. "She hasn't been over in awhile."

Charlie had developed quite an affinity for my little sister. Last spring, when Bella was injured, Alice had come to his rescue, saving him from the horror of helping his teenage daughter bathe while her leg was encased in a plaster cast. It was a task that I was more than willing to handle myself, but I knew that the suggestion would not be appreciated.

"It's been three days, Dad," Bella teased her father. "I'll tell her."

"Okay, you kids have fun tonight," Charlie dismissed us as he edged towards the living room where his baseball game was about to start.

My mouth turned up into what Bella had proclaimed as my "crooked smile" as I took her hand and led her out of the house to her truck.

I opened the passenger door for her and this time she did not protest about not being allowed to drive her own vehicle. I was grateful for her lack of protest but I knew why. It was dark and Bella, no matter how often she drove to my home, still had a hard time finding the turnoff in the dark.

As usual the ancient truck grumbled and groaned as I drove through Forks. The prehistoric truck hated me as much as I hated it.

"Take it easy," Bella warned as the damned thing started to whine when I tried to push it a few miles over fifty.

Ridiculous!

"You know what you would love? A nice little Audi coupe," I suggested. "Very quiet, lots of power..."

"There's nothing wrong with my truck!" Her mouth twisted into a pout. "And speaking on expensive nonessentials," she added, "if you know what's good for you, you didn't spend any money on birthday presents."

Bella's irrational insistence that I never buy her anything was nerve-racking to say the least, but just this once, I had complied and had not bought her anything. I could not say the same for the six other vampires waiting at the house.

"Not a dime," I assured her.

"Good."

"Can you do me a favor, Bella?" I asked hopefully. Bella did not like to be obligated to favors either.

"That depends on what it is."

"Bella," I sighed, watching her lovely face turn serious. "The last real birthday any of us had was Emmett in 1935. Cut us a little slack and don't be too difficult tonight. They're all very excited."

I could tell from the way her shoulders relaxed that Bella had planned on being very difficult and my words had foiled her plan.

"Fine, I'll behave," she conceded.

There was more, and though Emmett had asked me to keep it a secret, there was no way I could not tell Bella who was waiting for her at our house, not when it could possibly displease her.

"I should probably warn you..."

"Please do," Bella interrupted.

"When I say they're all excited...I do mean all of them."

"Everyone?" Bella choked. "I thought Emmet and Rosalie were in Africa."

Emmett and Rosalie – mostl Rose – had decided after graduating from Forks High School they wanted to live apart from the family, as they did from time to time. It was easier for Rosalie to deal with my affection for Bella from afar. The story we gave to anyone who bothered to ask was that Emmett and Rose were off attending Dartmouth.

"Emmett wanted to be here," I told her.

"But...Rosalie?"

"I know, Bella. Don't worry, she'll be on her best behavior," I assured her, attempting to erase the flash of dread that washed over my love's face. Time to change the subject before Bella started to dwell on her tumultuous relationship with my sister.

"So, if you won't let me get you the Audi, isn't there anything that you'd like for your birthday?"

Bella's face changed and my own sense of impending dread took over. I knew what she was going to say.

"You know what I want."

This was my fault. Bella has a one track mind. I should have known that she'd only be on her best behavior once we arrived at the house. Riding in the car did not count. She could torture me with her request without guilt.

"Not tonight, Bella. Please," I added for good measure.

"Well, maybe Alice will give me what I want," she suggested defiantly.

"This is not going to be your last birthday, Bella," I growled.

"That's not fair!"

I clenched my teeth together as anger coursed through my body. There was only one reason for me to ever be angry with Bella and this was it, her incessant desire to become a monster. But I said nothing. Let her protest. Let her beg and plead. I was not going to end her life for her today or any other day. Neither would anyone in my family. My wrath at such an action would keep them from performing the heinous act.

I pulled up to the house. Bright lights sparkled from every window. Alice and Esme had done a beautiful job. They'd hung a long line of Japanese lanterns from the porch eaves that cast a soft glow over the yard and trees surrounding our home.

Crystal bowls filled with pink rose petals lined the stairs leading up to the front door. I was surprised that Esme had allowed Alice to use her fine crystal for such an occasion. Bella's clumsiness was a running joke in my household. I envisioned her tripping up the stairs over an invisible crack and imagined the pained look on Esme's face when her magnificent crystal was crushed.

Bella took a lingering glance at the elaborate decorations and moaned.

"This is a party," I reminded her. "Try to be a good sport."

"Sure," she muttered.

I wanted Bella to be happy. It was not normal for a teenage girl not to be ecstatic on her eighteenth birthday. What I wouldn't give to have an eighteenth birthday. Alice felt the same. And Rosalie, I'm sure would love to be able to have hers again.

I opened Bella's door and offered my hand, which she took.

"I have a question," she stated. Inside I groaned and said nothing.

"If I develop this film, will you show up in the picture?"

I laughed. After eight months, Bella still questioned some of the Hollywood vampire myths. I remembered Emmett's reaction when he found out that most of the vampire myths were untrue and was still laughing as I opened the front door to my house.

A loud chorus of "Happy Birthday Bella!" greeted us as we entered the living room. Bella faltered at the scene in front of her. Alice had gone overboard, as usual. I wrapped an encouraging arm around Bella's waist as I sensed her obvious distress.

Overboard wasn't quite the correct term to use. Alice had covered every flat surface in the room with pink candles and more crystal bowls filled with flowers. I didn't even know Esme owned all that crystal. She'd even set up a table next to my piano that held a pink birthday cake that could have fed the entire student body at Forks High School. There were more roses on the table, a stack of plates – for who? – and a small pile of Bella's dreaded presents.

And six happy and excited vampires smiled at the birthday girl...well five. Rosalie wasn't smiling but at least she wasn't glaring at Bella like she normally did. I commended her effort.

Carlisle and Esme were standing closest to us and they moved towards Bella first. Esme hugged her and kissed her forehead. My mother adored Bella.

"Sorry about this, Bella," Carlisle whispered as he put his arm around her shoulders. "We couldn't rein Alice in."

"You haven't changed at all," Emmett boomed. It had been months since he'd seen his little sister, as he proclaimed Bella to be. "I expected a perceptible difference, but here you are, red-faced just like always.

The blush that spread across Bella's cheeks was bright red and Emmett's words only caused her to blush deeper. I smiled as her cheeks went from red to crimson.

"Thanks a lot, Emmett," she replied.

He laughed. "I have to step out for a second." No one missed the conspicuous wink at Alice. "Don't do anything funny while I'm gone."

"I'll try," Bella couldn't help but smile.

Alice let go of Jasper's hand and skipped forward. Jasper smiled at Bella as well but maintained a safe distance from her. It was still hard for Jasper to be around humans. Bella's scent invoked hunger pains, which we did not need tonight.

"Time to open presents," Alice trilled and put her hand under Bella's elbow. Bella could not keep her feet from not moving as Alice dragged her to the cake table.

"Alice, I know I told you I didn't want anything -"

"But I didn't listen," Alice interrupted smugly. Alice never listened to what Bella wanted. When it came to Bella, Alice thought she knew best. She took the camera that Bella was clutching tightly and replaced it with a big silver box. The gift was from Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper.

Car stereo, Rosalie informed me. He's installing it now.

Self consciously Bella tore the paper off the box and stared at it...confused. Then she opened it, revealing nothing except an empty box.

"Um...thanks."

Rosalie actually smiled as Jasper laughed.

"It's a stereo for your truck," Jasper explained. "Emmett's installing it right now so that you can't return it."

"Thanks, Jasper, Rosalie," Bella said graciously. "Thanks Emmett," she called out.

Emmett's booming laugh from outside made everyone in the room laugh too. And for once that day, Bella looked happy.

"Open mine and Edward's next," Alice said. Excitement was written all over her face. She'd never been so happy to throw a party.

Bella turned to me with a basilisk glare. "You promised."

I shook my head but before I could answer Emmett bounded through the door. He and Jasper moved closer to us to get a better look at Bella's next gift.

"Just in time!"

I chuckled at my brother and brushed a strand of hair from Bella's face.

"I didn't spend a dime," I assured her.

Bella took a deep, defeated breath and turned to Alice. "Give it to me."

The happiness that she was causing my family was not lost on Bella. As much as she loved the Cullen clan, I should have known that she would have done everything in her power to make this day as special for us as Alice had done for her.

Still, she rolled her eyes playfully at me as she took the small silver package from Alice's hand and stuck her finger under the edge of the paper.

"Shoot," Bella muttered. At once I looked down at her hand. Paper cut.

A tiny drop of blood oozed from the tiny cut on her finger but that was enough. The floral, intoxicating scent of Bella's blood filled the room and every fear I had imagined manifested itself in my living room. Too quickly.

Jasper was the first to move, his eyes ravished with blood thirst. He was moving at an unstoppable pace. Carlisle reached out to grab him and missed.

"No!" I roared and threw myself at Bella...too hard, too sudden. She crashed into the table, scattering the plates, flowers, cake, and presents. She fell to the ground, landing in a pile of shattered glass.

Jasper slammed into me, sending a deafening roar through the house. I understood that he was not himself. The smell...the scent of fresh human blood was too powerful. That did not stop me from squaring off in front of him, a grisly snarl coming from Jasper's throat.

My own brother was wild, as fresh blood poured out of Bella's open wounds caused by landing into jagged shards of glass. He snapped his teeth at me, inches from my face. I knew at once that I would have to fight my brother. I crouched into my fighting stance and growled.

Emmett grabbed Jasper from behind and held him tightly; still Jasper struggled to get to Bella. I did not know how long he could hold him. The scent was overtaking Emmett's senses as well. Before I knew it, all the members of my family were feeling the affects of the blood. I stared into the eyes of six ravenous vampires. I could not fight them all. This was not happening!