Author's Note:

This is my favorite story that I've written so far, so please review (Yes, I like criticism too, I can take it).

Be ready for surprises. You can PM (Personal message) me if you have any questions or things you want to add. I like feedback (parts you hate, parts you love, parts you think I should add, questions you want me to answer…)

Thanks for reading...

PS. I promise I won't have one of these at the beginning of every chapter.

Chapter One: To Late

The sun was low on the horizon sending rays of light to shimmer on the frosty, desolate ground. Bella and I were just exiting a big building lined with windows. The University of Alaska Anchorage. I was sure Bella couldn't believe I'd actually agreed to let her go there, I couldn't even believe myself, but Bella was now enrolled with her first semester paid for.

I looked at Bella. She was beaming and even though she was the one person I'd ever not been able to know the thoughts of, this time I knew exactly why. College meant that Bella and I would be married soon and she would become a vampire. This is what Bella seemed to think she wanted most but I dreaded it. No more warmth when I hugged her, no more beating heart, no more blushing cheeks, and the same doomed fate as mine. I frowned.

"What are you thinking about?" Bella asked, gently sliding her hand into mine.

"Nothing," I replied.

"Oh, come on," she whined.

"You don't want to know."

"Yes I do." Bella put on a begging face and looked into my eyes. I shook my head no. "Please?" she looked down.

"Fine." She looked up into my eyes, making sure I was sincere, then smiled. "It's not fair when you do that to me."

Bella laughed, "Stop stalling."

"Are you sure you want to doom yourself Bella?"

Her face was suddenly serious, she let go of my hand and turned to face me. "How many times have we had this discussion Edward? I want to turn and be with you forever!" She was right. We had had this discussion many times. But my mind continued to come back to the same old topic.

"I told you that you wouldn't like it."

"Oh Edward," Bella sighed, "It's not like I'm dying, it will still be me. Just a much prettier more worthy of you version of me."

"I like you how you are Bella. Warm, rosy cheeked, beating hearted you." She looked away. A couple of moments passed in silence before I spoke again, "What are you thinking Bella?"

"I'm wondering how you can love an ugly, clumsy, boring girl like me." Bella turned and continued to the car, while I stood there for a moment letting that register in my brain.

I jogged up to her easily. "Is that really what you think of yourself Bella?"

"That's not what I think about myself Edward, that's what I know. That and a whole lot more."

We stopped next to my silver Volvo and I took Bella's warm hands in mine. "Promise me that as long as I love you, no matter what you'll know that you are special, special enough that you are Bella Swan, special enough that you know about vampires and werewolves, special enough that I love you?"

"Oh Edward!" She thrust her arms around me and I felt a damp spot start to form where her face was. "I love you," she whispered through her silent tears.

"I love you too," I replied helping her into the passenger side to drive to our dorms. "But how much sleep did you get last night?" I knew the answer, and I knew it was to little.

--

A stunning array of pinks, blues, oranges, and purples stretched across the sky framing the sun that inched slowly down but wouldn't disappear completely for another month or two. It was amazing that after 100+ years of life, Alaska's beauty still boggled my mind. I turned my head and smiled at Bella's sleeping form. True love. It's not easy to come by; it took one hundred year of searching for me. How did humans do it in twenty? Did they even find it?

"Oh Bella, I wish I could read your thoughts. Then I'd know if you really loved me…" I whispered the words to myself. Would your thoughts hurt me? Would your dreams give me misery or contentment? What do you think about when you sit quietly? What makes you blush? What's going on behind your mask?

SNAP

I looked down at the steering wheel, a 3-inch segment was missing. I turned my gaze to my speed-o-meter. It read 150 MPH. In my stress, I'd not only broken the steering wheel.

"Darn."

"Strike one. Watch your language please." A woman's voice said kindly.

"Hey, that is not a bad word."

"Don't talk back to me young man." The woman's voice said more sternly.

"Mmmm. What's that?" Bella mumbled.

"Oh, my mom installed one in all the boy's cars about a month ago. It's supposed to keep you from swearing, but all it does is but the cr--, I mean, bug me to death." As I talked Bella yawned and sat straighter in the seat next to me.

She smiled, "That's not what I meant. It sounded like something was breaking, what was it?" I handed her a 3-inch, slightly curved black tube. "What's this?"

I sighed, "A piece of the steering wheel."

Bella laughed "How did you do that?"

"I was thinking."

"Oh, that must have been some pretty dangerous thinking. So how long was I asleep?"

"About an hour."

"It doesn't take that long to get to our dorms from the administration office."

"Yeah there's been a change of plans. We're going for a quick visit to my parents."

"We're driving all the way to Forks?" Bella's expression was skeptical.

"No, we're going to Canada."

"Canada…Why?"

"Well, it's in between Forks and Alaska, a good meeting spot…"

"No, I didn't mean 'why Canada'. I meant why the sudden 'change in plans'?"

"I don't know. Alice called as I was driving to the dorms and said, 'meet us in Canada as soon as you can.' Then she hung up without leaving me time for questions. I didn't want to wake you up, you were so tired…" A short silence followed.

"I hope nothing's wrong. How close are we?"

I shrugged. "Still an hour or two away."

"Hey, you look tired. Want me to drive while you take a nap?" Bella joked.

I smiled wistfully, "Sometimes I wish I could still sleep, just so I could dream, you know?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "No, but sometimes I wish I couldn't sleep so I wouldn't have nightmares."

"Yeah well, the grass is always greener on the other side I guess."

Bella met my eyes for a second before looking quickly away as color rose to her cheeks. It was so cute when she did that, like she was embarrassed that I was looking at her. "Edward, watch the road." she said nervously, looking at me again.

I chuckled and obeyed turning my focus. "So Bella, are you excited for college? It'll start soon."

"You know what I'm excited for."

I frowned, not wanting to start the argument again.

"Darn it Edward! Don't you love me? Don't you want us to be together forever?"

"Of course I do, I'm not saying that I won't change you, just that it goes against my better judgment. Now, you should try to get some sleep. You are going to want to be alert when we get there, whatever this is about, it sounded important."

"Fine," she said leaning against the car door and closing her eyes.

Thirty minutes passed with only Bella's occasional mumble to bread the silence. My phone buzzed and I checked the ID. Alice. "Hello." I said.

"Edward, watch out." To late.