Disclaimer: I Don't Own Any Of The Characters Just The One's You Don't Recognize

Prologue

Bella Pov

I was now in Canada walking through the forest. It reminded me so much of the one in Forks. Slowly touching each tree memories and flash backs flooded my mind. This forest brought back so many memories. One in particular that I would have liked to forget.

Flashback

"Come for a walk with me," he suggested in an unemotional voice, taking my hand.

I didn't answer. I couldn't think of a way to protest, but I instantly knew that I wanted to. I didn't like this. This is bad, the voice in my head repeated again and again.

But he didn't answer. He pulled me along toward the east side of the yard, where the forest encroached. I followed unwillingly, trying to think through the panic. It was what I wanted, I reminded myself. The chance to talk it all through. So why was the panic choking me?

We'd gone only a few steps into the trees when he stopped. We were barely on the trail-I could still see the house.

Some walk.

Edward leaned against a tree and stared at me, his expression unreadable.

"Okay, let's talk," I said, it sounded braver than it felt.

He took a deep breath.

"Bella, we're leaving."

I took a deep breath, too. This was an acceptable option. I thought I was prepared. But I still had to ask.

"Why now? Another year-"

"Bella, it's time. How much longer could we stay in forks, after all? Carlisle can barely pass for thirty, and he's claiming thirty-three now. We'd have to start over soon regardless."

His answer confused me. I thought the point of leaving was to let his family live in peace. Why did we have to leave if they were going? I stared at him, trying to understand what he meant.

He started back coldly.

With a roll of nausea, I realized I'd misunderstood.

"When you say we-," I whispered

"I mean my family and myself." Each word separate and distinct.

I shook my head back and forth mechanically, trying to clear it. He waited without any sign of impatience. It took a few minutes before I could speak.

"Okay," I said. "I'll come with you."

"You can't, Bella. Where we're going...It's not the right place for you."

"Where you are is the right place for me."

"I'm no good for you, Bella."

"Don't be ridiculous." I wanted to sound angry, but it just sounded like I was begging. "You're the very best part of my life."

"My world is not for you," he said grimly.

"What happened with Jasper- that was nothing, Edward! Nothing!"

"You're right," he agreed. "It was exactly what was to be expected."

"You promised! In Phoenix, you promised that you would stay-"

"As long as that was the best for you," he interrupted to correct me.

"No! This is about my soul isn't it?" I shouted, furious, the words exploding out of me-somehow it still sounded like a plea. "Carlisle told me about that, and I don't care, Edward. I don't care! You can have my soul. I don't want it without you-it's your already!"

He took a deep breath and stared, unseeingly, at the ground for a long moment. His mouth twisted the tiniest bit. When he finally looked up, his eyes were different, harder-like the liquid gold had frozen solid.

"Bella, I don't want you to come with me." He spoke the words slowly and precisely, his cold eyes on my face, watching as I absorbed what he was really saying.

There was a pause as I repeated the words in my head a few times, sifting through them for the real intent.

"You…don't…want me?" I tried out the words, confused by the way they sounded, placed in that order.

"No."

I stared, uncomprehending, into his eyes. He stared back without an apology. His eyes were like topaz-hard and clear and very deep. I felt like I could see into them foe miles and miles, yet nowhere in their bottomless depths could I see a contradiction to the word he'd spoken.

"Well, that changes things." I was surprised by how clam and reasonable my voice sounded. I must be because I was so numb. I couldn't realize what he was telling me. It still didn't make any sense.

He looked away into the trees as he spoke again. "Of course, I'll always love you… in a way. But what happened the other night made me realize that it's time for a change. Because I'm… tired of pretending to be something I'm not, Bella. I am not human." He looked back and the icy planes of his perfect face were not human. "I've let this go on much too long, and I'm sorry for that."

"Don't." My voice was just a whisper now; awareness was beginning to seep through me, trickling like acid through my veins. "Don't do this."

He just stared at me, and I could see from his eyes that my words were far too late. He already had.

"You're not good for me, Bella." He turned his earlier words around, and so I had no argument. How well I knew I wasn't good enough for him.

I opened my mouth to say something, and then closed it again. He waited patiently, his face wiped clean of all emotion. I tried again.

"If... that's what you want."

He nodded once.

My whole body went numb, I couldn't feel anything below the neck.

"I would like to ask one favor, though, if that's not too much," he said

I wonder what he saw on my face, because something flickered across his own face in response. But, before I could identify it, he composed his features into the same serene mask.

"Anything," I vowed my voice faintly stronger.

As I watched, his frozen eyes melted. The gold became liquid again,, molten, burning down into mine with an intensity that was overwhelming.

"Don't do anything reckless or stupid," he ordered, no longer detached. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

I nodded helplessly.

His eyes cooled, the distance returned. "I'm thinking of Charlie, of course. He needs you. Take care of yourself-for him."

I nodded again. "I will," I whispered

He seemed to relax a little.

"And I'll make you a promise in return," he said. "I promise that this will be the last time you'll see me. I won't come back. I won't put you through anything like this again. You can go on with your life without any more interference from me. It will be as if I'd never existed."

My knees must have started to shake, because the trees were suddenly wobbling. I could hear the blood pounding faster than normal behind my ears. His voice sounded farther away.

He smiled gently. "Don't worry. You're human-your memory is no more than a sieve. Time heals all wounds for your kind."

'And your memories?" I asked. It sounded like there was something stuck in my throat, like I was choking.

"Well"- he hesitated for a short second- "I won't forget. But my kind… we're very easily distracted." He smiled; the smile was tranquil and I did not touch his eyes.

He took a step away from me. "That's everything I suppose. We won't bother you again."

The plural caught my attention. That surprised me; I would have thought I was beyond noticing anything.

"Alice isn't coming back," I realized. I don't know how he heard me- the words made no sound- but he seemed to understand.

"No. They're all gone. I stayed behind to tell you goodbye."

"Alice is gone?" my voice was blank with disbelief.

"She wanted to say goodbye, but I convinced her that a clean break would be better for you."

I was dizzy; it was hard to concentrate. His word swirled around in my head, and I heard the doctor at the hospital in Phoenix, last spring, as he showed me the X-rays. You can see it's a clean break, his finger traced along the picture of my severed bone. That's good. It will heal more easily, more quickly.

I tried to breathe normally. I needed to concentrate, to find a way out of this nightmare.

"Goodbye, Bella," he said in the same quiet, peaceful voice.

"Wait!" I chocked out the word, reaching for him, willing my deadened legs carry me foreword.

I thought he was reaching for me, too. But his cold hands locked around my wrists and pinned hem to my sides. He leaned down, and pressed his lips very lightly to my forehead for the briefest instant. My eyes closed.

"Take care of yourself," he breathed, cool against my skin.

There was a light, an unnatural breeze. My eyes flashed open. The leaves on a small vine maple shuddered with the gentle wind of his passage.

He was gone.

Flashback ended.

The memory haunts my very existence. I feel like a zombie, I'm living yet not living at all. I'm broken into two pieces. When he left he took apart of me that I can't get or take back. Every time I close my eyes I see him. The way he looked. They way he smelled. And the way he smiled that crooked smile. I can never forget him because everything I do reminds me of him. I'm trying to get a hold of myself but I can't. I want to be with him forever but he shattered that dream. I don't want him hanging over me. I want to breathe again. I want to close my eyes and not see his face. I want to open my eyes and be free. So I put on my best acting face and go out to face the world.