Edward POV

As we drove hand in hand on the way to the meadow I thought more about Bella's change. As much as I wanted to deny it, I realized it was inevitable. If I were not the one to change her, the Volturi would, or she would go to Carlisle after graduation. I should just stop trying to convince myself of what is bound to happen, she was going to get changed whether I liked the idea or not. I glanced over at Bella and it seemed as though she was pondering something as well. This was one of the many moments it pained me not to be able to read her mind. It was so incredibly frustrating! The one person's mind I could not read had to be the love of my life...figures.

"What are you thinking?" I ask this question what seems like fifteen times a day, but I had to know. I am surprised Bella isn't completely aggravated by it. Even after being with her for so long, it was still so odd not to know.

"Oh, just about the meadow." She added a weak smile and looked down. I could tell something was wrong, she was not a very good liar but I decided not to push it this time, I had much more pressing matters to deal with. I wanted to go to the meadow for a reason, I was there for a purpose and could not be distracted. Even though it bothered me that Bella wouldn't tell me what was wrong, I knew I could get it out of her later. I loved the fact that I could dazzle her, it came in so handy and was rather fun to do.

We finally arrived at the trail leading to the meadow. I couldn't believe how much Bella and I had been through in the past year and a half. I remember the first time we came here, like it was just yesterday. I was so frightened I would harm her, lose control, turn around and brutally kill her. I didn't now if I could handle being that close to her, but I knew I had to try. She had a certain pull on me, one that I could not describe but some how I knew I icouldn't/i harm her. I was in love with her, it took me some time to realize what that feeling was. I had never felt love before, in all my years I never built a relationship with another romantically, it infuriated me that Bella made me feel so weak, from the minute that she walked into our Biology room I thought I hated her. The monster inside me told me to kill her, and yet I could not bring myself to harm her. She was so beautiful and so fragile, I fell in love with her the minute she sat next to me. I snapped out of my memories to see Bella staring off at the trail, looking as though she had been doing the same.

I decided to sneak up on her, I knew I would scare her, but I just loved to see her human reactions. Ever so slowly I crouched down to the ground and began making my way toward her. I knew my crouching was a bit unnecessary because I could simply walk behind her and not make a sound, however crouching seemed to make the mood more fun. Ever so slowly I crept closer and closer to her, I could tell she did not hear me coming in the least bit, even if I was making a sound she was too entrapped in her own thoughts to notice I was behind her. With a sudden jolt I grabbed her shoulders gently, as to not break her torso off and shouted "BOO!" Yes, this was a bit cheesy but I was having too much fun trying to scare her to care.

Bella POV

As Edward was checking out the surroundings I made my way over to the trail. I could remember trying to find it with Jake, searching for Edward's and my special spot. The spot where we let everything out in the open and declared our love. My last visit to the meadow was not exactly a romantic one, but more of an almost getting killed by Laurent one. The proximity of that day suddenly crashed into me, I remembered how after searching for weeks I had finally found the meadow. The memories almost knocked me over, causing a gash of pain to spread across my stomach. This is not something I wanted to remember, I was back together with Edward now, he would not leave me again. He promised, and I now understood this. As much as I tried to calm myself down the pain kept flooding back. I remembered kneeling in the grass, clutching my stomach and crying my eyes out hallow. I had died inside then, feeling no will to go on. Everything was different now though, I was alive once again. With Edward, my heart suddenly skipped a beat at this thought. I loved him more then he could ever know, and at that moment I realized we would be okay. Even though all odds were against us, I was prepared to fight for our love, and I knew he was prepared to do the same. Out of no where something pulled me out of my newly found epiphany and causing my heart to jump out of my chest "BOO!" I whipped my head around to see a very amused Edward staring back at me was the largest grin I would have ever thought possible. Oh how smug he was.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen! You amost caused my heart to stop!" After saying this I realized, that wouldn't have been such a bad thing after all.

Obviously, Edward had read through my after- expression.

"Bella. Not now okay?"

"Alright, but you know it's going to happen sometime, so you might as well just accept it."

He sighed deeply "I know." It was barley audible to my ears but his words shocked me. Had he finally, after all this time, accepted the fact that I bwas/b going to be like him one day?

"You do?" I felt the shock and confusion written all over my face. He stared at the ground for a moment, hesitant, and after another minute he looked up at me, his eyes locking with mine.

"Yes, Bella I know it is going to happen. As much as I would like to prevent it, I cannot deny it any longer. A part of me wants this for us, so we can be together forever. You know that. However, the other half of me cannot believe he is going to sit back and watch the humanity being stripped out of his love."

"Edward." I paused trying to choose my words very carefully. " You will not be stripping anything out of me that I don't already want stripped." That didn't come out exactly the way that I had planned. "Let me rephrase." I couldn't stop the blush that had already made its way up my cheek. Stupid human reactions. "What I meant to say is that the trade off between my humanity and being with you forever is hardly a high price to pay. Actually, its quite low. Edward, I would die for you. I am willing to die, so to speak, to be with you. I'm glad you finally understand there is nothing you can do about it." I finished with a small laugh.

"Yes, well, I would rather not think about it right this moment, today is special."

"What makes today special?"

"Well, today we are legally allowed to be with one another." He definitely had something up his sleeve.

He was giving me that 'I'm up to something and I won't tell you because I love torturing you' smile. I decided to ignore it, I knew it was pretty futile arguing with him about surprises. He was too stubborn to give in.

"Alright then, well if we intend to get back in time before Charlie "'takes you in'", we better get a move on."

He laughed out loud, simply slinging me around onto his back. "Hold on tight" he whispered kissing my wrist, wrapping my arms around his neck. Then, we were off with the wind blowing aggressively into my hair, slapping me in the face. I had grown to love running with Edward, the natural high of it was indescribable. I looked around, taking in my surroundings, simply watching the blur of trees rush past me. The mixture of all the colors of the forest could only be described in one word, astonishing. Distinguishing between all the different varies of plant life now seemed impossible, it was as if they were merged into one, causing a beautiful array of colors to generate right in front of my eyes. Just then, I felt ourselves coming to a sudden halt, and I knew it was over. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust, causing everything to separate again, turning what I once saw as one back into the millions there actually were.

I unlocked myself from Edward's neck, with much difficulty I might add, and simply stood to take in the vista that was our meadow.

I expected the pain to come again, the pain of my memories. It never came. Instead, I felt an intense feeling of love and warmth. It was as if I was slapped in the face, and the effect almost knocked me over. This was the most sentimental place I had. Not James, Victoria or even the Volturi could take that away from me. I wouldn't let them.

I took Edward's hand in my own and led him to a spot directly in the middle of our meadow. We both sat down on the soft grass, and Edward pulled me closer to his chest. There was no need for words, we were simply content holding each other closely. In that moment I was in complete bliss.

"Bella." Edward lifted my chin so I could look at him in the eyes. "I love you so much. You are all I would ever want, I would give my life for you. When I left you, it was the most painful endurance of my eternal life, it was one million times worse than even the change. I will never leave you again Bella. Ever."

I looked deep into his eyes, I believed him. I started to cry, I couldn't stop the tears that were now rolling uncontrollably down my face. "I know Edward, I love you too. There is nothing in this world that can keep me from loving you. You are the most important thing in my life, without you I am not whole. You give my life meaning and purpose, you can't imagine just how deep my love runs for you."

Edward hugged me closer to him. He slowly bent himself down to my face so we were now at eye level with each other.

"Bella will-" Just then it felt as if I had the breathe knocked out of me. From within the forest I could see something leap at us. I fastened my eyes shut before I could see the creature before us. Edward stood up, a low growl erupting from his chest, and pushed me behind him displaying a defensive stance. As I daringly opened my eyes, I felt them nearly explode out of my skull, I grabbed Edward's arm and pushed myself in front of him.