AN: Hello, sooo. Not much of a response for the first chapter. I have to say it was a bit dissapointing. I love to hear what those who read my story thinks, even if it's negative.

Unfortunately, I have to set an ultimatum here. If I do not get any reviews for this story, I'm going to delete it. I hope you don't get cross with me, but when you post a story on the internet it is because you want to hear others toughts on it, not just your own. If that were the case I could have just left it on my computer and be done with it.

Ok..uh..please don't hate me?

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the characters and rights to the books.

Isabella Marie Swan POV

1855, Norway Bergen

The smell of fresh bread and cookies made my stomach growl furiously with hunger as I was making my way home to my small rented house that lay a few kilometers out of town. The town market was lively and full of cheery people shouting out offers here and there, and ships making their way into the docks. The sailors were always very humoring to watch when they put their feet on solid ground again for the first time in several months. To say that they were ungraceful would be an understatement as they wobbled their way down the street. A few of the sailors recognized me from my days working in the harbor and cast me a smirk, some of them even shouting a joyous greeting.

I guess my whole 'keeping-a-low-profile-plan' was futile here.

I dug my hand into my pocket and tried to calculate how much money I could spend on a few chocolate cookies. They were my favourites. I hadn't eaten since breakfast early this morning so I was literally famished. My work at the Nationale Scene had taken up so much of my time that I just hadn't had any time at all to grab a bite to eat.

I walked up to one of the stands that sold food and lay down 3,45 Norwegian kroner.

"Kan jeg få to sjokoladekjeks, takk?" I asked the broad shouldered man standing behind the desk.

He looked at me curiously, squinting his clear blue eyes, before nodding his head and scooping up two cookies for me and putting them in a paper bag. I smiled at him and continued my journey home. He probably found my accent a little weird.

My dance teacher had held me back after the regular 3 hour practice and insisted that I took some extra time to perfect my balance. She was right of course, although I knew all the steps by heart and moved gracefully enough, I still found ways to trip over the littlest things. Like a tiny bump in the floor or a crease in the carpet.

Very frustrating, belive me.

I still don't understand how I came to land this job. It had all been completely random.

I was merely looking for a job behind the scenes, something easy and simple with a decent salary. Instead, the owner of the theathre insisted that I should absolutely try out as a dancer, exclaiming that I held an aura around me that just screamed natural born dancer. Although I suspected him to be a bit of an optimist, I complied and decided to humor him with showing him some of my jumping skills. When you can manipulate the air around you it wasn't all that hard to make people gape in astonishment.

Well, one thing led to another and suddenly I was taking dance lessons all day long and getting put on the stage to do my numbers. I always got good reviews, surprisingly enough. Who would have thought that? Me, Bella Swan, as I now go buy, 255 years old clutz, dancing on stage infront of hundreds of people?

A true miracle I must admit.

Speaking of age, I thought with an inward sigh. It was soon time for me to leave again. I had been here for almost six years already and I could see that people were beginning to look at me suspiciously. I didn't entirely look like a 23 years old, but my maturity had made them all overlook my lack of aging for a long time.

But if I stayed any longer I knew I would be pushing it.

The only thing that was holding me back was the nature here in this country, it was so familiar to England, yet completely different. High mountains, ever changing weather and beautiful scenery.

Yes, I would really miss this.

It's been excactly 238 years since that fateful day when my father had been excecuted. I was to late to save him, and the rest of the village. The vampires had beaten me to the finish line. I knew what they were now, it wasn't that hard to figure out, history books were really handy things.

I spent a whole month wallowing in my own misery before I had had enough and tried to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff. It didn't work, of course. I survived without a single scratch. My fate already preventing me from ending my own life.

A year later I stopped aging. Friday the 13th, when I turned 18. I had to leave the country for my own safety and snuck on board a fishing boat that was headed to France.

It took five days to get the smell of fish out of my clothes.

It still pains me to think about that fatefull day, although some of the details are a bit blurred around the edges I can still recall the endless grief I had felt, and still feel to this day. It took me several years to learn how to supress it.

In France I started my search for him. The one I was suppoused to be with. I was desperate to find him, I was so lonely, all my loved ones were dead. I needed someone to share my hellish excistance with, someone who wouldn't perish and die from me, but rather make me mortal again.

Immortality is truly a curse.

I went out with a hord of guys, hoping beyond hope that one of them would be the one, but I never found someone who I could love. All of them were either too boring, too stuck up or too dumb to make me feel anything other than irritation.

I practiced this method for almost two decades before I decided to stop. My search was getting me nowhere and I decided that I would have to try a new strategy, which I still follow to this day.

Look, but don't touch. You'll now when you find him.

There are still days that I curse what I am and wish for death to finally come and take me, but throughout the centuries I have also come to accept it as a part of who I am. Accepted it, not stopped hating it. Claude's advice has become my life mantra.

"Life goes on. Even when it seems impossible."

I only hope that I find the him soon, the one that I am destined for.

Before I loose all hope.

Edward Anthony Masen POV

1917, America Chicago

"Come on in, come on in. Do not be afraid of the unknown! We have been expecting you", yelled the deep voice of a man clad entirely in black, complete with a hood that covered his face.

The big entrance to the circus tent was just a few feet ahead of us, my mother smiling brightly at the man while I just snickered quietly to myself.

Father just scowled and looked at the dark clad man with a skeptic look in his eyes.

The whole ordeal had been my mothers idea, she has always loved the circus and since one of the biggest circuses in the world, Svanen, had now graced Chicago with its prescence she had of course insisted that we should go have a look at it.

My father and I not having any say in the matter.

To be honest I was a little excited, I had heard many amazing things about these circuses, like lion taming, jugglers and people who could swallow fire.

Almost too unrealistic to believe, but I could at least hope.

"Darling, are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, this whole circus thing sounds a bit unnatrual", my father, Edward Senior, whispered nervously to my mother, Elizabeth. He had always been a bit hesitant to try new things, always keeping to the old and familiar, almost the complete opposite of my very enthustiastic and fun loving mother.

They completed each other beautifully.

"Yes, don't you worry. All my friends said that it was absolutely magnificent, especially one of the new acts they have just put up. Something about an enchanting dancer who could jump so high it almost seemed to defy gravity! Oh, doesn't it sound marvellous?" My mother sighed dreamily as we made our way up to the big seeting area that went all the way around the whole circus scene.

We ended up sitting down at the very front, close enough to climb down onto the scene if we wanted to. Which was probably my mother's plan. One of her friends had bragged so much about how she was invited down to the scene by one of the performers one time and got to be a part of the act for a little while.

This immideiately sparked my mother's interest and made her even more excited for this evening.

"Oh, look at the lights, son. Aren't they just spectacular? I wonder how they make them blue and yellow", my mother whispered in my ear.

"Yes, mother. They really are lovely, and I think they use coloured lenses to make the lights like that", I whispered back.

The sitting place next to me didn't remain empty long as a girl my age quickly came and sat down in it. With just one look at her I knew this would be a very long evening.

She was very attractive by normal standards with her blond hair, blue eyes and curvatious body, but it all paled the minute I took a good look at her body language and the almost frightening smirk she was sporting. She was eyeing me like a cat eyed a mouse, her eyes sending unpleasant chills down my back.

God save me now.

This little talent of mine to read people so easily has always been a bit unerving to me. It was the reason to why I hadn't in all my 17 years fallen in love or even felt anything else than a mild attraction towards the female sex in general.

Usually I could find them attractive, but then I really looked at them and could almost see what was going on inside their heads. It was all so predictable and monotonous that my interest quickly surpassed.

This girl was no exception. All that was going on in her head right now was if maybe she should pout a bit more or stick her chest out a bit further. As I said, this would be a long night.

The lights suddenly turned white and were turned to the center of the stage where a tall man stood proudly with an even taller hat ontop of his head. I could feel myself beginning to get a bit eager for the show to start. Maybe then the girl next to me would stop staring at me and pay attention to what was happening on the scene instead.

"Ladies and gentelmen! Welcome to Circus Svanen!" The ringmaster shouted from the center of the scene. His voice was loud and clear, no wonder he landed the job.

The next few minutes he spent talking about the magnificent and enchanting performers we would soon be seeing and making a few jokes here and there.

The publicum loved him.

At last the show began as soon as some muscians began playing a soft and light melody, which quickly turned very comical as some clowns suddenly came running onto the stage and started fighting, throwing pies and slapping each others butts. I laughed so hard that I had to lean onto my mother for support. The girl next to me I ignored completely, I was having too much fun.

The show progressed quickly, the next wonder after the other being presented. A man who could throw knives prefectly even when he was blinfolded, a lady who could walk on a thin line several feet above the ground and then two twins who could make rabbits appear out of a tiny hat and make objects dissapear into thin air.

Easy to say, I was having the time of my life.

And then the ringmaster came out to announce the final act.

"May I have your attention, please! The show is sadly coming to an end,"

at this statement the crowd came with a big dissapointed groan, "but, we have one final act left. And believe me, you will not be able to sit in your seats for long during this one. And so, without furthe ado, please welcome Isabella Marie Swan, The Enchantress!"

The music shifted from the light and upbeat tempo it had been playing during the clown act, till a slow and eerie tune that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The only light on the scene was a sinlge white light that slowly expanded, showing of the silouhette of a person that was most definitely feminim.

Slowly the person became more and more revealed as the light grew into a perfect circle shaped form. She was standning with her back to the crowd, clad in a light blue gown that showed of her creamy white shoulders and long toned legs. Her hair fell in in long curls of brown and red all the way down to her round and perfectly shaped behind. My mouth went dry.

I was instantly entranced, perched at the edge of my seat. Something inside my chest moved. An emotion I hadn't felt before started to grow.

Slowly, she began moving to the music, or flowing was probably the more accurate word. Her whole body moving as one with the melody. I could feel the strange emotion inside me begin to ache. It was making me a bit uncomfortable. I just wished she could turn around, so I could see her fully.

And then the music changed again, the drums beating faster and harder, the violins strumming up a fast rythm that matched the way her hips suddenly began rolling and shaking. I could hear several people catch their breathes as the tempo just kept escalating and rising.

That's when she spinned around and showed herself fully.

I knew at that moment that I was lost. That I just had to know her, have her, touch her.

My eyes took her in as if in a dream, the heady rythms pumping through my body and making it heavy with desire and something else I couldn't name, her otherwordly face alight with passion as she moved to the music, jumping high up into the air and spinning, landing perfectly on her right hand. She held that position for about four seconds before she twisted her exquisite body around and went down into an elegant split.

All of this I just registered in the back of my head. My mind had not yet comprehended anything else than the fact that I needed to get closer to her. She pulled me in like a magnet.

I didn't understand why I was reacting or thinking the way did, but I couldn't for the life of me bring myself to care.

I saw the beautiful angel continuing with her act totally obvlious to all that was going on inside my head. My heart was hammering away in my chest like I had just run a marathon, my hands were clammy and sweaty and the feelings stirring in my chest were so foreign and overwhelming that I actually think I let out a little groan as the angel jumped again.

This time she sprang across the entire stage, straight to a trampoline that had just appeared out of nowhere, taking another breatht taking leap and jumping onto it with great force. Her jump combined with the spring from the trampoline sent her flying through the air all the way up to the trapezes. She quickly grabbed hold of one of them and used it to swing in a perfect half circle towards the other side of the scene again, but just as suddenly as she had grabbed hold of the trapeze, she let go .

The crowd, including me, gasped or screamed as she stooped to the ground, doing a few saltos before landning with a soft thud in a crouched positure.

Without even realizing it I had risen from my seat, my hands gripping the railing so tightly that my knuckles had turned white.

I let go when I felt my mother put a hand on my shoulder, making me sit down in my seat again. "Edward, are you alright?" she asked with a smirk on her face. Her eyes seemed to know what was going on inside my head, just like she always had. My face flushed a brilliant shade of red as she let go of my shoulder and let out a little chuckle.

Quickly, I focused back onto the scene where Isabella was standing with an almost shy smile on her face as the music changed for the third time, the melody becoming more romantic and sensous. Slowly, she closed her eyes and made her way nearer to where I was sitting. The crowd was applauding and whistling as she carefully approached them, and me.

I had no idea what she was doing, but the mere fact that she was nearing me was enough to make my heart start beating even faster, if that was even possible.

And then she was standing less than five feet from me, close enough for me to see every long dark lash that framed her big eyes. I was practically buzzing with electricity.

Am I dreaming?

Her eyes opened and she looked directly at me. And her plump, rosy lips pulled up at the corners in a blendingly beautiful smile, showing of a set of pearly white teeth.

"Hello, there. Would you like to come on stage with me for this last dance?"

The angelic tone of her voice combined with the full force of her mysterious and intense eyes finally proved to be too much for me and everything became black as I passed out.

Maybe I shouldn't have stopped breathing...

Isabella Marie Swan POV

1917, America Chicago

"Isabella! Could you help me feed Ronda? She is a bit cranky today so she is putting up quite a fight", Fabio, the lion tamer, said in his thick Italian accent.

He was standing outside the lion cage looking at Ronda, the only lioness among the lions, with a stern gaze, clearly not amused by the furious roars that Ronda was emitting every time he got close to the cage door.

"Yes, of course. Just open the cage for me", I said and made my way over to him.

Fabio grinned and quickly opened the cage door for me.

As soon as I stepped into the cage Ronda calmed down and stopped growling, instead she began purring like a kitten and came towards me, rubbing herself up against my stomach. I giggled at her display of affection and stroked her big, furry head lovingly.

We had always gotten along, Ronda and I.

"God, help me. Even the animals love you!" Fabio exclaimed with a smile on his face as he came into the cage with us and lay down Ronda's meal. A thick T-bone steak.

"Oh, do not be jealous Fabio. Ronda and I go way back", I teased as Ronda's tounge came out to lick me directly in the face.

Fabio just laughed and ran his hand through his perfectly styled, black hair and exited the cage again. Shaking his head as he went over to his trailer to get ready for the show tonight.

It's been two years since I had joined the circus now and for some reason I had never felt more normal and happy in my entire existance. Everyone here had welcomed me in with open arms, never pressing about my background or how I could do the things I could.

Of course, I hadn't shown them excactly what I was capable of, just my dancing and, uh, jumping skills. What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them, or make them scared of me.

I had been dancing for over five decades now, and as they said, practice makes perfect. The fact that my jumping skills simply came from my abbility to control air was something I kept to myself. The circus director merely thought I had uncommonly strong legs.

During these two years I had traveled all over America and quite a bit of Brazil too. The circus had to move after a week of being in the same place, so people wouldn't tire of us, Santo, the circus director said.

It was the perfect life for me, especially since I could stay longer with these people than I would regulary do. I had told them that I was sixteen and that both my parents had died in a terrible fire, they never asked me any further questions. For that I was grateful.

And the fact that I had presented myslef as much younger than I usually went for secured my future for at least five more years, but after that I would have to leave them.

Just like I always have to do.

I'm so tired of this...

-

"You are expected on stage in two minuets!" One of the scene workers yelled to me as I was struggling with the buttons on my dress.

Stupid dresses. I wouldn't have worn something like this if I had a choice, but it was all I had now, dresses and ribbons. Something about not hiding the fact that I was, indeed a female, Julia had told me.

Stupid, bubbly, lovely Julia. She always got her way with me, she just had to give me the look. Also known as the doe eyes.

I stood no chance. I would really miss her when I had to leave, she had become the closest thing to a friend I have had in a long time.

"Coming!" I yelled back when I finally got the tiny button in its rightful place.

I looked at myslef in the mirror to check if everything looked fine.

My hair was neatly brushed, check, my dress hung like it should, check.

Alright then, I was ready to go.

Swiftly, I went and stood on my mark, waiting for the ringmaster, Andy, to yell my name.

My heart was slightly irregular as I stood there, completely still, just waiting.

I have always hated the attention, but I was more used to it now. When I went out on stage it was like I became someone else for a couple of minutes, just doing what I love.

Dancing. Who would have thought that?

And then Andy yelled my name.

The adrenaline pumped through my body as the light shifted to where I stood, my back to the audience, ready to give my very best

The music became slow and slightly eerie. I took that as my cue to begin moving.

My head emptying of all other thoughts beside the steps and movements I had rehearsed.

Flow, one, two three, flow, one, two, hips, hips, jump, twirl....

I have done this so many times that it's almost like breathing now.

As the music began to escelate I took that as my signal to finally spin around to face the audience.

Hips, flow, jump, air, twirl, right hand, twist, split.

Run, jump, swing, grab, let go, crouch.

My act was coming to an end now, the music changing to calmer more romantic tune. This was the part were I could choose one from the audience to perform with me, the crowd always loved being part of the show.

I closed my eyes and approached the audience, whoever I saw first when I opened my eyes could come down and join me, if the person wished so.

And then I felt it.

My feet seemed to almost move by themselves, like they were being pulled by some unknown force, this was strange. I could also feel myslef become very aware of everything around me, every sound, every noise, movement.

What's happening?

I opened my eyes without thinking.

I saw him immideiately. And I knew, just like I had always hoped I would, that I had finally found him.

His hair was an unnusual shade of brown, almost bronze like. Strong jaw, straight nose and high cheekbones. He would put Adonis himself to shame.

But it was his eyes that drew me in and confirmed my beliefs. They were the most stunning shade of emerald green, deep and wise beyond his years. They seemed to look straight into the core of my soul.

Say something!

"Hello, there. Would you like to come on stage with me for this last dance?"

I barely got the words out, my breath was coming out in unsteady puffs, my heart hammering away like a mocking birds wings. And my chest tight with the life altering emotions my grandmother had described for me.

She had told me everything there was to know about this moment, but knowing and feeling were to very different things.

Our eyes were locked, and I couldn't for the life of me look away. That's when I saw that he was beginning to look a bit.. odd.

And then he passed out.

What had I done?

"Son? Edward, are you alright? Oh,what happend to him." The frantic voice of what I assumed was his mother brought me out of my daze.

Edward, what a beautiful name.

She was leaning over him cradling his face in her petite hands, looking at him with a panicked look in her eyes. Her husband was trying to comfort her, but she didn't seem to listen to him.

I had to fix this.

"I'm extremely sorry. It was not my intention to scare him. Let me take care of him. One of our scene workers is a former doctor. I can take Edward to him."

I tried to not let my almost child like eagerness show. Just the thought of touching this magnificent boy had sent my heart into a frenzie.

I wanted to assure myself that this moment was real, that my search was finally over. And to do that I had to feel him for myself.

Edward's mother looked at me with an almost surprised look in her green eyes, like she had almost forgotten that I was standning here. Now I know where Edward got his eyes from.

"Oh, well. That is very kind of you, thank you very much." She said hesitately.

I didn't blame her, she didn't even know me.

With a leap I jumped over the rail and crouched down to where Edward was lying on the ground.

"My husband can take him. He is probably a bit too heavy for you to carry." Edward's mother said, looking over at her husband who was already straightening up, ready to step into action.

No! I needed to touch him!

"Oh, that's quite alright. I'm much stronger than I look like. No need to strain yourself Mr...?"

"Masen, Edward Masen, and this is my wife Elizabeth." Edward senior's deep voice said. His hand brushing away his dark hair away as he took my outstretched one and shook it.

"Are you sure you can handle it, I mean, no disrespect, but.." Elizabeth still looked a bit unnsure so I was quick with scooping her son into my arms.

He didn't weigh a thing! But I still felt the electrical shock that went through me once his left cheek brush up against my neck.

Finally.

"Do not worry, we dancers have to stay in good shape always. Just exit through the back and then go to the left until you come to a big colorful trailer, that's were I'll take him."

I gave them my most winning smile hoping to soothe their nervs a bit. It seemed to help, they got a very dazed look in their eyes.

With Edward in my arms I jumped over the railing again and carried him off the stage and gave a sign to Andy that he should try to calm the crowd down.

He understood immideiately and scurried out onto stage with a big grin on his face and a good joke already prepeared.

I didn't listen to what he said. I was too busy filling my lungs with as much of Edward's scent as I possibly could. Ginger, spice and something else I could not name. It was simply mouthwatering.

"You have no idea what you have just gotten yourself into," I whispered lovingly into his ear, not resisting to lay a small kiss there.

This is what heaven must feel like.