Thank you SO much for all the reviews!!! This is my first real story, so I was literally screaming when I saw them!!! I hope you like the rest of the story!

Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own anything! How sad.

BPOV

"Let's sit down and talk." Carlisle said after an awkward silence.

"Yipee!! Story time!" Emmett squealed, earning another smack from Rosalie. Everyone headed to the living room.

"By the way," Carlisle continued, "Bella, this is Esme. Esme, meet Isabella Swan."

The motherly woman cam over and hugged me. "Welcome to the family Bella. Now, would you mind telling us how you know my husband?" She said kindly.

At the word 'husband', I raised an eyebrow at Carlisle, who didn't meet my eyes, but cleared his throat and turned to his family.

Emmett was on an armchair with Rose on his lap. Jasper was on the floor with Alice between his legs, leaning back against his chest. Carlisle and I were in the middle of the couch with his arm over my shoulders. Esme sat next to him on one end and Edward was on my other side.

I didn't want him to think I was didtching him for his 'dad' so I held his hand and smiled at him.

"As you can all probably guess, Bella and I knew each other a long time ago." Carlisle began.

But he was once again interrupted by Emmett. "YUP!" He boomed and Rosalie hit him again.

"Anyway," Carlisle continued, ignoring him. "We met in London, about 300 years ago. I was a relatively new vampire, but I had already adjusted to the animal diet and my control was good. Bella here was a beautiful human girl, 16 years old. We were at a party the first time I saw her. And smelled her. She was my 'La tua catante' – her blood 'sang' for me. It was the sweetest thing I had ever smelled, or have smelled since. I HAD to get close to her, to attack and taste this delicious smelling blood. I asked her to dance with me, and of course she agreed. I found myself plotting ways to get her to leave with me. I knew she would come easily and I could satisfy the burning thirst. But then, she waved to a friend and I realized I couldn't do it. She was a beautiful, young girl with loving friends and family, and a whole life ahead of her. I couldn't take it all away from her just because I was a selfish creature. I still felt drwn to her, though and I started talking to her. I discovered she was also the most interesting person I had ever met. I found out more about her from around town and tracked her down after that first night. We started seeing each other more and she soon became my closest companion."

"Of course my parents were ecstatic." I added. "My mother almost had a heart attack when he showed up at our house a week after that party, asking to see me. And how could I resist him?" I chuckled, elbowing him playfully. "We got closer and mother couldn't wait until he proposed. Anyhow, I got to know him and I always knew there something different about him."

Carlisle took over again. "Eventually, I realized I either had to tell her and hope she accepted me, or leave her. I knew neither of us could deal with the latter. She had taken away my lonliness and stayed with me even when she knew I couldn't be human. I finally told her the truth and she didn't even care. It was quite incredible for such a young girl to be so completely comfortable around me."

"Not really." I said. "I just knew you would never hurt me. I trusted you." I looked into his eyes and got lost in them for a minute.

Carlisle snapped out of it first and continued with the story. "So we became even closer and it was all perfect. Until I had to go visit the Volturi on some business. When I was catching up with Aro, he saw Bella in my thoughts." His jaw clenched as he brought back the painful memories. "He knew I had told her, and that left him only two options. Change her or kill her. I refused to allow either. I would be taking her life away no matter what. Aro let it rest for the moment, but I knew it was only a matter of time before he sent some guards to kill Bella. I only hoped I could protect her when they came."

He stopped here, trying to get his breathing back to normal. "But I couldn't." He whispered, not looking at me. "There were so many of them. I should have been able to protect you. But they took you from me. And I never saw you again. I thought they killed you."

He was speaking just to me now, but he had his face in his hands. "That has haunted me ever since. I'll never forget when they took you away. I always hear you screaming for me. But I couldn't do it. This is all my fault. I will never be able to express how sorry I am Bella."

He finished and looked at me. The pain and anguish I saw in his eyes broke my cold dead heart.

"Hey. Don't ever say that. It wasn't your fault at all. It was going to happen eventually, we knew that. And there was NO possible way that you could've fought them off. Aro knew you would fight for me. He sent too many. And don't even try to tell me I would've been better off if you stayed away from me in the first place. We both know how wrong that is. IT WAS NOT YOUR FAULT." I said to him and wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tightly. He buried his face in my hair, holding me close.

Emmett coughed again. "Ok, now that we've had that touching moment, can we comtinue?"

"Ok Emmett." I said, but still held onto Carlisle with one arm. We both couldn't stand to loose the contact and be separated again. "Well, they took me back to Volterra." I started.

Both Carlisle and Edward tightened their grips on me. "They were going to kill me, but then they noticed how Aro couldn't read my mind, and even Jane couldn't hurt me. They decided I would be useful, so they changed me. I'm a sheild to all mental attacks. Anyway, I was always a good girl, except I drank from animals, and I was a special favorite of Aro's. He noticed how lonely I was when I thought you were dead, even surrounded by all of them. He let me leave to find a smaller coven I could be happier with. I travelled for a long time, never finding anyone I fit in with. Aro thought I would hate you for not saving me, so I never knew you were alive. Occassionally, I would visit Aro. Finally, I met Edward and now I'm here." I finished, smiling up at Edward and squeezing his hand.

I noticed Carlisle's arm stiffened around me when I mentioned Edward. Alice saw it too.

For the rest of the afternoon, I heard the stories of the the rest of the Cullens. By nightfall, I felt much closer to all of them and I was beginning to feel like I had finally found a family.

The rest of them were going hunting, but Carlisle and I didn't need to. So we stayed together alone…

Like it? Hate it? Please tell me what you think, just don't be TOO mean. I'm new!

~mims