Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight though it would be much more fun if I did :)

Edited and re-posted: 1/18/10

Chapter 2: The Past, Present, and Future

No matter how quickly Edward ran his thoughts caught up to him. Bella lay limp in his arms, unable to sleep yet unable to speak, lost in her horrors. It was his fault too, that she had to experience that ever present thirst for so long and finally give in as it over rode the guilt they both knew would come.

He had yet to address the fact that he had heard her thoughts but he couldn't hear them now. He knew he would have to talk to her about that when she was in a more stable state of mind. The whole experience intrigued him and of course peaked his curiosity. It would be a new experience to finally be able to hear her thoughts.

If only he had kept a closer eye on her, stayed at her side for that last day of transformation. Instead he had thought he would have time to find some sort of animal blood for her before she woke up. She would have needed it desperately and he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable by bringing her on a hunt the moment she woke up. He wasn't sure how she would feel about the whole idea right after having spent three days in torturous agony.

It had taken longer then expected to find something suitable for her and when he returned to where they had hidden she was gone. That was when the panic set in. He picked up her scent quickly but he was too far behind. She had ran to the nearest town and they had snatched her there, chaining her up. For some reason she had chosen to let them do so. He was surprised to come across the village and not find a pile of corpses. Any normal newborn would have killed any human they came in contact with until they were satisfied. He could only hope that things were different with his Bella.

Her 'kidnappers' had already left by the time he got close to the town and once he entered the town he had been forced to slow down and sniff out her scent again. There had been too many other smells, vampires and humans alike. Once he picked up her scent again night had fallen and she was heading toward the river.

He kicked himself the entire time for losing her, for leaving her side even for a moment. What had he been thinking?! But he hadn't been thinking and this was how she had been made to experience her first few days in the new life.

He only agreed to change her after their marriage, that was the agreement and he would not even consider biting her unless they went through with their union. He had hoped, because of her fear of marriage, having the example of Charlie and Renee, that she would be unable to accept his condition and in time would be content with remaining human.

This plan had backfired on him, as things tended to do with Bella and she chose to marry him. He was absolutely elated to marry the only woman he would ever love but disappointed that she was so ready to give up the joy of human life. If this kidnapping was any sign as to how things would go for them... He grimaced at the thought, maybe it was best not to think about that at all.

"Bella..." Edward trailed off uncertainly, looking at her with concern in his butterscotch eyes. She looked up, meeting his soft gaze with a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. He hadn't seen her eyes since before the transformation and when she finally looked at him he felt a thrill of sadness run through him. The were shining, bright, ruby red and they both knew what they meant. She didn't say anything so he tried again.

"Bella... sweetheart... I am going to take you to Carlisle and Esme. We are going to stay in Forks for a little while so we can gauge your reaction to the thirst and help you learn how to hunt." Bella's eyes never left his but as he mentioned Forks he could feel the panic start to bubble up within her. She still was the only person he couldn't read unless she expressly allowed it. Yet since her transformation he had started to think of different reasons she may have been able to project her thoughts to him. His most plausible idea was the maybe in her weakened state she had done it unconsciously, let her barriers down and he had heard it.

"I promise, I will stay with you the entire time. I will never leave your side." His gaze begged her to trust him with this choice. "I know you are afraid for Charlie but we will all be there for you and if it makes you feel better I can have Emmett stick around his house until you feel under control."

He watched her warily as she deliberated his offer. She turned her head slowly, her gaze meeting his, and nodded her consent though she still looked tense at the whole idea of going back to where her dad lived.

"Do you promise Emmett will watch over him?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. He relaxed with her consent and gave his word that Emmett would watch out for Charlie. Bella shivered again in his arms and he pulled her closer.

"Edward?" She looked up at him again, her eyes tortured, with a hint of an emotion he couldn't read. He merely watched her, waiting for her to continue.

"They are all going to know..." She whispered and hung her head in defeat. She was feeling guilty and she didn't want them to know of what had passed. He could see that she considered it a weakness. He tried to smile and comfort her. He knew that of anyone she should be worried about their family was not in that list of people. They would support her no matter what happened.

"Honey you know they would never think less of you for what happened right? They love you and shit happens but they would never judge you on that. We have all made our own mistakes." She nodded but she didn't look very convinced. In that moment she squirmed a bit in his arms, looking as though she wanted to stretch a bit after everything that had happened.

"Would you like to stop for a few minutes? If your feeling better we can run together." Edward suggested softly. With all the energy she gained from her transformation he was surprised she hadn't jumped out of his arms already. Looking ahead for a moment he found a small clearing and came to a smooth stop there setting Bella down gently. She rested for a moment and then stood up very slowly. Edward stood close by her side in case she found herself in need of him.

"I..." she took a deep breath, "I think... I can run..." she gave him the best smile she could muster considering what had passed only one short hour ago. They both started, slightly surprised, at a faint rustling in the trees around the clearing. Edward listen attentively and in a flash was back at her side with a small doe at his feet. Kneeling down slowly he could feel the thirst come back to him full force. The stress of losing her had made everything else disappear while he had tracked her but now that they were together he realized that his hunger needed to satiated.

Bella crouched fluidly next to him and watch him curiously. He bent down to the doe, his sharp teeth made the cut that would release the nourishment they both needed. When he had drank his fill he look at Bella and, although she had just fed an hour ago, she tried the animal blood.

"I can see how you would compare this to living on tofu and soy milk as a human." she whispered softly as she lifted her head, the hint of a smile in her voice. She was slowly pushing away the guilt that had been consuming her after her unthinkable act.

Edward watched her as she lifted her eyes to his and he could see a hint of playfulness hidden there. A low growl started in the back of his throat but she was on him before he could blink. Her lips pressed against his, every sensation heightened as their hard stone bodys rolled through the dewy grass of the clearing.

Gasping for breath he lifted her up and pulled her into his lap with a laugh that echoed out into the night. He crushed her into a hug and then pulled her up with him and they stood gazing at each other, passion evident in their eyes. Edward was the first to remember where they were.

"I love you," he said softly. His lips brushing hers. She blushed and smiled at him fron underneath her lashes.

"We should start towards Forks while it is still dark so we don't have to go around the towns in the daylight or waste a day hiding." Edward pushed her up gently, trying to control the conflicting desires raging through his body. On one hand he wanted to stay with her here for the night, continuing the kisses in the grass, on the other hand he wanted to get her safe at home, and soon.

She shrugged in agreement but the desire for him did not lessen, he could still see it raging in her eyes. Edward grinned and took her hand, darting into the woods in the direction of the town where they had first met. Forks, Washington.


And back home they go!! Things will be picking up from here, now that we've gotten all this kidnapping business out of the way :)

Reviews?? Por favor! (that means please, just in case ya'll didn't know.)