Disclaimer: This is definitely NOT owned by me. I am truly sorry for that. But, oh well. -

Chapter Two: Time to Make a Change

I could feel the wounds, from what felt like centuries ago, open up. They ripped at the seams and burned with a strength that not even the strongest vampire could top. I couldn't breathe. Even though it was impossible, I still felt as though I was suffocating. No one deserved to suffer like this. No one except me. It was my fault that I couldn't save her. It was my fault that she was dead, and now I was paying for my unjustifiable crime. I didn't curse the pain. I let it come, knowing that I deserved every bit of it. Bella was the undeserving one. She was undeserving of all the pain I'd caused her, all the trouble, all the heartbreak. She was so wonderful, and I took it all away from her: life, love, happiness. All of it was gone. For me and my angel.

I didn't deserve to continue living, and I didn't want to either. Maybe if I ceased to exist then I could find my dearest in the afterlife. I didn't believe that last thought since I was going to Hell and she most certainly wasn't, but at least there was a chance. I could only dream. The agony I was suffering now would be worse than any other punishment I'd ever gotten, ever would get.

I felt as though something were digging out my insides slowly and painfully. There were pieces missing without her. I wasn't whole. That's what was being taken from me right now: my better half, her.

Why was she taken from me? It wasn't fair! They should have taken me, should've let her live. I had lived my share of lives, and I didn't deserve any more. She hadn't even gotten to live her life. Hers was cut off so short-lived and abruptly. I wanted her back. I wanted her back now. And this pain was even worse than the first time. The first time I at least knew that she was safe and could move on with her life. Now all I know is that she's not here. My life was…empty.

I now knew what I had to do. I couldn't continue living. Not when she didn't even get a chance. I'd—

"Edward! No, you can't!" Alice shrieked from behind me, interrupting my breakdown.

"Why not? There's no point in life now." She may not be able to read my mind, but she sure could see the future. And I knew what she'd see when she looked into mine: nothing. I had no future. No point in life. Everything that mattered was taken from me, Bella was gone forever.

"This," she answered, "This is why not." She handed me a folded piece of paper.

"What's this?"

"It's from Bella. She wrote it before, when she thought that she was going to die," she explained.

I stared at her blankly and then looked at the tiny square in my hands. This was all I had left of her. It hurt me to look at it, but, in her head, Alice told me Read it.

I unfolded it carefully, and took my time. I was frightened of what would be on the page. But I didn't pay that thought any attention as it read:

My dearest Edward,

You have done nothing this past year or so but make my life the most wonderful it could have ever been. I can do nothing but thank you now. I wish we could have had more time together, but, unfortunately, we can't. This is it for me. The end of the line. I didn't think it would end this way, but I guess I was wrong. The way things were going lately I just figured I would just get torn to pieces by a sadistic vampire, or something to that extent. But that's not important. What really matters right now is that you know that I love you. I will always love you. You seem to think that you ruined my life, but I disagree completely. When I was first diagnosed, the doctors told me to live what was left of my life to the fullest. With you, I did just that. I couldn't have asked for more. As for all of those silly little things that you think I should never forgive you for? Too late. They're already forgiven. They were forgiven the moment they happened. I understood why you did most of them, and I appreciated the effort. You were doing everything you could to keep me alive and well. The only time that I was practically lifeless was when I wasn't with you. The worst pain I could ever feel would be if I knew you were gone, so you must promise me something. No matter whether I die now, or a hundred years from now, you are not to hurt yourself in any way after it happens. That is something I could never forgive you for doing. If you even think about going to the Volturi again it would break my heart. Just remember that I'm always with you, no matter what. I'll be here forever.

Love always and forever,

Isabella Marie Swan

It was her handwriting. I would know it anywhere. I couldn't deny Bella her last wishes. Not even I am that selfish. For all the pain that I caused her, though I deserved to die, I couldn't. I didn't want to put her in any more pain than what I had already. I knew that she still loved me, and that'd have to be enough. It would be the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life. Even harder than when I left her all those months ago, but I had to do it. For it was what she wished, and what she wished was my command. I would do anything for her. Always. But, first things first. I looked everywhere around me searching for a pen. I found one at last next to the autopsy report on the metal table. I picked it up in my shaking hand, set down the paper and corrected the letter from my love. The ending two lines now read:

Love always and forever,

Isabella Marie Cullen

She was mine whether we had made it official or not. I didn't deserve her, but we belonged together. She was a part of me and always would be. I read her letter again and again and finally just let go. My knees buckled underneath me, and I leaned over, my hands pressed against the marble floors. The hole in my chest ripped open again, as it would for the rest of my life any time I thought of her. Dry sobs kept coming and coming. I felt that the world was ending, and I was the cause. Soon enough I felt Alice kneel beside me and put her arm around my shoulder. She pulled me to my feet and helped me to the car. I didn't know what to do or say. I should have been riding home with a smile on my face, because everything should've been perfect, but it wasn't. I should be with Bella in two days, but I won't be. I should be happy, but I'm not. I wasn't blessed with the power of seeing the future, but I could see mine and it was me living one sad, pathetic, and miserable life. I know Bella wasn't trying to torture me by keeping me alive, but it felt like it. I guess I was being punished by not getting out so easily, by not being able to die. And it wasn't because I was indestructible, but because I made a promise even before I had known it. Anything on that paper that she would have wanted me to promise would have been fulfilled.

Three Years Later [2008

We had been gone from that place for three years now. It didn't matter, didn't help the fact that that was where it all started. I still thought about her every day. I was still in such an immense amount of pain that I could hardly stand it. Carlisle thought that moving to Denali would help. All it did was give me more time to sit around, sulk, and think about what I'd done. It gave me more time to be alone and miserable. But anywhere we would have gone would have done that. I needed to get out of here. Do something useful. I needed to do something that would make me forget the pain, if only for the time being. I got off of the soft down comforter that lay over the bed in one of the many guest rooms of Carmen and Eleazer's home. Walking down the stairs I passed by Kate and Irina on their way up. They waved at me and put smiles on their faces, but my returning gestures weren't nearly as genuine. A look of pity crossed Kate's face, and I could hear Irina in her head. The poor dear. I wish there was something we could do.

But there was nothing anyone could do. Nothing.

I went into the living room where Emmett and Rose where watching a movie together. Emmett was thinking about Rosalie, while she was thinking about how romantic the guy in the movie was towards the heroine. All of it just made me think of Bella. I went into another room. I found Carlisle in the study and went to sit down in front of the desk he was at.

"Edward. What a pleasant surprise. What can I do you for?" he said in a jolly tone. His happiness was killing me inside. Carlisle had learned to block his thoughts from me a long time ago, so at least I wouldn't have to deal with any of that.

"I need to do something to get my mind off things. I can't take it anymore," I shook my head, frustrated.

"Well, I wish there was something I could do to help, but only you can know what you need to do, son." There he went again with those confusing little, non-helpful tidbits of information. He should have been a psychiatrist, not a surgeon. Sometimes I just wish he'd give me a straight answer.

I didn't respond. I just got up and moved on. How was I supposed to know what I was supposed to do? If I could figure it out on my own I would have done so by now and found a way to cope with life. I remembered something from long ago that got me thinking.

The Meadow [2005

"Can I show you something?" I asked her, excitement flaring in my eyes.

"Show me what?"

"I'll show you how I travel in the forest." Her expression was hesitant and more than a little frightened, "Don't worry, you'll be very safe, and we'll get to your truck much faster." I smiled at her reassuringly.

"Will you turn into a bat?" she asked warily.

I laughed uncontrollably and had to work to make myself stop "Like I haven't heard that one before!" I could not believe she just asked me that question.

"Right, I'm sure you get that all the time," she said sarcastically.

"Come on, little coward, climb on my back."

She stood there, staring at me. I smiled at her and reached down to pull her up. I could hear her heartbeat jump, but I ignored it and continued to swing her onto my back. When in place, she clamped her arms and legs so tightly around me that it would have choked a normal human.

"I'm a bit heavier than your average backpack," she warned. I just had to laugh.

"Hah!" she had to be kidding. I could lift a three ton car with ease. Compared with that, it was like picking up a feather.

I went on a sudden impulse and grabbed her palm, pressed it against my cheek, and inhaled. "Easier all the time," I muttered so low that I wasn't sure if she heard.

And then I ran. I ran so fast that I could feel her grip on me tighten. I was streaking through the trees like they were nothing but easily avoided obstacles in my path, which they were. There was no trace of where my feet hit the ground, no sound of crunching leaves beneath my feet. I felt so alive. Running had always been a way to lose myself. It was the past time I enjoyed most. We were back to the truck in minutes. There was nothing more exhilarating…

Present Day [2008

Running. I hadn't even thought about it before. I used to run for miles and miles every day. It always used to take my mind off things, always used to help me forget…

I made my way to the front door, past a surprised Esme.

"Edward? Where are you going?" she asked, alarmed.

"Running. I need to forget some stuff," was all I said before I made it out the front door. Alice was just getting out of my Volvo. She'd been using it lately since I hadn't exactly been going anywhere. She smiled at me a knowing smile, and this time I smiled back. She had a look in her eye that made me think that she knew more than just where I was going, but I didn't give it another thought. I took off for the forest and didn't look back.

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I had been going for hours. Not stopping. Not thinking. But then the smell of human blood crossed my nose. I followed the scent for about a mile and a half up a bike trail. I smelt it coming from the bottom of a steep hill, so I ran all the way down until I came upon the source. It was a young guy. Maybe eighteen or nineteen. He must've run off the trail, because his wrecked bike was laying not five feet away from his mangled body. He was at the base of the tree that must've stopped him from continuing to roll the rest of the way down the hill. I held my breath and walked over to check for a pulse. I found it not two seconds later, and knew that he was alive. Barely. I picked him up and ran him within two miles of the house and sat him down. He became conscious and gazed up at me confusedly.

"Where am I? What's going on?" he asked me.

"I'll be right back. Just hang in there, okay?" He nodded his head weakly and closed his eyes. He was breathing shallowly, but at least he was breathing.

I ran from there as fast as I could and burst through the front door.

"Anyone who's in the house come to the living room, now," I ordered. Within seconds everyone was in front of me.

"What's wrong, Edward?"

"I found a guy in the woods that had crashed his bike and ran off a pretty steep hill. He's in pretty bad condition. I need Carlisle's help," I turned to Carlisle, "Do you want me to bring him here, or do you want me to show you where he is?"

"Point me in the right direction."

I took him to where I had left the guy, and Carlisle took out his tool and got right to work. He shook his head and looked at me.

"He's not going to make it, Edward."

"You have to do something," I yelled at him. Not another person was going to die in my presence. The kid groaned and opened his eyes.

"Where am I?" he said again.

"You're in the middle of the woods. You wrecked your bike, and Edward here found you. You're in pretty condition. It doesn't look too good. I'm sorry."

"I don't want to die," he cried.

"Well…there's another option…"

"I'll do anything! Just don't let me die!" he interrupted.

Carlisle then explained to him what option number two was. The kid looked kind of freaked, but he said he didn't care. Carlisle then told me to go back to the house and warn the others the he'd be coming. I did just that as soon as I got back to the house.

"Carlisle's going to change him," I told everyone, but they didn't look surprised. I looked over at Alice and she just smiled, "Okay, so I guess you already know the story."

Just then I smelt the blood. "Here he comes. Hold your breath."

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For the next three days, we all had to live through the screaming and the thrashing of the boy's pain. His head was screaming, so I just shut it out. It was around three in the afternoon on day three when his heart stopped. The screaming, the shouting, the thrashing, and the twisting all stopped with it. He woke up with no memory of what had happened to him before I'd saved him. His name was Ryan Trace and he was eighteen years old.

Alice, Jasper, and I showed him the ropes. He was a particularly fast learner. He wasn't exactly immune to the smell of human blood, but it really didn't bother him that much. About two months after he was changed we found his power.

We were in the middle of hunting when we came across a huge herd of moose. They were in an open field, so there was exactly a chance for us to sneak up on them. We'd just have to run fast, and hit them hard. I looked over at Ryan to see if he was ready, but I couldn't find him anywhere. I moved towards Alice to see what she knew.

"Where's Ryan?" I whispered so low as to not make an audible sound.

"He was just right there," she shrugged.

"Uh, guys, I'm right here." We turned to where his voice came from, but couldn't see him anywhere.

"Where?" Alice asked. We were still looking in the direction from which he called. Slowly we started to see a figure form.

"Right here."

"I think we just found your power," Alice said excitedly, "After we eat we can go tell Carlisle!"

"What are you talking about?" he asked confusedly.

"Uh, well, the fact that you just turned invisible maybe…" I said.

Author's Note: Chapter two! Woo Hoo! Yeah. I hoped you guys liked it! Don't forget to send me lots of reviews! They make me happy. And when I'm happy, I write better chapters…So, yeah. Reviews for Love. XD