A/N: Hey! So, here is chapter 3. I have one thing to say before you start reading (if you bother to read AN's…). This chapter is being dedicated to a group of very special people. They are not friends, they are not just people in my family, they are the people who put their lives on the line every day to protect others. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll explain more at the bottom.

Enjoy!

Discovery and Declaration

BPOV

"I'm sorry, baby," I whispered. I took one last look and bit him.

It was one of the best and worst moments of my life. It tasted so good. I didn't know if I'd be able to go back to just animals.

I mentally slapped myself. I was going to and I had to. I would not take another life to keep myself alive.

The only good thing was that I knew I was saving this child from a life I would not wish upon him at such a young age. He could barely walk and he was almost turned into a vampire.

I waited for Carlisle's signal to stop, mentally preparing myself to let go as soon as he said to. I didn't have to wait long. I felt a hand on my shoulder and his voice in my ear.

"You can stop now, Bella. He's going to be okay now." He said it so calmly, like it was the easiest thing in the world. But I guess to him it was, since he's done it so many times…

I tried to open my mouth, to pull back, but it was like I wasn't in control of my body. I started to panic and tried to think of things that would make me stop.

I let myself see quick flashes of everything that had happened before this. All of a sudden I let go and started coughing. I felt someone take him from me and I turned away, trying not to retch.

I remembered how much he looked like Edward and couldn't stand the fact that I was biting him. It was the only thing out of all the flashbacks that made me feel enough guilt for almost not being able to let go.

I felt someone kneel down next to me and start rubbing my back. I turned my head slightly and buried my head into Edward's chest. He picked me up bridal style and stood up. I felt him walk over to the hole in the wall and jump out. He landed on the ground gracefully and took a few steps away from the house. He sat down and put me on his lap. He wrapped one arm around me and put his other hand on the back of my head, slowly petting my hair.

"Bella, it's alright. You saved him, love. He's going to live and it's all because of you," he whispered in my ear.

It wasn't until that moment that I realized I was shaking. I was shaking because of what I had just done. That had been my first time taking human blood and my body was shaking from it.

He started rocking back and forth and just kept saying reassuring things to me.

Not too long after I felt myself slowly drifting off. The last thing I heard was Edward humming my lullaby.

EPOV

I felt Bella drift off to sleep about half way through her lullaby. I didn't stop, though. I gazed down at my wife's sleeping form and couldn't believe how lucky I had been to meet her. She continued to awe me in completely unexpected ways, and what she had just done was something I didn't know if I could do had I been in her situation.

I heard someone walk in our direction and kneel down next to me. From the smell of human blood now coming from two sources, I knew it had to be Carlisle.

"Son, we have to go. Firemen are en route and we cannot be here when they arrive." He sounded calm, but I could sense the worry in his tone.

I nodded my head and stopped rocking. I lifted Bella's face from my chest slightly and could tell she wouldn't wake up for a while. I started to get up with her and Carlisle kept talking.

"We were able to save a lot of the baby supplies from inside the house. Some clothes, bottles, formula, and such. There wasn't much else that could be saved."

I turned around and looked back at the house. I thought of something and turned to Carlisle.

"You know Bella will want that child to know who his real parents are, right?"

He nodded.

"Can you get Emmett to take her back home? I want to see if there's anything hidden away that's not too badly damaged."

I laid her carefully on the ground and turned back towards the house. I decided to start in the baby's room since that seemed the most likely place to find anything of sentimental value.

I ran over and jumped through the hole Emmett had made in the wall. I walked out into the hallway and the fire had just reached the top of the stairs. I didn't have long so I went back into the room.

The dressers were already starting to smolder. I looked in the closet, but there was nothing on the top shelf. The floor gave me what I was looking for.

There was a small cardboard box labeled Family and I took it. I brought it over to the hole and put it on the ground. I looked around for any other places that could have something in it, but there was nothing. I did one last sweep of the room and saw something shine from the corner of my eye.

I walked over and noticed a very small chain on the floor. I picked it up and it had a dog tag on the end, the ones the soldiers wear. There was something barely readable on one side.

Jayden St. John.

I flipped it over, but there was nothing on the back.

It must be the baby's…

I walked slowly over to the man on the floor and saw a similar dog tag on a chain around his neck. He was dressed in camo pants and combat boots. His tag had a little symbol on it. An Army symbol.

They killed a soldier…

I stared, my eyes bulging out of my head as my hate for those two swelled. If they hadn't already been dead by now, I'd have gone ad killed them. I couldn't do anything for him now, but I silently promised both him and myself that I would never let anything happen to that little boy ever again. Not after what he had been through today. Not after all that Bella did to save him. He would not be harmed. I took the tag off his neck and put it on the same chain as the baby's.

I turned with the tags still in my hand and grabbed the box off the floor. I jumped to the ground and ran as fast as I could to the house. It only took me about two minutes to reach the clearing around it and I ran right up to the door.

I burst in and went straight up to my and Bella's room. I opened the door quietly and found her sleeping under the midnight blue covers. She still looked uncomfortable, even in her sleep. I put the box down by the door and walked over to the bed.

I set the chain down on the bedside table and laid next to her. She rolled and her head ended up resting on my chest and her hand was on my stomach. She sighed and her face seemed a little less drawn. A little smile played on my lips and I put my arms around her. I closed my eyes and sighed.

I don't know how long I laid with her, but some time later Carlisle knocked softly on the door. He stuck his head in and pushed the door open a little wider.

"How is she doing?" He asked wearily.

I looked down at the top of her head. I shook my head and looked back up.

"I don't know, Carlisle. I really don't. She relaxed a little when I first laid down and she hasn't moved since. I don't think she'll wake up for a while, though."

"Hmm. We have much to discuss when she does wake." He looked like he was thinking about something, but when he spoke next his tone was much softer. "She did good today, Edward. You have much to be proud of."

I smiled. "I'd have to say we all do. The family has rubbed off well on her."

He chuckled quietly. "Yes, I have to agree. There was no doubt in my mind that she would have trouble fitting in. She was too perfect for you not to."

I didn't know what to say. I kept smiling and looked down at Bella again. Slowly my smile disappeared as I remembered what I had found out.

"Carlisle, that man and woman those vamps killed, he was a soldier. He was in the army."

I saw my father's serene face slowly change into one of complete and irrefutable disgust. "How do you know this?" He practically growled.

"I was looking around for anything of the baby's family. I found that box," I nodded towards the one I had set down by the door, "and I found a dog tag." I took one arm from around Bella and picked up the chain on the table. He took it and scratched some of the soot off it.

"That one has to be the baby's. I found a similar one on the father. His has the army symbol on it."

He looked at me and seemed to know exactly what I planned to do already. He just nodded, handed the chain back, and walked out.

Oh, and by the way, the baby will live. I'm sure Bella will be glad to hear that when she wakes up. We are keeping him in my and Esme's room until we know how Bella will react to him after what she did today. It will have caused a bond between the two, stronger than the one tey had before she saved him.

I thought as much. Thank you, Carlisle.

I looked down at Bella's sleeping form again.

We will raise this child with the help of our family. We will give him the life he should have had. He deserves that much at the very least. We will make sure his parents have nothing to worry about. Their child will be the happiest in the world, and I will make sure nothing happens to him, or to you, ever again. Nothing.

With that, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

A/N: So, I think by now you might have guessed what the dedication is. I decided to dedicate this chapter to all of the people fighting for their country, some of them losing their lives in the process. The section of Edward's thoughts right at the end is the dedication. I just thought it would be nice for those people who have had to deal with the loss of a loved one because of war. They shouldn't worry about their families at home. They will be taken care of and won't be alone.

On a brighter note, here is one last thing: I just posted a poll on my profile about a new story idea. I tried to fit as much of the summary as I could, but a few things were left out. I'm going to post the whole summary at the top of my profile page. Please read it and vote! If I don't know whether you will read it, I won't write it!

So, as usual, please read and review and check out my poll! ;p