Fated

By Ginamr

Summary: Edward's rebellious years were behind him and he was at last beginning to feel a modicum of peace through his family's vegetarian lifestyle. His life is turned upside down when Bella, the Human woman that he'd saved from the clutches of a murderous vampire, is again in need of his protection. He's forced to face his growing affection for her. He has two choices—create a future with the woman who draws him like no other or abandon her and his family for a second time.

Rating: NC-17

Categories: AU

This chapter is in Edward's and Bella's POVs respectively.

Four

BPOV

We were passing through the forest on the edge of a small town called Forks when we heard it. To anyone else, it would have sounded like nothing more than thunder. But we heard laughter, too, and excitement. At my suggestion, we decided to check it out. The closer we drew to the source, the more certain I became that we had in fact stumbled upon another clan of vampires. There was no familiar scent of Human blood and what I thought was thunder was in fact the contact a bat made with a ball in baseball...the great American pastime.

Approaching the clearing cautiously, we all slowed and spread out slightly so each of us could examine the scene before us. It was a family. Their skin was too pale to be Human. My gaze locked with one of them in particular, his messy hair an unusual bronze. His eyes were golden brown, a color I'd never seen in a vampire before. Curious, I stepped forward until I stood ahead of James and Laurent.

I grasped the ball in my right hand. "I believe this belongs to you."

Without waiting for his response, I tossed it to him. He caught it easily.

"I'm Bella," I offered.

Though the family appeared hesitant at first, Carlisle welcomed us. He then continued down the line, introducing everyone in his clan.

There was Esme, the older woman who it appeared served as a surrogate mother to the younger ones; there was Emmett, rather burly with dark hair and the same golden eyes as the others; there was Rosalie, a blond perhaps more beautiful than even Victoria; Japser, a blond haired man who looked oddly familiar and Alice, a short and spunky little thing that radiated charm, but I knew I would never want to go up against in a fight.

At last, he introduced the bronze-haired man who had caught my attention earlier as Edward. Edward's gaze remained on me, his gaze thoughtful and perhaps a bit surprised. I furrowed my brow as I struggled to place where I knew him from. Memories of a past life flickered quickly through my mind, but I couldn't peg a specific memory of him. I smiling pleasantly at him and extended a hand in greeting.

He arched an eyebrow, somehow managing to look distressed in the same moment. "You don't remember me, do you?"

I paused, then shook my head. "You seem familiar, but I can't quite place it. I'm sorry. Did I know you when I was Human?"

"You could say that," he offered vaguely.

For some reason, his gaze flickered to Laurent and he seemed hesitant to go into greater detail in their presence. Eager to know more about how I could know Edward, I offered to sit out.

Edward smiled and nodded. "I'll sit out as well. It would seem Bella and I have some catching up to do."

Once we were out of hearing range of the others, we found a spot beneath a tree and sat down face to face. This was one of the times when I was most thankful for my gift, though I hesitated to ask Edward if I could use it on him. It was a touchy subject for most. But I had to know why this man drew me so.

"If you would allow me," I began. "Through touch, I'm able to share memories with others and even at times others can share them with me. It doesn't hurt and if there's anything that you don't want me to see, just close the door on those memories."

I wasn't prepared when he stroked the backs of his knuckles over my temple and whispered, "I've missed you, my Bella, more than you will ever know."

Taking that as permission, I pressed my thumbs to his temples and closed my eyes. The images were blurry at first, but they slowly became clearer. He was talking to Laurent. I heard my heart racing and realized that I must have still been Human. The blood red of his eyes sent a chill down my spine and I gasped as images came flooding forward. We were kissing on the front porch of my early 20th century home...back when I was still Human.

That must have inspired my own hidden memories. Suddenly, I was running down a street at night dressed in a man's clothing. The memory quickly shifted to me hiding behind a garbage pail. Then I was standing in front of Laurent, who looked to make me his next meal. That shifted quickly so that I was standing in front of Victoria as she offered me forever, her teeth then sinking into the side of my neck.

My eyes snapped open and I jerked back as though burnt. The breath caught in my throat as I met his amber eyes and the strangest feeling of rightness overwhelmed me. I knew that I would have been in tears if it were possible. Edward. How on earth could I have forgotten him? His smile...it was like coming home.

I smiled wanly, attempting to control the emotion threatening to consume me. It wouldn't do for James and Laurent to see me so weak. If I was going to keep their respect and their loyalty, I could be kind but had to stay mostly subdued. My once-uncontrollable emotions had been my failing and were what had nearly gotten me killed. I'd only managed to defeat Victoria because I'd been able to control my fear.

I'd turned James, so while he had obeyed Victoria's directives as leader of the coven, he was loyal to me above all others as the master to his apprentice. He had defended me against Laurent's fury. In time, Laurent had accepted my role as the coven's new leader and now followed my orders, albeit begrudgingly. By defeating Victoria, I'd secured that much for myself.

Edward's voice drew me back to the present and there was sadness in his eyes as he asked, "How did it happen?"

My gaze dropped from his as I examined my hands. I knew he was asking about my change. "I don't remember very much," I offered. "I recall being trapped in an alleyway. I knew he'd find me so I thought maybe if I acted like I wasn't afraid, he wouldn't hurt me. Actually, it probably spared me from Laurent's bloodlust. If I hadn't stood up to him, Victoria probably wouldn't have brought me into her coven."

Something akin to amazement lit his eyes as he stroked my face. "My brave little lamb."

"Not so much a lamb now as a lioness," I countered with a grin. I paused before continuing. "Our exchange just now brought back another piece of the puzzle...the strangest piece, too. I remember thinking when Victoria asked me to join her that maybe if I was like you, we could be together, you and I. Even after you left and James—my James from 1930—proposed, I couldn't settle for an ordinary life because I still loved you. I was leaving town to look for you when Laurent found me."

The sadness returned along with anger and something I couldn't quite decipher. I understood the anger. He was irritated at me for being so careless with my life after all he'd done to save me that night. I even understood the sadness—him mourning the many Human things I would never experience.

I longed for those things at times, but quickly pushed the thoughts aside. Yearning for what I had been wouldn't change what I was now. All I could do was what Edward had once done—limit my killing only to the terrible Humans of the world...those who raped and pillaged with no regard for the sanctity of life. In a way, we as vampires were no different, but at least the best of Humanity would stand a better chance at survival.

"Oh, Bella," he sighed. I could hear the regret in his voice and knew that he was blaming himself. "I should have just left you alone."

I hissed in annoyance. "This isn't your fault, Edward. Laurent would have found me again sooner or later. If you hadn't kissed me that night, then I wouldn't be here."

He shook his head, his lips tight. "I never wanted this for you, Bella. You deserved to live a full, happy life—a Human life."

Before he could protest, I lifted him from the ground and pinned him to a tree several miles away from the field where the others were engaged in their game. His eyes were dark now—almost obsidian, his breathing heavy and quick. A chill ran through my body and I couldn't fight it anymore. I crushed my mouth to his, practically devouring his lips as I thrust my tongue into his cold mouth. The burn of his venom was the most delicious sensation and only increased the flow of mine in my mouth.

"This, Edward, is what I wanted to do to you that night," I whispered into his ear, biting at the lobe harshly.

My hand slipped around to his front and I grasped him tighter than I would have ever dared to or been capable of as a Human. A deep growl vibrated from his chest and his eyes snapped shut against the onslaught of sensation, thrusting into my grip. Even through the material of his trousers, I could feel his hard arousal long and thick against my hand. Long and thick. Good God, having him inside of me was going to tear me apart. Instead of frightening me as it once would have, the thought had me wetter than I could ever remember being.

"Bella, stop," he whispered hoarsely.

I arched an eyebrow. "Are you worried for your virtue, Edward?"

He gasped, shaking his head. "Yours."

"That's sweet," I replied huskily. "But I'm neither a lady nor an innocent—not anymore."

The expression in his eyes at my bold statement was unreadable. "Bella, whether you're of my kind or not, you are certainly still a lady and you deserve to be treated like one."

"What if I don't want to be?" I teased. "What if I want you to take me the way you wish you could have that first night?"

Certain I had his attention, I ran through several scenarios involving us—a private beach in the water with the tide rocking us into each other; like animals against the very tree where I had him pinned; his head between my legs as he licked and bit at my clit; and my head between his legs as I bobbed up and down on his arousal, my lips clamped tightly around it.

"Fuck," he cursed breathlessly and saw him flinch.

I grasped his chin and forced him to meet my gaze. "Don't," I chastised. "I'm a woman first and I need this just as much as you. Look into my thoughts, Edward. Everything that you're feeling right now...I feel it, too, just as strong and just as fierce. There's no shame in wanting someone like this. There's no shame in this act. It's beautiful and amazing. There's no shame in making love."

/\/\/\

EPOV

I gasped for breath as she touched me through the fabric of my trousers. My mind raced as several thoughts surfaced at once, all centered on her and the emotions she inspired in me. God, what was this woman was doing to me? I struggled to refocus my mind on what I'd been going to say and quickly grew frustrated with her repeated attempts to distract me.

My patience at last reached its threshold and before I could stop myself, I had thrown her from me and scaled the tree to escape her clingy hands. I'd half expected her to follow me and when she didn't, I became worried that I'd hurt her. I glanced downward, surprised to find the surrounding ground bare with no trace of her.

Cautiously, I made my way back to the solid forest floor and took off full speed for the meadow where my family had been playing baseball. When I arrived, I noticed that the strangers were gone—as was Bella. I closed my eyes, growling in frustration. I slammed my fist into the trunk of a nearby tree, leaving a hole where my fist had connected with the wood.

I could hear the confusion in my family's thoughts and see the worry in their eyes, but I felt disconnected from them. The only thoughts in my mind were of Bella. Still taking in what had just happened, I dug desperately for something—anything—to make sense of it. The woman who had tried to coerce me into raw, animalistic sex wasn't my Bella.

I shook my head, willing away the memory of her blood red eyes and trying in vain to picture the lovely chocolate brown of her Human eyes. Try as I might, I couldn't shake the fear and anguish that had welled inside of me from the moment our eyes had locked. Could I love the monster that she'd become?

A hand on my shoulder drew me from my inner battle and my eyes opened to find Carlisle standing in front of me, his expression as calm as ever. I studied him, feeling a measure of peace return. If I hadn't known any better, I would have suspected Jasper of tampering with my emotions. But when I glanced around, I realized that Carlisle was the only other one here...meaning that the little reassurance I felt now was purely Carlisle.

His strength, patience and kindness had always amazed me. He'd accepted me upon my return with open arms and not an ounce of reluctance. This man was more of a father to me than my own had been...at least the little I could remember of my biological father. The change had all but disintegrated any memories I had of being Human.

Those that had remained intact I had preferred not to dwell on. They were the sorts that re-open old wounds. The arguments hurt more now than they had when I was Human because I didn't have the happier memories to balance them out; thus, it's better just to let sleeping dogs lie.

"Are you all right, Edward?" Carlisle murmured serenely.

Swallowing roughly, I shook my head. "It's not her, Carlisle. She's one of them now."

The sympathy in his eyes was almost unbearable. "I'm sorry. I know how much you loved her."

"What I can't discern is if I still do," I continued. "She has the face of the woman I love, but her heart is as silent as the night and she has the eyes of a killer. For the first time since my change, I felt genuine fear in her presence."

Carlisle paused. "Might I offer a hypothesis?" I knew I wouldn't like it, but I nodded anyway. "She is the leader of a Human-hunting coven. Those in that position can't allow their guard to slip, lest they worry about one of their own challenging them. I saw her interactions with Laurent. He's cautious with her and there is only a grudging obedience...like he has no other option. I think that the woman you saw was one who has been hurt and abandoned. She masks that by being overly aggressive. Despite her transformation, I sense that much of her Human instincts remain. She's still in there, Edward. You just need to gain her trust and break down her barriers."

I arched an eyebrow in surprise as I heard Carlisle's thought, She's still in the area.

"Are you sure that's wise?" I asked allowed, fearing for the residents of nearby Forks.

They've agreed to respect our boundaries and move far north should they need to hunt. He paused. Surprisingly, when I told Bella about our lifestyle, she expressed a genuine curiosity.

Any remaining doubts I had vanished with this admition. "Do you think there might be a chance of turning her away from Human blood—of making her one of us?"

Carlisle grinned. Though Alice says the vision was a bit shadowed, she is almost certain that it showed Bella drinking the blood of a mountain lion.

"So she hasn't made a choice yet," I murmured. "Which means that you think I might be able to sway her."

That's the brilliant thing about the future, Edward, Carlisle thought. By the time it is written in stone, it has become the past.