AN: a basket of cupcakes to everyone whose reviewed, favourited, been alerted to my story. I hope I'm not letting you guys down. I'm trying to update as quick as I can. DISCLAIMER: I don't own twilight. I forgot to say that before.

6.08am The Day of Bella's Changing

The morning started with a kiss from Edward. Whilst sleeping, I had rolled over and my eyes naturally flickered towards him. I smiled as he brushed the strands of hair from my face and stroked his thumb along my cheekbone. I leaned towards him for a kiss which he returned. I put my hand against his chest, feeling the curves of muscle beneath his skin. This beautiful statue with golden eyes never failed to take my breath away. He didn't say anything, he didn't need to.

I clumsily scrambled towards him and sat astride his hips, aligning his with mine. There was a sharp intake of breath as I felt his ice cold skin against my thighs. I bent down for a kiss as he placed his hands on the small of my back. I wanted Edward to remember the touch and feel of my human self. Truthfully, I wanted to remember his touch and feel on my skin, the spark between us of fire and ice melting together. He released me from our lingering kiss and I sat up straight. I ran my fingers through my hair and held it loosely in a ponytail exposing my neck.

"Feeling peckish? We can always start early?"

"No, I like to play with my food first,"

His eyes glittered with mischief. How easily we could joke about my impending death and transformation. My heart thumped erratically, reminding me of my nerves. Edward's hand was straight to my chest feeling my heart beat.

"I'm not scared," I insisted, cursing my heart out for such treachery.

"I know, my love," he whispered, replacing his hand back to my waist.

I stroked his chest, unashamedly admiring his body. I blushed deeply as I thought about last night. The same urgency that coursed through my veins last night was flowing through me once again. I wanted Edward right now. I steadied myself, placing my hands on his chest. I didn't have to worry about hurting him by resting my weight on his firm body. He held me with perfect ease, staring intently into my eyes. He knew what I wanted and he was ready to give himself to me. I wanted to make this moment last, no rushing this time.

I wanted to enjoy the coolness of his body, that coolness I felt inside of me that made me tingle all over every time our bodied connected. I carefully, slowly enclosed myself around him, moaning breathlessly as the sweltering heat between my thighs encountered the wintry chill of his body. I began to gyrate my hips back and forth against him. I imagined we were two seasons, winter and summer colliding together in a loving embrace, feeling each other for the first time. Not that this was our first time, but it always felt new and exciting with Edward. His golden gaze never turned away from me. He as entranced by me as I was by him.

I teased him with the pace of my grinding, building up a quick rhythm and then stopping suddenly, and watched him groan in anguished delight. I loved hearing his reactions. My hair fell forward obscuring part of my face as I leaned towards him, trying to focus on my breathing that was rapidly increasing.

"I like it when you put your hair up," he commanded me in a low, husky voice.

I slowed my pace so that I could catch my breath to speak.

"I like it when you beg,"

"Please, Bella?" he purred seductively.

I couldn't resist him when he used that tone of voice. He could be so unfair sometimes. I wanted to be the one in control. I guided his hands to hold me underneath my hips and keep up the rhythm of my body. I straightened my spine and held my arms above my head which were bent at the elbows, my hands on the back of my neck holding up my hair. I arched my back slightly, puffing out my chest. My upper body remained taut as I held the pose like a mannequin. I looked down upon Edward and gave him a haughty stare as if I was some Lady of the Manor. His eyes darkened in desire.

I was letting him control my movement but I still had a power over him. His expression was one of excruciatingly sweet torture. He was biting his lower lip, trying to hold in a twisted half smile. I could tell that I was pushing him to the very edge. I finally relaxed from my mannequin pose and leaned in for a kiss. I took over the movement of my hips from Edward and let him stroke my face and shoulder with a free hand. His loving touch made me quiver with delight. I definitely wanted to the make the most of this before everything changed for good. The early morning light peeped through the curtains as we stole an hour of time.

8.45am The Day of Bella's Changing

Today was the day I was going to be looking death straight in the eye. In this strange pact I had made with fate, I had traded death for eternal life. Now Bella was ready to make that same bargain with her life to become my eternal companion. She had already begun to change before my eyes. She was ready to leave her human life behind her. And I was the one who was going to stop her heartbeat forever.

I couldn't stop fussing over her as she sat in the kitchen eating chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream – she wanted to eat ice cream as a final meal, apparently to acclimatise herself to a vampire's freezing body temperature. I poured her an orange juice and brought out some croissants in case she wanted something else. Carlisle was going to arrive in fifteen minutes. I had cleaned our bedroom and changed the sheets.

Our bedroom had been chosen as the place Bella would rest in for the next few days. She wanted to use the guest bedroom in case she messed our bedroom up but I wouldn't hear of such nonsense. I anxiously checked my watch as I paced the kitchen. 8.46am. I pushed the plate of croissants towards Bella. She licked her spoon before speaking.

"Edward, would you sit down for a moment? You're making me nervous," she pointed her spoon at me in an accusatory manner.

"Bella, I'm sorry, it's just that he's going to be early, the traffic is quiet today,"

"Who is…oh, I see," she said.

The doorbell rang and I ran to the door. Carlisle stepped into the house. He had his medical bag in one hand which he left in the hallway as I led him to the kitchen. Bella jumped off her stool and smoothed out the creases in her pyjamas.

"Carlisle!"

She looked like she was holding herself back from hugging Carlisle, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment at being seen in her pyjamas. Had she forgotten that he was a doctor who was used to seeing random people walking around in pyjamas and night gowns? I laughed silently to myself.

"Don't let me interrupt, Bella, I still need time to set up,"

Bella still had her spoon in her hand and Carlisle and I watched as spoonful of ice cream slopped to floor.

"Thanks Carlisle," she said, returning to her stool and tub of ice cream.

"Let me show you to the room," I said, as I led him upstairs. I wanted to speak with him alone.

Carlisle opened his medical bag and began setting up his equipment on the table. The strong, unpleasant odour of medical paraphernalia hit my nostrils with the force of a battering ram. He laid out a neat row of packeted syringes and a tiny bottle of morphine. He had a pair of gloves, sterilising kit, and bandages.

"Did Alice say anything to you? Anything we should know?" I asked nervously.

"Yes, she did," I looked at him in alarm. "She wants you to know that we all love you,"

"…that's it?"

Carlisle smiled a fatherly smile at me. "That's it," he said, closing his medical bag with a loud click.

9.45am

The procedure was going to start early. I thought there was something quite morbid about being bitten in the dead of night. The bright morning light streamed through the large windows, highlighting the dust particles that danced in its wake. Bella lay on the bed while Carlisle did a quick check up. I leaned against the doorframe, watching.

"Everything seems to be in order," he smiled at Bella. He got up and turned to me.

"I'll give you a few moments alone, call me after you've bitten her, that's when I'll be applying the first dose of morphine," he closed the door behind him. If I had a heart, it would have been beating out of my chest by now. I was filled with a nervous energy, the vampire in me sensing the blood in the air was for the taking. I walked slowly and purposefully towards her.

I knelt by her bed and brushed her hair away to expose her neck. She obediently turned her face away from me. She stared at the ceiling, totally impassive to what was about to happen. I was starting to feel like a monster once again. I couldn't let our final moments end like this. I tilted her face in my direction and crushed my lips against hers. Her eyes opened wide in surprise but then she began move her lips with mine and raked her fingers through my hair. When we stopped, she was gasping for air.

"Just so you know, that wasn't a 'goodbye kiss', that was my 'I love you' kiss," I smiled at her.

"I know," she said, blinking back the tears that were forming in her eyes. "But that would be one hell of a way to say goodbye," she laughed through her tears. "I love you,"

"And I love you, my precious Bella. Your love keeps me alive, right here" I pointed towards my still heart. She reached out her hand and I held it to my chest, our fingers entwined. We gazed into each other's eyes for a long while.

"It's time." she said, drawing her hand back to her side. I reluctantly let go of her.

She turned her face away me and bared her neck once more. I could smell the blood racing through her veins. I leaned down with my mouth shut until my lips were grazing her skin. I didn't want to enjoy this at all. I wouldn't linger over her; I would be fast and efficient like a surgeon's knife. I could still remember the diagram of veins and arteries in the neck from my copy of Gray's Anatomy from my med school days.

The vein I was aiming for was just beneath the surface of the skin and I could feel its pulse beating on my lips. My knees almost buckled as I realised what I was about to do. Bella's heartbeat was drumming into my ears and I had to squeeze my eyes shut to concentrate my mind. I parted my lips, the venom filling my mouth in anticipation and sank my razor sharp teeth into her flesh.

I felt her suddenly grasp my hand tightly, twisting it in hers as she fought the pain. I let my hand remain limp and lifeless, glad that she able to take her pain out on me. I had only made a tiny incision but the blood pumped furiously into my mouth forcing me to swallow every last drop. Tasting her made the hairs on the back of neck stand up straight. She tasted like pure honey; so sweet, so warm and every bit as inviting as her delicious scent.

My brain told me that I should pull away right this instant before I drained away all her blood. The vampire in me wanted to stay a moment longer; she wouldn't be hurt if I stayed just a few more minutes. I opened my eyes and forced myself to look at Bella, to remind myself why I was doing this. She had let go of my hand. I could see she was in agony. She needed Carlisle.