First and foremost, thanks to all that left a review....they made me smile like always.

I regret to inform you that this chapter isn't very long but I needed to get this part

over with to get to the good stuff...

It might be a little slow to some of you but again it needed to be done....

Thanks for reading...

DENALI

WE ARRIVED AT THE DENALI'S AND THEY GREETED US WITH OPEN ARMS. Tanya grabbed Nessie up in her arms and she put the palm of her hand to her cheek. They were conversing right away. Katie was there with Garrett at her side. I had a feeling he would be there. We hadn't spoken to them since the Volturi episode, so I wasn't sure if he would be. They acknowledged Jacob, but there was no warm welcoming for him.

Edward filled Tanya, Katie and Garrett in on what the hybrids had told us and what we decided to do about it. They were leading us to the guest house and I threw my arm around Jacob, "welcome old friend." I tried to make it a deep voice but it wasn't. "It's been too long, gimme a hug big guy." I was vibrating with laughter as Jacob tried shoving me away from him.

"Come on bells, don't cause a scene. The blo……people are watching." He smirked a little at his correction. I guess we would have to work on his vocabulary while we're here.

"Where are Eleazar and Carmen?" I asked just realizing they weren't here to greet us when we arrived.

"They're out hunting," Tanya said mostly to Edward. I let it go. "We weren't sure when you'd arrive."

Just then we rounded the house, and I froze in my tracks. There, nestled into some trees was a two-story cabin. It was so captivating with the white rooftops and the white covered trees that surrounded it. It reminded me of a snow globe. I have a feeling—because I hadn't really seen snow till now—that I would be reminded of snow globe's a lot while we we're here.

"Oh," a gasp slipped between my teeth. I looked to Edward and noticed out of my peripheral vision that Tanya was staring at him, deep in thought. I felt a bit of jealousy spark in my stomach. "It's so beautiful," I danced to Edward's side and grabbed his hand in mine. "Don't you think so love?" looking up into his butter-scotch eyes.

He wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed the top of my head, "it sure is, but it's nothing compared to my Bella." She must have been thinking what I saw. The jealousy emaciated as she gathered herself.

"We never use it but it's fully furnished, it even has beds in every room just in case. Which I suppose is a good thing considering Nessie and……the wolf needs to sleep." She made a face and emphasized wolf.

"Thanks leech, we appreciate it," Jacob snapped back at her. His stance tightened and his hands balled into fists. I jumped in front of him, my hands on his chest.

"Ok. Ok, that's enough Jacob. Be civilized please, they're doing us a favor letting us come here. Be nice." A low snarl came from Tanya and I whipped around to face her, my arms behind me bracing Jacob. "You too," I growled. I could see now, that this is going to be more of a problem than I anticipated.

I watched Jacob stomp off towards the forest, hands trembling, "I'll be back." He huffed as he walked out of sight.

"You'll have to excuse him," I told Tanya, "he has a bit of a temper if you can't already tell." I said returning to Edward's side.

"Yes, as long as he controls himself we won't have any problems." She glared at me for an eight of a second and then she was gone. I went through the whole incident in my head to see what had gone wrong. It was Tanya's remark when she said wolf. What turned out to be a disaster was—in the beginning—a nice warm welcoming. Jacob storming off into the forest to phase, and Tanya off into the house: To vent I'm sure.

"That could've gone worse," Edward whispered into my ear. Nessie turned with a worried expression and put her hand in mine. Suddenly, there were flashing pictures of Jacob's face, the way he looked before he stormed off, swirling around in my head. She was asking if he was okay and when he would be back.

"He's fine," I wiped the single tear that ran down her cheek. It pained her to be away from him, just as it did him away from her, so I knew he wouldn't be long. "You know how his temper is sweetie. He'll be back in no time," I reassured her. She looked up at me and smiled, then sucked in her cries.

As if a cue was set, Jacob came out of the woods smiling at Nessie, I should've known he would be listening. She ran to him; he took her into his arms and her hand was simultaneously at his cheek. "I'm sorry Nessie, I didn't mean to frighten you," he was using his soothing voice. "I just had to control my temper and now I'm fine," he smiled widely, his most Jacoby smile. "Now, let's go check out our new pad." He grabbed her by the hand and they ran to the cabin. Edward and I followed behind them at a more leisurely pace.

I stood back to get the full effect, to take everything in. It started at the trees with a stone path that went all the way to the front door. There were two widows on the main floor with little flower pots under them. The trees enclosed from all sides providing absolute privacy. When we opened the front door, it creaked a little. I liked it, it was normal. Inside, it was a duplicate of our cabin at home, plus a second story. The floor was stone and the walls were a pale-white. In the fireplace there were some smoldering logs. They must have been preparing for Nessie.

The front room was furnished with a long couch that curved along two walls with an ottoman against the next wall. On the furthest wall was a vast entertainment center that had a colossal flat screen TV sitting in the middle of it. Nessie ran to find her room and Jacob followed. Edward and I continued down the hall that led to the kitchen and dining room. To the right of the dining room was a winding stair case. Upstairs was, at first, a loft that over looked the front room. Then it was a huge bedroom with an oversize bed in the middle. It had drapes all around it and big fluffy white pillows. The walls in this room where a light sky blue that matched the bedspread.

"This place is amazing," I barley whispered. "Can you believe that bed?" I pointed to the unnecessary bed. Why would you spend so much on a bed that would never be used? He was at my side in an instant, swinging me up to cradle me in his arms.

"No matter where we are, as long as were together, it will always be more than amazing." Then he smiled his breathtaking smile and an electric shock ran up my spine, to the tips of my fingers and the tips of my toes: I was numb. We didn't go back downstairs until the sun came up.

The weeks went by excruciatingly slow without the rest of our family—even with an eternity of time before us—time was creeping by. They called every day, and we would pass the phone around. Jacob discovered that he could talk to Sam over the 2,500 miles distance, which was convenient so he could find out what was going on with his pack. Quil, Embry, Leah, and Seth joined him after the Volturi left. Leah was his "Beta" as I had once called it.

Edward and I spent most of our time in the room. We still can't get enough of each other. The desire to be with Edward hasn't been more powerful. I'm beginning to think that will never change. Jacob kept Nessie busy with all the stuff she wanted to do. They would go ice skating, roll around in the snow and Jacob would shift and run through snow dunes and snow would spiral around them—like a snow globe—and they would always come home drenched from head to toe. They even got to ride snowmobiles for the first time. Edward and I joined them for that. It looked like too much fun to pass up. We went to see a couple of land marks Mount McKinley, Park Road, and Wonder Lake. Nessie was all about learning everything she could about Alaska. She loves it here. Jacob—with his whole give the object of your imprint everything she wants—has been right beside her every step of the way.

Looking back a year and a half ago, I would have never guessed I would be where I am. Not just Alaska, but life in general. I have a big family—mortal and immortal—and a hand full of friends on the reservation. I didn't have to go through the hectic-confused-newborn phase; I got to skip right through it. Edward and Carlisle believe it's because of all the preparation I had, and the knowledge of what was to come. I don't know what it was, nor do I care. I'm just overjoyed that I didn't have to lose myself to my senses. I remember being scared that I wouldn't be myself after, that I wouldn't want the same things—like Edward—that I did when I was human. Once it was all said and done, I wanted Edward more than I ever thought possible.

It was a Saturday and we were all out at the pond behind the cabin. Nessie and Jacob were skating. Nessie looked like a ballerina on the ice; it came so natural to her. Jacob didn't do half bad either, he fell a couple of times—once right on his face—but other than that, he was doing exceptionally well. Edward and I sat back on the root of a tree as we watched them. We'd kept her safe so far and soon Carlisle and Esme, Alice and Jasper and Rosalie and Emmett would be here and we could go back to the way things used to be.

"There here," Edward whispered in my ear. Nessie was oblivious, but Jacob heard and kept his composure. I turned to face him, "Leah, Seth and Embry have come along as well." He said with a smile.

I smiled back, "Jacob will like that, but where will they stay?"

"They can stay with us. There's a huge bed upstairs and a long couch. Jacob can share his bed with someone I'm sure." He's always been able to find a compromise for everything. I laid back in his lap keeping my eyes on the opening they would come through. I couldn't wait to see Alice. I'd asked her once if she had seen anything in the future about the hybrids.

Unfortunately, she was still unable to see anything that involved them. We would just have to hide out until they found us again. I have a feeling we'll be running until Nessie is ready to do what—apparently—she is destined to do.

Just then the sun illuminated through the clouds for a split second and sent a thousand rainbows in our direction. The sun didn't touch us but it did touch the six beautiful vampires that were gliding over the hill. Nessie saw them right away and darted into Rose's arms.

"Oh Nessie, I've missed you so much," Rose cried as she held Nessie in an iron grip hug. "Look at how much you've grown. Wow you look like you're 14 already." Rose was right. Nessie had gotten bigger since the last time they'd seen her. I noticed the difference every day but it didn't bother me as much as before. Knowing that she wouldn't grow much more than I had; had a big part in that.

Alice came running towards me and interrupted my reverie.

"Bella, I've missed you so much, how are you holding up?" She was like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day: A breath of fresh air. I hadn't realized how much I missed her until this moment. I don't know how I bared it.

"Alice, you don't know how good it is to see you, to feel you." Tearless sobs were coming from my chest. "I'm better now that were back together."

I watched as Edward went straight to Carlisle. They didn't even bother with the usual man huge (the one where you shake hands and hold it between you and reach around and pat each other's backs), yeah, he just grabbed him up and swung him around. I let a giggle slip; I'd never seen him embrace Carlisle that way. It was kind of comical.

"Carlisle, it's been way to long," he sang. You could see the happiness capture his every expression.

"Yes my son, too long." Edward set him down and Carlisle put his hands on Edwards's shoulders. "Let's not make this a reoccurring event." He chuckled and returned the hug in the same manor. Behind Carlisle was Esme. As soon as Edward saw her, she was all he saw.

"Esme, Mom you look wonderful!" he grabbed her up the same was as Carlisle. Esme laughed out loud, you could see the relief on her angels face when Edward put her down.

"Son, I've missed you terribly," she squeezed him tightly before turning to me and embracing me in the same fashion. "Bella, sweetie you mustn't do that to me again. I thought I was going to have a heart attack—figuratively speaking—when I found out you were gone." She looked serious and relieved as she stood there staring at me intently.

"I'm so sorry Esme," I pulled her to me so I could hug her tightly. I didn't want to let go. "I won't, I won't," I chanted: And I wouldn't.

As soon as Esme released me I was being lifted up by someone behind me. I wiggled and squealed because I wasn't sure who it was. "Bells, it so good to see you again," Seth cooed into my back as he swung me around violently. Of course it would be Seth. He was like the younger brother I never had. He always made me smile with the stupidest jokes or the funniest faces. He was a definitely a comedian.

"Seth," I replied in the same tone of voice he used. "Put me down."

Nessie didn't say anything while we reunited with our family. She was passed around by everyone, and she gave them all the run down on what they missed while they were back in Forks.

Jacob was busy greeting his pack. Everyone was here except Quil. I knew why he didn't come, because of Claire.

"Jacob. Why didn't Quil come?" I asked, even though I knew the answer.

"He couldn't leave Claire, and couldn't bring her with him." Just the answer I knew I'd get. "Claire just celebrated her fourth birthday two days ago. Her mom wasn't about to let her leave, imprinting or not." He half-shouted over the many conversations going on at once.

After all the greetings were done we headed to the cabin to show everyone were we'd be staying. Seth was totally excited when he saw the flat screen TV with satellite.

"Wow guys, this is totally rockin'," he made the motion of an invisible guitar in his hands. "I can't wait until I get to rub this in Paul's face. Ah…: The luxuries of being a werewolf." He fell back onto the couch with his fingers locked behind his head. He reached for the remote and I imagined he'd be happy there for hours. Leah on the other hand, was a different story.

She'd disagreed when Edward and I offered her our bed since we had no use for it. She'd disagreed when we offered her the couch, and even when Jacob offered her his bed. She said she wanted to sleep in wolf form. I was hopeful that she would eventually have a turning point where she could just accept us and get over it.

I guess I was hoping for too much.

Embry was perfectly content with taking our bed, which left Seth on the couch; which he was probably eager for. We decided to go outside with Emmett to catch up. We had talked to them every day while we were away from them, but that didn't compare to seeing them and talking to them in person.

"So, did we miss anything exciting?" Edward asked him as we stood next to the cabin outside. I could sense that the air was cold as it blew over my face but it didn't bother me the slightest.

"Nah, not really," an excited expression formed on his face. "I went to the Husky game with Charlie last week," Emmett looked over at me. "He said to give you a huge hug for him," he picked me up, threw me into the air and caught me in one of his iron bear hugs. "Ha, ha… I can't wait to tell Charlie about the look on your face. It was priceless Bells." He bellowed.

"Put me down Em, stop acting like a child." I was a little irritated; he didn't have to throw me into the air to give me a hug. I scowled at him for a moment when he released me onto the ground. "I'll let you get away with that this time big brother, only because I've missed you so much." I smiled widely, crouched and lunged at him taking him to the ground. "Gotcha!" he was the only one that would fight with me and all my newborn energy was going to waste. I still had some left in me.

"Ah, get her off of me," he tried to wiggle free but I wasn't budging. I held onto his wrists like my life depended on it, "Edward, grab your woman, control her man." He said between clinched teeth. He was trying desperately to free his wrists but to avail. I wasn't giving in.

Edward spoke calmly and softly, "I don't control Bella in anyway, she wouldn't allow me even if I wanted to." I looked up at him with raised eyebrows as Emmett finally broke my grip with the interruption of my concentration. He smiled his crooked smile, "of course I don't love. Don't be silly." I stood up from the ground in one fluid leap and ended up right next to Edward, where I wanted to be.

It was getting late, and with all the chaos that was going on, Nessie was exhausted. Edward noticed her visions were coming in blurs, so he asked Rose and Esme to put her down: Which they did so eagerly.

"Hey, does anyone want to play a game?" I asked standing in the middle of the cabins not so large front room. Why not, we had nothing better to do at the moment. "We have tons of board games and cards. Or there's a ps3 built into the entertainment center. I think I saw a Wii, too; we could bowl." I just wanted the fun to never end.

There was a knock at the door and I darted to answer it, Katie and Garrett.

"Carlisle, Esme it's so nice to see you on better conditions than the last." Katie didn't let go of Garrett's hand as she darted to Carlisle and Esme and gave them each a quick hug. "Rose, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper it's so wonderful to have you all together again. You remember Garrett," she addressed everyone waving her hand in his direction.

"Hey yeah, I guess were sorta family now," he raised his hand in a waving gesture before he brushed his long sandy hair back behind his head and tied it back with a band. Garrett was always such a character.

"Yes, welcome," Carlisle greeted him. This time they did the man hug and I think it was thanks to Garrett.

"Where is Tanya?" Rose asked. Now that she mentioned it, I hadn't seen Tanya since that first day. Maybe there was more to what she was thinking than I thought.

"She's out soul searching," Katie said with a hint of sarcasm. "Probably soul mate searching," she giggled putting her hand over her mouth.

"Eleazar and Carmen?" Carlisle asked.

"They went into town for some supplies." She smiled then, and I couldn't imagine what kind of supplies they would need. I guess I would find out when they returned.

Everyone was reuniting with old friends, and new friends. Garrett was fitting in well with the Denali's. I had wondered when we first meet him why he never joined a coven. I figured it was because he didn't like to depend on anyone else but himself. When he met Katie, I remember him laughing a lot and Katie was really enjoying his company. When he declared himself to her it was under the assumption we were going to die. When it turned out we weren't going to die, he had meant it.

I couldn't help but wonder what Tanya was thinking, that day we'd arrived and I noticed her staring at Edward. I had a pretty good idea what it was but I wanted to know for sure. When Katie had mentioned she was soul searching, I couldn't shake it from my mind. I planned on confronting Edward as soon as we were alone. I wasn't exactly sure when that would be, but I would try and make it soon. It was eating at me to know.

Eleazar and Carmen got back around dawn and everyone except us—that were already here and the werewolves—went to their house to reunite. I leaned over to whisper in Edward's ear.

"Can I talk to you?" I asked as soon as everyone was gone. Jacob, Seth, Leah and Embry were playing the ps3 and they seemed totally absorbed in it. So I grabbed Edward by the hand, not waiting for his reply, and led him outside.

"What do you want to talk about?" he asked. He had a very guilty look on his face and I guessed he knew exactly what I wanted to talk about.

"I think you know Edward. If you know me well enough, then you do." I said with a smirk.

"Bella, I can't read your mind unless you let me, so you're going to have to tell me." He leaned against a rock and brushed the hair that was on my shoulder and pulled me to him. "I haven't the slightest clue."

"This might sound childish," or I might be onto something.

"I don't care what it sounds like; I always want to know what you're thinking." He looked at me lovingly and smiled his crooked smile.

"What was Tanya thinking that first day?" he didn't say anything but pursed his lips into a straight line: Which is what he usually did when he didn't want to tell me something. "I saw her thinking something and she was staring at you." That sounded like it didn't make any sense, but it would have to do; still nothing. "I'm going to think it's something probably much worse than it is, if you don't tell me." I tried to hide the bitterness in my voice but failed miserably.

"I'd rather not tell you what she was thinking." He looked into my eyes as if he was looking into my soul, "but if you insist."

"I do." I said curtly, not wanting to give him time to change his mind.

"She was telling me that she loved me, that there would never be another for her." I knew it had something to do with that but I wasn't prepared to hear it. "Remember when I told you that when something happens to us its life altering, you can never go back?" I did remember that. It was a human memory but I knew it well. I had went to Volterra, Italy to save my life; Edward. He had gone to the Volturi to provoke them to kill him. He thought I had died and said that he would not exist if I didn't. When we returned I was so exhausted that I slept the rest of the day away. He was in my room when I woke in the middle of the night, I didn't believe he was really there; that he was going to stay. That's when he told me that his life had been altered.

"Are you telling me that you altered Tanya's life?" I nearly shrieked at him. All my muscles tensed at the thought of having to fight over Edward with Tanya, which I was more than willing to do.

"She seems to think so, but you are proof that I did not," he smiled my smile and I almost let it affect me. I had to gather my thoughts but I didn't forget.

"How do you think?" I was a little irritated that he was trying to deny this.

"Bella," he put his hands on both sides of my face and looked deep into my eyes for the second time tonight. "If it were true then she would've altered mine, too. We stayed here for almost a decade and never once did I offer her the time of day in any other way then friendship or family."

"I believe you," I pushed his hands away from my face, "but how else could you explain what she's doing? She obviously left because she couldn't stand to be around you." I know I wouldn't be able to sit by and watch some other woman kiss him. Just the thought of it had me furious.

"That may be true, but it still doesn't change anything. I love you Bella, forever." He reached out to grab me but I stepped back.

"Then why didn't you tell me about it?" not only did I have to feel angry but now hurt, too.

"It wasn't necessary." He said calmly.

"Oh…I find it very necessary." His calm persona was making the furiousness inside scream with anger.

"Bella," he reached out for me again, this time grabbing me by my wrist and yanking me into his arms. He kissed the top of my head and squeezed me tight for just a moment. "I didn't want to burden you with her issues love. You already have so much to deal with. Whatever she thinks is irrelevant, I love you, you altered my life. You are forever stitched into my dead heart." He leaned away from me to look at my face. "As long as I exist, I exist only for you." Deep down, I already knew that. He'd proven it to me time and time again.

"I don't want to make another person runaway because of me." Maybe we shouldn't stay, and then she can come back. "We can relocate somewhere else." I added.

"We don't need to go anywhere now; she won't be back for awhile. You were right; she did leave because of me." His eyes were on mine the whole time, trying to read what I was thinking. I pushed my shield out so he could hear me.

I knew I was right; I have a sense for these types of things. I wish we could've gone somewhere else, if I would've been thinking rationally, I would've remembered that Tanya had a thing for you. What was I thinking coming here? Edward's eyes finally left mine, and when they did I saw that he was in agony.

I let my shield snap back into place and grabbed his face in-between my trembling hands. "This is not your fault; it's not any of ours. She can't help the way she feels, and I don't blame her." I said with fervor, but it didn't seem to be enough. The crease between his eyes was still present and I couldn't leave this conversation until it was gone. "Who wouldn't be interested in you? You're the ideal man, husband, father and fri…" his eyes snapped up to mine with a fierce frenzy and he cut me off with a passionate kiss that sent my head spinning. This was always his way of changing the subject or getting out of trouble. It's his secret weapon against me—that isn't a secret—he uses against me often.

"What are we going to do about this?" I asked once I was finally free of his hold—not that I wanted to be freed.

"Right now, nothing, we'll just have to wait until she comes back and ask her what she wants us to do about it. If she wants us to leave, then we will." I wondered instantly, when she would return.

"I don't want to stay if it's going to make her uncomfortable or miserable. I remember what it felt like to want someone so much, more than life itself," I chanced a glance at Edward and his expression was exactly what I expected to see; misery. "And for that person to not want you the same in return," he gave me a dirty look knowing I was talking about him.

In my defense I lifted my hands up like I was surrendering "hey, you're the one who said it, and it made sense to me. You know I always thought I didn't deserve you to love me. I already knew it, and for you to say, it just made it real. I was expecting it." I looked down at the ground in embarrassment. I'd never told him about this.

I was remembering all too well what the feeling was like. That was another human memory I would never forget. I lost my heart and soul that night in the woods. I never fully recovered it until I ran—full force—into Edward in Volterra.

"I was hoping that would be a memory you forgot, or would try to forget," he smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. "I wish I could take that memory away from you so it can't hurt you anymore." He looked away from me, loathing himself, "I feel terrible about hurting you the way I did. That kind of hurt doesn't ever heal and it's the worst kind of pain." He grimaced at the memory.

I wrapped my arms around his waist, trying to comfort him. I didn't like seeing him this way, "the past is the past Edward, but you're right, it doesn't heal." I reached up and touched his cheek so he would look at me, "you don't ever know exactly how much you need something—someone—until it's already gone. We've already been through that and we were able to mend it. Now, we don't have to worry about it anymore. We both can't live without the other, so nothing can come between us now."

"A catch 22, ha." He chuckled.

"I guess you could call it that."

"I love you Mrs. Cullen," he whispered into my ear.

"I love you Mr. Cullen," I whispered back.

"Forever."

"Forever," I agreed. That was the end of that paroxysm conversation.

******

I know this chapter was fairly short I promise never to do it again

As always reviews are very much appreciated and I love them truly and deeply.

Next chapter I went kind of all out with the angsty stuff, you'll see....

I'll have it up as soon as I'm done editing it...again bare with me

I hate editing

thanks for reading!!!!!!