Disclaimer: "Traffic Light" belongs to The Ting Tings, a band I just recently found. They're awesome-- check 'em out!

Author's Note: Again-- thank you so much for all of your reviews! They are just so-freaking-awesome!

Clarifications: Some concerns were brought up in some reviews for last chapter. Here's all the details I can give without giving away too much:

Time: This is set in the present-- as in, like 2008.

Other Couples: Every single character-- okay, at least from the Cullen family --will make an appearance in this story. I can't promise you Jake/Billy/La Push Pack, but I can promise that Alice, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Esme will be in this story. If you want to know when, just remember their order of appearance in the Cullen family history.

Point-of-View(s): This is a two-part story. The first fifteen chapters or so will be told ONLY from Bella's point-of-view, and the rest will be told from Edward's point-of-view. This story-- believe it or not --has a plot beyond this tragedy, and I'm (slowly but surely) getting there.

"Super"powers: I'll let this chapter speak for itself. If you're still confused, the Q&A session that will be the next chapter will (hopefully) clear things up for everyone.

Thanks for hanging in there--

Enjoy!

Frostbite
Chapter Seven: Traffic Light

don't you be a traffic light
with all things said
you turn to red
don't you be a traffic light

don't you be a round-a-bout
not another round-a-bout
we've come this far
yet back to the start
don't you be a round-a-bout

oh now baby don't miss read the signs
if you turn the key then things will turn out fine

Time passed. I couldn't tell how much time had gone by, and how much time was left. What I'm sure could only be a few hours, felt like eternity. Every second mocked me; every hour tortured me. The pain was going from unbearable to unimaginable to impossible. As my throat dried and my screams idled, I was able to process that there were people in the room. Yet as I licked my lips and ground my teeth to keep from screaming, I was unable to continue processing the information. As soon as my tongue was wet again, I no longer had a reason to hold back.

They were speaking around me, but my own obnoxious screams were drowning out any conversations that I would have been able to hear. My heart was slowing, now, at an unbelievably fast rate. Each resounding beat thumped against my aching chest, and at this point, I wanted it to stop. I hoped, stupidly, that if it stopped, so would the pain.

The people quieted, now, their voices low hums as my screams also quieted. My mouth was dry and my throat hurt-- I had lost my voice, and therefore any ability to voice the agony I felt. I wanted to cry, but my eyes just burned as if I was about to-- not even tears could comfort me.

Suddenly, I was wrapped into a cold, unfamiliar embrace. The ice of his skin was heaven to my own fevered body, and I pressed myself up against him with a soft, strangled sigh. I felt the body holding me stiffen, and my back vibrated as a growl escaped him. "I don't care," my love spat at Carlisle-- standing only a few feet away with a wary expression on his face, "if the thirst kills me-- I'm not leaving her."

Carlisle didn't even have to say anything before Edward replied, "I can handle it. I will handle it. She needs me now more than I need anything else in this world." There was a small period of silence, and I felt him lightly press his cold, hard lips to my hair. "Fine, fine. I'll compromise."

Carlisle wasn't speaking, that much I knew. I whimpered as Edward moved me, cradling me in his arms. "I'm not going to break her," he argued, growling again. "I can handle my strength-- yes, even with my temper." I could almost hear his eyes rolling, and I pressed my hot, aching body against his. "Don't pretend you know me by Bella's judgement. She's awfully biased," Edward muttered darkly, mumbling something so quietly I couldn't hear him. I squeezed my eyes shut as I felt my heart slow down significantly. Edward's breathing seemed to stop all together.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Nothing.

I gasped, shooting upwards and hitting my head off the roof of Carlisle's car. I couldn't remember even going outside, let alone being put in the backseat of his car. Edward's cold arms wrapped around my shoulders and pulled me down so that my head was laying on his lap. He was playing with my hair-- an innocent action, in itself, but his earlier comment about strength frightened me about the possibilities that could happen if he touched something more... breakable. The pain was dulling, slightly, but not completely going away. I was confused-- was it ending? Was I finally ending the 'worst part' as Carlisle kept calling it?

"Carlisle says it'll all be over in just a few more minutes, Bells," his voice was in my ear, his breath dancing across my face. I nodded as best as I could-- relaying the message that I understood. He moved away from me again.

"Carlisle's. Not. Talking." I grunted each word a few moments in between the previous words. I felt Edward stiffen beneath me, before Carlisle's calming voice floated back to me.

"Not necessarily loud enough for you to hear, Bella," he said evenly, yet Edward didn't seem to relax. "My apologies." He cleared his throat, before starting up again. "You've finished the worst part of the transformation. Now your body is merely going to heal itself."

"We. Going?" It wasn't what I had wanted to say at all-- it was missing a few words before and after it, but it was all I was able to ground out in between my howls of pain.

"Hunting, apparently," Edward offered distractedly. I tried to meet his gaze, but he was adamantly looking out the window.

"Love." I murmured, grabbing his shirt as another wave of pain tore through my body. My head fell back with another scream as the casts around my arms and legs broke off on their own accord. My body was healing itself. I finally understood Carlisle's words, though I was still drowning in my disbelief. "Love," I tried again when I had the chance, cursing myself and my inability to say what I really wanted to say. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. My mind was chanting at him, my eyes desperately trying to seek out his own. I wanted nothing more than to see those beautiful green eyes dancing with his adoration for me. I was met with a startling, frightening pair of ruby-red eyes.

"Love, Bella?" He was confused, that much I could tell, and reluctant. He saw me recoil when his eyes met mine, so he turned his face away again, staring out the window. "Yours will be red, too." He muttered bitterly at me, his hand ceasing to play with my hair. Instead it went up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"I." I started, breaking off suddenly. He looked back down at me, and I relaxed as soon as his gaze met mine. "Don't. Care." His features softened at that point, his eyes going from a menacing sort of stare to a stare I could remember. The love and adoration in his eyes made it easier for me to continue: "I. Love. You."

So swiftly that I barely had time to notice his movements, he had raised me up so that I was sitting on his lap, my face even with his. "I love you, too, beautiful," he murmured, gently grasping my head in his hands and bringing his lips to mine swiftly. The pain seemed to dull as his cold, hard lips moved against my burning ones. His kiss was still hesitant, though, and I was anything but. My hands wrapped around his neck on their own accord, my hands shoving themselves in his bronze hair. He pulled away gently, his forehead resting against mine. "My beautiful, beautiful Bella." Slowly, he pulled away, but only to place feather-soft kisses to my entire face, and I was glad to have my Edward back.

It took me a few moments-- and, to my credit, I was thoroughly distracted at that point --to realize that the pain was completely gone. Three days of torture, just over in the blink of an eye. My mouth was still dry-- the back of my throat was killing me for some reason. I voiced this thought outloud, and Carlisle nodded.

"You're thirsty," he said solemnly. "Don't worry-- we're almost to my favorite hunting spot. There will be lots of different things you can try, there-- big game, little game..." He trailed off, and I was frozen in my spot for a moment. He really didn't think I would be able to kill something, would he?

"Are the guns in the trunk?" I asked, curiously. Carlisle's laughter threw me off for a moment, and I looked at Edward. His eyes were closed and he had a grimace on his face.

"Don't be ridiculous, Bella-- we won't need guns." My mouth dropped open as I stared at him. "Your instincts will take over, and you'll know exactly what to do."

I tried to picture myself breaking bears' necks with my bare hands, but I couldn't seem to do it. Instead, I was reminded of the one period in college-- after a particularly gruesome, regulated biology class --where I had decided to become a vegetarian because of the horrible treatment of animals. To think that I was going from one extreme to the other seemed more and more unsettling as the car ride persisted on. "Oh," I managed to mumble at Carlisle a few moments late. The conversation had ended by then, and I was just coming across as awkward at this point. My mind was racing with a million questions.

"How often are we going to have to do this?" Edward whispered, his eyes staring out the window, now.

"Depends on how well you both deal with the thirst," Carlisle explained evenly. Suddenly, the tires squealed as he came to a sudden stop. "We're here," he said brightly, jumping out of the car. He moved towards the forest, and I wondered if he was giving us some alone time. I looked at Edward, who was staring at me.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, and it felt like that was all I was able to say recently. "I-I..."

"Bella, love," Edward started, watching me carefully. "I'm not saying that I can completely understand your motives for... for this," he gestured between himself and myself, his red eyes avoiding my own, "but what I am saying is that I'm willing to accept anything you will tell me. I-I suppose that as long as we're together," he was struggling with some internal battle, and I wanted nothing more than to take this burden off of his shoulders, "everything should be fine."

"But, Josh--"

"Let's not talk about that now-- please." It sounded as if Edward was in physical pain, and at the mere mention of our son. I leaned against him, my head fitting nicely in the crook of his neck. He shifted his arms around me, opened the door, and carried me from the car.

"I love you," I whispered, reaching upwards so that my lips were in his ear. He bent his head down and placed a sweet kiss to my neck.

"Not nearly as much as I love you," he responded, setting me down beside him as he approached Carlisle. He visibly tensed when he stopped at Carlisle's side, and I was beyond puzzled by his action. "Yes," Edward murmured to a question I hadn't heard. "See you then," he said after, and I watched Edward take off into the woods.

"Where is he--?"

"I had time, while you were changing, to explain the hunting process to Edward. He requested that he be able to go off by himself-- he didn't want you to have to witness it," Carlisle supplied helpfully. "Listen to me, Bella," he started off into the woods, and I followed dutifully behind. He stopped about a mile in, and I realized we had gotten there in mere seconds, despite the fact that we had both been walking. "I want you to close your eyes, now," he said softly, and although I was hesitant, I obeyed him. "Take in a deep breath-- through your nose."

It was like I was hit by a bus. As I took in a deep breath, scents filled me-- not the normal, musty scent of a forest either. It wasn't pine or dew that I was smelling. I smelt a wolf, sweating on a rock about fifty feet to my right. There was a herd of deer grazing in a small meadow directly in front of me. To the north was a grizzly bear, just waking up. I could smell every bird flying above me, and every single chipmunk within a ten mile radius. The flowers were potent around me, the dew was attacking my senses, and the fresh air was making my head spin. I opened my eyes as my jaw went slack. My mouth fell open as I stared at Carlisle.

"Intimidating, isn't it?" He said softly, smiling at me. "Keep your eyes closed. Keep breathing."

I obeyed again, smelling the wolf begin to trot; I could hear his footsteps on the forest floor. The herd of deer remained oblivious as the wolf slowly approached them. Carlisle's voice was a distant humming as I took everything in. Two squirrels were having a private moment in a tree, a mile to my right. To my left, only a few feet away, a chipmunk had given birth to a litter. My mouth was suddenly full of this disgusting, cold liquid. I turned to Carlisle, my eyes still closed. He was breathing silently-- or, silently to a human, I suppose --to my left. He had placed a hand on my shoulder, making me pay attention to his words. "Give in to your senses, Bella. Let your instincts take hold-- hunt."

And I was gone-- flying through the forest like a bat out of hell. I barely had time to recognize the fact that I was running without falling. The deer were a mere blur to me as I passed them, my focus aimed on something bigger. Something warmer-- something that smelled so divine that I couldn't think of anything but it. The wolf barely had time to react before I was on top of it, my teeth ripping at his throat. He didn't have time to howl in pain; he didn't have time to run away. His sweet, delicious blood was filling my mouth-- filling my stomach. I felt complete again.

When the warm, delicious blood stopped flowing, I dropped his body suddenly. I was still crouched low to the ground, my senses going wild. Further south was a large mountain lion, laying out in the sun. The venom started to fill my mouth again, and I smiled to myself. I took off.

I was down in the position to pounce when a blur of white suddenly flashed out in front of me, taking my prey from me. I growled, the sound low in my throat, as I watched the other being tackle the lion to the ground. I crouched lower, about to attack the one who had interrupted me, when I stopped. His bronze hair had distracted me, taking me quickly from my primal, animalistic state, to reality. I looked down at my clothes-- the white shirt I was wearing was stained with dried blood. My hands and forearms were also covered. I tenatively reached a hand to my face, only to find more blood there.

Twigs snapped and my head jerked forward. Edward was staring at me, the dead body of the mountain lion limp at his feet, "Bells?" He questioned me quietly, reaching a hand out towards me. I did the only thing I could think of; I ran. I ran far and fast and without a second thought. What had I done? What had I lowered us to? Surely he would've prefered death-- surely he wouldn't have wanted this. I didn't want this. I didn't want to be this-this monster of a being.

I hadn't realized where I was going, so I was caught by surprise when I was tackled to the ground, the resonating sound reverberating off the trees. It was like two boulders collided with each other. I thrashed against the person holding me, panting out a frantic mantra of "no, no, no", but I was having little success. The person was sitting on my stomach, holding my hands above my head with one arm. I felt a hand pulling at my chin, and I was suddenly met with my husband's red eyes. Only now they held a slight gold towards the outside edge-- merely flecks of the butterscotch that I had seen in Carlisle's eyes.

"Bella," his tone was warning as his eyes bore into mine. "What. The. Hell?"

"Just let me go, Edward, just-- please, just let me go," I whimpered pathetically, stupidly wishing that I could cry. "I-I understand if you don't want me anymore, really-- just let me go. I-I won't make a fuss..." My eyes were glancing at everything-- anything --other than his eyes. He shook my head with his hand.

"Look at me," he demanded. "Isabella Marie Masen-- look at me!" I swallowed, the venom causing my throat to dry up. I was still thirsty, but I pushed the feeling aside. I had to focus on my beautiful husband-- I had to listen. This was far more important than the monster within me. When my eyes met his, I flinched. I couldn't help it. The anger and sadness in his eyes frightened me. He softened up immediately, offering me his crooked smile-- the smile I fell in love with. "I will always want you. I will always love you," his voice was so reverent, so sickeningly sweet that I melted at his words. "I will never leave you, my beautiful Isabella." My name sounded so sweet on his lips, and I had to look away. "But if you want to go-- who am I to stop you?"

I shook my head quickly, my eyes burning. "No!" I said loudly, and I had to look away in embarrassment. If I could blush, I would be. "No-- no, I don't want to leave you. Never again, Edward-- please. Don't scare me like that ever again." My voice was rushed and slurred, my tone nothing more than a whisper, but I knew he heard. He looked confused.

"I scared you with the mountain lion?" I shook my head.

"You- you know what I meant," I broke a single hand free from his iron grip, reaching up to delicately stroke his cheekbone. "Edward, I was so afraid I was going to lose everything I had left in this world." My hand was in his hair, now, and I was relishing in the silky texture. "And-and that's... that's why I had to do this to us. I've damned us both, but I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I don't feel guilty."

Suddenly, his lips were on mine, moving frantically as if he had to translate something from words to actions. My hands were lost in his hair, while his settled on my hips. I hadn't kissed him like this in a very long time, and I was welcome to the memory. I could have gone on for eternity, if Carlisle hadn't made his presence known a few minutes later. "I should have known," he sighed dramatically, playfully leaning against the tree. Edward growled.

"Not funny," he huffed, getting up and offering me a hand. "No, I haven't told her," he said afterwards, when I was at his side. He wrapped an arm around my waist and held me close. "I was waiting for you," he supplied after another moment. I looked between the two of them, thoroughly confused.

"What haven't you told--"

"Are you still thirsty?" Carlisle cut in quickly, pushing off against the tree and moving towards us. I looked down at my feet sheepishly.

"Yes," I murmured. Edward chuckled, and I sent him a look.

"I distracted her," he supplied for Carlisle after a moment, and they both shared a laugh. I growled, deep in my throat, as I watched the two of them. Finally, I pushed away from Edward and took off again, but this time I had a purpose.

I returned to them an hour or so later, having thoroughly fed on the wildlife of the forest. Edward and Carlisle seemed to be having a silent conversation, and they stopped as soon as they were both aware of my presence. Edward stood up and was at my side in an instant, kissing my forehead and holding me close. "Feeling better?" He said softly, and I nodded into his chest. "Good," he ammended, pulling me towards Carlisle. He smiled at the two of us.

"This way-- back to the car," he pointed straight in front of him before he took off-- a white blur in the green abyss. Edward and I were at his heels, hand in hand as we darted between trees and jumped over rocks. It amazed me how someone as clumsy as I used to be could become as graceful as I was now. We were at the car in seconds, once more taking out positions on the backseat; Edward sitting up, my head on his lap. "Would you prefer to wait until we get home, or would you like to bombard me with your questions now?"

"I'd like to wait," I whispered, closing my eyes as Edward played with my hair. This moment was too perfect, that I didn't want a bunch of unimportant questions to ruin it. All that mattered to me was that I was alive-- figuratively speaking --and so was my husband. As the car rolled on and my thoughts turned to Josh, I thanked whatever powers that be that Carlisle and Edward had let it drop. I wanted to at least be in a place where I could escape when I had to have that conversation.

I just needed to figure out how to have it.

Liked it? Hated it? Let me have it-- in a REVIEW!

Did I bore you with all that description? I'm a dialogue-centric person myself, so I'm kind of proud that I was able to put all that in there.

Song for next chapter is still undecided, but here's your sneak peak:

I couldn't stop it. Word vomit, I think it's called. Either way you wanted to put it, the words that should have been reworded carefully before ever leaving my mouth were blurted out for all to hear. "You can do what?!" Shoot. I've probably scared him. I've probably made him think I hate him-- that I think he's a freak. Am I a freak? Holy crow, is this really happ--

"I can read minds, Bella," Edward was quiet when he finally replied to my blunt statement. He was regarding me carefully, as if I was going to break down right then and there. As if I was going to spontaneously combust whenever he told me that--

Holy hell. I have to stop thinking. "What?"

And speaking. Apparently, I wasn't very good at either.