Disclaimer: I don't own twilight, or new moon.

A/N: Yes we have now left the realms of Pre-Twilight, and we are on to new moon! Enjoy.

(Please don't make me beg dear readers, I would really like some reviews. Because begging for reviews means a chapter made up completely of me asking for them, as in an authors note. And nobody likes them.)

Edward POV

I thought about what I was about to do to the girl I loved. I was about to leave her. Just thinking the words made one part of me want to roar in anger and frustration. This was my selfish side; the side that wouldn't leave Bella for the entire world.

But the other side of me, the responsible side, knew that this had to be done. She needed to be able to live a normal, human life. And she couldn't do that with me still here; so I had to erase all traces of my family and myself from her existence.

I had asked her to talk a walk with me. I had already written a note to Charlie in Bella's untidy, perfect handwriting explaining where she was. I had left it on the kitchen table where he would find it.

I hadn't stayed the night with Bella yesterday for a good reason. I had to convince Alice to come with us. I replied our conversation in my mind as I walked a little down the path, my ears still intent on Bella's footsteps, should she trip over something.

"Alice this is for Bella." I crossed my arms and growled quietly again.

"What if something happen to Bella and we weren't here to protect her? What would you do then?" Alice knew she had a question I couldn't answer.

"Nothing will happen. She will be sad, but she will eventually forget us and me, and on with her life. Marry someone, have children, and grow old. Be a human." I winced at the thought of her being with someone else, but I pushed the pain aside for later. Alice exploded.

"Sad? She will be more than sad! She will become depressed! Think about what you'll do her and to your self!" Alice showed me two visions side by side. One was of Bella. She was lying in her bed screaming. And another was of me, sitting in my room, alone and not moving. Then she showed me the rest of the family. Emmett unhappy, Carlisle and Esme worried, Rosalie annoyed but also upset. And Jasper, worried like the rest of them, but guilt written all over his face as well, looking at Alice who was close to sobbing into his side.

"STOP!" I couldn't take it any more.

"This is what is going to happen if you leave her. If you can't live with it now, how are you going to live with it once it is a reality?" Alice's voice was softer as she placed her tiny hand on my shoulder.

"I have to do this. For her; for Bella." My voice was a whisper.

"Are you sure?" There was pain in Alice's eyes. It hurt me to see my favourite sister this way.

"Yes."

I was brought back to the present when I heard Bella's voice behind me.

"Okay, let's talk." Bella sounded perfectly calm.

I took a deep, but hopefully not shaky, breath. Then I let the dreaded words fall from my lips. "Bella, we're leaving."

I saw Bella take a deep breath too. "Why now? Another year-"

Now I felt deeply saddened about what I had to do. She hadn't understood and I had to work to keep my face indifferent. "Bella it's time. How much longer could we stay in Forks, after all? Carlisle can barely pass for thirty, and he's claiming thirty-three now. We'd have to start over soon regardless."

Bella's eyebrows pulled together as she considered what I had said. I cringed internally at the expression on her face when she finally understood. But I thankfully managed to keep my face cold and hard.

Bella's strangled whisper broke my heart. "When you say we-"

"I mean my family and myself." I kept each word separate and distinct.

I watched as Bella shook her head backwards and forwards trying to clear it, to process what I had just said. I was waiting for her to start laughing and tell me I was joking so I could stay with her. But instead she carried on trying to convince me to stay.

"Okay, I'll come with you."

"You can't, Bella. Where we're going...It's not the right place for you." She wasn't safe whilst she was near us and I had to keep reminding myself of that fact.

She still kept trying. "Where you are is the right place for me."

"I'm not good for you, Bella." This was the truth, I never had been and never would be good for her.

"Don't be ridiculous." Bella sounded like she was begging. "You're the very best part of my life."

My tone was grim. "My world is not for you."

"What happened with Jasper-that was nothing, Edward! Nothing!" She was starting to sound hysterical.

I nodded my head. "You're right. It was exactly what was to expected."

She was wringing her hands. "You promised! In Phoenix, you promised that you would stay-"

I cut her off again. "As long as that was best for you."

"No!" Bella started to shout at me and tears were pricking in her eyes. I wished that I could just step over to her and wipe away her tears, telling her that I was lying. "This is about my soul isn't it?" Her words brought me out of my own mind. "Carlisle told me about that, and I don't care, Edward. I don't care! You can have my soul. I don't want it without you-it's yours already!"

I glanced at the ground, not really looking and wishing I didn't have to use this tactic. I looked up into her brown orbs, still brimming with unshod tears, whilst keeping my own hard. "Bella, I don't want you to come with me."

NO! My heart protested against the words I had just spoken. Bella's breathing became jagged as she processed once again what I had just said. "You...don't...want me?"

I wanted to put my arms around her and tell her that, yes, I did want her, I wanted her for all eternity. But instead I said the dreaded word that shattered my heart into a thousand pieces. "No."

I made sure that my face gave nothing away of the truth. I could keep my personal hell for later. She searched my face for the truth. She found none.

She sound calm when she spoke again. "Well that changes things."

"Of course I'll always love you...in a way." I caught myself just in time. "But what happened the other night made me realize that it's time for a change. Because I'm...tired of pretending to be something I'm not, Bella. I am not human." I watched her face as I spoke again. "I've let this go on much too long, and I'm sorry for that."

"Don't." I winced internally at her choked whisper, whilst she pleaded with my shattered heart. "Don't do this."

I made my eyes look into hers as she realized that it was too late.

"You're not good for me, Bella." I turned my earlier words around. I could see on her face that she thought I meant that she wasn't good enough for me.

She opened her mouth to say something but then she shut it again. Her tears finally fell and they rolled silently down her face.

"If...that's what you want."

I bobbed my head once.

I thought of one last thing I need to tell her. "I would like to ask one favour, though, if that's not too much." Her pain touch my heart and I felt a pained expression quickly fly across my own face, but I quickly controlled it again.

"Anything." Bella's voice was almost hoarse.

"Don't do anything reckless or stupid. Do you understand what I'm saying?" I turned my eyes on her, trying to drill it into her brain.

She nodded.

"I'm thinking of Charlie, of course. He needs you. Take care of yourself-for him." And for me.

She nodded again. "I will."

I relaxed slightly.

"Then I'll make you a promise in return. I promise that this is the last time you'll see me. I won't come back. I won't put you through anything like this again. You can go on with your life without any more interference from me. It will be as if I'd never existed." I planned to keep this promise for the rest of my worthless existence.

I pulled the corners of my mouth up. "Don't worry. You're human-your memory is no more than a sieve. Time heals all wounds for your kind." I was different, but that didn't matter.

"And your memories?" Typical Bella to be worrying about me.

"Well...I won't forget. But my kind...we're very easily distracted." I made sure to put the emphasis on the difference between us. "That's everything, I suppose. We won't bother you again."

Bella's eyebrows pulled together again. "Alice isn't coming back."

I shook my head. "No. They're all gone." This was a lie; Esme was waiting for me at home, as was everyone else. "I stayed behind to tell you goodbye."

"Alice is gone?" Bella's voice was full of disbelief.

"She wanted to say goodbye, but I convinced her that a clean break would be better for you."

I had ran out of things to say. So I said the parting words. "Goodbye, Bella."

"Wait!" Bella's choked voice halted my footsteps. She was reaching out to me. I pinned her arms to her sides. I pressed my lips one last time to her forehead and inhaled her scent for the final time.

"Take care of yourself."

I ran.

I took no notice of the silence I left behind me, all of the animals had stopped moving as I passed by them. I did notice, however, the fact that it was so dark. It was a new moon.

I ran on, leaping across the river until I was back home. I felt a deep numb feeling seeping through my veins. I ran quickly around the house and up to my bedroom doors. I grabbed the bag that was on the floor and I walked downstairs again.

My family glanced up as I walked in the room. I saw my blank face reflected in all of their minds, and I wanted to be out of here as soon as possible. I waked quickly to the door leading to the garage and I opened the door to my Volvo. I was about to get in but a hand on my shoulder stopped me.

"Let me drive, bro." Emmett let go off my shoulder as he held out his hand for the keys. I gave them to him as I went to put my bag in the trunk. I sat in the back seat, as Rosalie got in the front. Alice, Jasper, Esme and Carlisle went in the Mercedes. I could feel the throb of the pain as it gushed through me, taking away the momentary feeling of numbness. I welcomed it.

A/N: And it's just going to get worse from here on in. By the way, check out my one shot, Need, it's been entered in a contest.

And remember, please, pleeease REVIEW!! I LOVE them!!

Holly xxx