Hey, guys- long time, no update! I realize it's a little late to be saying this, but I hope everyone had a great Christmas break and a happy new year as well. Unless I'm mistaken, I believe this is one of my shorter chapters; I'm trying to make them briefer, like you requested… So it's not much for such a long wait and I apologize for that, but a new semester means a lot of new assignments in and out of class. I'm sure you know how that goes. ;)

Anyway, progress in creating this story has reached several speed bumps as I thought about it over my winter break. This means I'm still deciding how POH will end and which conflicts I should add in my chapters that'll lead to my chosen ending. I got a few ideas written down, but it's still a bit of a struggle for me. Therefore, I might be asking for certain suggestions on how to proceed in following chapters. With that said, I also request that you all remain patient in the continuance of this story.

Please enjoy reading this new chapter that I managed to post.

I hope I haven't lost my touch… :)

Aurora

I was flying- strike that- he was flying and I was hanging on for dear life. Almost out of instinct, my eyes squinted shut and I ducked my face into the crook of Edward's neck. When the wind stopped blowing against my flesh and my stomach no longer felt that uneasy drop from being pulled to the surface by gravity, I chanced peeking one eye open to see where we landed. We didn't necessarily land, though, at least not on the ground. In full vampire speed, Edward had swept me up in one arm, leaped out of his room's sliding glass door- which he somehow opened without me noticing- and made it to an old, tall Sitka tree several yards away from the house. He had one hand latched onto a branch, while the other kept me cradled to his chest, with the soles of his feet digging into the bark of the tree trunk. We were still far away from the earth and the distance made one of my hands that ended up around Edward's shoulder clench tighter.

"What was that you were saying about me, not being terrifying?" he asked innocently.

"Do you realize that provoking my fear of heights doesn't necessarily provoke me to fear you?" I managed to mock in the same tone.

My heart sped up when I felt his body shake against mine in silent laughter. "First you mention being afraid of my family's rejection. Now you confess having a phobia for heights. Are you trying to imply that you're scared of everything, but vampires?"

"Right now, I'm scared of being dropped by one," I nearly exclaimed.

"Hah!"

At that, Edward suddenly released his hold on me and I let out a surprised yelp. A deep blush crept back on my cheeks when my bottom almost immediately landed on his cold, hard, jean clad thigh. He grabbed the journal that I didn't realize my free hand was still holding, and then shoved it into one of the pockets inside the pea-coat he was wearing. He smiled devilishly as he repositioned me on his back, where both of my arms were around his neck and my legs wrapped around his waist. When I was safely in place he completely removed his feet from the tree trunk, so we were dangling from that single branch that his other hand was still grasping.

He tilted his head back where he could see me in his peripheral vision. "You better hang on tight, spider-monkey," he whispered teasingly as his cool breath tickled my warm, red cheek.

Then, he let go of the branch and I elicited a high-pitched squeal as we dropped towards the earth. In an instant, we were flying again as Edward's feet seemed to barely touch another branch before jumping from there towards the next tree… and the next one, and the next one, reaching a greater height with each leap. My arms constricted around his neck even tighter, in what would've been a death grip. In fact, they were so firmly wrapped about him that I no longer had a place to hide my face. Closing my eyes didn't work; it just wasn't as comforting as being shielded by Edward's cool silken flesh.

I had no choice, but to keep my eyes open. I refused to look down, for fear of just how high we were. When I began looking straight ahead, though, I was met with a pleasant surprise. The wilderness Edward was climbing through was beautiful. The trees were so lush, green, and had creatures nesting in some of them that cowered away when they saw us coming. The temperature became less chilly and the sky somehow looked brighter. Looking through this perspective, it really did feel like I was flying. Then rush that I felt immediately went from intimidating to exhilarating, and I couldn't resist laughing out of sheer thrill.

Edward turned his head a little to the side, letting me catch the satisfied (and somewhat smug) look on his face, and then he began to leap and climb even faster- higher. Suddenly, the inside of my ears were giving a weird popping sensation- something similar to what I felt on the plane we took to Forks. Alice had explained to me it's what happens when humans reach a certain great height- like in the sky or on tall mountains. That was when I realized. Edward was taking me up one of the nearby mountains… But why would he take me somewhere so fairly far away?

As if sensing my curiosity, Edward finally spoke. "We're almost there."

"Almost where…?" I asked.

He didn't answer. He just kept climbing until we reached a shady cypress that overlooked a large lake. Edward continued to climb as high as he could go, while still remaining beneath the canopy of the tree's leafy branches. Eventually, he stopped on one of the bigger branches- big enough for the two of us to stand on- and gently pried my arms from around him, helping me slide off his back. My now jet-lagged legs buckled for a moment, after being suspended about Edward's waist for a little while, and almost caused me to fall off the edge.

Edward's hands instantly reached out and grabbed either side of my waist in a firm grasp. Before I could react to the sudden touch, he pulled me to him in an almost protective manner. And though the branch was thick enough to support us, it wasn't all that big in width- so Edward had me balanced alarmingly close to him… so close that if I were to just move my head up the faintest inch or two, our noses would be touching. He didn't seem to notice my slight discomfort and when he felt my body go rigid, he mistook that something else might've been wrong.

"Bella, are you alright? You seem tense. Did all the fast climbing make you ill?" He didn't even seem to realize that his hands were still on my waist.

"I- I'm fine," I answered quietly. My voice was barely audible since my throat had become dry. Whether it was from our close proximity or sometime while on our way here, I wasn't sure.

When I managed to look up at Edward's face, I was a tad shocked to see that his golden orbs had grown a shade darker. They were watching me intently, once again. His lips barely parted only to close back up- which made me unconsciously bite down on my lower lip. When he appeared to lean in closer, my mind started to panic.

"Um, Edward…?" I quickly stuttered.

He blinked once as if coming out of a trance and pulled back with an apologetic look in his eyes. "Yes, Bella," he waited.

"I think you can let me go now." I gestured to his hands that were still placed firmly on my waist.

"Oh," was all he said.

His hands moved from my sides and took hold of my palm, leading me to the trunk so I could safely lean against it. He stood back a ways in front of me and grabbed hold of another nearby branch for him to casually lean on as well, keeping one hand in the pocket of his pea-coat. He smiled at me sheepishly and I returned it with a contented grin of my own, as I folded my arms against my chest and looked out at the lake.

The view was beautiful, needless to say. The lake seemed to go on for miles… Well, it wasn't much of an actual lake, as the farthest edge was joined to a narrow river that stretched to where it disappeared behind a set of rolling hills. These tall hills, blanketed by clusters upon clusters of trees, were probably the most dominant feature of the entire forest. I momentarily considered counting how many there were, until a light tingling of warmth reached my right cheek. I recognized the sensation and quickly turned my gaze towards the source, eyes wide and unblinking.

The windows of my tower in Italy had all been thick stain-glassed windows. With them, there was nothing to look at but a bunch of light colors mixed together in indistinctive shapes. The only sign those windows ever offered me of the outside world was the brightness and/or lack of sunlight. There were occasions when I'd sit before one of those windows- letting the heat from the solar rays of the sun lightly stroke my face- as I simply pretended to look out on what goings on might've been happening beyond the veiled glass…

Now, however, it was real. Surrounded by nature, itself- along with all of its worldly sensations that I had so been deprived of- I was witnessing my very first sunset. I had to remember to blink as the brightness was beginning to blind me and I certainly didn't want to miss a second of this. The sun continued to give its familiar greeting, letting its wonderful heat brush against my face… An endearing kind of warmth- just as Edward's written words had explained the analogy for his mother's touch.

I closed my eyes for a moment and tried to picture it; tried to imagine what it might've been like to be held by my mom. I let the heat I was feeling encompass me and briefly made myself believe that it was someone's arms that had wrapped around my frame. I pictured the way she would smell as I took a deep breath. The fresh outdoorsy scent, mixed with the sweet odor of Edward's and the fruity shampoo that lingered in my hair, created an exquisite- almost original- smell that I couldn't help but think would be perfect for my mom. I imagined her grinning down at me with a smile like mine and a caring, thoughtful look in her eyes- kind of like the look Edward would sometimes give me, only more feminine and motherly. As a small gust of wind blew past my ear, I thought of how it might be to feel her breath while she whispered into it- her soft lips, lightly tickling my earlobe as she quietly confessed just how much she loved me.

A smile broke across my face the same time I felt a lone tear roll down my cheek. A long, cool finger brushed it away and- as I continued to keep a strong grip on my alternate reality for just a moment longer- I pretended it was my mother's oh so gentle touch that briefly met my flesh. There was another small gust of wind against my ear, only this time I wasn't imagining things when it (or he) whispered…

"You're going to miss it." Edward's chillingly sweet breath washed across my face, breaking me out of my reverie.

I opened my eyes and turned to smile at him before bringing my gaze back to the sun. It had slowly lowered its way behind the rolling hills of the forest, casting magnificent hues of orange, red, pink, and even hints of purple. It was the most breathtaking sight I had ever seen and I desperately wanted it to last forever.

"This is usually the best time of day for us," Edward quietly commented, "for vampires… Twilight is our safest time to come out. To me, it means a lot of other things. The end of another day, another life; the dawning of a world of darkness, where creatures like me are doomed to spend all eternity…"

"I don't mind the dark," I nonchalantly argued. "Without it, it'd be hard to see the stars."

Edward chortled. "I'm afraid you'll find it rather difficult to see stars at night around here. The skies in this area are almost always cloudy. That's why it's so easy for us to live here in Forks."

"So I'm guessing you won't be taking me beyond the cloud bank every day to see this, will you?" I playfully replied.

"Only if you want me to, Bella," he answered honestly with his signature crooked smile.

I made a double-take, looking at the expression on his face to ensure myself that he meant it. Then, I thought about the offer as I gazed off into the sunset one last time. With a small sigh, I turned back to him and shook my head.

"I'm afraid this won't be as special to me if we come here all the time. Maybe just every once in a while…?"

"A very reasonable answer," Edward nodded in approval, and then he reached his hand out towards me. "Shall we?"

My brows furrowed a little. "We're leaving already?" my voice pouty, almost childish. "It feels like we just got here."

Amusement shone in Edward's eyes once again and he took a step closer to gently grab hold of my hand. "We've been here longer than you think," he replied softly. "Plus, I made a promise earlier to bring you back before dark."

"How come I wasn't in on this promise?" I tried to stall. I only wanted to stay long enough to see the stars I had mentioned before. I mean, if Edward was right and this was the only place I'd ever get to see them…

"I'll let you see the stars another night, Bella." he added.

I raised a brow at him, then. "Are you sure you can't read my mind- perhaps even tiny snips of it?" I laughed when Edward rolled his eyes exaggeratingly, almost as if he was a child.

"Just climb on my back, so we can go home." I only laughed harder when he said that, imagining how awkward it would've been to receive such a request when we first met.

As I began to lean over a bit to catch my breath, he pulled me closer to him by the hand he was still holding. I saw him subtly shake his head from the corner of my eye and as I calmed down, he removed his other hand from the branch he'd been leaning on to help me stand up straight in front of him. He gave me a once over as if making sure nothing was amiss; why he might've done this, I wasn't entirely sure. Then with a smile still present on his face, he effortlessly hoisted me by my elbows and managed to swing my body around to his back. My arms and legs latched onto him like before, and then we were off.

The ride back wasn't quite as exhilarating, since darkness was closing in and made it more difficult for me to see. The time it took for us to reach the Cullen household seemed a lot shorter, too. Though, I wasn't complaining. In fact, part of me was curious to see what everyone else was doing. I knew vampires couldn't sleep and had wondered what all they did in their spare time. As we drew nearer, Edward suddenly paused when we landed on a nearby tree that stood facing a corner of the home. Wondering why we stopped, I tilted my head over his shoulder to see he was shifting his gaze up and down between his bedroom door on the third floor and one of the side entrances on the first. Was he deciding which way to enter- why would it matter?

"Is something wrong?" I asked warily.

After another minute or two of silence he answered in a low, somewhat hasty tone. "Rosalie has returned from hunting with Emmett."

It only took me a few seconds to understand the reason for his hesitation. Rosalie didn't like humans- I remembered when Edward told me this back in Italy. He'd said that she was jealous over the fact that humans could live normal, mortal lives while she couldn't. Now that I thought about it, I sort of pitied the girl. I might have been human, but I certainly never had the chance to live a normal life. Today was the closest I ever came… In any event, Edward had warned me beforehand that Rosalie wouldn't exactly warm up to me right away. Actually, right now, the thought of meeting her was beginning to make me nervous.

I guess Edward sensed my new found tension and decided it was best to enter back into his bedroom. After one final leap, we were inside and he let me down near the couch before turning around to close the sliding glass door. I looked back at the other journals on the side table and remembered an observation I made about the one I read earlier.

"Edward," I began to ask.

"Yes, Bella…?"

"When I was reading your journal, a few of the pages were a bit torn. And if I'm not mistaken, there were also burn marks in some places. Why is that?"

Edward quietly chuckled to himself and then answered. "Bella, I've been writing in that book on and off since right after I was turned. When someone's new at being a vampire he has to learn to maintain a great deal of his strength and speed when around people or even certain objects."

My brows furrowed and he laughed once more before finishing his explanation. "See, if I was a newborn- with the uncontrollable thirst put aside- and I reached out just to caress your face," he demonstrated as we both ignored the blush starting to stain my cheeks again. "I could still crush your skull without meaning to."

"Heaven, forbid…" I said softly and gave him a tiny smile.

"Indeed," he nodded with a sad kind of grin as he removed his hand from the side of my face. "So perhaps you now understand. Those first several entries were written when I was still learning to control my immortal body's habits. I'd start writing a little too quickly and the pages in this particular journal," he pulled it out of his coat, "are more flammable than the other ones I own."

"Do you mean to tell me that you could write so fast, you'd nearly set those pages on fire?" I snickered at the thought of smoke coming off of the journal as Edward hastily wrote in it, like something you'd see in a cartoon.

"The burn marks were from when I tried using pencils; some of the wood around the lead often snagged against the paper when I'd write too fast. I thought I'd handle it better than when I used pens- the ink was too messy." he winked.

I just rolled my eyes in response. This was beginning to feel like such a nerdy conversation…

As Edward placed the journal on the stack of the other ones, I thought of something else.

"The rest of those document all of your years and experiences of being a vampire, right?"

"Yes," he eyed me warily.

"Will I get a chance to read them, too?"

He then gave me a friendly smile as he returned to my side. "I don't see why not." He looked like he was about to say something else, but his eyes became distant for a moment- like he was listening to something. He let out a small sigh and looked down at me with a somewhat reluctant grin.

"What is it?" I don't know why I asked, when I already had a hunch of what we were about to do.

"I have kept you to myself long enough," Edward replied. "Everyone is waiting for us downstairs." He said nothing else as he led me out of his room and down the staircase, but I knew what he also meant by those words.

It was time to meet Rosalie.

Poor Bella; I'd feel a bit intimidated by Rose, too. I thought the same thing when I first read the book series. She's still a fun character, though.

Oh! I almost forgot… I tallied your votes on what Bella's nickname should be. For those of you who are just tuning in, I asked readers which pet name Emmett might call her: Belina (short for Thumbelina) due to her small and fragile form or Belladonna (after a beautiful, but fatally poisonous plant) because of her sweet yet daring personality.

There was also an option for choosing both: Belina for when she's human and Belladonna for after she's changed. The majority of readers chose both. Thank you for your intake; please give more!