Chapter 10 - Final Night

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the Twilight series. I'm just fanficcing.

Hey everybody! Sorry about the delay. I've been really busy. Plus, I went back and polished up a few of the older chapters. I eliminated some of the awkward phrasing in the first few chapters and made it better. In addition, I made some changes to chapter 7. It still ends the same way, but it seemed really OOC to have Edward be the one to suggest that Bella should turn into a vampire. Plus, It seemed really OOC for Bella not to be thinking about that.

This chapter was originally going to be two separate chapters, Visitors and Final Night. However, parts of Final Night kept working their way into Visitors, so I just combined the two into one big super-long chapter.

This chapter is from Bella's POV. It's not permanent, but I think this chapter would be better told through Bella's eyes. I'm also planning on doing a chapter sometime in the future from Victoria's POV. Let me know what you think about that!

So, without further ado, I present my next chapter!

Bella's POV:

A million thoughts rushed through my mind at once. What would Renee think about me getting married at eighteen? Would she be more upset about me getting married or about me being dead? Wait, there is no way that Renee didn't hear about the whole being dead thing. At the very least, she probably would have been told that I had gone missing. Had she been hurt by that? She probably had. I'd probably really hurt her! And Charlie! What did Charlie think about me being dead or missing? He was probably very upset by that. I wondered, once again, what he thought had happened to me.

Another jarring realization hit me. I would never be able to see Charlie or Renee again. From what I've heard, gaining control over the bloodthirstiness was an acquired skill. I probably wouldn't be able to go near any humans for a while, let alone near Charlie and Renee! I would never be able to tell them that I was okay now. I would never be able to take away the pain I had caused both of them. Never. Even if I wasn't about to be transformed into a vampire, there is no way I was going to show up on Charlie's doorstep with all the danger I would bring after me. After what I had put Charlie through, I knew that there was no way in hell he would let me leave if that became a necessity. All the danger I was in right now would end up putting Charlie in danger, too.

Tears slid down my face. Small, gasping sobs began to escape my throat. Edward put the box down and pulled me into his arms. He pulled me close. I wrapped my arms around him and gently laid my head on his shoulder.

"Perhaps I picked a bad time." Edward admitted sheepishly. I suddenly remembered the rest of the Cullens standing behind us. They had just watched me break down and start sobbing after Edward just proposed to me. They must think that was why I was crying! I started to pull away, though it was the last thing I wanted to do right now.

"It's okay, Bella.", Edward whispered. "I understand." I didn't really know why he was whispering. Everyone in the room could hear him. At the moment, Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper were all listening to hear any clue as to why I just broke down in tears. I was pretty sure Edward was hearing all their theories right now, and none of those theories probably even came close. Edward nodded. I sighed and let my head rest on his shoulder.

The way Edward was holding me right now, I felt like I never wanted to leave his arms again. I felt like I could stay by his side forever and be the happiest person in the world, human or vampire. The prospect of being with him forever, going where he goes, and not having him worry about crushing me or biting me was one I was very excited about.

Edward shook his head this time. His reluctance to allow this to happen was beginning to show through. I realized he still wished, more than anything, that there was some way to get me through this without changing me into a vampire. He was probably searching for ways right now that would involve me staying human.

"You're absolutely right.", Edward whispered in my ear. Judging by his annoyed tone, I guessed that he hadn't found any solutions that suited his taste. He nodded, an emotionless expression apparent on his face.

Why was my becoming a vampire such a horrible thing? Did he really not want to be with me forever, as I wanted to be with him? Was he only intending to be with me for a couple of decades until I croaked? Tears began to form as I thought this. Edward sighed and placed my hands in his. The small velvet box brushed against my fingertips, along with the beautiful gold ring that answered all of my questions.

Of course Edward wanted me forever. He had just proposed! Not only that, but I was going to become a vampire myself, so this really would be forever. He wouldn't just stay with me until I croaked and then go out an find a new girl. Edward looked horrified at this thought, and that definitely made me feel secure. I was his forever, and he was mine. I was so sure that there was no one in the world that I could ever love as much as I loved Edward. There was no way anyone on earth could love another person as much as I loved Edward. His face lit up as I thought this.

"You're almost right.", Edward told me. He pulled me close, kissing my nose. "There's just one exception." I smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips. He kissed back, lightly stroking my cheek as he did so. His lips moved smoothly along my own. It all felt so natural. Suddenly, I knew my answer. It seemed like I had known it all along. I pulled away gently, ready ti give my answer to his proposal. Edward looked confused. I realized that this was the first time that I was the one to pull away before he was ready to stop.

"Yes.", I told him, sealing the future I had always dreamed of. Perhaps this wasn't the way I'd pictured it, but it was close enough. I know I'd always been brought up to shudder at the idea of marriage before the age of thirty, but something about saying yes to Edward really felt right. After all, I thought, what was marriage other than staying by the one you loved for all eternity? Compared to the thirst for blood that I was probably going to be feeling in a few days, the idea of being "that girl" seemed relatively small in comparison. I honestly didn't want to get any older than 18 anyway, and it seemed very likely that I wasn't going to. Edward cringed, and I realized that this wasn't exactly a pleasant concept for him.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Edward growled, spreading his arms protectively in front of me. Terrified, I began to wonder who was at the door.

"Carlisle! My friend! So good to see you!", an enthusiastic voice boomed from the front door. Peeking under Edward's arms, I could see Carlisle confidently shaking hands with someone I couldn't see. Edward stopped growling, but did not relax his stance. I wondered who was at the door. Carlisle was acting as if nothing was wrong, while Edward was acting as if this new visitor posed a serious threat to my life. I remembered Carlisle's words on the dock, that we had nothing to hide. Suddenly, it clicked.

The Volturi.

They must be the visitors. Carlisle was calm because he thought we had nothing to hide, with my becoming immortal the next morning. Edward was acting protective because he didn't trust them. Edward nodded once.

The threatening visitors entered the room, looking around at the Cullens. Two of the visitors had black hair. The third visitor's hair was snow-white. All three of them had crimson eyes. Their skin looked thin and papery. Perversely, I wondered if it was as hard and granite-like as regular vampire skin. Was it due to age? I was curious. Edward flashed a small smile in my direction and rolled his eyes. The three guests looked around the room. They seemed to be looking for something. I guessed they were looking for me. The smile vanished from Edward's face. Once again, he gave a single nod.

"Well, this is wonderful news!", exclaimed one of the visitors enthusiastically. It was the one who had greeted Carlisle at the door. "It seems that Carlisle has plans to make this human one of us. Congratulations, Bella!" How did he know my name? How did he know about our plans for me to be transformed. The visitor, who had crossed the room in the process of saying this, reached out his hand, expecting a handshake. I looked up at Edward. He nodded stiffly. So, I shook the visitor's hand. His skin was hard, yet it felt brittle. It seemed more like shale than granite.

"Fascinating!", the visitor exclaimed. "Simply fascinating!" I looked up at Edward. He looked pleasantly surprised. The visitor looked baffled. Edward rearranged his features into a solemn mask. I tried to hide a smile. Whatever had just happened, it probably meant I wouldn't be killed. Edward nodded again, but this time he looked concerned about something.

"I wonder...", the visitor mused. "Jane! Alec! Come here, please." Two children entered the room. Once again, Edward was standing protectively in front of me. What was going on now? Who were all these people? I happened to know the Volturi's names were Aro, Caius, and Marcus, but I couldn't guess which was which.

"The one who just shook your hand is Aro.", Edward whispered to me. "The man over in the corner there is Caius, and the one standing next to Carlisle is Marcus." Caius looked as if whatever was happening was not exactly what he had planned. Marcus looked positively bored. "Marcus sees the strength of relationships.", Edward continued, "and he is impressed by the strength of ours." Marcus certainly didn't look very impressed. He still looked bored. "Aro can see every thought you've ever had through any kind of physical contact.", Edward explained. Suddenly, I felt a rush of fear. That handshake suddenly seemed like a betrayal. "It seems, however," Edward continued, "that your mind is not as completely open as we thought. Aro can't read it." I breathed a sigh of relief.

Aro entered with two people I presumed to be Jane and Alec. They seemed quite young. Like most vampires, these two had faces that could put a fashion model to shame.

"Don't let that fool you.", Edward growled. "These two are dangerous." Jane gave a twisted smile, as if to confirm this. She stared at me through the gap in Edward's arms. "NO!", Edward shouted, instantly moving between me and Jane. The instant he did, Edward fell to the floor, writhing in pain. No sound escaped from him, but his body twisted on the floor.

"Edward!", I shouted. I was horrified. The writhing stopped. Edward stood up, then stared, horrified, at Jane. I turned to look. Jane was glaring at me. She seemed to be concentrating very hard on something. Was she trying to make me writhe in pain, too? I glanced back at Edward, who was now smiling triumphantly at me. I gave a small smile back.

"Do not feel bad, my dear.", Aro told Jane. "She confounds us all." Alec tried to use whatever gift he had on me, but that didn't do anything, either.

"Alec renders his enemies senseless.", Edward whispered to me. "He makes them unable to see, hear, or feel anything. They are unable to fight back." Alec nodded proudly at this, with a confused look towards me.

"Now, we really must ensure that everyone here stays true to their word.", Aro told Carlisle. "If I simply leave and trust this will be taken care of, you might go back on your word." Aro glared at Edward, and I knew that some kind of plan had just been foiled. The minute the Volturi were no longer a threat, Edward would insist on keeping me human. "However,", Aro continued, "If I stay in the same house with this human all night, we may never find out what her gifts might be." He nodded in my direction. I really didn't want to spend the night in the same house as the Volturi, either.

The thought of spending my final night as a human worrying about whether of not I was going to wake up was terrifying. I'd already been drained once, and it was an experience I did not want to repeat. Edward winced. I shouldn't have thought that. I didn't want to hurt him. Sorry, I thought. I know it's kind of painful for you to think about. I didn't mean to hurt you. Please don't blame yourself for that. Edward gave me a confused look, but didn't say anything.

"To ensure that you stay true to your word," Aro announced, " we will be back here at noon tomorrow. If Bella is not in the process of transforming by noon tomorrow, she will become sustenance." I shuddered. Edward pulled me close, shielding me from the Volturi.

The Volturi left, leaving the room in dead silence. As soon as the Volturi were a safe distance away, Edward turned around and pulled me gently into his arms. I didn't realize I was crying until he kissed the top of my head. "It's all right.", he murmured softly, "I won't let anyone harm you. You're safe now."

The terrifying image replayed in my mind. Laurent approaching with a hungry look in his eyes, the teeth, the searing pain, the terror. The thought of that happening all over again was horrifying. My whole body began to shake. Edward picked me up and carried me over to the couch. I had tried not to think about it, but now it seemed like a very real possibility that it could happen again. Now, I knew Edward was thinking about it, too. He set me down, keeping his arms tight around me. Grabbing a blanket from the back of the sofa, he wrapped it around me and pulled me close. I lay there with my head on his shoulder for several minutes, trying to calm myself down.

"It's okay, Bella.", Alice told me. "You'll be transformed in time. You'll have a whole future of being married to Edward to look foreword to."

This calmed me down quite a bit. I had almost forgotten about the wedding. Edward and I would be together forever. Even if I had to get...married, spending forever by his side was worth it. We would be side-by-side forever, and nothing would tear us apart. Edward flashed my favorite crooked smile.

I wondered how that would be done. There wouldn't be any time tomorrow to get married, and I didn't know how much control I would have after I was transformed. From what I'd seen, control was an acquired skill. It would really ruin the wedding if I killed the minister. Edward's smile faded as I was seized by a sudden horror once again.

I was about to become a monster. I would be the one that would cause unspeakable horror to whatever people I "slipped up" on. I would be no better than Laurent. That thought sickened me.

"The first year will be rough.", Edward told me. "We'll have to stay far away from people for a while. We'll teach you how to control your instincts, to avoid doing anything you will regret later. With time, you will eventually be able to control it." He smiled reassuringly. "Besides," he added, "Emmett can get a license off the Internet. He can do the honors." Somehow, Emmett marrying us didn't seem very official.

Edward laughed. I was still really uneasy about this whole thing, but I didn't really have a choice at this point. It was either be transformed or be eaten. Again. I shuddered at the thought. Being a vampire wouldn't be so bad, anyway. I had an eternity with Edward to look forward to. Suddenly, becoming a vampire didn't seem like such a scary concept. The pain seemed like a small price to pay for spending forever with Edward. The bloodthirstiness was definitely cause for worry, but I wouldn't be alone. I would have to rely on my new family to teach me how to handle that without killing people. Overall, the fact that I would be spending forever with Edward made the whole transformation more that worth it.

"You should probably be getting some rest.", Edward murmured. "You have a big day tomorrow." I hadn't realized how late it had gotten. Sure enough, the sky outside was a deep indigo. I said good-night to everyone. Edward led me through a set of double doors into a spare bedroom.

I took off my shoes and slid under the covers. Edward was sitting in the space next to me, holding a small bag in his hands.

"You haven't eaten anything all day.", Edward pointed out. "I know it won't be necessary after tomorrow, but you should probably eat something." It was at that moment that I suddenly realized how hungry I was. My stomach gave a loud growl. Edward chuckled.

"Thanks.", I told him as I opened the bag. Inside was a sandwich, some potato chips, and a twenty-ounce water (Edward apparently hadn't forgotten about my low tolerance for caffeine). The bread from the sandwich was baked in the shape of a heart, with the words "I love you Bella" baked into the top. I smiled, wondering how in the world Edward had managed to sneak it past me. It was so thoughtful!

"I ordered it from a bakery near where Alice saw us stop for dinner yesterday.", Edward explained. "I called them while you were sleeping the night before and had the writing baked into it. Alice prepared it while you were thinking about my proposal."

Only Alice would be off making a sandwich while I had been contemplating Edward's marriage proposal. She must have known I was going to say yes. Of course, I hadn't been thinking about it in terms of marriage at the time, but there was no way I would have chosen to live my life without Edward. There was simply no way.

It seemed like such a shame to destroy such a beautifully romantic gesture by eating it. I could see that a lot of time and effort went into this.

"Go ahead, Bella.", Edward encouraged. "It will just get moldy and spoiled if you don't eat it." Of course, he was right. The only thing sadder than destroying my romantic gesture would be to watch it get moldy and rot away.

As I ate, another thought came to my mind. How was it that Edward could still read my thoughts, yet Aro couldn't? Aro seemed to be as in the dark as Edward usually was when it came to the contents of my mind, yet Edward could still hear my thoughts loud and clear.

"I don't know." Edward answered. "I'm guessing that whatever usually keeps your mind safe from intruders isn't completely gone. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that you didn't really know the Volturi. Your guess is as good as mine here."

I finished the sandwich and moved on to the chips. There should probably be a set time for me to be transformed tomorrow. If I slept late, that would end in disaster.

"What time did you have in mind?" Edward asked. I thought about it. I should probably put a couple of hours between the time I'm bitten and the time the Volturi show up. I didn't want to give them any excuses in case they planned to show up a little early.

"Alice would have seen it if they did." Edward told me. "At this point, they plan to show up at exactly noon."

Still, it was a good idea to put a couple of hours between the bite and the arrival. The Volturi could change their plans between now and whenever I woke up. It was better to be safe then sorry. Edward nodded in agreement.

"So, what time do you have in mind?", Edward asked again.

"I think 9 am should be a good time.", I told him. "It's early, but not too early."

"9 am, then.", Edward agreed. "I'll wake you up at about eight-thirty." I nodded.

Edward handed me a small bag. It contained a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, and a small bar of soap. Edward had purchased these for me on our second day on the road. That had been about the time that I'd realized I had left everything behind and wouldn't be able to return for a while.

"Thanks.", I told him. I took the bag and went into the small bathroom that was connected to the room and brushed my teeth. Over the past few days, the only time I'd really had to brush my teeth and wash my face had been right after dinner, usually in rest stops or the bathrooms of fast food restaurants. We hadn't had time to risk staying in hotel rooms. The first few days had been about getting as much distance as possible between me and the Denali coven. After the Volturi came into the picture, it was about getting me to somewhere where I would cause as little damage as possible when I was transformed. Alice told us that the Volturi were very good at tracking people down and would find catch up with us when we stopped.

As I was washing my face, it dawned on me that I had not taken a shower in almost a week. With all that running, there was never time for it. I was about to start the water when I realized that Edward could probably still see every thought that was going through my head. Would it be really uncomfortable for him when images started coming in of me…showering? I mean, I am going to become his wife at some point. Whenever that was probably depended on how soon I could learn to control myself. Just to be on the safe side, I decided to close my eyes while showering.

Fifteen minutes later, I was clean. I felt much calmer now than I did before, even with a large bruise on my elbow, my knee, and my shin. I dried off, changed back into my clothes, and went back out to meet Edward.

"Are you okay?" he asked, surveying my bruises. No doubt he heard me bumping into just about everything in the shower.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I told him. "I just thought you might be uncomfortable seeing me in the shower and everything." I blushed. Edward chuckled.

"Yes, I was quite worried for a minute there. Are you sure you're all right?", he asked. I nodded. Edward seemed anxious to change the subject.

"Alice said you might like to wear this.", Edward told me, holding up a pair of pink silk pajamas. I blushed. Alice was probably going to have a field day replacing every item in my wardrobe that I'd had to leave behind. Knowing her, I would probably end up with a lot more clothes than I started out with. Edward chuckled again. Nevertheless, I was very grateful for the pajamas. I changed in the bathroom, folding the old clothes and placing them on the counter. I wasn't really sure what to do with them.

It was 12:30 by the time I turned out the light and crawled into bed. It seemed like a very long day. It was nice to finally sleep in an actual bed. Not that sleeping in Edward's arms with my head on his shoulder hadn't been nice and everything. It had been very nice. Still, it felt good to be able to stretch out and use a pillow. Of course, it wouldn't have been half as wonderful if it weren't for the fact that Edward was still right next to me, holding me close.

As he stroked my hair and gently hummed my lullaby, I gently fell asleep. Right now, even the thought of tomorrow's transformation couldn't phase me.

Okay, it took a long time to type that, but I finally finished! So, feel free to review. I'm not going to ask for 20 reviews this time because I never have 20 people reviewing. Can I at least get 10 reviews, though? Please?