The Mating Dance

by Xavier2163

AU Edward Cullen and his adoptive family moved to Forks to start a new life, but Edward’s life suddenly changes when he’s drawn into Bella Swan’s strange and dangerous world. Vampires mate for life, but what happens when that mate is human? OOC Lemons ExB

10. Walking,talking and breathing

Disclaimer: Written under the derivative fan works act. All rights reserved to the original creator, Stephanie Meyer.

Title: The Mating Dance

Rating: M for sexual situations, lemons, and hot, steamy, angsty vampire lovin', underage drinking, smoking, drug use and overall bad behavior.

Premise: Alternate Universe. Edward Cullen and his adoptive family have moved to Forks to start a new life, but Edward's life suddenly changes when he's drawn into Bella Swan's strange and dangerous world. Vampires mate for life, but what happens when that mate is human?

Alternate Universe: Canon pairings eventually, pretty much OOC, ExB of course.

POV: EPOV (Edward), Edward's turn to continue the story. Alice will be back later on and maybe Bella, too.

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Author Notes:

Please note that this story is rated M for a reason, if you'd prefer not to deal with mature themes, please do not read this story.

Notes on specific changes relevant to this Alternate Universe are available at the end of this chapter.

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Chapter 9 Walking, talking and breathing

EPOV (Edward)

I didn't know what to think anymore. I'd been expecting to see somebody from Bella's family at the cross country meet in Onalaska that Thursday after Bella and I had talked Wednesday night, but it was just like West Port. I didn't see any sign of them. The red BMW M3 was in the parking lot, but if I hadn't seen it I never would have had a clue to even think that they might be there.

That Friday, Bella and Alice left early to go to the football game in Onalaska, and I had to leave for Seaside before they even got back to Forks. I was worried sick all the way to Seaside about what was going to happen. Esme had told me that Esteban would be back that weekend, but I didn't really know when his flight would come in.

Assuming he was flying. Was there something I was missing? I still didn't have a lot of facts. Could he turn into a bat and fly back on his own? That was just crazy thinking. I had researched all the commercial flights coming into Seattle from Italy that were arriving that weekend. My best guess put him in Seattle sometime Saturday evening, but would they wait for him to show up and make a decision, or would they just grab me so I was waiting there for him when he got home?

I really wished that Bella and I would have had more time to talk things out, but it hadn't been in the cards that week. I managed to win my race. I wasn't going to let a little thing like my impending doom stop me from going out with a winning season. For all I knew, it might have been my last cross country race ever, and I gave it my all.

Nothing happened on Saturday at the meet, and I figured making something happen to a whole bus load of high school kids was a little too high profile for Bella's family, given the whole anonymity and blending in idea. I felt I was pretty safe as far as the bus ride home went. We got back to forks around six o'clock on Saturday evening, and I felt I was still pretty safe. The Volvo was still parked in the lot at the school, and I drove myself home when we got back to Forks high school.

I suppose saying that I was shocked when Carlisle told me Alice had gone shopping in Seattle with Bella, Jessica, and Angela was a bit of an understatement. Just what the hell did Alice think she was up to? Didn't she realize just how dangerous that kind of stunt was? She knew Esteban was supposed to come home this weekend. She'd been with me when we learned about the rival gangs vying for control of the streets of Seattle. She knew about the research that I'd been doing about the underlying power structure of the Seattle underworld. So she decides to go shopping there, and she took her girlfriends with her?

Somebody was having a serious break with reality, but at that point, I wasn't sure if it was me or Alice. I tried to call her, but she wouldn't answer my calls, and I kept getting her voice mail. I wanted to get in my car and go look for them, but I had no Idea where to find them. I'd just get myself into trouble if I started blindly driving around looking for them. The malls would be closed by the time I could get out there, and hopefully they'd be on their way home by then.

It was about nine thirty when I finally got a call, and the screen showed it was Alice's cell phone number. I flipped the phone open and answered the call.

"Alice, where the hell are you? Carlisle said you went shopping in Seattle? Don't you realize how dangerous that is? And you took Angela and Jessica with you? Are you insane?"

"It's nice to here from you too, Edward. Now calm down and don't get your panties in a twist. Everything's fine. We're at Bella's family's place in Seattle right now, and we're getting ready to go to the Flying Dutchman Lounge tonight."

"What! You are insane! That's Esteban's Club! What the hell are you thinking?"

"I told you to calm down, Edward. I don't have much time. Bella's in the shower getting ready. Don't worry, I have this under control. Now quit trying to call me every couple of minutes. I'll call you back when I can, but it won't be for at least a couple of hours."

"What are you going to do, Alice?"

"I'm saving your ass. You can thank me later. Just try and take advantage of this, and work things out with Bella. Ok? I'm buying you some time to pull your head out of your ass, and finally make the right decision. I've got to go now. The shower just stopped." The call ended, and the phone went dead in my hand.

Alice never did call me back, and I was a nervous wreck until Bella's red Dodge Charger pulled into the driveway at about three thirty in the morning. They hadn't bothered to take Jessica and Angela home, and all of them spent the rest of the night at our house again.

That was two weeks ago, and I was still waiting for the other shoe to drop. The only difference now, was that everyone seemed to be mad at me. Katy was cycling between being pissed off at me for dragging my feet about our relationship and wanting to forgive and forget and get back together with me. I didn't want to breakup with Katy, but I couldn't be with her either. I didn't know what Alice had done in Seattle to get Bella's family to back off, but if this was all temporary then I'd be putting Katy in danger if I let our relationship go back to how we were before. Right now she was in the pissed off part of the cycle and it was getting old fast.

Alice seemed to be mad at me too, and she'd hardly speak to me. She wouldn't tell me what had happened in Seattle, and Angela and Jessica just raved about the shopping and how much fun they'd had at the nightclub. Jessica kept telling the story about how some hot guy had asked her if she wanted to get away and go someplace private but she'd turned him down.

I didn't think she was telling the whole story, but Alice and Bella wouldn't say anything about it. Angela finally gave me the full story, but then Jessica was pissed at me for prying into the details of her fantasy. At least now I knew that Alice had met and talked to Esteban, but that was all I knew. Alice kept blocking me and shut down whenever I questioned her about it. She seemed to be blaming me for her relationship issues with Jasper, but the only reason that I even knew he was supposed to be back was because Alice said so. I hadn't actually seen him since the accident, three weeks ago.

It seemed like the only one that wasn't pissed off at me was Bella. She just seemed mildly annoyed like she was exasperated that everything seemed to be the same and nothing had really changed. I'd told her that it would be easier for me to make a decision if I knew everything. We'd been anticipating Esteban coming back and something happening to force our hand, but nothing ever happened.

Bella had to know that I knew at least part of the story about what she was. I wanted her to explain the rest to me, but so far she wouldn't talk about it. I knew what she wanted from me, but now it was like a Mexican standoff as we each waited for the other to make the next move. We'd been waiting for two weeks, and so far nobody had budged an inch as life went on.

I'd gone to three more cross country meets, and won three more first place medals. There had been a meet in Montesano last Thursday on October first and another Saturday meet at Bearcat on October third. We'd finally hosted our only home cross country meet for this season in Forks this past Thursday on October eighth, and there'd been a pretty good turn out. Most of the kids in school and a lot of their parents had come to watch us run at Tillicum Park, and they cheered for us when Katy and I both won first place medals.

The football team had played their second home game on Friday, October second, and won again, redeeming themselves after their loss at Onalaska. They had played an away game in Toledo tonight, and Alice and Bella had gotten home at about two o'clock in the morning. Bella spent the night again, and Alice had told me she wasn't going to go running this morning.

I got up at 4AM on Saturday morning and pulled on some sweat pants and a hooded sweatshirt to drive over to Katy's house for our run. She might be pissed off at me, but running was the one thing that we still did together. I went down the hall, and I could sense Bella in Alice's room from the tugging sensation in my stomach as I walked to the stairs. Alice's door was closed, and the house was quiet as I made my way through the darkened house to the kitchen.

I put on my running shoes and grabbed a couple of granola bars, a bottle of water, and went out to the garage. The tugging sensation in my stomach faded as I went out of the house, and was replaced by the familiar dull ache in my chest as I went outside. I got in the Volvo and drove to Katy's to meet her. Usually, Alice would go with me, but she had decided to sleep in this morning because Bella had stayed over last night.

I pulled into the driveway at Katy's house and parked. Michaela and Katy were waiting for me in the driveway, under the carport doing some stretches when I parked and got out of the car. I felt the dull ache in my chest fade and the tugging sensation in my stomach grow and intensify as I walked over to Katy. I could feel it pulling me towards the trees of the forest behind Katy's house, and I wondered again when Bella was going to have the courage to come out to me and tell me about herself.

"Good morning Edward," Michaela greeted me as Katy glared at me.

"'Morning, Katy, Michaela, ready to run?" I asked as I started in on some stretches and she just nodded but wouldn't speak to me.

"Yeah, finish stretching, and we're good to go," Michaela said when Katy wouldn't answer.

I ran through my stretching routine, and we left on our run. I remembered when it was just pleasant to spend time in each others company when I ran with Katy. We'd never spent a lot of time in conversation on our runs as we controlled our breathing and pushed ourselves harder than usual. The season was coming to a close, and the meet in Tenino next Thursday October fifteenth was the last regular season cross country meet before the district league meet. We all wanted to be ready to finish the season strong and be ready for districts.

It was a little distracting as I felt the sensations change in my body as we ran. The tugging sensation in my stomach would diminish as the ache in my chest would grow and I knew I was moving away from Bella. Sometimes the sensations would remain constant, normally when I knew she was nearby and pacing us. For the longest time I had been frustrated because I didn't know how she could be doing it, pacing us as we ran. I could feel the sensations in my body as we'd move away from her, but then almost miraculously, we'd be moving back toward her as we ran, and I knew she'd run ahead and was waiting for us to catch up.

We weren't casually running at a slow jog that might allow somebody to run ahead of us, or take some shortcut, but I knew how fast Bella could run now. Katy had come in third place in the 1A women's division at the State Cross Country finals last year, and I had won the State Championship. We were training for final couple of races in another winning season, and we weren't holding back. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it was possible for Bella to be running ahead of us, especially if she had to take an even longer route to avoid being seen.

We were getting close to Katy's house at the end of our run, and I tried to get her to talk to me again, "So, Katy what do you and Michaela have planed for today?"

We hadn't talked about doing anything this weekend, and I'd kind of been playing it by ear. This was the first weekend that we didn't have a cross country meet on Saturday in three weeks, and it might be fun to get the gang together to do something. The weather was still nice, even if it was October now.

"I was thinking about running out to La Push to go surfing. Are you two interested? Maybe we could get a group together and run out there."

"That sounds like fun, Edward, but I can't," Katy finally said, speaking to me for the first time this morning. "My mom wants to take me and Michaela shopping in Port Angeles today. With the Cross Country season finally winding down, this is the first free Saturday we've had for a couple of weeks."

"Well, have fun shopping," I said, a little relieved. At least I'd offered.

"She wants me to pick out something cute to wear to Home Coming next week, Edward."

"Oh…" We were back at Katy's house now, and Michaela walked over to the kitchen door and went inside to give us some privacy.

"Are we even going to Home Coming, Edward? You keep telling me that I'm still your girlfriend and that you still love me but it's been three weeks! You said you needed time to figure out what was going on with Bella. I've given you the time you wanted, but I have needs too, Edward! What do I tell my mom? Do I even need a dress?"

"I'll take you to Home Coming, Katy, if you still want me to. I'm sorry about how this must make you feel, but I still haven't figured everything out yet. I'm just so confused anymore… I don't understand all of this, but I don't want to hurt you."

"Why are you confused, Edward? It's really simple. Do you love me, or do you love Bella?"

"What if I love both of you?"

"Have you slept with her?" Katy asked looking down, but I could see the hurt in her expression and hear the pain in her voice.

"No Katy, I swear I'd never do that to you. As long as you're my girlfriend I've been faithful to you."

"Then you have to decide Edward. I'm not going to share you. It's either me or her, there's no middle ground here."

"That's why this is so hard. I know I have to make a commitment, but I have to understand why I'm attracted to Bella before I can make a commitment to either of you."

"That doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling when I hear you talk about how you're attracted to that bitch, Edward! If you want her then have her, but be honest with me and tell me where I stand! If I'm gonna lose you, just do it and quit dragging this out! I can't take this anymore, Edward. You're mine, and I want you, but it's like we're just drifting farther and farther apart."

I didn't want to be having this conversation right now, but I could see the tears in Katy's eyes as they started to roll down her cheeks. I could still feel Bella's presence in the trees, and I knew she could hear every word we said. I stepped in front of Katy and pulled her head to my shoulder and held her as she cried.

"I'm sorry, Katy, I don't want to hurt you. I'm so sorry…"

"I need a shower, and my parents are still sleeping," she said as she made an excuse to go inside.

"Will you call me when you get back from shopping?"

"Do you want me to go shopping, Edward?" Katy asked as the tears poured, and soaked my shirt, but she wrapped her arms around my waist and turned her face up to mine.

I leaned down and gently kissed her forehead. "Go buy a dress. We'll talk tonight, ok?"

"Alright, I'll see you tonight, but I want answers. I don't want to hear about how confused you are and that you don't know what to do. I love you Edward, but I'm not going to let this go on any longer." And she stepped back and turned away from me as she moved to the kitchen door.

"Good bye, Katy, Call me…" And I got in my car and left for home.

The tugging sensation in my stomach diminished and the ache in my chest grew as I drove away from Katy's house. There was only one road out of the neighborhood, and only one route into my neighborhood as I crossed town. The route was shorter, if you could go straight across town between Katy's house and mine, I thought as I drove south down Forks Avenue and then turned northeast onto Calawah Way. Still, you could drive the route faster than a human would be able to run, even if you took shortcuts and tried to straighten out the path. There were obstacles in the way, and it was faster to drive, but then I wasn't Bella.

I got to the house, and Bella's Dodge Charger was still parked where it had been last night and this morning. I parked the Volvo, and went over to Bella's car and laid my hand on the hood. It was cold, and I knew the engine hadn't been started all night. I shook my head and went into the house.

The house was still dark and quiet, and I went to the stairs. I walked up the stairs and down the hall. I could feel the tug in my stomach as I got to the top of the stairs, and I stood in front of Alice's door. I knew Bella had been listening to Katy and I talk in her drive way, but what could I prove? I knocked on Alice's door.

I waited a minute, and then Alice opened the door, and I could see into the room. Alice was standing holding the door, and rubbing sleep from her eyes as she yawned and stretched. I could see Bella lying in Alice's bed on her side, with her back to me as she faced the wall. Her body moved with shallow rhythmic breaths as she obviously slept undisturbed by Alice getting up to answer the door.

"What do you want, Edward? I thought you were going to let us sleep in today? It's early," Alice complained

"I just wanted to see if you wanted any breakfast," I lied as I looked past Alice at Bella sleeping.

"Not now, it's too early. We'll get something later, ok? I'm going back to bed now, Edward," and Alice started to close the door.

I put my hand on the door. "Alice, are you sure Bella was here all night, she didn't get up this morning?"

"I think I would have noticed if she got up, Edward. She's been here all night. Why, what's going on?"

"It's nothing. I thought I saw someone that looked like Bella when we were running this morning." I lied. "Tell Bella I need to talk to her when she wakes up. Go back to bed Alice, I'll see you later," and I turned to go get my things to shower. Alice just stared at me for a minute, and then closed the door.

I collected my things, and went down the hall to shower. The hot shower felt good and I thought about the morning. So what if I was in love with both girls? As much as it was a lot of guys fantasy to maybe keep both of them, I knew that wasn't going to happen. They'd both told me that now, and I knew I had to make a choice. I shaved, and brushed my teeth, and then went back down the hall to my room.

I could feel the tug in my stomach as I stepped into my room and closed the door. The scent of freesia and strawberries drifted across the room, and I saw Bella sitting in the rocking chair by my window in the shadows next to my bed.

"Good morning, Edward," Bella greeted me with the ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Good morning," I replied automatically, and then I felt my face get hot as I realized I was standing by the door in nothing but a towel wrapped around me as I stood there holding my shaving kit. "Does Alice know you're in here, Bella?" I asked.

"No, she went back to sleep after you were done talking to her. You said you wanted to talk, so I thought I'd come see what you wanted."

"Umm, Bella, I need to get dressed…"

"Would you like me to turn my head?" she said with a grin.

I sighed. "Please, if you don't mind."

"Not a problem, Edward," and she turned her head to stare at my reflection in the window glass, and grinned at me.

"Bella…" I said, a little exasperated, but I grinned too.

"Ok, ok, I'll close my eyes," and she did.

I got my boxers out of my dresser, dropped my towel and pulled them on. I was fairly certain that she peeked from the sharp intake of breathe I heard when my towel hit the floor, but I wasn't overly modest, and I'd warned her. I pulled on a t-shirt and grabbed my socks, and went to sit on the bed next to her chair.

I felt the attraction ratchet up several notches stronger, and the flare of raw desire that I felt when we were close together as I sat on the bed next to her chair, but I held it together, and tried not to let my emotions show.

"So, to what do I owe this honor, I mean, I'm awake and everything…"

"Bella shrugged, you told Alice you wanted to talk to me. Well here I am."

"Are you ready to talk to me?"

"Maybe I am. You told me before that you wanted to be my friend. I want to be friends with you too, Edward, if you still want that. I just thought that since Katy is going shopping with her mom, maybe we could do something today…"

"How do you know Katy is going shopping with her mother?" I asked, wondering if she'd tell me the truth.

"Oh, women's intuition, girls talk, you'd be surprised how much you don't know."

"Hmm, women's intuition, or better than average hearing? You might be surprised about how much I do know. So what did you have in mind then? I was thinking about going to the beach in La Push today. Do you surf?"

"No, I'm not a beach kind of girl. I like the forest though. Maybe we could go for picnic? Or you could introduce me to the rest of your friends…"

"The rest of my friends?"

"Out at the airport, you seem to spend a lot of time out there, when you're not with Katy. You told me before that you'd hook me up with your connection."

"They're the same friends I hang out with in La Push, but they'll probably be there today if you'd like to meet them."

"Oh…"

"They're a pretty rough crowd sometimes, if you'd rather not. I'll understand."

"I can handle a rough crowd, trust me."

"Okay, sounds like a plan. Do you think Alice would like to go with us?"

"She said she has to work on decorations with the Home Coming committee today with Jessica, Angela and Lauren. I figured if I told her I was going to go exploring with you, she'd let me off the hook."

"Hehe, Yeah that was fast thinking. So would you like to go for a ride on my Harley then?"

"Let's not push this friendship thing too much. I don't think I'm ready for that yet, but I have an Idea. I'm going to go home and change, and when you're ready, go ahead and ride your Harley over to the Dahlke's and meet me, ok?"

"Ok, Bella sounds like fun."

She stood up in a fluid motion and moved across the room to the door. "I'll leave a note for Alice, so she can sleep in. Come over whenever you're ready. I'll be ready to go," and she went out the door.

God, did I just make a date to go out with Bella Swan? She said we were just friends, but I didn't go out with the other girls I was friends with. I was pretty sure Katy wouldn't like this, and she'd take it the wrong way, but I had to find out more about Bella. I wanted her to tell me the truth, and explain what was going on between us. After a couple of minutes, I heard Bella's Charger startup and drive away.

I didn't want to hurt Katy, but I needed to know more about Bella. I was pretty sure I could pull this off, and it wasn't like I was planning to cheat on Katy or do anything with Bella. I hurried and got dressed, and then I got my cell phone, and texted Jacob.

"gonna b at the shop?" I put the phone in my pocket and pulled on my boots. It vibrated after a couple of minutes, and I took it out and looked at it.

"L8r Y?" Jacob texted back.

"bringing a friend, cya L8r, txt me" I replied.

"biznez?" Jacob sent.

"ya," no reason not to mix business with pleasure. Besides, Bella said she wanted to meet my connection. I was pretty sure she wanted to make a buy.

"k, cya," Jacob replied, and I put the phone back in my pocket.

I needed to pick up some smoke for personal use, and Carlisle had some clients I needed to cover. I went to the closet and opened my safe. I dipped into my cash reserves, but I knew I'd get it back. I didn't charge much of a markup to Carlisle's clients because I wasn't in this to make money as a dealer, but it was enough to cover my personal stash, and allow me to be generous with my friends.

Hmm, now that was an angle I understood. I supplied a lot of the kids at school that didn't have the balls to deal directly with Sam's crew from La Push. They could go to the source at cost, or if they were pussies, they could pay me a handling fee, and I'd make the deal for them. I knew about Bella's family. Maybe Bella was looking to cut out the middleman and go to the source, but she was new in town, and wanted me to vouch for her. It was a good theory; I'd wait and see how it panned out.

I shrugged into my leather jacket and grabbed my helmet and went out to the garage. Alice's door was still closed, and the house was still relatively dark and quiet. It was only about seven in the morning now, but Bella had said to come over whenever I was ready, and she'd be waiting. I pushed the Harley down off the center stand and stepped across the seat. I kicked the engine to life and pulled out of the garage and used my remote to close the garage door as I pulled down the driveway and onto Riviera Drive.

It was a short ride over to the Dahlke's, as I rode down Merchant Drive and turned left on Calawah Way. I pulled into the driveway and rode back to park next to Bella's red Dodge Charger in front of the garage. I leaned the Harley on the stand, took off my helmet and stepped off the bike. I set the helmet on the gas tank bump and walked back to the front of the house to knock on the door.

I was about to knock again, when the door opened, and Marilyn Dahlke appeared in the doorway. She was wearing a powder blue satin night gown and matching robe that was hanging half open and slightly askew. I could smell the liquor on her breathe as she said good morning and held onto the door for support. I could tell she was drunk but she looked scared shitless, like she was ready to bolt out the door and go raving down the street.

"Good morning, Mrs. Dahlke, I'm Edward Cullen, I'm here to see Bella."

"You're here to see Bella?" her eye's got big as she stared at me, "Oh you poor boy, I'm so sorry…"

"Marilyn, go back to your room now," Bella said as she came up behind Mrs. Dahlke, and took her by the arm to turn her towards the hallway. She flinched away from Bella's touch as though she'd been stung, and she cringed away from Bella. She looked back at me for a second with sad eyes, and then fled down the hall, and I heard a door slam shut.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Edward. Marilyn has been going through a tough time. C'mon in, we can go this way," and she stepped back so I could walk into the house.

"Ok, Bella. Mrs. Dahlke looked scared of you," I said as I walked into the living room, and then I had to do a double take as I took in Bella's outfit. She had taken my breathe away and given me an instant hard on when I'd seen her in her mini-skirt that night at the drive-in. This morning she was having a similar effect, but in a different way as she strutted across the living room like a totally badass sex kitten in leather and boots.

She was wearing motorcycle boots with chrome buckles up the sides, tight black leather motorcycle pants, with a thin dark blue accent stripe up the sides, and a fitted black leather motorcycle jacket. The jacket was decorated with embroidered patches with designs, and looked like it had a large patch with gang colors across the back, just like the Jacket Jasper had been wearing that night.

There was a patch on the left shoulder that had the crest with the two crossed swords the fist and the three shamrocks, and lettering in a cursive script that said, "Familia Moreno Imperecedero". I'd looked it up; it meant "Moreno Family Immortal". On the right shoulder there was a another patch with the gold and silver background, but it had a fist holding a sword pointing up in the middle, and script that said "Moreno Guardia Familia Especial", Moreno Family Special Guards.

The colors on the back had the same design of the crest that I'd seen both Bella and Jasper wear, but there were stylized ribbons or banners across the top and bottom. There was a motto or slogan embroidered onto them in flowing script. It said "Morir Joven" across the top and "Vivir Para Siempre" across the bottom. "Die Young and Live Forever".

She had a medium sized black leather purse on a long shoulder strap under her right arm, with the strap around her neck on the left, so the strap crossed her chest and she didn't need her hands to hold it or worry about losing it.

"Marilyn's a little delusional these days. She's scared of a lot of things," Bella said as I followed her through the house and into the kitchen.

She went to the refrigerator and took out an insulated nylon lunch bag and handed it to me. "I hope you like ham, it's all we had. You should have room for this in your saddle bags."

I looked inside the bag, and there were a couple of sandwiches, an apple and a bottle of water.

"Is this your lunch?" I asked, confused. "I didn't bring anything, but I can stop and pick something up."

"No, I fixed that for you, Edward. I'm on a…special diet… I'll eat later after we get back if I'm hungry," Bella said as she quickly turned away. "C'mon, let's get out of here."

I shrugged and followed Bella out the kitchen door. I was used to strange things around Bella Swan, and there were a lot of unanswered questions. Add another check mark for the list, she doesn't eat. Or should I say I'd never seen her eat anything. There was still the question of the deer carcass I'd found in the forest. I had a pretty good Idea what she did eat. I just hoped I wasn't on the menu. Of course none of this seemed to stop her from drinking. She drank like a fish, according to Alice, and I'd seen it myself on enough occasions to believe it, but nobody had ever seen her drunk either. Was that another check mark for the list?

I wondered what she had in mind for today. She had already told me that she didn't think it was a good idea to ride with me on my Harley. I had to agree, if we were going to keep this friendly and strictly platonic, but was that what I wanted? Maybe I was ready to kick it up a notch and do something more than just be friends, but I wasn't going to cheat on Katy. I'd end that relationship, before I started a new one. At least that's what I kept telling myself.

I was wondering if we would go in her Charger, and she had simply had me ride over so Alice could have the Volvo today, but no, she'd asked me to store the lunch in my saddle bag, so I would be riding my Harley. I stopped beside my bike and put the lunch in the saddlebag.

Bella reached into her pocket and took out a remote and pressed the button, the garage door opened and she walked inside. She was lost in shadow for a second, but my eyes adjusted, and she was standing next to a motorcycle. I saw Jasper's bike off to the side, but Bella was standing next to a royal blue Ducati 999S Superbike with dual seats. The family crest with the crossed swords, the fist and three shamrocks was painted on the side cover next to a black swan in a seated position like it was gliding across a smooth lake of blue, with Bella painted below it in cursive script.

The bike looked almost too big for her, and for a second I wondered if she'd be able to handle it, but then I thought about the parking lot at the high school three weeks a go and I knew better. She pushed it up like it was feather light and pulled it off the center stand with ease. She wheeled the big bike out of the garage next to my Harley, and leaned it against the stand.

"Do you have a Bluetooth headset for your cell phone, Edward?" Bella asked, and I nodded yes. "Good, let me see your phone."

I handed it to her, and she added a number to my contacts.

"Can I add my number to your phone, Bella?" I asked.

"Alice already did. She added your number when she put hers in. I have a Bluetooth headset built into my helmet, so you can call me while we're riding if it's too noisy to talk, or we get separated."

Bella pulled on a pair of skintight black leather riding gloves. She reached for the matching full face helmet clipped to the side of the bike, and then used the remote to close the garage.

"C'mon, let's get out of here. You lead, and I'll follow you, ok?"

"Anyplace special you'd like to go?" I asked

"Let's just cruise for a while. Your friends at the airport probably won't be there until later. We can visit them after lunch. There a pretty spot up by Ozette Lake I found, but show me where you like to go, Edward."

"Ozette Lake is cool, lots of quiet private roads up that way," and I stepped onto the Harley and kicked the engine to life.

Bella pulled on her helmet and adjusted the strap. She got on the big bike and thumbed the electric start for the motor. The big liquid cooled engine purred to life, and the electronic digital instrument package flashed as the readouts ran through their startup and diagnostic routine, but the electronic tachometer, speedometer and engine diagnostic readouts were warmed up and ready to go in seconds.

I pulled left out of the drive way onto Calawah Way and headed west into Forks. The road jogged southwest at the intersection with Merchant Avenue, by the old cemetery, and finally we turned right onto Highway 101, North Forks Avenue to follow the highway out of town. We were almost to the edge of town when I heard a car horn honking. There were no cars on the road and I looked around to see where it came from.

I turned my head as we cruised by, and Katy's mom's car was parked next to the gas pump in the Shell gas station on the edge of town. Katy was standing next to the car by the gas pump, and she waved at me as I rode by, and her mom was sitting in the driver seat of the car waving out the window. Well, at least Bella wasn't on the back of my bike hugging my waist or sitting in the passenger seat of my car.

I waved at them as we rode by, and my heart was in my throat as I registered the neutral expression on Katy's face. I was going to have a lot of explaining to do when she got home tonight. She wouldn't necessarily recognize that it was Bella Swan, but it was pretty hard to mistake the fact that it was a girl on the big blue motorcycle, the way her leather pants and jacket hugged her form and the long brown hair streaming out behind her helmet.

If I was alone, I probably would have stopped to say hi, but under the circumstances, I kept going and accelerated away from Forks as soon as we crossed the city limits on the bridge over the Quillayute River. We rode up Highway 101, and I went past La Push Road, but I slowed down and turned left onto Sitkum-Solduc Rd, about a thousand yards past the turn off onto Highway 110. Sitkum-Solduc Rd paralleled La Push Road to about where I would have turned onto Quillayute Road if I was going to the airport. We followed the road to the right and it turned into a well maintained paved private logging road that passed north of the airport and lead to several roads the wound northeast into the interior of the forest and eventually wound their way north and east to Ozette Lake.

I felt my cell phone vibrate with an incoming call as we rode. I didn't bother to take it out and look, but reached up and pressed the button on the side of my ear piece to answer the call.

"You took off in an awful hurry back there when we passed the gas station. Is Katy going to be mad at you?"

I breathed a sigh of relief; it was Bella calling, and not Katy wanting to know what the hell I was doing. "Yeah, probably," I answered her.

"We can head back if you want. I don't want to do anything to upset either of you…"

"No, Bella, I want to spend the day with you."

"Did you really mean what you told Katy this morning?"

"What did I tell Katy, Bella?

"That you're in love with both of us…"

"I knew you were listening. It was true then. It's still true now."

"But you're taking her to Home Coming."

"I'm out here with you now…"

"What, so she's the one you take out in public, and I'm the one you sneak around with? I don't think so Edward. Katy told you she doesn't share and neither do I!"

"That's not what I want. That's why I wanted to talk to you. We all know I need to make a decision. I'd like to get to know you better Bella. I want you to be honest with me."

"Ok, we'll talk. We're almost there. I need to think about this Edward," and the call clicked off."

We cruised for a while along the forested roads enjoying the crisp clean morning air through the sea of green that surrounded us. Bella pretty much let me lead, but a couple of times she'd pull ahead and picked the route at an intersection. It was fun and peaceful riding with Bella as the morning passed into day. I could see the sun trying to peek through the clouds, and occasionally a ray of sunshine would find a rare break in the trees.

Eventually, we came to a stop at the end of a deserted road. Bella stopped, shut off her engine, and got off her bike. She leaned it against the stand, and pulled off her helmet.

"C'mon, Edward, I want to show you something if the weather cooperates. Bring your lunch," Bella told me.

I parked the Harley next to Bella's Ducati. I took off my helmet and set it on the gas tank, and took off my mirror shades and slid them into my pocket.

"We might get lucky with the weather. It looked like the sun was trying to come out for a while back there," I said as I walked over to where Bella was standing at the side of the road.

"I'm the girl that likes overcast, remember?" Bella reminded me. "The sun isn't my friend. I was hoping the cloud cover would hold when I hoped I'd get lucky with the weather."

"You told me that before. That the sun isn't kind to you," I reminded her, "So just how much sun is too much?"

"I just don't like direct bright sunlight. I'm fine with the overcast and rain. C'mon, follow me, and try to keep up. I don't want to have to go home alone and send a search party to look for you." She left the side of the road and made her way north into the trees. There was no trail through the dense forest, and I had to stay relatively close to avoid loosing her.

"Jeez, Bella, how far are we going?" I asked.

"Oh, it's not much further," she said.

"Looks like a really good place to hide the body," I joked.

Bella turned and looked at me with a very serious expression. "Yes, it is," she said seriously with a completely straight face.

I felt the color drain out of my face, and a chill ran down my spine.

"God, Edward, you should see the look on your face!" Bella burst into laughter, and I relaxed.

"Jeez, do you think I'm some kind of serial killer or something? You're definitely too gorgeous to kill… Oh god, I said that out loud, didn't I," and she turned back around and quickened her pace.

We'd really only gone about a thousand yards through the forest, but the road where we'd parked our motorcycles was completely invisible behind us through the forest. I really hoped Bella knew the way, because it would be really easy to get turned around in here and wander in the wrong direction for hours before you crossed another road.

The trees started to thin in front of us, and suddenly we stepped out into a beautiful little meadow. It was almost circular and a couple of hundred yards across. I imagined that this meadow would be spectacular in the spring time when the wildflowers were blooming. It was the second Saturday in October now, but the weather was holding relatively warm. It was still in the lower sixties during the day, but the weather stayed pretty constant throughout most of the year. It would get colder during the winter, but it stayed above freezing most of the time and brief snow showers were a rare occurrence. Rain was another matter entirely. The constant mist and rain kept everything green even though it was late in the season. The meadow was covered in a carpet of tall green grass, with the occasional random sunbeam dazzling on a patch here and there at seeming random.

Bella led me around the edge of the meadow to some fallen trees that made a set of natural benches where we could sit in the shade. I could here water running, and I saw there was another larger meadow through a narrow band of trees. A stream ran through the larger meadow, and it looked like it formed a large clear pool of water, before the stream flowed out into the surrounding trees.

I sat on one of the fallen logs, and Bella sat down on another log, a friendly distance away. She was close enough to easily carry on a conversation, but far enough away that the attraction and desire wasn't overwhelming. I got out the lunch that Bella had made me, and ate as we talked.

"It's nice out here," I commented after we were settled. "I don't suppose you've changed your mind, and you're ready to tell me more about yourself and your family?"

"Maybe, I'm not sure yet, why don't you tell me about yourself?" Bella replied.

"I have a better Idea, let's take turns. Ok? You can ask me something about me, and I'll answer your questions, but then I get to ask you a question, alright?"

"As long as you realize that there are some questions I'm not supposed to answer, I agree in principle," Bella told me.

"Ok, I'll accept that. So, do you have a middle name, Bella?"

"I thought you said that I could ask you a question? That would imply that I go first, but that's an easy one. It's Marie."

"Isabella Marie Swan, I like it, you have a beautiful name Bella," I said with a smile.

"Thank you, but I prefer just Bella. So, Edward, Alice told me that you were both adopted, what was your name before your parents adopted you?"

"Carlisle adopted me after he married my mother. My family name was Masen, I was born Edward Anthony Masen. Now it's officially Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, but I only use Masen in my name on official documents and legal papers."

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, I like it, Edward. It fit's you, it's strong and slightly complex, but it has something that's hidden below the surface that the casual observer might miss."

"Thank you, Bella. Why did you move to Seattle from Phoenix?" Her eyes darkened, and I could tell the question was painful to her.

"My mother sent me to live with my father, but I'd prefer not to discuss them, Edward. Can I ask you about your family, or would you prefer to avoid the subject altogether?"

"I have no secrets, Bella, but if you ask something I find painful, I'll let you know, ok?

"Ok, Edward, you said your mother married Carlisle and he adopted you, what happened to your father?"

"My Father was Edward Sr., although I've never been called junior, it didn't seem appropriate, because he was gone. My father came from a wealthy family, and after he finished law school he wanted to give something back to society. He was working as a public defender in Chicago. He was at the office late preparing cases, defending his clients, when he was attacked by a mugger and robbed on his way home. My mother told me that he tried to talk the guy out of it and offered to get him help, but he was shot in the attack, and died later that night in the hospital. I don't really remember him. I was two years old when he was killed."

"I'm sorry, Edward…"

"It's ok, it happened a long time ago, and Carlisle is the only father I've known. Let me see, no questions about your parents… Alright, let's give this a try. You look like you're seventeen? What year were you born?"

"Oh god, maybe I should have let you ask about my parents! My birthday was last month on September thirteenth. My driver's license says I'm seventeen. Ok, Edward?"

"I didn't ask you when your birthday was, or how old your driver's license says you are. I asked what year you were born. I won't say anything, Bella."

"Edward… I'm not supposed to…"

"Don't you trust me at all? Even with something a simple as this? How can we move forward if we can't even trust each other?"

"1984. I was born in 1984, Edward, alright?" Bella said quietly, so soft I almost couldn't hear her as she looked down at the ground.

"Bella, look at me," and she slowly raised her head and looked into my eyes and I smiled at her. "Thank you, Bella. Now that wasn't so hard, was it? I'm still right here, and I'm not going anywhere, ok? Twenty-two isn't the end of the world. Now why don't you ask your question?"

"I suppose I might as well get this out of the way now, Edward," Bella said as the smile returned and spread on her face. "When is your birthday?"

"I turned seventeen on June twentieth, this summer past. Hmm, let me see. Ok, let's push the envelope a little bit. Two weeks ago, we were worried that Esteban was going to do something to me to take away my choices, but Alice went to Seattle and talked to him. What changed? Why hasn't anyone carried through on the threats that Esme made when she talked to me at the cross country meet in Rainier?

"Isn't that two questions?" She asked as the smile faded from her face.

"I don't think so, and you have to give me an answer before you get to ask me a question," I teased.

"Alice asked Esteban to give us more time to work out our relationship issues."

"How much more time?" I asked.

"Hey! Not fair, buddy. It's my turn," Bella said with a grin when she saw that I wasn't upset about her answer.

"Ok, you're right, I'll restrain my curiosity. What would you like to know?"

"That's better. So, Edward, what do you want to do with your life? Do you have plans for what you want to do after you graduate?"

"Isn't that two questions?" I asked her with a grin, asking her own question back to her.

"I don't think so, besides, you said you have to give me an answer before you get to ask me another question," she teased back.

"Alright, what do I want to do with my life? When I was little, I wanted to be a soldier, but I was caught up in the adventure and drama that Hollywood romanticizes about conflict and war. When I got older and realized how much suffering there is in the world, I changed my mind. I suppose I've kind of had a loose plan to go to college, and then law school to be a lawyer like my father and carry on what he started. Maybe make a difference in the world. Right now, I know graduation isn't that far away, but I haven't made any solid plans yet. I thought maybe I'd travel, go to Europe for a year or something. Broaden my horizons, and then come back to go to school."

"Hmm, maybe we aren't so different after all, Edward. Adventure, drama, travel, being a soldier… I could help you with all of those things, and I want to go to college someday too…" Bella mused as she considered my answer.

"Ok, it's my turn now. You said Alice talked Esteban into giving us more time, How much more time? And what were the conditions?

"We have until the end of the month," Bella said, looking down at the ground again. "I have permission to tell you our secrets as long as I either claim you as my mate, or take you to a truth sayer to give your oath before Halloween. There are people that know our secrets, Edward, and are allowed to live relatively normal lives. These people have given their oath not to reveal our secrets, but it's not completely free from danger. If you choose to go to the truth sayer, they will know if you lie, and your life is forfeit if they sense that your oath is false."

"So you can tell me everything now, as long as I promise not to reveal your secrets?"

"Yes, but personally, I prefer the other option." She seemed to contemplate something, and then asked her next question.

"So, travel, college, law school, probably a career. Where does Katy fit into this picture? Have you two made any plans?"

I squirmed a little inside, and considered playing the painful subject card, but I needed to face this question. What were my plans for Katy, and how did she fit into my future? I loved Katy, and I thought I was committed to her, but a lot had changed since the start of school this year. Bella was a part of my life now, and nothing was a simple as it had been before I met her. I was still a seventeen year old boy, and I had trouble realistically planning a couple of months down the road, let alone trying to plan how my life was supposed to play out.

"Honestly? I don't know. I love Katy," and I saw Bella wince in pain, "but I don't know how she fits into my future plans. I'm sure her mother would be overjoyed if I gave her a ring, and we were picking out china patterns." Bella turned away, and I heard her breathe catch in her throat.

"Katy and I have never talked about our future together. We've always just lived in the moment, and everything just seemed to happen so naturally, from the day we met. I'm sorry if this hurts you Bella, but it's that best I can offer. I don't really know how Katy fits into the big picture of my life."

"Thank you for being honest Edward. Do you have a question for me?" She asked to change the subject.

"I have a lot of questions for you Bella, but maybe I can make this a little easier for you. You said you can tell me your secrets as long as I promise not to reveal them. I assume you mean that I'm not allowed to expose what you are to the world. I already know what you are Bella and a lot of your families secrets. I'm not going to tell anyone that would hurt you or your family. I'm really just curious about the details and the little things that only you can tell me."

"You haven't asked me a question yet, Edward."

"Ok, you told me that we share a connection and it's permanent. It can't be broken, and it's for life. So far all of this has been about my relationship with Katy, and how you don't want to come between us. What about you, Bella? What do you want? Is this all just part of this thing that's drawing us together? Do you love me, Bella? Or is this all just the magic?"

"I don't think I can separate my feeling out from the connection that we share. It's a part of what I am and who I am, but I'd like to think that I'd still love you even if this wasn't a part of what I am. So yes, Edward I love you, and I think it's more than just some crazy magic. At first it was the bond that drew me to you, but the more time that we've spent together, the more I've become interested in the person you are, I find myself charmed by your intellect, your keen sense of humor, and your overall captivating personality. I'd like to think that your trust in me plays a part. You have no fear of me, but that could just be the magic again. You know, you're just absolutely adorable when you sleep, so peaceful and tranquil… I just want to reach out and touch your face, but I've restrained myself. That isn't my decision to make. I think we'd really be good together, Edward, if that is what you choose."

"Thank you for being honest with me, Bella."

So it's my turn again, I guess," Bella said.

"Yes it is. Fire away."

"Ok. You said Katy's mom would be overjoyed if you two ended up together. So is that what you really want out of life, Edward, a normal life? College, a family, a career and a nine to five job in an office somewhere? Two point four kids, a white picket fence and dinner on Sunday with the in-laws? Or are you looking for more? Do you still want that extraordinary life with adventure, drama and travel?"

"So are those my choices then? A normal life with Katy or an extraordinary life with… somebody else?"

"You have to give an answer before you get to ask a question, Edward."

"I'm just asking for clarification so I understand the question."

"Alright then, yes. Which would you choose if those were your choices?

"Both of them appeal to me. At this point in my life I'm inclined to want the extraordinary life, because I am after all, a seventeen year old boy. Adventure, drama and travel appeal to my desire for excitement in my life, but from a practical standpoint, I know my desires will probably change as I mature. Someday I'll probably want the two point four kids and the white picket fence, too. Why does it have to be an all or nothing decision? Why couldn't I have a normal life with… somebody else, someday?"

"Because some of us don't have the option to have a normal life anymore, Edward," Bella said, and I could here the sorrow and pain in her voice.

"What do you mean, what aren't you saying, Bella?"

"Isn't it my turn to ask a question now?" she asked trying to change the subject, but I wasn't going to have it, I wanted answers.

"Just tell me, Bella, Please? Stop avoiding the issue and just say what you mean."

"I can't have children, Edward. But I can offer an extraordinary life, if that was your choice. It is an all or nothing decision."

She turned away and looked down and hid her face from me. I could see her shoulders shake with emotion, and I heard a soft sob, then she sat up straighter, and seemed to steel herself, as she turned toward me and looked at me through the curtain of her hair.

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me, Edward, I don't have any right to even talk about this with you. You've made it clear that Katy is your girlfriend, and we're only friends."

"But you'd like us to be more than friends" I was a statement, not a question.

"I'm not going to lie to you Edward. I know how you feel now, and I can offer you so much more than Katy. I want you to choose me. I love you Edward, and I want us to be together. There I said it. I'm sorry for Katy, but I don't want to give you up… I can't lose you anymore than she can. Would you be very angry with me if something happened to her…?"

I was sitting there, trying to think of something to say to her, when I felt my phone vibrate. I took it out of my pocket, and looked at the text message.

"My friends are at the airport if you're ready to go meet them," I said, and Bella nodded and turned to head back to the motorcycles. I quickly texted a reply to Jacob, telling him we were about an hour away but were still coming, and I put my phone away.

I knew I had to say something, I couldn't let it end like this between us, and I turned to her as she made to move past me. I reached out and grabbed Bella's wrist and turned her to look at me. I felt her stiffen and try to flinch away but I held on and wouldn't let her go. I was sure she could have broken out of my grasp if she wanted to, but she stopped to hear me out.

I felt the connection between us flare up, but it wasn't the thousand-fold increase like Alice had described. I could feel a tingling in my fingers and the palm of my hand as I gripped the sleeve of Bella's motorcycle Jacket. I guess it had to be skin on skin contact to take the bond to the next level.

"Wait, Bella. I haven't planned out my life, and I don't know what I want yet. I know I love Katy, but I can't say what the future holds. I've known that you had feelings for me since the first day of school. I know that I love you too now. Please don't do anything to hurt Katy while I sort this out. Ok?"

She looked at my hand on her arm with longing. Then she raised her head to look into my eyes as she raised her leather gloved hand and gently caressed the back of my hand.

"You can't keep stringing us both along like this, Edward. Katy and I both deserve better than that. Please don't think I'm weak if I accept what you're willing to give me. I'll take what I can get for now, but you've got to make a decision soon Edward, we can't go on like this. I won't be held responsible for my actions if you don't end this and decide what you want."

I could see the pain in her eyes as she stepped back and put some distance between us. "C'mon, let's go meet your friends," and she turned and started to head across the meadow, back toward the motorcycles.

I was startled as she abruptly turned and practically fled from the place where we'd had our conversation. Bella was halfway across the meadow as I started after her to follow. Suddenly, the clouds parted and beams of sunlight speared down into the grass creating islands of glowing light as we made our way across the tiny sea of grass. Bella's back was to me as the clouds parted and the sunlight caught her as she crossed the meadow. I heard her gasp, and she half turned to look at me as she quickened her step toward the forest.

Bella was covered in her leather riding outfit from her toes to her chin, and she'd never taken off her gloves, but she was breathtakingly beautiful as the sunlight caught her. Her long straight brown hair glistened in the light, and I could pick out red highlights as she moved away from me. She glanced back at me and her cheek practically glowed in the light. Her face had a radiance that seemed to sparkle as though her skin was sprinkled with diamond dust, and for an instant I wondered if she was wearing glitter make up like some of the girls wore when they went to night clubs and parties. I hadn't noticed any make up when we were talking. Then the moment passed, and she moved out of the light and into the trees at the edge of the meadow.

I didn't have time to dwell on our conversation as I struggled to keep up with Bella as we moved through the broken terrain of the forest beyond the meadow. I knew I'd be hard pressed to find this place on my own, if I tried to come back here without her, and hurried to try and keep up. Sooner than I expected, we came to the road and we were beside the bikes.

Bella grabbed her helmet and pulled it back on, and I saw her finally relax and the tension go out of her shoulder blades when she was fastening the strap, like she was relieved to be covered again. She thumbed the electric start and the big liquid cooled engine rumbled to life, and I could feel the power vibrate through the air as I stepped onto the Harley and adjusted my helmet and pulled on my mirror shades. She turned her head to look over at me, and I kicked the Harley to life, and nodded at her.

Bella got the big bike turned around, and I followed her back down the deserted road. We had to back track most of the way we'd come earlier this morning, as we'd ridden up toward Ozette Lake. It took us about forty minutes as we rode southeast until we were just north of Quillayute State Airport.

I led the way now, and turned right onto Mina Smith Road and followed it south until we came to the intersection with Quillayute Road. The trees cleared when we were about halfway to Quillayute Road, and we could see the runways. We turned right towards the airport, and I led the way as we cruised over to the line of abandoned looking warehouses.

We pulled up in front of Sam's shop, and parked the bikes. The rollup door was closed, and the place looked deserted, but I could see a light through the row of grimy windows high on the wall below the roof.

Bella pulled off her helmet, and I saw her tense up as she took a deep breath and wrinkled her nose like she smelled something bad. She got off the bike and clipped her helmet behind the seat as she scanned the front of the warehouse with a wary look in her eyes. She pulled the zipper of her jacket halfway down, and she rolled her shoulder blades as though she was trying to loosen the tension and prepare for action.

She was still scanning the front of the warehouse as she stepped over closer to me. I took off my helmet and set it on the gas tank. I took off my shades and slid them into my pocket and got off the Harley.

"I've got a bad feeling about this, Edward. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Bella told me as she watched the building.

"Don't worry, Sam's crew is cool. I just need to introduce you, and it'll be alright," I reassured her.

"Shit, Sam Uley?" she asked. "Shit, they've got to know we're here already… Ok, let's do this, but if anything happens, follow my lead and do exactly what I tell you, ok?"

"Ok… Bella, nothings going to happen. I've been doing business with Sam for over a year. Just let me do the talking, ok?"

"Right, but if the shit hits the fan, do what I say, alright?" Bella persisted as I walked to the entry door next to the big rollup door.

"Ok, but I know these guys…" and I reached for the door knob and pushed the door open.

I took a few steps into the shop. Jacob was standing next to a pallet of parts in the middle of the floor holding a clip board, checking items off a list. Paul was working on a car back past Jacob closer to the office, and Jared was working on another car, off to the right in front of the office. I didn't see Quil or Embry around anywhere, but it was Saturday, and they'd probably had plans.

"Hey Edward," Jacob said turning towards me as I walked in. "Where's your friend that you said you were bringing."

I turned to look, but Bella hadn't followed me in. "Hey, Bella, C'mon, it'll be ok," I called out the door.

Bella walked in, and Jacob looked her up and down as his eyes got big. "Nice. Katy is so gonna cut your balls off Edward!"

Then everything happened at once. I heard Paul and Jared swear, and a rapid fire string of profanity filled the air. I looked up, and Paul was pulling an assault rifle out from behind the car he'd been working on.

I heard a metallic clicking next to me and turned to see Jared pulling back the cocking lever on his assault rifle as he raised it to his shoulder.

My head snapped around as a staccato burst of gunfire ripped out of Paul's AK-47, and chunks of concrete flew off the floor behind where Bella had been standing seconds before.

Bella dove forward towards Jacob, and tackled him as she rolled, pulling him in front of her. She ended in a crouch halfway behind a pallet of engine parts, holding Jacob in front of her as a shield by the wrists with her left hand. She was holding a big stainless steel pistol under Jacobs chin in her right hand. Jacob's eyes were big as he stared at us, but he couldn't move or speak with the muzzle of the gun jammed under his jaw.

"Shit! shit, everyone fucking calm down! What the fuck is going on," I yelled.

Paul and Jared were both covering Bella, but they didn't have a clear shot while she held Jacob.

"Edward! GET OUT!" Bella yelled at me. "You, and you, fucking lose the AK's, or the chew toy here gets a new squeaky hole."

Sam came walking out of the office then. He looked fucking pissed, and was practically shaking, but he held it together.

"What the fuck, Edward? You running with the Moreno's now? You walk in here with your petite blanc copine pute (little white slut girlfriend), and you think it's going to be business as usual? Douce Mère de Dieu, vous êtes fou? (Sweet mother of god, are you crazy?)"

"Sam, I swear, I don't know what you're talking about! Bella is cool! She goes to Forks High School! She's a fucking cheerleader for gods' sake!"

"Edward, are you fucking blind? She's a goddamned…"

"Sam!" Bella yelled, interrupting him. "You're Sam Uley, right? Edward doesn't know anything! You're still bound by the treaty!"

"Yeah, alright. I won't say anything if you don't. So what the fuck are you here for? I'm independent. I don't pay protection to anyone, and I don't give special treatment to any of the families."

"Like we said just business. This is Moreno turf, but I'm not here to shake you down. Now why don't you tell the pups to lose the hardware, and we can talk."

"Why don't you let my boy there go, as a show of good faith, and then we'll talk."

"Edward, is he lying to me?"

"No, Sam is a man of his word. Let Jacob go, and this'll be ok."

Bella pulled the gun out from under Jacob's chin, and pushed him away. Jacob stumbled, and then scrambled out of the way. Bella eyed Sam, but he motioned to Paul and Jared, and they lowered their assault riffles. She stood all the way up, and put the gun in her hand back into the holster under her left armpit.

"C'mon, let's talk," and Sam turned and walked to the office. I started to follow them, but Sam turned back, and held up his hand. "No, not you, Edward, Blanca here and I have things to discuss. Maybe we'll talk when I'm done. Paul, check on Jacob."

Sam went into the office, and Bella followed him in, and closed the door behind her. Paul came walking over, and he had the AK-47 slung across his back on the strap, with the point down, so he could pull it up under his arm in a hurry.

"You've got some seriously fucked up taste in girls, Edward," Paul said, as he came over to check on Jacob. "I'd keep boning that Katy chick, if you know what's good for you. Blanca here is bad news."

"What the fuck is going on, Paul," Jacob said.

Then Paul grabbed his head to look at the bruise under his chin where the muzzle of the pistol had been held.

"I can't tell you, Jacob, but look at it this way. Either you'll know by thanksgiving, or it won't fucking matter," Paul told him.

Jared came over to join us, but he was watching the office, and had his head cocked to one side like he was listening to something. He turned to look at Paul, and his eyes got big, and then they both looked at me.

"Jesus, can they do that?" he said to Paul.

"I guess so, you heard what I heard," Paul told him, and they both stared at me. I'd seen that look before, and I didn't like it. It was the look the nurses had given my mom, after the doctors told her she had cancer, and had six months to live.

"What the fuck, guys', what did you hear? Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked, but then Sam's office door opened.

"Edward, let's talk," Sam said, calling me over. I looked back at Paul and Jared, but they just stared at me and Jacob seemed as confused as I was.

I walked over to Sam's office and opened the door and went in. There was a palpable sense of tension in the air, but Sam and Bella both acted like they were calm.

Sam sat at his desk, and small tremors would ripple through him every couple of seconds, like he was pissed off and shaking with anger, but his face was a mask of calm. He was holding a bottle of beer in his hand, but I was surprised the brown glass hadn't shattered, he gripped it so tight.

Bella was sitting in the corner of the office, with her chair pushed back away from the desk as far as it would go, until the legs hit the walls. She was trying to look nonchalant, like everything was normal and ok again, but I could tell she was tense and ready to spring at a moments notice as she sat and smoked her cigarette.

Sam indicated the other chair in front of his desk, and I sat down. "Drink?" Sam asked as he held up a cheap bottle of Wal-Mart Canadian whiskey, and I nodded my head. He set another shot glass on the table. He glanced at Bella, and she nodded her head. He poured, and then sat back and gave me the same dead man walking stare that Paul and Jared had on their faces out in the shop.

I picked up the shot and tossed it back, and set the glass back down. Bella half rose out of her seat as she leaned forward to take the shot glass, but then she sat back down and cradled the shot glass in her hand as she ran her finger around the rim.

"Ok, Edward, here's how it's gotta be now." Sam started. "You might not wear their colors yet, but you belong to the Moreno's now," and Sam glared at Bella for a second. She shrugged, and drank her whiskey, but held onto the glass as she sat and took a drag off her cigarette.

"Anyone that knows them will know it if they find you, so I can't treat you special anymore." Sam continued. "I've been giving you the La Push prices, because you were local and had a low profile. You're main stream now, whether you like it or not, and you're running with the big boys… or girls," he glanced at Bella but she just gave him a sweet smile showing her teeth, and Sam shuddered again.

I nodded, I didn't want to argue with Sam, and I could tell he was already cutting me a good deal of slack even talking to me.

"Ok, Sam. What does that do to me?" I asked. "What's the bottom line?"

Sam smiled. "Always business with you Edward, I'm gonna miss you," and Bella gave a low growl from her corner. Sam glared at her for a second, and then looked back at me. "Ok, Edward, good news, I'll still do business with you, as long as you keep it quiet. Bad news for you, that's an across the board 20% price increase over what I've been charging you. Good news for your new girlfriend here, though. That's probably a 30% price cut from what they pay in Seattle."

"Do I still get a volume discount?"

"Yeah, Edward, but it's different now. 5%, on bricks or bigger, if we gotta break it up, then is full price."

Shit. I didn't bring enough cash. I used to get a volume discount on a quarter pound, but now I was going to have to buy a full kilo to get the price break.

"I only needed a half pound, but I'll take the brick if you'll front it to me until I can come back with the rest of the cash. I wasn't expecting this."

"Edward, I know we've got a history, mon ami, but I don't know when the next time I'll see walking, talking and breathing will be since you hooked up with Snow White here." Sam told me, and glanced over at Bella. "She's a fucking Moreno man! I shouldn't even have you in my shop!"

"Get him a brick," Bella said. "I'll cover what he's light. How much do you need Edward?" I looked at her, but she was opening her purse.

"Five large and change," I said. Bella took out a thick stack of cash, counted it, and handed it to me.

Sam reached down behind his desk and picked up a package wrapped in cardboard and sealed with duct tape. He set it on the desk and looked over at me and raised an eyebrow.

I took out my wallet and got out the cash I'd brought with me, adding it to the stack Bella gave me. I counted out the money, and handed a stack to Sam. "Here, keep the change," and he counted the money and made it disappear. I put the rest of the bills in my wallet and put it away. I'd settle up with Bella later, but I owed her six thousand dollars now, and it made me uncomfortable.

"I always knew you were a smart boy, Edward. Good with numbers," Then he turned to Bella. "Can I talk to Edward in private for a minute?" He asked.

"No, anything you can say to him, you can say to me," She smiled, but it wasn't a friendly gesture as she showed her teeth. He nodded and turned back to me.

"You packing, Edward?" Sam asked me, and I shook my head no. He pulled open his desk drawer, and took out a heavy looking black automatic pistol in a nylon holster with a belt clip, and a box of bullets, and laid them on top of the brick. "Start. I like you walking, talking and breathing. It's a good look on you. Consider this a late birthday present. I hope you have another one."

"If you need any pointers, come down to La Push, and Jacob or one of the boys will show you what you need to know. For now, just remember, magnum loads only, no pop guns, or they'll laugh at you," and he nodded toward Bella. "Everything you read is going to tell you to aim at the center of mass, for the best chance to hit. Forget it. Go for the head shot. Through the eye, the roof of the mouth, or the spine, and you might have a chance. Don't try to negotiate or talk. If you think you're in trouble, shoot first ask questions later. Good luck Edward."

Sam was done, so I stood up and picked up the pistol, stuck it in the back of my pants with the belt clip, and I could feel the weight pressing into the small of my back. I stuck the box of bullets in my jacket pocket and zipped it shut. I picked up the brick off the desk, and looked over at Bella. She got up, and set the shot glass down on the desk. Then she reached down next to her chair, and picked up another package wrapped in cardboard and sealed with duct tape.

I turned and walked out the door into the shop, and Paul, Jared, and Jacob were gathered together behind the car Jared had been working on. Paul and Jared were holding their assault rifles at the ready as they watched us walk across the shop to the door. Paul called across the shop to me before we went out the door.

"Edward, call ahead next time, and tell us if you're coming alone or bringing your girlfriend with you. Make sure we know it's you before you come through the door. Ok man? Don't want you to have an accident, dude."

I nodded and went out the door. I turned to look at Bella, but she just walked to her bike.

"What the fuck just happened in there…" I started, but she held up her hand.

"Not here. Let's get the hell out of here, and then we'll talk." She took a nylon bag out of her purse, and used it to cover the brick she'd bought, pulling the drawstring tight, and then used bungee cords to tie it down on the back of her bike. She got on the bike and pulled on her helmet. She thumbed the electric start to fire up the engine, and then looked over at me.

I stuffed the brick in the saddle bag on my bike, and it just fit in. I put on my helmet and shades, and kicked the bike to life, and followed Bella away from the warehouse. We didn't go far, and she pulled off the road into some abandoned shops on the northeast corner of the airport about two miles away.

She parked, took off her helmet, and got off the bike. I parked next to her, took off my helmet and got off my bike.

"Ok, now do you want to explain just what the fuck is going on? Why did you lie to Sam about the treaty? How the hell am I supposed to explain a 20% price increase to my customers?" I asked.

"Sam doesn't need to know how much you know. It would have gone worse if he thought you knew more. Next time he'll assume you know everything. Besides, you just told me know, you didn't say what you know. As far as the price increase, it's the cost of doing business, if they don't like it; tell them to buy from someone else. You're still the cheapest around, even with a 20% markup. Now, let me see it," and she held out her hand.

"What…"

"The piece Sam gave you, let me see it," she told me.

I reached into the small of my back, and took out the pistol, and handed it to her. She took the pistol and looked it over. She ejected the clip, jacked the slide, and caught the cartridge that flipped out of the ejection port, and looked it over, then snapped it back onto the top of the clip. She slid the clip back in, and jacked the slide to re-chamber the round, and looked up at me.

"Do you know how to use this?" She asked.

"Just the basics, but I've never got up close and personal with the real deal."

"Ok, crash course," and she nodded her head. "Sam's got good taste in guns. This is a Glock 20, chambered for 10MM ammo. There's a couple of different loads available. The FBI loads used by law enforcement organizations have a lower recoil, and are equal to about a 45 ACP. These rounds are the full power loads, and are equal to a .41 Magnum. More kick, harder to control, but more stopping power."

"There's no user operable external safety, so there's no levers or buttons to worry about or slow you down in a firefight. Just point, aim, shoot." She held up the gun so I could see the trigger. "See this little lever built into the trigger? That disengages the safeties when you squeeze the trigger. They claim it's safe to carry this gun with a round in the chamber, because you're supposed to be able to drop it from 2 meters onto a steel plate and it can't fire, unless you squeeze the trigger." She handed the gun back to me, butt first. I looked it over.

"It's got a fifteen round capacity. Fourteen in the clip, and one in the pipe. Never put your finger on the trigger unless you're ready to squeeze it and shoot. Never point it at anyone or anything that you don't intend to shoot. Never point it at another person, unless you're prepared to pull the trigger and send them to hell. No horse play, this is a dangerous weapon, not a toy, got it?"

I nodded my head and then carefully put it back into the holster in the back of my pants and pulled my t-shirt and jacket over it.

"Ok, talk to Jasper, and he'll run you through pistol marksmanship 101, or you can go talk to the guys in La Push, if you don't trust us."

"How do I get a hold of Jasper? He didn't come back to school, but I know Alice claims he's nearby."

"Just step outside, out of sight of your house and say his name, or give him a call. His number is in you cell phone now."

"Bella, you aren't denying the fact that you think it's a good idea that I'm carrying a pistol. Sam seemed to think that I needed it to protect myself from you. Why the hell are you carrying a pistol? What did Sam mean; I belong to the Moreno's now?"

"I had to tell him about the bond, and that you're my mate. It was the only reason that I knew he'd accept for why we were together, and why you were safe with me."

"The FBI and a lot of law enforcement organizations would probably tell you that the Moreno Family is an organized crime family, and connected to a lot of underworld criminal organizations and activities. They wouldn't be wrong, it's more complicated than that, but we do have a lot of dangerous rivals. They'd use you to hurt us if they knew you existed."

"As far as the pistol is concerned, it's a good Idea. My world is dangerous, and my family has a lot of enemies. You should be safe in Forks. Carry it if you go to Port Angeles, and be ready to use it. Everything on this side of the sound is technically Moreno turf, but some of the other families are trying to squeeze us out. Don't go to Seattle unless you're with me or Jasper, or we call ahead to make arrangements."

"Remember that extraordinary life with adventure, drama and travel we talked about? This was a taste. If you want to see just how deep the rabbit hole goes, I can make that happen, but it has to be your choice, and you're running out of time Edward."

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, and I took it out to look at the text message, as I mulled over what Bella had said.

"Katy's on her way home from Port Angeles. I need to go back to Forks, to change and go talk to her. When do you want to meet to settle up?"

"I have to run to Seattle now, to drop this off but I'll be back in forks this evening. I'll come to the drive-in tonight, or I could come by your house if you'd like?"

"Ok, I'll probably be at the drive in tonight," I told her. "We'll do it then, ok?"

She nodded, and I got back onto the Harley and got ready to leave. Bella pulled her helmet back on, and got on her bike, and we left the airport. We rode together as we back tracked out to Highway 101, and I waved as Bella turned north to head up the 101 towards Port Angeles and then Seattle beyond. I sat and watched stunned for a minute as Bella wound out the big Ducati as she shrank in the distance, and I could tell she would make the trip a lot faster than 3 hours each way.

I turned south and headed back into Forks. I thought about driving past Katy's house to see if she was back yet, but I thought I better get my latest buy stashed, so I could start to break it up at my leisure, and get rid of the pistol I had stuck in the back of my pants. Then I glanced at the gas gauge on the instrument package on the handle bars, and decided I better make a stop after all. I pulled into the shell station at the edge of town, filled up the tank, and then I wheeled the Harley around the side of the building to park it while I was inside.

I'd heard more than one story about somebody's bike that got hit, because another driver wasn't paying attention and ran into the unattended bike left at the gas pump. I always moved the Harley before I went inside to pay. There was a line at the check stand, before I finally got to the cashier and paid for my gas. By that time, I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable as I waited, and decided to use the men's room. It had been a long day and I hadn't had an opportunity since I left the house this morning to answer natures call.

I was finally ready to get back on the road, and I cruised home like nothing was out of the ordinary, as I rode down North Forks Avenue, and turned up Calawah Way. I made the turn onto Merchant Road and the short ride onto Riviera Drive. I pulled into the driveway, and I was surprised to see Katy's mom's car parked in our driveway. I rode the Harley into the Garage, and the Volvo was there, but Carlisle's Lexus was gone. I parked the Harley, and got off to go into the house.

I debated with myself, whether or not I should take the brick in with me now. I didn't want to leave it in the garage. it represented a rather substantial investment. On the other hand, Katy probably wouldn't mind too much, but if her mom was inside with her, I could have some trouble explaining it.

Caution won out, and I got it out of the saddle bag, and took it with me as I walked to the side door into the kitchen. Katy was sitting at the kitchen table, and Alice was sitting next to her, with her arm around her shoulders.

Katy looked up at me as I came in the door, and her eyes were red and puffy, and I could tell she'd been crying, but she looked pissed off when she saw me come through the door.

"Where the hell have you been all day Edward!" Katy yelled at me. Uh oh, this didn't sound good.

"I went out to see Jacob at the airport, I had to take care of some business," That wasn't a lie. I was holding the evidence in my hand.

"From eight in the morning until now? You never spend more than an hour at the airport when you go to see Jacob! Who were you with Edward?" Katy yelled at me again.

"C'mon upstairs, I'm not going to stand here in the middle of my kitchen while you scream at me. Let's go up to my room, and we can discuss this." Then I turned to my sister. "Alice, we need to talk business later. There have been some developments."

Alice nodded ok as she looked at Katy and me with sad eyes. I started to walk to the stairs, and looked back. Katy was still sitting there glaring at me. "Well, are you coming? Or do you want to wait until I come back down?" I asked.

"Fine," Katy said, and got up, practically knocking the chair over, and stormed up the stairs behind me. We went into my room, and I closed the door.

"Ok, Edward! Who were you with today! And don't lie to me!" Katy yelled as she stood in the middle of the room with her arms crossed on her chest.

"I was with a business associate. You've never wanted to get involved in my business dealings before. You know how it works, it's an all or nothing deal. Either you know everything or nothing. That's how its gotta be, Katy."

I was putting my things away as I talked. I put the brick in the closet, and took the box of bullets out of my jacket pocket and put them in my top dresser drawer. I took off my helmet and set it on my desk, took off my jacket and hung it on the back of the chair at my desk.

"That's bullshit, Edward, and I'm not buying it. You were with a girl today, and you weren't working on business all day long. I saw you together this morning, when you rode past the Shell station with her. I might have brushed it off as a coincidence, but she waved to me as she rode by!"

"People wave, Katy! You waved at me. Maybe she thought you were waving to her, and waved back."

"Don't try and play it off like you don't know who she is! The girl on the blue motorcycle, with the long brown hair? Are you going to tell me who she is, Edward?"

"Why don't you tell me who it was, Katy? You seem to be building up to it, like you're waiting for me to lie to you, so you can throw it in my face. Just come out and say what you're going to say."

"Fine! You were with Bella Swan today! I wondered all day long, who it was that we saw this morning. I knew you were going somewhere with her, because you hurried out of town, and didn't stop to say hi when we saw you!" Katy was crying again, as the tears streamed down her face.

"I figured it out this afternoon, when we were coming home. There was some traffic where everyone slows down for the speed trap at the curve by Lake Pleasant. I saw her again as we passed her, and I saw the black swan with her name, 'Bella' painted on the side of the motorcycle."

"I see how you look at her all the time, Edward, when you think I'm not looking. God you fucking get hard looking at her, when you're holding me! Are you fooling around with her, Edward? Are you cheating on me, and running around behind my back? Are you fucking her, Edward? Just tell me the truth, damn it!"

"No! Damn it! We had this conversation this morning Katy, I'm not cheating on you. I swear I've never even touched her. She wouldn't even shake my hand when I met her!"

"She just wanted me to introduce her to Jacob and Sam's crew. We just hung out and talked until they were at the shop, and we could go meet to them. It's business Damn It! And I shouldn't even be telling you this much, if you weren't so damn jealous of her!"

Katy seemed to deflate a little bit, and she looked down. I could hear the sob rack through her as she cried. Katy always knew when I was telling her the truth, and I hadn't told her any lies.

"I'm sorry, Edward," Katy whispered, and I went to her, and held her while she cried. "I'm just so afraid I'm going to lose you, Edward. I love you, and I feel like we're drifting apart, and it scares me."

She pressed herself up against, looking for comfort from her pain. I felt her arms go around my waist, and I held her head against my chest as her tears soaked into my shirt. I felt her hands ghost around my body, and then her finger found the bulge in the back of my pants under my shirt. They explored the shape for a minute, and then Katy took a step back and looked up at me, her eyes wide.

"Edward, what do you have under your shirt?" Katy asked.

I reached back and pulled the holstered pistol out of the waist band of my pants and held it up so Katy could see it. Then I turned and put it in the top drawer of my dresser with the bullets.

"You're carrying a gun?" Katy asked.

"It's business Katy. Some of the people I deal with are dangerous. A friend of mine thought it would be a good idea."

"I don't want to be part of a world where you have to carry a gun to run your business, Edward! I thought you wanted to go to college, and be a lawyer like your father? This scares me, Edward. It's like Sam's crew and this business of yours just keeps sucking you in deeper and deeper!"

"I'm going to go to college, and I'll probably be a lawyer someday, but this is a part of who I am too, Katy. It's part of the package. Just because I run one kind of business doesn't mean that's the only career I'll ever have. I understand that you don't want to be part of that world, but I am. I'll keep you out of if you like, but don't ask me about it if you don't want to know, ok?

Katy just stood and stared at me like I was somebody she didn't know, and I could see her shaking now, as the conflict warred inside of her. Part of her wanted me, to come to me and hold me tight and keep me close. Another part of her wanted to go screaming out of the room and get away from me, and I could see which part was winning as she backed away and edged towards the door.

"I have to go now, Edward," Katy said as she fumbled for the door handle. "I love you, Edward, but this scares me. I can't be a part of this… I need to think," and she stepped out the door and I heard her dash down the hall to leave.

I thought about what Bella and I had talked about today. Just what did I want out of life? A normal life? College, a family, a career with a nine to five job? Two point four kids, a white picket fence and dinner on Sunday with the in-laws? Or did I want more? Did I crave the adrenaline rush that came as part of the extraordinary life of adventure and drama?

I knew I wanted to travel, but Katy had never been further than the State finals before I took her to Paris this last summer, and she had clung to me the entire time. She wouldn't have left the hotel if I hadn't made her see some of the sights.

I didn't want to have to make a choice, but it was clear to me that there were different girls for different worlds. Which world did I want to be a part of? Katy was the world I knew, the normal everyday mundane world. Bella was the world of myth and adventure that was opening up before me and drawing me into its mysteries.

Bella was right when she told me I couldn't keep toying with their emotions. It was cruel even if it was unintentional on my part. I had to resolve this conflict and make a decision, but no matter which way I decided somebody was going to get hurt. Bella had told me I had until Halloween, but I didn't think the situation would last that long before something had to give. Next Saturday night was the Home Coming Dance. I wondered if I'd last that long?

Author's Note: Alternate Universe Changes

Sparkly vampires and the sun:

Vampires do not burn in direct sunlight, but it is not healthy for them. They don't burst into flames or smoke, but exposure to direct sunlight causes damage to the vampires skin. Healthy, well fed vampires regenerate fast enough to heal the damage from the sun, and are able to be out in daylight. How long they can last in full direct sunlight depends on how well fed they are and how much skin is exposed to the sunlight.

The sparkle effect is a result of the surface of the vampire's skin reacting to the sunlight as it crystallizes and sublimates away rather than actually burning. The sublimation causes refraction of the sunlight hitting the skin, resulting in the sparkle effect. The skin regenerates fast enough to prevent discomfort or serious injury, but rapidly drains the vampire's energy reserves. Being out in direct sunlight for a day is possible, but the vampire would need to hunt to replenish its energy.

Long exposure to sunlight intensifies bloodlust and the burn in the throat as the vampire's energy resources are depleted. Long exposure to direct sunlight without the ability to feed will cause a vampire to go into catatonic regeneration mode. If the vampire is exposed to the sun for extended periods while catatonic, it will result in more damage than can be healed, and the vampire will die from sunlight exposure.

Vampire durability:

Vampires in this alternate universe are not indestructible, and can be hurt and killed by humans and other meta-humans. Vampire skin is very tough, but is not granite hard or stone-like, and is about equal to a Kevlar ballistic vest. Small caliber bullets will not do enough damage to break the skin but it can be cut with knives and swords. Large caliber bullets from magnum load pistols and/or combat rifles will do damage to vampires, but will not kill simply from shooting. Enough damage from gunshot wounds will slow down a vampire or possibly incapacitate them if the central nervous system is damaged.

Vampires regenerate almost instantly from simple cuts. Severed limbs can be reattached. Massive physical damage will cause a vampire to enter a catatonic hibernation to regenerate and repair the damage.

Vampires can only be killed by burning or long term exposure to direct sunlight. Well trained and experienced vampires carry and fight with swords, to slice and dice their opponent, incapacitating them to allow the pieces to be burned. Normal sword cuts will heal without a scar if the cut is clean and only the vampires own venom is present in the wound. Cuts from a blade with another vampire's venom on the blade will leave a scar from the foreign venom in the wound. If the vampire isn't burned, they will eventually regenerate and heal. Consuming blood accelerates the healing process.