Hey guys!:D So... you guys are probably really mad about this late update, and I'm really sorry about this and understand if you don't want to have anything to do with me. But I will ask: CAN YOU FORGIVE ME? My life has been BEYOND hectic these days (which I'm pretty sure is everyone's case)... But I made an extra-long chapter for my dear readers!:) Hope you all enjoy this; it's a tear-jerker and mentions a lot of blood.

A/N: Mentions the Shekiah from the Legend of the Seeker, and mentions the Change that I used from House of Night's Betrayed novel (the most saddest book I've ever read in my entire life, I cried so much that I couldn't talk to anybody for the rest of the night!), both of which I don't own. *You don't have to know of either in order to read this chapter. Happy reading!

Bella's POV

I was lying on the forest floor in my own blood, disgusting really, but it simply could not be.

They know my secret.

Parts of my left side had been brutally scarred by the dragon's claws when I completely dropped my guard after seeing the Cullens right there on the battleground. My battleground.

And then the dragon released its fury upon them with an angry burst of flames and I just ran to them, not even thinking about my actions. In fact, the only thing I was thinking was, You must protect them Bella!

I flashed in front of them with unimaginable speed I didn't realize I had.

With my arms spread out protectively, I glared at the approaching flames.

"Bella! No -"

Shield! I shouted in my head, and the flames hit an invisible wall right in front of me - effectively ending Edward's velvety voice.

You must protect them! My thoughts shouted, and then my shield became a barrier like before with Flicka, and the angry flames of the dragon backfired - sending the flames back and reducing him to ashes.

I lowered my arms. Breathing hard with my heart throbbing in my ears, I began to shake and sway. Conjuring up an ability like that after not using it for five thousand years takes its toll in the state I'm in.

And then I went completely out, falling to the forest floor.

Edward's POV

I went to Bella immediately when she unconsciously fell to the forest floor.

"Carlisle, please, we must help her," I said, despite what I have just witnessed, I simply had to be here for her, to be by her side and help her.

Carlisle rushed to my side beside Bella.

I will do what I can Edward, he thought while taking Bella's pulse.

"Carlisle!" Rosalie yelled, her thoughts angry. "We can't help her, we don't even know what she is!"

"Rosalie, it doesn't matter to me what she is, I will do what I can to save her life," he said, his voice gentle and full of fatherly concern as he examined how serious Bella's wounds were.

Just then, Alice had a clear vision of Bella walking up four hours and thirty-seven minutes from now.

"We need to take Bella back to our house before she wakes up, then she will. . . explain her story to us," Alice spoke after coming out of her vision.

I nodded, and, ignoring Rosalie all together, I picked my love up into my arms and ran straight home with my family close behind.

"Her wounds are healing at extraordinary speed," Carlisle examined - well, we all saw how Bella's freshly opened wounds began slowly sealing shut.

It didn't take very long for her wounds to completely heal over and make it seem as if she was never struck by the dragon's claws.

"Okay. . . everyone out!" Alice said and we all turned to look at her.

She sighed, and looked pointedly at Bella's sleeping form.

"I need to change her clothes in case you haven't noticed!"

Oh, I looked back at Bella and saw that her once white shirt was dyed crimson and was torn a bit in places, and so were her jeans.

"Very well," Carlisle said as everyone began filing out of the room. "Edward?" he asked, looking back at me from the door.

I gazed back down at Bella and lightly let my fingertips trail along the side of her face - her skin was still as smooth as silk but it was too cold, not the usual warmness that sparks between us. . .

I walked to the door and turned and looked back at Alice.

"I know, I know, don't go overboard," she said, smiling.

I shook my head, but smiled.

"Crazy psychic."

Once Alice was done, she invited us back into the room and I gasped when I saw Bella.

Alice had neatly combed through her long, thick curls and she was wearing a long white floral dress that fit every one of her perfect curves - the short sleeves were thin and they framed her shoulders.

"I'm glad you like," Alice giggled when she saw my gaping.

I ignored her and sat down beside Bella.

Her breathing and heart beat were more normal now, and her warmness wrapped around me and everyone else in the room. It almost felt like I could sleep. . .

This warm feeling is something I've never felt before. . . it makes me feel whole and comfortable. . . Carlisle was thinking while everyone was experiencing the warmness that radiated from Bella.

Then, she opened her eyes.

Bella's POV

I was awake now, and there really was no point in trying to run.

I felt utterly defeated.

"I guess you're all wondering what I am?" I spoke, finally glancing at them all.

Edward was sitting right beside me, Alice was sitting next to him, and everyone else was standing up in the room I was in.

"You don't have to explain anything Bella," Edward spoke softly, looking deep into my eyes.

I raised up and propped myself up against the pillows.

"You must all know my story now," I said, closing my eyes as I began to uncover my past. . . the past I wished I could forget.

I took a deep breath, and then opened my eyes.

"I am immortal."

Silence filled the air for a few seconds.

"But. . . you're not a vampire," Edward disagreed mutely and I laughed humorlessly, he actually thought that I was a vampire when I said that.

"I never said I was a vampire or anything in that matter, just immortal." I turned to face them.

"But how did you become immortal?" Carlisle asked, deeply intrigued.

I paused, how shall I explain this?

"My immortality began in a very early era. . . before your kind began," I started and Carlisle's eyes grew wide.

"A time before vampires?"

"Yes, I was but a child. . . I had a mother, father, and little brother." My breathing hitched and caught when I mentioned my adorable little brother. . . he had light brown curls and two dimples would show on his ivory-skinned cheeks when he would smile, his eyes were the same as our mother's while mine was the same as our father's.

We use to play tag, and play in the forest and creek growing up. . . He looked up to me, always tagging along wherever I would go.

I smiled, fighting tears as I remembered that one fateful day he didn't tag along. . .

"You miss them." Edward said, and I nodded.

"It has been more than 10,000 years since I was last with them."

All of the Cullens were shocked at my statement.

"I am much older than I appear to be," I answered modestly.

"I'll say!" Emmett said, his mouth hanging wide open, and I smiled.

"That's only the tip of the iceberg," I said nonchalantly, and Edward nodded for me to continue.

"When I was eleven, I went into the woods near our house to hide from Evan,- my little brother - we were playing a game of what you would call hide-and-seek." I smiled at the memory, my gaze becoming unfocused as I seeped deeper into my memories.

"And that's when they took me away from my family," I growled.

"Who?" Edward asked, seeming concerned and curious.

"Humans that called themselves scientists. They came up behind me and knocked me out. When I awoke, I was no longer in the woods anymore; I was in a dark room." I said, remembering the cold, dark feeling of that forbidden place.

"They took you away from your family?" I heard - shockingly - Rosalie speak, her voice no more than a whisper.

I looked at her when I spoke.

"I wasn't the only one who was taken away. . . they took many other children from their homes as well."

"Why would they do that though?" Esme asked tearfully, her hand was over her mouth and Carlisle was holding her as if to comfort her.

This was the part of my memory I'd rather choose to forget.

Edward saw my hesitation and put a comforting warm hand on mine.

"What did these people do to you and the other children Bella?" he asked, an unnameable emotion burning in his golden eyes.

"They experimented on us."

"They WHAT?" Both Edward and Alice asked at the same time, both shocked and furious.

I ignored their emotions and settled into my own.

"The scientists wanted to create a vast army of immortals so that they could rule the world. Immortality only lied within the monsters of our world at the time - it was never in human form."

"They had uncovered tools that had been buried deep within a cave nearby, and the tools had. . . ancient power that had seemingly magical properties. . . But it was hell on our bodies, they would use these needle-like objects in every vital spot - puncturing through our skin mercilessly."

I took a deep breath as Jasper began calming me with his ability.

"So that is why you reacted to the needle before. . ." Carlisle murmured and I looked at him and nodded.

"On my first day," I continued, "they took me into a room where they ensued their experimentations. They tied me down to a chair while I screamed for help, for my family. . . but no one could begin to hear me, hope could not find me. Then they inserted the first needle and I screamed harder as tears began running down my cheeks. 'Please stop,' I whimpered."

"They only looked down at me and said, 'You are going to become an immortal.' I whimpered out, 'But I do not want to become immortal, I just want to be with my family.'"

"Then they only laughed and finished the process of sticking the needles into every vital spot throughout my body. And then the Change began." My voice sounded dead and defeated as I remembered. . .

"The Change?" Edward asked softly, his eyes sad.

"It occurred after one had experienced the Shekiah - the needles. After my first session, they took me to my room - which was completely dark, and there I suffered from the Change that was happening within my body." I then looked at all of the Cullens.

"Do you remember how you became who you are now? Three days of endless fire burning through you? Changing you?"

They nodded yes as they remembered the vampire venom spreading through them and changing them.

"Imagine that. . . every waking moment for six years of endless torture and beatings as a child." I whispered, remembering just how cold-hearted those bastards were.

"How did you handle that level of pain?" Edward's perfect voice broke on the last word.

"I'm not sure. . . quite frankly, no one really knows how I survived. . ." I said, backtracking a bit before getting back into my story.

"After about five years of the Change, I had grown to be the most respected among all of the. . . 'immortal children.' Since I had not yet died from the Change. . ." I looked over at the Cullens and their was shock plainly written on their faces. "Most children began dying from the Change that was slowly changing us on the inside of our bodies. All of our bodily functions would shut down and our lungs would begin to fill with blood, which we would cough up.

"Blood would begin to pour out of our ears, eyes, and noses - and we couldn't fight it. We were constantly in fear of our death, because one minute you could be completely healthy, and the next you were coughing up and gagging on your own life blood."

Everyone was speechless, so I continued.

"In all my existence, I would have to say that dying from the Change as a child would have to be the worst possible death - partly because you never expected when your body would reject the Change." My voice dropped, and my eyes fell to my hands that were on my lap.

"Which brings me to how I met a girl named Addy."

"Addy?" Edward asked me and I nodded.

"It was one day while sitting in my dark room that the scientists brought in a new girl - she was the same age as me, and her skin was horribly shallow and pale. She had long, light brown curls, and dark brown eyes that almost seemed black. They told us that we were roommates now, and shut the door and left.

"Then she began crying, and I tried to comfort her by putting my arm around her shoulders. 'How can these people do this to us?' she asked me through her tears. 'I don't know, they're trying to make us immortal.' I explained, and she looked up at me. 'They took me away from my family,' she whispered sadly. 'I know, they took me away from my family too.'

"She finished crying out before asking, 'So what's your name?' I smiled. 'Bella. What's yours?' she smiled too, 'Addy, will you be my friend?' I grinned wider, 'I'd love to Addy.' And that began our friendship - we soon knew everything about each other, and to the other children, we were as inseparable as sisters. We helped each other through the darkness. . ." I murmured as my own darkness enveloped me.

"Well at least you weren't alone in the end. Where is Addy now?" Alice asked me, grinning, though she had no idea of the truth.

I inhaled deeply, blinking my eyes and thinking, Don't cry Bella.

"It was three months after she had arrived, and we were both in the largest room where the scientists allowed all the children to meet and talk every once in a while. . . Since I had lasted the longest, everyone assumed me the leader, they all looked up to me. . . And at the time, they were all my only family, and we all considered ourselves brother and sister."

I peeked at Alice, and she was still smiling as if she thought this story had some sort of happy ending, when in truth, there was no 'happy ending.'

"Addy and I were standing in the middle of the room, chatting, when a boy across the room called for my help on something, and so I quickly obliged. But then Addy coughed lightly and she smiled back at me. 'Just a frog in my throat,' she replied, and I didn't think anything of it, so I just smiled and went to the boy who needed my help."

I then looked at all of them.

"I was across the room when it happened. I heard Addy cough loudly into her hand and I closed my eyes and whimpered, 'Please, please no. Don't take Addy from me.' When Addy looked into her hand, and her eyes grew wide in fear, everything became silent. The boy who had asked for my help came up beside me. 'Bella, she needs you,' he said at the same time Addy shouted, 'Bella!'

"I ran to her at inhuman speed - shocking everyone, but I didn't care. 'Addy!' I shouted, and caught her in my arms as she fell. I sank to my knees, holding her in my arms as blood spewed from her nose and ears. 'Get some towels!' I ordered to everyone around me who were faintly stunned. 'Bella. . .' Addy sobbed as she began crying out her own blood. 'It's okay. . . I'm here,' I said, barely able to talk over the knot in my throat," I began sobbing quietly, though keeping my red-tinged tears at bay.

"'It's going to be okay. I promise. It's going to be okay.' I tried to hold strong as Addy coughed a gut-wrenching cough. 'It's not. It can't be. I'm dying.' Her voice was weak and gurgled as she tried to speak through the blood hemorrhaging in her lungs and throat. 'I'm staying with you. I won't let you be alone,' I said.

"She grasped my hand and I was shocked by how cold hers was. 'I'm scared, Bella.' 'I know, I'm scared, too. But we'll get through this together. I promise.' Then one of my sisters handed me a towel and I began wiping her face clean of the blood, but she started coughing up blood again and I couldn't keep up. There was just too much blood. And then she began shaking, and I was crying as I wrapped my arms tighter around her and I rocked her back and forth, telling her over and over that it would be all right, that I wouldn't leave her.

"'I'm not scared anymore Bella. You'll make a great leader, and I'll. . . always. . . be. . . with you,' she whispered, slowly closing her eyes as they slowly became dead white. 'No! Stay with me Addy! You can't go, please don't leave me,' I wailed out through my tears but she was already gone, out of my reach. And there was nothing I could do to re-wind time and prevent her death." My voice broke in places, "I held unto her body with my new profound strength as the wretched scientists came and told everyone to leave the area - but I wouldn't go. I could not leave my sister and let them discard her as if she were nothing more than trash to them. But eventually, they managed to pry me away from Addy's blood-covered corpse, and I was sent away into the darkness, all alone once again. . ."

Then my built-up tears gushed out as if I had broken a dam - only these tears, my tears, were not the usual tears.

They were tears of my own blood.

Edward's POV

In all of my existence I have never seen someone in so much pain. Who has lived through unimagineable pain, and is still existing to this day.

Bella Swan has, and now she was sharing her story with us. A story of how she came to become an immortal being, which in fact transpired vampires. . .

It was a story that took on a forbidden-like quality. Children taken from their families by these cruel, unforgivable scientists who experimented on them. . . on Bella. I might not can read her mind - for it has become inaccessible once again after she became unconscious after destroying the dragon in the forest - but I can read her eyes. And in them, I saw just how much pain and suffering she went through as she told us her story. All of the screaming. . . the pleading she must have went through.

I wished more than anything that I could take away all of her bad memories of that time, but I knew that I could not.

All I could do was try and comfort her as much as I possibly could.

But then she told us of the story of how she came to know Addy, and I, along with my family, assumed that this would have led to a more peaceful ending than the beginning had been.

But we couldn't have been more wrong.

Addy had died in Bella's arms, and then Bella herself began crying, only these were not clear. It was blood.

"Bella?" I gasped, growing incredibly anxious.

She reached her hand up and wiped away one of the blood-tinged tears.

"It's okay, I haven't cried in so long that I've forgotten my old human tears, and now I only cry blood," she explained in a heavy voice, not phased at all.

"Here dearie," Esme said, coming up and handing her a handkerchief.

"Thank you Esme," she said, giving her a small smile.

"Your welcome dear," Esme replied kindly, stroking Bella's silky dark hair in a motherly gesture.

"What happened next? Where are the immortal children?" Carlisle asked after a moment and Bella looked away from us, her face a mask of ancient sadness.

"They are all dead. I watched them die from the Change. One. By. One." Bella spoke in a dead, lifeless voice, and no one could comment on her unbearable loss. "I was the only one who had survived, I became completely immortal shortly after I turned seventeen, and thus, becoming frozen in this stage for all of eternity.

"And now I wander the earth. Dawn after dawn, and dusk after dusk. I am forever bound in this world, never ceasing to exist."

Silence fell upon everyone before the question came to me.

"What about the scientists?" I could not help the growl that escaped me when I spoke of those demented people, I wasn't the only one; at least half the room continued to growl when I mentioned them.

Bella looked at me and settled back into her story.

"I escaped from them. That night, after I had completed the Change, I ran away. And I continued to run for decades. . . until, finally, they all perished with old age."

Then she looked down at her hands that rested on her lap.

"After my pursuers were long gone, I went back to my old home. . . hoping to find my family, but I knew too much time had passed. . ." she murmured sadly before continuing, "My house was empty and worn from time, and then, in our backyard where my brother and I use to play, were there graves. My mother. . . my father. . . and my little brother's graves. All aligned together," she then broke out in tears, and I quickly reached for her hands; cradling them in mine.

She looked at me with heartbreakingly sad eyes while everyone's thoughts around me were grieving for her; and I do mean everyone.

Alice was sad and was sickened by herself for assuming Bella had a happy ending in all this. Jasper and Emmett were repentive, and felt terrible for her. Carlisle and Esme both had a fatherly and motherly concern for her. And, shockingly, Rosalie felt sorry for her and was actually beratting herself for hating her before. . . So this is what would win her over, Bella's past would settle over everyone, and, as Alice had predicted, we would all love and accept her into our lives, into our hearts.

More will be up soon. I was thinking about writing a short story about Bella's childhood from her perspective (you know, deep and detailed about what all exactly went on), a sort of companion for DNE... what do you guys think? Also, this chapter was for my little brother, Cody, who died a couple years ago when he was only two - so yeah, I poured my heart out into this chap, including a lot of tears!:'( Plz review!