A.N - Um, sorry. Both for the delay, and the way this ends. Let me know what you think?

Nine

When Bella woke, the day was brighter than most days in Forks. Edward had his arms banded around her, looking down gently at her upturned face, peaceful in sleep. Bleary, Bella blinked up at him and smiled softly.

"Hey," she whispered, not wanting to break the silence that reigned in the room – in the house.

"Good morning." His voice, as always, was musical and perfect.

Tentatively, Bella stretched her head up and kissed him – quickly, so as to not discomfort him too much with her proximity. In the instant that their lips touched, time stood still for her. She couldn't remember if it was their first, or their millionth kiss. All Bella knew was that he intoxicated her.

He was about to protest the loss, claim he could control himself and capture her lips more firmly with his own when she spoke again.

"Hey, you sparkle in the sun." Her hand rose to his face and ran slowly over his skin, connecting one diamond to another. "I'd heard the stories but I didn't think it was actually true."

Regret and self-loathing gripped him. There was so much she didn't know, so much he could teach her, show her. She had her entire life to hear stories and to learn the truth. But because he loved her, her life was at risk. Cut short after seventeen years.

"It's true." Edward's voice was low. "All the stories are true. I wish I could show you."

"You can," Bella smiled though Edward would have to be blind to miss the terror in her eyes. "After all of this with the Volturi is over, I promise you that we'll have forever."

"Forever is a long time."

She shook her head, petulantly. "It's not enough."

He said nothing in response, leaving an extended beat of silence before, "I can control myself, you know. Your kisses … they can be longer. I can manage it. If we went to anything more, I think that then the problems will start."

Happily, she nodded and turned her face to his again, her hand falling flat against his cold cheek, his skin sparkling between her spread fingers. Edward froze and breathed deeply, relishing everything about her – her smell, her touch, her warmth. But only for a second. In the next, his lips were on hers and suddenly they were the last two people in the world.

In that moment, there was nothing but the other.

They'd met in clearing, away from prying human eyes. The Cullens stood in a line, Edward gripping Bella's hand fiercely, opposite the fast approaching mass of the Volturi.

"What's the time?" Edward hissed.

"It's half four – earlier then expected." Carlisle was the one to respond.

Edward cursed. "Alice, what do you see?"

She hesitated for a moment, before relenting and opening her mind to Edward, allowing him to see as she did the visions of fighting, bloodshed and, worst of all, an injured, bleeding Bella. No one acknowledged Edward's tighter hold on Bella.

"Bella, please, don't talk." Edward urged, his hands curling around her upper arms as he looked directly at her. "Don't move. Don't draw attention to yourself in anyway. Carlisle and I will do the talking and everyone else will protect you. Can you promise me that?"

Bella nodded, silently.

"No matter what happens, Bella."

"I promise."

He nodded, and she caught a glimpse of eyes filled with agonising terror before he shut them and kissed her, quickly, and whispered to her. "I love you, Bella."

"I love you too." She replied. "With everything I have."

"God," Edward groaned. "Bella …" He kissed her again, longer and more passionately this time, before wrenching away and joining Carlisle, who was waiting for him to face the Volturi. A glance behind him saw that his family safely surrounded Bella. The only way in which she could have been safer was if Jacob was there also. But the Volturi had arrived half an hour too early for their plan to work.

A warning glare at Jasper cut off the calming sensation being forced upon him before it even began. He knew his brother.

Slowly, Carlisle and Edward approached the three distinct figures and stopped a respectable distance away. Even so, the vampires' words travelled easily across the expanse of land between them.

"So nice to see you again, Edward." Aro called jovially. "Still searching for the one whose blood sings for you?"

"No." The word was spat out between clenched teeth and this time he welcomed the wave of calm that washed over him. Antagonising these vampires, now, wouldn't be the best way to help Bella.

"Ah, so you have decided to join us early, then?"

"I have not." His words, this time, were more polite.

"Then you provide us with a rather difficult situation." Aro sighed. "Because the girl your family have failed to protect," Edward turned his sharp glare towards his family and saw them still safely guarding Bella, rendering Aro's words senseless, "is a human who knows our secret. And that cannot be tolerated."

"What will become of her?" Carlisle asked gently.

"She will be killed," Caius interjected. "Naturally."

Edward couldn't contain the growl that rumbled in his chest and he lunged towards the three vampire royals only to be halted by an intense pain instantly wracking his body and he collapsed to the floor, clenching his teeth against the pain.

"You dare threaten the Volturi?" The girl's voice was easily identifiable as Jane's and the smile on her face showed her pleasure at hurting him.

"You will let us have the girl."

And, even through the pain, Edward gritted out, "I won't."

"You gave him a year, Aro," Carlisle spoke up to deflect attention. "A year in which to find his soul mate. Edward has found that in Bella."

"Even so, you shouldn't have revealed what we are."

"I didn't," Edward insisted, gasping. "She guessed."

"Really, well –"

But Aro's sentence was never finished. Through the haze that Jane's intense infliction of pain had caused, Edward heard Alice scream Bella's name, followed by a resounding 'No!'. He jerked his head sideways and watched as Bella stepped forward, agony on her face, and revealed herself.

Aro smirked, clicked his fingers and the fog around Edward lifted, his body in his own control once again. Even so, he wasn't quick enough to prevent what happened. He was only quick enough to reach Bella's side the second after Jane slashed Bella's wrist with a lethally sharp nail.

"Oh, God," he whispered to her. "Oh Bella. You promised."

And even as his love lay dying, Edward felt the sickening sensation of hunger ripple through him. He was surrounded by the delicious scent of her blood and he wasn't strong enough to resist.

He loomed over her, teeth bared and ready.

"Edward, don't." Emmett warned, his voice barely registering in Edward's mind. His was filled only with thoughts of Bella. "You'll regret it."

"Emmett, it's okay." Alice prevented Emmett from moving forward. "Watch."

She was paler then normal and she was losing blood rapidly. The usually strong beat of her heart was fluttering in a desperate attempt to cling on to life.

"Edward," even her voice was fading, a breathy gasp taking over from her usual tone. "I love you."

She loves me, Edward thought. Even as a monster, she loves me. And now she's dying and it's my fault.

Then, Bella tilted her face away from Edward's, revealing her neck. She was truly accepting him for what he was, and what he was about to do.

"I love you too, Bella."

Edward kissed her lips softly and then, hating himself even as he did so and feeling the guilt wrack through his body, he gave into what the monster in him was telling him; He gave into his hunger.

And he bit her.