Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or the song Daybreak. I don't even want to imagine what it would be like if I did, lol.

A/N: Thank you to Coreenm, Savannah-Vee, LaRosada, and Remylebeauishot from Project Team Beta for the editing work they did on this chapter.

Again, thank you to everyone for all your feedback. I don't know what else to say. It's been quite overwhelming. Honestly, I never expected to have this kind of response for this, especially since it's my first Twific.

Anyway, enough babbling, I hope you'll all like this one.

Chapter 9

Power

The trip to the Cullen house was silent. No words were exchanged as Edward held his breath and drove at a speed that was within the limit. He wasn't sure how Bella would react to him driving at his regular pace, and he didn't want to add to the stress she was obviously going through. Bella was just concentrating on keeping herself calm.

The Volvo halted on the driveway. Edward didn't even bother pulling into the garage. He had to take Bella home anyway, so he would be leaving after she had her talk with Carlisle.

He wasn't as cautious as he was when they were in school. He used his inhuman speed to get out of the car and open the door for her.

Edward called Carlisle in a normal speaking volume, sure that the older vampire would hear him.

As he opened the door for Bella, Carlisle and Esme were already there to meet them.

"Edward. Bella? What are you doing here? What happened?" Carlisle was looking back and forth between the two of them.

"I…" Bella was about to talk when she noticed Esme. She froze, remembering the kindness the older woman had shown her in that dream world.

Esme smiled warmly at her. This was Edward's mate. She could tell that Bella would be good for Edward and her family. She was genuinely happy that she came to them. "It's nice to finally meet you, Bella."

Bella was getting choked up. The thoughts that had caused her chest pains were still fresh. Seeing Esme, they were threatening to surface once more. She just smiled, not trusting her voice not to break.

"Bella?" Carlisle noticed as the young girl began to wrap her arms around her torso. He moved closer, looking in those brown eyes, making her focus.

A frown was forming on Esme's face. Did she do something wrong? It looked like Bella was about to burst into tears. She glanced at Edward, who only shrugged in response.

Bella looked at Carlisle, drawing her attention back to him. She took in deep breaths, exhaling loudly.

Edward closed his eyes and braced the doorframe as Bella's scent wafted to him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Carlisle noted Edward's movement. "Edward, go to your room, now."

Edward quickly met Carlisle's eyes. "What?"

"Go!"

"Don't," Bella pleaded softly.

"I'm okay, Carlisle. I'm fine," Edward said, reassuring the older vampire.

Carlisle threw another glance at him before returning his gaze to Bella. He led everyone to the great room and had Bella sit on the couch facing him. "Edward, get my kit."

Edward nodded and moved in a flash. Not a minute passed before he was handing the bag to the doctor.

Carlisle started examining Bella, checking her pupils, her heart rate. "What happened?"

Bella bit her lip. "It was nothing. I'm fine."

"I found her hyperventilating. I was going to take her to the nurse, but she asked to come here instead," Edward added.

Bella turned her head to look at where he was standing behind her. She glared at him for his betrayal.

Edward was taken aback by that. He looked at Esme, and they just smiled at each other.

"Your vitals seem normal," Carlisle informed her and everyone else in the room.

"I told you, I'm fine. This isn't why I came here," Bella replied.

"Then what was that earlier? It happened at the hospital too, Bella, before Edward came to see you," Carlisle said.

Bella sighed. "Remember I told you that you all left? After what happened with Jasper?"

Carlisle nodded. Esme moved to sit beside Carlisle. Both she and Edward were listening intently too.

"I was a mess. I didn't do anything for months. It got to a point that Charlie wanted to ship me back to Arizona, or have me see a shrink." Bella huffed lightly. "What was I supposed to say? That a vampire broke my heart?"

Esme looked up at Edward and saw the pained expression on his face.

"Eventually I began to live again, but it was all a show, for Charlie. Jacob brought me out of the state I was in, but the pain was still there. Every time I remembered something, or heard Edward's name, it was like I was being torn in different directions. Maybe that's how it feels for a vampire, huh?"

The other three looked at each other, then at Bella.

"How what feels for a vampire?" Carlisle asked slowly.

"You know, when a vampire has to be…um…disposed of," Bella answered.

Carlisle, Esme, and Edward's gazes darkened. Not because they were angry, but because they were worried that Bella had been a witness to the act.

"What?" Bella asked when she saw their horrified faces.

"You know how to kill a vampire?" Edward asked, voicing the question they had all been thinking.

Bella nodded and addressed Edward, "I've seen it a few times."

Esme was concerned for the girl. How had she not gone insane from all this?

Bella then looked back at Carlisle. "We're going way off course. The reason I wanted to talk to you is… I think you're right."

"Right about what?" Carlisle inquired.

"The dream. Some of it has come true. When Edward— the other Edward— when that Edward and I were getting closer, the rest of the school started noticing and talking about us. I had a classmate, Jessica Stanley, who cornered me in class to ask about us. And today, it happened," Bella said worriedly. "And last week, when my mom was saying she was moving me back with her to Jacksonville, that happened in the other reality too."

Edward stood a little straighter when he heard that Bella had almost left.

"She told me that when I was in a hospital in Arizona, after James…" Bella didn't have to utter another word. Everyone in the room knew exactly what she was referring to.

"So, the theory is correct," Carlisle said. "This is another ability."

"Another?" Esme asked.

"This was what you kept from me?" Edward looked at Carlisle.

Bella gasped, but then became strangely silent and still.

"Bella?" Carlisle called, but she did not respond, and remained unmoving.

"Bella?" Edward moved in front of her, crouching down so they were face to face.

Her brown orbs focused on him. Fear was now swimming in them.

"You asked me that very same thing, when I told Renesmee and Jacob to run."

She then looked at Carlisle. "Did you tell them about the Volturi coming here?"

Carlisle nodded.

She returned her gaze to Edward. "It was all Alice's plan, but you couldn't know. Aro would have found out." She slapped a hand to her mouth, and her eyes were as big as saucers. "Oh God, what if this is still going to happen? Aro will now know everything."

"Bella, you beat them, remember? If that future comes, then your future as a powerful shield will happen as well," Carlisle reminded her. "One thing can't occur without the rest following suit. Besides, Alice knows what to look for. We will protect you at all costs."

"Do you think I'll still have that strong shield?" Bella felt unsure.

"We don't know for sure. I would ask Eleazar to determine your abilities, but I don't want to draw unnecessary attention at this point," Carlisle said.

Edward was looking at Carlisle and Bella. They were talking about Bella's future, a future that involved him. A future that required her death in order to be fulfilled. Didn't he get a say in all this?

"Wait a second, are you still planning on getting that life back in this reality?" Edward asked Bella accusingly.

"Edward," Esme admonished.

"No!" He stood up abruptly. "I'm not going to sit here and discuss her death like it's nothing!"

Bella remained quiet. She only wanted that life if it meant having Edward. However, it now seemed that he didn't feel the same way as the man she married. He was right, he wasn't him.

She stood up from her seat. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here."

Just then the door opened, and an irate Rose walked in. "What the hell, Edward? You couldn't even pick up your cellphone to tell us— oh."

The other three Cullens stopped in their tracks. They had been pissed when they hadn't see the Volvo in the school's parking lot. Alice had informed them of a vision she had earlier. She had seen Edward driving away with Bella, heading for home. Emmett had become restless after that. He had been hoping Bella would still be at the house when they got there. While they didn't mind running, since it got them home faster than if they had driven, they would have still appreciated a heads up from Edward.

Alice stood with a wide grin for Bella. Emmett was torn between rushing to hug the human, and staying in his place so as not to scare her. Jasper and Rosalie were giving Bella smiles as well, something that flabbergasted her.

"Hey, Bella," Emmett spoke.

"Hello," Bella said tentatively.

Silence ensued. Jasper was keeping everyone's emotions in check. With Edward's anger, Bella's unease, Emmett and Alice's excitement, and Esme and Carlisle's worry, things were a bit chaotic.

It was Bella who gave him the reprieve. "Um, it's nice to see all of you, but…uh…I think I've overstayed my welcome." She looked at Carlisle. "Thanks for earlier."

"But we didn't get to resolve anything," Carlisle commented.

"You listened, that was more than enough." Bella then looked at Esme. "Thank you for letting me in your home."

"Come back anytime, Bella. You're more than welcome here." Esme couldn't resist and moved to hug the girl.

Bella closed her eyes as she returned the gesture. She recalled the compassion Esme had shown her time and time again in that other life.

She then pulled back and headed for the door.

Esme glared at Edward. He had brought Bella there, it was his responsibility to bring her back to the school grounds so she could retrieve her vehicle.

However, before Edward could say anything, Alice had beaten him to the punch. She stepped in after Jasper threw a glance her way. He didn't want to meddle in Edward's affairs, but in this scenario, it would be best for Edward to stay away and cool off before he said anything he would regret later on. Alice had seen what Jasper was about to do and quickly offered to bring Bella back to school.

Bella nodded. "Thanks, Alice." She said her goodbyes to everyone and walked out of the house, followed closely by Alice and Jasper.

As soon as the three had gotten in the Volvo, back in the house, Emmett turned to Edward. "What happened?"