Title: The Darkside of Twilight

Rating: M (which means there are complex plot devices, lemons, decapitations and lots and lots of blood)

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns twilight. She is Bella's creator. I am Bella's Executioner. (and this is the story that I kill her in)

\/Darkside\/

Question:

When you were a child did it seem strange to question things? Did the world just make sense? When something intrigued you were you able to ignore it simply by being told to.

Answer:

Chapter 10: Storm on the horizon or Can we play

\/Darkside\/

CPOV (Forks, Cullen baseball field, day of moving)

The thunder rolled in building waves before shaking the earth around us. Vampires could hear for miles. The thunder was stronger in our ears the closer it got. But the beauty was that only one part of our vast minds had to pay any attention to the sound.

I leveled my daughter with a stern look as I pointed to left field with my bat. Alice was merciless with her curve balls but I had yet to miss one. I watched in slow motion as Alice wound up and released the ball. Any human would have missed the sight in the blink of their eye- but I followed the small white object with complete accuracy. When the ball was exactly where I wanted it, I swung.

There was another clap of thunder- this time created by the force of my bat hitting the ball. I laughed and took off for first base. The trajectory of the hit was sending the ball directly at my youngest daughter in left field and my only hope was that her pattern of dodge then throw would still be in effect.

Bella wasn't sold on the idea of vampire baseball yet. Edward was watching her out of the corner of his eye. He was covering right field and first and second base. I laughed again as Bella's head flew in to her hands to block the blow of the ball. The ball fell at her feet as I rounded second. Edward was bellowing for her to get with the program. I saw Emmett run over to retrieve the ball. He didn't waste any time throwing it.

Ahh Emmett. He was a hulking white streak of determination as I was heading to home. Emmett couldn't stand to win a game by one point- he preferred the TKO approach. I came to a sudden stop one step before home as Emmett, the little white ball, and his big wicked grin were standing between me and the homerun.

He reached the ball out and touched it to my chest, condescendingly. "Tag," he joked.

I sighed and went to take his place out in centerfield. I looked over at Bella. She seemed to be fine. In my position I was caught between her and her ever-worrying mate. Edward kept casting nervous glances at Bella so frequently that I was actually surprised to see him catch Esme's hit. He shook his head when she offered to let him bat. He didn't want to be distracted.

What?. I thought.

He shook his head slowly but didn't move his eyes from Bella.

Strange. Is she all right? I asked. They seemed fine when the hunting party returned in the early evening light. In fact Edward and Bella had spent the entire time just staring in to each other's eyes. They were loathed to have to be separated to play the game.

Now, she looked focused on the players at home plate with an anxiety that didn't make any sense. She looked... afraid. Like she thought the ball could hurt her. Alice hit a fly ball straight at Bella and I flew over to catch it before Bella felt the need to duck. Strange.

I looked back at Edward. He was nodding in agreement. His eyes were severe in their trepidation. I wasn't far behind him. We had worried for the last few weeks that Bella was having... issues with her gift.

Her ability was linked to her psyche and we didn't know what the strain of taking herself into the minds of others would do to her. She seemed to becoming more in touch with her inner self... her human self. At first that didn't bother Edward- he hoped that it would encourage her to find more of a balance in this makeshift life that Cullens lead. But now as I watched her stand in terror of an insignificant inanimate object, I wondered.

Bella could create a reality inside your mind that seemed more real than this field we were standing in now. I had worried what that might do to her perception of reality. What was real to Bella now? I started when Edward tapped me on the shoulder. He nodded for me to take his old position. He didn't stop in centerfield- he walked straight to Bella and took her face in his hands.

Privacy was a luxury enjoyed by anyone as long as they weren't a Cullen. Alice knew our futures. Jasper could tell what kind of mood we were in. And Edward could read our thoughts. But it was the supernaturally enhanced hearing that made it impossible for one to be alone. We all focused very intently on the game- save Alice. But I could still hear what they were saying, I peeked to watch them.

"How do you feel love?" Edward whispered fiercely. Bella sighed. I could see her putting her hand on his cheek to reassure him.

"I'm fine Edward. I'm just having a human moment." I had to turn my head at that. What on earth could that mean?

I wish I hadn't looked because the fear on Edward's face was haunting as he turned to silently tell me to mind my own business. I followed his unspoken command. But I couldn't close my ears.

I could hear Edward's breath, ragged with uncertainty. I could even hear Bella's little breath as she smiled again uncharacteristically. "Bella," Edward's voice was strained. "What do you mean by a human moment?" He paused. "You're not… not human love…"

She laughed lightly. "You know... a human moment. I just... kind of..." I could tell that the more she considered it the more it was sinking in to her as well. I peeked again when I could see Edward was too engrossed in her response to notice me.

Bella's eyes were wide with panic. Her hand was now on Edward's where they gripped the sides of her face. Her breaths were coming faster. Edward stepped closer to her and blocked her from my view with his body. Crafty son.

I looked back at the field. The others were collecting the gear. Rosalie stood at the edge of the field with a basilisk grin. Jasper was helping Emmett put the bats back in the bag but kept fighting an urge to look at the scene to my right. Alice was standing on the pitching mound completely entranced by their conversation. She wasn't subtle about watching them at all.

I sighed. Another boom of thunder shook the forest outlining the improvised field. I walked over to Alice and stood between her and the couple. She glared up at me.

"All I see is darkness, Carlisle. I don't see them coming with us. I don't see Bella at all. She hasn't made her decision. But I'm afraid that whatever it is, it will not include us. And," her tiny voice broke, "I'm not entirely sure that it will include Edward either."

I nodded and embraced my psychic daughter to reassure her. Alice's visions had a way of seeming more threatening than they ended up being. I couldn't believe that Bella would turn away from this life. I knew that there was no force on earth that could keep Bella from Edward. Which left only two options. It would be a choice made for Bella or... I couldn't finish the thought. She was so new and young- I couldn't imagine an end to that so soon. I put my hand on the back of Alice's head to comfort her. It was up to Edward and Bella to figure this out. I could still hear their conversation.

"What's wrong Edward... what's wrong with me..."

"Calm down love. I don't know. But we'll figure it out." Edward's voice was lethally calm. It was a voice that I hadn't heard in eighty years. It was the voice of the old Edward- the one who was okay with ending life. The one that would be okay with killing whatever he had to in order to protect Bella. I swallowed hard against the chill running down my spine at the sound of his words.

"What is that last thing you remember to be real?" I froze. Alice lifted her head from my chest at the exact same time. Our eyes met and we turned to watch as Bella thought about Edward's question.

It was obvious that she was confused. Clear that she was now questioning everything. I was instantly remorseful- I should never have allowed the family to become so infatuated with Bella's gift. She was too young to control it. We might have pushed her too far too fast. Edward had gone schizophrenic in the first few months that he awoke to this life, and a telepathic ability.

Eventually he took to hiding in remote parts of the forest for days. Once he was away from others he could center his mind. Only by holding on to what he knew were his beliefs and his thoughts helped him to not confuse the minds of others as his own. Bella's gift was very similar. If she pushed her mind to far to help someone else believe something, she might detach her self from the true reality.

We watched as she answered. "Here," she said waving her hand around the field. "This is real. I remember hunting and loving and coming home. Then we came here. Did none of that happen?" It was strange to watch Bella speak. She used hand gestures and expressions that were foreign on her face. Yet she used them like that was her normal way of discourse.

I could tell that didn't escape Edward's notice- nor Alice's. It was like a completely different Bella was standing here with us. And yet, she was the same. The way she looked into Edward's eyes- the context of her words. It was our Bella too. Strange.

"No," Edward responded slowly. "This is all real... I suppose I should ask when... where... the last time you went under- what were you doing?" Bella's face was embarrassed. She avoided his eyes and by doing so met ours. Her mouth worked up and down without any sound. She finally looked down at the ground and shrugged her shoulders.

Edward sighed. "Bella please…" He cupped his hand under her chin to force her to look at him. "You don't have to be ashamed of anything. You can tell me… anything."

She looked up- her face was wide and guilty. "I..." she stuttered. "I've been... taking... you... under...during..." she shifted her eyes away and took her bottom lip between her teeth. Edward's body that was rigid with apprehension eased down as if Jasper had sent him a shot of relaxing emotions. I looked over my shoulder to see Jasper talking to Esme, completely unaware of the situation brewing in the outfield.

I turned back. Edward's entire body was almost languid now. Bella's body mirrored the response. Strange. He was running his hands through her hair and smoothing them down her cheeks and neck. She was running her little hands over his chest. She was yet another different Bella.

Her eyes were hooded. Her face was... wicked. She pulled Edward's shirt apart and planted an open mouthed kiss on the center of his chest and drew her face up with her tongue never leaving his skin. Edward's head fell back as he closed his eyes and buried his hands in her hair. You could almost feel an electric surge in the air.

As if there exchange had truly been building into lightening, the thunder boomed in the closing distance. The sound actually made Alice and I jump. We were a little... absorbed in the moment playing out in front of us. Edward and Bella were engaging in sexual intercourse right in the middle of the field as if they were alone. They were still mostly clothed but it was obvious that they did not intend to stay that way much longer.

I wondered at the fact that Edward was just as immersed in the fantasy as she was. I wondered how the change could happen so quickly. And I wondered where he learned that trick with her hair... Edward caught Bella in midair as she leapt to encircle his hips with her legs. She arched back in his arms and he followed the curve of her body with his face and lips. It was mesmerizing.

The rest of the family had joined Alice and I now and in a voyeuristic line up we all stood watching speechless. It was... surreal. It was intimate. It was making Jasper's mood shift and in turn was making us all a little too comfortable with wanting to watch more- and maybe even join in.

I cleared my throat out of politeness. It didn't faze the enthralled couple. In fact we could all feel our bodies relaxing as they did when entering Bella's dreams. I felt my legs give out under me and as my eyes started to close in heaviness I prayed that Edward fought his way out of the stupor.

Then Alice gasped and everything stopped. We all sprang to our feet. Bella was hiding behind Edward's back as he stared down his clairvoyant sister. We were all confused and anxious. Jasper put his arms around Alice from behind and glared at Edward until Edward relaxed his face.

Alice's eyes were unfocused and her breaths were coming in short hard gasps.

"They're coming."

\/Darkside\/

BPOV (Cullen baseball field, same day same time)

Edward was buoyant and carefree as we made our way to the baseball field. I couldn't help smiling when I would look at his face. I kept pinching myself to make sure we were truly awake.

My feet felt like they weren't fully touching the ground and my spine was tingling. My skin was buzzing and the air felt warm and delicious on it. Where my hand sat clutched in his I could feel a throbbing pulse. My eyes felt like they couldn't stretch wide enough to take in the majesty of the world. My ears were drowning in a sweet symphony of music on the wind. I could hear the chords of my lullaby in every noise as it echoed in my ears. I was more than alive- truly living. It was like waking up from a dream where everything had been dark and hazy. Now everything was bright and clear. In my seventeen years of life, I had never felt this awake.

Edward and I were keeping up the rear on the trek since every time we stole a glance at each other we were forced to explore in the nearby cover of trees. We had just no sooner finished getting dressed after our third encounter when he pulled me back against a giant fir and growled as he tore my shirt open again.

Thank god for button down jersey tops. I bit my lip to keep from screaming when he bit down on my breast. The venom stung- It was sort of masochistic but I liked the burn. I wondered how many other seventeen-year-old girls ever got the chance to explore so much of their bodies as Edward allowed me to. His lips and tongue were working on my chest in a hypnotizing way. I was lost in the many layers of the sensation. My hands were limp at my sides. It was too much for one human body to experience.

Edward pulled back when I sagged against him. My forehead flopped on to his shoulder, spent. He chuckled breathlessly and kissed my temple. "Finally had enough?" He asked. He could read my thoughts when we were like this. I focused on the almost painful ecstasy that he was making me feel. He growled again. "That won't help me stop." He warned. I raised my head from his shoulder and gazed into his golden eyes.

"I just might die from this," I threatened. He chuckled again. The smile on his face was dazzling enough to stop my heart. Something distracted me... some stray thought about my heart. I shook it off as Edward's hand on my cheek smoothed away every thought from my head.

My voice was breathless, "are we almost there?" He put my shirt back together and straightened it, nodding his head. I nodded in response and took his hand to follow the others. It was just so surreal to be feeling the things that I was feeling. It was like I was a different person since this afternoon.

I let my mind wonder back to that moment- after we finished hunting and we released. I had taken Edward under again- but this time it was completely different. This time it was a total fantasy. The laws of nature and gravity didn't apply there. We were truly free. And something happened- something tore apart inside of me that made me feel like I was in someone else's skin. Part of me felt like I was walking next to my self- that part of me was forever inside of Edward. And in turn I could feel a part of him deep inside of me—like the roots of the giant tree we had just been pressed against, Edward was wound around my soul forever. And yet another part of me felt like I was in the notes on the breeze and the scent of flowers on the ground. Nothing seemed real- and yet everything felt substantially concrete.

It was almost like I was more than human... another stray thought. Something about my words was wrong. I couldn't root it out. We were nearing the would-be home base so I dropped it. But there was a nagging grain of thought in the back of my mind that was starting to grow and block out the rays of my happiness.

"You're sure about this?" I hissed at Edward. He nodded.

"It is the American pastime."

I sighed. I had hoped that we would be together longer before I was given the opportunity to showcase my world-class clumsiness. Edward put me in left field- really! I was sure to get hurt playing such an important position. But Edward was confident that I could hold my own.

He kissed my nose and took off like a streak of black and white to first base... Again something troubled me. Something about how the world around me was becoming more and more paranormal. I shook it off.

Esme was up to bat first. I watched Alice shake off the signals that Jasper was sending her from ten feet behind Esme. That couldn't be right—why so far back? What if he needed to catch the ball? At the thought of catching a ball I looked down at my naked hands. Why didn't they give me a glove? I couldn't catch anything with bare hands. I threw Edward a frantic look but he was already immersed in the game—razing his mother.

As if she shot the ball from the barrel of a gun, Alice released the tiny white blur and Esme smashed it into the outfield—directly at me. I freaked out and threw my hands over my head to soften the blow. Gym 101—duck and cover was the only way Bella Swan ever survived anything. I was so terrified that I swore I could hear the ball hit the bat like it was the thunder in the distance.

"Bella!" Edward was calling. Emmett was standing in front of me tossing the ball up and catching it in his non gloved hands. He was wearing a patronizing smirk on his face. Okay, he was a boy- maybe their hands were just tougher. And obviously he was very coordinated—no one would ever make the mistake of calling me graceful.

He threw the ball back to Alice. She was staring at me with an odd expression—like her eyes were going unfocused. That nagging grain grew bigger. I smoothed my non-sweaty hands down my pants. Jasper was up to bat.

The thunder was booming louder. It made me even more nervous. Jasper was glaring at me as he waited for Alice to strike. There was another clap of thunder and suddenly the white blur was streaking for my face again.

I hit the dirt on all fours and prayed it hit anything but my head. I had suffered too many concussions in my life. I would probably start losing my memory if I got any more. The ball landed a foot in front of me and rolled into Emmett's waiting hands. I peeked up to see the smirk erased from the enormous face—his eyes were curious as he watched me now.

I shrugged it off and brushed off the dirt from my knees while Carlisle did an impression of Babe Ruth at the plate. Then I froze, he pointed his bat straight at me in left field. Crap. Edward's family really had it in for me… what was wrong with those words… family… whose family.

Thunder. Ball. Hands. Face.

Edward bellowed at me again. I was feeling so inadequate. And yet something in the back of my mind was screaming that I was more than capable. Carlisle traded places with Emmett and I focused on watching Esme up at bat. I could feel Carlisle and Edward's eyes on my face.

Why wasn't I blushing… I could feel the embarrassment. I bit my lip and waited for the inevitable fly ball to left field. A mercy—she hit a pop straight above first. I watched in amazement as Edward caught it without even looking at it. His eyes were boring in to me—and he caught the 30 mile an hour hit with bare hands like it was nothing…. nag… nag… nag… my mind was spinning.

I was so lost in thought that when Alice's fly snagged to the left I just froze. Carlisle was suddenly in front of me to catch it. He was looking at me when Edward tapped him on the shoulder and traded positions with him.

Edward didn't stay in centerfield- he just walked straight over to me. His hands were like ice… No, they should have felt like they were ice…. nag… nag… nag.

"How do you feel love?" Edward's voice was worried. I sighed. It was strange that there was a tickle of fear in my stomach as I reached my hand up to caress his cheek—it was like I was afraid to feel his skin, like I thought it was other than mine.

"I'm fine Edward," I tired to think of how to explain my neurosis. I was you're your average klutzy teenager. "I'm just having a human moment." What on earth made me say that? Why those words.

Edward turned his head as if having a silent conversation with someone behind him. He looked scared. I smiled and laughed lightly, what was there to worry about? "Bella," Edward's voice was tight. "What do you mean by a human moment?" He paused. That seed was starting to grow again. Why did he stress the word human… "You're not…" Not what? "Not human love…"

I laughed again, out of an almost desperate psychosis to ignore the threat of the total melt down in my mind. "You know... a human moment. I just... kind of..." That seed grew and popped like the kernels in a jiffy pop tin.

My eyes were filled with horror. My hands moved as if some other mind was controlling them—I wanted to run away from the creature in front of me, but my body grabbed at his hands as if he was the only thing that was safe. I couldn't catch my breath as he stepped closer to me. When he did, he cut off my sight of anything but him.

Something snapped inside my head again. Like looking through a cheese cloth—I was staring up at my love's face, but that damn human was screaming all around me.

The clouds roared above us.

"What's wrong Edward... what's wrong with me..." I was fighting like that little baby in Edward's past. Something was threatening to send me back in to the recesses of my mind. I searched his eyes for peace.

"Calm down love. I don't know. But we'll figure it out." Everything seemed to slow at those words—not because of what he said but how he said it. It was like I was sitting in that biology room again. I could see the monster that was stalking me in the trees. I could feel the pain in my chest as I died.

I tried to hide the panic. The human wouldn't win this round. I clutched Edward's hand tighter to my skin. Please let the connection keep me here. I couldn't be without him. That truly would be insanity.

"What is that last thing you remember to be real?" I could do this. Yes, he was going to walk me through it—keep me focused. Good thinking.

It was very hard to follow the memory though. Everything seemed crystal clear until that moment in the forest when I felt my mind snap. From that moment on it was like I was walking through someone else's mind. And at thinking that, I was falling back as an observer again.

I answered but the human spoke. "Here," She said waving our hand around the field. "This is real. I remember hunting and loving and coming home. Then we came here. Did none of that happen?" The words tasted like bile in my mouth and my face felt like it was contorting in to strange features. I wanted to scream at Edward to slap her out of me. I prayed that I was shining through the eyes—he could see me in the eyes, right?

I could see the subtle way Edward's face grew graver. I could tell that he knew he was talking to a different Bella. Please help me! I begged silently.

"No," I was confused and had to back track to remember what the human had said. She asked was this moment real. Edward responded slowly. "This is all real... I suppose I should ask when... where... the last time you went under- what were you doing?" That question drew me back up to the surface. Of course, the human would chicken out when it came to admitting our experiment with Edward's memories. I shifted my eyes and caught a sight of Carlisle and Alice staring at us with an intensity that was unsettling.

Alice's eyes were glazed over again—a vision. I looked down to collect myself. How did you explain to the person who trusts you most in this world that you are betraying them?

Edward sighed. "Bella please…" He cupped his hand under my chin to tilt my face up to his. "You don't have to be ashamed of anything. You can tell me… anything."

There he went undermining my nerve again. I stupidly answered. "I... I've been... taking... you... under...during..." I looked away again and the human bit our lip. At the mention of our sexual encounters another part of my mind pushed forward.

This was the minx that pulled Edward aside every five seconds to enjoy the way he made us feel. She was pushing out in the electric current between us—making my eyes grow hooded and as I looked back at Edward I felt and saw his shoulders melt with the surge.

He brought his hands up to run them through my hair. Both the human and I were satisfied to let the minx have control for the moment. I felt my face pull up in to that devil smile that meant only one thing. I pulled Edward's shirt apart and planted an open mouthed kiss on the center of his chest. I licked a hot wet line up to his throat. Edward's head fell back as he closed his eyes and buried his hands in my hair. He groaned and the air snapped with our electricity.

The clouds moved closer and our pulse brought the heavens down in another thunderous shout. I was writhing in against his legs—wild with the anticipation.

We were in perfect harmony as I leapt into his arms and swayed back to offer my self to him. Since I had been detaching us from this interplay for a long while now I had not allowed us to appreciate the way our bodies had truly become one. Edward's mind knew what I was thinking and my body knew how to soothe his beast. Our movements were as fluid as water running down a stream—natural and effortless.

I heard Carlisle clear his throat politely to ask us to stop. I just stretched out with my mind and felt that they were all excited like Edward and I—letting go of their control in lustful fantasy. I used that release to enter their bodies and relax them in to sleep.

I was riding the sensations in Edward's arms. The world was roaring around us. Our family was falling to the ground in restless slumber beside us. It was carnal—it was scary. I didn't have control. I pleaded with my mind for Edward to find control.

He growled into my neck—he was just as lost as I was. Then all at once he froze. My body locked up when his stopped. A mercy.

He slid me down the length of his body and stole one long glance at my face before he hid me behind his back. He fixed his eyes on a spot behind our family—just over Alice's shoulder.

They had all been released from my hold when Edward woke me up—I realized now that Alice was having a vision. Edward must have seen what she saw. I knew instinctually that it was about me. Of course it was. She had been staring at me all day. And now Edward was shielding me from whatever was coming on the horizon.

Alice's eyes were unfocused and her breaths were coming in short hard gasps.

"They're coming." She said.

Edward's back vibrated with a low growl. His every muscle tensed. His hands turned in to iron claws.

"How many?" He asked, low and quick. But he answered his own question in unison with Alice, "three." They said.

"I couldn't see them before." She sounded ashamed and bereft at the omission. Poor Alice, I wanted to soothe her. But Edward wouldn't break his protective stance. I sighed.

Edward titled his head to the side. I recognized the movement—he was listening to the strangers' minds. "They are traveling fast—they heard the game. They want to play."

The family gasped collectively. I slapped Edward on the back to remind him that I was a person who deserved explanation too. What kind of strangers could possibly disturb eight vampires with their presence… oh other vampires.

Edward glared down at me—he was such a bitch when it came to keeping me safe. "Who are they?" I asked stupidly. What was the right question to ask at this point? Luckily I felt fully in control—total vampire Bella. For the moment at least.

"Nomads." He spat. The anger was directed at the situation and at the threat but it still stung to have it thrown at me in his words.

"Oh," I said lamely. I hadn't really gotten around to asking Edward too much about the others of our kind who lived out in the world. I knew about the Five and the guard and our 'vegetarian' cousins who lived in Alaska. But I had never heard of the Nomads before.

It was intriguing to get the chance to meet vampires outside of my family. I actually primped my hair for the exchange. Edward watched me with annoyance that melted into frustration. "Bella," he sighed. "They could be dangerous." He warned.

I looked from him, to Emmett and Jasper and back to him. "Dangerous to whom?" I joked.

He chuckled against his better judgment and turned back to face the three figures advancing from the forest a mile behind home plate. They didn't move like we did. They moved like wild animals—like Cullens did only when hunting. There was a woman. She was as untamed as her flaming red hair. The other two were men as different in appearance as they were similar in movement. The one in the middle was tall with a dark complexion and an elegant air to his posture. The one on the left was evil. He was dirty and his hair was in wild disarray.

They were all beautiful—and they were all lethal. And I was pulled to them by some unknown desire. I inched around Edward's arm to stare at their seductive movements.

They stopped twenty feet away from the line of my family—cautious of such a large coven. The dark one spoke first. His voice was smokey and alluring. "We thought we heard a round of baseball from the woods. We were wondering… can we play?"

The words hung in the space between or two lines for a heartbeat. I liked the sound of them. These creatures were like shiny new toys that I wanted to explore—to take apart and play with.

I was intrigued.