Disclaimer: If you don't know by now then you never will. Stephenie Meyer owns it all. I'm just having fun.

Revamped

Bella POV

"Where are we going anyway?" I couldn't help to ask as we ran through the forest.

"Some place special." He smiled over at me squeezing my hand just a little tighter.

I loved Edward when he was in this mood; all young and carefree. Not worrying or trying to over analyze anything. Just happy. It was contagious and I couldn't help but smile right along with him. Sure there were a number of swords hanging over our heads, but we were finally together and I wasn't going to let anything get in the way of that.

"You aren't going to tell me are you?" I was surprised how easily running and talking came to me now when just weeks ago walking had been a chore.

"You like surprises, right?" I could see the smirk on his handsome face. He knew I hated surprised but I wouldn't ruin his fun.

"Only from you."

"I like that answer." His smile widen into the most beautiful expression I had ever seen. This was why I loved him. How could you look at that face and feel anything but love?

Before I knew it we were in the meadow. I hadn't been here since Edward had left. It had seemed too painful a memory to resurrect but being back here now with him by my side, as vampires and equals, it felt more right than even the first time we were here.

"You could have just said the meadow." I told him finding a spot to lower my body to.

"Where would the fun have been in that?"

"I would have known." I smiled and he lowered himself next to me pulling me onto his lap.

"Yeah that doesn't sound like fun for me." He leaned his head closer to my shoulder.

"What does sound like fun for you?" I breathlessly asked.

"This" And before I could say anything his lips found mine and began to move slowly back and forth pulling my body closer to his.

I leaned in trying to get as close to him as possible. There was nothing I enjoyed as much as kissing Edward. Just the feel of his body against mine sent tingles straight through to my toes. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled myself so that I was straddling his lower body. His answering moan told me that he must have liked the direction of my thoughts.

He lowered himself so that he was lying on his back and I was laying a top him. Every part of my body was touching his and I so wanted to give in. To just go with the feel of our bodies and our heart and give myself to him completely but I couldn't.

Yes I trusted him but we weren't back to where we had been. Where the thought of being with him, making love with him, would have felt perfect. I knew he wanted me just as much as I wanted him but I couldn't, not yet.

I slowly pulled away and laid down next to him. I could see the question in his eyes and I wanted to answer but I needed a minute to figure out the best way to tell him.

"Did I do something wrong?"

Leave it to Edward to assume it was his fault when the blame clearly was with me. "Of course not."

"This why did you stop?" He rolled so that we were both on our sides facing each other. "Bella you can trust me. I won't hurt you ever again."

"I know." I looked up into his honey colored eyes and almost gave in. I wanted him so bad and things had been great this last week but I just couldn't let one week make up for months of hurt and abandonment.

"Edward, I love you, you know that."

"I love you" He smiled his crooked smile at me and my now dead heart skipped.

"But I'm not ready yet." I saw his eyes fall. "It's not that I don't trust you." I quickly added lifting his face and eyes back to mine. "It's just that…it's only been a week that you have been back and I need time to adjust."

"I understand that and I don't want to rush you into anything."

"I know but it sometimes seems too much." I closed my eyes.

"What do you mean?" He questioned.

"Well, first you were gone and I was trying to reconcile myself to the fact that I wasn't good enough for you and that you weren't coming back." I pressed my finger to his lips when I saw him about to interrupt. "Then I'm in Brazil and a coma and now a vampire. And there's still Laurent and Victoria and Charlie and the wolves. It's just a lot to take in all at once."

"How can I help?" He wrapped himself around me. "Just name it. Whatever you need I will do it."

"I just need to figure it out for me." I told him. "And maybe…."

"Yes?"

"Could you teach me how to fight?" I saw his jaw clinch. "Or at least let Jasper or Emmett do it."

"Bella" He started. "There's no need. I will take care of all of this and I will protect you."

"Edward it's not about that." I didn't know how to make him understand. I needed to be able to help. To do something other than make phone calls.

"What happens if you're not there?" I started. "Or you get hurt? I need to know how to take care of Victoria myself."

"Bella"

"Edward, I know that it is in your nature to protect me, and I love you for it. But can you accept that it might be in my nature to protect you too."

He smirked at that. "Do you see me needing a lot of protection?"

I couldn't help but tease him. "Who knows? One day you might actually piss off Emmett and someone might have to jump in."

He really laughed at that one. "He has yet to best me in any wrestling match, Love, I doubt he could take me in a straight out fight."

"Still" I pulled myself back on top of him. Pinning him to the forest floor. "Think of how exciting it could be to wrestle with me instead of Emmett or Jasper for that matter."

"You do raise an excellent point."

I moved my lower body against his. "Is that what I feel? An excellent point?"

He smiled up at me. "There is definitely a point in there somewhere."

I had to laugh at that one. He reached his face up toward me preparing to kiss me but I pulled away. "Edward I'm serious. I need to learn."

"No you don't" He protested dropping his head back down. "I told you that I will protect you."

"I don't want you to protect me." I practically yelled. "I want, no I need, to be able to protect myself."

"Bella, love…"

"No Edward you asked what I needed to adjust and this is it." I interrupted him. "I need you to treat me like an equal. Not just romantically but in all things." I told him. "If this is going to work then you can't keep thinking of me as this fragile little human you have to save every day of the week."

"I don't." But I could see in his eyes that even he didn't believe that.

"Yes you do." I kept going. "And I understand why. Between the truck almost accident and Port Angeles and James I was practically a walking disaster last year. But that was then. Now I'm just as indestructible as you even if I still feel all warm and my eyes are the same."

"Bella I just" I had never heard him at a loss for words before. "I just don't want you hurt."

"Then show me how to protect myself or let one of your brothers do it." I was winning and I knew it. "Edward protect my heart not my body. I know it's not still beating but it's a lot more fragile and it's been hurt to many times already."

He closed his eyes. He was thinking of his leaving and even though I hated to bring that up I needed him to understand and accept the new me. "Fine" He caved not opening his eyes. "I'll talk to Jasper when we get back. Given the circumstances I think he would be the best to train you."

"Thank you" I leaned down to kiss him bouncing happily against him not even thinking of what it might do to him. That is until I felt his arms wrap tight around me and his body spring to life. I pulled away reluctantly and was about to put some distance between us when Edward's arms stopped me.

"You're welcome, but Bella" He looked me deeply in the eye. "I plan to protect both your heart and your body." His crooked smile was back. "I have only recently realized how important both are to my survival and I wouldn't want anything to happen to either."

"Well I guess that would be acceptable." I teased. "As long as you come up with some creative ways to guard them and lots of time to do it."

"Absolutely." He pulled my face down to his. "I think we should start with the body right now. Just so you feel safe." And with that his lips found mine once again.

I was happy to surrender to him. At this point I would have surrendered all of myself to him but I felt him stiffen and pull away. His eyes darting behind us.

"What's wrong?" I could only pray that it wasn't something we both couldn't handle.

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Edward POV

"What's wrong" Bella noticed me stiffen under her. This was so not what was needed right now. I had brought her here to let go and just be together. I knew that she was stressed about Charlie and Victoria and I just wanted her to be able to forget for a short while. Now it seemed like my wonderful plan had backfired and at least one of her concerns was about to be placed front and center.

"We have company" I tried to keep the edge out of my voice but I really didn't like the fact that Bella and I were being disturbed. Not to mention the sound of this child's thoughts.

"Victoria?" Her voice had a note of fear in it and I quickly wrapped my arms around her even tighter. I didn't want her to worry.

"No, nothing that easily handled." What I wouldn't give to have her that close. To put an end to this once and for all; to destroy her myself for even thinking of hurting Bella. But that wasn't going to happen today. Today was bringing its own different set of problems.

He sounds resigned. Did he know the fate that awaited him and his bloodsucking mate? His thoughts reached me and I almost laughed. Like I would let anyone hurt Bella. He would have to tear me apart to even get close enough to touch a hair on her beautiful head.

I knew what I needed Bella to do but I also knew Bella and getting her to do it would be about the same as getting the river to change course. "If I ask you to do something for me would you do it without any questions?"

"Depends" Of course she wouldn't make this easy.

"Run" I told her. "Run back to the house and don't look back. Would you do that for me Bella?" Our visitor suddenly stopped.

Did he just say Bella? Not my Bella? I did not like the possessive tone of his thoughts. What did he mean his Bella? She was mine. Not just now but forever. No one had any claim on her.

I let out a growl without thinking. This was not going to go as well as I had originally hoped. At least not if this dog thought he had some right to Bella. No he would find that he was sadly mistaken. I would not be sharing today or any other day.

I have to see this for myself. I have to know if Bella is one of them. Have I lost her before I even had a chance? Yes my mind screamed.

I saw him bust through the trees lining the meadow and without thought I pulled Bella behind me and crouched down in front of her. If it was a fight these wolves wanted it was a fight they would get but there was no way that he was hurting Bella. And there was no way that she would ever be his.

She looks the same but the smell. She has to be one of them yet her eyes are still brown and there is a faint blush on her cheeks. I saw him inch closer a look of concentration on his animal face. She still has a heartbeat.

What? I knew my eyes were giving away my shock but I couldn't help it. Now I was concentrating. I couldn't hear any heartbeat but the one right in front of me. He must be mistaken but Bella was different. Maybe this was somehow her power. The eyes, the blush, now the heartbeat. Maybe she could still appear human to other humans or half humans as the case maybe. Was that possible? Carlisle will want to examine this further. Yet at that moment my thought where pulled back to this dog and his insipid ideas that Bella somehow belonged to him.

He has my Bella and whether he has turned her or not I have to get her away from him. Good luck, I thought. I would die before I would let anyone take Bella away from me. I had left her more times than I should have and almost lost her for good once; there was no way I was living without her ever again.

Edward, I don't know if you can hear me yet but Emmett, Jasper, Rose, and I are on our way. I heard Alice from further out and relaxed just a little. They were still too far to help right away but if this wolf had brothers or had called any of them then Bella and I were going to need their help. I don't know what happened but you and Bella disappeared again. I am only assuming that the wolves are involved and I will tell you right now that I don't like this. Of all the ridiculous and annoying things to have happen. How is it…"

I blocked out the rest of her rant. I loved Alice but she could get quite wordy when she was upset. Besides I had more to concern myself with at the moment. Like the fact that this dog had decided to change right here with no regard for the fact that Bella was behind me or that he was now naked.

"Bella?" He looked right at her completely ignoring me.

"Jake?" So this was the one that had been in her room. I should have recognized him from last year but I have to admit that he had changed quite a lot. He was taller and definitely more muscular. His hair was cropped off at the neck and he had lost some of his boyish looks. If I didn't know better I would swear he had aged five years or more since I had seen him last. Not that I cared. Right now the only thing I cared about was the way he was looking at MY Bella.

"What are you doing here Bella? He reached down and pulled on pants noticing for the first time that Bella had buried her head in my shoulder.

"Jake, you can't tell anyone you saw me." Bella started to move away from me but my arm snaked out and drew her back to my side. Sure she was a vampire now but he was a werewolf now too and she didn't understand how dangerous they could be.

"But you are supposed to be in California." I bet he drug her back here and is keeping her hostage or something. Maybe she didn't even go to California. What if they have been here all this time? First the short one, then the black-haired one, and the redhead and now this. Did they ever really leave?

"You've seen Laurent and Victoria?" I could help but ask.

"Who?" He didn't even look my way but I could hear the hate in his voice.

"The black-haired and redheaded vampire." I didn't have time to play nice here. If he knew where they were I needed to know too.

"How did you know that?" His eyes finally snapped to mine.

"It doesn't matter right now." I needed to get him to focus. "Where are they?"

Are they part of his coven too? I wonder if it will start a war when they find out we killed the black-haired one. O well at least if I can get Bella away then she will be safe. "I say it does matter." He was trying to appear braver than he was. I would have been impressed if it wasn't for his annoying thoughts toward the love of my existence.

"Did you really kill the black-haired one? Laurent?" I heard both Jake and Bella's intake of breath but at this moment I had to know if his thoughts were true.

They were part of his coven, well that is just great. I heard him think right before his mind was flooded with images of five werewolves himself included attacking a stunned and disoriented Laurent. I breathed a sigh of relief. At least they had taken care of one of them now only Victoria remained and I would handle her.

"Thank you." I said before I knew the words had left my mouth.

"Excuse me?" He looked utterly shocked as he rocked back on his feet.

"We have been tracking them. Trying to destroy them before they could cause anyone harm." I looked back at Bella. "You have helped and I thank you for that. We will handle the other one. You don't need to be involved."

"The hell we don't" Who does he think he is? "This is our job and we will destroy her too just as soon as we find her." He stepped closer to me. "Not to mention any other bloodsuckers who dare to feed here or break any treaties." His eyes glanced to Bella.

A snarl escaped my lips and my body automatically pulled into a crouch of defense. He wouldn't touch her. Not now, not ever. "You stay away from her."

Jacob was shaking now and I knew it wouldn't be long before the wolf was standing where the boy had been. "I could never hurt her unlike you. You did this to her."

"Jake stop"

It happened too fast. Bella lunged away from me determined to reach him. His body exploded preparing to defend himself. My arms were so close but missed her just as my family and Jacob's broke through to our hidden paradise in time to see Jacob collided with my angel.

AN: Okay first I have to apologize that I haven't gotten to respond to all of your reviews. Especially you Dana Rose. Girl I was on the floor laughing at that one. It is just that with the holiday it put me behind schedule. I am normally like two to three chapters ahead of the game but not this time. This time I was fighting to get these done. So please forgive me and look forward to replies tomorrow.

Second, I have noticed that although everyone said they liked the preview my reviews went down when I started sending them. I don't know why that is but I am going to wait and see what comes today and then I will decide if I will be continuing that. So if you like the previews then review. It will make me happy and a happy writer is a writer that post more :).

So don't make me blue; please review.