A/N: Just so you guys know. I tried to get this out on Saturday like I promised, but then I was informed at just how busy I was. And for the record: I wrote this instead of reading Death Note and Harry Potter. You all owe me reviews!!
As always, I own nothing.

Chapter 10 – 14 Candles (Car Crash)

EPOV

Winner, South Dakota was not exactly a winner in my book.

I missed the sprawling cities of Chicago and the dense isolated forests of Ashland, Wisconsin. But towns are good, that is, they should be good for us. People live close with each other here, but not as close as cities. It would help Esme and me with our blood lust.

Or so Carlisle says.

I ask why living with Bella isn't helpful enough, but I always forget that her scent doesn't affect Esme as much as it affects me.

Speaking of which, I hadn't seen Bella in a while. A few days, in fact. She's avoiding me and for reasons I don't know. Her sleep talk gives nothing away and it worries me that I might have unintentionally scared her or hurt her. I know physically I haven't harmed her which frustrates me more. At least then I would know what I did wrong. Its times like these that I wish I read her mind.

Every time we did meet she would find a reason to leave the room. And it baffled me.

Right now I can hear her with Carlisle and Esme downstairs. Esme is teaching her how to sew correctly. I chuckled at the memory of Bella wanting to learn as a child, but Renee didn't know how.

I got up to go downstairs. She wouldn't be able to avoid me if she's listening to Esme. I'll just sit down and read with Carlisle and see what she does.

I got to the first landing and heard Carlisle's thoughts directed at me. Coming to join us Edward? I saw him sitting across from Esme and Bella, doing his hospital paperwork. I stepped off the winding staircase and nodded at him. I sat down on the chair next to him and opened one of Carlisle's old medical books from his time in England.

Bella looked up from her sewing, wary, and tried to give me a smile but it ended up looking more like a grimace.

Esme greeted me. "Hello Edward. Bella is getting very good at this. Not one mistake today."

I nodded at her. "That's great, Esme."

Bella continued to do her work and I continued to read my book. An awkward silence passed.

Edward... Esme started to question in her head, but turned back to Bella again and started to instruct her to fill the silence around us.

Edward. This time it was Carlisle. I've noticed it too… she's avoiding you, Edward. And I don't know why, but I have my suspicions.

I nodded slightly, telling him to continue.

It's been six years since you've been changed. One can only infer.

My hand tightened on the book cover as he carried on.

She wants to be changed like the rest of us. She's only afraid to tell you.

"No!" The book cracked under my hard grip and I stood suddenly. My anger blinding me. Never! Not ever would I do that to Bella. I will not allow her to be damned to this life. My hands shook.

"Edward?" Carlisle said, hesitantly. "It's only logical—"

"No! I will not allow it! And I will not allow you or anyone else to do that!" I roared.

"But we are different—" he tried again.

And then the worst thing happened. Just as I yelled "No!" again, a hiss of pain escaped Bella and she quickly pulled the needle out of her finger.

Carlisle rushed Esme out of the house as she held her hand over her nose and mouth.

"Edward, leave," Bella ordered me as she held her wound covered.

"I'm fine, Bella. It's only a little prick." I didn't take one breath.

"No," she whispered, "you're not." And then she uncovered her finger.

I sucked in the last of the clean air and looked away from the blood dripping from her finger. She stood up and took a step closer to me, holding out her hand.

"Edward."

I took a step farther away. Where was Carlisle?!

Each step she took closer to me, I reciprocated with a step back.

"Look at it Edward."

One step forward, another step back.

I've hit the wall and she's still moving.

"Breath," she whispered.

I shook my head, refusing to look at her. "Bella, step back. Bella, Please!"

"I want this Edward. I want you. Bite me," she whispered the last part.

Her hand was now on my face. Her bleeding finger was stroking my cheek.

"I will not kill you," I yelled.

"You wouldn't be killing me," she stated quietly, her bleeding finger stroking a long red line from my forehead to my chin. The monster in me roared frantically, begging to get out, clawing at my mind. Venom pooled in my mouth.

"Don't tempt me, Bella!" I yelled as loud as I could. I had no air left to talk.

"No!" She jerked her hand from my face and it hurt me worse than the beast clawing to get the blood staining my cheek. "No, Edward! Don't tempt me! Don't tempt me to walk out of this house and never look back! Because if I can't have you for the rest of eternity then I will have no one at all!

"It's been six years, Edward. I'm twenty—three years old and you're still seventeen. I can't take it anymore! I'm dying every day, getting closer and closer to death and you're still young and beautiful as the day I fell in love with you!

"Do you have any idea what that does to me? Seeing your beautiful, young face every day and knowing that I'll still be older than Esme, my mother for all extensive purposes, in just a few years?

"So don't tempt me, Edward. Don't tempt me to leave you behind for good because I need you, Edward. I need you to be with me. Always."

She was panting. Her hand was trembling fiercely and my brain was screaming to take a reflexive breath into my lungs.

But it was too tempting. It was all too tempting. I could see it so easily: Bella in my arms. Forever. Never to be worried about hurting her. Never too worry when she trips and might be bleeding. To kiss her, actually kiss her and be with her.

But I would not end her life.

"Now is not the time to discuss this, Bella," I said coldly with my last bit of air.

Bella's eyes narrowed into a hard glare, but she backed off slightly.

"Carlisle!" she yelled. He was instantly at her side.

"Yes?"

"Edward has some of my blood on his face. You should get it cleaned up before he becomes too happy with his life," she muttered as she walked away to his home bag.

"I'm happy now, Bella," I growled. I finally could breathe as she covered her blood with a bandage from Carlisle's bag.

She took the res t of the bandages and turned to go upstairs. Carlisle poured alcohol onto a cloth and wiped my face clear of the blood, the acidic scent finally destroying Bella's.

"It will happen, Edward. Because I know you. And I know that you will never let me leave," she whispered, disappearing into her room.

I grunted and snatched the cloth away from Carlisle, wiping the last traces of the red stripe myself.

I sighed and resigned myself to my job ahead. It can't be the white elephant in the room forever, especially since she won't be here forever…

No. that's exactly the kind of thinking that brought me here in the first place. Bella is supposed to live a long, happy life. Human.

I sighed again and knocked on the door. A faint "come in," came from the other side, like her head was buried under all her pillows. I opened the door and poked my head in. I was right. Her head was buried under all her pillows and she was sprawled on her bed. I stepped inside and shut the door behind me.

"Bella," I said.

She turned over and sat up, staring down at Esme's homemade quilt. "I'm sorry I am acting so childish, Edward."

I rushed over to her side and gripped her hands in mine. "Bella, I'm sorry for being so cold to you. I didn't know how you felt."

She played with the bandage around her finger. "I should have told you sooner," she whispered. Bella looked up at me, holding my hands. "I was too scared. I knew you would act like this. But Edward… I want this. I want to be with you forever."

I shook my head and closed my eyes, forcing myself to keep calm by holding her hands gently in mine. "Bella I will not end your life."

"I'll be older then Esme in just one month! Edward, please. I don't want to grow old with you while you are forever young. I wouldn't be able to handle it. Call me vain, but one can only take some many blows to her self-esteem in her life." She gripped my hands tightly.

"You'll always be beautiful to me, Bella." I lightly pinched the side of her cheek, the skin wrinkling. "See? Still beautiful."

She tried to hide her laugh, but a few giggles escaped. Bella pushed my hand away and sighed. "My birthday is a month away," she said, staring at her bandaged finger again. "I'll give you until then, but if you still refuse to change me…"

I looked at her frustratingly.

"…I'll ask Carlisle to do it for me."

I forced myself to get up and walk away to the other side of the room before I did something rash. Carlisle wouldn't do that… he wouldn't change her when I told him not to…

But then his words came back to me. It's only logical…but we are different. He would change her if she asked him too. He wants me to have what he found in Esme, he's always thinking it, I've just always ignored it. I groaned and slid down the wall to the floor. She'll find a way to be changed. She's too stubborn to stay human.

I heard Bella get up and kneel down in front of me. "Edward?" She placed her injured hand on my knee. I flinched back.

"Don't," I told her, "Your scent is still strong and I haven't hunted yet."

She stood and went to sit on the floor against her bed across from me.

I looked up at her as she stared at me calmly across the way, smiling at me when I looked at her. God, she had me wrapped around her little, hurt finger.

"One month. Consider it my birthday present to you," I said staring at her bandage. Her smile got wider and her eyes lit up, but I stopped her before she could say anything. "I'm not doing this because you asked me too," I said, grinning. "I'm doing this because I'm a hormonal, seventeen year old, teenage boy. And I want everything you said earlier."

She jumped up from her spot and ran over to me. I held my breath warily. I could tell my eyes were black as night. Bella knelt down in front of me and brushed my hair back with her uninjured hand. "Thank you," she whispered. And she brought her lips to mine gently. I kissed her back hesitantly, still not breathing. "Breath," she whispered against my lips.

Unconsciously, I did what she said, and breathed in her floral scent. I hugged her closer to me and pulled away. "I really need to hunt now," I croaked.

Bella laughed and got off my lap, going downstairs to talk to Carlisle.

My head fell against the wall and I closed my eyes, breathing in the scent that surrounded her room. I was going to miss her warmth the most…

One month later…

I stared down at the piece of paper she gave me as she sat on my bed. September 13, 1924. I love you, Edward.

"What is this?" I asked her.

"It's a reminder to myself," Bella told me. "Carlisle says I might not remember much of my human memories. I want to remember you. I don't think I could ever forget." She grinned at me and kissed my cheek. "But just incase."

I laughed and folded the note in my pocket. "It's the second thing you will see when you wake up," I said, sitting next to her.

"What's the first?" She snuggled into my side.

"Me, of course."

She pushed me, knowing it wouldn't affect me and laughed.

Carlisle came in then. Esme was gone, hunting in some woods far away so she wouldn't be affected by Bella's blood. "Ready, Bella?"

She nodded and sucked in a huge breath reassuringly. "Yes." No hesitation. I smiled sadly. She laid back on my bed and smiled at me.

I leaned over her and kissed her lightly. I looked back at Carlisle for reassurance. He was to stay the whole time, just incase.

I looked back to Bella and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Happy Birthday, Bella." I sucked in a huge breath, her scent filling my lungs…and bit down on her neck. "I love you too."

A/N: (Mizufairy—you're welcome for writing this story! Lol) Whenever I wrote "don't tempt me" I always said Frodo in my head….lol. God I watch LotR too much…
I tried okay? My sister is a little b**ch and I got suddenly busy. I know it's been a little over a week, but at least it hasn't been a couple of months right?
The songs are 14 Candles by Plushgun. Or if you prefer, Car Crash by Matt Nathenson. Plushgun is amazing though. I just saw them last week!
No Twilight dreams so far…
Another chapter after this, and then my favorite chapter that I have ever written will be up! I'm excited for you guys to read it. It's called All the Same. Tell me you listened to 14 Candles while reading this chapter in a review and I'll send you a sneak peak of All the Same.
Yeah, Bella is officially ten years older than Edward…It's just how the story happened. That's not too bad though.

Review please!

LT