A/N Thanks for all the great reviews, they really are appreciated. I try to reply to them all so if I've missed you I'm sorry!

BPOV

Edward doesn't look at me or speak to me as he is driving, and I don't say anything either. It isn't an awkward silence and I don't want to ruin this peaceful moment between us. Since I've known Edward he has never seemed more comfortable in my presence than he does right now. Before he was always on edge but its different now and I have to wonder what has changed.

Finally Edward pulls over on an old dirt road in the forest and switches of the engine. The rain is coming down so hard it feels like the car is parked at the bottom of a waterfall. I can make out nothing out the windows except a blur of green. It makes the inside of the car more…intimate, like we are in our own little bubble away from the rest of the world. I like it.

For a long time Edward just stares out the window. I think he is gathering his thoughts so I don't interrupt him. Then without looking at me he begins to speak.

"I wanted to take you somewhere I like to go, but it's a bit of a walk and we would need good weather, and you wouldn't be able to get there on crutches anyway. So maybe we can talk here….are you afraid of me at all Bella?"

I don't even have to think twice "No, I'm not"

He turns slowly to look at me, he looks so sad. "You should be. Most…humans can sense danger around my kind and keep their distance without ever realising what they are doing. But you Bella went out of your way to be around me. Why"

Did he seriously just ask me that? "Have you looked in the mirror Edward, there is little wonder why I would notice someone as beautiful as you."

"So that's it? You just want to be with me because of my looks?" he frowns.

"No! Jeez Edward, how shallow do you think I am. Of course I noticed how handsome you are, I would have to be blind not to, but what attracts me to you is…you. Look how you helped me today even after I have been so horrible to you. You brought me to the hospital to get my leg fixed even though you hated me." Edward tries to interrupt but I cut him off. "I don't know how far Mike would have gone today, whether he would have…well never mind you know what I mean. Not many people would have stayed with me all day like you did. But even more than that, I just know you are a good person, look how you treated me at school." I am whispering now and playing with my fingers as I speak. "Even when you realised I am the pariah of that school you still spoke to me when most people just follow the lead of the popular students. I wasn't worth your attention but you felt sorry enough for me to speak to me even though you knew…you knew there was something wrong with me."

"Please Bella, don't belittle yourself, I can't stand it. There's nothing wrong with you and I will never forgive myself for saying those words to you. You are perfect to me."

I can't help it, I laugh out loud. Edward cocks his head to the side. "You're kidding me right? Edward I think you need glasses."

"What? Why would you say that?"

"Oh c'mon Edward don't be so obtuse. Do I have to spell it out to you? Look at yourself, then look at me. There is no comparison."

"I know, it's true. You are good and pure and I'm just a…"

"Okay, okay this is getting us nowhere we are going to have to agree to disagree. But I would like to ask you a question now. You can say no if you want, I don't want to make you mad at me."

"You can ask me anything Bella"

I take a deep breath "how did you know where I was today?"

Edward lays his head back and closes his eyes, he breathes deeply and lets out a slow breath. Great now I'm sorry I opened my big stupid mouth. I start to apologise when Edward turns to me suddenly, his honey coloured eyes scorching into mine. I can no longer speak.

Without another word Edward leans over to my seat, gently cups my cheek in his ice cold hand and presses his lips to mine gently. I am so taken aback by this I freeze for just a second, then my body reacts without a conscious thought from me. My arms fly around his neck and I crush myself to Edwards chest. His marble lips are still moving so softly against mine but I want more and start to kiss him in earnest. He seems exited at first and pulls me even closer, before suddenly releasing me and backing himself against the door, breathing hard.

"I'm sorry Edward I…"

"No, don't be sorry Bella, you never have to apologise to me. I just don't want to never have done that."

His words almost make my heart stop, it sounds like he is saying goodbye. "Are you leaving?"

"I should have left a long time ago. But I am weak."

"Oh" I don't know how to respond to this. "So your leaving now then?" my chest aches with the thought of Edward leaving me.

"That depends."

"On what?"

Edward sighs, "Your reaction to the truth."

I don't know what to say, I want to encourage him but I don't want to make him change his mind so I just nod. Edward takes a minute to think before he begins his story.

"You understand that I am not human Bella and for some insane reason you have accepted this fact about my family with, what seems to be, little or no reservations. But you still don't know what we are, and the fear I have is that when you find out, you will run."

"I'd seriously doubt it Edward"

"Please don't leave until I tell you everything, at least promise me that?"

"Of course, I promise."

"Carlisle is the leader of our…coven. He created myself, Esme, Rosalie and Emmet. Alice and Jasper came to our family later. We were all human once, but we were all gravely ill and about to die when Carlisle changed us. He would never do this to someone who had any other choice. He only did this to us because he truly believed it wasn't our time to die.

"With our changing came great abilities, our skin is impenetrable, our senses heightened to an immense degree. We can see, hear, smell and feel more than any other species on the planet by a long way. And our strength is immeasurable, there is nothing man-made or natural out there to rival the physical power we wield. But these aspects of ourselves can be controlled easily, and by themselves are no great threat to you.

"The reason I was so reluctant to be around you is because there is something else inside of me, a monster who, if not carefully controlled, will break free and use these 'skills' to harm you. To kill you. I have to be careful every second I am with you Bella, just to keep you alive."

Edward finishes speaking and I am wondering if he is done. "Are you finished?"

"No" it's barely a whisper.

"There's more?" I don't mean to sound so incredulous but I can't help it, my head is spinning from all the information he has given me, and now I know by his face the worst is yet to come.

He nods "Another weapon we have is venom, not that we need it. I mean if I catch you, I don't need venom to incapacitate you before I…well, before I, God this is so hard to say. I have never before admitted to a human what I am. Bella have you heard of blood drinkers?"

What the hell? "You don't mean…"

"…vampires. Yes Bella that is what I am."

Edward doesn't speak while I digest this. Okay this is not what I was expecting. I honestly had no clue what I thought he was, but this? I wouldn't have guessed vampires were real in a million years. I stare out the window at the green blur. My mind is a blank, there isn't a single coherent thought in my head.

"Will I bring you home now?" Edward looks so desolate, I can tell he thinks I am afraid. I'm not, maybe I should be, but what I feel right now is curiosity.

"Not yet, I have some questions, if that's okay?"

Edward is surprised "You mean you aren't afraid?"

I shrug "should I be?"

"Honestly, yes. I don't want to hurt you Bella but I'm afraid it'll be too much and I'll lose control and hurt you."

"But wouldn't that have happened already?" I'm remembering the first time Edward saw me, the disgust on his face, his wrinkled up nose. "Can you smell my blood? Is that what attracts you?

"Yes, you're quite observant."

I shrug my shoulders "So do you…drink human blood?"

"No, I probably should have told you that first. My family live solely off the blood of animals. We like to call ourselves vegetarians, our little inside joke." Edward hesitates before continuing "I have killed people before Bella, I only killed those whom I felt deserved it. But murder is murder."

"What kind of people did you kill?"

Edwards fists clenched in his lap. "Mostly men like Mike Newton." I hear a growl coming from Edwards's chest and raise an eyebrow.

"You're not going to hurt Mike, are you?"

"I want to, yes."

"Please don't."

"Why not? The boy sexually assaulted you today, he may do it again. His mind is a filthy pool of…"

Edward trails off. There's that stuff about minds again. I have to remember to question Edward about it later, but I don't want to throw us of track just yet.

"Tell me Edward, do you feel good about the men you've killed?"

"No, not at all. But I could make an exception for Newton.

"I don't want you to have that on your conscience for the rest of your life, because of me. He has been caught Edward, he will pay. Let it go." I don't like the idea of Edward doing something so abhorrent to him because he felt he had to avenge me.

Edward grits his teeth but says nothing. "Promise me you won't touch him."

He sighs loudly. "Promise me Edward, I don't want this on my conscience either, please." He finally nods, "Okay, I don't like it but ill agree to it for your piece of mind. I'm sure I'd be fine with killing him."

I try to lighten the mood. "So you have me here in the middle of nowhere and your body is telling you to kill me. Should I be scared?" I grin.

Edward definitely doesn't see the funny side of this, he glares at me. "This is serious you know."

"Yeah I know, but it doesn't change anything."

"It doesn't? I thought you would be halfway across Washington now, away from me."

"Nope, I think I'll stick around and see how this thing pans out." I realise he could have picked that up wrong, I don't want him to feel like he has to be with me now because I accepted him. Blushing, I try to backpedal "I just meant…you know what? I don't know what I mean any more. What do you want from me Edward?"

Edwards face softens when he sees my embarrassment at myself for my own directness, but there is so much at stake here I need to know where he sees us going from here.

"I want to spend as much time as I can with you Bella, the more I am around you the easier my thirst is to manage. I need to be in your presence all the time."

"But I don't understand, there are so many girls out there, all of them much prettier and more confident than me. You could have anyone you want."

"Isabella Marie Swan" Edward leans closer to me again and this time takes my face in both his hands as he stares into my eyes. I melt. "I have given you so many hints, I've followed you, Alice told you I liked you, hell I've even kissed you once already and you still don't get it. I love you Bella, I love your attitude and your intelligence. I love your sense of humour and quick wit. I love your beautiful face, but Bella the thing I love most about you is your pure and gentle soul. I can see the goodness radiating from you and I want to bask in it forever. I cannot stay away from you anymore Bella and I'm done trying. Please allow me to love you."

Edward doesn't let me speak again as he once again presses his lips to mine and I am lost.

A/N So. There you go, Bella's finally in the loop! This was a difficult chapter to write, I struggle a little to get the flow of dialogue to look decent and this chapter was full of it. Let me know what you think of this one, I really need other people's perspective on this. Thanks for reading. Please Review.