Well sorry this took so long my modem died Friday night and I didn't get a new one till this afternoon. I was like a junkie withdrawing all weekend it was horrible. Anyways all is right again in the world except for the fact that twilight is still not mine!

Chapter 10: Lovers & Friends

We were laying on our bed listening to music wrapped up in each other after another eventful morning. My life really was perfect right now. I felt sorry for the rest of the family but really this was our honeymoon. What did they expect? If we could go somewhere we would.

I started to feel that sick feeling again and knew I needed to hunt. My throat was on fire and I reached out to Edward, " I am going to hunt do you want to come with me?

"You aren't going anywhere without me."

"Ha! Oh really?", I shut him out of my mind immediately and ran outside.

I could hear him running behind me but I was still winning so I ran as fast as I could. The trees flew by in a blur and all the smells of the forest were intoxicating. I felt more alive as a vampire then I ever did as a human. I had never been able to enjoy the outdoors due to my propensity for falling but now I loved it. I couldn't believe how beautiful it really was here. I had never really seen it clearly before. I satisfied my hunger on deer, there didn't seem to be much else this close to the house. He must have been trying to give me my privacy to hunt because I couldn't smell him anywhere nearby.

So to pass the time I decided to try to find our meadow and fortunately my sense of direction had gotten much better. The tent from our wedding night was gone and our meadow looked like it always had. The sun was shining and I laid on the ground, and waited for Edward. The sun felt amazingly warm and I looked at my skin, I was sparkling. All of the sudden I could smell Edward but I couldn't see him. I opened my mind to see where he was. He was hiding in a tree watching me. I shot up at him.

As soon as I moved I heard his voice in my head. "You are such a cheater."

I laughed, " I just wanted to be with you."

He started kissing me. He had been running so his hair was windblown and it always made him look so sexy.

He laughed, "Sexy huh?"

"Who is the cheater now?"

He looked at me thoughtfully, "You looked so beautiful in the sun. I just wanted to watch you for a minute. I can't believe how much I have changed since the first time we were in this meadow together. It seems so strange to have lived this long and finally be able to understand one of the biggest reasons people have for living. Your love has changed me so profoundly. I don't think I can explain it with words.

He showed me memories of himself. He had spent so much time alone. He looked so lonely and bitter. His anger seemed always near the surface. It was so sad to see him like that. I closed him out again.

I looked back at his lovely face and smiled, "We are happy now and we have forever ahead of us. I know you were worried about changing me but I have to say I'm having a hard time seeing the downside of all this."

He laughed, "Well you have had it a lot easier than normal. It is wonderful though and so freeing to be with you now without any of the former constraints or complications.

"Oh you mean like wanting to kill me all the time. Yeah I really miss that too.", I replied sarcastically.

I looked into his eyes and snuggled up close to him so I wouldn't fall out of the tree by accident. I didn't know how far becoming a vampire would go to protect me from my innate ability to always fall.

Seriously I added, " Do you miss me being, human?"

He flashed that crooked smile of his, "I won't lie to you. Technically I think it's impossible to lie to you anymore but I think I will always miss your sleeping, your blushing, your falling, and your beating heart. That was who you were when I fell in love with you. Now you are still you but there are new things to love. Our love is so much more than it ever was before. I don't have to hold anything back from you now. You see the whole me and you still love me."

I smiled and snuggled up closer. I felt the same way too. Everyday that passed seem to find me loving him more. We jumped out of the tree and he laid me down in our meadow under the warm sun. The sun felt amazing on my hard cold skin.

He looked so gorgeous. I started unbuttoning his shirt while I kissed him. Pretty soon we were both undressed and sparkling. With the sun shining on us, we made love. It was still so difficult to believe that this would forever be my life. I would forever be with this man who loved me so dearly.

We talked all morning about where we would go on a real honeymoon once the Volturri had been dealt with. He told me about all the places he wanted to show me and about so many things he wanted to teach me how to do. He was happy too and I felt he had finally let go of most of the guilt. He was finally letting himself be excited about our future together. It was afternoon before we started heading slowly back to the house hand in hand enjoying the silence of the forest.

All of a sudden I smelled something I thought I recognized but it was different somehow.

Edward looked at me, "It's Jacob. He came across our scent and he wants to see you. He has been worried about how changing you went. Do you want me to leave you alone with him?"

I opened my mind to him instead. "Yes if that's okay. I know it is not the most comfortable situation for you but I would like to say goodbye since I know we aren't going to be in Forks much longer. I also need to explain to him about the visit from the Volturi . I know he was worried about my transformation hopefully this will be a sense of closure for us both. I love Jacob but I don't need him to be my best friend anymore you are all of that and much more now. There was a time he was though and I need to acknowledge that today. Please understand. I will meet you back at the house. "

He smiled back and kissed me, " I love you and I do understand. I will see you at the house."

I opened my mind to Jacob and found his thoughts jumbled up in anticipation to see me and sadness over the choices I've made. He still loved me though so I decided to shut him out of my head because I didn't want to hear anymore of what he was suffering because of me.

I called out to him with my voice, "Jacob."

He came out from behind the trees as brown and as beautiful as always. He looked really anxious. I noticed I was starting to feel weird too. I felt like I needed to calm down. I wasn't hungry the venom wasn't building up but I did think my natural instinct was to want to fight him. I forced myself to be calm.

I smiled trying to make him more comfortable, "How are you?"

He smiled back but he still looked tense, "I'm fine."

I laughed, "I don't bite, not people anyway."

He laughed at my joke but it still didn't seem to lessen the tension.

"Do I smell that bad to you now?"

" Well not really bad. You still smell like you just amplified like you are wearing too much perfume or something. Well you look good, different but good. So I guess you survived and all…."

"Thanks. Yeah, I'm good it wasn't pain free for sure but everything went pretty smoothly. Edward was in worst shape than me."

I decided I probably needed to tell him what was going on with the Volturri and why they would be coming. He seemed really worried about me, I guess old habits die hard. I told him we would keep in touch with the pack and let them know what Alice was seeing but I knew I would never ask the pack for help again. I was going to do whatever it took this time. I was never going to let anyone I love risk themselves for me again. I was going to fight my own battles now.

He asked hesitantly, "So can you do anything that they would want to keep you around for?"

I smiled at his concern for me. "Well actually yes. I can hear people's thoughts like Edward."

He looked very uncomfortable so I continued quickly, "Unlike Edward though I can turn it off. I don't have to hear everything all the time. I can choose to enter someone's mind and I don't see only their current thoughts but I can also see every thought and memory they have ever had."

Jacob looked at me nervously.

"I'm not using it on you so don't worry", I laughed.

He seemed to relax a little.

"I can still keep others out of my mind but now I can also keep others out of other people's minds too."

He looked completely baffled by my explanation so I said, "I know it's confusing but if I wanted I could block Edward from being able to hear your thoughts. I might even be able to keep the pack out of your head but I'm not sure how it would work on you in werewolf form."

He looked impressed, "Wow Bella, that is really cool!"

"Yeah, well I haven't figured it all out yet but I've been working on it."

"So will you be able to hide all this from the people who are coming?"

"Well we are certainly going to try."

"You seem happy Bells, and really I'm happy for you. I hope things go well with these guys but if you need some help we are always looking for some vampires we cankill."

"Thanks, Jake. We will keep you updated. For now at least, Alice sees it going well . We have to leave Forks soon though and I didn't know if I would get a chance to talk to you again. I wanted to tell you goodbye and thank you for everything you've done for me."

He smiled, "Don't worry as painful as all this was I'd do it again. I guess I really am a sucker for lost causes.

I laughed, "Hold your breath, Jacob Black."

I went up to him and kissed his cheek it felt like kissing fire, "I will never forget you. I love you.

He was starting to shake a little and I figured that had been too much for him.

"Sorry, I will go. Tell the pack goodbye for me, I'll miss them too."

He smiled sadly, "Goodbye Bells, maybe our paths will cross again one day."

I took off running it was a good thing that I couldn't cry anymore because I would be. I would miss Jacob in my life.

I stayed in the forest collecting myself and my thoughts. I wanted to be okay before I went inside. Instead I just decided to bring Edward out here. I was sick of feeling cooped up in the house.

I opened my mind, "Edward meet me in the backyard."

He answered, "I'll be right there. Alice had another vision about the Volturi. I will finish talking to her and meet you outside."

I tensed and then I heard his soothing voice again, "It's okay I will be right there."

I laid on the ground. I stared up at the trees, listened to the stream nearby and waited for Edward. I forced myself to be calm. Then I felt Edward's presence. Then I felt his arms around me and my world felt complete again.