*** A/N: Here is another new chapter. I was considering if I should wait to put it up or do it now. I decided that you all have been patient enough. For those who still review the previous chapter, I will answer your questions

*** Disclaimer: I do not own anything that is not from my own imagination. All proper rights belong to Miss Meyer.

*** Please read and review. Please also feel free to give me suggestions on what you would like to see in the story! I may just put your ideas in :) ENJOY!


BPOV

"She really wants to try our diet?" I asked incredulously.

"She doesn't want to kill humans to feed," Edward said as he continued his path up and down my back. Up, down, up, down. It was very soothing. Had I been human, I am sure I would be asleep from the tranquility which his touch brought me.

"Imagine that… losing her humanity made her gain some. Poetic, don't you think?"

"Bella, you have every right to feel the way you do. I don't see how you have kept your hands to yourself-"

"She made me bed-ridden," I interrupted.

Edward chuckled, "true."

I sighed. "I honestly don't know what I should do. My mind tells me that she can't be held fully accountable for her actions while my heart tells me that she hurt me. I guess I should probably hear her out, yeah?" I asked.

"If that is what you want, love. We will all stand behind your decision and not interfere," Edward reassured me. I knew that he would keep his word and that what he said was true. If I decided to decapitate Renee', not even Carlisle would stand in my way.

"Yeah, I guess," I shrugged. "Help me get dressed please?"

He nodded and went to the closest and grabbed a pair of cotton shorts and one of his black tees. He knew that being surrounded by his scent helped to calm me down and I loved him that much more for the small gesture.

He helped me get dressed and then lifted me carefully out of bed. I was back to be toted around like a child, but being toted by Edward was kind of sexy. He stepped with such easy strides that I didn't even feel them. Thankfully I didn't because I was already hurting. Unfortunately for vampires, pain medications don't work.

He carried me to the couch and laid me down gently. He propped me up with pillows until I was comfortable and the pain reduced somewhat. "Thank you, baby," I told him. He smiled at me and sat down at my feet before lifting them onto his lap. His touch calmed my nerves a lot and I was extremely thankful that he was here to be by my side.

Since there is no privacy in a house full of vampires, everyone knew that I was waiting for them to meet me in the living room. Soon everyone had gathered around me in silent support. I noticed the moment that Peter entered with Renee' because all heads turned toward her. She flinched at the hostile glares but kept her gaze lowered in submission. She realized that she screwed up and was willing to take her punishment without question.

Once she sat down opposite us, everyone looked at me expectantly. I took a deep breath, tried not to wince at the pain it caused, and spoke up to her for the first time in years. The anticipation of me telling her how I truly felt gave me an odd feeling of satisfaction.

"Once upon a time there was a girl. This girl never purposefully did anything against anyone. She never lied, she never stole, and she never wished harm on anyone. Then one day, this girl gets hurt. Her whole life is changed that day. She goes from being a carefree kid, to growing up and dealing with pain and sadness every single day. She never imagined that it would ever get worse than that but it did.

"One day this girl's mother brings home a man. This man is the epitome of evil and hurts this girl so much that she wishes for death on a daily basis. She tells her mother but her mother just laughs at her. This girl is called a liar, a whore, and laughed at by the person that should have loved her enough to help her. For years this girl was beaten down and broken until one day she is left for dead.

"If it hadn't been for the help of complete strangers this girl would had died. She fought to hold onto her life that night. After healing at the hospital, she was taken in by a family who showed her what love really was about. They showed her that she wasn't broken beyond repair like she always thought that she was. She was showed that there were things in life worth living for. They saved her when her own mother couldn't give a flying fuck about her," I concluded my story with anger lacing my voice. I was sure that my eyes were pitch black. I was trembling from the memories that this was forcing me to relive and sighed with gratitude as Jasper laid his calming hand on my shoulder. Touch intensified his effect and this wasn't the first time that I was grateful that my best friend was an empath.

"I'm sure that you are bright enough to see the relevance of the story," I said sarcastically.

"Bella-"she began but I interrupted her.

"The first time he hurt me, you laughed at me and said that at least it was me and not you. I came to you and you turned me away. I was so filled with shame over myself. If it hadn't been for this family, I would have died already, many times over."

"Sweethe-" she began again.

"Don't you dare finish that term of endearment. You lost your right to call me anything long ago. Do you remember the nights that I cried out for you?" I asked rhetorically. "How about the times I had to lie to cover your ass? Oh, I know, how about the times you walked in on him doing things to me that he should had been killed for, but you just left the room?"

The growls that filled the room made Renee' flinch and I smirked at her reaction. "Curious about how I became like this?" I waved a hand down myself to indicate my immortal body.

"How?" she whispered.

"Him," I growled. "He kidnapped me after prom, along with my friend Ruby. He tortured both of us. He took advantage of me and broke me all over again. He killed her and left me nearly the same. He bit me and sucked out the venom over and over. He fed from me while he took my dignity and my soul from me all over again. If Edward hadn't found me when he did, I would have died because of him. Edward changed me and killed that bastard," I sneered at the person that brought me into this world.

"Thank you, Edward," Renee' said softly but with resolution. She was beginning to see how much this family has helped me.

Edward didn't say anything but he gave me a squeeze on my shoulder. "Will you help me up, babe?" I asked him. He looked at me worriedly but nodded his head. He helped me stand up slowly and I heard Renee''s sharp intake when she saw the scars that adorned my immortal body. "When Edward and the Cullens came to save me, Jasper," I pointed to him, "got taken by the bitch working with Phil. In order to get him back, we had to train and fight against an army of vicious newborn vampires. That is what family does for each other. They fight for one another. They save one another. They don't leave anyone behind." I inwardly reveled in the cringe that passed through her.

I pointed to my scars, "these are my battle scars that I received fighting for my family." I slowly turned around so she could see each of them. "I would never give up any member of my family. Edward is the love of my life. Jasper is my best friend. Petey, Char, Alice, Emmett, and Rose are my siblings, and Carlisle and Esme are my father and mother." I could see the pain as I claimed Esme as my mother flash across Renee''s face, but secretly felt joy at being able to get through to her for the first time ever. I made a mental note to ask Carlisle is that was normal for a newborn to go through.

"I know that you were influenced to act as you did, but that doesn't erase years of pain. Bruises fade, but the pain remains the same. I hear that you are willing to try our diet. For that reason, I'll request that someone be with you when you hunt in order to teach you how. We'll not coddle you. You're an adult and if you mess up, you're gone. Understand?" I asked. She nodded so I continued. "Is it alright if she stays in the guesthouse at the edge of the property for now?" I asked Esme.

"Anything you want, honey," she gave me a soft smile of understanding. I nodded back to her in thanks.

I turned to Renee'' and said: "there is a house at the edge of the property. Someone will show it to you and that is where you will stay. Whenever you want to hunt, call and someone will meet you out there. Until I can trust you, if I can trust you again, that's what the arrangement will be. I can't get healed like I need to be if I am constantly reminded of what I went through to end up like I have. I am forever thankful to the Cullens and I don't want you to ruin that gratitude," I said a little more sharply than I probably should have.

"I understand," Renee' had unshed venom in her eyes. She'd be crying if it were possible, I am sure. I nodded to show everyone that I was done.

Carlisle came up to me and helped me sit down gently. "How are you feeling sweetheart?" he asked purposefully using the name that Renee'' was told not to. Carlisle is far too much a gentleman to call a woman out, but he would do anything to protect his children. This was his way to show Renee' that what she did wasn't right in the least.

"I'm okay," I said with a small smile.

"Feeding day?" he asked while he examined my wound. I nodded as he pulled my shirt back down to cover my wound. He looked at Edward and mentally said something to him because Edward nodded in response. What I wouldn't give to hear their conversations sometimes.

Make sure that she doesn't go into shock at all.

"Why would I go into shock?" I asked while cocking my head to the side.

"You heard that?" Carlisle asked with a startled expression. His eyebrows raised at the same time.

"Of course I did. You said it aloud," I said confused.

He and Edward exchanged looks and they both shook their heads. "No, Sweetie. I said it mentally to Edward."

"You're saying I read your mind? Yeah, okay," I scoffed.

"What were you thinking about before you heard me?" Carlisle asked with interest.

I cocked my head to the side. "Umm, I was thinking 'what I wouldn't give to hear their conversations'."

"Let's try something, shall we?" Carlisle asked with an eagerness that reminded me of a child on Christmas morning. I nodded my okay as he asked Peter, Emmett, and Jasper to join us. "What I want everyone to do is mentally converse with Edward. Peter I want you to think something about Bella. Emmett, I want you to think something to Bella. Finally, Jasper, I want you to think nothing related to Bella; something general. Bella I want you to focus on them and try to hear what they are thinking to Edward. Once you hear something, try to grasp what they say. Once you have it, tell us what it is and the person will tell you whether or not you are correct."

"Alright…" I said apprehensively.

I closed my eyes and thought about how I wanted to hear what Edward hears. Nothing happened for a few moments, but then voices flooded my mind. My eyes snapped open and luckily Edward caught me before I fell. My hands flew up to cover my ears and I rocked back and forth in his embrace.

"Bella, Bella! What's wrong, love?" Edward's voice was frantic.

"It hurts," I shrieked. My head felt like it was being split in half. Is this what Edward constantly heard? I couldn't imagine going through this all day, every day.

"Bella," Carlisle shook me to get my attention. "I need you to focus. You need to pull your shield back away from Edward."

I shook my head and cried, "I can't. It's too much."

"You can do it, love. I know you can. Concentrate and focus on making the noise go away. Think about us being alone in our meadow together. We're lying out in the middle, surrounded by nature and the flowers are beginning to bloom. They are the most beautiful colors we ever have seen. Just you and me. No noise, no voices. Can you imagine that sweetheart?" Edward's voice sounded frantic as he instructed me. I listened to his voice. It lulled me into the picture and I could imagine exactly what he said.

As if a switch flipped off, it was instantly quiet inside my head again. I stayed still for a moment in order to make sure that the voices stayed gone. After I was sure that they weren't coming back, I slowly opened my eyes.

I looked up at my love and gasped, "Is that what you always hear?"

His eyes were pained as he gazed down at me. "I have learned to deal with it; to tune it out for the most part. The intensity that you felt was how it was for me in the beginning. When I woke up from my change, I was crippled by the mental voices. It was excruciating. God, Bella, I am so sorry that you had to go through that. I'm so sorry," he apologized over and over for something that wasn't his fault. I told him as much, but he refused to let the blame go. Any pain that I feel, he feels responsible for. That's just how he is though. He's a sweetheart through and through.

He helped me sit up and held onto me as if I would disappear if he let go. I didn't deny him such comforts. Everyone looked at me with concern but I just smiled to appease them. My head still hurt, but it wasn't as excruciating as it was. "I'm okay, really," I told them.

Carlisle was the first to recover. "I take it that you were able to tap into Edward's gift?" he asked the obvious.

"Apparently," I said wryly. "Why though? I don't understand it."

Carlisle began pacing as he mused aloud. "As a human, you were able to tap into both Alice's and Edward's gifts to some extent. We assumed that it was because of the venom enhancing you, but what if it was just the human version of the abilities that your shield can possess? I believe that when you concentrated on tapping into Edward's gift, that you were able to pull him under your shield and do just that."

"I have pulled Edward under my shield many times before. Why haven't I ever tapped into his power before?" I asked.

"Perhaps in order to tap into it, you had to consciously want to do it. I would venture to

assume that part of your shield only works consciously," he theorized.

I was quiet for a few moments while I took it all in. If I could tap into other's gifts when I needed them, our family could have an advantage at all times.

"Alice," I said. I was going to test his theory out.

"Bella, maybe you shouldn't overdo it, honey," Esme said in a motherly tone.

I shook my head and said, "I want to try it."

"Alright, Bella, but remember that Alice's gift is far different than Edward's is," Carlisle reminded me.

"Yes, she is used to seeing many different visions at once. It may become overwhelming to you, love. Just squeeze my hand if you need help being pulled back like last time," Edward told me while taking my hand.

"Thank you, baby," I told him as sincerely as I could. To know that he trusted my judgment on this meant a lot to me.

Alice came up and knelt beside me. She gave me a reassuring smile even though I could see the concern in her eyes. She saw what Edward's gift did to me and I am sure she was worried about what hers would do to me. I kissed her cheek before I closed my eyes and began to concentrate. I had a relative idea of how Alice's visions worked. I had witnessed a few visions while I was still human, but even then, I was only seeing one vision at a time.

Even with that previous exposure, I still wasn't ready when my shield pulled Alice under and multiple visions flowed through my mind. They overlapped one another in certain places and were completely opposite in other places. They all had to do with one another, I could gather that much, but there was too much information for me to comprehend what I was seeing.

I saw two vampires, who just oozed evil, stalking a girl only fourteen or fifteen years old. Just as they were about to lunge at her, the vision changed at the last second it looked like it rewound itself back to when they were stalking her. This time before they even had the chance to decide to lunge at her or not, another vampire intervened. She took them both out before they could harm the girl. The vampire turned around and I gasped. The vision was lost as my shield snapped back into place.

"What did you see?" Carlisle asked ecstatically.

I looked at Alice and realized that she hadn't seen what I had. "Did you see the vision?" I asked her.

She shook her head, "no, I didn't. What did you see?"

"I saw a young girl who looked to be in her mid-teens. She was being stalked by two vampires. Right before they were able to take her down, the vision changed and someone intervened," I explained.

"Who intervened?" Alice asked. She wasn't used to being the one to not see the visions first hand.

"Me," I raised an eyebrow. "I don't understand it though. I don't even know the girl. The vision changed though. It started off without the intervening, and then it changed to me taking out the vampires."

"Many things can change a vision. If the path a person on changes, the vision changes. Unexpected factors can influence changes in visions. Even the simplest thing of seeing a vision can change that vision. If it changed, that means that the key element, the changing factor, is something that is important enough to influence another outcome. If you were that factor, you are the key to stopping those two vampires from hurting her. God, this is so frustrating! For the first time, I know how you all feel to not see the visions yourselves!" Alice huffed. We couldn't help the chuckle that came at her outburst.

"Well, we can analyze the vision more later. What is important is that Bella was able to have her shield to bring both talents into her use. I don't want you to overdo it," Carlisle turned to me and gave me a small smile, "I want you to feed once more today because this experimenting has taken its toll on you. I can see the strain it's put you through. Also, I want Jasper to grab you something in the form of blood. Later on, if you feel up to it, we'll try Jasper's gift. I would like to see if you would be able to actively project something out instead of just receiving."

Carlisle dismissed us and Edward took me back upstairs. Jasper asked what I wanted but I didn't feel too picky at the moment and told him whatever he found would be fine with me. Carlisle came and rechecked my wound again before Edward and I were left alone for a feeding. After I consumed a slightly larger than normal amount of his venom, Edward and I just lay thinking about everything.

"Did you know that you could pull others under like that?" Edward asked while brushing the hair from my face.

I shook my head. "No, I hadn't done that before."

"What was it like?" he asked quietly.

I thought about it for a moment for the right words. "It was painful to hear so many minds. I don't see how you learned to deal with that. It felt like my head was cracking open. The visions were different though. It was hard to focus on them and try to understand them, but it wasn't painful. It was odd though to see myself change a vision. The dreams when I was human were different. It's hard to explain," I shrugged.

"It was hard to deal with after I was changed. It took decades to learn to filter through the mental voices and make them more of a hum. Trying to attend school was always difficult because there were so many unique voices. I can't even count how many times I answered someone's mind instead of their actual voice," Edward explained.

I shook my head, "I couldn't imagine."

He shrugged. "Every gift is different. I personally couldn't imagine dealing with your shield. It seems like an awfully hard gift to have."

There was a knock at the door and we beckoned Jasper inside. I smiled as I saw my best friend enter the room. "I would have come sooner but you two seemed a bit…preoccupied," he smirked.

I was glad that I couldn't blush anymore. "Hush, cowboy, you have no room to talk." That shut him up, but he couldn't help the smile that graced his lips as he brought his bounty over for me and Edward. Jasper was back to his normal health and his eyes were back to that beautiful golden that our family possessed. He handed one thermos to me and the other to Edward before he exited the room.

xOxOxOx

"Alright, Bella, has Jasper explained to you how his gift works?" Carlisle asked. We were all in the living room waiting to see if I really could utilize Jasper's gift.

I nodded and closed my eyes to concentrate. Jasper was standing beside me, with his hand in mine in order to intensify the effect of his power. We weren't sure how this would work, if it worked at all, so we were winging it.

I could feel him being pulled under my shield and I could feel other people's emotions. This was not something new, since he would often project to me in the past. This time, however, it wasn't second hand. I could feel their raw emotions. There was pride, concern, worry, love, regret, hate, and fear. It was almost as if I were getting high on the entire emotional cocktail surrounding me. I could nearly taste them and I craved more.

The negative emotions called out to me and I drew them in. I have no idea how I did it, but I fed off of the hate and fear. The more I concentrated on those emotions, the more powerful they became. I felt powerful and I enjoyed that feeling.

I heard hissing and my eyes snapped open. I saw Renee' crouched in attack position and she was hissing at me. Her eyes were black and they looked murderous. It must have been the emotions that were flowing through my system because I sneered at her and motioned for her to pounce. After everything that happened since she got involved with that bastard, she deserved to be put in her place. I wanted to rip her arms from her body and gloat in the satisfaction of her pain. I wanted to repay her for every ounce of pain she put me through.

As she leaped, I crouched to clash against her but was sidestepped by someone I didn't think would. As Renee' flew at me, the sound of bodies colliding filled the room. Esme grabbed Renee' by her hair and threw her through the wall and out into the yard. You could hear snarls and hissing as they fought.

Everyone went outside to see how this would go. If I were still human, I would have been able to see the individual movements of the two vampires fighting, but being as I was a vampire now, I could see that the fight was close. Esme may have been older but Renee' was a newborn and therefore had more strength than Esme.

"Bella!" Jasper broke my concentration on the fight. I was feeding off the emotions again. Something about them made me feel their power and potential. "You need to pull me from your shield. Now!" Jasper shook me. Edward growled at Jasper's aggressiveness and I realized then what I was doing. I pulled him from my shield and Edward's growls stopped immediately.

I felt a calm spread over me and realized that Jasper was using his talent. As the negative emotions drained from me, I realized that this fight was my fault.

"Don't you dare even think to touch my daughter!" Esme snarled as she slapped Renee' across the cheek.

"Jasper, you need to stop them!" I told him. I didn't want Esme to get hurt. On some deep level, I didn't want Renee' to get hurt either, but that was entangled in conflicting emotions.

Jasper nodded to Peter and rushed after the two women. Peter grabbed Esme while Jasper grabbed Renee'. Renee' was the more aggressive of the two because of her newborn emotions so he would fare better with her.

Renee' struggled against Jasper while she fought his influence. "She's my daughter! I gave birth to her!" Renee' growled.

"Alright ladies, calm down," Peter tried to intervene, but the two were still at it.

"You left her to be beaten and broken. You are not a mother, you are a monster!" Esme screamed. Either Jasper's influence or Esme's words broke through Renee''s emotional haze. She stiffened and fell to her knees. Jasper's arms were still around her, as a precaution, but she no longer fought his influence.

Esme, seeing Renee' defeated on the ground, straightened out of her crouch. Peter saw she was done, so he let her go. Esme turned towards the house and began to walk towards us all. As she passed Renee', she hissed at her as one last dominative action. She walked up to us and wrapped me in a hug.

"You really are my daughter," she whispered in my ear as she kissed my cheek. Despite the circumstances, I smiled.

"I know, Mom," I told her as I returned her kiss.

"Renee', I think it would be best if you retreated to the guest house until one of us calls on you. We have family matters to discuss and I think that we all need some time in order to figure out how we move forward from this incident," Carlisle dismissed her. She nodded her head and began limping towards the guest house. I wondered, briefly, what Esme hurt on her, but I couldn't begin to care at the moment.

We all returned to the living room and were silent for a few moments. Nobody was sure where to start, so I took the initiative. "I am sorry about getting out of control. I didn't realize what I had done until it was too late," I said with my eyes avoiding everyone. The inability to control the empathy was embarrassing.

"Bella," Jasper began, "I remember when I first started feeling the effects of my gift. I felt a plethora of emotions and I wanted them. It was easy to get addicted to the different emotions; especially those of vampires since we feel so much more strongly than humans do. Well, you were different as a human though. You had the most powerful emotions I had felt from either human or vampire.

"It took me years to begin to understand how to control it. In the South, we didn't really have anyone who could help us to learn and master our gifts. I felt what you felt, Bella, as you felt it. The emotions were new to you and strong. The negative emotions were the strongest and most powerful, so your vampiric nature craved that power."

I nodded my head. "Yeah," I said with embarrassment and shame filling my voice, "and I couldn't control it. Because of my screw up, Esme could have been hurt. She fought with Renee' because of me. I wanted them to fight. I wanted Renee' to feel pain… to feel shame. I wanted her to feel what I felt every day."

"Bells, you did nothing wrong. With what you went through in your past, you deserve some kind of justice for it. Nobody but you can determine what that justice will be. Even though we all tend to forget it, you are still a newborn. Your emotions are much stronger now than they will be when you get older. Also, you are a Warrior, Bella. You are meant to have more powerful emotions. Had anyone else been in your position, they wouldn't have held onto those emotions that well," Peter assured me.

"But Esme-," I began but she cut me off.

"Esme has wanted to do that for a while now. It was only a matter of time until I received a good enough reason to justify it," she winked at me. Despite the guilt that I was feeling, I gave her a small smile.

"Love," Edward said as he wrapped me in his arms, "nobody blames you. In fact, we are all impressed at how quickly you were able to use Jasper's gift. It's a powerful one, as you witnessed, but it is difficult to be able to project emotions like that. For you to have done that on your first try was remarkable to say the least."

Everyone supported me, even after that mishap. What they didn't know, though, was that even though Jasper is no longer under my shield, I still crave those dangerous emotions.


***A/N: Please let me know what you think