Hello everyone! So I am back with a new chapter and I know that it has been very long since you heard a word from me. The reason has been school and also that it has been gong on a lot in my life this school year which have made writting seem something very distant. But I am glad that everything has turned out good and that I am back on track again. '

First of all I really want to thank everyone! who replayed to my question on Swedish streotyps, it was extremly funny to read all of them and my classmates enjoyed hearing them as well,
I also want to thank everyone who has reviwed to this story.

Then I want to send a special Thank you to twilighter987, I read your email and it really warmed my heart to hear that some people were still wating for this story to continue and finish. That email really help me to realise a lot of things and realize that there really were a life aside from the one I was living. So thank you!

Lastly I hope that you will like Bella´s story and I hope it shows a little more what she has been through.

I must also tell you that even though I am back to writing, my passion is no longer the same so my english will probably be no good at all, but I hope you can see trough that.

This chapter is dedicated to twilighter987!


Chapter 11

Bella´s POV

I shot up in my bed when I heard someone carefully knocking on the door into my room. I could sense that it was Charlie but the feeling of something that was more important than life was missing made me ignore him. Then I realized that Edward wasn´t here. I felt a sharp pain in my heart, he had promised to stay but he had left anyway. What other promises did that mean that he could easily break? Another knock on my door, louder this time reminded me of Charlie.

"Yes dad?" I shouted through the door making my voice sleepy. That Charlie didn´t just burst in my room registered in my brain, telling me that he had respect for my personal life, but the pain of Edward leaving was still so clear that I couldn´t feel the happiness I usually had felt towards my father. I felt how Charlie´s eyes swept over my room before they landed on me, a smile on his face.

"I just wanted to wake you up and come up with your breakfast before I go to work Bells." He told me before walking inside and first now I noticed the tray in his hands. From the sent I could tell that it was only a bowl of cereal and a sandwich, but the kind gesture warmed my heart. I knew that Charlie didn´t want to risk me to get hurt in the kitchen, still this was extreme even for him. I felt the small weight over my legs when he sat the tray down.

To my surprise though he didn´t leave, instead he sat down at the foot of the bed, watching me. He was looking down at his hands and I knew that he wanted to say something, probably something which involved emotions from how hard he had for getting the words out. He opened and closed his mouth a few times and once again his eyes wandered around my room. They landed on the old rocking chair and a small pain was felt in my heart when I remembered that Edward had been sitting in it just a few days ago.

"It is funny, Billy always told me that Jacob was growing up so fast but I never truly understood what he meant." Charlie stopped and took a deep breath. "Now I do Bells, I didn´t realize that you are nearly grown up before I saw you with Carlisle Cullens son and yesterday when he came to pick you up…. Anyway I was sitting down thinking the rest of the day and I understood that you are nearly an adult Bella and when I saw you with Edward Cullen it was as if time rubbed it in my face, showing me everything that I have missed that I could have… I was not ready for you being a grown up Bells and I felt angry because Cullen remembered me about that, but now I understand that you have to live your life. I just don´t want to lose you yet Bells."

I reached my arms forward and Charlie rose from the bed walking over to me, hugging me hard. It was many years since I had thought about Charlie as my father and I probably never would again, but for the first time in many years it felt as if maybe I one day could do that again. My dad, Charlie, had barley been present during the years when I grew up and I had always thought that he had been content with that. For the first time I realized that he hadn´t been and that he hated for missing it out.

"I am not going anywhere dad and I will always be your little princess." I used the old nickname he had given me when I was little, back then I had been his little princess and everything had so much simpler. Charlie let go of me and brushed some hair out of my face before he walked out of my room shouting a goodbye before he left. The goodbye didn´t bother me as I began eating my breakfast, like that I had always been like my dad. Emotional for a little while before we both went back to "normal".

When I had finished my breakfast Edward still hadn´t returned and the pain started to be replaced by anger. Did he really just think he could say that he loved me and then ignore me completely the next day? After promising to stay. Irritated I grabbed a towel before I walked into the bathroom, closing the door with more power than necessary. It didn´t help the anger I was feeling though when I accidently walked into the shower, and freezing water. I let out a loud shriek when the water hit my body and on instinct I jumped out of the shower.

Swearing loudly I didn´t have time to notice that the bathroom door had opened before I felt a pair of eyes land on me and I snapped my head in the direction of the one standing in the doorway. Feeling how my whole body became red with embarrassment I grabbed my towel the fastest I could, wrapping it around me.

"Cold water." I mumbled feeling how I turned another shade of red.

"Well… Uhm…. I will wait… your room." I heard the stuttering from the door and I nodded, hearing the door closing. Taking a deep breath I walked back into the shower trying to calm my racing heart. I had never been more embarrassed in my life, but at the same time the dazed look that had been on Edward´s face made the lovesick girl in me sequel from joy.

Then I realized that I would have to walk back into my room with only the towel around me since I hadn´t brought any clothes with me into the bathroom as I usually did when my dad was home. That Edward was sitting in my rocking chair this very moment with his head in his hands wasn´t helping either. I could tell that his lungs filled time after time with the air he didn´t need. At least I could tell that he wasn´t repulsed of what he had seen.

The only question was why had he had chosen that exact moment to return? Or maybe he had never left? But I had not been able to sense him anywhere, although I had to admit that I hadn´t been extremely observant this morning. I had actually just focused my vision to the house… which meant that Edward could have been around the house without me noticing. Once again wrapping me in the towel I walked out the bathroom into my own. Edward looked up when he saw me and his eyes winded for a second as they traveled over my body.

I felt how they snapped to my face quickly though and he muttered an excuse before he walked past me down the stairs. When he had left I quickly changed into something more appropriate before I followed him downstairs. He was sitting on the living room couch and turned around to look at me when I entered the room. He flew up from the couch, standing in front of me and taking my hands in his before I had time to react.

"Bella I am so sorry I shouldn't just have walked in like that, especially not since I knew that you were in the bathroom. But I heard you scream and…" I stopped his rant by standing on my toes, giving him a short kiss. "You are not mad?" He asked me warily and I shrugged my shoulders.

"More embarrassed than angry actually and what happened wasn´t really your fault. Of course you shouldn´t have demolished the door but I know you didn´t do it because you saw it as an opportunity to see me… uhm you know." I told him blushing at the end. He hugged me carefully and I wrapped my arms around him as well.

"I do want to know where you were this morning though." My voice was muffled against his chest.

"Well I didn´t think your father would have approved if he saw me in bed with his seventeen year old daughter. I could have just climbed out your window but I wanted to give you some privacy since I could read from his mind what he wanted to tell you. So I ran home and changed. I had just parked outside when I heard you scream. I am sorry that I left" He said. Content with the answer I looked up at him with a teasing grin.

"So my plan worked? Alice didn´t keep you hostage."

"Ohh she wanted to, but when Esme found out that Alice was keeping you from coming over she told my sister that she would take her credit card for a month if she didn´t allow me to leave. It worked, but just barely." Edward chuckled.

"But it did, just like I told you it would. I am a genius." I told him proudly.

"Just like you told me it would." He agreed smiling down at me.

"So" I said taking a few steps back twirling around "How do I look?"

"Absolutely breathtaking." Edward said looking at me with a loving expression, taking my hand, twirling me back to him. He gave me a light kiss on my forehead before he offered me his arm which I gladly took. Suddenly I became nervous. I knew that Edward had told me that Dr. Cullen and Mrs. Cullen didn´t consider me strange, but that didn´t mean that I wanted to make a good impression.

"Don´t worry love, they are going to love you." Edward before he closed my car door.

Edward held my hand securely in his own as we got closer to his home. Still his touch didn´t ease the mixed feelings of excitement and anxiety. The distance seemed so much longer than it had been the time when I had walked into the Cullens backyard. But back then, time had not been of any importance and when I thought back it must have taken me at least three hours to reach the Cullen´s home. And that back then I had not been on my way to meet my vampire boyfriend's parents.


When Edward parked his car outside of his house I could barley be still. For a moment I considered demanding Edward to drive me home again, but I realized I was being silly. Still I needed some kind of reassurance.

"What if they do not like me Edward?" I asked, not caring if anyone in his family could hear me. Edward reached out and stroked my cheek.

"They will love you. All of my siblings do." I gave him a doubting look and he smiled at me. "I love you." He said before he kissed me. My lips moved eagerly against his and I felt a little disappointed when he broke the kiss.

"I love you too." I said to him feeling a lot calmer. "Let´s do this." With those words I opened the car door and walked outside, my bare feet touching the ground. I had brought a pair of shoes with me, but Edward had told me that no one would care if I didn´t wear them. That I was being comfortable was the only thing that mattered and that his family wanted the same.

I took a strong hold of Edward´s hand as we began walking towards his house. It was even larger than I remembered, there had been seconds that I had doubted that it really had three floors. Of course my perfect memory had known the truth but it had felt so bizarre. I knew that it lived seven vampires here, but really, who needed three floors each of them the size of half my house? Maybe I should call Edward´s home a mansion instead of a house?

When we walked up the small stair which lead to the front porch I noticed that I could only sense two people inside, both of them standing in the combined living room and hall.

"Edward, where are your siblings?" I asked him just before he had time to open the door.

"They are out hunting; Esme begged them for some time alone getting to know you." He told me studying me closely. For some reason it actually felt better knowing that Emmett and the others was not here. It would have been very awkward since we all knew each other so well now and that combined the tension which there would probably be the first minutes now… Not a very pleasant atmosphere. I felt how Edward gave me a small smile before he opened the door and lead me inside.

Esme and Carlisle which had been sitting on the couch talking quietly looked up when we entered the house and I felt how a huge smile spread across Esme´s face as she gracefully rose from the couch and walked over to us. She moved with a grace which could nearly measure with Alice floating movements. I felt how she eyed me carefully up and also the glare which Edward was sending his vampire mother, one that she completely ignored. Finally her eyes landed on my eyes and to my surprise she had no reaction to it. I knew she had seen me before, but still.

"Bella, I am so glad that I finally get to probably meet the girl which has finally captured my son's eye. I have heard so much about, from all of my children." Esme said to me when she reached us. Her voice was soft and caring and underneath the surface I could hear happiness so strong that it seemed to radiate from her very core when she looked at me. Edward let go of my hand and Esme gave me small hug that I returned without hesitation. Her embrace was warm, despite her cold skin.

"I can agree that our first meeting was far from the best." I smiled warmly at her, already liking her. "I apologize for just walking into your property like that Mrs. Cullen." Esme shock her head and smiled back at me.

"No need to be so formal, from what I have heard already a part of this family so you will call me Esme, I will not accept anything else. And we were just glad that we could help you out, otherwise Edward might never have met you and he would still sit in his room being all depressed." Esme winked at me and I could not help to laugh a little.

"Mom." Edward groaned which caused me to giggle this time, he sounded just like the teenager her really was.

"Come on Eddie it´s not that bad, it is not the baby stories." I teased him and we all laughed except for Edward who rolled his eyes and sighed deeply. I could tell that he wasn´t really mad though since he brought me closer to him.

"I can understand why you get along so well with Emmett." Carlisle said as he joined us where we were standing in the hall. "It is good to see you again Bella."

"Good seeing you again as well Dr. Cullen." I told him shaking his outstretched just like the first time.

"Carlisle." He corrected me and smiling I nodded. After that Esme invited me into the living room, apologizing for not letting me in properly earlier on. I told her that it was no problem and we all walked into the living room. I sat down on the couch, Edward sitting next to me holding my hands in his, with Carlisle and Esme sitting opposite of us. In the beginning it was a little awkward, soon the conversation was flowing easily and I noticed that I was just as comfortable with Edward´s parents as I was with his siblings. Every now and then Esme´s eyes would travel down to mien and Edward´s joined hands and a smile would spread over her face.

We talked for hours and during that period of time I had gained a big amount of respect for Carlisle and fallen for Esme´s kind ways. She was such a loving and motherly person that it felt as if I could talk with her about anything and she would listen to me without judging. Carlisle´s big amount of knowledge about the world in general and his perfect memory about the nearly four hundred years he had walked this earth captivated me. I listened to what he had to say and more than one time I surprised him with my knowledge when it came to science and its history. Edward was quiet most of the time, playing with my hair, but I could tell that he carefully studied how I interacted with the last two members of his family.


When my inner clock told me that it was about in the middle of the day Esme suddenly rose from her spot next to her husband, effectively ending all conversation.

"Edward, why don´t you show Bella around the house? Meanwhile I can cook you some dinner dear, you must be hungry. Is there anything special that you would like?" She was directing the last part to me and a strange feeling rushed through me. No one had ever asked me what I wanted, and the last years I had spent with Renee I had been the one cooking. Of course Phil had questioned her sudden skill when it came to cooking, but he hadn't argued with her when she had told him she had taken a class.

"You shouldn't have to cook for me Esme; I can make something quick myself." I told her as politely as I could, not wanting to offend her. But she didn´t seem angry, instead both she had Carlisle was staring at me, baffled.

"You cook?" Carlisle was the first one to recover and a very interested tone had crept into his voice.

"Yes I have been cooking everything we ate at my mother's house since eight years back in time." I told him. I noticed that Edward and his parents shared a quick look. What was that about?

"You are quest Bella and I would be more than happy to make you something to eat, I have never used the kitchen so it is about time I got the chance too." Esme told me and this time I accepted her offer. The way she rushed into the kitchen was pretty amusing; I never thought a vampire that didn´t have to eat would be so happy having the chance cooking. Edward and Carlisle seemed to find her action funny as well since Edward chuckled while Carlisle shook his head smiling.

"I will go and call Alice telling her that they can come back from their hunt when their done. Have fun." Carlisle said before he left the room and walked up the stairs. When we were alone I let out the breath I had been holding all this time and relaxed into Edward who gave me small kiss before he rose, me in his arms, and putting me down on the ground taking my hand.

He showed me the entire house, all three floors and the giant garage. His tour ended in his room where he now was nervously standing in the door way as I walked around, my hand tracing all of the music records which covered a whole wall. The moment I had walked inside his room I had known it was the favorite part of the house. There was something simple about it that I liked, not the extreme environment I had felt in the room that Rosalie and Emmett shared.

"I love it, it is really you." I turned around and felt how Edward´s tense muscles relaxed a little. "But when it comes to colors I have no idea what it looks like, you will have to talk with Alice about that."

"She has already had her say when it comes to colors, trust me." Edward told me bitterly and I laughed at the tone in his voice. Then suddenly I was in the air, thrown over Edward´s shoulder.

"You think that is funny do you? Well maybe I would say to Alice that you have expressed a want to go shopping with her?" I could hear the laugh in his voice and still laughing I started to beg him for mercy when he put me down at the chouch and started tickling me!

"I surrender… please… White flag… Edward please" I managed to get out through my laughter and to my relief he listened. I was still breathing heavily when he kissed me, my need for breathing long gone. Our lips moved eagerly against each other and Edward´s hand traveling over my body made it feel as if I was on fire.

"Dinner is ready!" Esme´s voice made us fly apart, both of us staring wide eyed at the other breathing deeply. Then something hit me. Vampire hearing: meaning easily being able to pick all kind of sounds coming from inside this house.

"God." I mumbled quietly feeling how my cheeks burned with embarrassment, hiding my face with my hair. Then I felt Edward's cold hand moving it away from my face, looking lovingly at me and I realized that I didn´t care what his family thought about of me. I would be more than okay as long as I had him.

Esme´s food was delicious to say at least. That she didn´t spend hours and hours in the kitchen perfecting her skills was really hard believe, even to me who knew that she had no reason to cook. When I had told her this she had simply laughed and told me that it was nothing, but I could tell she was happy and a little proud from succeeding. When I nearly had finished my meal I felt a familiar shape moving fast in the direction of the Cullen´s house. One minute later Emmett burst through the front doors, a huge smile spreading on his face when his eyes landed on me sitting on the living room couch.

"Bellie!" He bellowed out his nickname for me before he run through the room sweeping me up from the ground in a big bear hug. He spun me around before he sat me down on the ground again, now giving me my chance to gain my balance. At least he had learned something from the time I tripped.

"Good to see you to Em." I said to him, giving him hug as well, a much smaller and weaker one. "But you saw me at Friday in school, you couldn´t possibly have missed me so much in that small period of time."

"Ohh but when you cannot sleep you has nothing to do and when you have nothing to do time moves slower my little friend." Emmett told me making his voice sounding like an old man sharing his wisdom with his students.

"Oh really? And I who thought that you were very busy every night." I said with a dry, teasing tone. But before Emmett had time to replay something ran straight into me.

"Bella! I have missed you. I knew things were going to work out, and I was right, but still I was a little worried when I saw that you were considering not meeting mom and dad today for a second, so I was happy when..."

"Alice, give Bella some room to breathe, you are suffocating her." Rosalie had walked into the room along with Jasper and had now placed her hand on Alice shoulder, giving her a small glare. I felt how Alice glared back at her sister but she let go off me after giving me a wink, telling me she wasn't done yet. I smiled at her, always Alice.

"Emmett has been going on about meeting you all morning Bella and it is always good to see you." Rose said giving me a gentler hug than Alice had done.

"Good to see you as well Rose." I said to her. Jasper just gave me a small nod which I returned. I didn´t like that Jasper was avoiding me, but I knew why and I understood his concern for hurting me. I just hoped he soon would realize that here was nothing to be afraid of and that I trusted him completely.

"So what have you been up to while we were gone?" Emmett asked as he threw himself down in the love seat, grabbing a hold of Rosalie as he did so and lacing her in his lap. Esme gave him a tiered look when the floor protested loudly under his weight and the rest of the family seemed annoyed as well. It made me wonder how many things Emmett broke in a day.

"Edward had showed me around the house, which is absolutely wonderful Esme." I remembered Edward had told me that Esme had designed the whole house, and she obviously had a great talent.

"So which room was your favorite, mine and Rosie's right?" Emmett asked smug.

"Actually no it was not my favorite. Carlisle's study must have been my favorite, along with Edward´s." I added when I noticed that Edward frowned next to me, but then leaned forward and gave kissed me in the forehead. I blushed deeply since I knew his family was watching but none of them seemed to care. Then something hit me and I turned to Carlisle.

"In your study I noticed a painting, it was of four people. Three of them I didn't recognize but I could tell that you were the fourth person on the painting. May I ask who they are?" The silence which followed my question was really uncomfortable. All of the Cullens were staring at me wide eyed, even Edward who knew most about my heightened senses. First now I realized how stupid it had been to ask. How could a blind girl see a painting? And how could she possibly be able to explain that she had felt the drawings from the brush? Then followed the lines and putting them together so I had been able to distinguish Carlisle on the painting?

"How did you know Carlisle was on that painting?" Edward finally whispered and I winced at the confused and hurt tone in his voice.

"You didn´t answer my question." I just whispered back. I felt how Rosalie was about to say anything but she was silenced by one look from Carlisle. He might be her father, but he still was the leader of their coven and family.

"Bella" I looked up "I think I speak for all of us when I say that we trust you and I know that Edward have shared his past with you. A past you have accepted. The three men on that painting also belong to the past, but to my own. Both I and Esme consider you a part of our family, and I know my children do as well. We are ready to share our secrets with you, but only if you can open up and tell us yours as well."

For a long time I didn´t say anything. He was right, of course he was right. It wasn´t fair they would open up; tell me everything, if I continued to shut them out. It didn't work that way and I knew that. If I kept on doing that in the end this wouldn´t work and I would lose the people I had began caring so much for. Finally I nodded my head and Carlisle gave me an encouraging smile before he began to tell me his story: followed by Esme, Rosalie, Emmett Alice and finally Jasper.

It must have gone hours before they were all done, but not once did I feel that lost my interest of what they had to tell. Each and every one of their stories was unique and all of them had gone through a lot of pain. Some before they were changed like Esme and Rosalie, while had gone through hell as he served in the vampire wars. I was extremely fascinated by his story and listened more carefully then I had done with the others. When I noticed that he left something out I would stop him in his story and ask him to not leave anything out.

I could tell that his past haunted him and that it was something he wasn´t proud of, what I didn´t understand though was why the rest of his family couldn't fully understand what he had been through. Because I could tell that they listened with interest, but they didn´t seem to notice the changes I did in Jasper when he told his story. When he was done I could tell that if he had been a human he would have been completely worn out, drained from all energy. So I ignored all the warnings I had heard and rose from my place next Edward and gave warped my arms around him in a hug. At first he tensed more than I thought possible, his family mirroring his reaction, but when I didn´t let him go he slowly relaxed before he returned the hug.

When I let go of him he gave me a warm smile which I returned. The message was clear to me and I knew that he understood I understood him. Then I realized it was my turn and the smile disappeared from my face. I walked over to the windows which covered the whole wall and started out at the forest. I felt how the leaves moved slowly in what must be soft wind.

Did I want to tell the Cullens about my past? Yes I did. I wanted to share my past with them just as they had done with me. But most importantly I didn´t want there to be any secrets between me and Edward. I wanted to know him inside and out, and I knew he wanted the same. But I had promised all those years ago not speak about what had happened, if I wasn´t given permission to do so. Renee had pretty much found out about my secret, just as Sam had, so my vow had never been broken.

Just as I had decided on what to do, I felt a small creature landing on the Cullens porch. Surprised I felt how the creature nodded it´s head, making a showing motion with its hands telling me to turn around. Relief and gratitude flooded through me as I silently thanked the small creature outside, which gave me a big smile before it once again disappeared. With new confidence I turned around, facing the Cullens and studying their expressions before I finally began telling my story.


Edward´s POV
Calling this morning chaotic was an understatement. First I had been forced to face Alice who had been literally bouncing up and down when I got home. Everything had become even worse when I noticed that the whole family had been awaiting my arrival as well since Alice had told them everything about her visions. For at least fifteen minutes Alice had been throwing questions at me and out of those I answered two.

Are you and Bella a couple now? - Yes.

Do you love her? – Yes.

After that not a single out of her questions had been answered, making my little sister more and more annoyed. So when I had heeded towards the door she had been standing in my way, telling me she wouldn´t move unless I gave her some information. In the end I had been forced to ask Esme for help telling her I was being late picking up Bella and my mother had dragged Alice away telling her that it was very rude of her not to leave her brother alone and that she would take Alice credit card if she didn´t give Bella and me the privacy we needed.

Then it had been the incident at Bella´s house. I had just parked my car when I had heard an ear pricing scream coming from inside the house and my instincts had totally taken over. It wasn´t until I had already thrown the bathroom door open and checked if my love was okay that I realized she wasn´t wearing any cloths. Frozen in a daze I hadn´t been able to think a single rational thought before Bella had covered herself up with the towel. I had been able to stammer out a weak apology before I had walked into Bella´s room, still not thinking logical.

I had been extremely embarrassed and felt like a total duchbag, thinking that my angel soon would come into her room. She would tell me that I was an asshole, a perverse dickhead and that she never would want to see me again. Therefore I had quickly escaped to the living room, wanting to spend some more time in her presence. Her reaction though turned out to be the total opposite of what I thought and in that second I loved her even more than before. That she had been delicately dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans; a white tank top and an open black and white shirt didn´t help either since the jeans hugged all of her curves perfectly.

When we had drove to my house I had noticed that Bella seemed to be extremely nervous and I had done my best to make her feel better, to calm down. Once she had been introduced to my parents though the nervousness was long gone and her normal comfortable presence had returned. As it turned out Bella got along perfectly well with both Carlisle and Esme, who both was just as enchanted by my angel as the rest of us after only a few minutes. I found great pleasure in watching how they interacted and reading the thoughts of my parents. They agreed on that Bella was an amazing person and many times Esme forgot Bella wasn´t a part of our world since she talked so freely about it.

After some time Esme had suddenly remembered that Bella had to eat, but when she had asked Bella what she wanted for dinner, neither of my parents had been prepared for my loves answer. They didn´t know she could cook and hadn´t expected her to be able neither since she was blind. No matter how curios Carlisle was though he hadn´t said anything when Esme insisted on cooking Bella´s lunch. Instead he had just been amused to see his mate's joy when she finally got the chance to use our kitchen.

Showing Bella around the house had been… interesting. She didn't enter any room except Carlisle's study and my bedroom. Seeing her just standing in the doorway for a few seconds before she nodded her head and maybe asking a question or two before she looked eagerly at me for showing her the rest of the house was a very strange experience. When she then finally showed any interest in a room I didn´t want to rush her. I saw for my inner vision how she had floated through my father´s study, her hand travelling over the books which stood in the bookshelves, an excited look on her face. I had noticed how her hand had lingered on the painting of my father and the Volturi leaders before I took her hand and lead her to my room.

I had been really nervous, I had never really showed my room to anyone ever before. Not even out friends from the Denali coven had seen it since we hadn´t seen them for two years now. Sometimes Alice had gotten visions of Tanya coming for a visit, but she had always changed her mind before she even left Alaska. When I had seen Bella enter my room though I had relaxed and enjoyed seeing her there, it looked right. She belonged here, she didn´t look misplaced as she slowly walked through my room examining it. Instead the white and golden colors which had been chosen for my room seemed to make her skin sparkle and a golden light to reflect in her eyes.

The kiss we had shared in my room seemed ages ago now when my whole family was gathered in the living room and just had told our life stories to my lobe that had risen from her spot on the couch to hug Jasper before she had turned her attention to the setting sun outside. She had been quiet and frozen looking out the windows for so long that we all had started to doubt if she was ever going to tell us her story. Then she let out a deep breath and it looked as she somehow was giving up. She looked up at the ceiling, closing her eyes as a small sliver tear appeared in the corner of her right eye. I was a second from running over to her and take her in my arms when I saw the grateful smile which spread over her lips. She opened her white blind eyes, turning around, and it felt as if they were studying our faces trying to read our expressions. When the first words finally left her mouth her voice was low and softer, with great power under the surface.

"My past. I can begin with saying I will be forever grateful to those who turned me into what I am today. Even though the change went wrong and I was ready to end my life which was the same everlasting darkness." Bella had wrapped her arms around her body as if she was trying to find some strength to continue.

"You see I was born blind. My parents have told me that they knew the moment I was born that I was going to be different. I screamed like a normal child, but I refused to open my eyes and when I finally did they knew immediately that I had no sight. They have told me that I just started right in front of me, my pupils not even reacting to light. It was like the eyes of a dead man. Unfortunately, my blindness caused a crack between my parents.

Charlie wanted to stay here in Forks, help me to get to know the environment so I could get a somewhat normal life. Renee on the other hand wanted to protect me from everything, not listing to the doctors when they said that I could get a pretty normal life if my parents were willing to help me and allow me some freedom. When Renee couldn´t find any support here in Forks she decided to leave, and just three months after I was born she packed all of our things and left when Charlie was at work. Only leaving him a note saying that Forks was not right for her and that she was taking me with her since it was her right as a mother and she didn´t believe Charlie could take care of me." When Bella told us that her mother just had left Chief Swan behind Esme let out a audible sob, not being able to understand how anyone could take another person's child away.

"After that I don´t know what happened really, since I was too young to remember and my parents refuse to talk about it, but I know that Charlie somehow traced me and mom down before he went to a lawyer. In the end it was decided that I was going to spend the summers here in Forks with Charlie and then live with Renee for the rest of the year. It was…. difficult to live with my mother sometimes, she has always been a free spirited person and we moved around a lot. That was really hard for me since each time it took me a few months before I was able to move around freely in our new house.

The summers were what I looked forward to the whole year" A soft smile spread over Bella´s lips "Charlie would always be free from work the weeks when I was here and we would go fishing with the Blacks or hiking in the woods. Charlie allowed me to play with Billy Black´s daughters and son, Jacob who you have met. He even taught me how to swim and I was happy, it didn´t feel as if I needed my sight at all."

It was warming me up on the inside to see the happy look on Bella´s face when she looked back at her childhood. It was just that this picture of her father didn't fit the picture my family had gotten of Chief Swan. So what had changed him from the perfect father to someone who wouldn´t even want his daughter to walk out the door? As if Bella had heard my thoughts her face turned more serious and her eyes which had been shining turned duller.

"Back then I still called Renee and Charlie for mom and dad. But I never called them that again after I turned eight. Renee had gotten a new boyfriend just a month after I turned eight and I didn't like him one bit. I think that was because he didn't like me either, he thought that I was a burden for my mother and he tried to talk Renee into sending me to Charlie more times than I can count. Every time Renee would tell him that I was her daughter and that I belonged with her, but the only time when I truly wanted her to say no she said yes.

It was one week before Christmas when her boyfriend came bursting through the door, telling Renee that he had bought to tickets to a cruise over Christmas. Renee was extremely happy until I asked her if I was going as well. I remember that she crouched down to my level and told me that I was going to spend Christmas in Forks. Never had I felt so betrayed. She had promised that we would spend Christmas together as we did every year. That this man was not going to change that. And still just a few days later after she had made her promise I was sitting alone on a plane towards Forks."

A few tears escaped Bella´s eyes but before I had time to comfort her Esme had risen from her seat and walked over to my angel, warping her arms around her. Carefully my mom guided Bella back to the couch where she sat down next to Carlisle, Esme sitting down at her other side still her arm around Bella´s shoulders. Esme was trying to understand how Renee had been able to leave Bella behind while Rose was thinking of ways to punish Bella´s mother for not taking care of her child. After a little while Bella drew in a shaky breath and continued.

"When I finally had arrived here it wasn't so bad really. Charlie was really excited about finally having me over for Christmas and even though I was sad we soon fell into the same happy atmosphere as always. Charlie never brought up the fact that Renee just had left. Instead he made sure that we did all the Christmas decorations together; dressing the Christmas tree and all that. Then on Christmas Eve he had invited the Blacks over and we all celebrated together. It was actually my best Christmas ever, but it wouldn't stay that way." Bella was looking down at her hands which she twisted in her lap and we were all awaiting her to continue.

"After Christmas I was supposed to be reunited with Renee but the same day I would have been taking the plane back to where we lived Charlie came into my room while I did my best packing. He then told me that Renee had called and said that she was visiting her new boyfriend's family and couldn't take me home. That kind of was the final straw for me. I knew that it wasn't Charlie's fault but still I screamed at him and blamed him for what had happened. Then I ran out of the house and I think Charlie was too shocked to follow me because he didn't.

It was snowing and it was really cold, but I remember that I didn´t care. Instead I just kept on walking deeper and deeper into the forest, the tears flowing down my cheeks. I remember that I fell countless of times and sometimes I even walked into a few trees. I don't know for how long I had walked when my legs suddenly just gave up under me and I fell down in the snow. My whole body was shaking from the cold and my muscles were hurting. Around me the temperature just kept on dropping and I realized that it was starting to become night. Then I heard something close to me." Bella did a small pause and we were all holding our breaths. In my mind a thousand of different thoughts were spinning, all telling me it was something dangerous my love had met in the forest. Still she was sitting in front of me wasn't she?

"It sounded almost like a human in pain" Bella continued "and for some strange reason I felt that it needed my help. So I crawled over to the place that the sound came from while searching for something, anything, in the snow. Finally I felt my fingers colliding with feathers and I allowed my hands to travel over the creature lying on the ground. It was a bird, an eagle I think, and after a while I felt something warm on my fingers coming from its chest. I felt from the smell that it was blood and for some reason I forgot about my own situation and started helping the poor bird. I had gotten quite a record of injuries so I kind of knew what need to be done." At this she smiled an ironic smile as if remembering an inside joke.

"Anyway, somehow we both survived that night. It almost felt as the forest itself was protecting us and it would turn out that was pretty much the truth." Bella seemed lost in her own memories and was quiet for a long time.

"What did you mean with that the forest was protecting you?" Carlisle finally asked and Bella seemed to once again awaken.

"Well I don't really know how to explain it, or if any of you are going to believe me, but when the morning came and I awoke there was someone sitting in the snow, watching me. I think she was a young woman, at least something told me that she was, and the bird was resting in her lap. She thanked me for saving it and then she looked at me for a while before she told me that she could help me if I trusted her and for some reason I did. She gave me something warm to drink and I allowed her to touch my eyes. When she did it was as if the whole world around me twisted, for a moment it felt as if I wasn't a part of this world anymore, as if I was floating and then I could… well… suddenly feel almost everything; The trees, her, the bird and the snow. I could smell every sent and I could feel the presence of everything living around me.

The woman told me the way back home, but made me promise to never tell anyone about this and I never have before. Sam, one of the wolves, was the boy who found me in the forest all those years ago. Charlie had asked the Billy and his friends to help looking for me and Sam saw me walking around which made him figure out that there was something different about me. We bonded deeply after that and he became the brother I never had. But the event also changed Charlie, he thought he had lost me and became extremely overprotective, he even allowed Renee to take me away again despite I didn't want to leave again and go back living with Renee.

Living with Renee also turned out to be more difficult than ever. She wouldn't allow me to do anything and even hired an assistant. I tried to make her understand that I now could sense the world around me and take care of myself but she wouldn't listen. It broke me down and in the end I actually tried to take my own life." Bella draw up the arms of her sweater and visible on her pale arms two scares were easily seen on her wrists. None of us knew how to react and I was shaking, knowing how close I had been to losing her.

"Renee found me in time and I became better. But when I came home from the hospital we had a huge fight and without thinking I dodged every piece of furniture in our new house and ran up to my new room, slamming the door shut behind me. After that Renee understood and life became good again. The rest you know." Bella shrugged her shoulders at the end, all of us still staring at her. Rosalie was the first to speak.

"So this is what you meant in the cafeteria? When you said you knew how I felt?" Bella, who had been looking at her hands, looked up and her eyes looked with my sisters. Bella then reached forward and took Rosalie´s hands in her own.

"I told you, you are not alone. I have always lived in darkness, but I had never experienced it before that period of my life. It was eating me up, slowly sucking the life out of me. When I tried to end my life there was nothing left inside of me, only a black hole with no hope. But I learned to battle my demons, just like you have started to learn now." Bella gave Rose a small smile before she let go of her hands and leaned back in the sofa, closing her hands. It was so surreal that even after the story Bella had told us she was still comforting us. That was when I realized Bella didn´t needed vampire strength; she had been broken and come back. She was stronger than any of us could ever be, because her strength was her mind.

When I was sure Bella wasn´t going to say anything else I moved forward and wrapped my arms around her, lifting her from the couch and she buried her face into my chest.

"Don't you even dare ever hurting yourself in any way ever again." I whispered to her breathing in her scent, still terrified from her story.

"I won't, I was just so depressed and I felt so lonely. I had none who understood and it felt as if I had no family. I am so sorry." She whispered back to me.

"Bella" The soft voice of my mother was heard from behind us and my love turned around in my arms looking at my family with watering eyes. I could feel their thoughts and I felt how warmth spread in my chest. Esme rose from the couch and took Bella's hand in her own, looking into her with eyes.

"Bella, I can see how my son feels for you, what all of you children see in you. They see a sister and Carlisle and I see a daughter, we all love you for who you are. As long as you want, you will always have a place in this family. You will always be welcome."


Bella's POV

Suddenly I felt cold arms wrap around me, not just one pair but six more. I felt that tears were still streaming down my cheeks, but not from sorrow. For the first time I was somewhere where I was truly accepted, in a family where I wasn't different. I was just me and I also realized something. For the first time in my life I truly felt home, but most importantly, I felt that I would never, ever, be alone again.


So please tell me what you think, this is one of the most important chapters so I really need to know!

Hopefully I will be able to update soon, but is not sure.

/Love Lysistrate