AN: Here is the next installment. I didn't really get much reviews last chapter, though I did get a lot of hits. Please, don't be shy! Hearing any of your opinions really makes all of this worth it. For those of you who continuously review each and every chapter, thank you so much! I really enjoyed hearing what you guys thought of the revelation of Bella's past! Knowing that anyone has interest in this story seriously makes me happy. And thank you to everyone who has added this story to Alert or their Favorites list. :D

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Let me know what you think!


- Chapter 10 –

He was silent as I told him the story, waiting patiently for me to finish, listening to my every word. Some parts were harder to explain than others, and the rest felt impossible, but somehow I managed to articulate the darkness and pain into words. Edward's hands never left my body. His palms rubbed my back to soothe me when my voice would choke at the overwhelming points, and he dotted light kisses on my fingers, encouraging me to continue. As I reached the end of the story, my chest heaved with dry sobs. I tried blinking my eyes, hoping the tears would fall, lubricating my pain, but they never came.

Edward wrapped me in his arms as I tried to calm my emotional outburst. As my breathing slowed, the pained hiccups silenced, and I rolled to look up at Edward's face. He greeted me with a soft, glowing expression, and I was confused. I just told him my darkest, most painful secret, tainting me forever in his eyes, and all he could do was smile at me?

"You're an angel," he finally spoke, stroking his long fingers down my cheek.

"What do you mean?" I blinked up at him.

"The fact that you even think I could hate you for that just proves to me more there is not a monstrous bone in your body."

I closed my eyes tight and vehemently shook my head, "No, Edward, don't. I… I killed someone."

Opening my eyes, I found Edward's face twisted in pain and anger as he looked away from me, "That was not someone, Bella. I have lived a long time, and have known many, many cruel and twisted people. But this is a whole new level of evil."

"But you even said yourself, who are we to decide who lives and who dies," a dry sob ballooned in my chest again, and I swallowed deeply, trying to force it down.

"This is completely different!" Edward's voice rose, and I jumped. Feeling my reaction, he squeezed me tighter to his chest and whispered "Sorry" in my ear. Quieting his voice, he continued, "My murders were from a selfish place. I used vigilantism as an excuse, combing through the streets finding anyone who fit my judgmental code. You were acting out of self defense and liberating those women that were being tortured for who knows how long."

"They just lied there," I whispered, remembering their empty expressions. "I don't understand why he would do that to them… how he could do that to them. And why I was somehow different."

"He must have had a disabling power. Clearly he was their maker, but any new born can easily over power an older vampire unless they are an experience fighter or has some kind of extra sensory advantage. There is no way he could keep them as he did without one."

"And it didn't work on me."

"No, it didn't. Thank goodness," he squeezed me closer to his chest, and I nuzzled my face against his shirt.

"I didn't understand what had happened to me," I continued. "If I would have known I could have gotten away all along, I would have left right then."

"I know, love," he stroked the ends of my hair. A tiny smile crept on my face as my world view suddenly brightened at his words. It almost felt wrong to be pulled out of such a dark place by such a simple pet name, but I warmly embraced the opportunity.

Hungry to completely forget, I thought about Edward's soft lips and how they danced across mine only hours before. I lifted my head away from his chest, looking up at his face staring down at me in concern. My lips were on his before I had any second thoughts.

Kissing Edward was slowly developing into my new favorite past time. He filled my senses all at once, and there was no room for anything else, especially not any black-shaded memories of red-eyed monsters and carcasses. I tangled my fingers through his messy hair, pulling him as close as I could, while latching my lips onto his, desperately trying to tell him not to let go. Edward heard the message loud and clear, responding with equal intensity. He lifted my waist, our chest pressing together as our tongues met, frantically burying all that was wrong in the world and wrong with us.

I hooked my leg around his waist, trying to get him as close as possible. His hand tentatively traced the back of my knee, and I longed for it to move a little higher. I relaxed my entire body, allowing Edward to sink against me as I opened myself up to him. I had bared my soul, and now I wanted Edward to finally take me as his mate, forever sealing our immortal bond. Edward's hesitant hand had now ventured to the top of my thigh, tracing circles up and down the denim. I squeezed my legs together, pressing Edward's thin hips into mine. He paused, his open mouth hovering over my own as a tiny groan slipped out. Feeling encouraged, I wrapped my other leg around him as well, hooking my ankles together and trapping his body against me. Every inch of him was now pressing into my body, a new pleasure beginning to heat underneath my skin. I captured his lips again, pushing my way through whatever wall was left between us. Just as I felt his firm hardness pressing into me intimately, he pulled away from the embrace.

Panting above me, the sun forming a halo around his disarrayed hair, he stared down at me and said, "I think maybe we should head back."

He pushed himself off the ground, dusting the grass off of his pants. His movements seemed disjointed, and he turned away from me as if he were hiding something. I sat up, my body still reeling from the excitement of our closeness. My arms and legs felt empty without Edward inbetween them, and the sting of the rejection began to settle in.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out, embarrassment clouding my vision.

"For what?" His eyes widened, taking in my dejected state.

"For being so… so forward," I gave a half smile, trying my best to not seem so pathetic.

Edward crouched down on his knees, crawling over to me again, "Bella, no." He cupped my face in his large palms, lifting my head up to meet his eyes.

"Shit," he murmered. Whatever he saw in them, he wasn't too pleased with himself. "I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't mean for it to come across that way."

"Well how was it supposed to come across?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't smash my heart into a million pieces.

Edward held his head low, grabbing both of my hands resting in my lap. He rubbed circles with his thumbs across my knuckles.

"Most girls seem to worry about taking things too fast," he began to explain. "I didn't want you to feel any pressure."

"I guess I'm not most girls," I replied, looking down at our joined hands. I could sense Edward turning his eyes up at my admission. My face felt flushed, and I began to worry that maybe my characteristic blush had come back to haunt me, even after my change.

I sucked in a breath, feeling that it was either now or never to get this off my chest. "Edward, I love you. And I want to be with you forever." My voice sounded sure and confidant, but on the inside, I was trembling. "I want us to be mates, like Alice and Jasper or Carlisle and Esme."

The honey rich color of Edward's eyes melted as he took in my words, a breath-taking smile washing his insecure expression away.

"I love you, too," he leaned forward, planting a kiss on my lips. He kept his forehead resting against mine as he continued, "And we will be together, forever. There is no turning back."

"Well then there is nothing for me to worry about," I let out a small, reassuring giggle. "Other girls… human girls, they worry about the forever part. That's what's holding them back. But with you, I have no worries. I only have myself to give to you."

He kissed me again and this time I reciprocated, trying to convey to him that I meant every word of it. When our mouths untwined, he pecked my cheeks and neck, making sure every patch of skin felt his gratitude. His strong arms wrapped around my body, pulling me into a lover's embrace. We sat underneath the afternoon sun, holding each other until Edward spoke again.

"I'm not sure how to do any of this," he chuckled, pulling away to give me a bashful, warning look.

"Me either," I smiled. "We'll figure it out, though. In our own way."

We returned to the house with a new playful spring in our step. Edward decided he was going to race me back to the house, which was sorely interrupted by me shoving him into a bush once I caught up with him. He was after me within milliseconds, gaining speed as I tried pushing myself faster towards the house. Though my newborn legs were powerful, they just weren't enough to keep me ahead for long. Edward tackled me right as we entered the front lawn, pinning me beneath him as he began to poke my sides.

"Owe, owe, owe!" I chanted, squealing as he tickled me.

"Owe?" He shifted to my underarms. "You can't say owe! It doesn't hurt."

A loud crash of a window breaking interrupted my torture, and a white box went soaring through the air, black wires tethered to it like long snakes. The box landed just to our right, breaking open on impact, revealing a large computer mother board. I looked more closely, noticing the familiar shape and symbols on the white casing. It was an Xbox.

Edward and I rushed inside, finding Emmett sprawled out face down on the couch of the TV room, with Jasper standing triumphantly over him.

"Do I even want to ask?" I voiced the question out loud, looking to Edward for an explanation.

"Emmett is pissed Jasper beat him at Halo ten times in a row."

Angry footsteps pummeled their way from the backyard into the house. I turned to see a new and scary Esme I had never encountered before. The sweet, loving woman had vanished and a new killer mother was looking for blood.

"Emmett McCarty Cullen!" She yelled, pushing past us to face her victim. "Did you break another one of my windows?"

"I'll fix it later," he groaned, his deep voice muffled by the couch cushions.

"No, what you're going to do is drive 30 miles to the nearest hardware store, buy a new window and fix it yourself, right now!"

Esme coolly turned, sashaying away. Emmett lifted his head, a pronounced pout jutting his bottom lip out.

"Come on, I'll go with you," Jasper offered in an effort to show some sportsmanship. Emmett glared up at his adopted brother, clearly still not over whatever duel had just occurred between them, but stood up, accepting his offer anyways.

As they walked by us, Jasper met my eyes, tipping his head in greetings towards me. The scars peppering his face stood out to me more now than usual. I saw my red-eyed demon, the same scars carved into his sinister features, revealing the brutality of his nature. An unearthly chill ran down my spine as the two boys walked out the front door. I realized I didn't really know anything about Jasper's past, other than he was changed during the Civil War and met Alice almost a century later. I now knew I had to know everything about Jasper, especially how he got those scars and what it could possibly have to do with the monster I destroyed.

"Are you okay?" Edward poked his head into my field of vision, concern stitched across his handsome features.

"Yeah," I blinked, realizing I had zoned out. "Sorry, just got lost in my thoughts for a second."

"What were you thinking about?"

I considered asking Edward. I was certain he would know plenty, but for some reason, I felt that Jasper had to be the one to tell me. If his scars had any connection to my creator, its possible Jasper might have known him from somewhere, and he could tell me what I was exactly dealing with.

"It's nothing," I smiled back at him.

Alice bounded down the steps, saving me from any further questions from a-not-so-convinced Edward.

"Hiya, lovebirds," she grinned from ear to ear, patting a place next to her on the couch. Edward guided us over to her, and I noticed I had been squeezing his hand unusually hard. That's probably what tipped him off.

"So how is life after your dear sister Alice so brilliantly brought you two together?" Alice gestured dramatically to herself, her voice taking on a whimsical tone.

"You didn't get us together," Edward shook his head. "It would have happened sooner or later."

"At the rate you work, Edward Cullen," Alice snapped her tongue. "You could count on much, much later."

"You have news," Edward stated, steering the conversation in another direction.

"I do," Alice nodded her head. "The Denalis will be visiting in a few days to see how Bella is doing."

Her announcement took me a little bit by surprise. I hadn't even thought much about the Denalis since I arrived. A warm glow filled my spirit, and I realized it would be nice seeing them again. Almost like when family would come to visit me and Renee. Edward, however, frowned, shaking his head, clearly not agreeing with the sentiment

"Don't worry," Alice swatted her hand in his direction. "Now that you're with Bella, Tanya will steer clear of openly flirting with you. At least… I haven't seen her doing it yet."

Edward rolled his eyes while I sat dumbstruck at this revelation. Tanya also had slipped my mind. I suddenly felt sick to my stomach with the idea of her arriving in her blonde, supreme glory. I wouldn't trade nor compromise my relationship with Edward for anything, but I just knew she would not be happy seeing this development, and I was more than positive that anger would be directed at me.

I had more important problems to deal with now, though. Figuring out the secrets of my past and seducing my vampire boyfriend was enough to worry about.


Forks, Washington

Charlie Swan threw his keys down on the dining room table. The house had stayed just like he left it, maybe a little cleaner. Sue had been keeping it up for him for the past year, even after her husband Harry died of a heart attack. A pang of guilt twisted in Charlie's chest. Here he was, not even sure if his little girl was dead or alive, lost out of his mind and Sue was still taking care of him.

He walked over to the answering machine, seeing that he only had two messages waiting for him. Everybody who lived in Forks knew he had left, so it didn't surprise him he had so little after a year of being gone. He pressed play, the most recent playing first.

"Hey Charlie, it's Sue. I just wanted to make sure you got back from your flight okay. Call me when you get in."

Charlie picked up the cordless phone, preparing to dial Sue's number when the next message began to play.

"Um… Charlie. It's me, Renee. I – I know you're not even home to hear this, but I needed to tell someone. I see her, Charlie. I see her in my dreams. I see her in everything in the house. Sometimes, I even see her in brown haired girls at the grocery store. Phil thinks I'm going crazy… he wants me to go to a therapist, but I don't think I'm ready for that. I – I just want her back! I'll give anything to have her back! Please… please FIND her!"

The message ended with Renee's broken, heavy sobs, and her hanging up the phone. The automated voice, reciting the day and time revealed she left the message only 2 months after Bella's disappearance.

The dark burden that weighed on his shoulders every day pushed harder against on his body. He rubbed his hands across his scruffy beard, trying to push out Renee's desperate plea from his mind. He made her a promise that he would find her, and he had failed. He did everything 20 years of police work had taught him and tried everything he could to learn how to do more. He still came up with nothing. Not even one fucking clue.

Out of habit, he wobbled over to the refrigerator, looking inside for a beer. Of course, there was nothing. No one had been here to stock up the fridge, and he certainly knew Sue was not a fan of his drinking habit. Closing the door, he leaned against the kitchen counter, breathing heavily. The walls felt suffocating, the dark shadows forming a box around him. He needed to get out of there. Sue would just have to wait.

Speeding down the highway at 11 o'clock at night, Charlie considered heading to the liquor store to buy a six pack. But then he remembered it was Sunday and Waylon closed the store at 10. He instead pulled into the only bar in Forks, recognizing the few cars parked out front as belonging to the local alcoholics he sometimes had to drive home in the middle of the night. He guessed in a way, he had become one of them.

Slinking inside, he held his head down low, taking a seat at the bar. So far, no one noticed him, as they guzzled over their pitchers in their own corners of the bar. Larry, the bartender Charlie had known since they went to high school together, turned to him.

"What are you having buddy?"

"Uh, a pitcher of Vitamin R," Charlie grunted, folding his hands in front of him.

"You got it," Larry turned around to grab a pitcher from under the bar. He paused, turning around to look at Charlie again.

"Chief?" He said. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, Larry," Charlie gave a half-hearted smile. "It's me."

"When did you get back in town?"

"Tonight. Just decided to stop buy and get a drink since I don't have any in my own fridge."

"Well it's good to see you," Larry's face turned to the familiar shade of pity Charlie had become accustomed to seeing. "Any leads on your girl?"

He shook his head, wishing Larry would just get him his beer already. He didn't really want to talk about this. Not now. "No, I wasn't able to find anything down there."

Larry nodded his head, his eyes expressing a sadness that made Charlie's stomach turn. "You'll find her, Chief. Now, how about I get you that Vitamin R? Think of it as a welcome home present, on the house."

Charlie nodded his head and thanked him, exhaling his breath when Larry turned around again.

From the back corner of the bar, a tall man dressed in a black, casual suit, stood up from his booth, making his way over to Charlie. Charlie studied him as he approached, knowing he was not a resident of the tiny town, at least not when he had left. He noticed he was strangely pale, a pale that stroked a memory that he couldn't quite bring to the surface just yet. He wore large sunglasses over his eyes, even though the bar only had dim light, and the sun had been set for hours. His hair, jet black, was greased back in a way he hadn't seen a man wear in decades, which displaced him even more from the small country town setting.

The smile the man wore as he approached him made Charlie uneasy. He could tell it was the stranger's attempt at a friendly gesture, but there wasn't something right about the way he grinned, just like there wasn't something right about the rest of him.

"Are you Chief Police Swan?" he asked, his soft French accent (probably Cajun, he assumed) solidifying for Charlie he was definitely a visitor.

"Former," Charlie clarified.

"Yes, former Chief of Police," The alien grin grew larger. "I'm Mr. Thibodeaux, and I think I can help you find your daughter."


AN2: Dum dum dum dum. I dedicate that ending to southern-angel2589 since you LOVE my cliff hangers. :P Love ya, girl!

Let me know what you guys think in a review! (Tickleward will be sad if you don't. =[ )