I swear my dead heart restarted for a minute as Edward and I continued to stare into each other's eyes, waiting for the other to look away first - or at least, I was waiting for him to back down first.

We might as well have been the only people in the room for all the attention we gave our families as Alice announced it was time for a movie and they all debated what movie to watch first.

Think he's serious?

I jumped when Renesmee's voice entered my mind. I hadn't noticed her casually shifting so our legs barely touched - just enough for her to broadcast her thoughts to me.

Geez, Bella. Calm down.

I tore my gaze away from Edward to glare at her.

So, do you think he's serious? she repeated.

I bit my lip - sharp steel against smooth granite - and shrugged, utterly confused.

It made sense. It fit perfectly with what I had gathered of Edward's character before... the baseball game. He had always said he was the only one who would be strong enough to let go if it became necessary for my safety.

Hesitantly, i nodded.

So do I, she agreed. Jake says the Cullens are planning on having a family meeting after we "fall asleep." Midnight?

I thought it over.

Midnight was late enough that it would make sense for normal humans to fall asleep, but early enough I wouldn't be dying from impatience.

I nodded and Renesmee moved her leg away from mine so she could enjoy the privacy of her own thoughts without anyone else peeking in on them.

Edward's eyes never left my face throughout the silent conversation with my twin and the three movies that followed. Nor did he look away when Carlisle came home from the hospital or when Alice whispered that they needed a meeting and then proceeded to threaten Edward to look away or she would smash his new Vanquish to indistinguishable bits.

Even then, he did not look away.

At five till midnight, Vern and Ben appeared to fall asleep, leaning against each other. Renesmee followed soon after, with Jacob closing his eyes and looking like he was about to fall asleep.

I curled up ten minutes after him and evened my breathing out.

Normally, when I was called upon to fake sleep, I would just slip into my coma-like dream state, but I was curious as to what the Cullens would be talking about.

"They're asleep?" Alice hissed, indignant. "It's only midnight and the're asleep?"

I heard Vern covering a snort with a snore.

"Calm down, Alice," Edward whispered. "They're only human and -"

"Don't," she snarled, interrupting him. "I'm still angry with you and contemplating destroying both of your cars!"

"Why is Alice angry with you, Edward?" Esme asked from the dining room upstairs as her children joined her and Carlisle so that they could talk at a normal volume.

I strengthened my shield around me so that I was invisible again and raced upstairs to see the action.

The Cullens all sat around the antique table; Carlisle at the head with Edward across from him, Esme to his right, a ticked off pixie Alice his left. Annoyed, Jasper sat next to his wife, and across from him, next to Esme, sat a furious Rosalie. And Emmett, his arms folded and glaring menacingly at his brother, stood behind his mate, nostrils flaring in anger.

Alice sneered at Edward as he hung his head in shame.

"I made a mistake, Esme, Carlisle." Edward whispered.

I say their eyes immediately flicker to his, checking for signs of a slip up.

"Mistake?" Rosalie spat. "Emmett, what did Edward say when he came home from the hospital that day?" she asked, stopping Carlisle from questioning his oldest son.

"'Bella and I talked it over and agreed it would be best if she moved to Jacksonville,'" Emmett quoted coldly.

"And?" Jasper prompted while Carlisle and Esme frowned in confusion.

"'She doesn't want to be contacted anymore, she says it will be easier to move on then,'" Edward, Alice, and Emmett said at the same time; their tones ranged from pained to disgusted to cold as ice.

"What does that have to do with why you are all upset now?" Carlisle inquired curiously. "That was Isabella's decision. You said yesterday she married and had a family."

"Was it her decision though?" Alice snarled, rolling her eyes. "Remember how we told you about the new family at school? With the twins who are Bella's grandchildren?" she waited for her parents to nod before continuing. "Well, Bella's granddaughter, Bella, had an interesting story to tell us today."

Edward winced as his siblings retold my story, sparing no detail and not bothering to sugar coat it at all.

When they were done, Carlisle's eyes were hollow while Esme's burned with the fury only a mother who had just met her child's murder could express.

She rattled off something in what I thought was Arabic and her children all winced even though it was obviously directed at Edward.

"You mean... to tell me... that the reason..." her voice was hard as she spat the words out and stood slowly, menacingly. "That we had to leave my daughter wasn't because she was scared of us?! But because you were scared of having to TURN HER?!"

Remind me to never cross Esme, I thought to myself.

Esme was about to launch herself into attacking Edward, but a large, russet colored arm caught her around the waist.

"Whoa there, Mama Vamp," Jacob said, holding her back. "I wouldn't blame Edward too much. He did think he was protecting her."

The Cullens gaped at him, surprised.

Jacob laughed and glanced at Edward as he took the seat next to Rosalie after Esme had resumed her seat. "What? Edward didn't tell you?"

Edward shrugged. "It slipped my mind. I was a bit... distracted that afternoon."

Jacob snorted, "Yeah, distracted flirting with my little sister."

The Cullens all growled at Edward.

"Geez," Jacob winced at the anger behind their growls. "And I thought werewolves head anger issues!"

That got their attention fast, I thought as all the heads but Edward's whipped around to stare at Jacob in shock.

"Werewolf?" Carlisle asked, eyeing my brother. "You are a Quileute shape-shifter?"

"Would explain the wet dog smell," Rosalie muttered.

"Shut up, blondie," Jacob retorted, grinning. He turned to Carlisle. "Jacob Black, sir. Alpha of the pack. You knew my grandfather, Ephraim."

"How... many are there of you?" Carlisle frowned slightly. "We thought the gene that caused the transformation had died out."

"Nah, just has to be triggered by a le- sorry - vampire passing through. But it's been a while since one's been by the rez - your coven being the last. It's only me; my right Leah - the only female to ever phase; and her little bro, Seth. We're the remainders of the pack you lot created the last time you stopped in Forks."

The Cullens gaped at him.

"That was forty years ago," Emmett pointed out.

"You're one to talk. You're what... hundred fifty now?" Jake snorted. "Back to the topic at hand: Eddie-boy leaving Bellers."

Quickly, I dashed up to Alice's room, changed into my outfit from earlier, wiped my makeup off, brushed my hair out, threw in contacts that Renesmee always carried around, and made it downstairs in three seconds - before anyone had replied.

"You know we hate those nicknames," I said lowering my shield just enough for my voice to be audible.

The Cullens gasped in shock, but Jacob, so used to me popping up out of no where, snorted, "Should've known you would be around here somewhere."

I laughed, shimmering into transparent view, "When am I ever far from my granddaughters?"

I turned my silvery-brown gaze on the Cullens smiling softly at their shocked and pained expressions. I looked them each in their eyes as I said their names. "Hello, Carlisle, Esme, Alice Rosalie, Jasper, Emmett..." I finally met Edward's pained, yet ecstatic, eyes. "Edward," I breathed.

"Bella," he breathed back. He tone completely reverent and worshipping.

"Bella!" Alice shrieked, flying at me.

I raised my shield, vanishing into thin air, and hopped to the other side of the room before lowering it again.

"It is best if you do not try to touch me, Alice," I said, apologetically.

She nodded, beaming, then frowned. "But... you're dead!"

"So are you," I pointed out, smiling sadly.

Edward stood slowly. "How is this possible? Isabella said you were dead."

"You aren't the only mythical creature in this world," I dodged his question, gesturing to Jacob who sat calmly in his chair.

"What are you?" Carlisle asked in awed fascination.

"Take a guess," I challenged, curious to hear their thoughts.

"Ghost," Emmett blurted out as Edward whispered, "Angel."

For the second time this night, I could have sworn my heart restarted.

"Yeah, right," Jacob snorted.

I glared at him, annoyed.

"Poltergeist is closer to describing Bella than anything else," he continued.

I rolled my eyes, turning back to the Cullens. "You would figure he would be more grateful to the person who played a key role in his girlfriend's life."

Apparently, Jacob thought it was his turn to roll his eyes, and he did so dramatically.

"Bella," Edward breathed again, looking pained. "Bella, I am so sorry. What I said - In the hospital - I didn't - I couldn't - It was all lies, Bella! I swear. I could never not love you!"

I smiled sadly, "I know. I heard you earlier," I added to his stunned expression. "But, Edward... It is too late for us to go back to what we were. It was never meant to be the way it was. It's time for you to let go of what was and look to what can be."

"NO!" Alice snarled, correctly guessing at the meaning behind my words. "Bella, there is no way on earth that we can allow him to date her!"

I arched an eyebrow at her. "Isn't that for Isabella to decide? Or will you take away her decision?"

That struck a nerve with her and she growled lowly, glaring at her brother. "Fine," she spat. "But I reserve the right to dismember him the second he hurts her. Which he will."

"Do you see that happening?" I asked, smiling.

"No, but I can't see anything around the d- shape-shifter."

I laughed brightly, "I don't think he will. But don't worry, IF he does. you won't be the only one in line. I can assure you of that," I gestured to Jacob who was sizing Edward up.

Alice studied me for a minute. "You've forgiven him already?"

"I've had forty years to do so. The pain had... become numb, but now it is gone."

She nodded and I started to fade away.

"Bella, wait!" Edward stopped me.

"Yes?" I asked, solidifying slightly.

"Isa-Isabella. Sh- she isn't you," he seemed to struggle to find the right words.

"So how can you love her?" I supplied.

He nodded and I smiled, "You know, we're practically the same person. Give her a chance and get to know her." I disappeared quickly, slamming my shield up.

"Bella? Bella!" Edward shouted, sprinting to where I stood, invisible.

I stepped out of his way swiftly and his hands grasped at empty air, searching for me.

"She's crossed over," Jacob breathed, wide-eyed. "She said she wouldn't rest until she'd finished everything, and now... she has." His tone portrayed awe without a hint of the falseness behind it - the result of lying through your teeth for forty years.

"Meaning?" Edward demanded angrily, his eyes still roaming the room for me. Probably hoping to catch me hiding under the table or something.

"She's never coming back."

Edward collapsed to his knees, dry sobbing.

After a few minutes of allowing him to cry, Alice sighed, "Come on. We haven't hunted in a while. We should go before they all wake up."

Emmett and Jasper tugged him off the floor and out the door; the rest of the cullens trailing after them.

As soon as they were out of vampire ear-shot, I materialized, glaring at my brother.

"She's never coming back?" I hissed.

Jacob shrugged as our family joined us in the dining room. "I figured he would let go faster that way."

Renesmee saved me the trouble of doing it and smacked him upside the head. "Idiot, He's gonna be so devastated about Bella being gone that he won't pay any attention to Bella!"

I stared at her, bemused, until she realized what she had said and we all burst into laughter.

After I had calmed down, I raced upstairs and changed clothes again, redoing my hair and makeup so it looked the same from earlier.

"No way!" Renesmee gasped when I found them in the basement again. "Did Bella just do her own makeup? And style her hair?"

"Shut it," I snorted. "You know they'd notice if I have my hair and makeup done. I'm just covering the basics."

Renesmee opened her mouth to respond but Jacob stopped her.

"Leave her alone, Ness. She's got permanent brain damage."

I glared at him. "And you're saying that why?"

"No one accepts their ex back that quickly. Especially after everything he did to you!" Jacob growled. "You should be putting him through the fiery pits of Hades several times over. But no! You pretend to be your human/ghost self and tell him to go ahead and date your current-vampire-pretending-to-be-human self - who he thinks is your own granddaughter!"

Jacob was breathing heavily but the end of his tirade.

Ben timidly raised her hand after a few minutes of silence in which no one moved. "You know what I think?" she waited but no one spoke up. "I think that Edward might have been going through worse than Bella had."

"What makes you say that?" I frowned, confused.

"Haven't you noticed?" Vern asked, answering for her. "The TV is down here - out of sight unless you want to watch it. There are no visible book on the main floor - they're all locked up in Carlisle's office, I can smell them. And," he paused, "there's no piano in the the house at all. You can't hear it."


A/N:

Hi, People!

So, not a lot of reviews last chapter. We made it to sixteen. Which I guess is about what most people get, but with... 112 followers, I kind of hope I would be getting around 25-30 at the least. *sigh* Do I have to threaten you guys for reviews? They make me SO SO SO SO happy, and I write more!

Good new/Bad news (depending on your perspective) I filled out an entire notebook with this story and quoting Ron Weasley: "Her hand writing is tiny!" But don't worry, I already have a new one going.

Thank you so much to everyone who wished me a happy birthday! And to the three people who have gone and done the poll on my profile page! Please take a look at it! I want as many thoughts on it as possible please!

See ya in week or so - depending on reviews!

-MayeGirl