Tomorrow I have to be up by 8:00 a.m. and it's 5:15 a.m. I'm up writing this chapter! And, y'know, dealing with insomnia ;) No way am I gonna have enough energy to babysit a 3yr old and a 1yr old. (sighs) The things I do for you all...

I better get some good reviews (:

P.S. I quote from the actual book in this chapter. Please recognize that one section is Stephenie Meyer's. No copyright infringement intended. Did I say that right? Who cares, you get the point. THAT ONE PART IS HERS, so please do not bother me about copying her or anything, I know already. I just didn't know how else to explain 'it' without using her words precisely. You'll see. ;)

Chapter 11 Excerpt:

As I stood in the darkness, looking up at the stars, I realized that I hadn't accomplished what I wanted by talking to Quil. I frowned. "What a disappointment", I murmured.

"Not a disappointment." I whipped around and Edward was right there, wrapping his arms around me. It startled me, but I was glad that he was there to comfort me. I cuddled into his embrace, closing my eyes as I rested my head on his chest, his chin resting on my head.

This was going to be a long week.

After spending what seemed like only seconds more with Edward, Christian hauled me away from the Cullen house, still sullen from the conversation earlier. Dylan tagged along behind us, managing a laugh once in a while at my expression. We ran all the way home, seeing that they were in such a rush that they couldn't afford to drive.

Once we arrived at Charlie's house, I ran into my room and flopped onto my bed, glad for the comfort. It was times like these that I wished I could have been able to fall asleep. Sleeping seemed like the perfect way to pass time. I grumbled to myself with my face on the pillow, hating how things were flipped upside-down. Today had been so undeniably perfect. I could see why ninety-nine percent of all vampires loathed werewolves. They were always getting in the way.

I laid there for a while, murmuring and grumbling obscenities into the innocent pillow. I closed my eyes in the darkness and even tried to sleep. It was no use, of course. After a couple of hours of sulking, I finally sat up, startled at the figure sitting comfortably in the rocking chair in the corner of the room. I almost shrieked until I realized that it was only Edward. Weird. He must have been especially sneaky, since I never once heard the window creak. Maybe I was just too occupied.

I leaped off the bed and skipped into his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck. "I'm so glad that you're here. It sucks not having you by my side every moment of the day."

He laughed, and then grimaced. "I wish you wouldn't hold me so tightly, Bella."

"And why not?" I said, slightly piqued.

He tried not to laugh, his lips forming a hard, straight line. "You smell like a dog."

I grumbled. Really?

I stood up and shook my hair out, pulling a lock to my face and sniffing. I shooed away from it, throwing it behind me as my face scrunched up. My God, I thought. It didn't seem that as earlier when I had hugged the damn mutt! Edward chuckled behind me.

I turned around to glare as I grabbed a towel and headed to the bathroom.

I took a long shower, removing all traces of werewolf. As I turned the heat of the water to the highest it could go, I imagined that I could feel the heat scathing my cold, stony skin. I tried to recall what heat truly felt like but only thought of my cheeks and Edward and I's physical relationship. Yet those were a different kind of heat...

My cheeks burned although I knew no one could have heard me. I had only embarrassed myself. Sighing, I turned the shower off, knowing quite well that the temperature would not affect me, no matter what. It never had.

Looking into the foggy mirror of the bathroom, I tried to picture myself as a human again. I couldn't even remember the face. Something occurred to me as I stared into my reflection. Weren't vampires supposed to feel heat? I could remember the first time Edward and I had gone to the meadow. He had pressed his cheek to my chest, listening to my heartbeat. When he brought his face up for me to feel, it was warm, and he said he could feel it. That it was nice. And hadn't James been killed by fire? From the fire burning him?

I ran out of the bathroom in my towel to the bedroom, eager to tell Edward about my epiphany. Maybe it was my gift! Once I scrambled into the room and shut the door, I felt Edward on me suddenly, grabbing my waist and kissing me passionately. I was surprised and it made me momentarily forget about the epiphany, but it was nice anyway. I melted into him, glad that I could feel the heat of his body. Or could I? I didn't know anymore.

Now that I concentrated on it, kissing Edward in my room, I noticed that I couldn't feel the temperature. It was still. Other than the heat I felt with Edward, I just was. It was a strange sensation, and it bothered me.

Edward noticed my lack of passion and my distance. He stopped and pulled away from me, looking at me in the eyes. "No, don't stop", I whispered.

He left me to go lay on the bed, seeming somewhat charged. "You're still wrapped in your towel." His voice was strained, and I wondered what was bothering him.

I hurried to the closet, picking out bedware that I could test myself in. I picked out a silky tanktop; no doubt that I could feel the coolness. I also chose very furry, nice-for-the-winter-if-you-were-a-human sweats. Before I pulled them on and before I could rip off the towel, I felt Edward's eyes on me. I turned my head in his direction, surprised. He was usually more polite about these things. "Edward, do you mind?"

"Mind what?" He looked at me with an expression I had never seen before. Temptation? Lust? It was strange, and I felt awkward standing there with a towel as the only protection my body had. It seemed so little and promiscuously see-through.

I tried to gain control over myself. "Y'know. Turning your head a little? I'm kind of about to change." I blushed again and again, one blush blending into the other as he did not answer or turn his head.

He slowly got off the bed, promenading towards me. Trying to... seduce me?

I laughed out loud at the outrageousness of it all. Edward stopped in front on me, wrapping one arm tautly around my waist. My laugh stopped abruptly as I soaked in the seriousness of the situation. He ran his hand through my already-dry hair, looking into my eyes, pulling me closer. His eyes were burning and they caused me to lean into him, melting into his arms, his perfect body. I traced my fingers shakily across his chest. He breathed unevenly into my face, and I inhaled his scent as if I had been starved. I clutched his shoulders, beginning to feel the passion.

Suddenly, the door opened, making a bang against the wall that made me jump in his arms. Christian barged in, furiously stomping straight to the closet and grabbing the articles I had picked out. She ripped Edward and I apart, so fiercely that I had to grab ahold of the towel or it would have fallen. She threw the clothes into my arms and on her way out, she screamed, "Control yourselves!"

After the door was closed and after we heard her door slam shut, I looked at Edward sheepishly. He frowned and turned around, facing the window. I could hear him grumbling. "...have the nerve... control myself... show her control... annoying little..."

Changing into my clothes, I strolled over to Edward, and turned him around with my arms. I led him to the bed, where I climbed in under the covers. He joined me, and we laid there with our arms constricted around each other. No heat, no intensity; only love.

It was silent, and I was the first to speak. "I'm sorry."

He grunted. "It wasn't your fault. That friend of yours..."

"Knows what's good for me." I smiled as I finished his sentence. Did she really?

"How is that, Bella? Two times today I have gotten so close to doing something special with you. And both times we were interrupted."

My heart (figuratively) fluttered as I recalled the conversation from earlier. "Edward, what were you trying to ask me earlier?"

He smiled, forgetting that he was even irritated. "I have a feeling that you already know."

I smirked, nodding my head. He sighed contentedly, feeling for something in his pocket. "I wanted to do this differently, at the meadow. It would have been more romantic, and given the circumstances right now, I'm not sure if you're still willing, and I don't want to rush things..."

"Edward, spit it out." I was so giddy that it came out sharper than I had meant for it to.

He laughed, and pulled out a velvety black box from under the covers. "Isabella Marie Swan..."

"YES! YES, YES, YES!" I jumped out of the bed and danced around the room. Mid-dance, Edward grabbed ahold of me, squeezing me still. He stood me up straight by the window. He kneeled on one knee in the moonlight, looking up at me with laughter, excitement, and seriousness in his eyes. I was sure that my eyes reflected the feeling.

I beamed down a him as he cleared his throat. "Isabella. As you already know, you are my everything. I would give up anything for you, do anything for you. I am yours for eternity, and I hope that you will be mine. "He paused for a brief moment. He breathed, "Will you marry me?" He took the box and opened it carefully, causing me to gasp.

(This is where I copy her) Nestled into the black satin, the ring sparkled in the dim light. The face was a long oval, set with slanting rows of glittering round stones. The band was gold - delicate and narrow. The gold made a fragile web around the diamonds. I'd never seen anything like it.

Unthinkingly, I stroked the shimmering gems. "It's so pretty," I murmured to myself.

"Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful." My smiled widened and I threw my arms around his neck exuberantly, knocking both of us onto the ground. From there, I smothered his brilliant angel's face with kisses, whispering, "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" as many times as I could.

Christian burst into the room once again, but I continued to smother. "She said yes?! Oh my God, she said yes! Dylan, she said yes!!" Christian jumped for joy and ran around the house, yelling "she said yes" to the world. It only added to the extreme exilheration. Edward's face was beaming in the moonlight as we kissed and hugged and kissed some more. I could hear Christian out on th street, shrieking "She said yes!" to the neighborhood. Dylan stood at my door and laughed, rolling his eyes, only to be knocked over by Christian as she came in.

Engaged. The word would have made me cringe fifty long years ago. But now, without any limits, without any boundaries, and with Edward, I was free to do what I wished. I was free to be with him for as long as I wanted.

Engaged. Soon to be married. Together, forever.

Just as I was about to lead Edward to my bed, my cell rang loudly from across the room. Unwillingly untangling myself from Edward's embrace, I walked over and checked the caller ID.

Jacob.

Didya like? I know I'm moving kind of fast with them, but whatever! And about that cliff hanger... I couldn't resist. He was in the middle of them in the real books, and he's gonna be in the middle of them in this story. I love his character too much to just ignore him. Review? :)