BPOV
I heard Edward apologize and I knew that he had given up trying to miraculously save us. He lowered his head, trailing his lips down my neck. I wasn't afraid, but rather, anticipating the end.
"I love you." I whispered to him. I felt the sharp pain as he bit into my neck, and a cooling sensation as he withdrew my blood. That was when I felt whatever control he had, snap. He pulled me closer to him, his teeth digging further into my flesh. I still was unafraid. I would rather die like this than any other way. Suddenly he pulled away and a new sensation began shooting through my neck. Someone had lit the wound on fire, it was burning, searing heat. Suddenly it was also at my wrists and I realised that the fire had to be the venom. Nothing could be this painful.
"Bella, you'll be alright, I promise. You'll be fine. I love you."
I drifted in and out of consciousness, making sure not to scream. I couldn't let Edward hear me scream. It hurt so badly, so much, I wanted to die. I couldn't tell them that I wanted to die, though; my mouth wouldn't open, for fear of screaming. I heard the faintest whispers of conversation, mostly Rosalie, complaining about the hideous room. What room? Where were we? Alice's voice sounded, saying that I would wake at noon. How far away was noon? Years? Minutes?
I also heard the murmuring of an angel, a silken voice that pulled me out of the darkness, praying, in English, then French, then a wide variety of languages. I couldn't understand the words, but I understood the meaning. The angel sounded hurt, sad. That shouldn't be allowed. The angel should be happy. Finally I could hear my heartbeat, pounding in my ears. As the pain lessened, my breathing slowed and my heart slowed also. I heard my heart stop. And I continued hearing. I was waiting to drift permanently into the abyss, towards heaven or hell, but instead, the calming voice of the angel brought me forward, into a new world, a new life.
I didn't move at first. I could hear the wind whistling through tunnels that sounded like they stretched for miles. I could hear footsteps of people, far above us, and the small shakes in the plumbing surrounding us. I could hear seven sets of lungs around me. I could also hear people talking, distant voices that echoed around the hallways. To my amusement I could hear the fast heartbeats of rats, and the very intimate moments of two rats a floor below me. I could feel someone gently squeezing my hand and I began to sit up. The hand let go of mine and I heard a shuffling.
I opened my eyes to see Edward standing a few feet away, looking sad. Carlisle stood behind him, his arms held out in warning, or was it peace? Jasper and Emmett were crouched ever so slightly, protecting Esme, Alice and Rosalie, who were behind them. Jasper had multiple scars, on his face, his neck, his exposed arms, I wondered how I had ever not noticed them. He must've been extremely dangerous, to have survived so many attacks. I crouched, in defence and Jasper half smiled, while increasing his crouch. I stood straighter, brushing silk pillows aside and looked at Edward.
He was still smiling.
"Hello Bella. How are you feeling?" his voice met my ears and I felt happy. I wasn't even slightly afraid anymore. Edward was here, my protector, he could help.
"Um." I replied. My voice sounded unfamiliar, alien almost. He chuckled. I walked towards him, hugging him. He was tense at first, but instantly relaxed, squeezing me properly. I squeezed back.
"Gently love, ouch." Edward said. I instantly pulled back.
"Sorry."
Edward pulled me forward, into our first proper kiss, no interruptions this time. My arms slid around his neck, my hands twisted into his hair, his hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer to him. We continued kissing, desire rippling through both of us, until Jasper interrupted uncomfortably.
"Lay off it a little would ya?" he asked. We broke apart, only to see him holding a pillow in front of his jeans, trying in vain to hide his physical reaction to our physical reaction. Emmett was laughing silently, but hard. He was clutching his side as he fell into the pillow pile, literally rolling on the floor laughing. I pulled away from Edward and looked at Alice.
"Hug?" I asked. She squeaked and threw her arms around my neck, squeezing properly. Esme walked forward, also, hugging both of us.
"Hey mom." I whispered. "How've you been?" Esme simply laughed in response. It took more time to get Emmett to stop laughing than it did for Jasper to drop the pillow.
"Lauren, Jessica..." Jasper was chanting off names of the bimbos in my school. It obviously helped, because moments later he hit Emmett with a huge wave of guilt.
"Can we go home now?" I asked quietly.
"Aro wants to see how your powers evolve, so unfortunately we're stuck here for at least a few days."
"Well I can't hear anything you guys are thinking, so you can check that one off the list."
"Nice to know I'm unique."
"Hmm." I said and wrapped my arms around him once more.
"Thank you Carlisle for helping with Aro. And thank you everyone for staying here, especially you Rose, I know you don't like me." She stopped scowling and looked at the floor.
"I don't not like you, but I don't like you either."
"That's quite a distinction." I muttered. It was then that I heard footsteps coming down the hallway.
"Someone is coming." Edward and I both said at the same point. He looked at me, confused
"I can hear them. Oh, are two rats mating a floor below us or is it my imagination?" I asked, wanting clarification for the odd noises I was hearing. Emmett, still on the floor, pressed his ear to the floor.
"Wow. That sounds fun." He chuckled, earning himself a kick from Rosalie. It was Thomas, who knocked on the door.
"My word Bella, you look outstanding."
My response was a fast and angry snarl. He seemed pleased by the reaction though.
"Aro simply wishes to know if you would like dinner delivered, or if you would prefer to go and hunt an animal of some sort."
"I would've thought the answer to that would be evident, considering her family's diet choice." Edward snapped, icily.
"Well he asks anyway."
"I'm following Edward." I whispered. Thomas sighed casually.
"You know where to go." He mumbled and walked off. The family looked at me.
"Are you thirsty?" Carlisle asked. I thought about it and I was, sort of, but it wasn't bad unless I thought about it. I nodded. Alice had made me promise that if I chose to become a vampire, we would share my first hunt together, as sisters.
"Come on then Alice." Alice shook her head at me.
"I'm not thirsty."
"But you made me promise-"
"Well I'll go with you later."
"But-"
"Bella. Edward is going to take you." Alice smiled.
"If that's alright?" he asked. I laughed and grabbed his hand. Without a goodbye to anyone we were running down the hallway. He led me up a steep flight of stairs and suddenly we were in a forest. He instructed me not to breathe, as there were humans close, and we ran. I wasn't as fast as Edward, but I did have a newborn's strength, so I was able to keep up easily. We ran for a very long time, dodging buildings and people, until Edward eventually slowed us down. He vaulted over a high chain link fence and I followed him.
"We are in a restricted reservation. You can hunt anywhere in here, without the risk of human interference. Come on, love, let's find dinner shall we?"
Two weeks later:
"I never thought I would be so glad to go back home! I am actually tired of Italy."
"I think you're just tired of being stuck underground all day." Edward chuckled. We were on the plane home, and I was bored.
"I still think it would've been cooler to swim to the US." I moaned. Carlisle laughed.
"You and Emmett try that someday, see who gets lost first."
"Ten thousand on Emmett." Rose whispered.
"Ten thou on Bella." Edward countered.
It was going to be a long plane ride. Aro had only let us go because he was convinced that my power was still restricted to my body. I hadn't even told Edward the discovery I had made. I could push my shield away from me, circling other people too. I could even push it away from myself, but that took a lot of concentration. I was going to let Edward figure it out when we got back home. I was planning on circling everyone but myself in my shield, and seeing how Edward reacted when suddenly his family disappeared and I appeared, mentally that is.
The drive home took too long as well. When I was finally there I shot upstairs and collapsed on my bed, burying my head under my pillows. Alice had been buzzing about getting me an entirely new wardrobe, so her and Rose had disappeared. Esme and Carlisle were hunting and Emmett and Jasper were wrestling. Edward came and found me, lying on my bed.
"Hello."
"Edward."
"Can I join you?"
"Sure." I said, but I didn't move. I was desperately hoping for a certain reaction, and he, unknowingly complied. He crawled onto the bed, holding himself over me as he nuzzled my neck. He gently lay, so that he was squishing me and put his lips to my ear.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure." I said, although my response was muffled by the pillow.
"You love me right?" I flipped over underneath him, glaring at him.
"No Edward, I absolutely despise you."
"Mentally noted." He looked me straight in the eyes, his smile boyish and mischievous.
"And I love you right?" he asked. I thought about that one hard.
"I suppose."
"Good." He smiled and leaned in to kiss me. It was a very enthusiastic kiss, his tongue sliding into my mouth and mine responding in turn, when suddenly I felt a weight on my finger. I broke off and looked at my ring finger. On it was a beautiful, platinum and diamond ring.
"Will you marry me?" he whispered. I kissed him so enthusiastically that we rolled off of the bed. We lay on the floor kissing for a long time, until he finally broke off.
"Was that a yes?"
"A thousand times yes."
"I love you forever."
"Forever and always."