A/N: Hello wonderful readers! I wanted to give you one last chapter before I go into the hospital on Thursday! I know it's short, but at least is something. Please rest assured that it's not finished, but is close, and I will not give up on it. It just might be a little more than a week or so before the next update. Thanks again to my AWESOME Beta, SweetThunder, for some great additions to this chapter!

I hope you enjoy this one!

BPOV

We quickly made our way back to the safe house Carlisle had brought us to before. Angela and Ben were quite shaken, hungry and fairly mistreated. Carlisle took the time to look over and treat their injuries, making sure none of them were serious.

My two friends looked around, mouths agape at the obvious beauty of my new family. I hadn't really considered their impact as a group, but I could see that the Cullens, en masse, was a bit overwhelming. Once introductions had been made Angela came over to me and wrapped her arms around me in a hug. "Bella, I'm so glad you're okay, why did it take you so long to get here? Who are the Cullens? How do you know them?" Angela was characteristically concerned for me and my welfare, and the crazy impossible situation I found myself in now.

"I'm so sorry Ange, I left Seattle the very night you called, but I encountered some...delays." I still had my sunglasses on so she hadn't yet noticed my eyes. I wondered if she'd noticed any of the other physical changes I had endured.

She pulled back from me and cocked her head to the side. "What kind of delays? And why are you still wearing sunglasses? We are inside you know?" She had that semi-playful air that had made it so easy to be her friend.

"Angie, you know what the people who were holding you hostage were right?" I could see the shudder that ran through her body as she closed her eyes and nodded.

"Well, one of them, the woman came after me and the Cullens, Edward especially, came to my rescue."

"Thank you Edward, I couldn't have lived with myself knowing I was the reason my friend was here. If she had been hurt or worse..." Her eyes then shot up in disbelief as she turned back to me, "but how did they stop her? They were so strong?" I knew this would be where things got a little delicate. How could I let her know that she was still safe with the Cullens, with me?

"Well, the Cullens are also vampires." I cringed back waiting for her response.

"WHAT?!?" She started backing up while Ben threw an arm around her in a protective stance as they both pressed against the wall of the room we were in.

I reached forward towards her and she made to grab my hand and pull me to 'safety'. I took her hand and I think it was then that she finally noticed the glaring temperature difference between us. "Why are you so cold? What is going on Bella?" I didn't need Jasper's gift to be able to tell that Angela was starting to freak out.

I began to feel a warm calmness floating through the room and silently thanked Jasper for the tempering of emotions.

"Angela, the Cullens don't drink human blood. I promise they won't hurt you or Ben." She seemed to relax a little but was still on her guard. "I met the Cullens on the plane and we just had an...I can't explain it, a connection? Edward wanted to help me, especially when he found out about what you had sent me and realized that both of you were in danger. We decided to go after the crystal ourselves, which by the way, you have no idea what trouble that little rock has caused. Just after retrieving the rock from the cave you had put it in, James and Victoria caught us off guard. Edward tried to fight both of them, but he couldn't keep them away from me entirely."

At this point I saw Edward's agony at the memory of the fight. I reached over and tried to soothe him with my touch.

"They banged me up pretty good and I was minutes away from dying, so Edward changed me...He saved me." I looked on him with as much love as I could silently portray and squeezed his hand. Carefully, I reached up and took my glasses off. I kept my eyelids closed and waited for a moment before I slowly opened them to my friend. Just as I had reacted, she gasped. I heard Ben whisper a quiet, "oh my gosh".

I sat still as a statue, as did the rest of the Cullens. Nobody moved. We were all waiting for Angela and Ben to process what I had just told them. Edward whispered softly and at vampire speed, "just give them a minute love, she's working it out. She just needs a bit of time." I nodded imperceptibly.

Edward began to chuckle softly and I gave him a questioning look. He shook his head slightly but kept a crooked smile plastered to his face. Angela straightened up and took a step towards us. Looking directly at Edward she asked, "do you love her?" I was so taken aback by this question I felt my jaw go slack.

"With everything that I am. I love her completely," Edward affirmed. Angela nodded once and furrowed her brow. She looked at me with softer eyes and tried to smile. "Are you happy Bella? I mean, really?" I began to smile, Angela hadn't changed at all, she was still looking out for her best friend, making sure she was alright, that she wasn't hooked up with some jerk.

"I truly am Angela. I've never been more happy in my life. I feel so...right. I've never felt more like my true self than I do now." Her smile grew warmer and she came and sat next to me. "So I guess I know why you're so cold huh?" I nodded and gently took her hand. She shivered a bit and then began to examine my fingers. "Your skin is so much harder," she mused. "What's it like?" She whispered.

I sat and thought about that for a minute. So far it had been amazing, I don't know if that was because of the talent I had discovered, or because of Edward, but since waking up a vampire, I felt really good.

"It's like nothing I ever could've imagined. I feel so strong and powerful, and even a little graceful. I'm only a fraction as clumsy as I was before." Angela more tentatively gave me a hug and whispered that she was happy for me.

I noticed a flurry of activity over where Alice was sitting. I could see her eyes and knew she was having a vision. I looked at Edward who was concentrating on the scene playing out in Alice's mind. I touched my hand to his arm trying to elicit some kind of response. He reached up and grasped my hand but nothing more.

Angela and Ben exchanged glances and tried to understand what was going on. Just then Alice shot up and declared, "they're here. Just outside of Iquitos."

Everything began happening all at once. Edward grabbed me by the shoulders and said, "you have to take Angela and Ben and get out of here. The Volturi cannot know anything about you."

"But why? I can't leave you. I won't leave you!" I was starting to panic.

"Bella, you have to remove every memory of you, Angela, and Ben from my family's minds. It's the only way to keep you safe."

"NO! If I do that then you would be lost to me. Is that what you want?" I was gripping his shoulders so tightly my fingers punctured his shirt.

"Of course not Bella, but Aro is with them, and he can know every single thought any one has ever had by a simple touch." He was shaking his head back and forth.

"Then I'll use my gift on him, I'll make him forget why he came." I was desperate for anyway we could stay together. I couldn't lose him now, I don't think I could survive.

Carlisle came over shaking his head, "Bella, the Volturi have a powerful physical shield. We have no idea if they've acquired a mental shield as well. If they have and we expose you, they will no doubt try and take you away. We can't risk that, trust me, you want no part of the Volturi. Even now I don't know how powerful your gift would be against Aro's. You are still at risk here."

I felt broken and defeated. I looked up into Edward's eyes and saw the pain this was causing him, but he was trying to be strong. Had I still been human my face would be wet with a cascade of tears, but none would come. All I could do was grab on to him and hold him tightly.

Alice came to our side, "Bella, get some brown contact lenses, until then wear the shades. Keep Ben and Angela safe, take away all their memories of vampires, they will have a long and happy life. I've seen that much. And don't worry, we'll find you, some how we will. Hurry, they're almost here."

A ragged sob exploded from my chest and I nearly collapsed. Edward lifted me back to my feet and roughly grasped my face in his hands. "I will find you. Never doubt that, I love you." He crashed his lips to mine and I automatically threw my arms around his neck. Desperately I ran my hands through his hair and over his features trying to memorize every feeling I had. Vowing to never forget each line, plane and angle of his beautiful face, just in case we were never reunited.

We parted and Alice screeched, "GO!" I grabbed Angela's hand and we ran from the house. As soon as we were outside I searched out each memory of Bella Swan in the Cullen's collective minds and removed every last trace of myself. They would have no recollection of me or any interaction we had ever had.

I then replaced my shades and turned to my two friends. I sifted through all their experiences with James, Victoria and Laurent, the Cullens, my change, and eradicated all of those memories from them. They wouldn't remember what happened.

I began walking quickly toward the main part of town, Angela and Ben following after me. "Let's get a taxi and get you back to the peace corps camp."

"Oh Bella, I'm so glad you found us!"

"I am too Ange." As we drove through the crowded streets,I thought about all I had gained and lost so quickly; how I could feel my heart breaking into a million pieces with this sacrifice, but I had to do it for my best friend, and for my new family. "I am too."

A/N: *Ducks and runs for cover* Yes, I now it's so evil and mean to leave for a slightly extended period of time with such a cliffie, but what can I say that's my style. I hope you liked it and I hope that you REVIEW!!! ;)