I know most of you hate me now for that cliffy, so I'm bribing you with the next chapter…

I don't own it.

I wish I did though.

Ok, here's the chapter.

For real now…

Yeah…

How disorienting. Death is supposed to be peaceful. There is not supposed to be confusion. Or people shouting my name. I felt something roughly grab me from the burning flames where I was lying. I heard my name, called again and again. What was this?

I smelled the sickly sweet incense smell of the rest of the world perishing. But I could see nothing. I felt something pass between my lips, down my throat. Then I felt the sweet relief and strength flowing back through my veins. I jerked up, grabbing the arm of someone holding my head. Someone else was holding my shoulders, propping me up. Whispering my name comfortingly.

My eyes snapped open and my instincts took over. All I knew was that I need the blood that was flowing from the small tube down my throat.

Suddenly, the precious flow stopped.

I clenched the arm tighter, growling.

"Bella, Bella, calm down. I have more. Let go of my arm, it is okay." Carlisle told me soothingly.

"Bella, relax. It's fine. Everything's alright now, you did extremely well." Alice said, sounding proud.

I collapsed back, still weak. Carlisle held another pint of blood to my lips, I drank rapaciously. I managed to sit up on my own, and leaned against Alice, who kissed my cheek.

"Everyone was so confused; we didn't know what was happening! She just turned around and left. We didn't know that she had someone just like Zafrina. Then we woke up, just in time to see you collapse." She said in a rush.

"Where's Edward?" I asked slowly, fearing the worst.

"Right here, love." He said from behind me. I whirled and immediately looked him over, making sure he was uninjured. He opened his arms and I fell in to them.

"Yes, I'm whole." He whispered, stroking my hair and kissing my forehead. I sat up suddenly.

"What happened after I… passed out?" I asked hesitatingly for lack of a better word.

His golden eyes darkened. "You destroyed the vampire holding us under just in time for us to see you nearly burned to death in front of our eyes." He paused, almost unable to go on. I looked at him, waiting. It was then I realized everyone had gathered around us.

"There was only a few left. Carlisle, Esme and Alice pulled you out and started pumping donated human blood into you, while Emmett, Matthew, Bryan, Peter, Jasper, Rosalie and I got rid of the rest. We didn't think you were going to wake up." He finished slowly.

I put my hand to his face.

"But I did."

"Yeah, little sis, you were paler than anything. Whiter than snow!" Emmett called boisterously. The others clamored in similar thoughts. I rolled my eyes.

My shoulders sagged again.

"I really need to hunt though," I said meaningfully, and everyone cleared a pathway. I smiled and stood up with a little difficulty.

"Maybe someone should go with you, Bella," Matthew suggested, worrying.

"No, I want to go alone. Collect my thoughts, you know?" I said quietly. He nodded reluctantly, and I took off. I stopped at the edge of the field and called over my shoulder, "I'll see you back at the house!"

I didn't have the strength to hunt for something big, so I drained what I could find. I came upon a small herd of deer, only five in number. I snapped the neck of one and half-way drained it before the others knew what was happening. I didn't feel like chasing them, so I left my kill to attack them all, killing them quickly and draining them all in turn.

Feeling somewhat sloshy, I laid back and smiled. Perhaps I had been melodramatic after all.

* * *

I ran back to the house, feeling happier than I had in a while. This feeling, this euphoria, was more elating than when I found out that Edward loved me. It was better than when he returned to me. I knew now that we would be together forever. Nothing could tear us apart.

I knew that now.

The house was in sight, I could hear both my families inside, talking and laughing. I kneeled and listened to them, rejoicing in the sounds of carrying on from the inside of the house.

"Bella! You just gonna sit out there or are you gonna come in and join us?" Bryan roared. I grinned as I stood up.

"Coming, Bry!"

I was in the house in less than a second. I smiled again as I went to sit in Edward's lap on the crowded couch. He opened his arms and cradled me, tucking my head comfortably under his chin.

We laughed and talked and got to know each other all over again long into the night.

* * *

Later on, Edward took my hand and whispered in my ear, "Follow me." I nodded, smiled and took off after him.

He led me to the meadow, and lay down. I followed suit, resting my head on his chest, listening to his even breath.

"Bella," he said softly, "may I ask you something?"

I sat up and placed my hand on his face, tracing down over the planes of his chest. He shuddered, and I chuckled.

"You already did, silly." He smiled as he sat up and took my face between his hands.

"There are things between my hands that I can't live without; trust me, I've tried. I want to make sure that nothing will ever take it from me again."

At his point, I interrupted with "Edward, I promise you, nothing will ever separate us again."

He smiled again. "You laugh, I laugh, you cry, I cry, you die I go to the Volturi?" My eyes widened in horror, his eyebrow arched. I knew he was joking, but I needed him to dispel that fear from within me.

"Sweetheart, I was joking. Death will never happen, so the Volturi are obsolete." He smiled again as his lips touched mine once, twice, ten times.

"I still don't like the idea." I murmured against his lips. "I know." He responded.

"Now," I said, pulling back, "what would you like to ask me?" He sighed, and reclined back, leaning on one arm. He ran his hand through his hair, and then stood up, pulling me up as well. Then he kneeled. My eyes widened once again.

"Bella, I love you more than anything in this world." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. He took a deep breath, "I want to make you mine for eternity, and I want to make sure no other man can ever have you. I want to have you to myself.

"I want to belong to you; I want to be yours forever. I want to spend eternity with you at my side, and me and yours.

"Bella, my heart, my love, my other half, will you marry me?"

Another cliffy… I am actually debating whether or not she says yes… for real. I'm not lying.

Also, pics of the ring are on the website on my page.

Please also vote in my poll, it might be the swing vote in the Story after this next one which will be titled Twilight's Symphony; and the first chapter will be up soon. I will post it in the epilogue.