DISCLAIMER: All rights to Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer.

I just realised that this is CHAPTER 20! 20 GUYS! How awesome is that? For those of you who have stuck with this story from the beginning thanks so much! And even to those who are only new, thank you all the same!

Also, thanks so much for all the reviews!

Happy reading!

Chapter 20: Battles and Blackouts

VICTORIA'S POV:

As the sound of growling filled the surrounding forest, I felt myself being pulled violently away from Bella. Surprised and caught of guard I was unable to prepare myself for the hard blow that the invisible culprit would deliver next, and soon found myself flying through the air. I crashed into a solid pine tree, making its solid body groan beneath my weight and the force of which I had struck it.

Before I could so much as glance at the scene that was slowly unveiling before me, an achingly strong hand wrapped around my throat and pulled me from my place, or rather indentation, in the tree. Almost instantly afterwards, I was thrown upwards and slammed onto the forest floor with a force that shook all the bones in my body.

The screams of my follower's filled the air around me.

EDWARD'S POV:

On instinct we ran growling into the forest clearing. One glance at Emmet indicated that I should stand back while he attacked Victoria-he would weaken her and make it easier for me to deal with her later.

Therefore I turned to the twenty or so other vampire's standing in the clearing. The twenty or so other vampires that followed Victoria. The twenty or so other vampires that helped Victoria. The twenty or so other vampire's that watched while she rendered me useless time and time again.

I took a deep, shaky breath…and exploded.

VICTORIA'S POV:

I gasped desperately for breath as the attacker's grip on my throat tightened. I clawed at their hand and pounded the floor with my fist, still clueless as to who they actually were.

Finally-mercifully, they loosened their grip and I sucked in air desperately. A dark figure then hovered over me and as my eyes adjusted I was able to recognise the face of one of the older Cullen brother's, the strongest one, in front of mine.

"What do you want?" I wheezed, attempting to sound fierce and failing,

"Have u had enough?" he questioned, smirking.

"What do you want?" I repeated, not one to give in easily.

"I'll take that as a no!" he said intensely and punched me in the stomach before I could protest in the slightest.

As he raised his arm to deliver another painful blow he was stopped; "Emmet!" was called sharply from somewhere over his shoulder and he glanced around. Then, his large frame suddenly exited my line of sight and was replaced with one that was more slender and familiar looking.

"Edward…" I purred.

BELLA'S POV:

I lay on the floor, my head in my hands and refused to move- refused to glance up at the scene that was taking place around me. If what I could hear, being the screams and growls, was any indication of what was actually happening, I had no doubt it was horrific.

I tried to regulate my breathing to stop me from panicking completely and pulled my knees closer to my chest and tightened my grip on my head. Then, as I heard a loud thump come from someplace near me and instinctively glanced up to see a large figure lying awkwardly beside me, I could not keep quiet any longer.

"Stop." I whispered hoarsely. Then clearing my throat, I repeated myself more loudly and powerfully, "Stop! Just stop it!"

VICTORIA'S POV:

As the sound of Bella's voice came from the centre of the clearing I removed my gaze from Edward and glance up at her. Looking back at him I then realised something, and cursed my fear and stupidity.

As his hand clutched at my neck I laid my own on top of it- feigning weakness and trying to seize his attention simultaneously. I didn't have to wait long for his gaze to wander back to mine again, and then I took a risk and returned to my initial plan.

"Edward…" I began, "Remember our arrangement?" almost instantly I felt his grip on my neck loosen as he focused all his attention on me. Idiot. I thought. You forgot about my compulsion powers. I continued to talk to him, "Our arrangement where you would help me get to Bella? Help me capture her?"

He nodded slowly and answered in a zombie-like monotone; "Yes, I remember."

"Good. Well I want you to follow through with our arrangement now. Bella is just over there, and I need you to go and get her and then convince your family to stop fighting so you can bring her to me. I know you can do that for me." I reached up to caress his cheek, never breaking eye contact. "You can do that for me, can't you?"

"Of course." He nodded once more and then rose- releasing me completely.

I allowed myself a small moment of victory- smiling softly. But the sound of Edward's sister's voice from behind me caused the smile to slide from my face immediately.

"Edward, no!" she screamed and panicking I glanced in his direction to ensure myself he had not faltered. Breathing a sigh of relief to find he was obeying my orders and moving in Bella's direction, I turned towards the petite figure behind me. Standing with deliberate slowness, I locked my gaze with her own and smirked cunningly. Then leaning forward so my face was a mere inch away from Alice's, I murmured, "Too late." Then I wrapped my arms around her neck, and pulled.

EDWARD'S POV:

I moved towards Bella with full intention. I wanted to hurt her. I wanted to hear her scream in agony. And then I wanted to take her back to Victoria so she could finish the job.

Though the reasonable section of my mind was screaming for my attention- trying to stop me from carrying out the heartless task I had been instructed to complete, I ignored it and continued to move towards my prey.

However when I was only a few metres away from Bella, she heard my approach and flinched before glancing around at me. The distinctive fear in her eyes turned to recognition and then relief, and like the many times I had laid my eyes upon her in the past, my intentions became futile.

All I could see was the little girl who I had saved from that car crash many years ago, and who had grown into the woman I had learnt to care for. The woman who I knew I could never harm, no matter who compelled me to.

"Edward?" she said my name as a question, almost like she was unsure if I was really there or if I was just a hallucination.

I decided Victoria would be too preoccupied deciding how to deal with my family that she would not notice me disobeying her, and I knelt down beside Bella. Pulling her into my arms I kissed her forehead tenderly and whispered words of reassurance in her ear as she collapsed into fear filled sobs and clutched at my shirt. But our bubble, our own world, was popped suddenly by the gut wrenching sound of Alice's shriek.

JASPER'S POV:

My family and I had been so preoccupied on fighting Victoria's followers and trying to stop them from assisting her that we forgot all about Victoria herself.

From the moment Emmet had abandoned Victoria and left her for Edward, I knew something was wrong, but I stupidly ignored my instinct and instead continued to follow the battle plan. After all, it was what I had been trained to do all my life, it was what I was always told; no matter what, stick to the battle plan.

But as a strange instinct made me glance around I caught sight of Edward heading towards Bella with a glint in his eye that could not have been anything but bad. Then I looked at Victoria and saw Alice in her grasp and all thoughts of Edward vanished as I rushed towards them. I reached the pair as Alice began to shriek in pure pain and pushed Victoria away viciously before any true damage could be done.

I helped Alice steady herself and checked her over, not convinced by the many times she had already assured me she was unharmed. I turned to glance at Victoria to see her watching me steadily. As our eyes met she raised a finger and beckoned me forward, a silent dare in her eyes.

Forget Edward, I thought. This is my battle.

BELLA'S POV:

As Alice's screaming finally stopped I was struck by yet another wave of déjà vu. It would seem that my random and forgotten memories had been paying extremely frequent visits to myself, and to be truthful they were slightly annoying. I had known nothing of them until now, and I could only assume it had been that way for a specific reason. Whether the memories were suppressed or blurry, I obviously I did not want to hear of them, and I knew remembering them could be fatal to my current way of life. But ignoring your mind is near impossible to do, so I did not fight it, but allowed myself to succumb to it.

Edward turned away from me to help Alice, and this time I did not turn my back to the scene and ignore it, but I watched it instead. I watched as all the Cullen's turned to Victoria, one by one. I watched as she tried to doge them, to outrun them, and to compel them. I watched as she failed. I watched in both awe and horror as a family, my family, came together to protect me and killed the evil woman as I watched. They ripped her to pieces, with expressions that were neither that of satisfaction or pain on their faces. They knew what they had to do, and they did it, though not because they approved.

I watched, and as I watched also remembered. The fighting, the screaming, the blaze of the fire brought back long lost memories of that night that Edward had saved me from the car accident. The night he had saved me from Victoria for the first time.

Pictures of a blazing car flashed through my mind. I could hear my mother screaming in agony and my father talking to her from where he was trapped beside her- trying to calm her down. I could smell the blood; it tainted everything with its thick, sickly scent. I heard the sirens in the distance. I heard someone's footsteps outside the car. The sound of crushing glass. The sound of a smooth, angelic voice whispering to me as they pulled me from the wreckage.

I remembered watching as a handsome man fought a woman with hair that was red like my favourite dress. I remembered watching as she headed towards me and as he dragged her back time and time again. I remembered my mother's screams continuing to fill the air. I remembered praying that my parent's would make it out ok. I remembered the woman cursing and running as police and paramedic vehicles turned the corner. I remembered the man enveloping me in his arms and rocking me back and forth- comforting me. I remembered Edward. Then I realised that I wasn't angry at him- I was angry at myself. I wasn't sad he couldn't trust me- I was sad that I made him thought I would never trust him. I was confused.

And I finally realised, I was in love.

I abruptly felt extremely fatigue and began to sway unsteadily. Through my already half closed eye lids I saw Edward turn towards me and then felt his hands grip my arms tightly to hold me upright. I heard him talking to me and tapping my cheek, trying to gain my attention. But all I could do was think about how stupid I had been and how tired I was. I muttered to myself, "Stupid, Bella. How could you be so stupid? You risked everyone's lives. You almost got yourself killed. All because of a little heartbreak. Stupid, Bella…" I kept talking, not completely sure of what I was saying, but subconsciously aware that everyone could hear me.

Unexpectedly, two words broke through the bricks of my hazy mind and caused me to force myself to focus for a little longer; "love you…" I heard those two very words, uttered by a voice that I knew all too well.

Turning my head in the direction of the voice and fluttering my eyes I tried to compose a response. But a suave "What?" was all I could manage.

I was aware of a few quiet and relieved sounding chuckles before I heard Edward's voice once more.

"Bella," he began, and I held my breath (which was really stupid because I was already feeling light headed), "I. love. You." He said slowly and distinctively.

I felt a huge, goofy smile spread across my face and opened my eyes completely so I could look Edward in the eyes. However, I was that shocked by what had just happened, all the fighting and the memories and the lovey-dovey confessions, that I was more then a little high on bewilderment. So instead of kissing him or confessing my own undying love for him like I should have, I poked Edward in the chest, winked at him and the passed out.

All in true Bella style.

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Chapter 20- there you have it! Now there's only one more to go, and to be honest is sort of surreal…

By the way, MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope all your holidays, whether they were white and cold or sunny and hot, were great and memorable ones!

Consider this chapter my gift to all of you…

Also, your reviews are very, very, very appreciated…as always! :P

Best wishes and love,

Krissy

Heart of Diamonds