HUMAN

I do not own Twilight or it's characters.

This has official become my favorite chapter of this story. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Edward stare with his mouth hung open. He didn't quite understand what he was seeing or who this woman was.

Edward took a moment to look at the woman in front of him. She was petite with long gray hair. It was weathered and thin. The woman's body was withered, frail. She had a hard time walking. She looked as if each step was done with great care do ensure she wouldn't fall. She was weak and aged.

Edward looked the woman over. The voice that came from her lips screamed Bella but the appearance was not. He looked at the face and saw someone who could be an older relative but not his Bella. That was the fact until he looked into her eyes.

They were beautiful chocolate brown, sparkling with life. They were lovingly looking at him, piercing him deep inside. But they looked sad, scared. This woman was unsure of anything but knew life. Had a history not only with life but with him. He recognized these eyes. The twinkle in the eyes told him everything the body wasn't.

Edward walked slowly over to the woman and put his hands on her cheeks. He looked deep into those eyes and smiled. He leaned in and kissed her deeply, consciously remembering that she wasn't his Bella. She no longer possessed any vampire qualities.

He lifted her up as he continued the kiss and walked with her into the livingroom. Carefully he sat on the couch, pulling her onto his lap. He broke away from the kiss and looked lovingly into her eyes. They sat like this for a long time.

"Edward? Son, are you okay?" A voice asked from behind him.

"I'm fine." Edward said to the voice, refusing to break the contact with his Bella's beautiful eyes. He could lose himself in those eyes for all time and continue to be happy.

He could hear footsteps leaving the room. Four sets of footsteps. He mentally knew two would be Bella's parents but the other two he wasn't sure about. He didn't want to concentrate enough to figure them out. He didn't want to miss one moment, one thought, one feeling he had staring into those shining eyes.

Edward hadn't realized how much he had missed being with Bella. Her smell, her touch even her being. He continued to hold her reveling in his presence. His passion for her went far beyond being with her. He wanted everything that was her. He wanted the feelings that flowed through him, around the room, between them.

She reached up a fragile hand and laid it against his cheek. She moved herself closer and cuddled her head into his shoulder. She shivered from the cold that was radiating off him.

Edward noticed her shaking and reached out an arm to pull a blanket off the back of the couch. He wrapped her as gently as he could in it.

A cup appeared in front of him and he looked up into Esme's loving eyes. The cup held a hot liquid of some kind which Bella reached for. Edward nodded his head in appreciation and turned back to watch Bella sip carefully from the cup.

Esme ran her hand over Edward's head and left the room. It was just the two of them again. Something hit Edward in that moment. Esme was here. That meant that Carlisle was too. Is she okay? Is there something medically wrong with her?

He looked down into her eyes again. She must have known what he was wondering because she gave him a knowing look ridding him of all fears. It was then Edward heard it. I'm fine, honest.

He could read her mind. Of course he could. She had no vampire abilities to hide her thoughts. She was completely vulnerable. He questioned her with his eyes. There was no need for speaking, they knew each other too well.

He opened up into her, listening to the thoughts throughout her head. He's so beautiful. So much more than I ever knew. It's like I'm seeing him for the first time. His eyes. They're staring into my soul. He knows me so much more than anyone. Love. That's what I see. His skin is like marble. Soft, smooth, cold marble. Do I feel that way? What have I been missing? What haven't I seen before now?

Can you read my thoughts? Can you hear me? I want to ask but am afraid. I want to share everything with you. I want you do know everything. My love, my wants, my needs. Can you see what I'm thinking? Can you see my past? The good times, the bad times. I want you to experience them all with me.

The two of them sat and explored Bella's mind. They shared all the years she spent running. All the years she wondered about her place in the world. How she fit in the world of mortals and immortals. How she could live in both and neither at the same time. They explored her feelings towards the beauty of the world and the way it grew through her three hundreds years of life.

Edward could feel it was life not just existence. No one she or her family had ever encountered could tell them how long she would live. The ones of her kind had been few but they had lived for hundreds of years. They had sought out their kind. Had known who they were but couldn't answer any of her questions.

They watched in replay her time with the Volturi. How they had fought over their dominance of her. How they had tortured her. How they had tried to break her. Edward inwardly cried at the pain they caused her. How they made her suffer. How they had taken away her spirit. They had treated her worse in some ways than the humans they fed on. He understood the Volturi too well and understood more about why they wanted her.

She opened up about her time with Alice. Edward could feel a change. She wanted him to know everything but there was still a wall surrounding Alice. Not her feelings about her, not the experiences they had or shared but something else. Edward pulled away. This was something that played with her. The feelings teased her intimately.

He could feel her fear, her suffering. He could feel guilt. What about Alice would ever make her feel guilty? Someday she would allow that guilt out but today he had shared more about the two girls than he thought ever would.

They continued to search and explore everything that made Bella who she was. Why she was so stubborn. Why she cared so deeply for her family and friends. Why she had trouble calling people friends and family. Why is was so difficult to open up and expose herself. The real her.

They continued well into the night, not speaking a word to each other. Any questions Edward had, she answered without him having to ask. He found he now had been a little bird watching her life in replay and had experienced everything she had done. All her decisions and the reasons behind them. They were truly one person now. They continued until Bella fell asleep.

Edward pulled back from her mind, not wanting to intrude in her dreams. He had always been fascinated about dreaming and what people dreamed about. He was curious but knew she wouldn't approve of his intrusion without her permission. He respected her too much to hurt her in that way. He just continued to hold and protect her throughout the night.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Bell woke the next morning. She was sore and stiff. A human body didn't hold up very well especially when that body was old. She and her mother had noticed the age immediately. Thankfully because she was only 300 years old the aging process had been subtle. Had it been her mother there wouldn't have been any hope.

This was something Bell was willing to do no matter what the consequences. She needed to do this to confirm that her and Edward were made for each other. If he could love her as a human, frail and all, then they could face any issues together without worry.

Bell would never have to protect herself like her mother did with her father. She didn't want that kind of life. Even in the last few days Bell had seen the strain on both of her parents. Something like this in human terms would have ended a marriage. Since they were physically tied to each other, they had to work everything out. They would have to work through the mental and physical damage that had been caused.

Bell never once blamed the man holding her. He had brought the truth out and had started the healing process for her parents. That was something she wasn't strong enough to do. She was too afraid of the consequences of her actions. He did what he felt needed to be done to protect her and for that she was ultimately grateful. Maybe now, after all these years, her parents could have a relationship based on true love not just a mental love.

Bell looked up into Edward's eyes. She noticed them truly for the first time. They sparkled with such a beautiful sunset gold. She could see they had gone a little black. He needed to feed. Why didn't he go while I was sleeping?

"I couldn't bare the thought of being without you. I didn't want to miss one moment of looking at your beautiful face while you were sleeping." Edward answered.

Bella felt a little uncomfortable. "You can read me? I forgot about that. It feels weird not having my thoughts be my own."

"But they are. Your dreams were at least. Once you fell asleep I pulled back. I won't intrude without your permission." Edward replied.

Suddenly Bella's stomach growled. This is so strange. This shit just doesn't happen to me.

"Breakfast time for the human." Edward joked.

Bella looked at Edward and narrowed her eyes. "Fuck off."

"Well, at least you still have your spirit. We know for sure that's a human trait." Edward laughed as he stood up with her still in his arms and headed for the kitchen.

A short time later as Bell scooped the last of her food into her mouth, she looked around. Her mother was drinking her normal breakfast drink. Human blood. This is a little creepy. Her father stood in the window staring into the woods. He's been doing that a lot lately. Esme was finishing the dishes in the sink. Carlisle was reading from some journals he had brought from his home. All in all, a peaceful scene.

"Are you ready for a day out?" Edward asked leaning in.

Bell saw her father twist his head just a little, contemplate saying something and then changed his mind, and turned back to look out the window again. Bell looked sideways to Edward and nodded. What do you have planned?

Edward smiled and shook his head. He wasn't giving up anything. He rose from the table and picked up her dishes, gave them to Esme and walked back to the table. He reached out his hand and waited for Bella to take it. She quickly kissed her mother and headed out of the house with him

Once outside, they walked towards the woods. Bell took in a large breath of air. Everything is so different.

"What's different?" Edward asked curiously.

"Edward, stop doing that. It's a little unsettling." Bella grumbled.

"Sorry. It's just so fascinating being able to read you. So will you answer my question?" Edward apologized.

"Everything. The smells, the sights. The smells are less intense. The woods, the grass, the air itself. The look of everything is so dull and cloudy. The color aren't as vibrant. It's just different. I'm not use to it."

"Can I show you something?" Edward asked patiently.

Bella looked questionably but nodded. Edward scooped her into his arms and raced into the woods. He went slower than he was use to. He didn't want to harm her. She was human after all.

"Faster, Edward. So much faster." Bella squealed excitedly.

Edward was overjoyed to find her enjoying her experience. He sped up and shot around the trees. The wind whipping her hair into his face. He purposely breathed in her scent. She smelled as beautiful as she was visually. He rounded the corner of the last tree and slowed to a jog.

Bell felt Edward slow down and come to a stop. She was put onto the floor of the forest. The sight in front of her was memorizing. It was a beautiful meadow filled with wildflowers. She could hear a brook off in the distance. She walked away from Edward breathing in the freshness and intoxicating beauty of the place. She turned with a smile on her face and stared in awe.

Edward had followed her far enough that the trees still hung their shadow over him. As she turned, he stepped forward allowing the sun of the early morning to hit his body. He could feel the rays touch him, warming his body.

Bella walked back towards him. He was incredible. The sparkle in his eyes did no justice compared to the shine on his skin. He twinkled light diamonds. It was like someone had showered him with glitter. His body almost glowed. She reached out and touched him.

The feel was smooth like a rock that had been polished and shined by a river for hundreds of years but the light radiated through her fingers causing a glow to her skin. She looked up at his face and ran her hand across his cheek memorizing every second, every image.

Edward shivered as he saw himself in her mind. He could feel the love and passion that flowed through her body. He put his hand around her waist and pulled her up off the ground and leaned in. He swept his lips across hers gently feeling the warmth of her skin.

Bella wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into her, deepening the kiss. She needed him. She wanted him. She would have him forever.

One second Bell was overwhelmed in glory, and the next she was screaming in horror as a dark image caused Edward to drop her, as he was dragged halfway across the meadow.