Author's Note: Longer chapter for you guys! Thanks for being patient all the way!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Chapter 21

I spent the next few days alone. Hunting, wandering around the hospital corridors… Alone.

Meanwhile, Emmett had returned to Forks with Jasper. Alice had gone out to create an alibi for Tanya's injuries, meaning that she got to go wreck an innocent hotel's staircase window. Carlisle was communicating actively with the doctors here, and was busy comforting Tanya's parents.

Edward was constantly by her side. And I watched as his golden eyes grew slightly darker as each day passed. Still, he refused to go out to hunt.

I hadn't wanted to leave with Emmett. I didn't care for Tanya, but Edward was here. I felt as if he would need me. But I'd been wrong.

No one seemed interested in me. No one told me good job for taking down James all by myself. No one seemed to be thankful that it had been thanks to me that we were able to save Tanya just in time.

I felt bitter. So I sulked. I avoided my family and the hallway where Tanya's ward was located. They probably didn't even miss me.

I was on the hospital roof, standing in the shadows to avoid the sun. I was leaning casually on the wall, my arms wrapped around myself protectively. My eyes were closed, and I was concentrating on the future events.

I wasn't hurt yet. I would have to wait until Tanya woke up. It was maddening, waiting for a painful feeling that I actually knew was coming. I wanted to turn to one of my siblings, especially one in particular, but they were all busy. Worrying about Tanya. Even my father didn't seem to have time for me.

There was nothing new in my visions. I saw the red-haired woman, Victoria, briefly, and I knew that she would be the cause for the vision with those wolves involved. But not for a long time.

The roof door creaked open, but I didn't move. It was too late to run away now anyway.

"Bella?" Alice asked softly, joining me. She touched my arm softly. "What are you doing? It's sunny outside."

I didn't answer.

"Long time no see," she said lightly, knowing exactly what had been bothering me these past few days. She was trying to bring me out of my sullen state. "Where have you been? Are you sure you've been hanging around the hospital?"

Slowly, I opened my eyes. "You just haven't been paying attention." My voice sounded bitter.

"Sorry," Alice said sincerely. "Really. It's just…you know how I feel about Tanya. Everything else just flew out the window."

"Yeah," I said, still staring straight ahead. "Tanya. Of course."

"It isn't that we don't appreciate everything you've done to help save her," Alice said. "We just didn't have the sanity and time to thank you at the time."

"And now you do?" I asked sarcastically.

"Edward wants to talk to you," she said. "He's most thankful out of all of us. He's regretting that he wasn't able to help you finish James. But he knows that it's thanks to you that Tanya is still alive."

I glowered up at the sun. "Really?" It sounded flat, like I wasn't curious. I really wasn't.

"Come down," Alice said. "Tanya's parents want to meet you. They want to thank you. We told them that you were the one that got to her first."

"Why did you do that?" I asked. "If you had told them that it had been Edward, he would be-"

"Bella," she scolded. "Don't say that. It's true that you were the one that actually saved her. Not Edward."

My mouth twisted.

"Come on," Alice urged, pulling me back indoors. "And don't forget to act polite."

Reluctantly, I let her pull me towards the hallway where Tanya's ward resided. But there was something new. The doctor and a nurse were outside with Carlisle and Tanya's parents, talking in low voices.

"…be fine, Mrs. Denali," the doctor was saying as we approached curiously. "She'll be in pain for a couple more days – weeks, maybe – but she'll be fine. The main thing is that she's finally woken up. She'll be fine."

Mr. and Mrs. Denali sighed in relief. "Thank you, Doctor."

The doctor nodded, and he and the nurse left, walking past us.

"Carlisle, what happened?" Alice asked as we joined the three of them. "Is Tanya awake?"

"Yes," Carlisle said, smiling. "She's awake. Edward's with her now."

What else is new? I thought to myself. Tanya being awakened was good news to everyone else but me. I wondered what kind of a pain I would be in soon.

"Is this…?" Mr. Denali asked, looking at me.

"Oh, yes," Alice said quickly. "Our youngest sister, Bella."

"Hello," I said politely and quietly.

"Nice to meet you, young lady," Mr. Denali said, holding out his hand. I shook it briefly, but he didn't seem to notice my icy hand. He was too relieved that his daughter was finally awake.

"Thank you so much for getting Tanya to the hospital safely without further harm," Mrs. Denali said gratefully. "I don't know how we're going to repay for your kindness…"

"I only did what was right," I said, smiling slightly. "There's no need to think that way. I'm just glad Tanya is alright."

Which was a lie. And Carlisle and Alice knew it too. They glanced quickly at me, but I was an actress. I could have been telling the truth for all they knew.

"Have you been inside to see her?" Alice asked.

"Yes," Mrs. Denali sighed. "She's too pale for my liking. But she seemed alright. And Edward is with her, so…" She trailed off, pursing her lips. She probably didn't like the way they were so close. Like they were really in love.

"Carlisle," I said softly. "Why don't you take the Denalis down to the cafeteria and get them something to eat? You, too, Alice."

Carlisle nodded. "Come. You look dead on your feet."

The Denalis glanced at me curiously before following Carlisle and Alice out of the hallway. And finally, I was alone.

My kind expression evaporated immediately. I turned my head slightly to look at the door to her room.

Slowly, I approached the door, and looked through the narrow window.

To my shock, Edward and Tanya were kissing. I could hear her heartbeat sputtering rapidly, and the monitor behind her was on the verge of going crazy.

And I was in pain.

I hadn't realized how much it would hurt. I'd known that they were together. And I had known that my brother was taken.

But I hadn't realized that he had never been my brother.

The reason why it was so painful. The reason why my heart ached when he was with another woman. Why it was so painful when they were touching. Kissing.

I exhaled slowly, trying to fight the agony. Why was this happening to me? Why hadn't I realized earlier? Way before we had come to Forks, so that Tanya wouldn't be in the picture?

The realization finally sunk in. Along with so many other things. What Rosalie and Emmett had told me about our relationship…the way my heart hurt when Edward was trying to persuade me to defend Tanya with him… And the agony I felt when he had been neglecting me.

I loved Edward. Not as siblings. We had never been siblings like I had been with Emmett or Jasper. No, our relationship had always been different.

It wasn't loyalty either. It was love.

I grimaced and bit down on my bottom lip, trying to concentrate. But this was beyond agony. Beyond pain. It was almost as painful as my transformation into a vampire decades ago. It was comparable.

Were we destined to be mates? I wondered dimly through the horrible emotions that were coursing through my body at million miles per hour. If we were, then why was Tanya there? Why didn't Edward know?

If Jasper had been here, what would he have told me? He would've felt my emotions. He would've been the first to realize something was wrong. I was good at hiding my actions and expressions. But I could never hide my emotions as long as I was around him.

I watched – glared – as Edward pulled away from her. She panted slightly for several seconds before her heart rate became normal.

I hated her now more than ever before.

My hatred before was nothing. Now that jealousy and love accompanied my hatred, it was much stronger.

And something else that bothered me was the fact that Tanya did not love Edward back. She was going to hurt my love, and I hated her for it. She was still planning on using him, and would never look back after she got what she wanted.

I could never forgive her.

"What happened to the tracker?" Tanya was asking him now. "James."

"After I kicked him away from you, Bella took care of him," Edward said, looking fiercely regretful. "I wish I could've been the one to do it, but… I had no choice. I had to get to you."

"Bella?" Tanya whispered. She looked astounded. "Bella took care of him?"

"Bella's not bad," Edward defended me quietly. "I told you before, Tanya. She's not a bad person. She's just bitter."

"Bitter about what?" Tanya asked in a hushed voice. Her eyes were still round with fear.

Edward hesitated. "She…in a way…still has a hard time accepting what we are."

Tanya looked incredulous. "You're kidding, right? She's so beautiful and perfect and talented… And she doesn't want any of that?"

Edward didn't meet her eyes, but was staring at the edge of the bed, looking pained. He was probably feeling guilty towards me again. It made me feel angrier. It meant that my love was probably one-sided, and that he only saw me as a sister.

"It's not that," he answered finally. "She's someone that normally accepts nearly everything. She might go against it sometimes, but eventually, she comes around. It's just that…she had a horrible ending to her human life. She still resents everything that's happened to her. That's all."

"But she hates me so much…" Tanya whispered. "Like Rosalie…"

He paused again. "Rosalie doesn't hate you. I told you. She just needs time. She'll come around eventually."

"Bella?" Tanya asked apprehensively.

Edward didn't answer.

"She does hate me," Tanya pointed out. "You can't even reassure me anymore, can you?"

"Like I said…" Edward said slowly. "Bella is very different from Rosalie. I can't read her mind, like you, so I can't tell you why she's behaving this way. Sometimes, even I can't figure her out, and I'm the closest to her."

"So she does hate me?" Tanya asked. She paused. "That's bad news, isn't it? Because no matter what you say, I don't think it's a good idea to get on Bella's bad side."

"It's not."

"Then what do I do?" she asked. "What did I do so wrong to make her hate me so much?"

"I don't know." Edward looked frustrated. "I don't know. She won't tell me. She won't tell any of the others either. Believe me, Tanya, if I knew it, I would do whatever I could to change her mind."

She was silent as she studied him.

"But believe me when I tell you this," Edward said in a pleading voice. "Bella isn't bad. She's just had a rough life. And she's alone all the time now that I'm with you. You can't blame her. It's all my fault, really."

At least he knew. But that didn't make me feel better. And the fact that he was still oblivious to her true intentions still bothered me.

Tanya Denali needed a warning. She needed one from someone who had already seen everything that was going to happen. Someone who knew her plan.

I wasn't doing this because of jealousy. I really wanted to warn her to stay away. For her own good. And Edward's.

I rearranged my expression so that it was void of any emotion. And I knocked softly.

"Come in," Edward called, and I slid the door open.

Tanya looked shocked to see me standing there. So did Edward.

"What is it, Bella?" he asked.

It had been days since I'd last seen him properly. And it hurt more that he was holding Tanya's hand, when he should've been holding mine.

"Can you step outside for a few minutes, Edward?" I asked quietly, forcing myself to remain calm. "I'd like to speak to Tanya privately."

Edward hesitated, studying my face to look for any antagonism. Tanya glanced at him, scared, and hoping that he would refuse.

But the way my eyes flashed told him that I wasn't in any mood to humor him today. So he nodded and rose, glancing at Tanya briefly to tell her that it would be okay.

"Keep it short," Edward muttered quickly and quietly as he passed by me.

I waited until the door slid close behind me before walking around the bed to sit down in his seat.

For a while, both of us were silent. I stared into nothing while she fidgeted nervously.

Finally, I said, "Don't do it."

She looked startled. "Don't do…what?"

She looked frightened as I turned my gaze onto her. "You know exactly what. You thought I wouldn't know?"

I knew that Edward was still within hearing distance. He was eavesdropping.

Tanya stared at me, her breathing getting uneven.

"I said privately, Edward," I warned quietly.

It was silent. Then, I heard him walking away.

"I don't…understand," Tanya managed. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play smart with me," I said in a low voice. "Surely, Edward must have told you about my gifts. I've already seen what will happen, and it won't end well. You'll only cause many people around you to be hurt and burdened. All for your selfish ambitions… Is it really worth risking your life?"

Tanya's eyes widened. "Risking…my life?" She bit her lip. "What did you see?"

"I'm breaking the rules by even warning you about this," I said. "But for your sake and Edward's… I wouldn't do what you're planning to do."

"It's not much," Tanya argued. "What I want."

"Is what you want so important that you would even use my family to get it?" I asked dangerously.

She shut up. She shook her head slowly. "It's nothing dangerous…"

"You're using my brother's infatuation to get what you want," I stated. "You're using my sister's friendship to get her on your side. You're using Carlisle and Esme's willingness to accept you because Edward's been alone for decades. You're using everything to make them believe that you're just an innocent girl who wants to keep my brother company."

Tanya looked at me. "Do you love him, Bella? Edward, I mean."

My eyes narrowed. "He's my brother."

She smiled sadly. "I know. But he's been with you a long time, comforting you during difficult times. It's natural that you developed feelings for him. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you guys are destined to be mates. Because at times, even when we're alone…he can't keep from mentioning you. It's always Bella this, and Bella that."

I raised my eyebrow. "And?"

"I'm not upset," Tanya said honestly. "You're right. Maybe I am using him. But how are you going to get me away from him? I won't be going away until I get what I want, and he's infatuated with me. And…you won't break rules twice, and tell everyone what I'm up to. So what will you do?"

My eyes flashed. "You're quite arrogant, aren't you? You're confident of yourself?" My voice got more dangerous. "What I saw isn't a joke, Tanya. You will come to regret your choice eventually, and your plan will backfire on you, not him."

She looked stunned for a slight moment, then said stubbornly, "I don't see how."

"Does immortality seem good to you?" I asked. "Being damned with eternity? Frozen forever in your state?"

She didn't look waver as she stared at me. "It sounds pretty nice."

"I wonder if you will say that if you know our stories," I said quietly.

She didn't react. But I knew she was curious.

"Do you know why Rosalie and I have always gotten along?" I asked softly. "Do you know the one thing we both have in common?"

She shook her head.

"Our human lives both ended tragically in the same way," I whispered. "This wasn't a choice. Carlisle saved us, but we both live each day, regretting that we weren't able to pass on like other lucky humans.

"Don't you want to know why Rosalie doesn't approve of you? She may not have my gift to see what you're planning, but she senses enough. She doesn't like the fact that you have a whole life ahead of you…and you're just going to throw it away. She would give anything to exchange her immortality with mortality. She would do anything to be human again. She's even willing to give up Emmett, her own mate. The one she's destined to be with."

Tanya's gaze lowered. She couldn't look at me anymore.

"It's like being a movie star," I said. "As you already know, I was an actress. There's the glamour, beauty…the attention. But under that mask…there's something that people don't see. The pain and hard work to get to that position…the sweat and limited amount of freedom you have to give up in order to get that fame.

"It's the same thing with being a vampire. There's the beauty, speed…the graceful movements… But underneath that exterior, you have to fight the dark monster deep inside of you constantly, like Edward does."

She looked up, startled.

"You're damned with eternity," I went on bitterly. "You can't even move on from your past. You can't be with your family, who are already dead…and you spend a lot of time feeling bored and bitter. The constant process of trying to blend in… There's nothing you should feel envious about.

"I admit, Edward is at fault for endangering your life and exposing himself to you. If he hadn't entered into your life, the beauty that you see would never have tempted you. But what you're choosing is wrong.

"It's not too late. You can change your mind. You can learn to love him back." I paused, hating what I'd just said. Especially now that I knew my own feelings now. "I don't want Edward to get hurt. I care for him immensely, and he's someone very important to me. But you'd also be wasting your life on something that's not meant to be."

Tanya's chin came up. "Thank you for taking the time to warn me, Bella. But I think I'll take my chances."

I tried. I really had. But I knew that she was as stubborn as I was. As Edward was. I knew that nothing I said would make her change her mind.

I suppose I knew it before I even talked to her. Her future was set.

I rose from my seat. I decided to try one last time. "What if I gave you what you wanted? If I told you that I would transform you myself…would you leave him alone?"

Tanya smiled. "I'm thinking that maybe I would grow to love him, like you said earlier. So…thank you, but no."

My mouth twisted. "Your future is set. There's no turning back. Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Thanks." She nodded. "And…I'm sorry, Bella." She sounded sincere.

I turned away from her and left the room without even looking back. From now on, Tanya Denali was no longer my business. Though Edward's fate was intertwined with hers, I would no longer care for her. No matter how much my family begged me. No matter how much Edward begged me.

It wouldn't make a difference.

AN: Ooh! So Bella finally realized her true feelings for Edward! It was loyalty, but not loyalty at the same time! Did you like it? :) Reviews, please!