I own nothing…this fabulous world and everything in it belongs to the very talented Stephenie Meyer…I do however, own this particular story…whatever that means!

Author's note…a special thank you to my beta, Heartbroken1, who continues to make my story so much better! I couldn't to it without her!

Chapter 20: Bitten

"The school year started. New students, new routines. Going from teaching elementary to high school curriculum took a lot out of me. I had more planning to do and I struggled to find my niche. The earlier hours were great, though. I could get home earlier and spend more time with Grace."

"The fall just flew by. Halloween came and I took Grace to a costume party on the reservation. Leah's idea of cluing in the wives of Sam's decision did the trick. They welcomed me back with open arms, and I was relieved that the pitied looks had stopped.

The divorce was final and the custody agreement was going well. I dressed Grace as a kitten that year, a little black and grey striped kitten. She looked so adorable and giggled with delight when she went trick or treating."

"Thanksgiving came. Jacob had Grace for the holiday. I was invited, but felt Jake needed some alone time with his daughter. Grace was starting to get used to being with only one of us at a time.

He'd started a friendship with Meghan, which surprised me. He hadn't started dating her yet, but I thought that would most likely come in time. She spent the holidays with Jake and Grace, and I heard from everyone that she was really nice and was beginning to bond with my baby girl. I wasn't thrilled with that, but Jacob was Grace's father and he needed this woman to be whole, so I soldiered on and was grateful that she was sweet to my little one."

"I chose to share the holiday with some colleagues from school. It was a quiet affair and I was home before five. I spent the rest of the weekend working on my Master's thesis, which I finished and was able to submit. Finally! I was determined to get this part of my education finished, as it meant even more time with Grace and a nice pay increase that would help out with my new life.

"I had started to heal, even if it was just a little. I still missed Jake like crazy, loved him still…" when suddenly I heard Edward take in a sharp breath. I looked up, to see what I had missed. Once again, Edward looked uncomfortable, almost sick. His eyes refused to leave my face, though the look of pain on his face was impossible to fathom. Why are you so upset, Edward?

Had I said something that was misinterpreted by every member of the family? I looked around to see if anyone else shared his reaction, only to notice that everyone else looked calm, waiting for me to continue. I went on…

"…but time helps a person heal. I tentatively started looking forward to the next chapter in my life, though I had no idea what that would be."

"December came and with it, lots of snow and cold weather. I started prepping the house for the holidays, determined to make it special for my little girl. I shopped on days that Jacob had Grace and looked forward to a quiet Christmas, just her and me. I had accumulated a small amount of gifts for her and I took to baking Christmas cookies in the evening, while she watched. Her eyes would follow my every move, while she would say things like "momma" and "cook", which made me smile. She would laugh and lick the spoon of whatever we made together."

"The last days of school were approaching and the students were looking forward to having a nice long break, as was I. Grace would be with me for the entire Christmas holiday and I couldn't wait. I would have her all to myself for a week, though Jake and I had started a practice of stopping by, after a phone call, to visit when we were missing her too much. It was still hard, but we made it work. Jake and I were still friends, if nothing else."

"The closer we got to the holiday break, the crazier the students got. You all must remember that?" I motioned toward every Cullen 'child' in the room, before continuing. "I came up with some group work for them to do during class, that would allow for some socializing as well as get some work accomplished in the last few days we had before I would unleash them on their unsuspecting parents," I chuckled, but then stopped. What I was about to divulge wasn't pleasant.

"The last day of school came and I was all too happy to release my students. I had lots of work to accomplish before retiring to my home for the night. My plan was quite simple. I would stay at work, no matter how late it got, so I could spend the entire week with my little girl. I would stay and grade every paper, record every score, clean my entire classroom…everything I could do so that my vacation would be work-free."

"One by one, colleagues came and wished me a happy holiday, warning me to not stay too late. By mid-evening, I knew I was the only left in the building. The custodial crew had already come through, anxious to start their vacation as well. I knew I still had at least a few hours ahead of me before I could go home and get a well-deserved rest."

I recounted the evening's events, almost methodically, as I took in rhythmic breaths. I was dreading this part of the story, but it was what every Cullen had waited patiently for hours to hear.

"By 11:00, I knew I was getting close. The excitement I had was almost palpable. I was proud that I'd accomplished my goal and was starting to ready myself to leave. I gathered my box of gifts from students and collected my purse and coat. I never heard the door to my classroom open, but I did hear the 'click' as it closed."

"My hair stood up on the back of my neck as I looked up to see who or what had entered my room."

I stopped, my breath caught in my throat, unable to go on. I could feel the stress building in my shoulders and my stomach tightened.

"Bella," Edward's velvety voice called to me softly, "who was there?"

"Edward, I thought that all of you would have figured that out by now," I answered him, trying to keep my voice calm, my expression smooth.

"Bella, we've been here with you all evening. Please tell us who did this to you," Rosalie asked, her voice soft but insistent.

There was no more time to delay. I sat up straight in my seat, clenching my hands together before I responded.

"Victoria."

A split second of stillness remained in the room before chaos erupted. Edward stood, no longer able to control himself and ran to the other side of the room, his motions a blur, before putting his fist through a window, shattering it, which shook the whole wall of the house.

Emmett and Jasper jumped up, as did Carlisle, rushing to Edward's side, as if to restrain him before he caused more damage to their home. But before they could reach him, he had bounded through the window, running at breakneck speed as all three other Cullen men followed him, out through the same huge opening he had created.

Before I knew what was happening, Rosalie and Esme exited, this time out the front door, giving chase.

I was left alone with Alice, who came to my side, taking my hand.

"What the hell was that about?" I looked at my friend, hoping to find some answers in her expression. Their reactions had left me totally confused.

"Edward," she began, unsure of how to continue, "well, I'm not sure…"

"Alice," I tried again, "what's going on? Why is he so upset?"

"Bella, this isn't easy for him. But I think that he should explain what's going on to you himself. It's not my place…" she said before an ear piercing roar interrupted her, breaking the stillness of the forest.

"Who was that?" I asked, already knowing the answer. Before I could say anything further, every member of the Cullen family that had so suddenly left the house returned, this time through the front door, which had been left open when Rosalie and Esme left only minutes earlier. Emmett and Jasper flanked either side of Edward, while Carlisle was close behind, as if to prevent him from escaping again.

Flustered, I began, "I'll go now. I never meant to upset any of you. Edward, I'm sorry if the conversation took a turn you weren't expecting. I'll just get my things and be on my way," I finished as I made my path toward the entryway of the Cullen home.

Emmett stepped in front of me, stopping me in my tracks, before placing his large hand on my shoulder. Even after all this time, I was still intimidated by his massive size. "Bella, Edward's fine. He just had a tantrum, but he's back to normal now. Please don't go. We haven't seen you in years, and I, for one, would like to hear the rest of your story."

I looked around at every face, saving Edward's for last, before I spoke. "Edward, are you alright? I can't stand to see you this upset. Not any of you. I warned you my story wasn't…pleasant. I thought for sure that you all realized by now….well, how this happened to me. I'll leave if you want me to. I won't force myself or my story on any of you."

Edward looked down at my face, his eyes dark with hatred. It was a bit frightening and I could feel myself shrinking back from both his closeness and the rampant hostility in his expression.

Sensing the look on my face and the effect it was having on me, he visibly forced himself to calm down, taking deep breaths and shaking his head back and forth, running his long, thin fingers through his hair, as if trying to clear his mind, before taking my shoulders in his hands. The closeness of him, the feel of his touch, even through my sweater, and the scent of his breath as he took in a large reserve of air, knocked the wind right out of me.

He pulled me even closer before he started, "I am so sorry, Bella. This is completely my fault. I should have been there to protect you, to keep you safe from that excuse of a creature...that bitch. This is entirely my fault. You lost everything…because of me. I will never forgive myself for any of this. If I had only been stronger and done the right thing, but I thought I was doing the right thing. This is not how this was supposed to happen…"

"Edward, what are you talking about? None of this is your fault. It's just how things are…were for me. You couldn't have had any idea she was coming back. Why are you blaming yourself for this?" I looked up at him, desperate to find some hint in his face…his beautiful, perfect face.

"Why don't you just continue with your story, Bella," he answered quietly, this time not willing to look me in the eye.

"Yes, Bella. If you're up to it, we would like to hear the rest of your story," Carlisle added, one hand on my arm, while the other motioned to the seats that we had all vacated during the bedlam.

"Well, if you're sure…" I answered, my voice unsure.

"Please," Edward begged, his face now turned away from me.

We all took our places, such as they had been. I settled myself in, ready to continue and attempt to finish this thing.

"Well, Victoria was there. She looked just as wild as that night in the clearing, her hair tangled, her face twisted in some strange smile. She stood some way back from me as she spoke."

"Well, I thought this day would never come. I have to hand it to you. You're good at finding protection for yourself. Too bad that things didn't work out for you and the dog. The one thing you're terrible at is holding the interest of a man, but you're just a simple human. Nothing of consequence – definitely nothing special. But this is the best Christmas present I could ever hope to receive. I will finally get my revenge. Because of you, I lost my James."

"Why kill me? I'm no longer with Edward. He left years ago. He never loved me; he didn't want me. He told me that…just before he left me."

I heard Edward take in a deep, sharp breath and I glanced up to see him, his eyes closed, as he pinched the bridge of his nose, a habit he employed when he was frustrated or upset. At that moment, I, again, felt the pain of that night when he left, but pushed it aside as I desperately tried to find my way back to explaining those terrifying moments, the last moments of my human life, before Victoria took it all from me. I pressed on…remembering her menacing words and the crimson of her eyes as she spoke to me.

"Oh, I know that Edward left you. Someone as plain as you could never hold someone like us…one of our kind. You're just an insignificant little human. But, there is a price to pay, a debt that must be met. And you, my dear, will pay that price. I haven't waited all these years to be disappointed again. Then, I'll find Edward and his family and they'll pay as well. But not before I tell him that I changed his little 'pet'."

"She actually told you she was going to change you and not kill you," Jasper asked me, his voice incredulous.

"Yes."

"But why?" Esme questioned.

"I'm getting to that," I answered, unable to look directly at her.

"What do you mean, change me? Why don't you just kill me and get it over with?"

"Because you need to pay a price; a dear price. I'm going to bite you and leave you here to suffer for three long days. When you awake, you'll feel a thirst like you've never felt before; but, I'll leave you a clue where to find your first meal."

She had crossed the room then, advancing toward me, before she positioned herself directly behind me, her hand tight on my shoulder, to prevent me from running. She picked up something from my desk with her free hand and looked at it menacingly…a picture of my Grace.

"What are you doing?"

"When you wake up, the first thing you'll see is this picture of your child. Babies are normally delicious meals, their young blood so sweet and untainted. I have no doubt that your child will be, even if she is half-dog. I've smelled her myself. You'll desire her blood unlike no other. She smells so much like you, and you won't be able to control yourself. You'll drain her so quickly you won't realize what you've done until it's too late. If you're lucky, the pack will finish you off. If you're not, you can live with the guilt that you killed your own child for the rest of your existence."

I stopped then, closing my eyes, unable to go on. I took in a huge breath and steadied myself before I could continue.

"And then, her laughter in my ears, she lifted me from my seat as she bent her head down to my neck and bit me. I was so hoping that she would get carried away and finish me off, but true to her word, she only bit me once, though it was excruciating, as the coldness of the venom seeped into my veins. Then, the intense fire began. She stood there, ensuring that the venom would leave me paralyzed like it had in Phoenix. When she was satisfied that my change was underway, she backhanded me. I flew across the room and when I hit the floor, she spit in my face, before she left the room. I could hear her pick up my car keys as she left me there, alone to die..."

Silence.

Not a word from anyone.

Finally, Alice's soft voice broke the quietness of the room, "She bit you and left, leaving you to suffer through it alone?"

"Alice, what else did you expect? That she would stay and hold my hand?" the sarcasm in my voice escaping before I could stop it. I saw the remorse in Alice's face, as I immediately regretted my retort and added, "I'm sorry Alice, I didn't mean to snap at you."

Again, quiet. The lack of sound was almost deafening. I anxiously looked around the room, as everyone sat there, saying nothing, their expressions all completely the same – eyes wide, mouths barely open, foreheads slightly creased…shocked. I couldn't handle it any longer.

"Will someone please say something?" I begged.

With that Edward slowly rose from his seat, his fists extended at his sides, rage evident in his face, while his eyes darkened with fury….more fury than I had ever seen before across his breathtaking face.

"Say something? How's this, Bella? I'm leaving," he spat out, each word dripping with malevolence, though the level of his voice was low and quiet.

This time I got out of my seat. "Leaving? Why?" I answered him, confused once again. Had he finally tired of sharing the same air as me?

His next statement surprised me. "I'm going to find her and kill her. Who would care to join me?" Edward again responded, almost sounding like he was looking for someone to join him for an afternoon matinee at the movies.

With that, every member of the Cullen family stood, as if to silently accept Edward's request, before I felt the need to interject.

"Edward, there's no need…" I started, before he rudely cut me off.

"Bella, there is every need. She ruined your life and I'm going to finish what I started. I thought that she was already dead, but I won't make the same mistake this time. I'll keep hunting her until I find her and…" he continued before I felt the need to cut him off.

"Edward, I'm telling you there is no need to go looking for Victoria," but again, I was dismissed.

"Bella, can you give me one good reason why you feel there is no need?" Edward snapped at me, impatience in his voice, as he took a step toward me.

"Because Edward, I already killed her…" as my voice trailed off.