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Three days later, just as Edward and everyone else had promised, the venom stopped burning. He never left my side, and I clung onto his hand willingly, almost desperately until the pain faded. Each day, his face grew clearer and more beautiful, and my affection for him grew deeper....

The time between being a human and becoming a vampire seemed faded after the transformation was complete. Even the memories that had been recorded only weeks or even only days before seemed as if they had occurred years ago. Yes, they were still present...but not nearly as much.

The room and people that I was with were familiar, but different now. A quick shuffle through my memories revealed a room that was much duller, and details that paled in comparison. Edward held the most stunning contrast between my human memories and my new memories. His eyes were as golden as leaves in an autumn sunset, though such a similarity could almost be called shameful with the beauty those eyes held.

I reached my hand out to this angel when I came to the realization that this was all real. My fingers caressed his smooth cheek, ran along the contours of his jaw line. Had I really seen this same man before?

He smiled at the look of awe that was undoubtedly crossing my face. "It's an incredible experience, isn't it?"

I nodded. "Incredible doesn't even begin to define it."

He kissed my cheek, sending a spark of electricity down my spine. Enjoying the loving sensation, I moved his head closer to mine and fell into a deeper kiss.

His tongue and skin relative to mine now were not the cold stones that they were before; they were smooth as before, but now he was no longer made of stone. I had never thought that I could enjoy our kisses more than I already had...

Edward moved to sit on the bed in a less awkward position, cradling me in his arms. I noticed that there was no limit to what we could do with both of us in this state, and there was never any discomfort. My hand crept under his shirt, finally wanting to do something that we needed to do months ago...

"Ahem," Edward said before I could do anything.

"What?" I asked.

"I may be immortal, but I am not immune to wanting some privacy."

I was sure that I would have been blushing had I been a human. I looked up to see the rest of the family turning to leave the room and flinched. "Sorry, guys!" I exclaimed.

Alice grabbed Jasper's arm and continued prancing out of the way. "That's alright, Bella. You two have a lot to catch up on!"

I giggled out of embarrassment. The sound of bells came from my throat, and I stopped it in surprise. This sound was even sweeter than the sounds I had heard in my former life.

Edward's laugh resounded next to my ear, and I became aware that each of my senses had been heightened. So it really was true, what Edward had said about being the perfect predator. I saw everything with indescribable clarity, with colors that as a human I had not been able to see. My ears picked up each sound as it vibrated through the air. Even the subtle scents of the house lived in-even the scents of where the other vampires had been-were discernable.

Edward moved his nose to my neck. "You still smell just as sweet..." He breathed in deeper. "If not even more enticing." His lips caught my neck in affection. "But the burning is gone."

I smiled. "No more pain. No more worry."

He smiled back. "No more worry."

The statement sent a wave of joy over me. No longer would this incredible family have to go out of their way to protect me. No longer would I have to think about what would happen to Edward after I was gone. No longer would he have to go through the burning pain in his throat that came from being near me...

I kissed him again, lost in the moment. The family had all gone by now, understanding the importance of the moment. "Edward...we're going to be together forever."

"That hardly needs stating."

I closed my eyes and leaned my head on his chest. "I like hearing it."

He chuckled and moved his fingers through my hair. Musing, his smile faded, though the glint in his eyes stayed. He moved his hand along my cheek in the same fashion that I had touched him, love dripping from his eyes.

"I didn't think it was possible for you to become any more beautiful than you already were. Already, your beauty surpassed any competition. Now..." He shook his head. "Now, there is no possible way that anyone could even think that they could compete with you."

He paused, realizing what he had just said. "Not that anyone could compete with you before. But, now..."

I chuckled. "I understand what you're trying to say." I kissed his lips softly.

"Your eyes are red, though. Are you up for some hunting? I think you'll find it quite exciting."

"Alright."

"You're probably stronger than me," Edward said playfully as he gripped my hand. He looked back to me trailing behind him.

"Am I going to have to give you a piggyback ride, or do you think you can handle running by yourself?" he teased.

"Wanna race?" I teased back.

He broke into a lighthearted smile. "I won't let you win."

"We'll see if you need to." I broke off into a run, heading toward the forest that I knew the Cullens liked to hunt in. I was there in just minutes, but I could see everything around me as I ran.

I stopped when I arrived in the forest, looking around for Edward. I was certain that he had been right behind me...

A rustle near the trees caught my ear, and I turned around just in time to be knocked to the ground by Edward. Unalarmed, I greeted him with a kiss.

"I would be alright just lying here forever..."

I kissed him again, savoring his presence.

"So..." he started slowly. I waited patiently for him to continue his statement. "What's the status of...us?"

I gazed into his eyes, no question in my mind. "Do you honestly need to ask that?"

He chuckled. "I suppose I don't."

"I can't imagine how another person could even begin to cross my mind..."

A crooked smile lit up his face. "I love you," he whispered, lips close to my ear.

"I love you more than I have ever loved anyone...ever..." I pressed my lips to his cheek.

He kissed me back, and then stood up, taking me by the hand with him. "I'm sure you're thirsty. There is a mountain lion not too far away..."

I could tell from his attitude that he was eager to start hunting and was willing to show me how he hunted, unlike when I was still human. Now, he wasn't afraid of hurting me or scaring me. I gave him a signal that told him to take off, and chased after him to the base of a mountain.

The animal was cornered easily, and seemed to stare at us for a few brief and dazzled seconds before Edward caught it and broke its neck. He took a couple of bites of the lion and then threw it to me.

I was surprised at the control that I seemed to have compared to him. Though he acted like a predator in the hunt, I was able to wait more patiently and observe him as he made a kill. Despite the fact that newborns were supposed to be difficult to control, I felt as if I might have been a vampire for years. Maybe I had just spent too much time running with vampires...I was used to hearing their stories and being immersed in their world. This was nothing new to me like it would be to other newborns.

I sunk my teeth into the neck of the lion, savoring the taste of its blood. Vaguely, I remembered being so repulsed by the sight of blood that I would almost faint just from the sight of it. Now was an entirely different experience...the blood now was soothing to the burning in my throat that I had been ignoring since I first opened my new eyes-something that I should run to, not away from.

Edward was gazing at me with a softly puzzled expression on his face after I sucked the mountain lion dry of its blood.

"What?" I asked, confused myself.

"That was almost the last way I expected you to be able to eat that lion...yet, I don't find myself surprised. I think I'm more astonished at my lack of astonishment than anything else," he told me, chuckling at himself.

"Should I be a bit more ravenous next time?" I joked.

He smiled at my playfulness, caressing my cheek. "I don't know what I was so worried about..." he mused. "True, your skin is not that soft and fragile texture that I had grown to love and your heart is still...but I will never have to worry so much about your safety anymore.

"Granted," he said with a laugh, "there is nothing that absolutely guarantees your safety, with your luck, but this is certainly a step in the right direction. At least now I won't look over my shoulder wondering what you've broken when you've slipped and fallen, or wondering if you're telling the truth when I hold you too tight...there will be no more holding you too tight," he finished with a smile.

"Actually, you're probably stronger than me now," he continued with another chuckle. "You undoubtedly have more self-control than I, or any other vampire I have ever met, had as a newborn. Your self-control will be invaluable. Though it will be difficult for you to be around any human, and I will not risk it, I do not think it will be as difficult as it was for any of us. I wonder how you could have so much control over yourself..."

"Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I've been bitten before? Maybe something to do with the fact that I hated the sight of blood before?"

Edward chuckled at the last suggestion. "It's probably that one."

We sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the solace of nature and enjoying each other's company until I remembered something important.

"Can you read my mind now?" I asked.

Edward flinched, frowning. He shook his head and answered, "No. Still nothing."

"Oh," I said in disappointment. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "Don't be. It's not your fault. After all, it will without a doubt come to your advantage. There are a lot of dangers out there, and more than enough of them deal with the mind. At least in that respect, you are almost guaranteed safety."

"Heh. Almost."

Edward nodded. "Almost. Vampires like Kaz who can lift shields are a problem."

I almost wondered how safe Edward really thought I was. There were always these exceptions that got in the way of my safety. Still, Edward would be protecting me. I expressed this concern to him.

"I am your husband. It is my duty to protect you," he said simply.

"I only hope that I can do the same for you..."

"Do not ever put yourself in danger for me," he said fiercely.

"As you would for me? Why wouldn't I?"

He pursed his lips then opened his mouth to speak. His mouth closed again, and I took the opportunity to speak.

"How fair would it be for me to sit aside if you were in danger, if you wouldn't just sit aside if I was? I love you too much to even consider that if such a situation were to occur."

"But-"

"If you don't want me to protect you when you're in danger, don't protect me when I'm in danger."

He scowled. "That's preposterous."

"I can reciprocate now. I am going to."

He sighed, but nodded. "I suppose that is only fair."

"Good." I gave him a kiss and stood up. "Now it's my turn to find an animal to kill."

The crooked smile flashed across his face again. "I'll follow."

I returned the smile and took off for the opposite end of the woods. It was not long before I met a deer, who looked up from its grazing immediately. I had expected it to run, but at first it just stood there. I stopped, wondering where the fun was in that. Slowly, it started walking toward me. I watched it in confusion. Was it not scared at all?

I turned to Edward, who had just come up behind me. "Shouldn't it be running?"

"You are quite dazzling," he answered.

I remembered what he had said to me about being the world's best predator. I was supposed to be drawn toward him, because I had been his prey. But did that really work on animals, too?

I leapt toward the deer, using the same tactics that Edward had used on the mountain lion to kill it. After sucking it dry, I threw the carcass aside, thirst quenched enough for now.

"You're making me question my idea of a monster..." Edward quietly said to me.

"You never were a monster."

He didn't have a response to that but for a smile. A few minutes later, he said, "Are you ready to head home? I'm sure everyone is eager to talk to you."

I nodded. "Sure."

We ran home, where the others of the family were in the living room chatting. Alice greeted me with a hug, as usual. I hugged back tighter than I would have before. I was so happy that none of them had to worry about breaking me with their strength.

"Hey, Bella, up for some arm wrestling?" Emmett joked as soon as I sat down in an empty chair straight across from him. Arms crossed with a cocky smile on his face, he continued, "If you're even half as strong as your little boyfriend, you won't be at all difficult to defeat."

Edward snorted playfully, and I slammed my elbow on the table to challenge Rosalie's monkey man.

Carlisle immediately responded. "Please don't break the table," he begged.

"I'll go easy on her," Emmett answered, getting his arm in the position for arm wrestling.

"Emmett," Carlisle said in a warning voice.

"Alright, we'll head outside," Emmett said in a defeated voice, standing up.

I looked up at his huge demeanor, intimidated now. I laughed and told him, "No, you win by default. Why bother embarrassing myself?"

He sat back down. "Thought you'd chicken out."

"Maybe later," I said with laughter still in my voice.

Carlisle shook his head with a smile on his face and changed the subject. "How are you holding up, Bella?"

"I feel fine. Normal, almost. It's different to be eating blood instead of human food, but it seems natural. Like it's just a different lifestyle I'm living-not a different life."

The doctor raised an eyebrow, but the expression faded in only seconds. "I suppose that makes sense. You've known about our world for a while now and very little alienated you in the first place."

I glanced at Jasper, who was sitting stiffly in his chair. I wondered why he would have such a stance if he was no longer restraining himself, but continued listening to Carlisle.

"The most fascinating thing about you is the shield around your mind. I wonder if you are able to control it like Kaz could. He seemed to have the ability to lift it, but I wonder if you can lift it yourself."

"Are there any circumstances when I would want to?" It seemed to have come to my advantage countless times when I was still human.

Edward touched my hand, and without delay I turned my head to look into his liquid golden eyes. Longing dripped from the butterscotch color, and I understood the use for removing my shield. He had become accustomed to reading minds, and the fact that he could not with me frustrated him, even pained him because he loved me. Even that tiny bit of intimacy would mean the world to him-it was like I was not telling him something important that he needed to have at least a word of.

I kissed my husband in understanding. "I'll learn to lift my shield for you."

"Don't-"

"No. I'll learn to control it for you."

"Don't make yourself vulnerable."

"I won't," I said with certainty.

He kissed me back. "I trust that you will not put yourself in danger, since you know that doing so would put me in danger," he decided. His lips moved gently as he whispered, "I love you."

I caressed his cheek, forgetting about all others in the room as I gazed into his eyes. In that golden color, I saw all that we had been through, and predicted all that we would experience together. Kaz could not break this bond; he could not even come close and no one could.

But fate-destiny? Those words had been used before, and didn't work for me. Those words did not understand the proportions of this relationship. Edward and I far surpassed the silly notions of the millions of words that could be used to describe love. There was no fate or destiny about us-we had always been together, though we had not always known each other. Love like this could be aptly described in only one word: eternity.

A sequel is possible, though the likliness of one is questionable. Please read and review. T_T Constructive criticism greatly desired.
Also, stay tuned for Kaz's story.