I stared after Edward in disbelief as he led me into the trees surrounding the airport. I wasn't sure if I was comfortable enough to feed yet, although the idea of blood appealed to me in the same way that Italian food once did. The thought of pasta now made me wrinkle my nose.
"Just follow your instincts." Edward told me, looking as uncomfortable as I felt. "It'll come to you naturally."
"And what are we eating?" I said quietly, scanning the forest for wildlife. Edward smiled sheepishly and raised one finger. I waited until my ears adjusted to the sound of oncoming hooves. "What are they?"
"White-tailed deer." Edward stated just as three came into view not so far away. "They're quick, but you're quicker. Like I said, Bella, just let your instincts take over."
"I don't think I'm ready for this." I whimpered but I could already feel my feet urging me forward. Edward squeezed my hand gently.
"I know and I'm sorry, but you need to feed." He smiled a sympathetic smile and nudged me forward slightly. "Stay quiet now."
I threw him one last frantic glance before I crouched low and sauntered towards the naive deer. They were grazing and surprisingly unaware of my approaching footsteps. Perhaps I could tread more lightly with my new feet? I also couldn't help noticing that I hadn't tripped over my feet once yet and was amazed that vampire venom had also cured my lack of balance and coordination. However, my thoughts distracted me from my path and a twig snapped beneath me, sending the deer instantly alert. They began to run and the realisation of my food escaping sent me into full on predator mode.
I forgot about Edward and my surroundings and focused only on my prey, breaking into a run myself. I felt myself grinning as the trees blurred around me and I prepared to pounce. One of the deer was only metres ahead of me, so close that I could probably snatch it if I jumped. In my next step I gracefully launched myself forwards with my arms wide and wrapped them around the mammal as we collided. It's neck crunched as we hit the ground and it's body went limp.
"Oh no!" I cried, skidding to a halt and dropping the deer. Edward suddenly appeared.
"That was brilliant, Bella!" He looked at the deer and then my startled expression. "What's wrong?"
"I didn't mean to break it's neck!" I hid my face in my hands but Edward just laughed.
"Bella, you were going to kill it anyway. I'm amazed that even distracted you from feeding straight away."
"Oh." Was all I could say. I looked at the deer and then realised I felt embarrassed with Edward watching.
"I'll go find something for myself." I smiled at him gratefully as he disappeared into the trees around me, leaving me alone with my kill. How did I go about this? Did I feed from the neck or was that too cliché? Nothing in this world came with instructions.
I crouched beside the deer and placed my hands around its neck, bringing it up to my face. If Jacob saw me now he'd have a heart attack and probably break my own neck. Taking a deep breath, I opened my mouth and sunk my teeth into its flesh, wincing slightly as I heard it tear. But as the first trickle of blood entered my mouth, the anxiety and embarrassment vanished, only to be replaced by a hunger that went on to drain the deer completely. When there was nothing left to drink I dropped the body and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. I felt amazing.
My senses that were already so sharp felt even more so now and I felt almost warm inside, as if I was still alive and human. I heard Edward approaching again and I turned to beam at him.
"Better?" He smirked, but there was still a hint of sadness in his eyes as if he was still coming to terms with my transition.
"Much." I confirmed, and flitted to his side to take his hand. "I never thought this would feel so…" I struggled to find the word.
"Monstrous?" Edward suggested. "Disgusting?"
I rolled my eyes. "No, stupid. Normal."
Edward squeezed my hand a little tighter. "Are you ok with this being normal now? Not that there's much we can do about it anymore."
"I think so," I shrugged, the movement faster than I remembered. "But Jake is going to really hate me this time."
Now it was Edward's turn to roll his eyes. "It's none of Jake's business."
"He's still my best friend, even if he has been ignoring me."
"In which case I don't think he's even worthy of being your friend. In fact, I've never thought so." Edward smirked.
"I wish you two would just get over it." I sighed. "It's hard having a boyfriend and a best friend who not only hate each other, but are also enemies and are both in love with you."
"Is that what I am?" Edward smiled. "Your boyfriend?"
"What a silly question!" I snorted, giving him a light shove. Edward stumbled slightly. He raised his eyebrows.
"Well we haven't really clarified what's going on here."
"Edward, I love you, ok? I loved you when I said goodbye and for the entire time I was at univesity here. I was just too scared to do anything about it after everything I said to your family and the Volturi. Of course that didn't stop Aro getting involved." I felt my face slip into a frown. "You're stuck with me forever now."
"But don't feel that it's only this way because you were forced into this situation. If you chose to go your own way I would completely understand, I just don't like the idea of you ending your existence." Edward kept his expression serious, but I noted how his hand lingered anxiously beside mine. I slipped my fingers through his and laughed.
"You silly, over worrying vampire. I think we all knew I was going to come back to Forks eventually, even if it had just been for a holiday I would never have returned to Florida. Aro knew, Alice had probably seen it and deep down even I knew it was inevitable. We're meant to be, Mr Cullen." Edward's lips finally twitched into a smile.
"Admittedly my siblings had to rein me back from going after you on more than one occasion. If you hadn't come back here then I certainly would have gone to Florida, even if just for a holiday as you put it." We laughed at how ridiculous we sounded. "You should have called me though, rather than plan to throw yourself into a bonfire."
"I was embarrassed." I whispered. Edward stroked my cheek.
"You should never be embarrassed when it comes to me, Bella, you know that. Yes, you made your feelings quite clear before you left, but that doesn't mean they would prevent me from coming to your aid when you needed me most. Who is the silly one now?"
"I suppose that would be me." I smirked, cuddling into his side. "What happens now?"
"Apart from getting you a clean change of clothes, are you happy to come back to Forks with me?"
"I suppose I'll have to. I need to talk to Jacob." Just saying his name made me feel sad.
"I wish you'd stop putting Jacob's happiness before your own, Bella. Even in death you think of others before yourself." Edward placed a hand against my cheek and kissed my forehead.
"I need to explain to him what's happened, Edward, he'll find out eventually anyway but I want it to be from me. And besides, I'm not really dead as such, so I've got to do something about my parents and school too. There's no way I can go back now." I wasn't sure whether to be pleased or annoyed about this. Although my heart had been elsewhere during my studies, I had put a lot of effort into my work. Edward seemed to sense my unease.
"You've got plenty of time to complete your studies, Bella. However if you'd prefer to do them sooner rather than later you can always go back in a couple of years once we know for sure you're in control of your thirst, not that it seems to be bothering you much."
"I know." I sighed. "So much for that normal human teenager life I claimed I wanted so badly, now it doesn't even look like I'm a normal teenage vampire."
Edward laughed. "You certainly had us all convinced that you wanted to remain as you were!"
"What is your family going to think of me now?" I whined. "Rosalie is going to end my existence for me!"
"She wouldn't dare." Edward growled. "Not if she values her own existence."
"Well she doesn't really, Edward." I snorted. "So that's hardly going to affect her decision."
"Everyone will understand, Bella, it's not like you went off seeking out Aro to turn you. If anything they'll want to comfort and help you." In all fairness I knew I could count of Edward's family for anything. Despite being predators, none of them had a bad bone in their bodies. Although the jury was still out on Rosalie.
"I'm just going to feel so stupid walking back in there after I walked out on you all." Edward didn't seem to understand how humiliating this was for me. If I was still capable of blushing I'd probably just be a permanent shade of red for the next 24 hours.
"My family are not judgmental, Bella. When Alice saw you about to walk into that bonfire all they were concerned about was your safety. When they understood that you had transitioned all alone with none of us to help, they all felt terrible. Rosalie included."
"Now why do I find that so hard to believe?" I huffed. "She didn't have anything nice to say to me when I left and you said she killed my truck!"
Edward rolled his eyes. "I think you're forgetting Rosalie's history, Bella, and her reasoning for not wanting you to be a vampire."
"Because she wanted to be human, I know all that." I frowned in confusion.
"True, but Rosalie told you that she wished there had been someone to vote no for her."
"So?" I pressed.
"You made your decision to remain human and when Aro came and found you, no one was there to stand up for you or try to prevent what he planned to do. Rosalie knows how you feel, Bella."
It did make sense, but Rosalie would always be the last person I would expect sympathy from. I was always going to be wary of her, even now in this indestructible form. Sensing that I had nothing to verbally comment, Edward continued.
"So, shall we head off?"
I nodded and followed him back to his car, my head swimming with all the upcoming conversations I was going to have to deal with; Edward's family, Jacob, my parents and no doubt the Volturi. I wasn't surprised when Edward produced a pair of jeans and a clean t-shirt from a suitcase in the boot of his car.
"Alice?" I smirked. He nodded.
"She knew of course." He handed me the clothes and then looked around. I realised that Edward still hadn't seen me without my clothes on. When he had been at my house I had always got changed in the bathroom while he waited in my bedroom. In this body I was more confident than I had ever imagined, but Edward and I still hadn't reached that physical point in our relationship and although our bond was as untraditional as you could get, I still wanted to do this the traditional way. "I'll wait here; you can get changed in the car if that suits you?"
I nodded quickly and darted into the passenger seat, cranking the chair back and ripping the singed and smoky clothes from my body to replace them with clean and no doubt designer ones. I didn't dare look at the labels. When I was done I climbed back out of the car and joined Edward, his face sheepish. We didn't discuss what had just happened, there were more pressing matters at hand and I wasn't entirely sure what to say anyway. We'd only just reestablished our relationship; we'd have to leave the ins and outs of it for another day.
Edward took my hand and led me towards the airport quickly. I was so used to people staring at Edward when we were in public that I suddenly felt very self-conscious when I noticed the eyes roaming over my appearance. That was something I was going to have to get used to.
Edward approached a desk and purchased us both last minute tickets for a flight back to Forks. I realised afterward that I hadn't got my passport on me, but wasn't surprised to find that someone had forged me a new one. I shrugged it off, those questions could be left for later. The walk to the terminal felt painfully slow, I'd never noticed how slowly humans travelled. Edward found this very amusing. We boarded the plane at an equally sluggish pace and I realised that the flight wasn't going to be much quicker. Right now I wished I could still sleep so that I could just reopen my eyes and we'd be home. Now I had no choice but to face the conversations in my head and come up with some sort of idea of what I was going to say to the people who were going to be affected by my transition.
"What do I say to my parents, Edward?" I asked him quietly. He was studying my face, no doubt still desperately trying to find a way to see my thoughts.
"That you decided university wasn't for you, you want to travel the world for a year or two and then reconsider going back and finishing." I was amazed how realistic this story would sound. And then I clicked.
"Is that actually what's going to happen?"
"I don't see why not. Carlisle said that he and Esme will remain in Forks while the two of us and my siblings go elsewhere until you're comfortable enough to be back around your human family."
Human family. I was going to have to get my head around the fact that I had a human family and a vampire family now too. "I suppose it is a good idea. I wonder what the wolves will say to that."
"The wolves have no say in the matter. The treaty between our family and theirs lies in Forks and La Push, not the rest of the world." Edward grumbled.
"But I'll be leaving Jacob again." I sighed sadly. Poor Jake. Maybe I didn't deserve his friendship.
"Jacob can't expect you to hang around forever. He'll imprint one day and won't need anyone else." His words hit me like a slap round the face. "I'm sorry, I just mean that once he's found his imprint he won't be quite so intent on making you choose between the two of us and blackmailing you into kissing him." Edward clearly hadn't gotten over what had happened a year or so ago when the newborns attacked.
"He knows I've chosen you, I'd choose you a thousand times over, but he's still my best friend regardless and I owe him more than you understand." It was Edward's turn to look like he'd been slapped. It was probably a little unfair of me to say because Edward did know how much I owed Jacob, mainly from when Edward left me, and therefore Edward felt he owed Jacob too.
"Of course, I'm sorry." We weren't really angry with one another, just both a bundle of emotions following my transition.
When we finally landed in Forks, Edward and I departed the plane hand in hand, unsurprised to see all the Cullens waiting for us in arrivals. Their faces were sad for me, but relieved to see Edward and I together.
Alice opened her arms and I fell into them. "Missed you."