AN: I'd like to take this chance to thank twilightHarryPotterFreak for her enthusiasm in the last few chapters!!! She was the one that got these last two chapters posted. i'd thought everyone had lost interest in FALLING STARS, but here she comes, begging me to post. So anyone still following, plz take a leaf from her book and review. even if you absolutely hate the story!!! Let me know what i might be able to do to make it appeal to you! Thank You to all those who do review!!!

anyway, on with the story. This is actually a continuation of one of the scenes that got me actually thinking about writing Selene into the story. This chapter and the last one were pretty fun to write. I don't think it's my best work (usually that's my first chapter that's the best) but hopefully it'll satisfy you all!!!

REVIEW PLEASE!!!!!!

Story my seem almost down, but wait, there is a lot more to come. Probably estimate another four to seven more chapters. Then it's on to MOONLESS NIGHT!!!! ;-}

Chapter Twenty-Five: Life and Death:

(Selene's POV)


The whole way to the ballet studio, Edward's thoughts had been reeling around getting Bella out alive, and then possibilities for the alternative. Many possible choice human suicides had come to mind, but only one had stuck, and that had most definitely not been a human suicide. Volterra was a very welcome thought to him if we couldn't save her. That was one of the reasons my own errant thoughts began to take form. I wasn't going to let him kill his soul mate, because I most definitely wasn't going to let my best friend of 109 years die right along with her.

I had to do something, and quickly. Bella's blood was clean of James' venom, but now Edward was sapping her life himself. He'd gone into a half-frenzy and was taking too much blood, killing her.

Watching in horror at the heartbreaking scene as my brother struggled to pull his mouth away from the delicious blood coming from his girlfriend's wrist. Carlisle couldn't do anything because he was stopping the blood lose in Bella's broken leg. Alice was holding Bella down so that she didn't injure herself more. I was holding a shirt to Bella's head wounds in order to stop that bleeding. Jasper and Emmett were ensuring that ever bit of James was being burned. We were all helpless to just watch.

Edward! I screamed at him mentally again. You're killing her! You have to stop!

Nothing even remotely human came from his mind in response. The blood was driving every thought, changing it to an instinct driven mind. My brother was still fighting though, struggling through the red haze that covered everything. His thoughts may not have been human any longer, but he still understood that he was killing his one true love.

The idea of an instinct driven mind sparked my own thoughts. Different ways to stop his feeding flashed through my own head as I tried to decide a course of action. Edward would never forgive himself if he drained Bella and I was determined to deter him from getting on the next flight to Italy and save him from the pain that would be inflicted on him if he lost her this way.

But what could I do? I knew I couldn't just lunge at my brother and tackle him away from Bella's side. If I did that, he might drive his teeth into her wrist before I made contact, and end up ripping the veins right out of her arm. Not even two seconds had passed when the perfect idea made its debut in the front of my thoughts.

I looked at Alice as her eyes glazed over briefly as she saw what I was about to do. When she came to, she flashed a fearful and unsure glance my way, and then looked between Bella, Edward and me. She wasn't sure what exactly was happening. She'd thought I was losing control. I arched one of my eyebrows at her, in my signature 'are you going to challenge me' look. Then I just nodded to her, letting my sister know that what I had in mind was completely in my control. This didn't really calm her down at all, but she didn't have anything better, so she shrugged.

It was me that hesitated after that. What I really wasn't as in control as I thought I was? What I killed Bella?

Alice couldn't read minds, but my worries were written all over my face as seen through Alice's thoughts.

"Do it Selene. Just save them. You have the control for it." Her voice was small and it made Carlisle look up. "HURRY!" she screeched when I didn't move right away.

She was right. I only had a minute tops to do this before Edward drained her past recovery. I'd already wasted precious seconds deciding on all of this. There was no backing down now. Taking a deep breath, I proceeded to carry out my plan to save both Edward and Bella.

My best friend's black, frenzied eyes never left me as they followed me, watching me as I knelt and bent forward towards Bella. His eyes grew stony and cold as I drew closer to the whimpering Bella, his vampiric instinct of territorial feeling for prey begin to swirl in his head. The whole, less than a second that I was moving, my own eyes never left his icy ones.

With every millisecond that brought me closer to Bella's skin, and the scent of her blood, I had to strain to keep control. I was almost dizzy with the need to feed and the fact that her blood smelled overwhelmingly more delicious than most didn't help. My thoughts began to get hazy as I fought to keep in mind the task at hand. I couldn't give in. Edward and Bella needed me now. Fighting even harder when the involuntary venom started welling in my mouth, I swallowed it back and battled back instinct as I had for over a centaury.

Once I had full control of my actions again, I opened my mouth to Bella's arm closest to me, being careful not to make contact with the skin. Edward was too driven by instinct to be reading my thoughts and the steel in his eyes grew harder as he continued to watch me.

Just as I was just close enough to bite down, territorial instinct kicked all the way in and a feral snarl worked its way up his throat and out his occupied mouth. He let go of Bella's wrist and was lunging across her body intent on getting me away from his prey. Edward tackled me away in less than a second and his hands groped, tightening around my throat.

I didn't fight him, except for a natural hiss that was let loose at first. I didn't need air, so I just let him attempt to choke me, never removing my gaze from Edward's crazy, furry blackened eyes. It didn't take long for Edward to remember that he couldn't really strangle me, but it didn't stop him from trying. I just lay motionless, allowing him time to realize what he was doing, and for his right mind to return washing the bloodlust out of every pore.

Carlisle and Alice looked on in complete surprise at his hostility towards me. I just mentally told them not to do anything, that I had it all under control.

Neither Jasper nor Emmett had looked over yet, due to the fire needing their attention. I hoped neither looked over while Edward was on top of me, because they didn't know what was going on and would pounce Edward for even putting a dangerous hand on me.

Edward. My thoughts were cool, calm and collected as I tried to calm him down. Bro, it's me. Selene Doyle. You've known me since 1901 when we were human. I'm engaged to your brother Emmett and we all live in Forks, Washington. You need to calm down and allow me up.

Edward hissed, but no coherent words were formed anywhere. But what did start to happen was that the red haze began to slip away. His sight began to clear of the thirst and need to protect his prey. All I had to do was remind him of Bella now.

You have to let me go. Bella is injured. We have to get her to a hospital. NOW.

Everything snapped into perspective for him in that instant. With horror written all over his face, he jumped back, off of me and looked at me in surprise. He hadn't even known what he was doing. That was the moment Emmett decided to look over, and seeing me on the ground, and Edward looming over me, he was at my side in a breeze. He crouched next to me, not removing an angry glare form Edward's face.

"What did you do?" He hissed through his teeth.

Placing a hand on Emmett's broad chest, I pushed him back.

"It's fine. It was my own fault. But I needed to get him away from Bella's blood." My gaze was glued to Edward as well, but not in the form of a glare.

Emmett looked between us, and with another glare at our brother, he had me up in his arms, bridal style and was on his feet again, placing me on mine. Edward didn't know what there was to say. He was aghast with himself for attacking me.

I'm fine. It's Bella we need to worry about. We need to get her out of here. We're letting the fire consume the building just in case there are any other parts of James spread around here.

"What-" but I cut him of before he could do any protesting or arguing.

"Bella."

So we all turned are attention on the now silent figure on the ground. Her heart was beating still, that was good. Nimbly, Edward lifted her up, and we were all gone through the doors. But before I could leave, I noticed a little silver video camera on the ground. Emmett had my hand, and I pulled him over to it before we could leave. Picking it up, I clasped it tightly, and then we were off into the night. Emmett, Alice, Jasper and I were going to fabricate an accident scene for Bella, and Carlisle, Edward and Bella were going to the hospital.