Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I do own Arianna and Gabriel, though. Thanks to my beta, CrystalRaindrop!

Never Too Late — Chapter Twenty-Five

Previously ...

And then her lips touched mine, ever-so-softly, and I couldn't stop my eyes from fluttering slowly open.

And then I saw the light, and I saw her shining, green eyes, and I saw the love shining in them. She threw herself into my arms, sobbing happy sobs, and I buried my face in her hair, hungrily breathing her scent, trying to memorize it, for she would surely be gone soon.

"Gabe," she breathed, and her voice was like the sweetest honey. "Gabe. I love you. Oh, Gabe ... "

And as she held me, I slowly realized that I wasn't dreaming. I wasn't forever trapped in a Hell where she didn't exist. I was alive, and she was alive, and though I didn't know how it was possible, I didn't care. She was here, in my arms, holding me so tightly.

My Angel.

September 22nd, 2038 – Wednesday — 10:00 PM ( Gabriel POV )

I had been awake for a very long time now. I couldn't sleep. I would never again be able to sleep. The thought both excited me and made me sad, for never again would I be able to see my mother's face — because it was only in my dreams that I was able to remember her so clearly — but never again would I be forced the relive, through my nightmares, the memories of that day.

I sighed and turned my eyes to the star-filled sky, remembering once more the reason I'd run out here in the first place.

"W ... what am I?" I questioned, fear filling my eyes as Arianna winced in pain, tears pooling in her eyes as she held her hand so gently — the hand that I had gripped far too tightly, the bones that I had shattered. My body trembled again, but this time not from the cold. Instead, I trembled from fear ... fear of their answer.

The answer that I already knew.

"Gabe ... " Arianna whispered slowly, and she reached out to touch me once more. I jerked violently away, and the pain shining in her eyes then — the pain from my rejection — was far worse than the pain that her hand, now healed, had caused her.

"I ... I'm one o-of you, aren't I?" I stuttered, and my eyes grew wide and I began to tremble again. "Oh, God ... I a-am, are-aren't I?"

It was Edward that finally answered.

"Yes. I am truly sorry — it was the only way to save you. You would have died, if I hadn't done it."

The words exploded past my lips before I could stop them.

"Then I wish you had just let me die!"

And then, as I stared into the eyes of the one I loved, my heart broke at the utter anguish I saw there and I was trembling so hard I could barely move. Arianna began sobbing quietly in her father's arms.

Rationally, I shouldn't have been so mad. I was alive. I was with Arianna. Why did it matter if I was a Va ... if I was one of them? But it mattered to me. It mattered to me because, though I knew Arianna's family never took human lives, though I knew they hunted only animals, I knew that I would one day make a mistake, and I would take someone's life, and I would shatter the lives of that person's loved ones. I would shatter lives, like mine had been shattered.

"I wish I had died ... " I whimpered, and I sank to the floor, falling hard on my knees. I began sobbing loudly, and I buried my head in my hands to muffle the sound. No tears came, and I wished more than anything that I was back in the darkness, with the fire burning me. Because there, I was alone.

And then she placed her hand so softly on my shoulder, and I knew then that I couldn't ... I couldn't stay here. I needed to get away. Not forever, of course ... but I needed time to think, to ... to process everything. I needed time alone.

So I tore myself roughly from Arianna's grip.

And then I ran.

I sighed, and dropped my head in my hands once more.

I was so different.

I was the same, really ... at least emotionally. My personality hadn't changed, either. But now, there was a constant burning in the back of my throat — a burning that had intensified so much when Arianna had come close — and my strength staggered me. My speed, my hearing ... everything. Everything had changed, and I knew why. I wanted so badly to deny it ... but I couldn't.

I sighed again, and fell back on the roof, glad that I was alone. I was alone to stare up into the starless sky, to think, to just ... be alone.

I knew I was being stupid.

I'd always wished for strength, so I could revenge my mother. Even as a Hunter, I had been weak in the sense that I was always sick. Physically, I had been among the strongest. But the injections had made me so weak, so sick. And now I was so strong ... and I was fighting it.

I clenched my hand tight, and stared at my fingers as they uncurled. I was so pale now. It was strange.

I supposed that, if I lived as the Cullen's did, that everything would be all right. Or, at least as close to all right as was possible. I could live without taking human lives, and still possess the strength that I felt coursing through my whole body now.

But, I wondered idly. Would they take me back? I'd been so cruel. I didn't deserve their kindness. Or Arianna's love.

"No," a voice behind me said, and I sat up quickly, surprised. My eyes flew open wide, and I was sure that if my heart still beat, it would be be doing jumping jacks in my chest. I met Edward's eyes as he gracefully folded himself into a sitting position beside me. "You don't deserve her love. No one does. But she's decided to give it to you, anyway. You'd be an idiot to reject her."

"She must hate me right now," I mumbled, and I let my gaze fall from his once more.

"She doesn't hate you," he said quietly. "She loves you more than ever. Look, Gabriel. I'm only going to say this once, all right? I know my daughter loves you. More than she's ever loved anyone else. You are ... her soul mate, as cliche as that sounds. And as much as I may dislike you right now, I realize that. I realize I have no right to hate you, simply because you are stealing my daughter from me. I told Arianna this once, and now I'm telling you. When I met Bella, her father was less than approving. He hated me with a fierce passion. And that hate hurt us time and time again. I'm not willing to hurt you and Arianna like that."

He paused, and he took in a deep breath that I knew was unnecessary.

"So ... I give you my blessing. I know you love Arianna the way she loves you: forever. The love you share is a beautiful thing. Do not waste it."

I looked up in surprise, and he gave me a small, tight smile.

I had become, in such a short time, one of the ones I hated so much. I'd laid to rest the part of my past with the Hunters, and not it was time to lay my hate for Edward's kind to rest, too.

So I smiled.

I was a Vampire.

I was one of the immortal.

And I would make the most of it.

"So ... " I paused, and then my smile grew curious. "Have you ever tried to set a new breath holding record?"

And as we laughed together, I knew I'd been accepted into their family, and that I had accepted my fate.

I was ready.

( Arianna POV )

Gabriel had been gone for five hours now. Of course, he was only about thirty feet away, on the roof, but still ...

I'd been crying for about five hours, too. I hadn't stopped sobbing since he'd pulled so roughly away from me.

"Mom?" I whimpered, and she held me closer. "What if he hates me? I was ... I was t-the one who asked D-Daddy to cha-change him. What if he h-hates me f-forever?"

"Oh, baby," Mom breathed, and she pulled back until she was staring into my eyes. "That boy could never hate you. He loves you far ... far too much."

"But, he ran away!" I cried, and she laughed softly.

"He's confused, Arianna. Give him a little bit of time. He'll come around. He loves you, more than anything. His love is stronger than even his hate for the Vampire that killed his mother. It's stronger than his determination to avenge her. It's stronger than anything."

"But what if he h-hates me?"

Mom sighed, and rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling. I knew I was being difficult. I knew what she was saying was true.

But what if?

And then I heard another voice, and my heart began to beat faster and faster.

"I don't hate you," it breathed, and my eyes snapped up, and my gaze met his. "I could never hate you." His bright red eyes, so intense, didn't shock me in the slightest as I jumped up and threw myself into his arms. He offered me a small, strained smile, and I pulled back immediately, understanding.

"Oh! You're thirsty!" I huffed.

Mom stiffened, and Daddy, who'd come into the room behind Gabriel, stepped protectively by my side. Gabriel nodded, looking even paler than was normal for a Vampire.

"I suppose so. It's not so bad, though."

Daddy frowned. "How is that possible?" he mused quietly, and I just smiled.

"Mom, can I take him hunting?"

Three shouted "NO!'s" sounded throughout the room, and I blinked a few times, surprised. I was even more surprised, though, to see that Uncle Carlisle had entered the room.

"Why not?" I demanded, and Daddy ran a hand anxiously through his hair.

"When a Vampire hunts," Uncle Carlisle explained quickly. "He gives himself over completely to his senses. Haven't you ever wondered why none us hunt when you're with us? It's because, though we are all desensitized to your blood, it is still a temptation, and we could kill you. Gabriel is a newborn, and though your blood isn't even a fraction as tempting as it would be if you were not half vampire, it still is a temptation. You are a temptation to him much like a normal human would be to a Vampire of your mother's age."

I nodded, understanding, and Gabriel stepped back, his eyes wide with fear. I understood then: He was afraid of me. Of hurting me. I wished more than anything that I could touch him, to take him into my arms. But I knew I couldn't, and I briefly wondered if it would be like this for a very long time. If I would be able to touch him for years.

Tears stung my eyes, and Gabriel's shined with longing, and I wondered if he wanted to hold me as much as I wanted to hold him.

And then he was slowly moved from the room by Daddy — to go hunting, I was sure — and I was left alone with mom and Uncle Carlisle.

And it was then, when the room was so empty and silent, that I voice my fears.

"Will he always want my blood?" I whispered, and Uncle Carlisle moved to sit beside me then. He took my hands into his, and his eyes met mine. Mom stood behind me, her hands on my shoulders, offering her silent encouragement.

"Arianna," Uncle Carlisle began, but then he paused. After what seemed a very long time, he continued. "I haven't shared this with you before, because I was afraid of scaring you. But I believe that you are undergoing the final stages of turning from half vampire to completely immortal. In a matter of years, your Vampiric nature will reject the human part of you."

My eyes grew wide as I understood what he was saying. I felt mom's hands shaking on my shoulders, but she didn't say anything.

Uncle Carlisle continued as if he had never stopped. "Throughout your childhood, you aged fairly normally — one year every two, which was to be expected as a half vampire child. I started noticing about six years ago — when you physically turned twelve — that your growth was slowing. Nothing drastic, but every year you lost a few weeks, or months, or days. Sometimes it was so gradual that it wasn't even noticeable.

"My theory," he stated, and he paused once more. "Is that your mind and body protected yourself even before you were born. Your mind knew, though your body didn't, that if you were full Vampire at birth, you would be unable to grow, and thus be stuck in as an infant for all of eternity. But as soon as you began to go through puberty, your body realized that it was time to reject the qualities, the parts that it couldn't use."

I was shocked. Actually, shocked didn't even begin to describe the feeling.

Sure, I'd been planning on become a Vampire when I turned seventeen — because I didn't want to be older than mom and dad — but this ... it wasn't a bad surprise, really. Who else got to become a vampire without going through the pain?

I finally smiled a little bit.

"Really?" I breathed, and he nodded.

"I can't, of course, be a hundred percent sure," Uncle Carlisle continued. "But what I do know for sure is that your growth is slowing drastically. You are now aging approximately one year ever four. One year ago, you were aging one year every two and a half. That was a rather large shift. If it happens again, or twice more or three times more, you will soon come to the point where you are frozen in time, just like the rest of us."

I paused to consider this. It was really cool, actually. And this way, Daddy wouldn't feel bad about changing me, as I'd asked him to. This way, there was no other option, so Daddy wouldn't feel as though he'd stolen my life.

I finally smiled.

"Will I still be able to cry? Or have children?"

Carlisle considered then, and though he looked confused, his eyes shone with the excitement of an unsolved puzzle.

"Children. I don't know. As long as you retain a few, simple human qualities, you and Gabriel could have children, I suppose. Despite the fact that he's a Vampire ... your mother and father did it ... my theory then was — and still is — that male Vampires can create sperm, so ..."

I didn't pay attention to the end of his sentence, though. I was too busy blushing a violent shade of red at the idea of having children with Gabriel. I liked the idea. A lot more than I should, actually. But what if I wasn't able to? I would only be setting myself up for disappointment.

I tried to squash down my growing excitement, but it didn't quite work. So instead, I turned my thoughts away from the possibility.

"When can I see Gabriel again?" I asked, and my voice was quiet without me even realizing I had begun to whisper.

"Soon," Carlisle said, and he smiled. "As I said, your blood sings to a newborn the way a normal human's blood would to an older Vampire. Gabriel — as long as he hunts often — should be fine. But no excessive touching. Holding hands is fine. Anything beyond that is too much. All right?"

I nodded, frowning. I wanted so badly for Gabriel to hold me in his arms. But I knew it wouldn't happen. Not for a long while.

But ... as long as he was by my side, I supposed it didn't matter.

I spent the next hour and a half taking with Mom, laughing with her, and then we went to see Aunt Alice. She was awake now — weak, but responding, and staring into Jasper's eyes with an intense expression of love that left me breathless.

"How are you feeling, Aunt Alice?" I asked, and I knew that if she was in pain, I could heal her more.

"I'm fine," she whispered. "Carlisle said I'll be back to normal soon. I'm still weak, though."

I nodded, feeling guilty. I knew that, had I been here, I could have healed her much earlier. Of course, had I never been born, none of this would have ever happened. We wouldn't have been attacked, and we wouldn't have had to leave Burlington — and Forks now, too; we couldn't stay here while Gabriel was a newborn. If I had never been born, Aunt Alice wouldn't have gotten hurt, and Mom wouldn't have gotten hurt, and ...

But my thoughts were cut off when a comforting hand was placed on my shoulder. I looked up in surprise to see Uncle Jasper smiling very softly at me.

"None of this is your fault," he murmured softly, and the way in which he spoke — with such conviction in his voice that I couldn't doubt him — made my eyes sting with tears once again.

"Yes, it is," I whispered, but I knew in my heart that I didn't even believe my own words. "I'm sorry," I sobbed, and I hugged Aunt Alice tightly. "I'm so sorry."

She smiled as she hugged me tightly back.

"Silly girl," she murmured. "There's nothing to be sorry for. The fact alone that you worried for me while you were fighting for your own life is more than enough for me to forgive you even though you, by no means, have done anything to need forgiveness."

I wanted to say something else. I wanted so badly to deny her words, but I couldn't. I couldn't think of anything to say, or any argument I could make to go against her.

Instead, I simply let her hold me, and rock me back and forth slowly.

So sorry ... I love you ...

One more chapter and then the epilogue! I have it completely finished — so the second you beat the previous review count, I will update! SO REVIEW!

NOTE: WOWOWOW! My story Mommy's Letter was nominated for Best "I Love You" in The Romancetastis Round at "The Twilight Awards"! Please go vote! Pleasepleaseplease? Link on my profile page! Oh, and voting for the other round ends in like ... two days, so please vote there if you haven't.

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NEXT CHAPTER:

"But that doesn't explain why we can't go to the Volturi for help."

"Yes, it does," Carlisle thought paitently. "Arianna will quite possibly be the only female vampire on the face of the Earth that can have children. Do you have any idea how much she would be put through if that information got into the wrong hands? No. We cannot tell the Volturi. She would be taken from us, and mated with the strongest Vampire known in attempt to create powerful offspring. We cannot do that to her, or to Gabriel."

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