AN: I guess I couldn't leave you hanging!
Thanks to my WC partner in crime, DreamOfTheEndless, I managed to write this earlier today.
I also want to thank my awesome pre-reader babylopez2008!
Now might be a good time to mention that this fic will soon be winding down. I hope to finish it in the next 5 or so chapters. You might want to put me on author alert. I want to keep writing, and I've been told I have a good idea for my next fic.
Enjoy...
Edward
It's been four days... four days of absolute Hell on Earth.
A transformation from a human to vampire typically takes three days. That's seventy two hours. I've been counting it down in seconds, watching each one pass by painfully slow. That's 259,200 of them if you were wondering. Add another 86,400 seconds to that and that's how long I've been waiting.
I'm not the most patient person.
After the twenty four hour mark, Bella stopped screaming. In fact, she stopped making any noise of movement whatsoever. I would have thought she was dead if it weren't for the fact I could hear her heart beating at what felt like a million miles an hour.
I've heard Carlisle worrying through his thoughts. I've tried my hardest not to pay attention to anyone but Bella, but my attention is diverted any time I hear her name.
It's made me realise that my family love her almost as much as I do. Well, all but one it would seem.
I haven't spoke to Rosalie since we first came home with Bella. She's avoided this part of the house altogether, and for that I'm glad. I wouldn't like to have the death of my sister on my conscience.
I can understand her... apprehension. I know she's protective and fiercely loyal to our family, but Bella will be a part of it now whether she likes it or not. She's managed to keep her thoughts from me as well. It's infuriating.
Alice, Jasper, and Emmett arrived back from Seattle an hour after I threw my cell phone into the forest four days ago. They did lose the nomad. Emmett was deeply annoyed. Jasper was the logical one, believing that she may have a gift for it. I think I may have to agree with him.
As well as worrying about Bella, I'm also concerned for Alice. She hasn't been the same lately. Her thoughts are consumed by either Bella or by the nomad vampire. I believe it upset her that they couldn't eliminate the threat she posed to us. She's wanted to redeem herself with Bella for weeks now. She thought this was how she could.
"Edward." Carlisle enters the room and interrupts my thoughts.
"Dad." I acknowledge his presence.
"How is she doing?" he asks as he walks towards us.
I shrug to answer his question. I don't feel like talking much. I think he senses this and diverts his attention back to my angel on the bed.
He unwraps the bandages from Bella's arm and wrist. Both wounds have healed fully now, although the bite mark has left a nasty scar. I look at her neck and notice that my own marks are much neater in comparison.
"She's changed so much," Carlisle notes.
I shrug again. She's still the most beautiful creature in my eyes.
Carlisle runs his fingers down the length of Bella's exposed arm.
"Her skin is so much harder now. It's also at our own temperature too. I believe she will wake up soon."
He removes his hand and looks at me.
Why are you so sad, son? his thoughts question me.
"I'm worried I guess. Actually, I'm scared... petrified," I tell him honestly, whispering so the rest of my family don't hear my confession.
"Why?" You have so much to look forward to now, he adds mentally.
"Like what? She's going to hate me."
"Edward, you can't honestly believe that."
"Why not? I've changed her. I've damned her to this... this existence! It's no way to live! I've killed her, Carlisle. She won't be able to return to her old life anymore. We've devastated her father."
"We did what we had to do, son. You know that." He tries to soothe me. "It's upsetting that we had to lie to Charlie. It couldn't be helped. We couldn't tell him that she had died. We had no body to give back to him."
I shake my head.
After Bella didn't return home to Charlie four days ago, he called us on the phone to ask if we had seen her. It was Carlisle who answered and dealt with him after we discussed as a family what he should be told. On their way back from Seattle, Alice took a detour via Bella's house. She entered through the back door and made it look like Bella had tried to run away. She packed a bag with some of her clothes and things she would need. She made the room messy so it looked like Bella had rushed and left in a hurry. I'm ashamed to say that she did a good job.
Carlisle informed Charlie that we hadn't seen or heard from Bella. He added that we thought she seemed saddened at school, perhaps as if she didn't want to be there.
Charlie accepted our lies easily. He had no reason not to trust us.
He's spent the past four days searching for her, not finding a trace.
What would Bella say if she knew? She will find out. I'm going to have to tell her. It should come from me. She's already going to hate me as it is.
"It's not ideal circumstances." Carlisle interrupts my thoughts and continues. "At least the wolves have agreed to a truce."
That wasn't easy.
Carlisle had called them straight away and they agreed to meet us on neutral ground. It physically hurt to be away from Bella but I had to go. I had to fulfil my duty as the interpreter.
My father, Emmett and I met them in a clearing halfway between La Push and Forks an hour later. Jasper stayed behind. He believed he would be able to calm Bella down and act as a pain killer of sorts. I couldn't see it working, but he wanted to do something for her. I think her pain was hurting him too.
They turned up in wolf form of course. I wouldn't trust us either.
It was their Alpha, Sam, that once again did most of the talking. Jacob interrupted when he felt it was needed, which turned out to be a lot when they found out why we were meeting with them.
She's changing? all of the wolves thought simultaneously.
"I had no choice," I told them. "She was going to die. She was attacked by another nomad. He bit her... she had lost too much blood," I tried to explain.
Jacob growled at us. His thoughts were of destroying us. I couldn't blame him for wanting that.
It was Sam that ordered his pack to calm down. He had a very rational mind. I noticed that he only wanted the best for his brothers and getting into a fight with us was not his prerogative. He was angry though.
The treaty explicitly said not to bite, he reminded us.
"I know! We know!" I exclaimed. "She would have died. I couldn't let that happen..." I trailed off.
You've already killed her, Jacob thought. She's dead now. She'll be dead when her heart stops beating. She'll be one of you then... a blood sucking leech. The Bella we knew is dead.
I fully agreed with his thoughts.
Sam ignored the thoughts coming from Jacob. You had no other choice? Isn't your leader meant to be a doctor?
"Carlisle is. He tried his best. There was only so much he could do in the forest. Her heart was about to give up." I tried to defend my actions, but my argument sounded weak to me.
You should have let her die, Jacob thought.
"I thought you were her friend?" I accused him. "You honestly want her to die?"
Better than her being one of you, he mentally replied. I could detect though that he didn't fully believe it. I didn't bring it up though. The rest of his pack knew the truth. That was enough.
"We were hoping to a truce," Carlisle spoke up. "We would like to know that no harm is going to come to our family. That family now includes Bella."
She already has a family! Jacob thought. The tone was extremely frustrated. What about Charlie, her dad? Or have you already forgotten about him? You obviously got what you want, Cullen.
"We're going to wait for her father to come to us," I explained. "We want him to believe that she has run away from home."
He isn't going to let her go without a fight, Sam thought.
"We know," I replied quietly.
If this doesn't work, this new truce is over, he mentally replied.
"So you're agreeing to our new terms?" I asked hesitantly.
His wolf form nodded.
I can't have that girl's death on my conscience, he thought.
I couldn't help the quiet chuckle that I released.
"No," I replied. "It's on mine."
My father shakes me back into the present.
"Do you hear that, Edward?" he asks me, as he leans towards Bella's body.
I'm quiet for a second as I listen.
I hear it.
"Her heart," I respond out loud. "It's beating impossibly fast."
"It is. She'll be back with us soon enough. I'll inform the others." He pats me on the back and leaves the room.
"Two minutes, Edward," Alice says as she skips into the room.
"You can see her now?" I ask. Her future has been blurry since her transformation began.
"I can and she's beautiful," she replies.
"She already was," I tell her quietly.
"Now she'll just be less fragile," Alice responds.
Yeah, I'll be the one in danger of getting hurt instead. She'll be so much stronger than me, and even Emmett, to begin with.
The rest of my family enter the room and join us beside the bed. Jasper takes his position next to his mate. It looks like he might be trying to protect her. Emmett gets as close as he can. I can see that he's eager to greet his new sister.
Rosalie stands behind everyone else, acting as if she isn't interested. Her gaze scans the room, looking anywhere but over at us. Her thoughts finally give her away though. They tell me that she's hoping that Bella's okay. She thinks back to her own transformation, or what she can remember of it. She then compares herself to Bella's situation. Rosalie comes to the conclusion that they might be similar after all.
Neither of them chose this life.
Her eyes finally find my own. She offers me a small smile, almost as if she's embarrassed. I think she may have realised just how much her behaviour affects those around her. I hope she has anyway.
I honestly believe that there may have been a chance to prevent this from happening if Rosalie had joined Esme that day. I mean, it would have been two against one until I got there. The nomad wouldn't have stood a chance from the beginning. Alice said she tried calling Rosalie after Esme but she didn't pick up. Alice knew it would happen but she tried anyway. Everyone tried but Rosalie. I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive her for that.
Carlisle and Esme stand side by side on the opposite side of the bed to me. Esme's hand clutches at her husband's. I can tell she's looking forward to welcoming her new daughter to the family.
"Wake up, Bella," I beg her sleeping form.
My wish is granted thirty seven seconds later. Her heart beats for the last time. I realise that I miss the sound of it already.
She doesn't open her eyes. I watch as her lungs fill with unnecessary oxygen. I remember that it's a human habit that's hard to kick.
"Bella, sweetheart." I try again.
Her eyes open this time. They're a vibrant shade of red. It's startling, and yet another thing I miss... the chocolately brown colour of her eyes.
"You're safe, Bella," I tell her. "You're at our house and you're safe with us."
"Edward," her musical voice sings to me.
I breathe out a sigh of relief.
"You remember."
Her gaze connects with mine. In the blink of an eye, she pounces off the bed and jumps into my arms. Her legs wrap around my waist and her hands cling on to my shoulders.
"You're alive," she says before her lips assault my own.
This kiss is full of passion and desperation. I never thought I'd get to do this again. My hands grip her shirt on her back and I push her even closer to me. Her own grip tightens in response.
We're interrupted by my father clearing his throat. Bella's lips immediately disconnect from my own. She jumps down from my body and stands by my side while looking at my father sheepishly.
"Sorry," she sweetly says.
"What do you remember, Bella?" Carlisle asks.
She looks confused for a short moment.
"Uh," she starts. "We we're in the woods. There was a fight. I thought he was going to kill Edward. I think I... I think I did something."
Her free hand subconsciously moves to stroke the skin where she cut herself.
"Oh!" she exclaims.
She drops my hand and brings her own up to her face.
"My skin... what? I don't... understand."
"Bella," I turn to her and say.
She doesn't remove her gaze from her hands. She turns them over to look at her palms and notices the angry bite mark on her wrist.
"I was bitten. James bit me," she concludes.
"Bella?" I try again. She looks at me this time.
"What happened?" she asks me quietly.
"You were dying. We tried to ask, but you went into shock. Your body was shutting down. It's the most selfish thing I have ever done, but I just couldn't lose you. Not now. Not ever. I hope one day I can earn your forgiveness."
"What are you talking about?"
"I changed you," I reluctantly tell her.
"Changed...? Like... I'm a..."
I nod when she isn't able to finish the sentence.
She stares at me blankly, like she's waiting for the punch line of a bad joke.
I don't know what else to tell her. I don't know what to do. Her mind is still blank to me. I guess a part of me had hoped that when she changed I would be able to hear her thoughts.
"Bella, why don't we get you some fresh clothes?" Esme interrupts the silence.
Bella looks down at her attire and notices how dirty and bloody she is. None of us wanted to invade her privacy by undressing and dressing her again.
Her nostrils flare and her chest erupts with a fierce growl.
"Blood!" Alice says. "She smells the blood."
Alice leaves the room quickly, shortly returning with a fresh shirt. She tears off the one Bella is currently wearing and slips on the clean one. She picks up the dirty scraps of material and tries to leave the room with it. Bella doesn't let her though. She grabs at Alice, snarling for taking away what she desires most. Emmett quickly hugs Bella from behind in an attempt to hold her back, but she's too strong. Jasper joins in, and together they are able to hold her back while Alice runs from the room.
Bella struggles. I stand in front of her and hold on to her hands that are trying to grab at thin air.
"Bella, love," I say. "It's gone. The blood is gone."
She slowly returns to normal as Alice re-enters the room.
"I think it's time for a hunt," she tells the room.
"What the hell!" Bella shouts. "Is that going to happen every time I smell blood? I've never wanted anything so much. Urgh... my throat."
"Come on, love. A hunt will make that pain go away."
It's a slight lie, I admit. The burn will never fully disappear.
She doesn't need to know that yet.
AN: Worth a review? I worked hard today :)
How do you think Bella will react to being a vampire?
Until next time...