Thanks to KristenLynn for the beta and the writing company. She holds me accountable, which turns out to be a good thing. :)

Yoga_gal and AmeryMarie preread and give great advice. Can't thank them enough.

-Chapter 25: Brownian Motion-

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Dimitri was imposingly tall, with an almost swarthy face (if there was such a thing as a swarthy vampire) surrounded by a shoulder-length mane of dark hair. He was dressed in an archaic, formal style, clothed in strict black and white from head to toe. My first instinct was to tell him that Antonio Banderas called—and he wanted his "Vampire Armand" costume back. However, I knew that wouldn't be the best idea, so I kept my mouth shut. Now was not the time for my mouth to write checks that my ass couldn't cash, so to speak.

I was appallingly weak. Though we managed to get me out to the dock to meet our new guest, I had to lean heavily against my mate. The base of my neck and the outer part of my right shoulder itched annoyingly; I assumed that was just a side effect of the healing. My throat burned with thirst, but we'd both agreed that we needed to meet this Dimitri as a united front—we couldn't afford to show weakness. Unfortunately, that left no time for me to hunt.

"Edward, old friend," Dimitri greeted, his voice deep and his tone surprisingly pleasant. He smiled slightly, inclining his head to me. "And who is your lovely lady?"

What the fuck was this? Vampire cotillion? Why was he wasting time on formalities? He had to know we'd just offed one of his colleagues. Hope bloomed in my stomach, and I wondered if Heidi's visit hadn't been so "official" after all.

"Dimitri, this is Bella. My mate." While Edward's voice was calm, his expression was rigid, as was the hand he kept firmly planted around my waist.

Dimitri's brows rose, the perfect face of surprise. "Your mate? How lovely. Congratulations, Edward." Dull, ruby-colored eyes shifted to me, studying my face and then tracking downward, lingering on my neck. My skin crawled, making my newly-healed wounds itch even more. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Bellissima."

Ignoring the fact that the man was being awfully familiar by giving me a stupid nickname, I nodded, swallowing back my instinct to snap. "Hello." The man made me uncomfortable; his red-hued eyes—so similar to my own fading newborn irises—seemed to absorb and catalog every single detail about me.

Leaving me feeling thoroughly exposed, he turned his attention back to Edward. "And what does our Heidi think of your...mate?" he asked nonchalantly, one eyebrow rising in an elegant arch. "I know she was rather...partial to your company, Edward."

A growl slipped out of me before I could rein it in. Fuck that crazy bitch and her stupid partiality. She was dust on the ground, because Edward didn't want her. Dimitri didn't miss my little slip-up, his gaze darting to me for a moment before he directed his attention to Edward.

Casting me a warning look from the corner of his eye, Edward tightened his grip on my side. "I think you and I both know what Heidi thinks...or rather, what Heidi thought," he said, boldly confirming Dimitri's unsaid words.

"Ah, yes," Dimitri mused, cupping his chin as his gaze wavered back and forth from Edward to me. "I felt her mind flicker... So, it is what I feared? Heidi is no more?"

I knew from what Edward had told me in the minutes before Dimitri arrived that the vampire's talent laid in grasping and tracking the...flavor of another's mind; he would know if someone he was tracking ceased to exist. I only hoped he would realize that as Heidi had posed a threat to Edward and me—as mates—and, as such, she would have to be eliminated if she stood in our way.

"She tried to kill Bella," Edward snarled, his eyes turning to darkest black. "I don't care how valuable she was to the Volturi, her life would never outweigh my mate's."

Dimitri remained silent, regarding both Edward and me with an impassive stare. Judgment had never felt so clinical, which scared me at first, but as time went on, I realized it could work in our favor.

"What happened?" he asked calmly, waiting for us to explain.

"Heidi wanted Edward," I blurted, cringing when Edward shot me a scowl.

"Go on," Dimitri instructed, crossing his arms over his chest.

I faltered, unsure whether to answer the tall, imposing vampire or obey my mate.

Edward saved me, his fingers caressing the dip of my waist in a reassuring gesture. "Heidi was unstable. I assume you know she wanted me to join you all in Italy—"

"Can your mate not speak for herself, Edward?" Dimitri questioned softly, his tone laced with reprimand. His eyes, however, remained fixed on me, the deep maroon of his irises piercing in their intensity.

Edward sighed sharply before he nodded, leaning in to press a light kiss to my forehead. "Go ahead, love."

I heard the reticence in his tone and took it as a warning to think carefully on my words. "She wanted Edward to come with her to Italy...without me. The things she said...I just couldn't stand there and take it. I rushed at her and she pinned me. Edward was frantic, willing to do anything she asked to keep me safe, but she just kept ripping at me..." In spite of my will to stay brave, the horror of those moments took over my mind, making my limbs weak, causing my fingers to shake. I closed my eyes tightly, taking a deep breath to center myself. "I'm aware of her history with Edward. And she made it very apparent that she wished that things between them would continue as they had before. When Edward informed her he was no longer interested, she just went crazy. She bit me—my neck, my shoulder... Nothing was going to stop her from tearing me apart."

"Heidi had Bella subdued within seconds, in spite of her newborn strength," Edward interrupted, stepping slightly in front of me, while still managing to keep hold of my waist. "There was no reason for her to injure Bella like she did. I did what I had to do," he finished, jaw clenching, his breath coming heavy and fast.

"So," Dimitri drew out, placing a hand at his jaw, one long finger stroking over the divot in his chin, "you disposed of Heidi to save your mate?" His tone was amused, as if he found the situation hard to believe.

"Yes," Edward spat through clenched teeth, his head bobbing in a stiff nod.

I found myself nodding along with him, and if my heart had been capable, it would have been pounding. He had to believe us. He had to. "She was going to kill me," I added, involuntarily raising a hand to the base of my throat as Dimitri watched, his dead red irises going right to where my neck itched and burned.

"You've quite a scar, Bellisima, but it does not detract from your great beauty," Dimitri answered, gesturing to the length of my body. "It tells me that you're strong; it tells me that you've withstood a great assault and still survived."

A scar...one that I wasn't sure I wanted to see. But it didn't matter now—I'd be stuck with it forever, so I'd learn to deal with it.

A deep growl sounded in Edward's chest. I placed a hand on his where it rested at my waist, squeezing his fingers to subdue his anger. For once, I got to be the one who tried to stay calm, to remain rational in the face of overwhelming jealousy.

"Calm down, my friend. I do not wish to take away your mate. I was merely paying her a compliment," Dimitri assured, an amused smirk firmly stamped across his features. He was enjoying provoking us.

Of course. He was one of the Volturi. What else would they do but mess with us regular vampires for their own entertainment? They were the fucking Boss Hogg to our Dukes of Hazzard. Damn them. If only Edward and I had our own General Lee...but it wouldn't do us any good on a damn island, even if the car had a prayer of being faster than a vampire.

Yeah, right. Yee-fucking-haw.

Edward cleared his throat. His eyes pinned mine as he drew me closer, strengthening his stance. "Heidi was wrong to threaten her because of simple jealousy. She didn't want to accept that I'd moved on, that I no longer wanted her. She forced my hand."

Dimitri was silent for a long while. Finally, he crossed his arms over his chest and answered, "As evidenced by the proof of this one's wounds, I can find no argument with your explanation. I shall return to Volterra and inform Aro of Heidi's demise." His voice was commanding and sure, like that of a prince confident in his rule. "While Heidi was here in a recruitment capacity, she was to let you make your own decision, Edward. What she chose to do to convince you was her own doing. But I must warn you—both of you may be called upon to report to Volterra to appear in front of Aro's court. He may wish to hear your explanation for himself." He made eye contact with each of us, dark and threatening. "Do you agree?"

I looked to Edward to see what our answer would be. He let out a little breath, looking unhappy, yet slightly relieved. "We agree."

"Very good," Dimitri said, smiling calmly. How he could be so nonchalant when I wanted to be sick was beyond me. "Trust that I'll find you, in case there are any questions regarding today's events."

Edward nodded. "We're aware. We appreciate your understanding, and please give Aro our most sincere regrets."

Dimitri smirked, inclining his head in a mocking bow. "Until next time." Flat, rusty eyes swept over me once more, causing a shiver that I fought to hide. It was apparent to me that he clearly anticipated a next time. "It was lovely to meet you, Bellisima. Perhaps we'll meet again." He made a move to step closer, but apparently thought better of it as Edward stiffened next to me.

"Safe travels, Dimitri," Edward said pointedly, his mask of civility cracking.

I could feel the slight tremors he tried to hide from the other vampire, evident in the rigidity of his body where it came into contact with mine. He was barely holding on. Feeling helpless, I just leaned into him, trying to give comfort in touch. It wasn't hard—what miniscule strength I had left after the fight and the healing was long gone. Thirst ripped and tore at me, venom pooling steadily at the back of my mouth, scorching my tender throat with every swallow.

We both remained frozen as Dimitri turned and ambled nonchalantly to the end of the dock. He took his time, releasing the moorings and carefully folding away the ropes that had secured his boat. With one look back that seemed more threatening than anything else that had passed between us, he leapt into the craft and cranked the engine. With a powerful shove, he pushed the boat clear of the dock and shot off toward the horizon.

We'd been warned.

Edward let out a shuddering breath as his knees sagged, taking us both to the ground. He wrapped his arms around me and dragged my body fully into his lap, burying his face in my hair.

"Are we really still alive?" I asked, my question muffled by the way he was mashing my face against his chest.

A disbelieving laugh worked its way out of him. "Hard to believe, isn't it?"

"How did you know what to do?" I couldn't believe...was it finally over?

I felt him shake his head.

"Believe me, love, I had my doubts," he admitted, tightening his hold on me.

"But you were so confident..."

"I had to make you believe, Bella. And I was so fucking determined...I didn't wait this long to find you only to have our future ripped away by jealousy and vampire politics."

I squirmed in his hold. "Let me see you, please," I begged when he wouldn't budge.

He did as I asked, resting a gentle hand on the curve of my cheek as he lifted his head. His eyes were black, a residual effect of the emotions that still churned beneath the surface. They glittered like polished coal amidst the frozen stone of his face, burning with the desperate fire of a man who had just narrowly avoided losing everything.

"I'm okay," I whispered shakily, placing my hand over his. "We're okay."

"We're okay," he repeated softly, stroking his thumb across my bottom lip. "God." It came out on a shaky breath as he swept down to press his mouth to mine. He exhaled against my lips, his breath feathering in a comforting warmth across my cheek and chin. Pulling back for a second, he pressed his forehead to mine, letting a pained moan slip from his lips. We seemed to hang in suspended time as his parted lips claimed my mouth again, his tongue exploring the inner surfaces of my lips. He pressed his thumb to my jaw, urging me to open wider, so he could taste me more fully, consuming me from the inside out.

A mixture of his venom and mine tingled on my tongue, sending heat pooling to other sensitive spots. But as much as I wanted to submit to him, in full view of the flora and fauna of our little forest, the burn in my throat demanded attention.

Placing my fingers on his chin, I pushed gently until he backed away, our lips reluctantly parting. "I need to hunt," I explained, wishing I had the strength to fight my thirst long enough to reassure him.

It took him a while to surface, and when his gaze finally met mine, his irises were still pitch-black and clouded with lust. I wanted nothing more than to wrap myself around him and let him finish what we'd started, but it was his embrace alone that kept me from falling to the ground.

"Oh, Bella...I'm sorry." He took a deep breath and shut his eyes, and I could practically feel him trying to gather his composure. It did nothing for my libido, which was screaming in disappointment at the way I'd put the brakes on our kiss. When he finally met my gaze again, it was with banked desire and determination. "Let's get you fed."

My response came on a single breath. "Okay."

"And Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's hurry," he growled, standing with me in his arms. "I need you."

If he thought I had any complaints, he was delusional.

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I looked up from the desiccated carcass of the capybara that I held crushed between my palms to find Edward glaring at me. His eyes were almost glowing, pupils expanding, swallowing the soft gold of his irises. I knew he'd fed, too; though I'd been too busy taking my own nourishment to pay much attention. After he brought me the first animal, my strength had returned quickly, and I was able to take down two more on my own.

It was fair to say the capybara population had been sufficiently culled. In fact, I wasn't sure it would recover. If any were left on the island, they were damn good hiders.

I dropped the body to the forest floor, trapped by his stare. A drop of blood tickled my chin as it slid from the corner of my mouth and, unwilling to waste it, I licked my lips quickly. Edward growled, his eyes darting to my mouth as he took a step forward. Even though I knew him, knew he wouldn't hurt me, as I took in the hard lines of his body—the way his hands clenched into fists at his sides, the choppiness of his breathing, the tension that radiated from every inch of him—the newborn in me was terrified.

I was running before I knew it, branches whipping past my face, disintegrating as they slapped against my limbs. My body was fleeing without permission from my brain, but fuck if I could figure out how to wrest control from the fight or flight response that had me completely in its grip.

Run. Hide.

It was on constant repeat inside my head, looping faster and faster as my panic grew.

"Bella!" Edward roared, coming up behind me faster than I could have ever imagined, still growling.

I felt every step as he neared, vibrations rippling out across the ground in circular waves, like huge raindrops hitting the surface of still water. He was so close I could feel his breath on my neck, and in a desperate bid to escape, I called on my shield. I felt the now familiar melding as I merged with the background, and I sighed in relief, realizing that my gift had returned along with my strength.

At that moment, Edward's hand clamped around my wrist as his other arm came around my waist, pulling me back against him. Any attempt to shield myself was rendered useless with the contact, and I let it go. But as soon as I felt his touch, I realized that while it wasn't gentle, it most certainly wasn't violent. The panic literally drained out of me, fizzled out, leaving me trembling in its wake.

"Why did you run from me?" Edward demanded, breathing harshly as he turned me to face him. His eyes were still wild, but lurking underneath the remnants of the chase there was hurt—a lot of hurt.

He was devastated.

And I suddenly felt lower than dirt.

"I...I don't know," I forced out, my throat tight. Shame flooded my body, settling hot in my chest. "I just...I saw you looking at me, and your eyes were so dark...you were growling... After everything that's happened...I was afraid."

Stricken, his face crumpled, his hold loosened. "Why? You never have to be afraid of me, Bella."

"I know! I just...I just ran! I'm so sorry...I mean, I didn't even make the decision. All the shit with Heidi, and then Dimitri... I knew you wouldn't hurt me, but it was like my body didn't. I'm sorry!" Twisting my hand from his grip, I placed my palms on his chest and waited until he could look me in the eye. "Newborn meltdown?" I whispered as an excuse, trying to smile. "At least it didn't happen when Dimitri was here, right?"

Edward sighed, some of the tension melting from his shoulders, but not all. "Are you sure that's all it is?"

"Of course!"

"All this hasn't made you wish you'd never met me? None of this would have happened to you if it wasn't for me."

I could feel him pulling away, see it in his eyes. He was locking himself up, becoming the frigid statue again, and I panicked.

"No! Edward—" I stammered, shutting my mouth with a snap when he shot me a dark look.

"Fuck!," he snapped, looking up at the canopy in frustration. "Don't you realize, Bella? That damn cougar wouldn't have attacked you if I'd done what I should have and stayed away!"

My panic flamed into anger. He was going to use that shit to heap onto his pile of self-loathing? "Oh, come on, Edward! Not everything revolves around your presence in my life."

"If they hadn't smelled my scent on you, you would have never been attacked," he said through clenched teeth, sounding like he was fighting a growl.

Roughly, I pushed at his shoulders, sending him staggering back a few steps. "Are you fucking psychic?" I demanded, stalking after him as he stood there in shock. "Did you know for sure that I'd get attacked that day? Did you know about the new cougar we got in? Did you know my partner would leave me alone in the cage with it?"

"No, but—"

"But what? I'm alive because of you." God, why did everything have to revolve around him and his self-loathing bullshit? When was he going to realize that he was a good man, that he deserved to be happy, maybe more than anyone else?

"Hello, I read minds," he retorted, rolling his eyes. "I believe that yes, that does qualify as psychic."

I could feel my eyes bulge at his stubbornness. That was the only thing he heard? He still refused to see, and it infuriated me. I came closer and pushed him again, until his back hit a huge mahogany tree. He was trapped.

"You can't read mine!"

"Oh, but I can!" He was getting just as riled as me now, adrenaline morphing into one hot mass of anger. His fists clenched at his sides again, and he wanted to shove me back, I could tell.

Half of me hoped he would, just because that would be some kind of reaction other than withdrawing from me.

"I heard you when Heidi had you pinned!" he reminded me.

"Only when I let you," I grated, my voice rising. Birds scattered from the trees above, squawking their displeasure with us and our loud disturbance.

"Then let me now." He looped an arm around my waist, pulling me up against him.

I gasped at the sudden movement, looking up to find him looming over me, gaze locked on mine. "What?"

"Let me in." His fingers spread wide on my back, tugging me off-balance and forcing me to brace my hands on his chest. He brought one hand to my face, gently tapping his index finger to my temple. "Let me hear you," he requested, his voice softer now. "Show me...let me in."

"I don't know if I can. If I can remember how."

"Try. Please," he breathed, his brow creasing. He looked so sad, so desperate. He needed this badly, after all that had happened. I knew he wanted to believe me, but if I could show him...there would be no more questions.

I couldn't do anything but try for him.

I took a deep breath, letting my eyes drift closed as I tried to center myself. "Okay."

Though it was hard to relive those moments in Heidi's grasp, I knew I had to suffer through it in order to remember how to let Edward in. I let myself get sucked into the vortex of memories, the sensations and sounds that still felt just as real as the actual events.

Ripping, tearing...not just flesh. Shreds of my soul flayed off, floating to my feet in fluttering strands.

I struggled to lift the shield from my mind, even though it was like having my chest cracked open, like turning my skin inside out.

My very insides were bared, open, glistening and vulnerable for him to see, just as delicate as vital organs. I didn't know if I could withstand it—this feeling like something pulled at every part of me, fighting to rip out the very heart of everything that made me. But I took it. I endured, because Edward needed to see.

He needed to see how much I loved him.

How much I needed him.

How happy he made me.

How I lived to tease him. To make him laugh. To lighten the darkness that tried to define him.

How I lived to show him he was worthy. Of me, of love, of joy in his life.

All thoughts fled as his lips settled on mine, parted and damp and insistent. I dove into the kiss, letting the shield snap back into place. The pain disappeared, replaced with the exhilaration I always felt in Edward's arms.

"Oh, Bella...I hoped..." Another kiss, this one gentle, reverent. "But I never..." He abandoned the thought, molding his mouth to mine as his fingers wove through my hair.

He heard me, I realized. He heard it all. I couldn't help but smile into his kiss as I slid both hands up and over his shoulders, one hand finding purchase in the soft hair at the back of his head, the other fisting in midair as his tongue traced a hot path across the seam of my lips.

"Please tell me you know," I said against his mouth, struggling to open the shield again. Tell me you know what I feel for you.

Tell me you know I'd die for you...that I almost did.

That I'd do it again and again, as long as it kept him safe.

But even more, I'd fight to stay alive for him, in spite of any threat. I'd do the impossible, overcome the insurmountable, just to be able to stand with him when all was done. My knees buckled as I lost my grip. Drained, I gave him all my weight.

With a raw groan, he pulled me up even with him, lifting my feet off the ground. His arms locked around my lower back, clamping us together from chest to thigh as he started forward.

I hoped to God he was heading for the house, because while I wanted him—now—I didn't want this to happen outside, in the forest. I wanted him in our bed, surrounded by everything that was us.

"Thank you, Bella. Thank you..." His lips were flavored with salty blood and heady sweetness; he was warm and soft, yet urgent and demanding. With one strong hand on the back of my thigh, he guided me to wrap my legs around his waist as he mounted the steps to the back door. Satisfaction flooded warm and deep as he took us to our bedroom, ignoring broken canopies and splintered wood, stepping over debris and reminders of just how far he was willing to go to keep me. He never took his mouth from mine as he lowered me to the mattress. Gently, he laid me on top of soft down and crisp, fragrant cotton, and proceeded to rip every shred of clothing from my body.

I did the same, tossing the remnants of his clothes to the corners of the room. When he finally broke the kiss, I breathed, "Do you see?"

A deep, ragged sob was his only response, as his hands roamed every inch of my body, claiming all of me for himself. Reasserting his ownership, he held me splayed out beneath him, open just as surely as when I'd ripped myself apart just to let him see all of me.

"Tell me," I demanded, clutching desperately at his shoulders, absorbing his strength, his need. "Tell me you see."

Pressing his forehead to mine, he wedged a knee between my legs, spreading me wide before settling heavy hips in the cradle of my thighs.

I felt him, hard and thick, as he thrust forward, filling me halfway. I was almost ready, but not quite, and I couldn't hold back the cry of surprise I felt at the piercing pressure. Before he could pull away, before he could condemn himself, I grasped his hips and arched against him, my back bowing up off the bed.

"More," I gasped, exposing my throat to him, calling out when his lips attached to the base of my throat, burning over the scars Heidi had left.

Edward stiffened, and I knew he was fighting. With himself, fighting me, fighting us. Before I could attempt to convince him to let go, he did it on his own, thrusting forward, connecting our bodies completely.

"Oh, love," he moaned, licking at the sensitive lines of my new scars, moving in, out, in... "Bella... I see..."

I smiled, riding so high, just knowing that I was taking him down, brick by brick, cell by cell.

Sound by sound.

Breath by breath.

Melt into me, Edward. I can take you. I can hold you...and I can keep you.

Forever.

"Oh, fuck," he muttered, increasing his speed, his depth, his strength.

I took it, took him, becoming the soft to his hard. The warmth to his chill.

He thrust again and froze, trembling above me.

I opened my eyes, meeting his—dark pitch pupils lined in brilliant gold as he lost himself in me. It was everything I ever wanted, and everything he ever needed, all at once. Two pieces of the most complicated puzzle snapping together, glued, barbed tightly, inseparable. Everything darkened, then burst into light, and I wondered if I'd lose consciousness again.

Edward surrounded me, held me up, anchored me to the world when I wanted to float away.

"I love you," I whispered, sinking into the soft bedding, pulling him with me.

He smiled, so bright and warm. "I know," he returned quietly, melting against me, winding his arms beneath my back and rolling until I sprawled on top of him.

I grinned in return, drifting in the silence and joy. He was mine, but more importantly, he'd realized just how very much I was his.

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All together now: awww.

So, tell me what you thought – were you expecting another fight? Edward and Bella are safe for now, but who knows with those damn Volturi.

Hope everyone is enjoying their three-day weekend in the States! Gotta love national holidays. And if you know me, you know anything that calls for grilling, drinking, and laying around in the sun is A+ in my book.

Thanks for reading, and I'd love to hear from you if you feel like leaving a comment. See you next time!