A/N: Nice long chapter ahead kids! Some exciting events and some foreshadowing of the future. Thanks to all my wonderful readers. You guys truly make writing worthwhile. I love all your thoughtful reviews and the side conversations, some of which are hilarious.

Bucket-loads of thanks to my beta Jess (jkane180) for her awesomeness. She is a veritable chapter factory, LOL!

See my note at the bottom of the chapter for some other items of interest.

Chapter 25

~Advent of Change~

Previously

"Edward, did you hear what I just said? Sandra wants to be changed! I'm going to be there with her."

"No! Absolutely not!" Edward snapped. He was over to the bed in the blink of an eye, towering over me.

"Excuse me?" I looked up at him petulantly, crossing my arms and thrusting out my bottom lip.

"Bella, you have no idea what this entails. You are not going to be there for her transformation. It isn't a pleasant process to witness, and it won't be safe once she awakes. She will be ravenous for blood when she wakes up. Newborn vampires are much stronger during their first year—it may be very difficult to control her." He fell to his knees at the side of the bed, grabbing my hand, eyes pleading for me to understand.

"With Laurent, there will be eight of you. Are you telling me she could overcome eight vampires? I'm going to be there, Edward." I set my jaw. "In the vision, I'm there. Sandra is my friend, and I'm not letting her go into this without someone to stand by her. Get over it."

Edward and I faced off there on my bed. His jaw flexed, and his eyes were hard as granite. Even in his anger, he was fiercely beautiful.

Oh, my. I think we were having our first fight.

~*Edward's POV*~

Get over it. Bella wanted to put herself in harm's way, and she wanted me to get over it. I was so angry I didn't know what to do. I had the urge to throw her over my shoulder like some kind of cave man, but I knew that wouldn't go over well.

"Bella, please see reason." I cupped her face in my hands. "I just found you. The thought of anything happening to you...I don't think I could take it." My words came out in a desperate whisper.

Bella's angry expression slipped a bit, although I could see she was trying to fight it. "Edward, I won't be told what do to—not even by you. Sandra is my friend. Today she found out that the man she loves is a vampire, and that he wants to change her into one because she's dying. That's a lot to digest all at once. I won't let her do it alone. Please, Edward, don't ask that of me."

My beautiful Bella. She was so selfless...even to the point of putting herself in grave danger. It would take a gargantuan effort to suppress my protective side, but I had to try. I closed my eyes, taking a breath. "Bella, I feel very protective of you. I promise that I'm not trying to control you. Can we reach a compromise, perhaps?" I leaned forward until my lips grazed hers. Yes, I was trying to dazzle her into an agreement.

Bella's breath caught (yes!), and her voice shook as she answered, "What did you have in mind, Edward?"

Running my nose along her jaw, I nuzzled her ear, my lips barely brushing against her neck. I could feel Bella's involuntary shiver as goose-bumps rose on her skin. "Oh, I have lots of things in mind, Miss Swan."

"Edward..." Strain was evident in Bella's exasperated sigh; I was getting to her.

Pulling back, I looked deeply into her chocolate brown eyes. "Bella, I love you. Why don't we go into the living room, so we can have a serious talk? If we are going to consider you being there for Sandra's transformation, then there are things you need to understand."

Bella nodded. "That sounds fair, Edward. I love you, too." She caressed my face with her palm.

Scooping her into my arms, I brought her to the couch. She gave me a look but didn't say anything about me carrying her this time. Before sitting down to talk, I phoned the house to let the family know to expect visitors. Of course, Alice already knew and was extremely enthusiastic.

Sitting down next to Bella, I decided complete honesty was the best way to approach this. I took her warm little hands in mine. "Bella, I need to explain how the transformation works. Sandra will be bitten in several places, so the venom can enter her blood stream faster. This is a very painful process; it will feel as though fire is burning its way through her veins as her body is reformed. It will take three days to complete the transformation, and when she wakes up, she will need to feed immediately."

"Three days," Bella repeated in awe. "My God, I didn't realize it was so...complicated. Is there anything that can be done to lessen the pain?"

"No. This isn't something to be entered into lightly, but since Sandra is already dying, I suppose time is of the essence."

"Will she be aware of what's happening during those three days?"

"No, she will fall into a coma-like state after a few hours. She may cry out, but she won't be coherent. Bella, I was going to suggest that you come to the house for the beginning of the transformation and then leave once she is out of it. She won't really know you're there anyway. Certainly you need to be gone before she wakes up." I tucked a strand of hair behind Bella's delicate ear. I fervently hoped she would be reasonable about this.

Bella looked thoughtful. "Okay, Edward, I'll leave before Sandra wakes up. Why are you so concerned about her when she wakes up though? There will be several of you there, right?"

"Newborns are extremely strong and volatile in their first year. Sandra will be far stronger than any of us at first. It can take several of us to control her if she gets out of hand. We've all worked at gaining the control to exist on the blood of animals, but for a newborn, it will be difficult in the beginning. Sandra will probably crave human blood for quite a while. You'll be able to talk to her over the phone but not see her in person."

Bella was thinking intensely, which worried me. She had already agreed to leave before Sandra woke up, but there seemed to be something else on her mind. Her eyes glazed over, similar to Alice's when she's having a vision, or someone who was very deep in thought. Her brow creased, and she mumbled something that sounded like, "Why didn't BB warn me about the pain?" It was as though she wasn't even aware I was there with her.

"Bella? Are you alright?"

She jumped, her eyes flashing back to mine. "S-sorry, Edward. I was lost there for a minute." The frown still didn't leave her face.

"Is there something wrong, Bella? Do you need to tell me something?" Putting a finger under her chin, I tilted her face up toward mine, looking deeply into her eyes. Her eyes slid away from mine. "Bella? What are you not telling me?" Fear ran up my spine.

"Edward...I can't." Bella shook her head. I still had a hold of her chin, but she refused to meet my eyes, so I let go. She hung her head, and a tear dripped onto the back of her hand, rolling off until it hit my own.

"Bella, what's wrong? Don't you know you can tell me anything? Don't you trust me?" I couldn't suppress the hurt and disappointment in my voice.

At the sound of my voice, Bella sucked in a sharp breath and threw herself into my arms, pressing her face into my neck. "Oh, Edward, why are things so complex? There's something, but I can't tell you what it is yet. I made a promise. Please don't be mad at me—I love you."

"Who is BB?"

"She's the one I made the promise to."

"Can you trust her? Who is she?" I was getting frustrated. What if this BB wasn't trustworthy? I couldn't protect Bella from a threat I didn't know about.

Bella laughed. "Oh, yes! I trust her...as much as I trust myself. I can't tell you who she is yet. Next time I talk to her I will ask her permission, okay?"

I growled. Why did Bella need to ask BB's permission for anything? What kind of hold did she have over her? "I don't like this, Bella. I want to know who she is and why she has such a strong influence over you. Does this have something to do with Sandra's transformation? Why do you seem so interested in her experience? It seems to go deeper than mere concern."

"Time, Edward. I need a little more time. Please don't push me for something I just can't give you right now." Bella hugged me tighter, and it felt as though she was begging me to understand. Knowing that she was trying to be as honest as possible, I decided to let it go—for now. She could have easily lied to me if she wanted to.

"Okay, Bella, I trust you. You tell me when you can," I said softly, giving in.

"Thank you, Edward. Your trust means everything to me."

Should I have pushed harder? Would it have made any difference? I just don't know.

~*Alice's POV*~

After receiving the call from Edward, we went into action. A room was prepared for Sandra's transformation. It was on the basement level and was already equipped with sound proofing, a bed and had only one entrance/exit. There were no windows. It just wouldn't do to have a newborn escape the house and go on a rampage around Forks.

Going back upstairs, I prepared my suite for a makeover. Whatever Sandra looked like when she was turned was how she would remain for all of eternity. Most of us didn't have a choice about our immortal appearance, but she was in a unique position.

I didn't even have any memories of being human. All of my memories are of being a vampire. It really didn't bother me much, but sometimes I was curious about where I came from. The important thing was that through my visions, I found Jasper and the rest of my family. I counted myself extremely lucky.

Esme was at the computer working on some invoices from her recent interior design projects. I skipped into the room with a big smile on my face. "Hey, Esme! Guess what? We're going to have guests! Laurent, a new vampire friend, will be bringing his sweetheart here to go through her transformation. Carlisle has offered to change her."

Esme's fingers froze on the keyboard, and she turned her head quickly. "What?! Carlisle? He agreed to change someone? I haven't really had the chance to speak with him since I've been back. I did know we were hosting a transformation, but not that Carlisle was performing it!" Her voice was filled with disbelief.

"Sandra is Bella's close friend, and she's dying. Laurent is in love with her. He finally told her what he is, and she has agreed to the transformation. The reason Carlisle has offered is because Laurent is allergic to human blood. I saw him going into a coma-like state if he tried to turn her himself. Isn't that something?"

"Yes, it is. I've never heard of a vampire being allergic to human blood! I'm glad Carlisle offered to assist. Does Bella know? And speaking of Bella, when do I get to meet the woman who captured Edward's heart?" Esme smiled as she turned to face me more completely, her caramel hair slipping over her shoulder.

"Ah, well, Bella and Edward just had their first fight about that—and Bella won! She'll be here for Sandra's transformation. Edward did get her to agree to leave before Sandra wakes up—a very good idea."

"Yes, that would be wise. I can't wait to meet her! Alice, how is this going to work out though..."

I held up my hand. "No, no, not to worry. I'm trying not to look too far ahead, but I see glimpses of her becoming one of us. I'm not sure when. I haven't let Edward see; I don't think he's ready to face that yet. Maybe it's best if they find their own way, you know?"

Esme nodded. "I agree. I just hope it all works out. Edward has been alone for so long."

The doorbell rang, and it was Laurent and Sandra. Understandably, Sandra looked a bit nervous. She was walking into a house full of vampires, after all. I tried to make her as comfortable as possible.

"Sandra, I'm Alice. It's so nice to meet you. Hello, Laurent."

A wave of calm enveloped everyone. Jasper. Thank God for Jasper. He walked down the stairs slowly and greeted Sandra and Laurent.

"Why don't we sit and talk for a few minutes? I'd like to explain a few things, and you may have some questions for us, Sandra." I offered.

Sandra nodded nervously, her heart racing in her chest. She had a death grip on Laurent's hand, and he put an arm around her for reassurance. It was obvious by the way he looked at her that he loved her very much. Leading them to the living room, we sat on the couch.

"Sandra, I assume Laurent explained the basics of the transformation to you?"

"Y-yes, he did. We spent a few hours talking it over." Sandra voice shook.

"Well, whatever you look like when you're turned is how you'll always look. None of us got to choose the day of our transformation. You have the chance to make any changes you want before we start."

Sandra looked thoughtful. "So, if I cut my hair short, it would never grow?"

"That's right! That's how I got stuck with my spiky mess of a head." I grinned.

"I'd like to dye my hair," Sandra began hesitantly and then whispered, "Um, I'd really like to shave, too." We all broke into laughter at that.

"Okay. Do you have any questions for us before we go upstairs for your makeover?"

"When Laurent changes me, will we be...related?"

I drew in a sharp breath. My vision came back to me, and I realized the time had come to talk to them about it.

Laurent laughed. "No, Sandra, not in an incestuous way."

I held up my hand. "Just a moment. We need to talk about that, actually. Laurent, you can't be the one to change Sandra."

Sandra looked frightened. "Why not? Laurent promised me that he would be the one! I don't want someone else to bite me!" Her voice rose to a hysterical note.

"Laurent, have you explained my gift to Sandra?"

"Yes, briefly." Laurent nodded. "What's the problem? Do we need to go somewhere else?"

"No, no. Please, I need you both to listen to me carefully. Laurent, you haven't tasted human blood in so many years. I had a vision of what will happen if you're the one who changes Sandra. You will fall into a comatose-type state, and I don't see you ever waking up from it."

Sandra gasped, placing her hand over her mouth. She shook her head and tears spilled down her face. "No! Laurent, no!"

Jasper flooded the room with calm feelings. He looked over at me, cocking an eyebrow. We couldn't force Sandra to let one of us change her, but I knew that she was going to lose Laurent if she allowed him to do it.

"Sandra, Carlisle has offered to be the one. He's a physician and has never tasted human blood with the exception of those he has transformed," I explained.

"Carlisle? Dr. Carlisle Cullen?" Sandra asked, disbelief evident in her voice.

"Yes, do you know him?"

"God, yes. I'm friends with Bella, remember?" Sandra snorted laughter. "Bella should buy stock in the hospital."

"Well then, it wouldn't be a complete stranger handling your transformation. Bella wants to be here for you, and Laurent will be by your side the entire time."

Laurent looked unhappy. "I want to be the one to do it. I will take on the risk."

Sandra set her jaw. "No. Either Carlisle does it...or I die. I won't let you take that risk when there's another option."

"Are you sure, my love? For you, I would do anything."

"No more talk about it, Laurent. I've made up my mind. Now, about my makeover?" Sandra turned her beautiful silvery eyes my way.

Looking into the future, I saw what Sandra was going to look like. "Oh! Great choice of hair color. Let's go upstairs and get started. You're going to be so beautiful, Sandra." Laurent tried to follow, but I held up a hand. "No boys allowed! You can hang out with Jasper for now."

~*James' POV*~

When you want something done right—you have to do it yourself. Don't send a child to do a man's job. Don't send a horny, vampire girlfriend to do a tracker's job. Stupid bitch. Did she really think I wouldn't smell Riley all over her? Did she think I believed that utter bullshit about her cell phone battery being dead? Maybe she just didn't give a shit. Maybe I should kill him and make her watch.

Fuck!

My deal was going to go out the window—and very likely—my life with it. I needed her to find that psychic. What was so difficult? I gave her a newspaper clipping and the general area in which to search! The psychic was the key. Imagine the power of knowing...of being in control of the one who sees! With that power, I could dethrone fucking Aro—that archaic has-been. He would be on his knees before me.

Time was of the essence. If the Volturi found the psychic first, my bargaining chip would be off the fucking table. I'd been bluffing my way through for a while, but if I didn't deliver soon, other trackers would be employed. The only reason I was being dealt with was that I claimed to have knowledge of the psychic that nobody else had that would make it easier for me to track and control her. I was racing against two clocks—the greediness of those who wanted to overthrow Aro and the chance that with Aro's gift, he would find out there was a conspiracy afoot before he found himself out on his ass.

Walking into the next room, I found Victoria sitting at my laptop. That little snoop! Striding across the room, I grabbed her by the nape of her neck and dragged her ass out of the chair. I pulled her around to face me with a growl. "What the fuck were you thinking? Do you realize that you may have royally fucked up any chance we have at gaining power?"

Victoria looked up into my face with her usual amusement, and licked her top lip. "You gonna get rough with me now? Hmm, lover? I might really like it."

Gripping her hair tighter, I leaned in to her ear and whispered, "I know you fucked Riley, and I know you lied about your cell phone. If you screw up my deal for me, I am going to kill Riley while you watch. I'll also mess you up so bad no man or vampire will ever want to touch you again. You got me?"

Victoria struggled against me, but I crushed the bitch to my chest until she acquiesced. "Okay, okay. I got it," Victoria ground out through gritted teeth. "Can you let go of me now, lover?"

Yanking her head back, I forced her against the wall and pressed my body in tight, trapping her. I held her there until she looked me in the eye, her defiance draining away under my intense gaze. I might have imagined it, but I thought I heard a soft whimper from her, and my pants tightened in response. Thrusting my hips against her, I whispered, "Is this turning you on, Vic?"

She wiggled, but I had her locked down tight. "No-o."

"I can smell you..." I said in a sing song voice, a cocky grin spreading across my face.

Victoria huffed, and her lower lip pouted out. She looked up at me from under her long lashes and fluttered them. Oh. So that's how she was going to try to play this now. Spinning us around, still holding her tight in my grip, I pushed her toward the bed. I could see a triumphant gleam in her eye. With a disgusted growl, I tossed her on the bed and turned away.

"I'm not in the mood for your manipulations, Vic. This is important to me—to us. If we fail...well, I don't want to talk about failure—it's not an option."

"You know what, James?" Victoria spat. "If you ever treated me as a partner instead of a lackey, maybe I could contribute something. I'm treated no better than Brad or Riley—the only benefit is I get to fuck you." She lay there on the bed, propped up on her elbows, her riot of long, red curls spiraling over her shoulders and glared up at me. There was honest-to-goodness hurt in her eyes.

I turned away from her, looking up at the ceiling, and a deep sigh issued from my chest. She was such a slut and a phony—and I loved her. I wish I could say I was using her, and I wish I could say that she loved me as much as I loved her—but I couldn't, and she didn't. Victoria might not be capable of real love. "I'm sorry, Vic," I whispered.

"What did you say?" Her voice was full of disbelief. Had I treated her that bad?

Turning back toward her, I sat on the edge of the bed and cupped her face in my hand. "I'm sorry, Vic. I know I haven't always treated you fairly. Please try to understand what the stakes are here. The reason I can't tell you the whole story is because we are dealing with someone gifted who might figure out what we're up to. If you have in your mind what you're looking for then there is a good chance we'll fail."

Victoria leaned into my hand. "Baby, why didn't you just tell me that in the first place? Don't you think I would have understood? I hate being treated like those drones. So, what now?"

"We need a new approach. I have to get the psychic soon, or we're in deep shit, Vic."

"Don't worry. We'll get her—together." She snaked her arms around my neck.

With a growl, I pushed her down on the bed and ravished her.

~*Bella's POV*~

To say that the conversation with Edward stressed me was an understatement. I was dancing so close along the line of lying, which was not something I wanted to do. Oh, how I wanted to break down in Edward's loving arms and just tell him everything! I came so close to doing just that, but the visions I had seen—of the red-eyed demon decapitating him—were enough to ensure my silence. If I spoke too soon, I would be signing Edward's death warrant. I really needed to speak to BB.

As we were getting ready to leave for the Cullen's, I got a frantic call from Angela. She was sobbing so hard, I could barely understand what she was saying. I promised her I would be right over, after Edward assured me that we had some time because Alice was busy doing a makeover with Sandra. A makeover? Shrug.

When we arrived in Angela's room, her eyes grew wide and frightened when she spotted Edward.

"You have nothing to fear from me, Angela," Edward said in a reassuring voice. "Neither does Bella. I would never..." He stopped, shaking his head.

I looked back and forth between them. It was obvious that Edward was reading Angela's thoughts and answering her. "Do you guys mind sharing?" I snapped.

Angela blushed, looking ashamed. "I'm sorry, Edward. I'm just really upset right now. Can I have some time alone with Bella?"

Edward gave her one of his crooked smiles. "You have a lot to process, Angela. It isn't every day that you find out...what you found out." Turning to me, he placed a lingering kiss on my cheek and whispered, "Take your time, Bella. I'm going far enough away so you two will have complete privacy. Call my cell when you're ready to leave."

As he left, I shuffled to the doorway. "Edward!" When he turned back to me, I grabbed his face and kissed him hard. "I love you," I whispered.

"What was that for?" he asked, that lopsided grin spreading across his face again.

"Just for being you."

"I love you, too, Bella. Call me." He sauntered away, and I watched until he turned the corner at the end of the hall. God, he was gorgeous.

"Ahem!" Angela cleared her throat, stifling a giggle.

"Oh, sorry!" My face burned. Edward often made me forget everything, and everyone, around me. I felt ashamed because Angela was so upset when she called me on the phone. I shuffled over, laying my crutches against the chair and sat on the edge of her bed, taking her hand in mine. "I'm so sorry, Ang! I'm such a lousy friend right now!"

"No, you aren't! You're in love, and love can do some really strange things to you..." Angela looked thoughtful.

"So, why were you crying on the phone? Did you and Jake have your first fight?"

"Um...not exactly." Angela hesitated. "He told me that he's a werewolfandEdward'savampire." All of her words ran together, and I had a hard time untangling them. I sat there looking like a dunce for a few moments, and then it dawned on me.

"What? I thought he was going to wait! Is he daft? What would compel him to -"

Angela held up her hand. "Me. I compelled him. I knew something about him was...other...and despite his protests, I persisted. I got more than I bargained for."

"So, you know. Is that why you were afraid of Edward? What was that between you two when he was here?"

"I was afraid he might...bite you...make you into one of them." Angela shivered.

"Ang, it might happen one day. Edward would never...force me. We haven't really discussed any of that in detail yet. Um, just so you know, he doesn't drink human blood. His family hunts animals."

Angela nodded, deep in thought. "Bella, as long as it's your choice, I'm fine with whatever you decide. So...you know about Jacob then? That he's a...a..." She faltered, unable to finish.

"A werewolf. Yes, I know about it. How do you feel about it, honey? Where is Jake?"

Angela gripped my hand tighter and let out a strangled cry. "I told him to leave," she whispered. "I needed time to think, and I wanted to talk to you. I wasn't sure what I should feel—what I do know is that the moment he left the room, I felt as though half of me was gone. I still feel like that. It's almost painful, Bells. I'm scared."

I leaned over and hugged Angela tight. "Honey, it's going to be okay. This is a lot to process. Don't forget that I dreamed of them both before I found out about them. I found it a little hard to believe at first, but I had some time to acclimate to the idea. I don't even want to tell you what happened when Edward and I met. But the point is, we got through it together. Edward was going to run—he was leaving for Alaska—but I asked him to stay and face things with me. I feel much the same pull to Edward that I expect you feel to Jacob. It's all-consuming, and beautiful, and scary as hell—all at the same time. When I'm away from Edward, I feel like an essential part of me is gone, and when I'm with him, I feel complete."

"Yes. That's how I feel about Jacob. When he's with me, I feel complete—the happiest I can ever remember being. It doesn't make sense because I barely know him, but I love him." Angela swiped at the tears that continued to spill over. "When he told me the truth, I froze up. It felt so surreal, like I was in a dream, and I-I asked him to go. He was so good about it, but I know he was hurt."

"Honey, I know he understands. You need to be comfortable with this. It's not every day you find out...well, you know. Do you think you can accept it?"

"Have you seen him as a w-wolf?" Angela's eyes grew large with curiosity.

"Just in my dream, remember? When you feel comfortable enough, you need to sit down with Jake and ask him some questions. The one piece of advice I'll give you is this: Love is a thing of beauty that can overcome many boundaries. Don't push him away because he's different than you. The one thing you have in common is how much you love each other, and I truly believe that love conquers all. You can get through this together. Talk to him, Ang."

"I love you, Bella. You're the best friend anyone could ask for." Angela hugged me tight, and we rocked together for a while in silence. After a time, she said, "You really love Edward, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. He's so wonderful, Ang. I never knew I could feel this way about anyone. He's never been in love before either, so it was hard for him to realize his feelings at first. We've overcome a lot. When you're better, I'll tell you the whole story. If you're okay, I'm going to call Edward to come get me. We were on our way to his house to meet Esme, who is supposed to be his 'aunt.' She just got back from a trip."

"Sure, go ahead. I think after you leave, I'm going to call Jacob." Angela smiled, her eyes looking dreamy, and I knew things were going to be just fine.

I dialed Edward's number and after a few rings his sexy voice came over the line, wrapping around me like a caress. "Bella."

"Edward, I'm ready."

"I'll be right there. Is everything okay?" he asked with concern.

"Yes, everything's great. Ang and I had a nice chat, and she's going to call Jacob after we leave."

"I'm glad to hear that. I love you, Bella. See you in a few." His velvet-smooth voice made me tingly in all the right places.

"Okay, love you, too." I blushed.

Angela was watching me closely, eyes narrowed. "Oh, girl, you have it so bad! I'm happy for you." We giggled.

A few minutes later, Edward appeared in the doorway holding something furry in his hands. He came over and handed it to Angela. I was surprised and touched by his gift to her. Tears came to Angela's eyes as she hugged the stuffed wolf to her chest. "Oh, thank you, Edward!"

"Jacob and I don't always see eye to eye, Angela, but I have witnessed firsthand the love he has for you. It has to be your decision, of course, but I urge you to give him a chance." Edward pulled me up off the bed into an embrace. "I know I would be lost if Bella hadn't taken a chance on me," he said softly, planting a kiss in my hair.

Edward never ceased to amaze me. Even though he and Jacob were natural enemies, he was encouraging Angela to work things out. My heart swelled with love and pride, knowing that it must have been hard for him to go against his instincts that way. Then again, he was going against his instincts every moment that we were together. A little chill went up my spine at the thought. Was it fair for me to expect Edward to keep doing this? It wouldn't be forever. I wasn't sure when or how, but I knew that I would be joining him in immortality sooner or later.

We said our goodbyes, and I could see renewed hope in Angela's eyes.

~*~

In the car on the way to the Cullen's, my thoughts turned to Sandra. I would get to witness a transformation firsthand today. Part of me was scared, while another part was intensely curious.

The drive leading to Edward's home was long and winding. One would never guess there was a house at the end of the ribbon of road that wound through the forest. I supposed that a coven of vampires would want to ensure their privacy, so it made perfect sense that they had a residence away from town. As we pulled up in front, I looked out in awe. It was a three story structure made of wood and glass that was both unique and beautiful. Although it was huge, it had an air of hominess about it.

"It's beautiful, Edward," I breathed.

"Thank you. Esme designed it." Putting the car in park, he turned to me with a wary look. "Are you sure you're ready for this, Bella?"

I put my hand on his cool cheek. "Yes."

Before we reached the front door, it opened, and a beautiful woman with long, wavy, caramel colored hair stood there beaming at us. She pulled in a sharp breath. "You must be Bella! Welcome. I've heard so much about you! I couldn't wait to meet the woman who captured Edward's heart."

"Esme..." Edward whined, like a teenager being embarrassed by his mother. How cute! Turning to me, he said, "Bella, this is Esme, my 'aunt' for all intents and purposes."

"Esme, it's so nice to meet you! You have a beautiful home here. Edward tells me you designed it."

"Oh, thank you! Yes, I do architecture and interior decorating. Did Edward also tell you that he helped build it?"

"No."

"The whole family built it together." Esme leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "Vampires move much faster than humans. They make great slave labor."

I giggled. "I'll keep that in mind next time I have a project I need done."

"Come on in, Bella. Alice is still upstairs working on Sandra's makeover. I think they're about done."

The house was just as beautiful inside as it was outside. The floor plan was open and airy, the many windows letting in a great deal of natural light. You would never guess that vampires lived here.

Alice appeared at the top of the stairs with a dark-haired woman. "Hey, Bella!" she called out to me.

"Hey, Alice! Where's Sandra?"

The woman next to Alice waved at me and laughed. "Hello, Bella!"

"Sandra?! Wow! You look fantastic!" I exclaimed.

Alice and Sandra walked down the stairs, hand in hand. I had never seen Sandra look so radiant. Her skin was gleaming, and her hair was a dark chestnut. Her silvery eyes were bright with happiness. She embraced me tightly.

"What's all the racket in here?" Jasper asked with a grin as he entered the room with Laurent in tow.

Laurent's mouth opened in shock. "Sandra...my goodness! You were always exquisite to me, but you look so lovely!"

Sandra blushed and looked down at her feet. "Thank you, Laurent," she said shyly.

"Hello, Bella," Laurent greeted me.

"Hi. I'm so happy for you both. Sandra, I'm here to support you. I'll be by your side while you go through the beginning of your transformation."

"Oh! Thank you so much, Bella!" Tears came to Sandra's eyes. "Are you sure that will be safe?"

"I'll leave before you wake up. Edward and I have discussed the details, and I understand why I can't be here the entire time."

Carlisle walked in then, and the whole feel of the room became serious. Sandra immediately tensed up. Jasper sent a wave of calm out over us and winked at me. Edward massaged my shoulders. "Are you okay, Love? Are you sure -"

Turning in his arms (an awkward proposition with my crutches), I put a finger to Edward's lips. "Hush, Edward. If you ask me that one more time..." I growled at him. Everyone laughed. Guess I wouldn't make a very scary vampire.

Carlisle appeared reserved, and maybe that's what he needed to do in order to prepare himself for what he was about to do. He walked up to Sandra slowly and took her hand, placing a kiss on the back. "Hello, Sandra. It's good to see you again—when you aren't in the hospital because of one of Bella's many injuries." He allowed a small smirk to cross his lips. I blushed.

"Hello, Carlisle. Thank you for doing this for us." Sandra smiled, and her nerves seemed to have dissipated.

"Shall we go downstairs? Is everything ready, Alice?" Carlisle asked. Alice nodded.

With Carlisle leading the way, we all filed into the bedroom where Sandra's transformation would take place.

"Would the two of you like a few moments alone?" Carlisle offered.

"Yes, please," Sandra whispered.

~*Sandra's POV*~

This was it. Today was the day. What was that saying? Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Well, today was the date of my death but the first of an eternity with Laurent. I still found it hard to believe all of this, but the proof was before me in all of these golden-eyed beings with the pale, cold skin. When looked at closely, it was obvious they were not human. What they were was kind and generous. They were family; they loved and cared; they felt. Did it matter if they were human? Not to me.

Alice was a hoot. I'd had so much fun having a makeover with her. She was humorous, sweet, kind and helped me feel at ease about my decision. When I took a look in the mirror after she'd finished—oo la la! I was hot!

Sitting on the bed, in my last moments of humanity, I held Laurent's hand. I had requested that he make love to me as a human, but he was afraid of the growing tumor behind my eye. He said with the symptoms I'd been having, it might be too much, and I would die before he could turn me. We decided it wasn't worth the risk.

"Sandra, are you alright?" Laurent's concerned golden eyes found mine.

"Yes. I was just thinking about all this. I'm a thinker—I can't help myself." A laugh bubbled out of me.

"Are you sure this is what you want? Have you changed your mind? Because you can, you know. I love you, and I only want this for you if you do."

"Oh, I haven't changed my mind at all! I'm very excited about it. I admit, I'm a little scared of the pain, but it will be worth it to spend forever with you."

Laurent cupped my face in his cool hands and kissed my lips gently. "I'll be here when you wake up, my love. I'll take care of you and teach you to hunt. The Cullens are wonderful people. They'll help us get you acclimated to your new life."

"I love you," I whispered.

"As I love you."

"I'm ready."

Laurent called the others back into the room. Bella sat on one side of my bed, holding my hand, while Laurent sat on the other.

Carlisle spoke, "Sandra, I'm going to bite you in several places and inject my venom. This will speed up the transformation a bit. This is going to burn—there's no way around it. I can give you some morphine, but we really don't know if it will help at all."

Sandra shook her head. "No drugs. Laurent explained all of this to me at length. I'm ready, Carlisle. Bella, I love you. I probably can't see you for a while afterward, but we can talk on the phone."

"I love you, Sandra. I'll be here with you, holding your hand, for as long as I can. Best of luck." Bella kissed my cheek, tears streaming down her face.

Carlisle leaned in, biting into my neck first. Then he bit each wrist and ankle, behind my knees, the folds of my arms—licking each wound closed after injecting the deadly venom. It didn't take long before my body was on fire, and I was begging to die. The room was no longer visible to me. All I was aware of was flames...surrounding me, licking at me, engulfing me, incinerating me. Pride? Embarrassment? Hell, what do those words mean? I writhed, screamed, cursed and flailed my limbs about. I could feel myself being held down by iron strong, cold arms that were immovable.

The only sound that penetrated my agony was crying from Bella. I don't know if she heard me or not, but I spoke to her. "Bella, please don't cry. This pain won't last forever." As I said the words, I realized they were true. Somewhere in my fevered brain, I remembered the conversation with Laurent as he explained the process. It might seem like eternal burning right now, but it would come to an end. Realizing this changed something for me, and I calmed significantly. Oh, the horrific burning still continued on, but I found a place inside my mind where I could hide out a little bit.

At some point, I could feel my heart raging in my chest, pounding away like it never had before. Voices were there around me, murmuring things I couldn't quite catch. I heard the sweet voice of Laurent in my ear then. "It's almost over, Sandra. Your heart is the last thing to go, my love. Just hold on, you're almost there."

Gasping breaths were coming out of me, and air was hard to come by. I imagined this was what it was like to drown—to be under the water, heart racing in your chest, unable to draw in a breath, while you waited for your chest to explode. There was a pounding sound in my ears, and it felt as though my body was pulsing along with each quickened beat of my heart. I tried to yell, but nothing came out. I heard and felt a stuttering and then...silence.

I opened my eyes.

*

A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Things will be ramping up soon, as you can see from James' POV.

My new one shot "A Real Boy" won the FFFW "Luck of the Irish" contest for March 2010. I have it posted on my profile now; I'd love for you guys to check it out and let me know what you think! There's a lot packed into the story; humor, sweetness, angst and best of all...lemons.

"I Saw You Coming" won a Fanny Award on FFFW for Best Story in the category Twilight Saga Fan Fiction. Thank you so much to the readers who nominated and supported my story! You have no idea how much it means to me that some of you thought that much of my writing. Mwah!