Ok I know it took me awhile and I'm sorry. I just really really was having problems figuring out how I wanted this chapter to go. It's such a crucial point it just took some thinking and lots of time. Would you believe this has been rewritten about 10 different times, literally. I had it written completely like twice and then decided I didn't like it. It was kinda nuts. Anyway, I hope you guys like it, I'm still not sure I do. Lemme know what you think and THANKS again to all of you that reviewed, I loved them all!

Chapter 27

Welcome Home

*Emmett's POV*

I watched Jasper closely; the sorrow on his face was heart breaking. Carlisle had come up with the perfect idea; of course no one yet knew what we would tell Charlie should we have to fake Bella's death. Carlisle had suggested home care, in our home where he could watch over her closely. So it was only a few hours ago that Bella along with the hospital equipment had been set up in Carlisle's office and about an hour ago Jasper had bit her. I was proud, he was stronger than most, he'd managed to stop almost instantly, had barely taken any blood from her. Now though, we all sat around the living room listening to the unbearable screams. Jasper winced every time a new scream would ring through the air. We all were impatient really. A change took only 24 hours but I knew for Jasper this would be the longest 24 hours of his life.

Rosalie gently squeezed my arm and I looked down to find her golden eyes questioning. I only smiled and pulled her closer to me. Had it been this hard on her when she had changed me?

*Carlisle's POV*

I checked on Bella once more, making sure the restraints were still tight so that she couldn't fall out of the bed and end up on the floor, before heading back down the stairs to the kitchen where Esme was. The rest of the kids were gathered in the living room but Esme had been unable to sit there, instead she was pacing the floor, at vampire speed, was going to have to replace that part of the wood yet again.

"Esme, babe, you're going to fall into the basement if you don't stop." I placed my hands on her shoulders stopping her. Gently she sighed.

"How do you do it Carlisle? Listen to that and not just continue to worry?"

"Because I have you, I have Edward and Rosalie, Rosie has Emmett. Each and every one of you were near death when you were changed. It hurts me to know that she is in so much pain, yes, but in 24 hours she will be fine."

"What will we tell Charlie?"

"I really don't know. Charlie having to go out of town for a few days came at the perfect time. She'll be changed by the time he comes back and we will have been able to come up with something. I really don't want to have to fake her death but if we can't let her be around humans like most newborns then we may have no choice." My wife said nothing more, only let out a troubled sigh.

*Jasper's POV*

"I'm sorry Bell, I'm so sorry," I said and pushed her hair back. I glanced at my watch again. It would only be a little less than a half hour before her heart would stop and she would awaken. Her heartbeat was slow and weak, she was close. She had at least stopped screaming about 20 minutes ago, which was normal. The venom had done its job, now it just had to finish the job. I held her hand; it was warm to me but not hot, not like it had always been before. Death's cold grip had already began to take her over, she was already pale, her skin sparkled just in the slightest, the scar on her arm shined as brightly as my own skin did; she was close but not there yet, I could still hear her heart beating, though just barely. A part of me was upset I had taken her humanity from her, that I would never see those chocolate eyes again, but at least she would be here, she would be with me and this had been what she had wanted, at least eventually. I had forgotten I'd even turned the radio on nearly an hour ago until I'd heard the Brad Paisley song that had come on.

Well I'll never forget the first time that I heard

That pretty mouth say that dirty word

And I can't even remember now

What she backed my truck into

But she covered her mouth

And her face got red

And she just looked so darn cute

But I couldn't even act like I was mad.

I chuckled at the irony of the moment. I was watching my Bell 'die' and yet I could remember the first time I'd heard her cuss and the way she blushed when she'd caught me staring at her; or a couple of weeks ago when she had indeed backed my truck into…well a pole or a tree or something. She'd gone so red even before she'd covered her face. It really had taken all I had not to crack up laughing and she couldn't understand why I wasn't mad.

I smiled down at her. Her face was contoured only slightly, otherwise she looked so very peaceful. There was only minutes left. Her heart was just barely beating it would be only moments before I would hear the final beat. I watched her chest; her breathing was so shallow I could barely even see it moving, even with my vampire sight. I held my breath, only a few more minutes and she would be opening those eyes for the first time in weeks. Her heart stuttered, her breathing had stopped, there were only moments of her humanity left and then I heard it, the last beat her heart would ever make.

*Bella's POV*

I woke slowly, for the first time in what seemed like forever I was able to actually open my eyes. I could remember the fiery pain, the acid in my veins. Then I realized Jasper was standing over me, and the way he looked, God I should've been looking at him through someone else's eyes. He was even more gorgeous than what I remembered. I could see the worry in his eyes and then I could feel it. The wonderment, the concern, inquiring feelings, and suddenly it was all too much, it was like he was pushing his feelings on me 100 times over and I couldn't take it. I couldn't think straight, I couldn't even see straight.

"Get away!" I screamed and suddenly I was on the opposite side of the room.

"Bell?" Jasper took a step closer.

"No! Stay away, stop projecting your feelings Jazz, I can't take it!" I put my hand up to stop him and for some reason he went flying across the room with a crash and then there were more feelings. Everyone else came rushing into the room. The voices, they were swarming in my head overlapping one and other, and the feelings were overwhelming, there was so much it physically hurt. I curled into a ball in the corner, screaming.

"No get away, go away! It's too much, too many voices, too many feelings!" I screamed holding my head.

"Everyone to the other side of the room now!" Carlisle ordered. The further everyone was the easier it was. The voices were whispers; I could find my own feelings within myself again. I was so confused and I was worried…worried? It took me a moment to place why, of course, Jasper; somehow he'd gone flying across the room and into the wall.

"Jasper are you ok?" I asked looking at him. The smile I loved graced his face.

"I'm fine Bell," he replied and took a step towards me. I winced his voice seemed so loud but then there was a feeling of comfort and love that was starting to overcome me as he walked closer, it was taking everything, warming me from the inside out.

"Stop! Not so close!" The closer anyone got the worse the overwhelming feeling was, I could feel they're feelings and it would start to overwhelm me. Jasper stopped in his tracks and glanced at Carlisle.

"Step back Jasper." Carlisle's voice was soft, it seemed like I shouldn't have been able to even hear him but I had. Jasper did as he said and I sighed. As long as they were all over there the feelings weren't overwhelming and their voices were only whispers but I was starting to be able to pick out each voice, they were getting to the point they were no longer overlapping. I looked at Carlisle. The other voices seemed to slowly drown out and I could only hear one.

'She's got to be confused, and quite powerful. It was to be some sort of gift making her like this' His mouth had never moved though…Of course I could read minds, like Edward could…but since when? And then I realized I could feel this sense of pride and…inquisition rolling off of Carlisle. I cocked my head at him; this really wasn't making any sense. I could hear thoughts, feel other's feelings, my eyes sight was out of the world and my hearing even better.

"Bella?" Carlisle questioned.

"Yes?" I replied. Wow my own voice sounded different, sounded very different.

"Do you remember anything? Do you know what happened?" I was slightly confused by his question but I had found that if I at least concentrated on one person all the other feelings and voices would disappear. "What's the last thing you remember Bella?" I thought for a moment.

"I was here…except I was in…the living room." My memories were fuzzy, hard to recall. "I was…watching a movie and my phone rang." Carlisle nodded gently and so I continued to try and pull forth the memories. "It was my mother…she wanted to see me,"

"Is there anything else?" Edward asked all the sudden. The growl that came from my own chest surprised me and I glared at him.

"Would you shut the hell up and let me think?" Seconds after I had said it I realized what I had done and a rush of embarrassment and regret came over me. "I'm sorry Edward I…"

"Bella," Carlisle interrupted me; "don't worry about it. Go back to trying to remember." I nodded and did as he asked, what I hadn't realized was when I had snapped I'd sent a burst of my own feelings over the entire room. I closed my eyes, concentrating, trying to recall.

"She wanted to see me…I told her I would come to her. I was angry, I wanted to show her how much better off I was without her," I paused again trying to pull up more of the memory. "I got ready, I left and took Jasper's car…I showed up at…at the hotel. She let me in…we were talking…the mirror…there's some sort of reflection," with my eyes closed I had fallen into my own memory, I was half watching it like a movie and half reliving it. "The mirror…the reflection…it's Phil, my mother's husband. He's…he's on the floor…so much blood…she attacked me…I tried to fight her off, she tripped me…she…" I opened my eyes with a small scream and my hand flew to my chest. I could feel the scar under my fingers and there was a growl rising in my chest.

"Calm down Bella, calm down." Carlisle soothed. I nodded and stopped the growl even though my fingers still traced over the large cross shaped scar…wait cross shaped? I looked down and sure enough the scar was cross shaped. "One is from the stabbing, the other is from the surgery I performed," Carlisle said.

"Surgery?" I questioned him. Had something odd happened in that surgery and changed me in some way? I still hadn't put it all together. Carlisle took a step towards me and I didn't stop him. It was like I was under control now. I couldn't hear his thoughts, couldn't feel every feeling. He walked closer till he was only a few feet from me. Slowly I dropped my guard; I wanted to see if it had all been a fluke or real. Had I really heard his thoughts, felt his feelings? I looked into his eyes, tried to hear his thoughts and I could not only hear them, but see his…memories? I was lying on an operating table, nearly dying, he'd finally managed to fix everything, I was in another room in the hospital, I was in a coma…I was at the Cullen's…Jasper was biting me...Oh it all made sense now! I pulled myself out of Carlisle's memories and pulled the walls back up. It all made sense now.

"You saved me but I was in a coma and then I was here and…" I stopped talking and looked at Jasper. He looked so…devastated maybe. I tried it again…I dropped the walls this time trying to feel Jasper's feelings and they hit me in a wave. Worried, curious, loving, and a little sad; I pulled the walls up again. Ok so maybe I was already getting the hang of this. "I love you all but uhm…I need some time with Jasper." There wasn't a word spoken and everyone left the room except Jasper. For the first time I stood up straight. I looked down at myself and felt a little embarrassed; it was the first time I realized I was in only a hospital gown. Jasper still stood at the other end of the room. I slowly walked towards him and then wrapped my arms around him. He hugged me back and the relief and love I felt overwhelm me was simply amazing.

"Are you projecting feelings or…" I asked.

"Oh ya sorry." The feelings suddenly disappeared as he reeled them. A little worried I dropped my own walls and again I could feel Jasper's feelings but they were no longer overwhelming. I pulled back from the hug, looked him in the eyes, and gently touched his cheek.

"You're warm!" I was surprised and Jasper chuckled.

"No it's just that you're the same temperature I am now," he replied and I nodded slowly. Of course, he was right, I was like him now. I reveled in the feel of him. His skin so smooth, his eyes brighter than ever. "Come on, why don't we go to our room? I'm sure there's probably a few things you want to know but you shouldn't have to be in a tacky hospital gown." I laughed and had to agree with him. A few minutes later we were in our room, I was in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and we were both relaxed on the bed.

"So, how long was I in the coma?"

"Three weeks," I was utterly surprised by his answer.

"Really?" He nodded.

"Three long weeks and I could feel you slipping away. You were slowly dying and I was sure if I waited even a few days longer you would've died. I talked to Carlisle he came up with the idea on 'home care'. Once you were here though I bit you, which would've been 24 hours ago."

"So I'm a vampire now? I have you forever?" I asked. I watched this smug/cheeky sort of grin cross his face.

"Ya you have me forever." I smiled back at him, completely at peace but then something in my mind sparked reminding me of a very important person.

"Oh god, Charlie, what about Charlie?"

"He's out of town for a few days, we'll figure something out," Jasper replied calmly.

"Ok," I replied understanding. It was quiet between us for a few minutes then there was this odd curious feeling. "What?"

"You've not said or even mentioned the smallest thing about being thirsty; thirst is normally the only thing a newborn cares about." It wasn't until that moment that I felt the dry burning in my throat, as if I was parched…had been walking in the desert for days without a drop of water.

"Now that you mention it…" I said and rubbed my throat. He smiled lightly.

"Why don't I take you hunting?" Even the mention of hunting made my mouth seem to water and Jasper laughed, obviously picking up on my change of emotion. He stood up and I followed. Without realized my own limits I was on the other side of the room before I realized it and Jasper still stood next to the bed, nearly rolling on the floor with laughter.

"Oh shut up," I rolled my eyes and walked towards him, this time a little more exact in my steps and my speed.