Our Sweet Bella

Author Notes: Hope everyone had a great Christmas and got everything you wanted, my gift to all of you is the next Chapter; please give me a gift of your comments.

Chapter 28

Bella's POV

This was a big day for two reasons, firstly our letters from Universities were arriving today, which meant, where I was going to spend four years of my life would I be stuck living in Washington or will I be shadowing the corridors of Ivy League.

I was also on my way to the Cullen's house, maybe I was obsessed for torture or I was really curious of what they had to say, but something told me things were going to change from here on out. I dressed in one of the tops Alice brought me; I didn't need her scrutinizing my wardrobe choice. I drove slowly over to the Cullen's house, as I wasn't sure if I should just turn around and leave hopefully they'll do what Edward said and leave and never come back, but in the back of my mind I knew I needed to listen to this, the answers to questions I've had would finally be answered. Maybe this could bring a clean slate with my family no more lies and secrets but if what Edward said was true and the truth was so horrible did I really want to hear it. How bad could it be though, were they murderers and I was going to be there next kill, but emotional hurt aside I doubt they could hurt anyone.

My car practically crawled my way up the drive. I looked at the house and I forgot how big it was, it really was beautiful. My stomach was doing back flips and the actual thought of seeing the whole family again made me want to be sick. I climbed out of the car and on the way to the door, the door was flung open by a rather over enthusiastic Alice who was jumping as she saw me and let out a very high toned squeal, that any higher would only be audible to dogs.

"Bella, you came," Alice screamed as she grabbed me into a bone cracking hug.

"I told Edward I would come," I said.

Alice let go of me but still had a huge smile on her face. You'd never think that the last conversation we had was an argument. Alice was still the over the top probably insane girl I knew and loved. Alice put her arm around my waste and pulled me towards the house, where Rosalie and Esme were waiting for me. Both of them looked so happy to see me and made me realize how happy I was to see them too. Before I could move Esme grabbed me into a hug and kissed the top of my head and I involuntarily had a smile that would rival Alice's.

"My darling daughter, your finally home, your where you belong," Esme murmured in my ear. The word home made me happy and in a way I really did think I was home.

"Thanks M… thanks Esme," I whispered back hoping she didn't recognize how I nearly called her Mum again. When Esme pulled back I saw pain in her eyes that I couldn't understand she was so happy a second ago, before I could ask what was wrong she was smiling again. Before I could breathe again Rosalie grabbed me into a hug. If I wasn't so worried about the inevitable conversation to come the moment would have been perfect, but one thing that life has taught me is that perfect never lasts forever. Rosalie kept her hand in mine as all of us walked towards the house together.

"Remember, whatever happens today and no matter how you feel about us afterwards, I will always think of you as my sister and that I love you," Rosalie said rubbing soothing circles along my arm. When we walked in the whole family were there and I had to take a deep breath to calm myself, it felt like all times.

Carlisle was at the head of the table and Edward next to him and Esme went to take her seat to Carlisle's other side. Carlisle got up the moment he saw me and hugged me; he didn't say anything it was his actions that spoke.

After the 'welcome back's' we all sat around the table I sat at the other end, next to Emmett and Rosalie, Rosalie held my hand lightly while Emmett as usual was trying to make a tense situation light by pulling faces at me. I think he didn't get the memo that I was now eighteen not eight.

"I believe we owe you an explanation Bella," Carlisle said to get the conversation, as no one else was willing to talk. Everyone pondered how explain everything. "Why don't you ask us questions and we will answer truthfully." I nodded and thought about my first question.

"Why haven't you aged?" I asked, no messing around I wanted answers. "I mean, it's been ten years and you look exactly as you did when I first met you." There was silence in the room. I knew this question would bring everything out into the open and it was probably the question that everyone was worried about answering and the answer that I was most worried to hear.

"Bella, the answer that comes with that question will open you up to a world that you never dreamed existed, a terrifying world," Carlisle started. "Before I answer you and tell you everything, you have to be warned of the consequences that come with knowing the truth because once we tell you, it can never be taken back and even though we trust you, you must understand that this is something that can never be repeated. Are you sure you want me to carry on, because from now on, this is all your choice."

I pondered Carlisle's question, even though I had though I stayed up most of the night wondering if this is something I wanted to know and now and last night I realized there was no going back, I was already in too deep and I knew that I couldn't not know.

"I'm ready," I said more confidently than I felt. The butterflies in my stomach were back.

"There is a lot we kept from you Bella, the reason why we haven't changed in the fifteen years that you've known is because, we will never age, and I personally have looked like this for over three hundred years." I gasped involuntarily, I couldn't stop myself, but Carlisle was so young, I could he be over three hundred years old. I then wondered how old the others were.

"But how is that possible," I barely whispered. Still amazed at the information I was given.

Carlisle took a deep breath and I realized that all the family were now staring at their hands or up at the wall, anywhere but me, Carlisle was the only one who looked me in the eyes.

"We're…Vampires," Carlisle said quietly. At that moment time stopped, I had to wipe my face of any emotions but I couldn't stop the horrified look on my face, everyone told me that my face told everything that I was feeling. Every horrible movie that involved Vampires started flashing in my mind, Dracula, Interview with a Vampire, Queen of the Damned, lost boys and so many more and the picture in my head was a vampire sucking on humans necks and I hated the thought. This is what my family were, but this was a world of fiction, could this stuff even be real.

"But Vampires aren't real," I said. I couldn't believe that this was real, this stuff just didn't exist.

"Unfortunately they do," Carlisle said. Then something came to me, even after everything that they put me through they were the nicest people I knew and I had just told Jacob a few months ago that they couldn't hurt anyone but now I wondered if what I said was true. Even though there were many stories that said that Vampires were evil there were Vampires that portrayed as good, Angel, Spike, Stefan and Damon Salvatore, well Ok they can sometimes be good.

"Bella you have every right to be upset and even horrified and we are willing to answer any questions you may have," Carlisle said. I took a moment to gather my thoughts what was there to say. The Cullen's gave me time to gather my thoughts.

"Do you kill people?" I asked but I wasn't sure if I wanted the answer, but I just had to ask.

"No, we chose a different path from others of our kind; we value human life and save human lives whenever possible. I won't lie to you Bella, it's not always possible to resist the call of human blood and we have slipped a few times," Carlisle said. I looked around and saw the guilt in everyone's eyes when Carlisle mentioned the slip of control. "We sustain ourselves on the blood of animals to keep us alive." So they were like good Vampires.

"So if you guys are Vampires, where are all the coffins," I said and every burst out laughing.

"Girl, you need to stop watching vampire movies, nearly all of them have everything wrong," Emmett said.

"Can you go out in sunlight, does it kill you, or do you have rings that protect you," I said and everyone except Alice looked confused about the protection rings.

"Oh god, not another Vampire Diaries fan, that show got nothing right," Alice commented. "I've got to admit though those rings are so cool, I wish they actually existed."

"So you do burn in the sun light," I said.

"No, we live in the real world, where Vampires sparkle in the sun," Emmett said rolling his eyes. (Sorry couldn't help myself, I love that line, fans of The Vampire Diaries will know who I'm quoting)

"What do you mean you sparkle?" I asked confused. I have never heard of Vampires sparkling before, have to admit though the idea of vampires sparkling was hilarious.

"When we are exposed to the sun, it kind of reflects of our skin and it looks like our skin is sparking," Carlisle answered.

I took a deep breath I had so many questions to answer and my head was spinning from this new information. Also this might be my only chance to get the answers of what really happened ten years ago.

"Why did you give me up?" I asked, "And please no basic, for my good crap, I want an actual answer." Everyone was quiet and simultaneously looked at Edward, who stared at his hands, trying to avoid the stares of everyone else. No one answered my question I guessed Edward was the only one who could answer, never mind I could wait, until Edward grew some balls and answered my questions. A few moments later Edward finally met my eyes, the pain and regret there was obvious.

"It was my fault," Edward said in barely a whisper. "That day when I took you to the zoo, do you remember what happened afterwards?"

"I remember I fell down the stairs, but the rest of it is fuzzy," I replied.

"When you fell, you hit your head on the step," Edward started and took a deep breath before carrying on. "Well there was a lot of blood and well I kind of lost control and attacked you." I gasped in horror. Rosalie squeezed my hand in support and I swore I heard her growl. Edward carried on looking down, probably incapable of carrying on and I wasn't sure if I wanted for him to carry on.

"Alice was lucky to see what was going to happen and was able to get to you in time," Carlisle carried on for Edward.

"Wait a second how was Alice able to see what was going to happen?" I asked.

"Some vampires when created have special abilities," Alice spoke this time. "Since I have been a Vampire I have been able to see the future, with that power I was able to get to Edward in time and stop him doing anything to harm you." I had to admit being able to see the future was really cool.

"Can anyone else see the future?"

"No it's just Alice, but I can feel and manipulate people's emotions," Jasper answered.

"I can read people's minds," Edward said but still not looking at me. This was the revelation that scared me, imagine some of the things he probably had heard from my head, this was going to be embarrassing.

"Oh crap, that's going to be awkward, how embarrassing," I said, trying to keep my mind neutral of any embarrassing or nasty thoughts I may have, harder feat than you would have thought.

"Don't be embarrassed, your mind is the only one I can't read," Edward responded and I relaxed for a second. But how was it possible that he could read everyone's mind except mine.

"How is that possible?" I asked.

"We don't know how you are the one exception to Edward's ability," Carlisle explained for me. "Bella understand that we only left because it was the only way to guarantee your safety, we couldn't risk it happening again. We went over every possibility and us leaving was the only way to stop us or anyone else hurting you."

"Oh yes because that worked out so well didn't it," I mumbled mostly to myself. Even though I was finally understanding, why they left me, didn't take away the pain of being abandoned.

"Yes, we realize that Bella," Carlisle said and I felt bad for saying it. "It hurt us immensely as well, but we had to do everything we could to keep you safe."

"Bella, there wasn't a time when the family didn't think of you and yearn for you to be back with us," Rosalie spoke this time.

"Why didn't you come back for me then?" I asked rather rudely.

"We wanted you to have a normal human life, away from everything supernatural. But when Alice had the vision of you being attacked in Port Angeles, we had to intervene," Rosalie answered. I stayed silent trying to absorb everything and I found that I couldn't it was too much and I was having a hard time to make sense of everything.

"Bella the question is can you handle this, do you want to forget this ever happened if so, we will leave you alone or do you want to be part of this family again, starting where we left of, putting everything that has happened behind us and starting fresh," Carlisle said.

I thought through my two options did I really want to be part of the supernatural world, where monsters weren't in nightmares or in movies but walking around but be part of this loving family again. If I tell them to leave me alone, I get the chance of a normal life but lose my family, again. Both ways I knew that there was no way to erase what I have learnt today and I needed to find a way to deal with the knowledge that I have acquired.

"I don't know, what I want to do yet, I need time to think this through," I said finally after a long pause.

"Of course take all the time you need Bella," Carlisle said and I nodded and I rose to leave.

"Thank you for telling me the truth, never mind what I decide I do believe that I needed to know all the details," I said and everyone nodded and then I left.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

The moment I walked in to the Webbers house, I was met by Angela looking very excited.

"Where have you been? The letters from all of our colleges have arrived and I could barely wait to open them," Angela said leading me into the front room where our letters were on the floor, in two piles for each of us. I took a deep breath and sat down in front of my pile. "Good luck Bella, not that you need it," Angela said picking up her first letter.

"You to Ang," I said picking up my letter from Washing state University and opening slowly, reminding myself it was a backup choice. I lifted the letter out and with shaky hands and read the first line that said congratulations. I smiled brightly and a second later Angela screamed with joy.

"I got in to Washington State!" Angela screamed very loudly that I'm sure the whole town heard her.

"So did I," I said not as loudly as Angela, unlike me Angela really wanted to go to Washington. We both got accepted into Seattle as well, Angela was happy but she already knew that she was going to stay in Washington, so it didn't matter. I hesitated at picking up my Princeton letter and I asked Angela to open my Yale letter.

The moment I opened the letter I was speechless and I was shaking more and I could feel tears pouring down my cheeks as I reread the letter that said 'We are happy to inform you that you have been accepted into Princeton University.'

"I got in," I whispered hardly believing it, scared to blink if the words went away. "I can't believe it."

"If you can't believe that, then you definitely won't believe when I tell you that you got into Yale as well," Angela said smiling at me and passing me the opened letter. I grabbed it of her and true enough it said that I got in.