Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Meyer. I take no credit for it or any of its characters. Amara belongs to me, as do any other OCs.

Venom

Trees whipped past as Alice ran, the wind blowing my hair. I had my face buried into her chest, slowly inhaling and exhaling her sweet smell. That, and her arms being around me, were the only things keeping me from losing my mind.

Everything that had just happened flashed in front of my eyes, making me cringe. I felt hot tears dripping onto Alice's shirt as I clung into her as tightly as my arms could manage. Alice's grip around me tightened as her body tensed. I could tell she didn't like that I was crying. Her maternal instincts were likely telling her to comfort me, which she was trying to do.

We needed Carlisle though.

"We'll be there soon," Alice said. Her voice was strained. I could practically feel the agony emanating from her. It made me cry harder because I was causing her pain too.

"I'm sorry," I murmured into her shoulder.

She looked down at me placidly and shook her head. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Bella."

"But I…I nearly killed her. And I'm hurting you."

She shook her head again. "Stop it. You're not hurting me. I'm just worried about you. And as far as that bitch goes, don't worry about her. The others will take care of her. Don't worry, Bella, I promise I'll make sure nothing bad happens. I just want you to be okay."

Another minute passed as Alice's speed began to slow down. I felt her jump into the air once or twice, leaping over rocks I think. I didn't know for certain, I was just aiming to focus on her. Breath in, breath out. That was my mindset right now. Then her speed slowed down even more so. Where we home? Moments later, I heard her open and close a door. Yes. We were home.

"Alice, honey, what happened?" Esme asked. I could feel her nearby.

"It's complicated, Esme. I'll tell you shortly," she replied.

I tore myself away from her chest and peered over her shoulder. Esme's eyes burned with love and worry as she looked at me, noticing my tear stained face and reddened eyes.

"Oh honey…" she murmured, coming over and stroking my head.

"Carlisle?" Alice called.

"I'm here Alice," Carlisle replied, appearing instantly next to Esme. His eyes held the same concern as hers did as he looked at me sympathetically. "Would you like to move this upstairs?"

Alice glanced at me before nodding. "Yes, I want her to be comfortable."

In seconds, we were all in Carlisle's office. The bed was still there too, oddly enough. Alice gently sat me down on the bed, but I didn't want to let her go. She kissed my shoulder and pulled me back into her arms as she sat down on the bed and sat me down on her lip. I rested my head on her other shoulder and clutched her tightly.

"I'm sorry," I whimpered. "I'm sorry…"

Alice rubbed my back with both hands. "Shh, don't apologize. It's not your fault, love."

"What happened?" Carlisle asked softly.

Alice bit her lip and looked at me tenderly, silently asking for permission to tell. I nodded.

"Bella…she had an accident. I only caught sight of it briefly, but she…well, she bit one of the students enough to draw blood."

Carlisle nodded thoughtfully while Esme quietly gasped.

"Bella, would you tell us what happened?" Carlisle asked.

He made it clear I didn't have to, but I knew that I would eventually. I looked at Alice, who squeezed one of my hands for support. I smiled a little weakly at her before turning to face them. Alice helped turn me, but kept me in her arms.

I sighed. "This girl, Jessica, she's a, well, you know, a bitch and all. I ran into her by mistake in the hallway and she started talking bad about me and Alice and the others. I tried to walk off, but she didn't let me. She kept pushing me and it really upset me. Then everything just sort of blurred and before I knew it, she was on the floor screaming with a gash in her neck and I…I…I had her blood in my mouth. I ran to the bathroom to spit it out and that's when Alice came."

I tried not to cry anymore while I admitted this, but I couldn't help letting a few tears fall. Esme came over and embraced me after I'd finished while Carlisle seemed to be lost in thought.

"Carlisle…? I think I'll take that blood test," I murmured once Esme let me go. Or rather, once I let go of her.

He nodded and blurred over to his desk, pulling out a needle. My eyes bulged at the sight. I didn't like needles. I didn't think any sane person did, though. Then again, I guess needles didn't bother vampires since they would just break on their skin.

"Alice, perhaps you should go hunt," Carlisle suggested.

Alice curled back her upper lip and let out a low growl at her father. "No. I'm staying."

Esme frowned a little, but nodded her head. "I think it best that she stay."

Carlisle pursed his lips for a moment before nodding in understanding. "I don't mean to sound cruel, Alice. I am merely concerned for Bella's welfare and for your control is all. If you wish to stay, then you may. Bella, your arm please?"

I shuddered as I extended my right arm outwards. My whole body was trembling.

"It's okay, Bella," Esme soothed, gently rubbing my head.

I felt Alice tense up behind me. I looked up to see her eyes were dark as they watched the needle in her father's hand warily.

"I'm not going to harm her, Alice," Carlisle stated softly.

She clenched her jaw, but made no remarks or movements otherwise.

"Are you ready, Bella?" he asked. I nodded briskly.

He slowly started moving the needle towards my arm. I bit my lip and closed my eyes. I felt Alice press her lips to my neck, then a quick prick, and then a throat clearing. I opened my eyes to see the needle was full of my blood. Esme's wrapped the area where the needle had gone into my skin. I was a little surprised that I had hardly felt it.

"That's it?" I asked, astonished.

He smiled and nodded. "Yes. I'll need to run some diagnostics on it. The tests will be done in about thirty minutes. Please feel free to rest or eat if you need to."

I nodded as Alice picked me up and lifted me off the bed before setting me back down. Her golden eyes were full of worry as she pressed her forehead against mine, staring into my eyes.

"Are you feeling okay?" she asked.

"Not really," I admitted. "But I'm feeling a little bit better. I could use some water or something, though. You know, to wash out the taste from my mouth."

Ugh. The taste of blood. I'd tried to ignore it, which worked out well up until this point. I could still taste it, though. It was lingering on my tongue and it was damn right disgusting. I felt a little nauseated, but since I'd already thrown up, there wasn't anything left.

Esme appeared with a glass of water in her hands, which she handed to me. I thanked her, to which she smiled at, before I drank it down. I hadn't realized how thirsty I'd been until now, too. How odd. It did help alleviate the taste of rust and salt in my mouth, but it still lingered. Maybe some food would help.

"Esme, could you make Bella something to eat?" Alice asked, not taking her eyes off of me. "I'm going to take her to my room."

"Of course," Esme replied, smiling before disappearing.

Alice wrapped an arm around me and led me into her room before gently pushing me onto her bed. She then sat down on my lap and wrapped both arms around my back, pulling me into her. I mimicked the notion and hugged her into me, resting my head beneath her chin, which she rested on the top of my head. We sat that way for a while, just enjoying each other's presence. She sighed rather softly and kissed the top of my head as I nuzzled into her.

"Do you know what's wrong?" I asked.

"No," she admitted. "I wish I did. I mean, I think I might, but I'm not sure." Alice shook her head and sighed. "Why didn't I see this before? How could I have not noticed that you were acting oddly? Damn it."

"I should've said something earlier. I'm sorry."

"Bella, stop apologizing. You don't have to apologize. You didn't know either. I do wish you would've told me, but I should've noticed it too. I can't believe I was so oblivious. I wonder if the others realized it…"

"Maybe Edward knew?" I offered.

She narrowed her eyes and growled. "I swear to God if he did and he didn't tell me…"

I bit my lip. "Maybe he wasn't certain either, Alice. Maybe he didn't want to worry you or me or anyone else."

She didn't respond to that. Obviously, I wondered if Edward did know. If anything, he and Jasper would be the ones to notice with their gifts. While Jasper didn't seem to notice, Edward did. I think he did know, or at least he had an idea of what was going on inside of my head. Why hadn't he said anything, though? I'd have to ask him after he returned from school.

Oh. Shit. School.

What was going to happen now? Would I be expelled? Would the Cullens have to move again because of me? Oh God.

"Bella, why are you worrying?" Alice asked.

"I just…"

"Please stop worrying," she begged, cupping my cheeks. "You have no reason to be worried, I promise you. I will take care of everything, okay?"

I nodded. "Okay, Alice. I'll try and stop."

"Thank you," she said, smiling a little. "Esme is bringing you some food."

A second later, Esme walked in carrying a plate with a sandwich on it. It was turkey with cheese and mayo. Simple, yet still good.

"Thanks Esme."

"You're welcome dear," she replied as she handed me the plate and left the room.

I was about to take a bite when Alice leaned down and breathed on my sandwich, just like she'd done with my cake that one time. I licked my lips as I watched her breath on it, knowing I would be getting a super flavor boost that would for sure eliminate the awful taste in my mouth. Once Alice leaned away, she smiled a little as I grabbed the sandwich and took a bite.

I moaned as I chewed on my first bite. So. Damn. Good.

I swallowed and took another bite. I didn't understand how she did it, but I didn't care. This was the greatest sandwich I'd ever eaten. Combining Esme's wonderful cooking—it was a sandwich, yes, but that woman could make a sandwich, let me say—with Alice's flavor empowering breath and my God. All I could taste was Alice's chocolate, strawberry and vanilla breath, which masked the other flavors with their rich intensity.

By the time I'd finished the sandwich, I'd completely forgotten everything that had happened in the last hour. The awful taste was gone now, replaced by the heavenly taste of Alice. I'd have to remember that later on. It definitely helped out.

Alice smiled as she pressed her forehead against mine. I moved my lips forward and captured hers, which she returned rather happily. She gently pushed me down onto her bed and curled into me as her lips continued moving against mine. I moaned again, reveling in the taste and smoothness coupled together with the tingling sensations that kissing Alice always gave me.

The sound of a throat clearing caused her to stop and sit up, pulling me with her. Carlisle was standing in the doorway, a slight amused look on his face that became a serious one when we met his eyes.

"I have the results," he announced. "Please, come into my office."

We both jumped off the bed at the same time and followed after Carlisle as he walked into his office. I was amazed that the bed was already gone, in its place a chair for me. I sat down while Alice stood next to me, one hand resting on my shoulder. Esme appeared in the room as well, curiosity adorning her beautiful features.

Carlisle held something in his hands, which he studied for a moment before setting it down and turning to face us. I couldn't read his eyes. There was surprise, intrigue and something that I couldn't quite put my finger on as he appraised me.

"Well, Bella, you've likely noticed that there is a pattern to what you've been experiencing lately. Edward has informed me of your changing thought process, which he asked that I not reveal to you. He didn't do so to be cruel, he did it more out of personal concern. I noticed your odd behavior before our visit to Mr. Jenks. It was only then that I knew there was something amiss with you. I dismissed it at first, but the more I heard and saw, the more concerned I became. I am glad that you allowed me the chance to take a sample of your blood, because it has indeed confirmed my initial suspicions."

"What is it? What's happening to me?" I asked.

He paused for a moment before responding. "You're changing into a vampire."

I gaped, Esme quietly gasped and Alice's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

"W-what?"

He didn't just say…

Did he?

Carlisle sighed. "You are changing, Bella, into one of us."

"How is that possible?" Alice asked before I could even think.

I was turning into a vampire? What the fuck?

"Think, Alice. Do you remember how many times she's been bitten?"

Alice thought about it before the realization hit her. "Oh my God…"

I, on the other hand, was still confused.

"Wait, wait, wait. I'm turning into a vampire? Are you serious?" He nodded. "What the hell?"

"Allow me to explain," Carlisle offered.

"That'd be nice," I muttered. I couldn't wrap my head around this. It didn't make any sense. It just…it wasn't possible. How the hell was I changing? I thought that I had to have a shitload of venom inside of me or something like that. What the hell. Seriously.

"You've been bitten numerous times, correct?" I nodded. "And each time, the venom was sucked from your system, correct?" I nodded again. "I see. That is…interesting. I won't lie to you Bella; I find it amazing that you are still alive after all you've been through. After the number of times you've been bitten, you should be either dead or already changed, yet you are still a human, alive and well for the most part. I must admit, I am surprised that it took this long for your body to begin reacting the way it has."

"What do you mean?" I asked confusedly.

"What I'm saying is that when you were bitten and the venom sucked out, not all of the venom was removed. Some of it remained. It was such a small amount; I'm guessing that had no effect on your body whatsoever. However, each proceeding time you were bitten, more venom was added to that small amount. Now the amount inside of you is enough to begin the changing process. The problem is, it's delayed. Your change is slow for reasons I don't understand myself, but I do have a theory on it."

He stopped for a moment, making sure I was following him. I was for the most part, though I was still confused and shocked out of my mind.

"I believe that, because there was such a minimal amount of venom in your system, your body was able to form immunity to it. That is why you never felt the burning sensation that venom naturally causes, nor why you noticed any sort of change. As more venom was added, though, it slowly started to override the immunity that your body created until the immunity was overridden completely. It merely took this long for the overriding to take place. That is why you have been experiencing all of these things, Bella. You are changing, but at a decelerated rate."

I blinked several times. "I'm becoming a vampire?"

"Yes," he replied.

I was stunned and lost my voice. Alice, on the other hand, spoke up.

"Is there anything you can do to stop it?" Alice asked.

Carlisle shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Alice. Bella's change cannot be stopped. The venom is too far into her system now to be drained. Attempting to do so would only cause her further pain and suffering. I would suggest speeding the transformation up, but I'm uncertain how that would affect Bella. Also, while I know this isn't the best thing to say, I am rather curious to see how this progresses," he admitted. He looked rather ashamed of himself as he said this.

Alice hissed. "You are not using her like that!"

"That's not what he means, dear," Esme defended. "He means he wishes to see how this situation evolves. I can't lie, I'm curious myself. But it is up to Bella whether or not she'll allow us those privileges. Bella?"

I was speechless. I mean…just, fuck.

I'm turning into a vampire. Me, a fucking vampire!

That's insane. That's…that's…

"Cool," I breathed. Three pairs of golden eyes all looked at me with surprise.

I thought about it. If I was going to become a vampire, that meant several things.

First of all, I'd finally fit in with my family perfectly. I'd be the same as them in every sense. I'd be just as strong, as fast, as durable, as attractive. I wouldn't have to worry about causing them pain with my blood or have to avoid trying to bleed anymore. I could be… natural around them.

Secondly, I'd be immortal. Immortal. No growing old. No wrinkles or aging bones or any of that shit that people experience when they aged. No hair graying or falling out, none of that. I would never get any older. I'd be in the same body, the same age, for eternity. That in itself sounded rather appealing to me, truth be told. I'd always hated the idea of getting older.

The third thing, and probably the best of them all: I'd be with Alice. Forever.

The more I thought about it, the better it sounded to me. I mean, I'd thought about it in the past, but I'd always pushed the thoughts away because they seemed insane. But in all seriousness, how else would I be Alice's soulmate if I wasn't changed into a vampire to be with her?

"Bella…" Alice's voice was quiet as she touched my shoulder. I looked into her eyes, which seemed to smolder with uncertainty. "You're okay with this? You're really okay with knowing that you'll be turning into a vampire and that nothing can stop it?"

I frowned and thought on it some more. I turned to look at Carlisle. "How long do I have?"

He mulled it over in his head. "In all honesty, I don't know. Judging by the amount of venom that was in your blood, it won't be any time soon. There isn't a definitive way for me to tell, truthfully, but I would probably say that you have at least a full year, if not more so, before the change is complete. I don't know why it is taking so long for the venom to move through your body, but it gives you time, if anything."

I bit my lip and absorbed everything he'd said. Something didn't quite make sense to me, though. If I wasn't fully changed yet, then why was I acting this way? Experiencing all these emotions and urges that made no sense to me?

"Carlisle, can I ask a question?"

"Certainly," he said, looking at me intently.

"Why am I acting this way if I'm not changed yet? The jealousy, the anger, the bloodlust…shouldn't that all be happening when I change or something?"

"I think I might know why," Esme stated softly. "I believe that the reason you are experiencing these things, Bella, is because you are mated to Alice. Normally, when two vampires become mates, they begin to experience these emotions and urges right away. The fact that you are a human and that you are slowly changing merely furthers your maternal connection to Alice. That is why you feel the need to protect her in any way possible. I do not know why you are experiencing bloodlust, though. Carlisle, do you have an idea?"

Carlisle shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, but I don't. I can only imagine that it is a side effect caused by the venom slowly changing you. It seems that it is temporary whenever it surfaces, though. Am I right?"

"Y-yeah, it is. First it smells good, but then it starts to make me sick not too long after. Only today, it was…well, it tasted really good for a moment before I realized what I'd done and I had to throw it back up," I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck.

Alice hadn't spoken a word for a while. She'd been staring off into the distance as if she were in a trance. I was worried about her, so I squeezed one of her hands. That seemed to snap her out of her trance like state. She turned to look at me, a placid, tender look in her eyes, and squeezed my hand back before speaking.

"You're sure you're okay with this?" she asked.

I nodded. "How else would I be able to be with you for all eternity?"

Her face softened as she leaned in to capture my lips, hesitating only slightly.

"You won't be able to do a lot of things anymore," she mused.

I snorted. "Like what? Eat, sleep, and fall on my ass all the time? Sorry, Ali, but I can do without all those things, I think."

I saw a flash of humor in her golden eyes as she took that in. A small smile graced her lips, which made me smile in return.

"That is true. It would be nice to not have to worry about you falling and hurting yourself all the time," she teased. Her face grew serious, though. "But there are other things you won't be able to enjoy, Bella. Any human food you like now will taste like dirt to you, for one thing. Plus there is the whole newborn phase, which won't be easy for you to deal with. Unless…" She looked at Carlisle. "Do you think what's she's going through now will help her newborn phase at all?"

"I'm not certain, Alice. It might, but there's no way to tell right now," he replied.

Her brows knit together in a frown as she heard this, but after a moment she sighed and rested her head atop mine. Everyone was silent for a few minutes, letting what was learned soak in. I still couldn't believe that I was going to be a vampire. I felt terrified and excited in the same, which actually kind of worried me. Still, if it couldn't be stopped, what else could I do?

Alice suddenly clasped her hands together, making a loud clapping noise that echoed throughout the house. I saw a look of excitement in her eyes, which confused me.

"That settles it, then," she said, smiling. "If you're going to be changing, then I'm going to make sure the rest of your human life is as good as can be."

I rolled my eyes. "It already is, Alice. I have everything I need right here. Well, almost everything, since the others aren't back yet."

"They'll be back in two minutes and forty seven seconds. And that's not what I mean, Bella. I want you to enjoy everything that life has to offer you. I want us to experience all of the things that humans enjoy so that you can get the full experience for yourself. I also intend to take photos of everything as well, so we can look back on all your human memories when the time comes. Do you understand?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am."

She scowled and stuck her tongue out at me. "Don't call me ma'am!"

I giggled and rested my head against her chest. Carlisle and Esme both smiled, at each other and at us. I could see the delight in their eyes, clearly both pleased that I was happy with what was inevitably going to happen to me. It still didn't fully hit me yet, I guess, that I was going to be a vampire at some point in the future. It was all so…overwhelming, to say the least.

"Is there anything I can do about the problems I've been having, though?" I asked when I thought about it.

"You just need some time to adjust to it," Esme said. "It will be hard for a while, but it'll get better as time goes on."

"I would like to, at some point in the future, have a session to look into your problems involving blood, Bella. I don't want you to have to go through what occurred today and I certainly don't want any accidents to happen," Carlisle explained.

"Alright, that sounds fine," I murmured.

He smiled. "Good. I'm glad you're taking this in stride, Bella."

"I don't think it's fully hit me yet," I admitted, running a hand through my hair. "I'm a little overwhelmed to be finding this out. And a bit scared, too."

Alice leaned down so we were eye level and cupped my cheeks. "I'll help you every step of the way, I promise."

"We all will," Esme added.

I smiled appreciatively at all of them. "Thank you."

Alice pressed her lips to mine, smiling against them as she kissed me. I gladly kissed back. I swear, Alice's lips could cure just about anything in the world. Of course, the only person who would ever taste them was me. I pulled her closer to me as she deepened the kiss, keeping the slow, passionate pace that I loved. Eventually she pulled away, though she did so slowly and reluctantly. I sighed, but otherwise didn't complain.

"The others are here," she announced, crinkling her nose.

Esme beamed, happy to see her other children again and rushed downstairs. Carlisle chuckled softly and followed after her, leaving just Alice and I. We took a moment just to stare into one another's eyes, our love for each other pouring out of them. Then I heard the door open the voices as our siblings arrived.

She stood up and offered me her left hand. "Would you like an escort downstairs, darlin'?"

I laughed and happily accepted her hand. She grinned and scooped me into her arms before dashing downstairs and setting me down on the couch, plopping right next to me. Edward was the first in, followed by Emmett, Jasper, Amara and lastly Rosalie. Emmett looked amused, Rosalie looked bored, Jasper looked disgruntled and both Edward and Amara looked curious.

There was an awkward silence as they exchanged silent greeting with Esme and Carlisle before they all seated themselves in the furniture surrounding us. Edward sat in the reclining chair nearest to the television, Rosalie and Emmett sat next to us and Jasper and Amara both sat in the remaining two chairs. They all looked at me, of course, but with placid eyes. Even Rosalie, though she was scowling as she usually did.

"Well then…" Carlisle began. "I suppose you are all wondering what has happened, as we are all curious as to what occurred at school."

"It's been taken care of," Edward replied. He furrowed his brow for a moment before shock came across his face. Then confusion, then intrigue, then sorrow, then shock again. That was the last emotion and the one that remained as he appraised me. "I see. That's would explain your erratic thought process as of late."

The others all looked confused.

"What's going on now?" Amara asked.

"Seriously, don't keep it to yourself," Emmett snorted.

Edward pursed his lips for a moment before sighing. "Bella's changing into a vampire."

They all gasped in unison.

"But how…?" Emmett began.

"Each time she was bitten, some of the venom remained in her system. All of that venom is now beginning to change, but at a much slower rate," Esme explained.

"Huh," was Emmett's response.

"Interesting," Jasper mused. "That would explain why your emotions have been all over the place lately."

"I've never heard of this happening before," Edward stated. He looked to Carlisle. "How is it possible? How can she still be a human is there was venom inside of her?" Carlisle was silent for a moment, likely telling Edward what he thought with his mind. Edward frowned, still not quite believing it. "It just doesn't make sense to me."

"Does it need to make sense?" Amara asked. "She's changing, so what? I mean, wasn't she going to be changed eventually anyways?"

"We were going to discuss it at a later point in time, yes," Carlisle admitted.

I was a little surprised at that, truth be told. Had they been talking about this a lot?

"We've discussed it from time to time," Edward answered. "Though I was personally against it initially, the choice wasn't up to me, but to you. It seems now, though, that you don't have a choice either way. I hope that this is what you want, Bella."

"It is," I stated firmly.

"There's no way you can stop it?" Rosalie asked. That surprised me too.

"No," Carlisle replied. "It would be too late now, since the change has already started to take place. There is too much venom in her system already, so it would be impossible to drain it all without causing her death."

Alice tensed next to me. I squeezed her hand to ease her, since I knew that hearing anything relating me dying worried her. Carlisle looked at her apologetically. After a moment she waved it off and squeezed my hand right back.

"What happened to Jessica?" I asked, remembering that painful scene. I cringed at the memory and, despite detesting her, hoped that nothing bad had happened afterwards.

Amara was the one to reply. "The little bitch was in a frenzy after you guys left. She was screaming at the top of her lungs a bunch of nonsense and whining about her neck, which you left a pretty big gash in. The nurse was already there, patching her up by the time we arrived on the scene. There was a massive mob surrounding her as she started to cry and whine about what happened. She said you brutally attacked her and blah, blah, blah. A whole bunch of shit that was all made up, as far as I'm concerned."

"Then what did you do?"

"I handled it," Jasper replied. "I used my gift to fill everyone with doubt and irritation, which caused them all to leave in swarms. Eventually all that was left was Jessica herself. I didn't like it, but I used my gift to persuade her that what she thought she experienced was false. I made her believe that she had been bitten by a wild animal instead and that she merely reopened her injuries when she bumped into you and fell."

"Did it work?" Alice asked, clearly concerned.

Jasper nodded. "Yes. Of course it did. She eventually walked off, feeling confused by what I told her. Edward kept an eye on her the rest of the day and reported that my ploy had worked. Neither she nor anyone else will be bothering you regarding the incident today, Bella. You needn't worry about it, it's all been taken care of."

"We should've just killed her," Rosalie scoffed. "It would have made things easier."

"That would have only made things worse, Rose," Edward disagreed.

"Yeah, Rose, you know that we don't kill humans," Emmett interjected softly.

"Oh? What if they discovered our secret and intended to blab about it? What then?" she countered.

"Must you prattle so much?" Amara asked. "Jasper would handle it, plain and simple."

Rosalie harrumphed and crossed her arms disdainfully. Emmett sighed and started to quietly speak to her, likely trying to calm her down a bit. Edward sighed and shook his head while Carlisle and Esme remained silent, concern on their faces.

"I didn't know you could do that, Jasper," I squeaked.

Jasper ran a hand through his hair. "I don't like bending the will of others, but if it is a necessity, I'll do it. Sometimes I've had to use my gift whenever there was an accidental slip up. Those have thankfully been rare these days, though, since we've all learned from our mistakes and we've all trained ourselves to better combat against situations like those."

"Until now," I grumbled, sighing.

"Bella…" Alice sighed. "Stop it." I was about to argue when she pulled me into her lips, silencing me and causing whatever nonsense I'd attempted to say to evaporate into thin air.

"I think it's cool," Emmett crooned. "You know, that you're changing and all. That means we won't have to worry about hurting you so much anymore. Hell, you'll be stronger then I am for a while once you fully change. That should be fun."

"It's rather unorthodox, I'll admit, but I suppose that Emmett has a point," Edward added.

"There's nothing wrong with being a little unorthodox," Amara grunted. "Or are you forgetting something?"

Edward frowned for a moment, likely at her thoughts, before nodding his head.

"True, there isn't any problem with it. And I wasn't trying to insult you, Amara, so I apologize if that is how I came off. It's just…I've never heard of someone changing this way before, so it's both surprising and confusing to me."

She shrugged. "Well, I think it's good that she's changing this way. It'll be nice once she's a full vampire and I must say it'll be nice to not be the only one who's different in this family. I've never really liked being the odd one out, as you know."

No one chose to respond to that. I was intrigued, though.

"What do you mean, Amara?" I asked.

She gave me an incredulous look before glancing at Alice. "Has Alice not mentioned it yet?"

I looked at Alice too. "Mentioned what?"

Alice bit her lip for a moment before shaking her head. "No, Amara, I haven't told her anything about you yet. I figured that I would let you be the one, since it is your life. I've only told her basic things about you, nothing more."

I blinked and looked between the two of them, lost again.

Amara sighed. "I see."

"Are we gonna have story time again?" Emmett teased.

Rosalie smacked his arm. "We won't be sticking around. Or have you forgotten what you promised?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Emmett groaned. "Aw, come on, Rose. I wanna hear the story first."

"You've already heard it twice, Emmett," Jasper reminded.

He grinned at the pout on his brother's face. I couldn't help giggling as his shoulder slumped and he hung his head in defeat, giving in to whatever it was Rosalie had planned. Rosalie smirked and stood up, pulling Emmett with her. He grumbled and trudged off with her out the door. Everyone, including Alice, tried hard not to laugh at the humorous display.

"He's so whipped," I giggled.

"I heard that!" Emmett boomed from outside. Everyone laughed at that.

Once the laughter died down, Carlisle and Esme both excused themselves and went upstairs, likely to Carlisle's study to further look into the whole I'm-turning-into-a-vampire thing. Edward rolled his eyes and decided to go hunt. Jasper went with him, leaving only Amara, Alice and I alone in the living room. Alice was playing with my hair, clearly amused with herself while Amara seemed to be staring off into space.

"So Amara, what'd you mean by what you said earlier?" I inquired, eager to reignite the conversation. I was always intrigued to learn more about my family, especially Amara. There was something about her that fascinated me in a way I couldn't describe.

"I don't see a problem in me telling you. You are, after all, my sister after all."

Alice pecked my cheek. "Would you like me to stay with you?"

"It's up to you," I replied.

She thought about it for a moment and glanced at Amara, narrowing her eyes slightly.

Amara scoffed. "Don't give me that look, midget. I won't try and steal your mate or anything like that, I promise. I already have a mate, in case you forgot."

"I haven't forgotten that, obviously. Nor have I forgotten your advances on her when we were at the mall," Alice countered.

Amara rolled her eyes. "Like I told Bella here, I was playing around like a good sister does. Besides, I think it's fun to tease her, don't you agree, Bella?" I snorted. "Aw, come now, you can't obviously say you wouldn't like it."

"Amara," Alice warned.

"You are so damn dramatic Alice," Amara groaned. "Relax, I'll drop the teasing. Go out and hunt or something. Give Bella and I some sisterly bonding time."

Alice gave her a wary look for a moment before rolling her eyes and kissing me full on the lips.

"I'll be back in a while, love."

"Okay, see ya," I said, smiling at her. She gave Amara one last glare before dancing out the door.

"I really do hope her little jealousy phase wears off soon. I can't have my fun if she threatens to rip my head off every time I try and joke with you," Amara snorted. "You do realize that whenever I say stuff like that I'm playing, right? I would never think of trying to get you in bed, Bella. I love you as a sister and friend, and nothing more."

"I know. But do you think you could tone it down just a bit?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes and stood up. "Fine, fine." She gestured me to stand up too. "Walk with me."

I got up and followed after her as she walked outside. We walked across the grassy front yard of our house, over to the side were several boulders were. Amara seated herself on a large, flat boulder and patted the spot in front of her for me to sit, which I did.

"May I see your scars?" she asked quietly.

I thought about it for a moment before pulling the right sleeve of my shirt back, revealing all the bite marks on it. She extended her left hand and held it over my arm, looking to me silently for approval. I nodded and shuddered slightly as her cool fingers traced each bite mark. Her honey colored eyes took each scar in, smoldering with an emotion I couldn't register.

"It was painful, wasn't it?" she asked softy. I nodded. "I know the feeling well, Bella. You see, you and I…we have a lot more in common then you may think."

She overturned both of her arms. I stared down at them and gasped when I saw similar bite marks on both arms. There were three on her right arm and four on her left. She then moved her neck to show me a scar on the right side of her neck and pointed to two others on her chest, one above her left breast and one on her right collarbone. I was stunned.

"My God Amara, how many scars do you have?" I asked, astonished.

She smiled and got off the rock and turned around before lifting her shirt up. My eyes bulged.

"Holy shit…" I breathed as I took in the number of bite marks littering her back.

"There's more still, on my legs. I have forty one in total, forty of them from my life as a vampire at one point or another," she explained, pulling her shirt back down and blurring back to her previous spot. Her left index finger began to circle her bellybutton. "This one, the one around my belly button, was my first. I don't just show it off because I think it's sexy. I show it off as a reminder to myself about my past life and how it all changed. You recall me mentioning earlier that I feel like the odd one out of the family?"

"Yeah," I replied, watching her finger draw circles around her navel.

She chuckled. "The truth is, Bella, whereas the others didn't have a choice in what they became, I did. I'm different from them. I chose this lifestyle on my own because it was what I wanted. I wasn't changed the same way the others were, such as being bitten in order for my life to be saved, nor was it an accident of any kind."

I looked up at her, gazing into her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Amara smirked. "I changed myself."

A/N: Amara's backstory, coming up, yo.

And hopefully I explained everything just right. Most of you knew, but some didn't. Just want to make sure it all made sense.

Special thanks to bleed4her for looking this over. AleinWonderland too.