Thank you so much to everyone who is reading and reviewing. It means a lot that you are enjoying this story :) Thank you to guests AnneCullen and ded1 for reviewing as well!

So this is going to be the last update for a while...at least until I finish some of my papers. I have to focus on school for a bit. But I promise, I will update. If anyone is interested, I'm also working on a crossover story, between Twilight and the Need series by Carrie Jones. If you haven't read the series, I strongly recommend it. My story takes place after Breaking Dawn and during the fourth and final book in the Need series.

Bella

It felt like it had been years since it had been this warm outside. The sun beat down on the ground, drying the grass and the roads for the first time in months, and I stared out the window longingly as the temperature rose. I was alone in the kitchen, my plate of food almost untouched as I held my fork loosely in my right hand, and I had all but forgotten about it. The window was partially open, and the warm sun shone through, making me close my eyes happily.

I sighed, wishing they could play baseball now, but they had to wait for tomorrow's storm, and by then, it would be cold again. I was glad it was Saturday, at least, and that I didn't have any important homework. But the house felt strange now that Peter and Charlotte weren't here…empty somehow, like family members were missing. I hoped they would visit again soon. It felt like I'd barely gotten to know them…I would miss Peter's stories the most. Like Carlisle and Jasper, he had a knack for storytelling, and making the events I'd heard only from textbooks come to life. Hopefully the next time they visited, we would get more time together. But I had to admit, their red eyes that had gradually darkened to a deep maroon had never lost their creepiness, and I knew they would be killing people…I hated to think of it. Kind Peter who'd so willingly shared his stories with me and sweet Charlotte who tolerated Alice's love of shopping and played dress up with her, were actually murderers. And they'd left so they wouldn't kill me.

I shivered slightly at the thought, not wanting to go any further with that line of thought, and a cold hand landed gently on my shoulder. "Are you alright?" Edward moved to my side, watching me carefully, and I smiled a bit, nodding.

"Fine." He rolled his eyes but didn't try to argue. Instead he glanced down at my full plate with obvious concern.

"Did you not want an omelet? I can make you something else…"

"No, it's good…" I took a bite of the rapidly cooling egg dish that still tasted delicious, but he still seemed concerned. "I was just…thinking." I tried to excuse my behavior, but this only made him more curious.

"What did you have to think so hard about?" He asked, but his lips had relaxed into a smile, and he was touching my face lightly, his thumb stroking over my cheek, and I closed my eyes just a little, his touch both relaxing and exciting me.

"I'll miss them." I admitted with a half shrug, but he nodded in understanding. At least it wasn't a complete lie.

"We all will. We don't see them as often as we like…reconciling our lifestyles has always been a bit difficult, especially for Carlisle and Esme, but we care for them, and they're always welcome in our home. Jasper and Alice visit them occasionally, seeking them out, and now that they have a phone, they can keep in contact. Once you're changed and we move, we'll invite them to visit again." He was trying to reassure me, his hand resting on my back as I nibbled at the omelet. "Are you sure that tastes alright? I can make you something else if you'd like." He offered, but I shook my head at his concern.

"It's fine. I'm just not very hungry…sorry." He shook his head, not arguing, but still concerned as he looked at my half full plate.

"You don't need to apologize. Are you finished?" I nodded and he took the plate, seeming to disappear, then reappear by the sink. In less than a second the plate was washed, and he placed it back in the cabinet, retaking his place by my side. "What would you like to do today?"

"Um…we could go out…to the meadow?" He smiled gently, nodding.

"Alright. You should wear a jacket."

"Okay. I need to call Billy and let him know when I'm going to be home…" I made it into a question, and he stood beside me, offering me a hand, and I stood as well. I noticed his eyes lingering on my jaw, and I realized I was probably bruised pretty badly still…if anything, it was probably worse as the bruises darkened.

"I can take you home whenever you're ready…or you can stay the night." I thought about it for a moment. I would have rather stayed with him, but Billy would worry, and I wanted to ease him into the idea of my living here.

"I'd better go back tonight…if you don't mind."

"It's up to you." He insisted. "How about I take you back before dinner? That way you can eat with them." I nodded, smiling, grateful for his understanding. "Then I can pick you up at the border around noon. That way you can spend some time with Leah if you'd like." I relaxed a little, putting my arms around him as he kissed my forehead gently. I hadn't seen my friend in a while now, and it would be good to spend some time with her. "Are you feeling okay?" He asked quietly, his hand gently brushing against my jaw then down to my arm. The long sleeved top covered the bruise on my upper arm, but I couldn't hide the one on my face.

"Yeah. I can't even feel it." I insisted, moving my hair over my shoulder and hoping to cover my shoulder and face a little, but he brushed it back behind my ear, his hand resting on my cheek.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, his jaw clenched as he rubbed his thumb back and forth. "I should have been there…"

"Edward you don't have to be sorry. It wasn't your fault." I reached up, touching his hand and covering it with my own as best as I could. "I'm okay. I'm not even really hurt…I bruise easily. Jasper and Emmett were there." I reminded him. He seemed ready to argue, but I moved my hand to his face, covering his lips with a soft smile. "I'm not hurt Edward. It's okay." He sighed, his arms going around me more gently than usual, and he kissed the fingers I held to his face.

"I'll let you call Billy, then we can go." He murmured, squeezing me gently, then backing away so that I could pull out the phone. "I'll be right back." I watched him head up the stairs and once he'd disappeared, I flipped the phone open and dialed Billy's house.

I wasn't exactly looking forward to going back. As soon as he saw my face, I was sure he would jump to conclusions. For just a second, my mind wandered to my dad…how would he have handled my relationship with Edward? With no real knowledge of Edward's background or…honestly, species, he probably would have been charmed by my boyfriend. I was sure he would have loved Alice especially, but he would have probably liked all of them. I could imagine Edward feigning interest in his police work or baseball…then again, Edward did seem to enjoy baseball. Regardless, I had a feeling that he would have easily been able to charm my father. But Billy….Billy knew what he was, and wasn't able to forgive him for that.

"Oh, hey Bella." Billy sounded a bit off…maybe even a little worried.

"Hey Billy. I just wanted to let you know that I'd be home…probably right before dinner if that's okay. I'll make us something."
Billy was silent for a long moment, and I narrowed my eyes in worry. "Actually, Bella, why don't you stay there tonight?"

"What?" I stiffened in surprise.

"Yeah….I think Jacob and I are going to do some…family stuff." The wave of hurt and surprise was involuntary, and immediately Jasper was standing in the doorway, his expression worried, but I didn't respond. "We were going to have dinner together…maybe go out somewhere to talk. Some…uh….family, is in town. So you just stay with the Cullen's, okay."

"I…I was going to hang out with Leah…"
"No!" I swallowed hard, my teeth finding my lip, and Jasper moved over to my side, his hand going to my back gently. He was obviously confused, as he couldn't tell why I was feeling the way I was, but he could certainly feel my emotions. "Leah's cousin is coming to town, and her family is going out too. Just stay with the Cullens Bella. As a matter of fact, why don't you stay with them until Monday? Okay? Just...I'll call you Monday." With that, the phone cut off, and I shut it slowly, as if in a trance, while Jasper kept a hand on my back, his comfort doing little to chase away my hurt and confusion. Was Billy fed up with me? Did he want to kick me out? Was I too much of an inconvenience for yet another person in my life?

"Bella?" Carlisle stood in the doorway beside Edward, both of their attention focused on me, and although I wasn't Jasper, I could feel their overwhelming worry.

"Can I stay here until Monday?" I was a bit surprised at how weak and detached my voice was, and immediately Edward's arms were around me, moving slightly back and forth.

"Of course you may, Bella." Carlisle murmured, moving to stay beside me. "You can stay here for as long as you need to, either in Edward's room, or we can set up a separate room for you. You know you're welcome here for as long as you like." He sounded slightly irritated, and I knew that it wasn't me, but Billy who was the focus of his negative emotions. I wondered if they'd heard everything he'd just said. Jasper stepped back a little, eyeing me, then turning to Carlisle. I couldn't be sure if they were talking to one another, but I had a feeling they were discussing me. I ignored them, smiling a bit when Edward's lips pressed against my forehead, then a jacket was wrapped around me. I hadn't noticed him carrying it.

"Are you ready?" He was aiming for a light tone, obviously aware that I didn't want to talk about it.

"Yeah." I made myself smile, pushing the thoughts of Billy far away, and followed him out the door.


Billy

I sighed as I dropped the phone, unable to miss the hurt in the girl's voice. 'I didn't plan on this when I offered her a place to stay. But she can't be here…not now. If he changes….' I placed the phone on the table, glancing toward the hallway and Jacob's room. He was still asleep, despite the sun that streamed through his window and into the hallway. His temperature was slowly rising, and although I knew it was normal, it made my stomach clench. He would be fine…Bella already knew about vampires, I was sure. Surely they would tell her about us…but if he changed too close to her…the young werewolves were temperamental and dangerous to humans. Bella had to be kept away.

Sam had already disappeared, and Leah was frantic, something else I wanted to keep from Bella. If they went after him…I flinched at the thought. He could kill them. And of course the vampires would retaliate. I ha to keep this from turning into an all out war, and as much as I disliked the Cullens, I didn't want them dead. So Bella had to be kept away for a while…and I needed to talk to Jacob. But I would wait until he woke up.

Instead, I leaned forward against the table, hoping the girl didn't take this personally. But I remembered the look on her face when I'd scolded both of the teenagers for making a mess in the kitchen or for messing around and playing with food…she'd looked terrified and hurt and heartbroken…she would take this personally. The girl took everything personally. I knew almost nothing about her mother, as I hadn't seen her in years, since she'd left with Bella. Charlie and I had grown up together in a way, but I'd never really known the flighty blonde he'd met in high school and then married right after graduation. I'd married my own high school sweetheart during his sophomore year of high school, partially because she was pregnant with my first daughter, but right after he and Renee had had their first and only little girl, my wife had gotten pregnant with Jacob.

My wife and Renee hadn't exactly gotten on…she'd been concerned more than once when Renee would seem to forget the little girl, or would just set her in a room full of toys and go about her business. Of course, she never said anything, and Renee and Charlie separated before long, which ended up with Renee taking little Bella away. Of course, Charlie had been heartbroken, and it had been obvious how much he'd missed his little daughter. He seemed to try and make up for it by offering to babysit Jacob whenever we needed it, and then, after my wife had died, he'd stepped up, nearly raising the boy alongside me.

Every year until she was a preteen, Bella would come up to Forks to visit, obviously more and more miserable with a father she barely knew and the cold, dreary weather. She was too shy to play with any of my children, and after one final year where she spent most of her time in her bedroom at Charlie's, reading, she and her father decided to meet in California instead, where they would spend a long weekend maybe once or twice a year. Charlie had confided in me that these had gotten more and more awkward as his daughter had seemed to grow up without him, and although she was more like him than Renee, she was also shy and distant for the most part. But then he'd gotten her phone call…asking if she could come here to live with him. At first he'd been worried that something had happened with Renee or her new husband, but Bella had assured him that there was nothing wrong, that she just wanted to live in Forks for a while. Renee had confirmed this, and with her typical inattentiveness had missed the fact that she and that husband of hers had made the girl feel like a burden on them as the man tried to follow his dreams of becoming a baseball star.

So now, the girl probably once again thought that someone didn't want her. Well, I couldn't exactly help it. After Jacob's transformation, and possibly Sam's return, we would explain things to her. Bella was obviously adept at keeping a secret. We didn't have to worry about her telling someone. I did want to keep her away for a while though. There was no telling how dangerous this new generation of werewolves would be, especially to a girl that spent the majority of her time with her mortal enemy. For now, Bella could stay with the Cullens and I would have to hope that Jacob would take the news of the supernatural world as well as she had.


Edward

Bella's warm arms wrapped around my neck, her nose pressed against the cold skin there, and I shivered when she breathed against me, her lips nearly touching me. I knew she was just holding on…she kept her face against me, her eyes closed, when I was running so that she wouldn't get sick, and I moved as quickly as I could, loving the feel of running even more now. I couldn't move as quickly with her on my back, but it was so much better, so much more exhilarating, to have her with me, clinging to me, her legs wrapped around my waist as she clung to me, trusting me completely as I raced through the forest at speeds that must have been incredibly fast for her.

The greenery raced by as I made my way to the meadow that had become so much more now that I shared it with her. None of my family had ever accompanied me here…every time we moved, I tried to find a place to go where I could be alone with only my own thoughts in my head. It was exhausting at times, having to listen to everyone's mind all the time. So on sunny days, I slipped away. Sometimes Alice would figure out where I was going, but she never followed or bothered me. I never thought I would want to bring anyone here. But now…I couldn't think of coming here alone anymore. I paused at the edge of the trees, looking up as the sun shone down on us, making me feel almost warm.

Bella lifted her head when we stopped, but didn't let go. Instead, she pressed her lips against my neck briefly, and I stroked one of her hands. Not wanting to let her go, I walked slowly to the middle of the clearing, and I felt her relax on my back. She loved the sun, the warmth…I knew she hated the cold weather here. When I reached the driest patch of ground I could find, I knelt down, turning quickly and pulling her into my arms as I lay back. The damp ground didn't bother me at all. I held her on top of me, reaching up and finally letting myself kiss her.

I had to be careful. That thought was always at the forefront of my mind when I was with her….holding her, kissing her, even touching her. I had to be in control at all times. If I ever let my guard down, I could kill her. But kissing her…I could do that all day. I wanted more…of course I wanted more. I knew she did too. Still, we would get that soon enough. For now, kissing her would have to be enough. I placed my hand on her head, gently running my fingers through her soft hair, the red highlights showing in the sun as my lips moved against hers. Nothing compared to this. I felt warm, so comfortably warm, as she lay on top of me, our bodies pressed together. I never wanted to leave this place, this moment where I felt like I finally had everything I'd never dreamed of, had never even known to ask for. My entire being was different. I had been completely changed by the girl in my arms who placed a hand on my face, her thumb brushing against my cheek as her other hand went to my hair.

I sat up, still holding her in my arms. I knew she'd been upset by Billy…I'd heard him insist she stay here, and it had hurt her. She'd looked forward to seeing her friend, and I cursed Billy for being cruel to her because of us. If I was a normal teenage boy, I was sure Billy wouldn't have such a problem with me. It was solely because of what I was…because I was dangerous to her, because my family and his were enemies…well, according to them. As long as they'd left us alone, we would have never bothered them. But now he was taking it out on her, hurting the sweet, gentle hearted girl in my arms who'd been through so much already. I thought of her father who I knew she missed, and her mother, a woman I already disliked, but who she missed. Carlisle was planning on buying her a plane ticket to visit her mother for her birthday. Hopefully by then, her mom's husband would find a team to play with and her mother would have some time to actually spend with the girl. For now, though, Bella seemed to be avoiding the subject. She hadn't spoken to her mother since she'd been released from the hospital, and she didn't seem to want to. I had to wonder if it was because she blamed herself still for her father's death, and thought that her mother would too.

I lay my head back, still holding the girl that curled up on my chest, making herself comfortable in the sunlight, but her fingers continued to stroke my face. I knew she couldn't imagine how wonderful that felt, to have her small, warm fingers move against my skin, making electricity seem to jolt through me in the most pleasant way imaginable. Nothing had ever made me feel like this. I opened my eyes and found her smiling down at me, the fascinating in her eyes unmistakable, and I saw the reflections of rainbows on her own pale skin.

I still couldn't believe this fascinated rather than repulsed her, but the look in her eyes was sincere. "I love you." I told her quietly, stroking her face, and she smiled, leaning down to kiss me once more.

"I love you too." She murmured, crossing her arms and resting her chin on them. She was completely comfortable, lying on the cool, hard body of a supernatural creature that desired her blood more than anything….but that wasn't completely true anymore. I wanted her…all of her. I wanted this girl in a way I'd never wanted anyone or anything. The thought of drinking her blood, while tempting, seemed physically painful to me. I didn't want to hurt her, and above all else, I wanted her to be safe. And mine. I was already hers. She had captured my heart completely. So the thought of losing her no was unbearable.

"I'm sorry about Billy." She looked at me in surprise, her eyes darkening a little. "I hate that he hurt you."

"It's fine." She insisted, shaking her head.

"It's not fine. He was cruel to you when he had no right to be…no reason to be. He upset you." I ran my fingers over her eyelids when she closed her eyes, the nearly transparent skin so delicate and thin…no matter how easily I could hurt her, she trusted me implicitly, relaxing rather than stiffening. I didn't want anyone to ever upset her. I wanted to protect her from everything, so that no one would ever hurt her.

"I don't understand." She admitted after a moment. "He didn't sound angry." I frowned in confusion. "He sounded…worried. Anxious…like something was wrong. He kept insisting I 'stay with the Cullens.'" I stared up at the sky contemplatively. Why would Billy be worried? Was Bella just imagining things? Regardless, he'd hurt her. Jasper had felt it, and I'd seen it on her face as she'd stood in the kitchen, her lip trembling as she tried to hide her hurt. The fact that she'd felt like she'd had to ask permission to stay with us…like any of us would ever refuse her…it made my heart ache for her. I swore that one day, I would make her understand how much we all loved her.


Jacob

I awoke to the sound of my phone ringing. Groaning, I reached over, picking it up, and realized that I'd missed a call from Leah. My inbox was full of text messages. 'Have you seen Sam yet?' 'Any word from Sam?' 'Please answer me, Jacob.' 'Bella isn't answering her phone either.' 'My cousin just got here…please come over.' 'Please, Jacob, is Bella okay?' 'Still no word from Sam…I'm freaking out Jake! Please call me!' 'Billy said you were asleep! How are you still asleep! Sam is missing and I'm having a heart attack!' 'Bella is with the Cullen's. Are you STILL asleep!?' I groaned, stretching and yawning. According to my phone, it was nearly three in the afternoon. How had I slept so long? More importantly, why had Billy let me sleep so long?

I entered the living room and found him in front of the TV, a baseball game on. "Still no word from Sam?" I asked, joining him and dropping onto the sofa.

"Nothing." He told me calmly, and I felt a wave of irritation. How could he be so calm?
"Has anyone called the cops? He could be hurt or something…Leah's out of her mind."

"I'm sure he's fine." I stared at him incredulously.

"Somebody needs to call the cops, Dad. What if he's dead in a ditch somewhere? He could have gotten killed by a bear or something! Or some freak with a gun. What if someone else goes missing? Like Leah? Or Bella! She's always wandering around by herself."

"Bella is with the Cullens. She'll be fine."

"How can you say that?" I found myself on my feet, fists clenched. My father was looking at me strangely, backing away as I shook. The sudden burst of temper surprised me…I'd never been one to yell at my father, but I couldn't shake the image of Bella, out in the woods, or on her way to meet Edward. What if someone killed her? What if she went missing too? Then would he call the police? Why would it take Bella being taken? Didn't he care about Sam?! "Don't you care at all! Sam could be dead! Anyone could be next! What if I go missing? Would you bother calling the cops then!?"

"Jacob, you have to calm down." But I didn't want to calm down. I felt strange…blurry, like before, then suddenly, my body exploded. Searing pain was all I knew for a moment, and then, when I opened my eyes, all I could see was Billy's horrified face.


Bella

Edward and I spent much of the day at the meadow, just lying on the warm grass together, or talking quietly. Sometimes he would hum, the beautiful music wrapping around me and nearly putting me to sleep. Other times he would run his hands through my hair, his lips finding mine again and again. It seemed easier and easier for him to be near me, to kiss me and hold me. When I asked him about it, he pressed his lips agains the tip of my nose.

"It seems that way? Hm." He kissed my lips then, letting himself remain pressed against me, and I told myself sternly to behave. "It is easier the longer I'm around you. I believe my control is getting better." When he kissed me again, I couldn't seem to help myself...my tongue darted out to trace his cold lips, and after a deep, almost pained moan that I'd never heard from him before, he pulled away abruptly. "It's not that good." He managed, dropping his head back, and I'd sighed, trying not to be offended or hurt...mostly hurt. He seemed to read my expression, however, and framed my face in his hands. "You must know how much I want you, Bella." He whispered, and I felt my face heat up. He didn't smile at my blush though...he didn't even seem to notice. Instead, his golden eyes peered into my brown ones. "I want you more than anything. There is nothing I wouldn't do...that must be obvious. We're going to change you. After you've graduated, and you're one of us...we can be together. Really be together. I won't have to hold back anymore...until then, I must always be careful."

"I'm tired of being careful." I pouted, and he chuckled, kissing my forehead.

"I'm aware." He teased, his lips against mine for a long moment, until my tongue betrayed me once more, touching his lips. He stiffened just a little, but after a moment, his tongue met mine, and this time it was me that moaned. He let us continue for a moment until he finally pulled away, cooling the kiss until he was kissing my cheek. "I'm tired of being careful as well...but I will not risk your life." He whispered.

We left the meadow soon after and headed back to his house where everyone had dispersed. "Alice and Jasper are out." He told me quietly as I pulled my shoes off in the entryway of his house. "Emmett is helping Rosalie with her car. Esme and Carlisle are in their room." He didn't linger over details, something I was grateful for. "Would you like to eat something?" I knew my lack of appetite bothered him, but I honestly wasn't very hungry. I didn't know if it was the stress of everything with Billy and Jacob and...Charlie, but I didn't eat as much any more. But Edward insisted, and soon I found myself nibbling at a sandwich he'd assembled for me. "Are you looking forward to tomorrow?"

"Mhm." I mumbled around a bite of sandwich, and he grinned.

"So is everyone else. They all love having you with us when we play, especially Emmett." That still surprised me...how quickly Emmett had taken to me. Still, he was one of the kindest people I'd ever met, and Rosalie seemed to be coming around as well. Maybe she wouldn't hold it against me if I helped Esme referee. "After you're changed, I'll teach you to play." I didn't bother asking about now. Even I knew it was too dangerous. He would never allow it, and I was sure his family wouldn't either. "We'll invite Peter and Charlotte too. It'll be fun." We sat together on the sofa, his arm slung around me as a random cooking show played on the large flat screen TV they had mounted on the wall.

"Do you guys play anything else?" I wondered as I sat the plate in my lap, reaching for the glass of water on the coffee table.

"Oh yes. Emmett and Jasper like to spar...they'll teach you." He didn't seem especially thrilled about that. "We play manhunt sometimes...kind of like extreme hide and seek." I smiled at that...that did sound like fun. "And Emmett likes football. Esme and Carlisle play cricket with us sometimes."

"Cricket?"

"Oh yes. Carlisle taught Esme, and they enjoy the game. It's more complicated than baseball thought. You may like it." I leaned against his side as he continued to list the many ways they kept themselves entertained as a family, smiling at the idea of really being able to play with them. Edward seemed genuinely excited to have me permanently joining my family, and although I was incredibly nervous, I was also excited to be joining them...him especially. Not only would I be getting a family...a real, permanent, incredibly loving family forever, I would be getting him. Edward. That would make everything else worth it.

Thank you to everyone for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Forgive the delay, but I have to focus on writing papers and such for a while. I hope you all understand. I am going to update my crossover story, Turning Tables, and then go on a brief hiatus. If you are interested in the crossover story, and have read the Need series by Carrie Jones (Or haven't read it and don't mind being a bit confused) check out the story on my profile :) Thank you again!