California

I woke up in the hotel room and quickly glanced around for a clock. I found one on my other side that read 5:42pm. Relief washed over me, I hadn't missed my 8:30 flight. I quickly sat up and pushed the blankets back.

"Carlisle said to take it easy," Emmet grumbled as he walked over to me.

Rosalie followed behind him, "how are you feeling," she asked as she took my hand.

"A little groggy but fine, actually I'm a little hungry," my eyes caught sight of the massive amount of food they had spread out over a dining type table. "Wow, that's allot of food."

"We haven't eaten in over eighty years! You have ice cream, chocolate and cheese! And steak and bacon!" Emmet exclaimed.

"But most people don't eat all those items together," I pointed out as I stood up from the bed taking his hand. "Save anything for me?"

"Take whatever you want," Rosalie offered with a laugh.

I pulled up a chair and opted for a half eaten meat lover's pizza. "So how does it feel?" I asked them.

"Overwhelming," Rosalie admitted. "The sensations are so different, so dull, but it's nice not to hear the beating of every heart in the room or be repulsed by the dead and baked animal," she pointed out as I took a big bite of the pizza. I gave her a look that said thanks for grossing me out while I'm trying to eat. "The warmth is wonderful, I never felt cold as a vampire, but now I feel warm. I don't know how we will ever be able to thank you enough for this Bella."

"This was supposed to be my thanks to your family, Rosalie. We're even now." She shook her head in disagreement. "I wish I could have talked the rest of your family into it. You deserve a full and happy life- with twenty children," I added.

"And now we'll get it," Emmet said. "I wish the rest would join us to, but I understand the concern and heck we will pay royally for this if we haven't been disowned already. They may never speak to us again. But it's a price I would pay for this. No more pretending, no more high school, no more rainy states."

"This changes everything for us now," Rosalie still had that over the top glowing happy look. It did change everything for her.

As a vampire she was bitter and short tempered; mean and unhappy with her lot. That was never who she really was. She was supposed to be human. Carlisle might have stopped her death in an alley many years ago, but I just saved her life. I admit, it felt good to be responsible for this. To be able to give them the true happy ending they deserved. At least somebody was getting a happy ending.

I got on that plane bound for Orange County, California and I ran away from my problems. Far, far away from the death, gloom and misery, I ran.

I can't say it didn't feel good, the next morning when I awoke to a sunny sky. Shanna, my cousin, had set up a guest room for me at her house in Newport Beach. Shanna was thirty-five (though she only looked twenty) and married to an independent film director. She had held off on having kids, waiting to see what would happen with the sickness. I couldn't blame her. She had stopped shifting five years ago.

Time passed much faster here, away from the pain and death. But I soon found new pains to dwell on. I missed Edward. I wondered what he was doing, how he was doing. I refrained from calling Alice, because I feared it would only upset him when he found out, which of course he would.

I tried to keep myself distracted. I hit all the hot spots: LA, Disneyland, the beach. Every day was a new adventure. Two months later, I still found new things to do.

Tonight I was walking through The Block, an outdoor shopping center- who would have thought that you could shop outdoors at night in the so called winter- only in California. I took my time strolling back out to Shanna's car; that was a down side, parking was always a hassle here. I didn't take notice of the new, oversize dark SUV that had parked next to my car. It would have looked out of place in Washington, but here all the cars were stylish and many were large. I didn't give it a second thought.

I clicked the key and saw the lights flash on the little Civic. I threw my bags in the trunk and made my way around to the driver's side. That's when the door to the SUV was thrown open and cold hands dragged me inside.

I never saw my attackers but I recognized the scent, and they weren't any of the Cullens. I was stabbed in the leg and forced into darkness immediately.

Author's Note: You are awesome. Yes, you! Thank you for all the reviews! Can you guess who has Bella- ohh I bet you can!