I'm Outta Time

Edward sat next to me, though we still had a few feet of room between us. Our backs rested against a large tree, which had fallen on its side, perhaps by some storm. Moss had yet to creep around the tree's new position, though a bit of snow rested on the damp bark.

I felt…comfortable. I could imagine sitting in this same spot, with the same company, in the future.

Ah, the future. I sighed, gaining the attention of Edward.

His head cocked to the side ever so gently, concern laced in his golden eyes. The sight of his eyes alone was enough to make me regret being the monster I was. Why, oh why couldn't I have resisted that girl? It seemed as though that one slip of judgment forced me into a spiral I would have to struggle to even feel decent about my self in Edward's presence. Though I hadn't remembered him too much, I felt this odd need for Edward's acceptance. Was this due to his god-like looks or our previous friendship, I questioned silently.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked. I had never heard of a voice that could inspire so many feelings, though his melodic, deep, caring, voice had me wrapped around his long, slender fingers.

I shook my head, in a lame attempt to rid myself of this schoolgirl crush. "It's nothing. I'm just trying to figure out what we're going to do… Demetri and the Volturi... I can't bring myself to…" I gulped, "kill you. I never really knew why we were sent on this assignment."

Edward adopted the same hopeless expression that I was sure I wore. "You were most likely sent to kill us to break down the threat Aro thinks we posses, which couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, harming the Volturi is the last thing I want to do right now."

I nodded, accepting that that may be likely. "Well, what do you suppose we do?"

Edward sat up straight, his back no longer reclining on the log. His palms were flat against the snowy, leaf and needle covered ground. "We have to keep Demetri from returning to the Volturi immediately. He'd only worsen our case."

His lips were turned down in the corners, his eyes examining something in the distance. He turned to face me, a small smile in place. "I'm sure Emmett would get a kick out of a guard member staying nearby."

I felt my eyebrows pull together in an act of confusion. "Emmett?"

Edward's smile faded. "My brother, of sorts."

I frowned as well, upset for bringing attention to my memory loss. "So, what exactly do you plan on doing with Demetri?"

Edward brushed the snow and pine needles off of his hands and jeans as he stood up in an unintentionally graceful manner. "Alice, our family psychic, saw the Volturi's decision to send you as the sole threat to us. Your power is extraordinary, and useful to battle-prone ruling figures, like the Volturi."

I nodded, understanding. "So you don't think Demetri could do much on his own?"

Edward laughed at the worry hidden in my words. "Honestly, my family has taken down a whole newborn attack, granted, we had a bit of help, but still. You have nothing to worry about."

I exhaled uneasily. Would Demetri get hurt too badly? Yes, we weren't exactly close, and I could care less about the Volturi as a whole, but still. He had helped me quite a bit. Though, I would gladly trade Demetri for Edward any day.

I stood up, wiping the snow and leaves off of my clothes, and ran my hand through my hair, getting any snow that may have been present off of my head. "Shall we?" I asked, signaling to the path we arrived on.

Edward nodded with a smile on his face, and began to run at a pace I could easily keep up with. We were silent, and we reached the clearing where seven frozen figures stood.

Edward walked up to Demetri, remaining close. "Bella, could you hold on to me just for a moment and start time?"

I nodded, walked to his side. I reached out hesitantly, unsure where I place my hand. I settled with placing my hand on his strong shoulder, starting time immediately.

Edward reached forward quickly, grabbing Demetri around the neck, effectively capturing him.

The leader gasped, as did the rest of their coven, at Edward's sudden change of position.

"Edward? What just happened?" The large, muscular man said uneasily. He walked over to Edward's side, grabbing onto Demetri's shoulders, helping to keep him from thrashing around. "And what are you doing?"

Edward sighed, "We're trying to save ourselves from being killed. We need to keep Demetri close by for a while-" he grunted and repositioned his hold on the captive, "so that the Volturi won't immediately get us. If Demetri could see that we are in no way a threat to the Volturi, Aro will find out, and perhaps we won't get in this same position again. And that is what we are doing, Emmett."

The large man, Emmett, nodded, a grin reaching across his face. "Excellent."

The two blonde men echoed their acceptance of Edward's idea, the taller one replacing Edward's hold on Demetri with his scar-laden arms.

The leader of the group, the other man with blonde hair, walked cautiously up to me. He gazed at Edward for a brief moment, questioningly, Edward gave a miniscule nod, and the leader returned his gaze to me. "Bella, I cannot express my gratitude enough for what you have just done. We, my family and I, are in debt to you. We would all love it so very much if you would stay with us."

I nodded eagerly, filled with relief that I had alerted the Volturi that I would not be staying with them for my whole existence. This would make my decision acceptable to them, I hoped silently. "Thank you…"

"Carlisle," the man said smiling. "We have one request, though. If you would refrain from hunting in this immediate area, it would be much appreciated."

I understood completely. They didn't want me slaughtering every person in sight. A request rightly deserved for a monster like myself. Although… I didn't have to be a monster for forever, did I? I could try to adopt this "vegetarian" lifestyle. But the blood was so intoxicatingly good! The very thought brought a renewed flow of venom to my mouth. I shook my head quickly, ridding my head of these sadistic thoughts. "That won't be necessary. If you don't mind, could I attempt to follow your eating habits?"

All seven of the Cullens smiled at my choice, and Demetri gave a growl, which was immediately silenced by Emmett.

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I had learned the names of the other family members as we made our way back to the Cullens' home. Rosalie ran next to Alice, who I had seen in my previous memories. Esme, the mother figure of the Cullens, ran next to Carlisle, the father figure of the Cullens. Edward ran next to Carlisle, and they spoke to eachother in a hushed tone. Emmett and Jasper, the empath, pulled Demetri towards the home.

We arrived at their home very quickly. A large, white home sat with a group of large trees in the front, and a large back lawn. Dark, wooden shutters bordered the edges of every window, and a balcony that hung over the front door was supported by two thick wooden columns of the same dark tint. There was a stone path that led to the large front door, mass covering the edges of the path.

The home was truly something straight out of a fairy tale. A chimney even had small puffs of smoke coming out of the top, I could hear the cracking of the fire as it burnt.

"Why is there a fire?" I asked, worried for the home.

Alice smiled, eyeing the smoke that rose from the chimney. "A fire is going in the fireplace. Just because we are vampires doesn't mean we don't like to feel warm and toasty every once in a while."

I grinned, imagining how the warmness from the flames would heat up my skin pleasantly.

Esme opened the front door, opening it for all of us as we walked through the doorway. The inside of the house was carefully decorated. Large windows were present on each wall, making the fascinating scenery and landscaping visible in nearly every room. All of the visible walls, from my vantage point, were a cool white, while the floors were a dark wood. The entrance, from what I could tell, was the center of the house. A large staircase curved around the circumference of the circular foyer. Dozens of books were lined carefully in various nooks on the side of the staircase, while pictures were found in the small alcoves of the entrance area itself.

To my left, a large rectangular table with eight chairs sat untouched in a small room enclosed by no doors. I could see that this room was on the corner of the home, as two large panes of glass lined two walls of the room, and the other two walls were merely openings to the foyer and the kitchen. To my right, a living room composed of carefully arranged plush couches and a fireplace sat, the fire adding an interesting glow to the three white couches.

I was startled hearing the front door close, waking me up from my observing. I noticed that Edward, Carlisle, Jasper, Emmett, and Demetri were missing. "Where did the others go?" I asked nervously.

Esme smiled. "The boys are out with Demetri, discussing what they plan on doing, in the forest."

I nodded, my attention once again turning to the beautiful home. "Your home is lovely."

Esme grinned, "Thank you, Bella. Make yourself at home. Alice," she paused, and Alice scurried into my view, "would you show Bella her room?"

Alice pursed her lips momentarily before smiling widely. "Of course. Follow me, Bella."

I kept pace with the pixie-like vampire as she sprinted up the stairs. She paused momentarily, allowing me to see the second floor.

Alice gestured to the second level. "This floor has the balcony, Rose's and Emmett's room, Carlisle's and Esme's room, Carlisle's study, and the game room."

I saw that the hallway seemed to branch off in three directions in front of me. One wider hallway led forward, with two doors in the distance on either side of the hallway. I could see, once again, a large pane of glass which added more light to the already light home. To the right, the hallway continued with the dark, wooden floors branching off into two directions. The one on the right lead to another staircase identical to the one in the foyer, and the branch on the left lead to a large door. To the right of the main hallway was another branch, with one path leading to a large door, and the other path leading to a large door that lead to the balcony.

Alice lead me up the staircase to the right, bringing me to the third and final floor of this massive home. She gestured once more. "Edward's room, Jasper's study, Jasper's and my room, and your room are here."

The floor plan of the third floor was identical to that of the second floor, save the staircase and balcony. Alice lead me to the right, allowing me to see the view out of the windows before opening the door to my left.

My room had a deep blue paint on each of the walls, the wall to the right, however, was composed of two large windows. The floor was once again the dark wood, however, a thick white rug sat in the middle of the room. I couldn't begin to place words to describe the size of the room.

I had been skeptical; from the outside, the house's size seemed like each floor could fit a dozen rooms. However, only four rooms sat on each floor. My room was easily as large as the massive foyer.

On the wall behind me, three large bookshelves sat side by side. Glancing over the titles, I saw my favorites: Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, even Wuthering Heights was present. A large, black couch sat in front of the books, a small end table on either side of the couch.

The left wall jutted out a bit. Two white doors sat on this wall. Alice, seeing my confusion, was quick to respond. "You're bathroom, complete with a jacuzzi bathtub, shower, and vanity, and your closet, which I have filled with clothes."

My mouth dropped open. "How did you know my size? And the books?"

Alice looked down at the rug sadly. "The future was never definite. Decisions had yet to be made by you and the Volturi, but I had a feeling you would be returning soon, be it a pleasant return or a 'calm before the storm' sort of deal. And, shopping helped me stay optimistic."

I nodded, saddened by Alice's statements. "Thank you, Alice."

Alice smiled, stepping to my side to hug me tightly. I froze, startled by the action, but relaxed slightly, accepting that I must have been close to her before my accident. I'd have to ask her about that later...

Alice released her arms from me, "I should get going. The boys may need my assistance with Demetri." She smiled widely, before sprinting gracefully out of my room.

I sighed, and looked at the wall opposite me. A huge, white bed with fluffy comforters and blankets sat, and I briefly marveled at the gigantic size of the bed. Four wooden legs, the same color as the floor, held the bed up, with a low headboard of the same wood barely noticeable behind the neat pile of white and dark blue pillows. I spotted a stereo system not too terribly large to the side of the bed, the silver shining from the soft light coming through the windows.

I walked to the bookshelves, grabbing a random book, and returned to the bed. I sat cross legged on the comforter of the bed, before lying down completely sprawled out, fully enjoying the softness of the bed. I opened the cover of the book, unsure of which title I had grabbed.

"Slaughterhouse Five" was displayed in large, bold on the title page, for the book cover itself was a wordless red.

I immersed myself in the work of Kurt Vonnegut, enjoying the satiric ideas involving the life of Billy Pilgrim. I read about the Tralfamadorians, the peculiar aliens who saw time as a Pilgrim, the protagonist, was randomly flung from one point of time in his life to another. This was where I shut my book with a deafening slam, caused by pure frustration. The book revolved around memories, futures, and time. I, however, could not seem to remember anything that seemed to matter at the moment.

The discarded book lay somewhere on my floor, so I grunted and sat up to go find it, and then retrieve it.

I gasped, however, seeing someone standing in the middle of the rug, the book placed in their extended hand.

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AN: Who could it be now???????

Hehehe music reference. Anyhoo, you guys are AMAZING! I got my reviews almost instantly, so I had to rush to write another chapter. I hope this one is up to snuff.

(I know, it's kind of a filler, but insanely important- I think) Oh, and I had loads of fun playing architect / interior decorator. I hope the Cullen's home doesn't appear like a big load of crap that only roaches would live in to you all.

25 more reviews, please, and the next chapter shall be posted as soon as possible!!!!!!!!!! (I promise, this is the highest number of reviews I will ever request.)

Thank you all for being so awesome and approving of my story. I'd love to hear any ideas you may have for the future; they are all being taken into consideration for the hint of an idea that is forming in my mind for later chapters. And if you have any improvements you'd like, be it on the grammar, plot, or story, let me know! I'd very much appreciate it!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!