Edward POV

Though some of the things that Bella said had troubled me, nothing compared to the feeling of knowing she loved me.

I believed she loved me before she told me, seeing as when you love someone so completely, you're always confident that love is returned; I had still needed to hear it.

The problem in our new found relationship was the lines that would be crossed in it. Bella seemed to be leaning towards one day becoming a vampire herself. I was nowhere near leaning towards that. Though the selfish part of me relished in the thought of keeping her at my side forever, it was also difficult to bare.

I knew she was a smart and responsible woman, so I had no other choice but to leave the decision in her hands. I was her partner, not her parent and I couldn't tell her to do or not to do something. It was all up to her. I did however want to make it one hundred percent clear, what she'd be giving up. I wasn't sure it was a good trade.

Her life, for ours together.

In all my vampire years I'd only been responsible for vampire deaths. I had killed to save my family, and seeing as those vampires were the worst sort of monsters, I had no qualms about snapping their necks like twigs.

Yet, if I did nothing to stop Bella from becoming what I was, then I'd be responsible for a human death as well. One of my fears had always been, that my control would not be so keen and sharp; and one day I would take a life.

I sought council with Alice and Jasper since between the two of them; they had many slips that cost humans their life. It was never meant on either of their parts, it was just a risk when you're a vampire, good or evil. Some could do the best they could in trying to remain as human-like as possible, and live amongst the normal. Yet it was always there, the monster within.

Alice said with her, restraint was always present, but certain cases had caused her to slip. She didn't count any murders at Volterra that were committed through Aro using her vision, for they were given unwillingly, and mostly to capture traitors.

She did count herself guilty in my murder, which I told her was ridiculous. As I saw it, and did Jasper, Alice had drained six humans in her entire vampire existence. All of which had been an accident such as it was. As for Jasper, his record was not as clean. He couldn't keep track of the lives he had taken as a newborn vampire, a sign that the number would sicken him. He describes his newborn period as a thirst frenzy, one he never would revisit. Alice had shown him another way, and he stuck to it. He had no slip ups since.

As for me I believed my lack of accidents was due to how Alice and Jasper taught me. As a fresh newborn they explained my urges and how to block them. They gave me a different dietary approach, and kept me as humanized as possible. I learned how to ignore the burning in my throat when certain scents of humans sent the monster within me roaring. Everything I learned help make my life stay as normal as possible for me and my child.

I believed I could teach Bella the same things, but I was still hesitant.

All this was running through my mind as everyone spoke at once while eating. I feigned a loss of appetite so Angela wouldn't question anything. Embry had decided to ease her into everything rather than tell her now. He was trying to be her friend first, since he literally knew nothing about her, and wanted her to choose what she wanted. The chemistry though, was undeniable.

Bella sat next to me, with Revi next to her. Everyone knew Bella and I had come together, and they were thrilled. Especially Angela, who had to deal with us at school.

"Edward has his own room so I wonder how much I'll even be seeing of Bella now." She winked and Revi slapped her hands over her ears.

"Ew I do not want to think of that." But she smiled and I knew she was happy our stubbornness had dissolved and we were happy. "Have you told Alice and Jasper?"

"I did yes. I called them before I came in." Which was also when I asked them what they thought of Bella's new found choice. Since Alice had seen it in visions, she knew it was coming. I tried to imagine Bella being changed, and found I couldn't.

"Good. Don't need her shrieking at us." Bella smiled and dug in to her food.

The conversation was mostly everyone trying to get to know Angela, the new member though she didn't know it. From her thoughts I knew she was happy to be around a family again, but she had no clue how much she was a part of it.

Embry was changed visibly to those who knew him. He seemed less cocky and more humbled and content. A new curiosity was around him. I was happy for the two of them. Both needed each other even before they met, and now they had been found.

As if reading my mood, Bella slipped her hand over mine, almost like a reflex. I didn't even think she noticed she did it. It was those kinds of things I loved feeling and showed me how meant we were.

Revi noticed as well and kept smiling our crooked smile at me, which was returned. After eating everyone went off to their separate things. Embry took Angela home, and Quil did the same with Claire. Paul and Leah went on a patrol, and Emily started cleaning up the dishes with Sam. I needed to hunt, so Jake said he'd drive Bella over to her fathers.

As I ran through the woods after hunting I heard someone running behind me, and suddenly something was perched on my back. "Hi Daddy."

I laughed, or someone. "What are you doing here I thought you went with Jake."

"Nah I missed you too much. I see his mug every day. So how is school lover boy?"

"A distraction from the Swan girl." I winked.

She scooted down my back and walked next to me. "I've never seen you look like this."

"I've been happy before kid. I wasn't unhappy throughout your life."

"Yes but its different now. It's more."

"Imagine how I felt when I saw how happy Jake made you. A father can't compete with that."

"Don't be stupid. It's all so weird isn't it?"

"What is?" I asked.

"If Jake didn't leave us, then maybe Bella wouldn't have found us."

"It's a pretty tight circle we've got forming. Then again nothing in our lives is meant to be normal, kid."

"No it doesn't seem so. I don't know about you, but I love it." She leaned into my side and I put my arm around her shoulders.

"We've done well."

"You've done well Daddy. I'm proud of you, and I'm happy you're happy."

"Ditto sweetheart."

There were few ways I could imagine things getting better, and as the wind chilled I knew there were many things that could fall apart.

Bella POV

Jake caught me up on how his life had been going lately on the drive to my house. I laughed when he told me the story of a customer at the new auto body shop who asked him if he was a model. Jake seemed embarrassed by it but smiled.

"So this whole love thing Jacob, what's your take on it?"

"I enjoy it." Jake grinned. "I'm a veteran now though."

"How long have you and Revi been together now?"

He did a little mental calculation. "It will be three years this spring."

I sighed. "That's nice."

"It's hard too. It's not all easy, but there are a lot of rewards. I'm crazy about her, can't picture a life without her in it."

I looked at him. Jake looked the same as he had since he was just my neighbor, but there were some differences. He was happy. It was in his expression, the way he held himself, and how he spoke. He was a generally happy and content man. No doubts, no question. I smiled at him. "So pal, when are you getting married?"

He laughed. "I don't know. I've thought about it but I'm waiting. No rush." He glanced at me as he parked in front of my Dad's house. "What about you."

I laughed loudly. "I just decided I love the vamp, I'm not marrying anyone that soon. I will admit though, it seems we're under their spell."

"Damn Cullen's and their crooked smiles." Jake nodded and we laughed, both of us over the moon for mythical creatures.

Who knew?