Bella noticed everyone spread around the living room, deep in argument about their new destination. She chose to sit next to Jasper since he was separated from the group and seemed the most relaxed.

He shot her a curious look, then smiled widely. "Not even my powers work in such times."

Bella giggled, resting her back against the wall, drawing her knees up.

Edward had gone in the middle of the group, offering his own opinions, scoffing when the others pointed out such places were not near forests which was what they wanted.

Bella wished there could be a secluded, ghost town somewhere in the country. It would be perfect for them. If the others didn't want to live there, she'd be more than happy to spend her newborn year only with Edward.

Bella saw when Alice stopped retorting to Rosalie's new idea. Her eyes glazed over, then Edward shot up so fast Bella gasped in surprise. They seemed to have a mental conversation, while everyone stared at them.

Edward cringed when Alice narrowed her eyes at him. He slowly turned to face his family. His right hand went into his hair, tugging at it. It was such a human nervous reflex that is warmed Bella's heart.

"We found the perfect location," he declared.

"Do tell." Rosalie folded her arms across her chest.

"First, I have to tell you something else." Bella noticed how he avoided eye-contact with the others. "Most of you already know that I couldn't resist any longer and caved into the temptation of sleeping with Bella."

Oh, God. Bella pressed her face into her knees, her face boiling in embarrassment.

"That moment of weakness lead to hurting her without knowing," Edward continued in a remorseful voice. "Before I took her to bed for the first time, I wanted a part of our honor to be intact. I asked her to marry me."

Bella wasn't sure if dying of embarrassment was possible. Thankfully, she had seven vampires around who could save her if it happened.

"She agreed. The plan was to properly ask her again in some years, but since we seem to be at an impasse about this secluded new town we want to move in, Alice and I have a solution."

In that moment of silence, everyone started talking at once.

"You fucked before marriage and the earth is still spinning?" Emmett.

"You can still wait for the wedding." Alice.

"In what century do you live, Edward?" Rosalie.

"Let's hear your suggestion." Carlisle.

Jasper got up, heading to the door. "When you've all calmed down, let me know."

"That was the idea, Esme." Edward smiled at her.

Bella hadn't heard her talking, but she had thought the answer he was looking for.

Carlisle turned to his wife, curiously.

"We have to think logistics if we plan on changing Bella by the end of the week," Alice chirped. "But it's the perfect location. They can stay there several months, before returning to us."

"Is it the best plan? To keep her isolated during her first months then bring her into a small town, populated nonetheless?" Jasper returned, his hands linked behind his back. "It might backfire at you, Edward. At all of us."

"Is anyone going to say what this perfect location is?" Rosalie asked impatiently.

"Isle Esme," Edward answered slowly, meeting Bella's eyes. He went to Jasper. "I could take her to the nearest town."

"What? Come on, man! It's our turn," Emmett protested.

"Emmett, this will be Edward and Bella's first weeding. Allow them to spend some time there alone," Esme said softly. "Jasper is right, sweetheart. You can keep Bella away from humans for the first month, but if she's never smelled it and then she smells it for the first time…"

Bella shivered violently, earning a curious look from Alice. "If I may say something?"

"Of course, love." Edward folded himself next to her, taking her hand.

"I'd rather wait on the wedding. You guys said I'm going to forget it. I don't want to ever forget marrying you, Edward. Even if we do it again in a few decades."

Edward smiled crookedly. "I see your point. At least, on paper then. It will be easier to travel. Less paperwork."

Bella nodded, rubbing her thumb over his palm. "So where do you plan on taking me?"

"To the place we all love to spend some time alone with our mates. My wedding gift for Esme was quite unique. I bought her an island and named it after her," Carlisle explained.

It was such nonchalant declarations that made Bella wonder how crazy rich the Cullens were.

Esme was talking quietly to Emmett and Rosalie, probably explaining to them why it was Bella and Edward's turn to visit the island. Carlisle was praising Alice's genius idea. As Bella turned her eyes to Edward, he found him focused on Jasper, a deep frown between his brows. Edward nodded, and Jasper smiled shyly when Alice stopped mid-sentence squealing loudly.

"What?" Bella hated being out of loop.

"Jasper and Alice are going to join us for a short while. Jasper has experience with newborns," Edward explained.

"How do you plan on travelling?" Rosalie asked, mildly curious.

Judging by the horrified looks in Edward and Alice's eyes, they hadn't taken travelling into account. It was laughable.

"We'll drive," Alice declared after a while.

"To Brazil?" Esme gasped.

"Brazil?" Bella asked, faintly.

"The isle is offshore to the southern coast of Brazil," Edward explained. "There's another idea. If we have a few more days…" His eyes met Carlisle's. "We can fly."

"So we're all going there? Because frankly between Edward and Jasper, Alice can't save Bella if they decide to have a Bella snack," Emmett quipped up.

Edward growled loudly. "I'd never hurt Bella!"

"Not intentionally, dude!"

"I could accompany you at first, to supervise the transformation," Carlisle offered. "Then Jasper and Alice can join you once Bella is changed. In the meantime, we still need to find a new place to live."

That declaration brought a new round of arguments.

"What do you think?" Edward asked quietly.

"It's a pretty good idea." Bella nodded. "I agree with Jasper, though. If I'm isolated then I see humans, it will be like…"

"Don't worry, Bella." Jasper joined them. "My vast knowledge on newborns will come in handy."

"How do you know so much about newborns?"

"Mind if I steal Bella for a walk?" Jasper glanced at Edward.

"Be careful." Edward kissed her forehead, then joined the others.

Jasper led the way to the front door. He even helped her into her winter jacket.

Outside it was snowing but there was no wind so everything was quiet and still.

They walked around the house toward the frozen river. Jasper extended his hand, and Bella took it. She anticipated his move, but she still gasped when he lifted her off the ground, jumping on the other side.

"You'll get used to it." He smiled, his golden eyes shining.

"I sure hope so."

Jasper rolled his sleeves up. Bella's eyes widened at the white lines dotting his pale skin. They looked like scars, but vampires couldn't be hurt.

"I was changed in the late eighteenth century. I was a major in the Confederate Army…" Bella paid rapt attention to Jasper's story. His voice was mesmerizing painting a vivid image in her mind about how three succubus women lured him away, seduced him and then changed him into a vampire. How they proceeded to use his military skills to their advantage. He'd trained newborns, which resulted in the scars covering his body. He'd made friends with one of the newborns, and eventually they left along with his friend's mate. Then Jasper stumbled upon Alice, and that part of the story was hilarious. She'd chided him for keeping her waiting.

"Imagine meeting the girl of your dreams, and for her to turn out as a little freak with golden eyes who could see the future. She'd whined to me that she's been waiting for years. Then we were on our way to the Cullens, because she'd seen there was another way and she knew we were going to be great friends with them." Jasper shook his head with a fond look on his face. "When we arrived, only Esme, Carlisle, and Rose were home. Emmett and Edward were hunting. So Alice took over Edward's room, moving his stuff to the garage, saying he wouldn't mind."

"Oh, God!" Bella doubled over in laughter.

"I was reticent to going into that room knowing it belonged to someone else. I wasn't even sure if my place was with them. On our way to them, we'd hunted only animals to show them we wanted to join them. I wasn't sure if I could do it in the long run, after so many decades of human blood."

"I don't plan on ever tasting human blood," Bella declared.

Jasper laughed loudly, throwing his head back. "That's not up to you, Bella. I mean, look at Rose."

Bella slumped on a flat rock, wrapping her arms around herself. "So do I have to kill a human? Is it like a rite of passage?"

Jasper laughed again. "You won't be able to help yourself. It's in your nature. You can't change who you are at the core." He sat next to her. "Look, you might surprise us, or you might turn out a normal newborn ready to slaughter every human in sight. Time will tell."

"So isolation isn't a good idea."

"I plan on teaching you different techniques, and with Edward's vast insight on coping with the thirst when you think you can't control it, we'll return to the family with a stable newborn. Hopefully."

They sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts.

"I'm scared," Bella suddenly admitted in a low voice.

"Kinda late to chicken out. You're already changing."

"I mean, what if I disappoint everyone?"

"Edward's right. The way your mind works is fascinating." Jasper offered his hand, palm up. She took it without hesitance. "Have faith, Bella. This is going to be new for all of us. I doubt there was another human to want to become a vampire as much as you. You already know more about vampires than some more mature than you. Please, stop worrying."

Bella felt calmer than she had been a moment ago. "Hey! Stop it."

"I'm just trying to relax you." Jasper grinned. "Edward's coming."

Bella snatched her hand away, sitting up straight.

Jasper walked to Edward who appeared between the trees. Then exchanged a few whispered words, too low for her to catch what they said. Then Jasper left them alone.

Edward stuffed his hands in his pockets, leaning against the tree nearest to where Bella was sitting.

"We're leaving for Seattle first thing in the morning. We're going to stop by an old friend of Jasper's to sign the marriage papers, then you and I are taking the first plane to Rio. Carlisle will join us in a day or two."

Bella nodded, trying to wrap her head around all the changes. "Please don't blame yourself."

"It wasn't supposed to happen this way, love."

"But it did. We didn't know this was possible." Bella went to him, hugging him around the waist. "The decision to sleep together brought me closer to fulfilling my wish."

"Of course, you'd see it that way."

They returned to the house hand in hand. In front of the house, Edward stopped, his hand squeezing her tightly.

"You have a visitor."

Bella stared at him in surprise.

Edward turned her toward the woods they had come through. Jacob was standing in the shadows, glaring at the ground.

Bella sprinted to him, throwing her arms around his neck.

"I think your bloodsucker is going to kill me if you don't step back," Jake said softly.

Bella shot Edward an exasperated look over her shoulder. "Give me a few minutes. Why don't you pack for us?"

"Remember I can reach you in five seconds flat if I hear you hurt her." Edward growled in warning, before disappearing inside the house.

"Don't mind him. He's more bark than bite," Bella joked.

"I wouldn't make dog jokes around leeches, Bella." Jake laughed. "So I realized I couldn't let you leave like this. Not without apologizing for what an ass I've been."

"I knew you didn't mean it."

"Bella, I can't promise that I'll stay in touch, but what I want you to know is…" He looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. "Shit. Look, I have no idea how to say it. You might already know it, but I want you to hear it from me."

Bella felt a lump in her throat. "Jake…"

He cupped her cheek in one hand. "I loved you since before I understood what I was feeling for you. I kept loving you even when I knew you'd never return my feelings. I chose to keep you close because I couldn't function without you. Then you moved on, and I was happy for you." Jake took a shuddering breath. "And when I heard you broke up with Brady and you were returning here, I thought I might stand a chance. I thought you were over Cullen. I've fooled myself."

"Oh, Jake."

"Don't say anything. I only wanted to tell you so you'd know. This won't change anything. You're still going to become one of them."

Bella choked on her tears. "In another lifetime… if Edward didn't exi… I mean, if vampires weren't real… We might have stood a change." She couldn't even conceive Edward not existing. He'd have been alive during his time and die of Spanish Influenza, like many others back in 1918.

Jake stroked her hair, smiling. "Take care of yourself, Bella."

Bella took his head in her hands, bringing him closer, then kissed him slowly. "Don't do anything stupid, Jake."

Bella jumped out of her skin when a pair of hands pulled her back against a strong chest. Edward was back. He'd probably seen her actions in Jake's mind.

"I know," Edward answered to something Jake said silently.

Bella absolutely hated not knowing what they were talking about. She'd have to get used to it. Edward loved answering unspoken thoughts.

Jake met Bella's eyes one last time, before he turned around, walking away.

Bella allowed Edward to carry her inside when her legs gave out. She was a mess, but a part of her wished her last conversation with Jacob was the fight on the beach. This torture was a thousand times worse.

I know you guys love Brady, and I have to admit he turned out to be a great character.

But I had to redeem Jake's actions. I've come to realize he's not that bad, and he's only human and he doesn't have Edward's years of wisdom. He lost Bella before he even tried to have her.

A few more chapters left.