Disclaimer: As much as I would love to own anything dealing with The Twilight Saga, I sadly do not. All that belongs to the very talented and amazing Stephanie Meyer, I am just borrowing a few of her characters for my storyline. Also, in this chapter I will be borrowing part of her actual writing.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Bold and italics is a flashback (most of it belongs to Stephanie Meyer)

April 18, 2006 (9 AM)

Bella is in the kitchen making breakfast for the sulking wolves. She smiles as she remembers their sad faces when the kids told them they wanted to go hunting, but they weren't allowed to come with them. The kids had figured out the wolves preferred to eat human food so they made them stay home more often now. The wolves can sometimes convince them they just want to go running to stretch their legs, but today that had failed. Bella had quickly offered to make them breakfast because Edward was one of the people going hunting with them. Besides, she had hunted yesterday with Alice, Jasper and Emmett.

"Jasper, I just don't understand. I keep getting a piece of a picture. I can tell it is Victoria, but I can't make out who the person is that is with her." Alice whines.

Jasper replies "I'm sorry, Alice. You will have to draw out what you are seeing or show Edward when he gets home. Otherwise I can't help you."

"But that's just it I can't see enough…"

Bella stops listening to them. Jasper, Alice, Emmett and the wolves were working on the Denali house and trying to make sense of Alice's visions. She has been getting odd pictures lately. Neither Alice nor Edward could figure out exactly what was happening. All they could tell was she seemed to be hurting someone. Who that someone was neither could figure out. Alice wasn't seeing enough of the person to make out who it was. It was worrying everyone and they hoped their cousins would be here soon.

Bella is just glad to have the distractions of cooking and listening to them work through what their next steps maybe should be when everyone is here safe and sound. Bella keeps having a nagging feeling she is missing something, something very important, but nothing ever came to mind. Anytime she thinks about everyone being safe and sound she feels like they aren't and she can't figure out why. It is driving her insane and she wished she could just figure it out. Bella tries to focus on those things instead of what had happened three days ago…but, yet again, she is dragged back into the memory she wished she could just forget…

Edward walked into the kitchen and started speaking before she could tell him not yet…again. This was her normal response whenever he tried to talk to her because Bella was not ready to face what may or may not happen if they actually talked.

"Bella, I owe you an apology. No, of course I owe you much, much more than that. But you have to know" – the words began to flow so fast, the way she remembered he spoke sometimes when he was agitated, that had she still been human she would have had trouble catching them all – "that I had no idea. I didn't realize what I was leaving you to face on your own. And I am so very sorry. I thought it was safer and better for you without me and my family putting you in danger all the time. I never should have left without talking with you first."

She heard him turn to leave but pause and turn back around "I don't know what you remember of your human life, but I want you to know I have always been a good liar, Bella. I have to be with what we are and how we live. But still, for you to believe me so quickly...that was…excruciating. When we were in the forest, when I was telling you goodbye…" He paused and took a breath, almost like he was trying to fight off the memory himself "You weren't going to let go," he whispered. "I could see that. I didn't want to do it – it felt like it would kill me to do it – but I knew that if I couldn't convince you that I didn't love you anymore, it would just take you that much longer to get on with your life. I hoped that, if you thought I'D moved on, so would you. But I never imagined it would be so easy to do! I thought it would be next to impossible – that you would be so sure of the truth that I would have to lie through my teeth for hours to even plant the seed of doubt in your head. I lied, and I'm so sorry – sorry because I hurt you, sorry that I couldn't protect you from what I am. I lied and I'm sorry." Another pause "But how could you believe me? After all the thousands of times I'd told you I love you, how could you let one word break your faith in me?"

Bella was in shock by what he was saying. Even if she had wanted to she didn't know what she would have said in response. So instead she pretended not to listen while she was making dinner, even if he knew she was. When she hadn't replied he continued "Before you, Bella, my life was like a moonless night. Very dark, but there were stars – points of light and reason… And then you shot across my sky like a meteor. Suddenly everything was on fire; there was brilliancy, there was beauty. When you were gone, when the meteor had fallen over the horizon, everything went black. Nothing had changed, but my eyes were blinded by the light. I couldn't see the stars anymore. And there was no more reason for anything."

Without thinking, Bella mumbled "Your eyes will adjust."

Edward was shocked to hear her speak. Maybe he was finally making progress. He replied with a small smile and a little hope in his heart "That's just the problem – they can't." And with that he walked out of the kitchen.

Bella sighs. She wanted to believe he was really sorry and wouldn't leave again but she wasn't sure she could. She turns and watches Rosalie come into the room. "Hello, Bella. Need any help finishing breakfast for the mutts?" There were growls and laughter from next door.

Bella rolls her eyes, but still smirks "Why can't you just get along with them? They have been very helpful and you know it. If you really would like to help you could set the table for me. I am just about done here. When did you get back from hunting?" Then mumbling under her breath she adds "If I could get my mind to shut off that would help even more though."

Rosalie is already at the table setting it before Bella finished talking "I know they have been helpful and I try. We just got back. Everyone went right over to help build the house next door. They are getting pretty close to being done and we will start to paint soon. The kids are playing in the backyard with their toys." Rosalie pauses "Is there something I could help you talk through?"

Bella just shrugs and glances out the window to see her babies laughing and playing together. She really didn't want to talk about it and wasn't sure why she had said it since she knew Rose would have heard her. Maybe she did want to talk it out with someone...

Rosalie giggles "Ah, you were thinking about what Edward said to you weren't you?"

Bella spins and say "You heard us talking?" Then sighing, continues "Of course you heard. The whole house did, didn't they?" She adds sarcastically "Oh, the joys of living with people who all have super hearing."

Rosalie, finished with the table, comes over and hugs Bella. "From what I heard it was mainly just Edward talking. May I say something about what he said?"

Bella just nods, then notices it has gotten awfully quiet outside and sighs again.

Rosalie gives Bella a squeeze, then releases her and continues talking. "I think you need to talk to him. At least get on good enough terms with him for now so that you can be in the same room with him, for the kids. Even if you can never forgive him you need to be able to be around him. I am sure, if you can remember, when your parents got divorced it was hard but it got easier the more they worked together. At least, that is how most humans work."

Bella turns to a statue in Rose's arms. That's what she was missing! Her parents! They were in danger! Alice had said she couldn't make out who was with Victoria. It had to be one of her parents! Was there a way for Victoria to find her mom? No, she didn't think she could with her not even living in Arizona. Even if she looked her up, more than likely it would show their Arizona address still.

Victoria knew where her dad was without having to hunt for him! She was living with Charlie when James had hunted her! Victoria had tried to get to him, but couldn't because Esme and Rosalie were guarding him. No one was watching him now! It has to be her dad! She had to save him.

Bella quickly drops the food she had been carrying to the table on the counter and makes a break for the door. Rosalie is right behind her "BELLA!? What's the matter!?"

At Rosalie's shouts, everyone turns to watch Bella and her run for the forest. Suddenly Alice gasps, followed quickly by Edward shouting "STOP HER! She can't go to Forks alone or she will die!"

Hearing Edward shouts, Bella tries to push her physical shield out. But with her being in such a panicked state she can't seem to get a hold of it. Frustrated, she growls and tries to run faster. She knows she probably can't out run Edward, but with still being only a few months old, she is faster than everyone else. If she could just get to the forest maybe she might be able to make it.

Rosalie jumps on Bella and tries to hold her to the ground. She knows Bella is stronger than her, but if she can just hold her down long enough then the others can help keep her down. Unfortunately, Jasper had been working with Bella to train her to protect herself without her shield and Bella quickly kicks Rosalie off and starts running again.

The kids are watching in confusion. Mary has only used her mom's power a few times, but she knows enough to be able to help. Mary quickly reaches out and borrows her mom's power again. Then she throws up a physical shield around her mom.

Bella growls and pounds on the invisible force keeping her locked in. She looks for a way out, but of course can't escape. She looks around to see the rest of the family now standing outside the shield. She falls to the ground and starts sobbing.

"Okay, Mary. Let it down. Then you three go inside while we figure out what is going on." Jasper states with authority. Edward, Emmett, Peter, and him are ready to grab Bella if she tries to run again.

Bella is listening and, though she knew it was useless, as soon as she saw them step closer to her, she jumps up and tries to run again. Unfortunately, Edward is faster and grabs her. Even with Jasper's training, she can't think straight and can't break free. All she keeps thinking is she has to save her dad.

She knows she is acting out of control. That she is, for the first time ever, acting like a true newborn vampire. She can't seem to stop herself as she turns her head and bites down on Edward's arm. She vaguely hears him growl, and waits for his arms to loosen so she can run. However, what she didn't expect was for his arms to get tighter. She growls as she lets go and tries to bite a different spot. However, she is ripped away and pinned to the ground.

She hears Jasper talking as he pushes calm into her body. "Bella, calm down. This isn't you. Think of your children. Do you want them to see you attacking their family? Their father!?" He keeps repeating calming words and pushing more and more calm into her.

She finally stops struggling and starts sobbing as she lets Jasper's power calm her. "Please let me go! I have to save him….please…"

AUTHOR NOTE:

Well here is chapter twenty-four. The part I borrowed from Stephanie Meyer was the flashback Bella has at the beginning of the story. A good portion of that was taken from pages 505-506, 508-510 and 514-515 in the New Moon book. I like Edward's apology and moonless 'speech' and thought they would fit nicely in my story. I DO NOT OWN the parts that are Stephanie's. I did make a few changes here and there so it would fit my storyline better, but most of the flashback BELONGS TO STEPHANIE NOT ME!