I don't own it.

Author's note: Thank you to all of my readers who reviewed! I love you! I'm publishing this just after finishing the chapter. Usually I want to wait a few days, to look it over and make changes, but I don't have that luxury right now. So…one more chapter after this, and then an epilogue.

Family Tree

Chapter 31

JPOV

"What's wrong with her?" I stare down at her twitching, convulsing body. I feel sick, watching her writhing in agony. Each scream is like a knife in my heart.

"The change is very, very painful," the older, blonde vampire tells me.

I run my hand through my hair erratically. I turn to Edward. "You said three days. It'll be over in three days right?"

"Yes," he whispers, anguished. "Three days of torture."

I feel like I might vomit. I turn to Sam helplessly. "What do we do?"

"We need to move her, get her inside," the short pixie-like leech interrupts.

"There's a cabin not far from here. It's on Quileute land," Embry tells the group of us.

I nod. "The old hunting lodge. We can take her there."

Edward takes off his jacket and wraps it around her nude, shivering form. He lifts her in his arms. I feel a stab of jealousy but force myself to turn away.

"You can follow us there."

Silently, quickly, we move through the woods. The cabin is a mile away. We reach it in just a few minutes, with everyone able to keep up with us.

Quil reaches the door first and opens it, going inside. "Bring her in."

There's no electricity but there are plenty of candles and matches. Edward brings Bella inside and lays her on the bed gently. She screams as soon as her body hits the mattress and Edward gasps.

It's hard having such sensitive hearing sometimes. I understand.

He shakes it off as we all do. I force myself to keep busy, straightening the cabin up, cleaning it out, and helping light the interior adequately. Though it is difficult to be in such close quarters with the enemy, we are dealing with it. I'm proud of myself and of my brothers.

"Edward!" Bella shrieks then, twisting on the bed. He gets on the bed with her and holds her down.

"It hurts! Please…God! It burns!"

"I know sweetheart, I know. Let it out."

She wails and cries and it tears my heart out to see her like this. I step outside the cabin and sit on the front step miserably, tears falling unchecked down my face. She's hurt and it's my fault.

Embry sits beside me and Quil kneels in front of me. "It's ok dude. She's going to make it."

I shake my head. "She's in pain because of me."

Embry disagrees. "She was going to go through this anyway, man. You know it. So don't blame yourself."

Sam speaks up behind me. "We need to dispose of Paul's remains."

I snarl. "His body can remain by the lake. Wild animals will take care of that."

"Jacob," Sam says quietly, "I know how you feel. But we cannot dishonor one of our brothers that way."

"He is no brother of mine!" I stand and face Paul. I feel like a volcano. "He tried to kill her! He tried to rape her! I wish I could have taken much longer to kill him, to rip him apart in tiny pieces, watching his face as it contorted in agony! The only tiny bit of peace I have now is that he's dead. I will not honor him. How dare you speak to me of that?"

Sam looks at me sadly. "I understand. I'm sorry." He sighs and his eyes are full of something like ancient sadness. "But what about his family Jacob? Do they not deserve to have a funeral?"

I can't believe he won't let it go. I want nothing to do with this. "Are you asking my permission or something?"

"I'm asking you to consider their feelings, yes. They didn't see him as a monster."

I feel my resolve weakening, slightly, but then hear Bella cry out my name. "Do what you need to. I won't be there."

I turn from my brothers and walk into the cabin. I kneel beside Bella, wrinkling my nose as the overwhelming scent of bloodsucker permeates the air. "Bella, shh. I'm here."

"Jake…I'm…so…sorry."

I place my finger to her lip gently, stopping her. "Don't you dare. I should have been there."

"Yes, you should have been!" Edward spits at me, his face twisted in hatred.

I glare at him.

"Stop…fighting. I mean it. Be nice," she whispers as tears slide down her cheeks at an alarming pace.

"I apologize Jacob," Edward says in a tone of voice that is for Bella's benefit only.

I nod. "Accepted."

Then, Bella's body seems to lift off the bed as a spasm rocks through her midsection. She screams, horrified. "Stop this! Stop it!"

Edward holds her body down on one side, and I pin her legs flat.

She bucks forcefully. "No! Agghhh!"

I'm trembling. If I didn't know better, I'd say that there were invisible demons hovering over her, branding her skin with red hot pokers. I feel helpless as I watch her struggle.

Several hours pass thusly. She's screamed herself ragged and now, her mouth opens and no sound comes out. Her vocal cords are severed.

"Edward, Jacob. Both of you take a break," the blonde one urges both of us.

"No." We answer as one and then look at one another thoughtfully.

"We will all take turns staying with her. Do as I say."

Edward looks as though he's about to fight. The pixie one comes and places a hand on his shoulder, staring into his eyes. He nods. She turns a cold gaze on me. "Come."

I have no idea why I'm allowing this leech to tell me what to do but I stand and follow them out of the cabin.

She turns and stares at me. "You need to go eat something." She turns toward her brother. "Edward, we need to talk about what we're going to do; what we're going to tell Charlie."

I cross my arms over my chest. "I think I should be here for this conversation. After all, Charlie is a part of my family."

Alice rolls her eyes and my body shivers. My control is weakening.

Edward turns toward me. "Go take care of yourself. We aren't going to be leaving, not with her in this state. You have my word. We won't decide anything until you come back."

I study him and eventually agree. I trot away from the cabin. I feel disgusted because a part of me is relieved. It was getting to be really hard, watching her writhing and not being able to help.

I head home and find the porch light on. I trudge inside, suddenly exhausted. The adrenaline that has been pumping through me is lessening.

"Where have you been?" My dad asks, looking me over. He frowns.

I hold up my hand. "Give me a minute."

He agrees and watches me as I throw together an enormous sandwich, throwing practically everything we have in the fridge onto it. I wolf it down quickly, chasing it with half a gallon of milk.

When I've finished I collapse on the couch.

"Bella's been hurt, really badly."

My dad straightens up. "By the cold ones?"

"No. Paul did it. He dragged her to the lake. He tried to kill her."

Billy's face is a mask of surprise. "What happened?"

I tell him the events in a condensed version.

"You told them to turn her right there?"

"What else could I do? She was dead!"

"Maybe she should have stayed that way Jacob. I can't believe my own son would agree to such an act. And on our land too!"

I sit up and glare at my dad. "Shut up!"

My dad sighs melodramatically. "What are they going to do now? They can't stay on our land forever."

"We haven't decided yet."

"What are you going to tell Charlie?"

I hang my head. "I don't know."

"This is a bad night; a night of evil. We'd best pray for these demons to leave us."

For once he isn't talking about the bloodsuckers. I too feel the evil spirits surrounding us.

"I'm going to go back. Don't tell Charlie anything."

"I won't. Be careful, son. They're not to be trusted."

I look at him thoughtfully. "Under normal circumstances, I'd agree. But not after tonight."

I leave him then, shutting the door behind me quietly. Making sure no one is looking, I phase. I run back to the cabin.

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BPOV

I'm alive. I'm sure of it. How else would I be feeling such horrible pain? Unless I'm in hell. That is also another definite possibility.

Fire licks through my body, moving and singing my insides with every painful breath. My heart feels like an anvil, slamming over and over, pushing hot lava through the chambers. Acid burns up my esophagus, filling my lungs repeatedly. A million white hot needles pierce my flesh again and again.

There is no comfort. There is hardly anything to cling to. It's been 24 hours only and I don't think I can make it another two days.

I've screamed so much that I can hardly make any sound now. My tears have run dry. There is no outlet for this pain and so it festers.

I'm running hot and cold, like having a fever and then being thrust into arctic conditions, only to be brought back and abandoned in the middle of the Sahara.

There are faces over me, hovering, worried faces. I want them to leave. Why do they look at me like that?

My senses are getting sharper. I can smell things far away, hear things that I shouldn't be able to. It's like voices and phantom scents that make me feel like I'm going insane. Maybe I'm imaging everything, maybe none of this is real.

But if it isn't real- why can't I wake up?

I feel a cold, wet cloth being laid on my forehead. For one brief second it is welcome relief, and then, it begins to burn. I try to wrench it off but I'm pinned; forever pinned down by weights that do not move.

God please help me! Please! I don't want this. I want to go back. Let me die. Please.

My prayers aren't answered. There must be no God.

I keep my eyes closed now. I can't stand to look at the tormentors over me. They're torturing me. I know it. I'm in some kind of lab and they're running horrible human experiments on me, injecting me with poison. I wish they would just kill me. I can't take it anymore.

Everything is getting dark now. The edges are sharp, and then fuzzy again, wavering. I can't focus. I can't see. I'm blind.

I'm so scared. I sob but no one hears me. Mucus clogs my nose and I can't breathe. My tongue feels swollen and my mouth is like cotton.

Dark now.

I wake to white hot, searing pain. I'm being burned alive. I scream loudly and to my satisfaction, my throat emits the sound. It hurts my vocal chords but it's nothing compared to the agony that the rest of my body is experiencing.

I look up to see a face, so strange and yet familiar. Milk chocolate skin and eyes like liquid ink. I want to drown in those eyes. Maybe it will be cold and take away the pain.

"Please," I rasp, struggling to form words with a mouth that has gone slack, "Please kill me. I don't want to live."

It's raining. Ink runs down his cheeks and splashes on me.

He stares at me, shaking his head no.

"You don't understand," I whisper, "I can't go on like this."

"I can't kill you," he tells me in a sad voice.

Anger such as I've never known fills me with untenable rage. "Then leave! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"

His eyes go wide and then squint shut. He moves away then and I want to strike him, but I still can't move.

"Sweetheart, please. It's ok. It will be ok. One more day. That's it. You can make it. I love you Bella."

I stare at the other creature above me. His face is white like ice. I wonder if he's as cold as I am hot. "Will you kill me?"

Hope flutters through me like a butterfly finally freed from its cocoon.

"I can't do that Bella."

"Why?" I wail in utter despair as all hope is ruthlessly crushed.

"I'm the most selfish creature in the world, remember?" He smiles wryly, but it doesn't reach his eyes.

He has the strangest eyes. They look shadowed, bruised somehow.

"I hate you too," I mumble, exhausted. These people are monsters to do this to a person.

Maybe I'm not a person at all. Maybe I've been reborn as a lab rat. That makes far more sense. No one seems to listen to me. It's the same thing, all the time.

It's constant, unrelenting pain. I want to die.

I try to hold my breath and suffocate myself. I feel myself getting somewhere as everything goes dim and my lungs feel as though they are going to burst, but someone always breaks the seal on my mouth. They breathe for me, keeping me alive.

I try to gnaw my tongue, thinking I can choke myself on my own blood, but they put a brace in my mouth to prevent that too.

Demons. I'm surrounded by evil, hateful, inhuman demonic creatures that thrive off of my pain.

"It's almost finished Bella, hold on."

Lies. They keep telling me that it will end but I know better. They would tell me anything, toying with my emotions, trying to break me internally as well as physically. Fuck them.

Voices whisper over and around me. I wish they would go away.

"Why isn't it happening?"

"There's been no change."

"You bit her at eight thirty or so, right?"

"Yes, and then again a little later, but only a few minutes."

"Maybe it isn't quite finished. It's bound to end soon."

Please God let it end like they're saying. I can't go on. Please, strike me with lightning. It would feel good compared to this.

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EPOV

I don't understand what's happening. Bella should be through the change. We are closing in on five days.

She begs me continually for death. She is in utter, complete agony. Nothing seems to have improved.

The cabin smells of fear, urine, blood, feces. We are cleaning her as much as we can but she has no control over her bodily functions. We can't feed her. Any water we give her comes right back up.

I'm terrified and I'm desperate. I cannot keep her alive if this is the price. I cannot see her in this much pain.

I should have died so long ago.

Jacob is sitting next to me, outside the cabin now. It is breaking dawn.

"This has never happened before, right?" He asks quietly.

"No. I've never heard of the change taking longer than three days."

"What if she can't be changed? What if her blood is fighting the venom?"

I think back to what Carlisle hypothesized. "Carlisle thinks that's what's going on. But if it doesn't end soon…"

Jacob looks at me sadly.

I nod forcefully and turn back to the sun, cresting over a hill.

It's rare, a sunny day. Bella would have loved to have seen it.

"How long will we let this go on?"

I honestly don't know. "Until one of us gives in and grants her request, or she completes the change."

We're both contemplating that. It is the horrible truth. I've been very tempted to end it for her. My own selfishness is holding me back. It is the same for Jacob.

We are lowly, unworthy, evil people.

Alice walks out of the cabin then. "She's stopped sweating. Her heartbeat is slowing."

I rise, walking into the house quickly. Jacob is on my heels.

I can hear it, slower, softer now. She's not writhing on the bed, or twisting herself around. No one is holding her down. We crowd around the bed and wait.

Two hours later, and her heart is now the faintest thump. Her skin looks pale, moreso than usual.

I risk touching her.

She doesn't respond, but she feels like ice.

I rub circles over her hard, cold skin.

"That's nice," she murmurs, softly.

I reel in shock. I've heard nothing but cussing from her for the last two and a half days. I allow myself a small smile.

Jacob leans over and places a shaking hand on her forehead.

"Something stinks," she crinkles her nose.

Jacob removes his hand as though burned.

I can't help but let out a laugh. "I know it does. How is the pain sweetheart?"

"Better. Still hurts though."

"We're close. Hang in there."

She sighs and I feel my chest tightening. I love her so much.

Thirty minutes later, her heart finally stops.

I look at Alice and smile. She grins back.

Bella opens her eyes.

I suck in a sharp breath. Her eyes, while chocolate brown before are now a midnight black.

Her face, while still proportionally the same has changed, slightly. Her nose is smaller, her cheekbones more defined. Her lips are arranged in a perfect pout.

She sits up slowly, gracefully and looks around at all of us crowded around her.

We're all staring at her in shock. We can't help ourselves.

If I thought she was beautiful before….

"Bella- you look like a goddess." Alice breathes.

I give Alice a sharp look, clearly saying that it is not the time for such frivolity.

Bella reaches up and touches her face. She looks surprised. "I'm so…hard."

It breaks the silent tension in the room. I let out a deep breath. "We all are."

Jacob snorts disdainfully.

We all turn to look at him.

Bella zeroes in on his chest. I know she hears his heart.

"If you didn't smell so bad; I think I'd eat you."

Jacob looks shocked.

I try, unsuccessfully to stifle my reaction to that.

"Yeah well you don't smell much better," he retorts.

She cocks her head to the side as though listening for something. "I smell them."

"Smell what?" I ask her.

"Prey."

I chuckle darkly. "A lot of men have been combing the woods recently, looking for you."

"Why?"

"Officially, you've gone missing."

"I don't understand."

I nod, remembering how disoriented I was after the change. Huge chunks of my life had been missing. Most of my memories were gone.

"Bella- do you know who we are?" I point at all the people in the room.

She scrunches up her face. "You're Edward."

"That's right."

"Um. That's Alice, Carslisle, Esme, Jasper, and um."

She stares at Jacob for a long time.

I am starting to feel victorious.

"Jacob."

I scowl.

He looks tremendously relieved. "I'm glad you remembered me."

She smiles.

My breath catches. It is radiant; dazzling.

We all seem to be affected by it.

"Whoa! Turn it off Bella!" Alice slaps Bella on the back.

She turns and glares at Alice and Alice takes a step back. "Ok, ok. Smile if you want to! Geez!"

"Alice," I growl a reprimand. She shrugs her shoulders.

"I'm hungry," Bella says calmly.

"Of course you are." I turn to my parents. "Can you procure something for her?"

They nod and take off immediately. I know they'll be back soon with something suitable. She's going to be really hungry for the next six months or so, needing to feed several times a day. I'm still surprised at her restraint. She's calm.

I remember my change. I was like a wild animal afterward, jumping off and taking off, driven by a burning thirst. I don't understand why she isn't acting the same way. But I'm glad for the way things are working out now. I wouldn't want to have to restrain her again after having restrained her for the last five days. I might not even be able to do it alone. Newborns are notoriously strong.

Carlisle and Esme return with a deer.

Jacob looks disgusted. "I'll be back later."

He doesn't want to leave but he can't stand to watch her feed either.

I'm glad he's going. His aroma is unbearable.

Bella takes one look at the deer and we all prepare ourselves for the frenzy.

She surprises us all by getting up slowly and walking forward with calm purpose. She kneels next to the creature and stares at it for a long moment.

"I'm sorry," she tells it softly and then leans forward, her teeth sinking into the neck of the deer.

I can't tear my eyes away from the sight. I've imagined seeing her just like this-feeding from a fresh kill-and always the thought revolted me. But there is something beautiful about the way she's doing it, as though it is a ritual.

I marvel at her control. Not a single drop of blood is wasted or spilt.

She looks up at me, finished, and meets my gaze.

Her eyes are like rays of sunshine. I'm blinded by her beauty. I fall to my knees.

"Are you all right?" She asks in a soft, lilting voice.

"You're amazing," I breathe reverently, scarcely allowing myself to inch forward and touch her feet.

She sinks to her knees slowly and reaches out, taking my hands. "You were there."

"What?" I can't follow her thoughts, they're erratic.

Suddenly I freeze. I can hear her.

The tenor of her mind is hypnotic and complex, like music. The chords are rich, vibrant, and powerful. I'm shocked beyond measure.

Through it all, you were there. You didn't leave me.

I clear my throat. It is painfully dry. "I couldn't leave you. I love you."

I know. I love you too.

"How can you say that? After what you've just gone through?"

That pain was unlike anything anyone could ever imagine…but it's over now. It was worth it because now I'll have you.

"You've always had me," I whisper.

She smiles. "Things are different now."

"Yes," I agree, "they are."

She looks down then, sadly.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Jacob."

I swallow. "What about him?"

"He is not my mate, and yet, I'm drawn to him. Is that wrong?"

I don't know how to answer her. It isn't wrong, per se, but I think it's unnatural. "Bella, do you remember anything happening, right before you were abducted?"

She's confused.

I float along with her thoughts as they jump from scene to scene. I experience the attack through her eyes. She rewinds then, and it's hard, sluggish, but she goes back. She's sitting on a rock, crying. She pulls out her phone and I hear her words, I jump guiltily.

Her eyes snap to mine in the present. She narrows them at me. "How could you do that? Without even asking me? I'm not your property to do with as you wish!"

She rises then and I am suddenly aware of the aura around her. It is dark, and the room crackles with energy.

Her eyes change before me, the golden irises retreating into a pool of ink.

I feel her anger, coursing through her, and I scramble, trying to get away.

"No!" She growls as she lunges for me.

"Carlisle!"

She's finally coming unhinged. I don't know how she held it together for so long. This could be very bad.

I bolt out of the door and the cabin seems to explode behind me as she charges through.

My family is standing in a half circle, fanned out and facing her. They are ready. We are ready to restrain her, if need be.

Jacob looks scared but he's holding the left side of the line.

Suddenly she lifts her arms and a loud clap of thunder has us all jumping.

I fall to the ground. There are so many voices in my head, all at once, talking, talking. It's endless. I'm drowning in my mind. The cacophony is such that I can hear and see nothing, feel nothing but the din or a hundred thousand separate minds, colliding, trying to find space in my head. It is torture, agonizing. I would do anything to end this.

It stops.

I pant and struggle to my feet. I see that all of us have been knocked down. We look haggard, horrible.

Jacob is the only one who seems unaffected. He's staring at us curiously.

I turn to look at Bella. She seems surprised.

"Are you…ok? I'm…uh…sorry." She wrings her hands in a gesture I know all too well.

I slowly relax.

One by one we begin to tell each other what happened.

Alice was swamped with visions. Jasper was overcome by emotion. Carlisle was rendered useless, his heart filled with pity. Esme felt as though she lost all of us. I was overwhelmed by voices.

"You can turn other people's abilities against them," Alice tells her excitedly.

I'm not exactly thrilled with this new power of hers. It seems dangerous.

"I didn't mean to get so mad! I'm so sorry! Edward…are you ok?" I didn't mean to hurt you!

Her face is the very picture of regret.

I smile at her shakily. "I'm ok now sweetheart. I'm sorry for treating you with such disrespect."

Jacob shoots me a questioning glance and I nod toward Bella. He gets what I mean. Jacob knows how mad Bella was before all of this happened.

"So what happens now?" I turn toward Carlisle. "When are we leaving the state?" I'm eager to get as far away from here as possible.

Jacob growls but I ignore him.

"It wouldn't be prudent for us to try and transport her anytime soon. If we do, we'd need to run the whole way there and hope to not encounter anyone else."

I shake my head. "That won't work."

Jasper turns to me and projects his thoughts. I hate his logic.

"I won't leave her."

"We need to attend her funeral," he says aloud for the benefit of everyone else.

"My funeral?" Bella asks, clearly confused.

"You've been missing for five days. People have been combing the woods looking for you. They found your blood scattered all over the rocks by the lake. They think you're dead."

"But…why have a funeral?"

"Your parents need to have one, to grieve. We all need to be there. We'll have to pretend that we've lost you and continue to go about our lives, for the time being. Really, we need only wait for the time when you can control yourself around humans," Jasper tells her. He's worked out all the pro's and con's and this is the best way.

I hate his tactical mind right now.

"So…where will I go?"

We all look at one another. Jacob speaks up.

"You'll stay here, in this cabin…with me."

Bella digests that information and then looks at me. "Where will you be?"

I swallow. "Very, very close by. I'll come and visit you whenever I can. I promise I won't leave you."

Jacob walks toward Bella slowly, carefully. "If you need to see him, I'll call him so he can come to you. Otherwise I'll be here, to help take care of you."

I hear Jacob's traitorous thoughts. He's hoping that he can make her fall in love with him, once I'm not always around.

I wish I could snap his neck. Instead, I agree with him.

"We need to go now Bella. We'll keep in touch with you. If you need anything, or anyone, call us." Esme tells her firmly.

Bella nods slowly, looking dejected and forlorn.

I walk up to her and wrap my arms around her, pulling her close. "I love you with every fiber of my being Bella. I will come back for you," I tell her passionately.

"Don't go," she whimpers, holding onto me.

I want to stay here forever, in her arms.

"Edward…we need to leave," Alice interrupts. "We're going to be questioned by the police."

I look at her.

Charlie is coming to the house.

I reluctantly let go of Bella. I don't want to remind her of her father right now. She's much too vulnerable.

I look away from her, though it takes a monumental effort, and approach Jacob.

"Take care of her. If she needs me, you will call," I tell him in a tone that brooks no argument.

Jacob gives me his assurance.

I force myself to walk away from Bella, though it's killing me inside.

Some say that life is not fair.

I would argue that death is no picnic.