Disclaimer: Written under the derivative fan works act. All rights reserved to the original creator, Stephanie Meyer.

Title: The Mating Dance

Rating: M for sexual situations, lemons, and hot, steamy, angsty vampire lovin', underage drinking, smoking, drug use and overall bad behavior.

Premise: Alternate Universe. Edward Cullen and his adoptive family have moved to Forks to start a new life, but Edward's life suddenly changes when he's drawn into Bella Swan's strange and dangerous world. Vampires mate for life, but what happens when that mate is human?

Alternate Universe: Canon pairings eventually, pretty much OOC, ExB of course.

POV: EPOV (Edward), Edward's turn to continue the story. Alice will be back later on and maybe Bella, too.

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Author Notes:

Please note that this story is rated M for a reason, if you'd prefer not to deal with mature themes, please do not read this story.

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Chapter 10 He's Mine!

I was driving east on Highway 101. It was Tuesday night, and I was driving Alice to her class at White Crane Martial Arts. We'd been on the road for almost thirty minutes now, and Alice hadn't said two words to me since we'd left the school parking lot on our way to Port Angeles. Alice and Bella had both been giving me the silent treatment for three days now and it was getting on my nerves. She just sat, glaring out the window, sitting silently in the passenger seat.

"Alice, won't you please tell me what's wrong?" I tried again. "I can't fix this if you won't tell me what I've done."

"Jesus, Edward! Are you totally fucking clueless? Don't you realize how hard it was for Bella to say the things she told you on Saturday? She poured her heart out to you and finally came out and declared herself! She told you she's in love with you, and you basically shut her down and told her 'thanks' for being honest with me'! Are you fucking kidding? Please don't kill Katy while I try and pull my head out of my ass. Give me a break!"

"These are real girls, Edward! With real emotions! They aren't some toy for you to pick and choose which one you're going to play with today! Now you're telling both of them that you're in love with them! But you don't know what to do? They should both leave your ass, and tell you take a hike! Unfortunately, Bella can't do that. You're hard wired into her heart!"

You know that saying, 'be careful what you wish for'? Maybe the silent treatment wasn't so bad after all. Oh well, I'd wanted her to tell me what was wrong, and now I was getting an earful. I didn't think I'd be able to shove the cork back in the bottle, so I might as well make the best of it.

"What do you mean, Alice? That's the part I don't get… This crazy magic bullshit!"

"Let me spell this out for you plain and simple. Try and keep up if you can. I'll try not to use big words! Katy is the only one out of all of us that has a chance to move on and have a normal life. You are Bella's mate. That's a permanent connection to her soul, Edward. She'll never love anyone else in her entire life but you. You can't break the connection. It's not going to go away, and it's only going to get stronger with time."

"If you break up with Katy, she'll be hurt, but she'll get over it. She's human and she'll heal. Bella can't get over you. You're a permanent part of her life now. Forever. Not some cheap Hallmark version of forever, but the real deal forever. For as long as you live forever. Got it?"

"What about my history with Katy, Alice? Am I just supposed to throw the last year away and pretend it didn't happen?"

"It's one fucking year, Edward. It's not a lifetime. She'll get over it, and so will you. You'll have plenty of time to make history with Bella. Jasper is 161 years old, Esteban is 357, and his boss, Aro, in Italy is over three thousand years old. Somehow one year just doesn't seem so significant in comparison."

"What if I don't want to be like them, Alice?"

"Quit playing the devil's advocate, and quit lying to me. You know you want it. You're just being contrary so you can argue with me!"

'Alright, then just for arguments sake, let's say I got hit by a bus tomorrow. What would Bella do? Wouldn't she just move on with her life, maybe mourn for a while, but eventually find somebody else?"

"You really don't get it do you? She'd die Edward."

"What do you mean die? I thought you just said she was going to live for hundreds of years, maybe thousands. Why would she die?"

"I told you, you're hard wired into her heart. If something happened to you it would be like ripping her heart out. She'd either go insane and her family would have to put her down, or she'd suicide and end her own life. She'll live as long as you live, and when you die, she'll follow you."

"You see, these are the kinds of details that I need to know! These are the kinds of things I can't get from the internet or the Quileute Legends! Honestly, Alice, I didn't understand before."

"Well, you were the one that decided to play twenty questions! Ask the right questions! You told her you knew all about her and her family but then you didn't even ask about anything you really needed to know!"

"Jesus, Alice, did she repeat the whole conversation back to you word for word?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Bella is pretty fragile right now, Edward. She's never been in love with anyone before, and she's been hurt a lot in her life. You're not making this easy for her."

"It's not easy for me either."

"Oh give me a break! You've got it so hard! Two beautiful girls are throwing themselves at you, and you have to decide which one you want! Gee, should you pick the hot blond that you've been fucking for the last year, or the beautiful, mysterious brunette that's going to be devoted to you for the rest of eternity?"

"I don't want to hurt either of them, Alice."

"Sorry, Edward, that's a given. Somebody is gonna get hurt. The question is, do you hurt the girl that can get over it and heal, or do you hurt the girl that can't and will continue to hurt for the rest of your life?"

"I don't want to hurt Bella…"

"Then why the fuck are you taking Katy to Home Coming! You should have ended it Saturday morning, but you told her to go buy a dress! She ran out of the house totally freaked out Saturday afternoon, and you could have ended it then, but no, you had to go find her and talk her down again! Do you know what it does to Bella to see you two together like that?"

"I should have just let Bella kill her, and we wouldn't have this problem, but this isn't Katy's fault! How long are you planning on dragging this out, Edward? You've been stringing Katy along for more than three weeks now when you knew it was over! And now you're playing the same game with Bella!"

"I don't want to play with their emotions Alice. I had to go find Katy and talk to her. What if she went to the police and told them I was carrying a gun? I had to know she wasn't going to turn me in to protect me. One thing just led to another… I don't want to lead her on or lie to her… I just don't see an easy way out of this…"

"That's because there isn't one, Edward! It's time to man up and grow a pair! You have to tell one of them it's over! You know my opinion. Hopefully you'll get it right this time!"

We were driving down West First Street in Port Angeles now. West First street was a one-way street running Southeast through downtown two blocks from the edge of the harbor. I was driving in the left lane, and I pulled up in front of the martial art studio and parallel parked next to the curb.

"You're right Alice. I can't drag this out any longer. I have to do the right thing…"

"Good, I'm glad you're finally going to do something! You can't let this go on any longer…"

"I know, Alice! Now you better get inside for your class."

"Are you coming in tonight, Edward? I'd feel better if I knew you were here safe with me."

"I'm not two years old, Alice! I need to think… I'm just going to walk down to Port Books & News. I'll come meet you after your class, alright?"

"Do you have it?"

"Do I have what?

"You know what… The gun Sam gave you. Bella told you to carry it if you went to Port Angeles…"

I sighed. "Yes… But I don't feel comfortable carrying it, Alice. I don't know if I could really shoot somebody…"

"Anyone you have to shoot will be trying to kill you Edward. It's not like you're going to mug somebody or hold up a convenience store. Just stay safe. Ok?"

"I'm just walking down the block to the book store, Alice!"

"Ok, just be careful..." Alice got out of the car.

I opened the trunk for her so she could get her gym bag with her uniform and gear, and she waved as she walked through the doors of the martial arts studio. I turned to walk down the block, and started down the street towards the book store. I knew I had to do this. I couldn't let things go on like they had been. I just had to do it quick like ripping off a band-aid, and it would be over and we could all go on with our lives. It wasn't fair to either Katy or Bella to keep them hanging on like this just because I was a pussy and didn't have the balls to face telling one of them it was over.

I was lost in thought as I made my way down the block to the corner, and then I waited at the curb for the light to change to cross the street.

I was standing there on the street corner when I felt the slightest ghost of the tug in my stomach that I felt in Bella's presence. It was behind me and just faintly brushed across my awareness like she was at the limit of my range to feel her as she moved past and away. I turned around, and looked down the block. On the next street over I saw a girl with long brown hair turn the corner walking away from me.

I didn't even think about what I was doing, and turned to follow her. It had to be her. She had long brown hair hanging down her back, and she was wearing a long black trench coat with boots. I hurried down the side street toward the docks. I turned the corner, and she was up a couple of blocks ahead of me, walking down the street with her hands thrust into her coat pockets. I picked up the pace to try and catch up to her. I knew I had been an ass, and I had to make it up to her.

I felt the slight ghost of the tug in my stomach as I started to close the distance between us. I saw her turn her head a bit to the side like she was trying to glance back at me through the curtain of her hair, and then she started to move faster down the street. She had avoided me at school as much as possible, and only spoke to me when she was required to for class. Now she was practically running from me in the street. I realized how much I must have hurt her with my thoughtless words, and I had to make this right.

She crossed the street in the middle of the block, and hurried around the next corner out of sight. I ran to catch up, and called, "Bella wait…"

She was turning the corner of the next block onto another street and I ran to the corner to try and catch up, but she was running now when I turned the corner to follow. I knew she could out run me if she wanted to. She hadn't disappeared so I followed her down the block, running to try and catch up. "Please, Bella… Wait," I called after her as she turned another corner.

I followed her around the corner, but she was gone. I still felt the slight ghost of the tug in my stomach, but it wasn't getting any stronger. I walked down the block trying to guess which way I should go to find her when I took in my surroundings for the first time since I'd lost sight of her. I was standing in front of a kind of run down looking bar. There was a line of motorcycles parked next to the curb, and the neon sign hanging over the door said 'One Eyed Pete's'.

The door of the bar opened and group of rough looking bikers stepped out onto the sidewalk. The leader was a big guy standing about six foot five with broad shoulders. He had a scar on his right cheek under his eye and tattoos on his neck. He was wearing a leather motorcycle jacket with gang colors on the back, and he looked pissed off. He was standing about twenty feet away, but he was eyeing me like he was ready for a fight, and the other four guys moved out onto the sidewalk to back him up.

He turned his head, and called over his shoulder, "Hey Becca, is this the guy?"

I looked past him at the bar, and the girl with the long brown hair and the black trench coat was standing in the doorway, but it wasn't Bella.

"Yeah, Jesse, that's the creep! He chased me all the way from Laurel Avenue! Fucking stalker! Kick his ass, Jesse!"

This was one of life's little 'Oh shit' moments. I'd fucked up big time, and I wasn't going to talk my way out of this one. The big biker turned back to look at me, and smiled with a feral grin like he was going to enjoy this as he started to move towards me.

What can I say? Discretion is the better part of valor, and there were five of them. I ran. I turned and ran like hell! I could hear their boots pounding on the pavement behind me as I ran for my life, but I wasn't the state cross country champion for nothing. I didn't look where I was running. I just wanted to put some distance between us. I turned the first corner I came to, and ran down the block, and cut down another side street heading away and kept going.

It was dark out now and I thought I'd lost them. I couldn't hear anyone chasing me anymore, and I stopped to catch my breath. I finally took the time to look around, and I realized just how far I'd gone. I was in the warehouse district down by the docks, probably a good ten or twelve blocks from Alice's martial arts studio. If I was careful, I could probably circle around south back through town to avoid the bikers. With any luck they were back in their bar laughing over a beer about the punk kid they'd run off.

I could hear the water in the harbor lapping against the piers, and smell the rank odor of decay and salt in the air. I walked along the row of warehouses to find another side street to turn down, and start heading back towards the better lit downtown area. The street lights here were few and far between, but I could see a glow up ahead where it looked like a crew was working to unload a large boat or small ship. The slight ghost of the tug in my stomach gone now, and I had lost track of where Bella might be as I ran from the bikers.

I came to another side street, and turned down it to start heading back towards Alice and my car. The long warehouse block street was dark with only one dim street light on the other side of the street halfway down the block, and some flickering random lights in a couple of doorways. It looked brighter up at the next corner, and I hurried down the dark sidewalk to reach the brighter well lit street up ahead.

I realized there were alleyways leading off the side street as I passed the first one that separated the warehouse buildings. I was less than halfway down the street when I heard a noise. Maybe it was just my imagination, but then I thought I saw a movement in an alley across the street. My heart was pounding and I wanted to get to the corner under the brighter lights. I heard the yowl of an alley cat, and I chided myself for getting worked up over a stupid cat, but I glanced back.

There was somebody walking down the sidewalk on the other side of the street. I didn't think he was one of the bikers. He seemed shorter and more compact. I wasn't sure he was following me, but I quickened my pace. I thought about the story I'd told Bella about my father and how he'd been killed by a mugger. I wasn't going to go out like that. I'd fight first, and send him to hell before he could get the drop on me.

I glanced back to look at him as he stepped into the pool of light under the lone street light. He had straight black hair pulled back into a short ponytail, and appeared to be of Asian descent, but his skin looked a little odd. It had a slightly yellow cast but appeared to be very pale. What caught my attention were his eyes, and I knew I was in trouble.

His eyes were like Bella and Jasper's, but there was something different about them. His eyes were a darker gold. Not the darkness that seemed to indicate Bella or Jasper's mood or anger, but they were the orange hue shot through with flecks of red that I had seen in Esme's eyes in Rainier. He was wearing baggy jeans and a long duster style trench coat over a tight t-shirt printed with Asian script. He had the same unnaturally handsome good looks like Jasper and Emmett although I only had a couple of seconds to observe him as he passed through the pool of light.

I reached back to the waistband of my jeans and grasped the handle of the pistol. I pulled it out as I spun to face him…but he was gone, vanished into thin air. I quickly scanned up and down the street, but it was empty. Suddenly there was movement to my left, and I turned and fired snapping off three rapid fire shots. I heard a grunt, like somebody might give if you'd punched them hard in the gut, and then I was flying back against the wall. The pistol was plucked out of my grasp, and I saw it skid down the sidewalk and come to a rest in the dim pool of light in another doorway.

"Dude, you are so going to regret that. I liked that shirt, man! The chicks fucking dug it when I hit the clubs!" Then I felt a hang grip the front of my leather jacket and yank me up to my feet and slam me back against the wall again.

"Who the hell are you, and what do you want!"

"You know what I am don't you?" He leaned in and took a deep breath, like he was admiring the aroma and I could smell the sickly sweet stench of his breath in my face. "You're the one aren't you? You have the stink of that fucking Moreno puta all over you! I heard she'd found a mate, but why are you out here all alone?"

He reached up with his other hand and grabbed my jaw and turned my head back and forth looking at my neck. "You don't have any marks on you. She hasn't claimed you yet, or does she taste you someplace else?"

He let go of my chin and tugged at the belt on my jeans for a second, and laughed at me as I struggled against him. I hauled my arm back as best I could from up against the wall and gave him my best shot across the jaw. I just hurt my hand as he laughed at me.

"Oh a tough guy, I like it when they try to fight." He laughed in my face as he reached up and twisted my head to the side.

"That fucking Moreno puta is Esteban's new special pet! It'll rip his family apart if he has to finish her off when she loses you. Fu Chang Hong will thank me for this. This'll teach that fucking puta for running me out of that club!"

I felt his icy breath against the side of my throat as my heart pounded in my chest. His lips brushed against my neck, and I felt his tongue flick across the pulse point at my throat. I wanted to yell but his hand was clamped on my jaw keeping me immobile as I strained to look down and watch what he was doing.

This was it then. My number was up and I was going to die. I realized the effect this was going to have on the people around me, and I mourned for all the stupid mistakes I'd made. The things I'd left unfinished and what this would do to Bella.

I felt the razor sharp teeth brush against my throat…

Suddenly I felt the tug in my stomach like hope that I might survive this. It was back and flaring stronger from the end of the street.

I felt the wind of the bullet whip past my neck and saw it punch through the side of the vampire's cheek before I heard the gunshot. His head snapped to the side away from me as the slightest trickles of blood ran down my neck where his teeth had grazed against me. Four more rapid fire shots rang out before I could look up, and then I was sailing through the air again. I hit the pavement hard, but I didn't think anything was broken. I was stunned, and the wind was knocked out of me, but my leather jacket took the brunt of the punishment.

"You can still walk away from this, Billy," Bella yelled from where she was standing halfway to the end of the street. "Now get the fuck out of here! This is Moreno turf! You have no rights on this side of the sound! Tell Fu Chang Hong to keep his fucking Clan out of our territory!"

She was still holding the smoking gun in her hand as the tendrils of smoke lazily trailed upward from the barrel.

"You fucking Moreno puta!" and the Asian vampire spat something out of his mouth onto the street. "You know how long it's gonna take to grow that tooth back? If you want to claim this territory, then fucking hold it. Make me leave Bitch!"

"I don't fucking care about your tooth. You were gonna eat my mate, and you fucking knew what you were doing!"

"If he's your mate, why are there no marks on him? You haven't even claimed him! He's still fair game! Are you still so new that you don't even know how to stake your claim to your own mate? Who the fuck trained you? In case you don't know the rules, you can have as much as you can take and hold! If you can't even claim your own fucking mate, then you fucking deserve what you get!"

An angry roar ripped out of Bella chest, and she threw down the pistol. She reached into her coat and suddenly there was a long silver blade in her hand flashing in the dim light on the street.

"He's mine! Now run or go to hell, Billy Liu! Your choice!"

"Stupid fucking Moreno puta." Billy reached into his coat, and then there was a sword in his hand as he slowly started to move towards Bella. "Don't you know why I'm Fu Chang Hong's lieutenant?" He held out his free hand and pointed at her like he was doing something. "Now be a good girl and freeze."

Bella laughed at him. "I don't think so, mother fucker!" She charged at him, and then suddenly she vanished.

I could tell Billy was startled, as though something unexpected had happened and he brought the sword up to guard himself. Suddenly Bella was standing in front of him as her sword flashed in the pool of light from the street light. The blade flashed out in a lightning quick thrusting attack, but Billy knocked the point aside. The thrusting tip of the blade flashed past the side of his head, and I think it nicked his earlobe. Suddenly Billy erupted into a flurry of sword cuts and Bella was driven back as her sword flashed to block and parry the advance. Bella back flipped away from the attack to break contact, and she vanished again halfway through the arc.

Billy seemed to have all his concentration focused on Bella, and he ignored me. I had my wind back now, and I started to edge across the street towards the pool of light where my pistol had landed.

Billy dropped into a crouch with the sword in his right hand as he scanned for Bella. Then out of nowhere, she was behind him making a rising two handed cut at his spine. Billy's sword flashed over his shoulder to block the cut and he spun to face her. There was a furious flurry and crash of steel on steel. They separated, moving apart. Billy's left arm came off and flopped on the ground, but Bella was holding her stomach, and I could see her hand was wet with a thick amber colored liquid.

"Fucking Moreno Puta!" Billy roared at Bella. "You are so going to fucking pay for that bitch!"

Billy was enraged now, and he charged at Bella. She started to move to his left, circling him, and then she was gone again. Billy pulled up short, dropping into a crouch with the sword weaving a dangerous pattern of steel in front of him as he circled to the left. Then Bella was standing beside him on his right. She struck at his legs but Billy leaped to avoid the cut as the sword flashed under his feet. Billy tried to reverse his Blade to cut at Bella, but she dodge the awkward thrust and was already moving to the attack inside his guard. She followed through the cut and took his other arm off on the reverse striking up into his armpit from below. The sword and Billy's right arm flipped away and the sword crashed to the pavement in a clatter of steel. Billy looked down at his arms for a second.

"Fucking Bitch, you aren't going to get away with this! I'm Billy Liu! Your whole fucking clan will pay for this!", and then turned toward me.

I couldn't tell if he was going to try and finish me off to distract Bella or flee, but I had the pistol now as he came at me. I raised the pistol, and unloaded the clip in his face shooting as fast as I could pull the trigger.

"Who's gonna die now, mother fucker!" I yelled at him, and Billy staggered and stumbled as he came towards me.

Bella vanished again, and then she was standing between us, just out of my line of fire. The sword flashed, and Billy's head toppled off his shoulders and rolled into the gutter. Billy's headless, armless body kept moving towards me, like some grotesque automaton out of a horror movie. I rolled out of the way when it tried to stomp on me. I dodged a kick at my head, and then the sword flash again and the body toppled as a leg came off. Bella hacked at him again, and the other leg came off, cleanly separated from the torso.

I was surprised that there wasn't any blood, but the wounds seemed to just ooze the same thick amber colored liquid, kind of like a thick slightly opaque honey.

Bella flourished the sword to reverse the blade, giving it a flick of the wrist to shake droplets of the thick amber looking liquid off of the tip of the blade. She brought the round guard to her left thumb, drawing the blade forward through the fingers of the left hand that held a cloth to wipe the blade clean before inserting the tip of the blade into the scabbard inside her coat. The curved side of the blade was facing up, and then she slid the sword home back inside her coat.

"Edward, are you alright," She asked as she rushed to my side to check on me.

I was bruised and sore, and I was holding my hand over the side of my neck. I could see Bella's eyes darken as she saw the blood. Her nostrils flared, and I knew the scent was having an affect on her. She stopped in her tracks, and took a couple of steps back.

"Are you still bleeding? Did he bite you? Do you feel any pain or a burning sensation?"

"No, he didn't bite me. You stopped him before he could. I think his teeth just grazed me, but they didn't break the skin. It's just a scrape. I don't think its bleeding anymore."

I saw Bella relax, and then she took a clean handkerchief out of her pocket, and wet it from her flask. She tossed the damp cloth to me, and said, "Clean it off, please. I need to check your neck, and the blood is distracting me. I don't want to hurt you…"

I nodded and wiped the blood off my neck, and I could feel the sting of the alcohol in the cuts, but it wasn't too bad. It didn't start bleeding again, and I cleaned my hands.

Bella started to move around the scene of the fight, and she collected Billy's arms and head, and stacked them with his body and legs, but she was careful to position the pieces so they wouldn't touch where they'd been hacked off from. The pieces were still moving, writhing around like they were trying to find where they belonged. She tossed Billy's head on top of the pile, and I could the eyes were open and glaring at me despite the ruin caused by the hail of bullets. What was left of the lips tried to move to curse us despite the damage, but there was no breath or body to make the sounds as he silently swore at us.

Bella pulled the sheath for Billy's sword out of the pile, and put his sword back inside of it. Then she handed the sword to me. "Here's a souvenir, the sword of the first vampire to try and kill you. Let's hope it doesn't become a large collection."

Bella sprinkled liquor from her flask over the body parts, and then took her lighter out and lit the remains. At first just the alcohol burned, but then the pile erupted in flames and burned with a thick vile purple black smoke. I could smell a cloying scent like heavy incense as the body parts burned, and finally stopped moving as the flames consumed them.

"Let me see you neck, now," Bella said as she moved over to me, and gently took my chin in her leather gloved fingers. "I think you should be ok. You don't feel any burning or paralysis in you arms or legs, any numbness in your fingers or toes?"

I finally got a good look at Bella in the light now, and I realized her eyes were different too. They were the same orange hue shot through with flecks of red that I had seen in Esme's eyes in Rainier and Billy's eyes tonight. I wondered again what caused the change.

"No, I'm just sore. I had the wind knocked out of me, but I've taken a harder beating during wrestling season, although none of those guys ever threw me across a street into a wall." I looked down at Bella's shirt, and it was slashed across her midriff where Billy had cut her. "How are you holding up? I saw him cut you. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. It's already healed. Let me clean this up. Then we need to go."

I was looking at Bella, and one second she was standing by the fire, and then suddenly faster than I could follow, she was down the street retrieving her pistol and the spent bullet casings. Then she vanished in a blur back up the street to collect my bullet casings. Suddenly she was standing next to me again nonchalantly slipping another clip into the butt of her pistol. She put it back into the holster under her left armpit as I stood staring at her stunned.

"Are you sure you're ok, Edward? Bella asked as the realization of what had just happened started to set in. I looked at the sword in my hand, and then back at the fire, and my head started to spin a bit as the reality struck me.

Bella gripped my arm to steady me, and handed me the flask. "Here, I think you need this more than me."

"This isn't that Everclear 190 is it?" I asked as I took the flask.

"No, this is a little more your speed."

I took a sip, and then a longer pull. It was Tequila in the flask this time, but it was still strong drink. It had burned readily with a clear blue flame so it was at least 100 proof, but it wasn't tasteless, and didn't burn going down like the Everclear. I handed the flask back to Bella. She took a drink, and then put it away.

"Feeling a little better?"

"Yes, thank you. Bella, thank you for saving me again…"

"Save it Edward, are you ok to travel? We need to get out of here. Somebody must have reported the gunshots. There are sirens moving in this direction."

"Ok, which way should we go? Where are the sirens coming from?" and I looked up and down the street.

"We can't stay on the streets, they'd find you. Just trust me, ok? This may be a little disorienting, but it'll be over soon. Hang on tight, ok?"

"What do you mean…?" Suddenly, Bella swept me off my feet and we were moving towards the warehouse in a blur as she cradled me in her arms. I cringed as I thought we were going to slam into the wall. She leaped at the last second and touched the wall maybe three times as she ran up the side of the building, and then we were on the roof moving southeast over the rooftops. She picked up speed as we moved over the roof, and then we were sailing through the air as she leaped the next street. We touched down lightly and silently on the next rooftop and flashed across it. We covered maybe seven blocks in less than a minute, and then dropped down into a deserted alley off of a dark side street.

Bella set me back onto my feet, and I staggered a little, disoriented from the speed and the unreality of what was happening. Bella held my arm to steady me, and I felt better after a minute.

"Take a deep breath and breathe, Edward. You'll be alright. It's just disorienting and startling the first time. I'm sorry, but we really had to leave. It would have been bad if we were still there when the police showed up." I nodded and did what she said. I took several deep breaths to steady myself and calm down and I felt better.

Bella's blue Ducati 999S Superbike was parked in the shadows of the alley, and we were standing next to it.

"Give me the sword," Bella said, and held out her hand.

I handed the dead vampires sword to her, and she slid it into a compartment inside the front fairing along the fork tube. She took the sword out of her coat, and slid it into another compartment on the other side of the forks. There were two helmets clipped to the back of the bike, and Bella took one and handed it to me.

"Here, put this on. I'll give you a ride back to your car." Then she took the other helmet and started to put it on.

"Bella, I'm sorry. Can we go someplace to talk? Alice won't get out of her class for another hour, and she can stay later if I call her…"

"What is there to talk about Edward? We talked on Saturday, and nothing has changed. What more do you want to say?"

"Please Bella? A lot has changed. I understand things better now, but I'd like to understand more if you'll talk to me."

"Ok, we can talk, but we need to get off the street. C'mon, let's go, but so help me if I hear about how you're confused or need more time, I'll end this tonight!"

Bella pulled on her helmet, and swung onto the big bike. I pulled on the helmet she had given me and got on behind her as she thumbed the electric start and fired up the powerful liquid cooled engine. There was no place to hold onto the bike, and I felt the desire flare up in me as I wrapped my arms around Bella's waist to hold on as I rode on the back of the bike.

She revved the engine and popped the clutch, and we shot out of the alley. I thought she was going to lose it as she leaned the bike into the turn onto the street. I felt me knee lightly graze across the pavement as she made the turn. Then the bike came upright as she wound out the gears, accelerating down the street. We flew down the darkened street, and swung southwest to West Eighth Street and turned southeast. She followed the road until it turned into East Eighth Street. We flew down the street until she slowed to fit in with the flow of traffic once we started to see other cars on the road. We made a wide circle through town, and then started back northeast up East Front Street, and then West Front Street.

I was back in familiar surroundings again, and Bella pulled into a parking lot behind where Alice's martial arts studio was. I recognized the coffee house where I sometimes waited for Alice to get out of class. Bella parked the bike and shut off the engine. We got off the bike, and I handed her the helmet.

"How did you know you were going to need a second helmet tonight?" I asked as she took the helmet from me and clipped it to the bike.

"Alice told me to start carrying it. She said I was going to need it, but she wasn't sure when. Alice is usually right, so I took her advice." She clipped her helmet behind the seat on the bike and looked over at me.

"Would you like a coffee?" I asked

"No, but they probably have something I'll enjoy. C'mon, let's go see."

We walked around to the front of the espresso bar, and went in. We walked up to the service counter, and I ordered a double hammerhead, black. A hammerhead was a shot of espresso in a regular coffee cup, and then filled up with regular drip coffee. The double hammerhead had two shots of espresso for a real caffeine fix. I stepped back to see what Bella would order. She'd been looking over the menu while I ordered, and then she stepped up to the counter. She asked for a Melya. A coffee mixed with 1 teaspoon of unsweetened powdered cocoa and drizzled honey but she substituted a double shot of Espresso for the coffee, and had them top it of with hot water.

I paid for our drinks with the cash I had in my pocket, and we moved back to a quiet corner in the back of the shop. We were the only customers in the shop at this time of night, and the barista went into the backroom to work on cleaning up to prepare for the next shift in the morning.

"Alice said that cocoa affects you like Alcohol…"

"I think I deserve it. We're still alive aren't we?"

"Yeah, we are… Thank you again, Bella. I'd be dead if you hadn't shown up…"

"You have to be more careful, and think, Edward! Just why the hell were you chasing that poor girl, anyhow? I didn't see her do anything to you. I had to take out three of those Bikers before they finally gave up and stopped chasing you!"

"You didn't kill them did you?"

"No, I didn't kill them! I don't kill people unless they're trying to kill me, and I really try to avoid that. It would be nice if you'd try to stay out of trouble, though. Those guys should all wake up, but they'll just have bad headaches if their lucky. One might have a concussion, but I think he'll live."

"So, vampire, right?"

"Yeah, I thought you knew that already? Alice seems to know all about us."

"Yeah, I figured it out, just not all the details. Alice is gifted, and apparently she only tells me what she thinks I need to know." Bella nodded to agree with me. Then I went on to answer her other question. "I thought that was you, when I turned around and saw that girl on the corner. I felt your presence coming from that direction, and I followed her because I wanted to talk to you."

"You thought that was me? Your human eyesight really is weak, isn't it?"

"You've only been like this for five years, Bella. You don't remember what it's like?"

"If I concentrate, I can remember a lot of human memories, but it's like looking through blurry glass now. Human memories fade after the change. You'll remember the important things, and the automatic things like how to drive. Skills that you've practiced will stay with you. Alice is going to be amazing with the sword, and you'll remember your wrestling and running. You'll keep the memories that have strong emotions tied to them, the painful times and the truly happy times, but the rest will dim and fade with time unless you take steps to remember them. You should start a journal of anything you don't want to forget."

"Thanks for the warning, I'll work on that. So that guy that attacked me, he was from a rival family?"

"Yeah, he was Billy Liu. He was one of Fu Chang Hong's chief Lieutenants, and a big guy in the Fu Clan."

"So what was the deal with him holding up his hand and telling you to freeze? Did he actually expect you to just stand there and wait for him?"

"Yeah, that's why he was one of Fu Chang Hong's Lieutenants. He had a gift. He could make people freeze in place, and immobilize them. It made his victims a lot easier to catch and eliminate. Lucky for us, his gift wouldn't work on me. That's part of my gift."

"So that's how you kill a vampire, chop them into pieces? I take it the stories about wooden stakes are bullshit?"

"No, the fire killed him. Chopping him into pieces just made it easier to burn him, it didn't kill him. Guns can help if you get a lucky shot, or if you do enough damage it might slow us down enough to give you an advantage. Wooden stakes were something Hollywood thought up. In some ancient cultures, an iron stake was used to restrain suspected vampires, but they drove it into the corpse in their coffin to make them stay in the grave. The stake didn't kill the vampire, but was supposed to immobilize them so they couldn't come back to terrorize the living."

"So the pieces were still moving because he was still alive?"

"Yeah, if we didn't burn them, somebody could have put him back together again. Something for you to remember if you're ever in a fight, they can hack you to pieces, but as long as our side wins, we can put you back together again. It's not over unless they burn the pieces."

"Even his head? You can survive something like that?"

"Yeah, like I said, unless you burn them the pieces can be reassembled…"

"So what about the rest of the lore? You know crosses, holy water, garlic, all myths and bullshit?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Strong food odors are nauseating, but not especially repellent. Holy water doesn't burn us or anything. The rest of the Hollywood crap is just that, made up bullshit. Sorry, I can't change into a bat, but I can walk into your house whether I'm invited or not. It's just bad manners to go where you're not wanted."

"Ok, so what about the big one then. What do you eat? I've seen you drink hard liquor, and apparently some other liquids and beverages are ok, but pretty much a liquid diet?"

"Yeah, that parts not a myth."

"Billy was going to kill me wasn't he? He was going to drink my blood. Do you live like that too, Bella?"

"No, but that's the traditional diet. My kind has lived like that for as long as history has existed. That's the way it was since before writing was invented. We've become more civilized in the last couple of millennia, but there was a time when all vampires lived by hunting humans. Our civilization really started when we realized that we could live on animal blood. To be honest it makes sense. We lived by eating animals when we were human. We just use a different part of the animal after we're changed."

"So, what did you mean when you said that your civilization started when you learned you could use animal blood?"

"Vampires that live exclusively on a diet of human blood are more violent and antisocial. They tend to live alone or in pairs, and move around as nomads. Really, they're as big a threat to us as they are to you because they're a constant risk to exposing our secret. A lot of unexplained deaths in an isolated area draw attention. Vampires that feed primarily on animal blood are able to form larger groups and organizations. That led to the development of our current culture and lifestyle. Really, our whole civilization is made possible because we can use animal blood to survive."

"You said primarily animal blood. So you do eat people too?"

"We don't kill them Edward. I said we were civilized… But yeah, we take human blood too. Animal blood let's you survive, but it doesn't satisfy your thirst. It's not as powerful as human blood either. I told you some vampires have gifts, human blood makes them more powerful and gives you better control. We can survive on a diet of animal blood for the most part, but human blood makes you stronger, faster, more powerful, and makes your senses more acute. In our modern society, drinking human blood is kinda like going out to dinner for a night on the town or a special occasion. Think of it as having a good stiff drink after a long day, something to savor, but not your whole life."

"Ok, so if you don't kill these people, how do you get the blood? Rob a blood bank?"

"Not really, it's easier to run them than rob them. The first thing that you have to understand is that there are different kinds of blood, and I don't just mean blood types. The most common is animal blood, but to be palatable, it has to be fresh from a living animal. Blood from large predators tastes better than herbivores, but herbivores are more common and easier to hunt. I've heard the other large primates are almost as good as human blood. Unfortunately the only large primates living wild in North America are Homo sapiens."

"Dead blood like you'd get from a slaughter house or a butcher is just plain gross. It has almost no value, and no vampire would drink it. They'd probably resort to killing before they'd drink dead blood."

"Cold blood is human blood like you'd get from a blood bank. It's a step up from animal blood in terms of palatability, and power. It's specially handled and maintained so it can be used for transfusions. As long as it's still in condition to be returned to a living human body, it's still useful to us. It also comes in convenient plastic pouches, so it's handy to keep around."

"Fresh blood is the most powerful blood. It comes with a warm body wrapped around it."

"Yeah, but if you don't kill for it, and your secret is so important, how do you get fresh blood without exposing the secret?"

"Remember what I told you Saturday about people that know our secrets, Edward, but are allowed to live relatively normal lives. That there are people that have given their oath not to reveal the secret, but it's not completely free from danger? Most of those people live with us and work for us as donors to supply fresh blood."

"What, they just let you bite them take a sip now and then? What kind of person would willingly live like that? Do they do it for money like a prostitute? Don't you think that's kind of sick?"

"No, it's not sick! It's not like that at all! Just who the hell do you think you are to judge how we live! Would you prefer that we all lived like bunch of deranged nomads, killing at random and leaving a trail of corpses as we moved from town to town? Our registered donors perform a vital service, and make our civilization possible!"

"Bella calm down! People are going to hear you," I hissed, looking back over at the service counter as she got louder. "I'm sorry. This is all new to me. I'm just trying to understand. Why are you so upset?"

"Because I used to live like that, Edward, but I guess I'm just some sick money grubbing prostitute that fucked up and had an accident!"

It seemed like tonight was my night for life's little 'Oh shit' moments. I'd fucked up big time, again. Only this time I didn't think running was going to help.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't know. Will you tell me about it? What it was like? Honestly, I don't think of you like that, but I want to understand. I want to know about your life."

Bella took a deep breath, and I saw her trying to calm herself down. "It wasn't like that at all, Edward. I never did it for money, but some of them do. That's why Rich Dahlke is working for us. He owes a ton of money for gambling debts, and we're covering his debt in exchange for his service. A lot of the people that work for us are college students, and we pay for their education if that's what they need. Some just do it for a sense of security and a decent place to live. Others want to be like us, and trade a number of years of service for a place in our world. Some of the other clans around the world are more draconian and old fashioned than the Moreno's, and still practice slavery."

"Rose and Esme took me in and got me off the streets. I was homeless after I ran away from my father. I was living out of dumpsters and sleeping in alleys or whatever place I could find that seemed safe when Rose found me. She could have run me off like all of the rest of the people that knew I was picking through their trash, but she didn't. She took me back to the Nightclub where she worked to meet Esme, and they gave me a place to stay. Esme ran the place, and they made me a part of their family."

"For the first time in my life for as long as I could remember somebody cared about me as a person instead of for what I could do for them or what they could use me for. I found out what Rose did at the nightclub they ran, and I went to work for her. I didn't have to, and they still would have accepted me, but I wanted to help."

"I'm sorry, Bella…"

"Don't be. I got lucky for once. Somebody took me in and helped me. A lot of other kids and people on the street aren't so lucky, and nobody helps them."

"So what happened to you was an accident? What happened?"

"My bad luck happened. I was working in the club, but it turned out I was one of the client's singer."

"His singer, what's that?"

"Humans and human blood smell very attractive to us, but most of the time we can resist. Like walking through a candy store with your favorites all around you, but you don't cheat and take the candy, it wouldn't be right. The liquor helps. Alcohol deadens the bloodlust and makes it easier for us to be around humans. Marijuana and Tobacco both help relieve the burn of the thirst so we can be around people and aren't tempted as much. Pot is so much more effective, but cigarettes are more socially acceptable."

"A vampire's singer, La tua cantante, smells especially attractive. Their blood literally sings to the vampire, calling to them like a siren call. Few vampires' can resist their singer. I was James's singer. He was in the club with the Fu's that night, and things got out of hand. He almost killed me, but Emmett saved me."

"I don't understand. I thought the Fu's were your enemy. Why was a rival Clan hanging out in your club?

"True, the Fu's and the Moreno's have been rivals for centuries, but we aren't always at war. Vampires from a lot of different Clans visit our club and all the others. The Flying Dutchman is popular because Esme is a great hostess and always kept things organized and running smoothly. Things just got bad in the last couple of years since Esteban went away."

"Ok, so what happened with this James character? I assume he tried to take too much blood, but how did Emmett save you?"

"Emmett pulled him off me before he could drain me and kill me, but I'd lost too much blood. They couldn't stop the change or I would have died. They had to let me burn through the change to save me."

"What do you mean burn? Why couldn't they stop it?"

"You need to understand how somebody becomes like us. One of the weapons we're reborn with is our venom, Edward. When we feed, we inject venom into the wound. It acts as an anti-coagulant to allow the blood to flow freely, and it also paralyzes the victim so they can't resist. When we feed in the clubs, we're very careful not to allow venom to enter the bite. Venom is what causes the change. If we inject venom into the bite wound and the victim doesn't die, then the venom in their system changes them to be like me, a vampire."

"James let his venom get into my blood stream, but he'd taken too much blood by the time Emmett pulled him off. They wouldn't have been able to drain enough blood to get the venom out of my system without killing me, so they had to either let me change or finish me off and kill me."

"OK, so they had to let you change, but what did you mean about the burn?"

"The venom is poison, Edward. It paralyzes through excruciating pain. It literally feels like your body is immersed in a vat of acid and every single cell in you body feels like it's on fire and burned away to ash. It lasts for three days and nights, and you're completely aware for every second of those three days. They're literally burned into your memory, and you'll never forget it. You know that we have enhanced senses that are more acute than a human's? That's one of the first things to change, and the pain is all the more intense because of it."

"Ok, not looking forward to that, but it's just three days, right? That doesn't seem like much, compared to what you get in exchange."

"I guess it's just something you have to experience to really know how bad it is, but trust me you'll beg for death and plead for us to kill you before it's over."

'I'd prefer not to dwell on that aspect of this right now. So, once your change was over, Esme adopted you and you became a part your family in Seattle? How did you end up in Forks?"

"No, not right away, Esme claimed me, but I had to go away until I was through the newborn madness. Esme sent me to live with some friends of hers in Alaska for the first couple of years after my change. Once Esteban learned about my gift, he invited me into the Clan, and sent Jasper to start training me."

"Ok, you lost me there. What do you mean newborn madness, and why did you have to go away? What's the difference between Esme claiming you and Esteban inviting you into the Clan?"

"When you're first changed, you're what we call a newborn. We can tell a newborn vampire from the color of their eyes and their scent. Their eyes are a bright ruby red from all of their human blood in their system, and the changing blood gives them a different sweeter scent. Newborns can be emotionally volatile, and suffer from sudden mood swings and sudden violent reactions until they adjust to their new life. It's worse for the completely uninformed, when they suddenly wake up to this new life. We've found that people that know what to expect, and know going in have a much smoother transition to this life."

"So that's why you're telling me all of this, to make it easier for me later on?"

"Yeah, and because you asked me, you're gonna know all of this one way or another now anyhow, so there's no point in hiding it from you anymore."

"Ok, so newborns can be emotional, suffer mood swings, and can act out violently. Does it always last for two years? Is that why they had to send you away?"

"No, the newborn madness usually only lasts for about six months to a year before you start to gain some control. During the newborn period its best if you aren't around humans. Newborns can be very hard to control. The bloodlust can take control of you and cause you to fly into a murderous feeding frenzy from the scent of human blood. Even the sound of a human heartbeat or the warmth that they radiate can trigger the bloodlust. If you were around humans, you'd most likely kill them without any thought at all, only to realize what you'd done after the fact when you calmed down and the bloodlust faded."

"I stayed in Alaska for two years so Eleazar could help me learn how to control my gift. He's a member of the clan that Esme sent me to live with. His gift is understanding how the gifts that some of us have work. He saw my potential and contacted Esteban about me."

"Right and Esteban saw that you were valuable and brought you into the fold. How was that different from what Esme did? You said she claimed you?"

"What happened to me was an accident. It's rare but it happens from time to time. Normally when something like this happens, the vampire that caused the change is responsible for the new vampire that they create. It's their responsibility to make sure that the new vampire knows the rules and our laws, and makes a smooth transition into this new life. James abandoned me. The Fu's paid off my contract to Esteban, and left me to fend for myself. If somebody hadn't claimed me to take responsibility for making sure I was trained, I probably would have been killed. The punishment for breaking the rules is death, and it's too easy to screw up when you're a fresh newborn on your own. There are no second chances or warnings. Esme claimed me and took responsibility for me to make sure I was trained and looked after.

"Maybe Esme isn't so bad after all. She seems to have done right by you. You know she considers you to be her daughter." Bella smiled at that comment, and nodded happily.

"Esme's a very good person and she's like a mother to all of us, but don't get on her bad side! She's all business when it comes to her club. She's been managing Esteban's club in one city or another for over eighty-five years, ever since he found her running a speak easy in Chicago in the twenty's"

"What did you mean when you said that the Fu's paid off your contract to Esteban? I thought you said you didn't work in the club for money?"

"I didn't, but its part of the traditions. It's how our society works. You've heard of the term wergild, or maybe blood money? In ancient times it was a reparation payment usually demanded of a person guilty of murder or other wrongful death. Since James abandoned me, and he was sworn to the Fu's, they became responsible for what happened. The Moreno's suffered a loss, so the Fu's had to make good on it. They had to pay the equivalent of what I'd earn in a year, or provide a suitable replacement within thirty days. They paid the cash."

"Doesn't that seem a little barbaric to you? I don't want to judge, but it just seems so mercenary to me."

"I feel the same way if it helps, but you have to realize how old a lot of the people that rule my world are. We were both born in the modern age, Edward, and we look at things from a modern perspective. People like Esteban and Fu Chang Hong and Aro see things differently because the world was different when they were born. They make the rules and we follow them. If we live long enough, maybe we'll have a chance to make the rules."

"Ok, that makes sense. So, you were past the newborn madness, and you were adopted into Esteban's Clan. How did you end up in Forks of all places?"

"Jasper picked Forks when things got too intense in Seattle. The other families started to put pressure on us, cutting into our operations after Esteban had to go back to Italy. Jasper didn't think I was ready to help out yet, and he wanted to move me to a safe house to continue my training, away from the city. He wanted to go back to Alaska, but I didn't want to be that far away from Esme and Rose, so we compromised on Forks. He figured we wouldn't see very many other vampires out there, because it was so close to La Push, and the Volturi enforce the treaty on our side of the line. La Push is off limits, and any vampire with any sense gives it a wide berth."

"Ok, you know, that's the second time you've mentioned the treaty. Jacob told me the Quileute legends, but he doesn't believe them. Is all of that true too? Can the Quileutes really turn into werewolves? And what's a Volturi? Are they some kind of cop or something?"

"Yeah, the legends are true. Your friend Sam Uley's a werewolf, and so are those two big kids working for him. I think their names were Paul and Jared? Your buddy Jacob hasn't turned yet, but that's probably why they have him working with them. They're waiting to see if he phases. We've got some werewolves that work for us too. Most of them are really sweet guys, once you get used to the stink."

"That is so bizarre. Are any of the rest of the mythical creatures real? What's a Volturi? Is that another type of creature?"

"I am not a mythical 'creature', Edward! I'm a person, not some weird monster from your nightmares!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you were a creature, but if you were, you'd star in my dreams, not my nightmares."

"That's better, Edward, maybe there's hope for you yet. There are some that might equate the Volturi with creatures from your nightmares. The Volturi are the ruling Clan of my world, vampire royalty at least in their minds. They rule all the clans and enforce our laws. The Volturi Guard are the peace keepers and cops, the enforcers of the rules. Esteban is a member of the Volturi Guard. The Moreno Clan is his personal household. The way the power structure works is almost like a medieval feudalism, with rival barons vying for power and favor."

"I suppose that makes sense if they're all as old as you said. So why did you decide to go to high school when you moved to Forks?"

"Well, I look like I'm seventeen. I was when I was changed. I never got to go to high school when I was human, and I wanted to try it. We needed to fit into the community and not cause too much of a stir, so it made sense to go to school to fit in. Jasper was only nineteen when he was changed, so it wasn't too far of a stretch."

"Jasper really looks like he's in his early twenties. He was really only nineteen when he was changed?"

"Yeah, I suppose he does look older, but Jasper has always had a lot of responsibility piled on him, and the years of experience leave their mark even if he doesn't physically age. He was the youngest Major in the Confederate Army when he was changed."

"Bella, all of this is supposed to stay a secret, right? I don't want to seem insensitive, but you were homeless and living on the street. Nobody was going to miss you if you disappeared. I don't know the rest of you family's stories, but what are Alice and I supposed to do about the rest of the people in our lives? I assume we can't tell them any of this."

"No, if somebody found out that you'd told our secrets, both of you would be killed. The person you told and you for telling them."

"That's what I thought. Alice and I don't really have anyone else but Carlisle. What do we tell him? Do we just disappear one day and never come home? Fake our deaths and leave him alone to mourn for us? Alice and I both have extensive accounts and investments, and I have a trust fund that won't be mine until I turn eighteen."

"You can wait until you're eighteen Edward. There's no rush. The easiest thing to do would be to wait until after you graduate, then if you decided that you want this life you could say that you're traveling or leaving home to go to college. That would be a normal time for you to leave your family, and you could still keep some contact with your father. It would probably be years before you could see him, but he could still be a part of your life, after a fashion."

"As far as your accounts and investments are concerned, we have attorneys that will make sure that your money stays yours, and that you'll be able to have access to it and manage it. I don't really know much about that part of our business, but Jasper will help you setup whatever you need."

"Ok, that makes me feel better. I still worry about Carlisle. I don't want to just abandon him. He's the only father I've known, and I love him."

"Don't worry about your father, Edward. We'll make sure he stays safe, and he can still be a part of your life, but for a couple of years you'll just have to rely on phone calls, email and letters."

That seemed reasonable. It would be the same if I went to school in another part of the country or took a job that required me to relocate to another state.

"There's one more thing I've been wondering about… I first noticed it when I met Esme. You said that newborns have bright red eyes. Usually your eyes are a kind of golden butterscotch color, but they turn darker when you're upset. I've noticed that a couple of times I've seen vampires with eyes that are a kind of orange hue shot through with flecks of red. Esme's eyes were like that in Rainier and Billy's eyes tonight. Your eyes are like that tonight. Will you tell me what causes the color change?"

"Our eyes turn golden from the diet of animal blood, actually they become darker when we're thirsty, or affected by the bloodlust. I guess that's about the same as saying they become darker when we're upset, because we get thirsty when we get angry. Watch out if you see our eyes turn black.

Our eyes start out bright red from all of the human blood in the system when you're changed. Vampires that live on a diet of human blood have red eyes, but they turn a darker almost a burgundy color with great age. The orange hue and flecks of red are from feeding on human blood. If I kept feeding on human blood, my eyes would turn completely red. The occasional infrequent snack just turns them orange until the next time we hunt."

"So your eyes are that color because you were drinking human blood?"

"Yes, but I didn't kill anyone, Edward. I need it to help control my gift. It's probably the reason we're alive tonight. If I hadn't fed today, I probably wouldn't have had enough control to defeat Billy. He was a very powerful vampire with a very strong gift."

"Ok, that's just going to take a little getting used to… So what did Billy mean tonight when he said, 'If he's your mate, why are there no marks on him'? He was looking at my neck and he said you hadn't claimed me yet. He was looking for bite marks, wasn't he?"

Bella looked down, and she acted like she was a little uncomfortable discussing this. I was sure if she could have, she'd be blushing halfway to her toes.

"Yes, he was. You're still human, and its part of mating instinct, Edward. Its how we mark are territory and claim what's ours. If I marked you, any other vampire that encountered you would know you're mine."

"But you haven't claimed me yet, because you're waiting for me to tell you that I want you."

"Yes…"

"And then you're supposed to bite me and drink my blood to seal the deal."

"Yes…"

"Alri…"

"Edward! There you are! What the hell did you do tonight?" Alice asked as she burst into the room.

"It's a long story Alice… Why, what's wrong?"

'We've got problems, Edward!" Alice reached for the remote for the TV in the lounge area of the espresso bar. It was on some nature channel, and the volume was turned down low. She changed it to the local news station, and turned up the volume.

There was a video of me running down the street with the bikers in pursuit. It was slightly blurry and at a funny angle, and I realized it must be from a traffic camera.

Then the scene cut to a pretty commentator as she read the story, "Police are looking for anyone that can supply information on the events in downtown Port Angeles this evening. Shortly after this footage was taken, local police found three of the men unconscious at the scene of an apparent gang fight. The victims were transported to Olympic Memorial Hospital, and one of the men remains unconscious in critical condition. Police are following up on leads found at the crime scene…" Alice turned the volume back down.

"Where's your wallet, Edward?" Alice asked.

I reached back and it was gone. When had I lost it? When they chased me? By the docks? At the fight with Billy? Running across the rooftops? I had no clue. Then Bella stood up.

"I'll retrace our path and see if I can find it. You two better get back to Forks…"

"Don't bother, Bella. The police have it. They found it lying next to that guy that's in the hospital. They're going to want to talk to you tomorrow, Edward."

"Just tell them the truth Edward, and this will be ok," Bella said. "I'll back up your story if you want me too."

"I'll wait 'til they come looking. I can't go to them tonight like this. I look like I've been in a fight, and I never laid a finger on that guy. C'mon Alice. We better go. I'll see you in school tomorrow, Bella. Ok?"

"I'll be there Edward, and I'm looking forward to finishing our conversation."

Yes, tonight was definitely my night for life's little 'Oh shit' moments. I was three for three. Hopefully the creep woke up and told the truth, but I was prepared for the worst.

Author's Note:

Translation:

Puta (Spanish): Whore