I don't own any of Stephanie meyer's wonderful characters or anything else within this incredible universe she's created.

Chapter 2:

(Edward's POV)

Bella was silent as we moved her cold, still body to our stolen vehicle. She looked as though she was sleeping peacefully. She reminded me of some beautiful fairy tale princess. Though true love's kiss would not wake her, for she had no Prince Charming. No, she had a vile monster as a lover. Jasper and Emmett had already disposed of the tracker and were preparing to set the dance studio ablaze. Soon all evidence of our battle and Bella's last human moments would be little more than ash. Rage and despair flowed through me so freely in this moment that I swore it could have been blood in my veins.

"She will wake up tomorrow at 1pm."

Alice showed me, reading the melancholy on my face. I saw Alice's vision then. Us, my family, crowded around Bella laying on a gurney. We were back at the house. I could see our living room, the wall of windows behind us. The sun is just off center to the west, 1pm, just as Alice had said. And as though Alice had a stopwatch in which she recorded all future timelines, Bella's brilliant red eyes opened. I shuttered softly. Long gone we're Bella's beautiful deep chocolate eyes. I felt the grief wash over me like a wave. Just then Emmett and Jasper entered the car. Jasper scooted next to Alice in the middle of the back row. Alice was cradling Bella's head softly in her lap, brushing the blood soaked hair out of Bella's face. I was moved by the love in Alice's eyes. I could only pray Bella would not resent Alice or the rest of my family for her transformation. Only I was to blame. Emmett got in the rear passenger seat behind me. His thoughts were deeper than usual but still clear. He still felt the brotherly protectiveness over Bella that he had a few days ago, but it was different now. More intense. He had already accepted Bella as a permanent member of his family. This is the first time Emmett would witness a transformation. He knew what to expect, but he felt excitement for the new experience. I nearly growled at him aloud. There was nothing exciting, nothing to look forward to in regards to Bella's searing change. Surely she would hate me for this. She should hate me. I hated myself.

Suddenly I felt numbness wash over me. Jasper hadn't so much as moved a muscle, but the calm he was radiating out of him was so intense I could feel myself enveloped in it. I could read in his mind the careful, delicate way he held his body. He was still holding his breath. Bella had enough venom in her bloodstream at this point that she barely even smelled human. I doubt Jasper would even feel temptation if he smelled her now. The bitterness of my grief fought against Jasper's calm. She would never smell of lilac and freesia again. I would nevermore feel the burn for her in my throat. I should be happy, elated, that my pain was over. But I couldn't feel anything but the grief.

"The details are still blurry" Alice thought.

She hadn't intended on thinking it toward me, but I picked it up all the same. Alice was looking through the possible futures. Seeing the most likely ones to come to fruition.

"It has to look like an accident. We don't have time to fake an illness. And Renee and Charlie don't deserve the pain of a disappearance. Renee will grieve for a while but she will be able to move on. Charlie however, will never recover."

Alice was right of course, but how would we do it? It's not as if we hadn't covered up murders before. But this was different, we had never created a cover up so close to home. It made me sick. Just then, as if Alice could read my mind instead of the other way around, a new vision entered her line of sight. More solid than the last visions. So it was decided. Alice saw herself standing in Renee's kitchen. She had a pen in her hand and she was scribbling a note down on a piece of paper ripped haphazardly out of a notebook. It was a letter, scrawled perfectly in Bella's handwriting. How odd, had Alice been practicing this? The note read

"Mom,

I'm so sorry. I know you're probably worried sick about me. I know Charlie called you and told you about me coming home. I think I just got spooked. But I realize now that I was overreacting. The truth is I love Forks! I love my school and my friends. I think I might even be in love with Edward. But mostly I love dad! I feel so horrible about yelling at him like I did. I'm going back to Forks to be with him. I hope he forgives me. He needs me mom, and I think I need him too. I know you'll be happier with Phil in Florida anyway. Enjoy the sun for me!

Love, Bella"

I appreciated this vision. I know that Bella would be heartbroken that she would not have the opportunity to say goodbye to Charlie and Renee herself. Hopefully this would ease some of that ache. Another vision interrupted Alice's mind now. Bella's behemoth truck swerving out of control on a dark wet highway. It's rusty bed fishtailing out of the right lane and across the rumble strips. And finally, it spinning out and smashing headlong into a massive tree. Suddenly the cab of the truck is on fire, and soon the whole truck is engulfed in flames. So this was the cover story. A horrible yet extremely plausible car accident. I thought of the cold January day just months ago, when I had saved Bella from a very similar fate. The day Tyler's van had almost taken her way from the world forever. I thought of how easy of a story this would be. There would barely even be an investigation. Car accidents happen all the time after all. Alice was thinking through the details now. The accident would take place just outside of Portland. It would be around 2am when Bella's truck would be discovered. I looked at the clock absentmindedly. It was 10:18am. We had 14 hours to make this happen. Alice spoke aloud for the first time. Carlisle had been looking at her expectantly, waiting for her to tell him where to drive.

"Turn left on Eucalyptus Street, then right onto I-17" Alice said to Carlisle, as she mapped the fastest and least conspicuous route to Renee's home. Carlisle just nodded.

"Where are we going?!" Emmett asked impatiently.

He hated all of the internal plotting, only Alice and I had seen what would happen next.

"We're dropping Alice and Jasper off at Bella's house, then we are driving back home."

I spoke to Emmett, my voice completely devoid of emotion. Maybe Jasper's numbness was more effective than I thought.

"Huh??" Emmett's voice boomed, much too loud considering the quiet in the car. "We're going home??"

For once Emmett thought something that he didn't say aloud. "Driving?! But it's over 22 hours away. Bella will be in so much pain. Shouldn't we run home? Get her somewhere more comfortable as soon as possible?"

It wasn't an accusation, Emmett was just genuinely concerned for Bella.

"I don't want to run with her."

I whispered, my voice barely louder than a breath. She will be screaming with anguish soon and I can't bear to hear her pain bounce with echoes off of the empty forest.

"We can't go outside Emmett, there is no future where we aren't seen."

Emmett knew not to question Alice, she wouldn't have gone with this version of events if it hadn't been the best option. Still his fraternal concern was so endearing that if my body would have allowed it, my eyes would have filled with tears. Should I be worried about this too? Would the long travel add unnecessary additional pain to Bella's transition?

"Bella will be okay, Edward. She's strong. Stronger than even you know…"

Alice thought in my direction. I hated when she was cryptic like this. What could she possibly be talking about, what on earth could I not know? As I thought of this I wallowed even deeper in self pity. How could I have allowed this atrocity to happen? My sweet, fragile Bella, warm and soft and perfect. What had I done to her? I was vaguely aware of Alice directing Carlisle's turns as he drove. We were quite close to Renee's home now. I tuned back into Alice's mind, it was twisting and swirling between thoughts and visions. It suddenly took a darker turn and I was shocked. I saw her in a barely lit room, cold and clinical, some sort of medical facility? Then I saw it. It was a morgue.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

I roared at Alice. Carlisle cringing away from me slightly.

"It has to be this way."

Alice said simply. I saw her visions swirl again. Of course. We needed a body. The EMT's could not find Bella's truck empty. I knew that the poor girl Alice would choose as Bella's body double was already dead. Nothing and no one could save her. But it felt so crude, so vile, to take away from her the peace of a final resting place.

"She's a Jane Doe," Alice thought in my direction. "She was murdered, but her case went cold. The police took all the DNA evidence they could. They are hoping maybe someday they will make a connection. She is set to be cremated tomorrow."

I understood then. Alice had picked this girl for more than just her passing resemblance to Bella. I winced at the thought, by the time the EMTs found Bella's truck it wouldn't matter that the girl had a passing resemblance. I couldn't think about the details of the cover up anymore. I knew Alice would make sure everything was in order. All I wanted now was to get Bella home. In perfect sync with my silent wish, we pulled up to Renee's house. Carlisle pulled under the car port so the shade perfectly covered the car. It was the middle of the day and none of the other houses had cars in the drive, we wouldn't be seen. I got out of the car and opened Alice's door. She ever so carefully lifted Bella off herself, as though she were a sleeping infant Alice was desperate not to awake, and slid from the car. At the same time as Alice was lifting Bella, Jasper squeezed himself from his seat and climbed out of my still open passenger door. Alice looked at me seriously,

"We will handle this Edward, and we will be back home before Bella even wakes up."

I looked away from Alice's bright, knowing eyes, I could feel the scowl as it set into my face.

"And Edward," Alice said sternly, a new intensity in her voice. "Don't get yourself into a tizzy waiting for Bella to wake up. You'll only hurt yourself and her in the process."

I sighed but the sound was more irritated than sad. It reminded me of when I was first with Bella, I was always displaying the wrong emotions.

"You forget Edward, you never take Bella's desires into account."

Alice said rather smugly. It was an echo of words she had said before. She told me that same thing just before I had taken Bella to the meadow, when she had shown me Bella's mostly probable future.

"You don't know anything" I growled at Alice.

"Wanna bet?" She said with a bemused smile on her lips.

Bella's POV

82,740 seconds. That's how long I had been burning. My lips were still pressed tight. I hadn't made so much as a sound since I realized what Edward was doing in the dance studio. I laid silently as we drove to my mother's house. Once Alice and Jasper had left the car, Edward had switched to the backseat. He held me and rocked me as we drove. Sometimes he would whisper to me, sometimes he would sing softly. I could hear the pain in his voice. I wished I could comfort him, tell him I was alright. But I knew if I opened my mouth screams would pour from it uncontrollably. So, I stayed silent. Carlisle drove the whole way back to forks. I heard him talk to Esme on the phone. He explained to her what happened and she told him how Victoria had disappeared. Her and Rosalie were still watching Charlie very closely and I was grateful. The thought of Charlie set a different twinge of pain through my heart. My poor father. What will he do now?

It took 22 hours to get to the Cullen's home. Carlisle drove fast, but not like how Edward drove. He was still considering the possibility of being pulled over for speeding. How a sight like this would look. Carlisle and Edward were still covered in my blood, they hadn't changed after the incident at the studio. And I was lying, probably looking lifeless in the backseat. Lifeless, is that what I was now? No! My life has just begun! I could finally be with Edward, in every way, forever. This thought dulled the burning slightly. I wondered how much longer I would have to lay like this? Once we arrived at the Cullen's home, time passed very quickly. Esme had prepared for our arrival. Edward carried me bridal style through the front door and laid me down on something that felt like a table. I heard Esme speaking in a hushed tone to Carlisle,

"Where are Alice and Jasper?" She asked "they came back for Bella's truck hours ago!"

My truck? Where had they taken my truck?

"They stayed by the scene of the accident." Carlisle responded "Alice wanted to make sure the EMT's correctly identified the truck and found Bella's I.D."

What were they talking about? I couldn't understand. More hours passed and the house was silent. 88,800 seconds. Alice and Jasper came into the house and Alice immediately rushed to my side.

"You haven't cleaned her up??" Alice said pointedly at someone.

"She's your pet, you do it!" Rosalie hissed at Alice.

"You can't think of anything or anyone but yourself!" Alice retorted back at Rosalie. "Don't you remember when you awoke? Still covered in your own blood from your horrific attack?"

Alice spit the words at Rosalie. I heard a quiet gasp. Then the soft footsteps of Rosalie running from the room.

"Alice!" Esme chided, "you know that was cruel!"

"I know!" Alice said back, sounding like a petulant child. "Give her a taste of her own medicine."

Before the words were fully out you could hear Alice's regret in her voice.

"Go apologize to your sister Alice, it may take her a while to warm up to our newest family member. But that does not take away from the family bonds we have already formed. I will clean up Bella."

Esme sounded exactly like the mother I knew she was. As soon as Alice left the room, Esme began to fuss over me. I felt her wiping at my face. She changed me into fresh clothes and washed and brushed my hair. All the while she sang softly,

"you are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are gray…"

96,000 seconds. The burning had finally ceased. I wanted to take a deep breath. A sigh of relief. But I was still afraid to move.

"It's time!" I heard Alice call excitedly.

7 pairs of footsteps shuffled from around the house towards me. I felt a sudden tightness in my chest. Nerves and shyness washed over me. I had hoped this would go away with my new life. All the other immortals I met seemed to exude such confidence. What if even now, I was nothing like them.

"Alice, why isn't she moving?" Edward spat at Alice with a little panic in his voice. "I've never seen a transition like this!"

He sounded different. His voice was somehow clearer and smoother than it used to be. It sounded like the keys of a piano. Has his voice always sounded this lovely? Had my human ears just missed it?

"It must be the morphine!" Carlisle sounded so hopeful.

I would have to find a way to tell him the truth someday. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it, I have other mountains to face. Now that Edward was so near I couldn't bear to wait any longer to see him, to hold him and kiss him! I had missed him so much! It had been almost a week at this point since I'd been with him last. I hadn't seen him since I had fled to Phoenix with Alice and Jasper, not counting the dance studio of course. I wondered now if he would look different, just as his voice had sounded different. How would he look now with my new perfect vision? Well there was only one way to find out. My eyes opened with a flash, and I heard with impeccable clarity, 7 small gasps.