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

Chapter 4:

Edwards POV

I shouldn't be surprised at how breathtaking she is, or at how Alice chose to dress her. A thin silk dress that clung so close to her body it could have been a second skin, it was deep blue. I'll have to thank Alice for this once we return home. I appraise her body, as if I needed anything else to feel guilty over. She still looks like her, a truth for which I will forever be grateful. Though contrary to what I'm sure she believes of herself, she was just as beautiful a human as she is now. She still has such elegance in her, the way he held her face, the power in each stride as she ran. I must discover how she feels so that I can find the right way to apologize. I will spend eternity apologizing if only that would keep her near. We stood at the bank of the stream that bordered our property.

"So now what?"

She asked expectantly. She seemed truly unaware of what to do. Surely she didn't think we would have to swim. Swimming… what I wouldn't give to see her in that dress, soaked to the bone. Ugh! Had I no self control at all? Did I really need another reason to be damned?

"We jump." I state simply.

"JUMP??!!!" Her voice rang out with shock.

"Come on little coward"

I echoed words I had said to her before. Though this kind of playfulness might be a bit premature. We are not through the knot yet. I step back a few paces and stride forward to jump the stream. I launch through the air and do a somersault on the dissent. Esme would have chided me for showing off if she could see me now. I wait for Bella on the other side of the stream. She backs up almost 30 feet, giving herself more room than she really needs. Then she is flying through the air. She looks like Odette from Swan Lake, leaping through the air as she transforms into a swan. To add to that impression even more, as I run to greet her I see she is standing en pointe with her bare feet. I want to laugh! To run to her and grab her and kiss her. How could she already be so good at this? She finally found a way to carry the grace of her face into her movement.

"Was that good?" Bella asked hesitantly

"No." I replied honestly. "It was incredible! Very graceful, even for a vampire."

She looked at me like she was waiting for a punchline, which made me want to laugh even more.

"Really?" She whispered.

"Yes, I suppose you won't be tripping over your own feet anymore. Emmett will be so disappointed."

I felt the surprise dwindle and the familiar self loathing set it again. Why must it be so hard to just accept what is? She seemed happy enough, maybe Bella didn't resent me at all. No, that is a foolish hope. Of course she will resent me, if not now then later, when the shock wears off and her hunger is satiated she will realize all she has lost and blame the thief who stole it from her. "There's a herd of Elk up ahead. Let's get you fed, shall we?" She closed her lips into a tight line and nodded once. I can see in her eyes that the hunting instincts we're setting in and we began running again.

"Follow your senses, Bella." I spoke conversationally, knowing she could easily hear me despite our almost 300 mph speed. "You can hear their hooves against the forest floor, you can smell their scent. Let it pull you forward."

Bella closed her eyes and I could see the concentration mark between her brows. She shifted her path slightly north and I can tell she had picked up on the Elk's trail now. She runs and I follow for 25 miles gradually scaling the side of the mountain as we run. Bella starts to slow down as we approach the herd. Her eyes lock on a 12 point bull, standing a foot taller than she is. Bella leans into a hunting crouch, then the wind changes. And all hope of a well adjusted, non resentful Bella is lost.

Bella's POV

Letting my hunting instincts take over my mind was surprisingly easy. Without thinking my body led me towards my prey. When I found what I was looking for I slowed and leaned into a hunting crouch, preparing to feast on the large elk I had just spotted, then everything changed. Well, not everything, just one thing, the wind. A cool breeze gusted across my face, bringing the single greatest smell I had ever experienced. It smelled meaty and rich and… human. Before I could reason with my body it was already lurching forward. I ran and bounded and climbed up the face of the mountain toward the human. A human man out for an ill fated rock climbing expedition. A human man who was probably a good person. He probably had a family. Maybe he was even a father. Maybe he was just like Charlie. I stopped dead in my tracks. I stood perfectly still on a tiny mountain ledge and locked all my muscles in place, just like I had during my transformation. If I could be still then to not hurt Edward, I could certainly be still now to not hurt this human man, to not hurt Charlie. Edward climbed up onto the ledge with me.

"I'm so sorry Bella! I didn't realize anyone would be this far off the trail!"

His voice sounded both pleading and remorseful. As though I had already murdered the man who I was desperately trying to ignore.

"I have to go!" I spit the words at Edward.

Not willing to risk breathing in the mouth watering scent again. The scent. The burn in my throat… No! I will not be this! I threw myself off the side of the mountain, sure that a few hundred feet drop would be nothing to this new body of mine. When my feet hit the forest floor I ran. I didn't know where I was going, I just knew I was going away. I wouldn't stop until I was sure the air was clean and safe again. I ran for what felt like an eternity before I took a deep breath. No more sweet smell, just forest, thank god! I came to a stop. I hadn't realized where I was. I wondered for a moment if I knew in some subconscious part of my mind that I would run here. My safe haven. The place where my life began. I was standing in the meadow. Beautiful, delicate light purple flowers peppered the ground around my feet. It was even more beautiful than the last time I was here. I feel something behind me and I crouch into an offensive stance and let a growl rip from my throat. I turn and see that it's just Edward. But instead of feeling sorry, I am just irritated.

"How did you do that Bella?" Edward asked in a soft disbelieving tone. His hands were raised, a sign of surrender.

"What? Did you want me to kill him?" I snapped at Edward harshly.

"No of course not! I just don't know how you did it. Mature vampires, those who have lived hundreds of years, struggle with stopping mid hunt." His tone was still shocked, his eyes hiding nothing.

"Bella, you have more control than any newborn I've even seen, you have more control than I had for the first 3 decades of my existence. I'm just wondering, how are you real? How are you mine?"

I'm his? He hasn't been acting like it.

"Am I yours?"

My voice was still harsh. I hadn't meant to be so rude. I'm just still so confused. He has been so hesitant, so reserved. As I say the words, the pain is back in his eyes.

"I suppose you aren't mine." He allowed in a solemn voice.

"You belong entirely to yourself, as you always have. I had hoped that perhaps you could forgive me. But I see now that is impossible. I'll leave. You will need to stay with Carlisle. Please don't resent him, or the others, this was my doing. Please let Carlisle teach you. I'm so sorry Bella. I love you." Edward was turning to go as I was still processing his words.

"I'm sorry what?! You're just going to leave?!"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing! He thought I didn't want him? That somehow I resented him for saving me? That he was going to leave?? He couldn't, I wouldn't allow it.

"Don't you want me to go?" His voice was broken.

"No you idiot, I love you and I want you to snap out of it and love me back!"

I was shouting now. I was so mad that were I still human, I know I would have had tears streaming down my face.

"All I've ever wanted was you! And now we can finally be together, forever, and all you want to do is be all mopey and angsty! And I don't know what I'm doing and I have all these feelings I can't control and now you want to leave me?! How could you! I just want you to come over here and kiss me and tell me you love me and say everything is going to be fine! NOW!"

I had really worked myself into a nice temper tantrum there, I even stomped my foot at the end. But I didn't care. I just needed him to know what I was thinking for once. Edward looked at me with a fathomless expression and gasped slightly. Then he was running toward me and crashed his lips into mine with a force he had never dared use before. He had been holding out on me. As I kissed him back I felt our bodies fall gently onto the ground. The soft bed of grass may as well have been a California king. We laid there kissing and holding each other like we could never be separated. Like the world could end and we would still be here, just like this. When we finally broke apart Edward whispered softly in my ear,

"I love you, everything is going to be fine."

I sigh. Finally.