A/N Hey everyone, okay first of all I would just like to say sorry to you guys for the chapter being a couple of days later then maybe some of you are used to be life sometimes just gets in the way. You've all been more then patient with me and I appreciate that greatly, I do have a huge treat well I think it is anyway. I've finally found a BETA one I'm hoping I can keep hold of, well for as long as she'll have me anyway. This chapter as I've read through it after having it edited I can already see the big difference and I hope you guys can see just how much cleaner chapters are from now on.

That big round of applause and massive thank you should go to RDoster2012 She worked through my chapter wonderfully and I'm so happy with how it looked at the end of her edit. I'm sure a few of you are familiar with her wonderful helping hand with Trillions work where she's also been a Beta for Trillion. So a big thank you to Trillion too for mentioning my story to RDoster2012, already I can see she's exactly the style and type of BETA I've been keeping my hands clasped together in prayer for since I started this story. So once again thank you RDoster2012.

BETA READER: RDoster2012

Enjoy :)

RED DAWN

SUMMARY: Edward had always warned Bella that the pack was dangerous. They are hostile, volatile, and aggressive by nature. She ignored him, testing even Edward's vampire instinct, by staying friends with his enemy, Jacob. One event will change them all. Bella never truly understood the supernatural world; she didn't understand the aggression that lay dormant even in her controlled mate until it was too late. WARNING: Violence and Character Death.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and all the Characters.


Chapter Twenty-Two

The heated look in Edward's eyes made Bella's knees grow weak, she'd not nearly expected the way he'd come home, even though she could see something deeply unsettling in his eyes. Bella knew he was on the brink of falling apart, she herself had still found it hard to not cry, in the space of days she had lost two people she loved and saw as parental influences in her life. They had been almost safe; even though it had come from a strain and a disagreement they had only hours left in Forks before they would leave to allow the rest of the family to handle the fighting. Fighting that both the Denali and remaining Cullen's didn't believe either Esme or Carlisle was truly ready to face. Even if Esme was, more understanding neither had been able to face it, the true acts of violence that would need to be carried out. Esme struggled getting past her own instincts, which made her progress falter with the training Jasper had offered her. Carlisle though who clearly could fight and defend himself couldn't allow his beliefs to be altered, he didn't want to take life and while a respectable view, it had caused a deep rift between himself and his members of the family, Edward and Jasper being two main members.

Now they had been taken from them all, a mother and a father, friends, companions. They would never be part of the grand future Bella had often conjured in her own mind, when she allowed herself to think of what possibility the future may hold with endless time and a family around her she adored. The tragic reality that this was not something that could be undone, and that this couldn't be mourned in the way that any of them desired. There was still so much that threatened them all, and there was still so much that could be lost. Instead of Edward returning broken and unresponsive as Bella had expected and even worried about, believing long before his return that they should go to him. The family had disagreed, time would be needed, considering the dangers they'd all believed that to give Edward space and time none knowing exactly what Esme had wished for her final moments and not knowing how it would have carried out.

No Bella hadn't expected the Edward who had returned the early hours of the morning light through the Cullen home.

All had stayed up in their relative silence and mourning, they had remained close and barely anything was spoken of between them, Xavier and Rochelle had eventually joined them all inside. Then Alice had seen a vision of Peter and Charlotte arriving, and instead of Alice being pleased to finally see something inside of the darkness she'd quickly had to exit the room. Much to Jasper's distress as he'd found himself expected to greet his friends all while wishing to join Alice, it had been clear to Bella exactly how Jasper had felt as she'd seen his face more open and obvious of his emotions then she'd ever seen before. She had always viewed Jasper as a somewhat enigma when it came to her trying to read him, while Edward had always accused Bella of being the one hard to read she'd never really been able to get a good understanding of Jasper. She'd learnt a little of his life before joining the Cullen's, she knew now that Jasper was firmly at Edward's side in this, that it seemed Jasper was ready, willing and able to be whatever Edward needed of him. Almost like a loyal solider Bella had often thought of him recently, it was no surprise when faced with the reality of Jasper's long existence. He'd always been a soldier, as a human fighting in the civil war, a well-respected young officer and then into the immortal life he'd been in charge of training the new-borns. Jasper had only briefly greeted Peter and Charlotte before his need to be with Alice had been too much, whatever had distressed Alice had still lingered within him and he had rushed to find and comfort his mate. Emmet had done his best to explain to Peter and Charlotte what had happened, he too hadn't wished to be far from Rosalie's side.

They had all waited after the initial awkwardness for Edward then, even Alice had returned with Jasper though she'd not given any type of explanation for what she had seen. Bella had felt that Alice may have seen something related to Edward when her vision had come to her, like in that moment she'd been able to see more than just Peter and Charlotte. She hoped to be wrong but from Alice's reaction she believed that her best friend might have been given clear witness to what had happened to Esme. What Edward had been asked to do for his mother, seeing how badly it was affecting Alice it had only made Bella's own fear grow. Fear that Edward was out there alone and that he'd need someone, that he would need her to help him, she'd barely been able to offer him anything at the death of Carlisle and now here he was facing having to give his own mother an escape from her pain.

He had to destroy Esme. It was what she wanted and he'd been unable to deny her even though Bella knew it wasn't what he wanted to do. A vampire could not live without their mate. It was a scary reality for Bella, when she truly faced how close both she and Edward had come in the past to being completely destroyed by harm coming to the other. The countless times both of them could have been taken from the other and what that would have meant for them. Her panic had escalated but had faded quickly and Bella had only been half aware of just how tightly Jasper had locked it away, one moment she'd been prepared to demand being taken to Edward. Much like after the fight with the new-borns with Kate to being completely relaxed, it had been disorientating but she'd barely noticed her shift in emotions happened so quickly and strongly. Only once she saw Edward standing before her and the control Jasper held on her emotions fell away and it all came rushing back, she'd ran to Edward eager, needy of his touch and embrace.

Bella had felt just how tense his frozen muscle had felt under her touch as they'd held each other, she'd felt the tension oozing off him. Even still though he'd held strong, so impossibly strong and determined that she found him almost inspiring as he'd addressed his family. She'd seen hints of it then, how well and right it was for him to stand before his family as their leader, even as she felt the turmoil of feeling guilt for being proud of this man. Being proud that he was being strong for his family, when she knew inside he was barely holding on. Then he'd looked down into her eyes after giving his family the specific instruction of none of them to disturb him or his mate, still that word doing strange things to her body. Even now, even when she felt she should be grieving and only feeling pain. She would never understand how Edward made it better, she'd never be able to comprehend the connection that even when both their hearts were hurting they still seemed to have room to love each other as strongly as they do. How they still seemed to be able to reach parts of each other that anyone else would have suspected or expected to fall away under the complications around them.

The beauty of the shared mated bond.

"...We've waited long enough" Bella had felt her face flame under Edward's statement that he'd lowered his voice in tone and it had caressed her ear like a whisper. She knew she was blushing as he'd looked at her, that same hunger and need she too felt so often around him so very bright in his red eyes with golden flecks.

"That's your solution?! To go and finally fuck?!" Rose snarled and stood even as Emmet tried to restrain her from moving, still very much angered by what had happened. Still mentally exhausted from everything, the reality of Esme never coming back still creating horrible images in her mind that Edward shared with them. Edward's rage at all that he'd created, that it had been his actions that had caused so much misery and yet he'd been the one to gift Esme her escape from pain. No one else had thought to save him from that fate, where all the others had been allowed to mourn and not face it, he had been the one forced to take his mother's life. Not Rosalie, he had done it.

"You will not raise your voice to me Rosalie. You will be silent!" Edward roared savagely moving from around his mate and all but flipping the sofa that separated them both aside. Eleazar doing his best to catch the furniture so it didn't hit the adjacent wall. Tanya quickly moving to help her coven-mate as Edward barrelled towards Rose.

"Hate me. Hate me for all of eternity if you must but you will do it silently. I will not have you constantly voicing your anger. I will not have you lessen what I desire to share with my mate. I will forge my bond. Just as I know you will fuck Emmet before to embrace that bond before we face our enemy. You want to be angry you wish to make me hurt and you can't. But I could hurt you Rosalie, I could make you hurt as you desire to hurt me" Edward hissed, his black onyx eyes set on his sisters face as he reached up, his hands cupping her face in his large hands. Emmet moving defensively to step between the space of Rosalie and Edward.

"Stop!"

Edward's mind growled around them all loudly as every member within the room froze completely except for Bella, who stood realising that once again Edward was using his gift. She did not hear the shock in the minds of every single member of their group, family and friends all feeling completely frozen. The feeling of complete helplessness, and hearing Edward's loud command so blatantly in their minds was making them feel as if their very skin was itching. Like they were ready to burst forward through their bodies but didn't seem to be able to do anything but stand there. Edward knew that her anger would forever stay in place, Rose knew how to hold her grudges and they lasted decades. She would likely never be able to forgive him for giving Esme peace. If not because what she felt he'd taken from her, then just through pure stubbornness to not see that there had been no true alternative choice for their mother. His gift however was becoming something all of itself, an instinctual reaction, what had once been locked away was reaching out as quickly as his mind reading. Though he knew now, it had never been mind reading, his gift had been waiting all along to touch upon the minds of others but his reluctance in denying himself had held it at bay. Now it no longer felt repressed and locked away now it seemed the gift that had once remained forced away reacted as he needed it, instinctual and primal in nature.

"You can't hurt me, no more than those who I have allowed to harm me already. I do not need you to tell me of your hate and disgust with me Rosalie. I heard those words from my father before he was killed. I heard his fear, his decision to turn from me. He chose to turn to our enemy over me, his own son. I will never be able to gain his forgiveness or his acceptance. I will live forever knowing that. Now I will have to live forever with our mother's ashes on my very hands, I will live with images in my mind that I could force you to see and carry but I will not. I will not force you to see Esme as I had too. So hate me but believe me Rosalie, you could hate me no more then I know I will one day hate myself. Now get out of my face, if you cannot push aside your hate then leave me be. I will not tolerate you ruining this for either myself or my mate" Edward hissed lowly, the very depths of his pain seeping through in his words. It was Jasper who broke the binding of Edward's gift first, Jasper the one closest to Bella, seemed to gain more control the closer Bella stepped towards him as she moved to Edward. The second Jasper felt the ties of his own ability, he washed calm over Edward heavily to the point that Edward sagged under its influence and his hands slipped from Rose's face. Edward even so from Jasper's power slumped back until he turned to look at Jasper nodding in understanding of why Jasper was making him virtually lethargic and calm. Edward believed if Jasper held any further on his emotions he might slip away, he somewhat welcomed that.

His rage had been building to levels he'd not wanted to have his family witness. He'd wanted to avoid them, he wanted to just be with his mate and allow her to wash away his sins. Cleanse him of what he'd done, Rose's comment, and her mental spilling of hatred at him had flipped that switch. That rage that Edward was beginning to fear, the rage that he also knew he found his less controlled mind thrilling in and embracing.

With the entire family now released from Edward's hold with his newly found gift, the gift that many weren't sure if it was still holding them hostage, were still frozen as they watched him intently. Jasper and Bella both moving when Jasper's influence finally brought Edward down, anyone would have believed him sleeping as Jasper kept the heightened lethargy over him, his eyes even closed under the influence of his brother. Bella was panicked at the sight of Edward stumbling back until he seemed to pass out. His body falling to the ground, she was thankful that Jasper had caught him, as she would not have been able to hold his weight on her own.

"What the hell was that?" Kate asked first, never one to hold her tongue; she had never before in her life seen or experienced anything like that before. Being a vampire gave you impossible control over your own body, everything seemed to be controllable to a vampire so being completely unable to do as your mind commanded was scary. It was terrifying to be held so helpless.

"That, I do believe was the beginning of Edward's growing ability. I had expected to start seeing more signs of his ability once he'd activated it but that was simply... outstanding. It's growing fast, most likely due to his instinctual need to protect. The times we are surrounded are forcing it to awaken at an accelerated rate." Eleazar said, utterly stunned by the ability of Edward and what it could mean, the fact that he too had seen the way Jasper had come too as Bella had been close to him made him want to further look into it. Eleazar has always been known for being very observant even more so with his ability in those of the gifted of his kind he had spotted that moment in which Bella had passed over Jasper's place and had seen from his vantage point across the room, as Jasper seemed to become more lucid and able to move.

Xavier moved to Jasper's aide as Eleazar continued talking about Edward's ability; the last thing on Xavier's mind was worrying about what Edward had been able to do. He only worried about his friend who had fallen apart, the emotional mess that seemed to be coming from Edward was clear for all. He couldn't help but understand it though, he'd always worried about his very sensitive friend after they had parted ways. Xavier had spent much of his existence since he and Edward had stopped travelling together wishing he'd been able to make contact. He'd often feared his own hunger for human blood and his complete acceptance in taking the evildoers was his own sacrifice. He had never had the stomach or will to think of doing what Edward had, animal blood just wasn't something he wanted to tolerate even though he'd been doing so to help Edward now. Xavier knew that Edward has always just been of a different kind of cloth in their world, as were all these other animal drinking vampires. Even Jasper who Xavier recognised as one who had spent much of his life living a more traditional vampire life seemed to hold within himself that same strength and will to be better. Xavier didn't believe he was evil but he could understand why their once leader would have believed them above other immortals, as they overcame their own hunger to save human lives. Xavier had to respect that, even if his mind wondered if they didn't sacrifice something else in the restraint they need to hold.

"Here let me" Xavier offered as he reached under Jasper's arms to hook Edward up into his arm and hold him, he knew that whatever mojo Jasper had working over Edward it was better for now to keep it in place. Xavier didn't want his friend to blow his top, even if he had every right to be angry. Things were at the breaking point and he agreed the time was now. They needed to take care of these threats before any more of them were harmed or picked off.

"We'll take him to his room." Jasper said, completely set on staying at Edward's side and remaining to keep his strong influence over his brother, to give him at least a brief escape from what was conflicting and enraging him.

"I'll show you the way." Bella said to Xavier as she looked from Edward's slumped almost appearing to be peacefully asleep, she was angry with Rosalie and while she wanted to say something she knew, now wasn't the time. As Emmet seemed to be ushering Rosalie away from the living room, her eyes had stayed firmly on Edward though. Bella wondered if Edward had done anything other then what he'd said, she wondered if he'd sent any commands through the link that she'd been unable to hear.

"Lead on then, little lady." Xavier smiled and even with his usual good humour Bella could see the concern and worry evident in his eyes, she still didn't know Xavier well, all considering. She did know that he held Edward and his friendship very highly, highly enough so that he'd brought his own mate into possible danger out of his respect and friendship they had once shared.

Bella moved then with a little more urgency then what the situation would have needed, but she couldn't help but feel the overwhelming sense of needing to get Edward alone. Not only for her own selfish desires but the ones that declared that Edward needed protecting, while she tried to understand that many of them were still very confused and hurt, she didn't want them turning on each other. Bella, especially didn't want them turning on her Edward. Rose and Edward had often been known amongst all of the Cullen's as getting along the least but Bella suspected that perhaps it hadn't always been that way. From the way Esme had spoken to Rose before she'd left, before she'd taken Edward with her deep into the forest to never return, there had been mention of it. Bella had always known that Rose hated this life and the things it had taken from her, she also knew that Carlisle had changed Rose in the hope that she would be to Edward what Esme had been to him. All knew Edward had rejected Rose and it seemed there had been a grudge and displeasure held between the two, but after her awaking in the hospital she had believed she'd seen that grudge thaw and start to fade away. It seemed that it hadn't dissipated completely though, she wasn't sure what they could do to help them. Rose seemed set in her belief that Edward was to blame and Bella no doubt believed Edward wished to believe he was completely at fault. He'd had no choice though; the sensitive issue of Esme's desire for destruction had been something they had to go against their own wants to free her of her pain. Edward had shown his strength of leadership by doing something that the rest of them couldn't even hope to tolerate and do, Esme had needed Edward and he'd been there. Now Bella only hoped to hold him together a little longer, to comfort his pain and get him past it, so it was not something that would linger over his mind and potentially place him in harm.

Edward planned to end the fight with the pack tonight and while Bella didn't wish to think on what that fight truly meant, she knew it had to happen. That the time for sitting back was long gone and with the recent attack from the new-borns on their own lands it meant that they could no longer wait. If they let themselves fall complacent soon enough they would have not only Victoria closing in, but the pack also. To survive Bella knew she'd have to push aside the discomfort of knowing people she'd once seen as friends meant they'd have to be killed to save her family. She found herself unable to reach the sympathy she would have once felt now faced with Carlisle and Esme both being taken from her own life and those she loved most. Her own empathy was not limitless and she too, like the others could no longer believe there was some redeemable quality left in them; she could never forgive those in the pack for this. Even with knowing what her own fiancée had taken from them, to Bella the choice was more firmly etched in concrete then it had ever been before. The pack must be destroyed.

Edward may have been the one to destroy Esme but Bella would forever hold her destruction as a result of the packs actions.

Bella pushed open the door to Edward's bedroom, and she held the door open for Xavier as he moved in behind her, carrying Edward's still prone body. Jasper stayed right behind, with a deep-set concentration fixed solely on Edward, and it showed on his face. Rochelle then followed in behind them all as Bella closed the door firmly behind them. While she didn't want to be angry at Rose, the feelings of anger were there, she'd pushed Edward just a little too much. After the awful things she'd already said earlier too, and then facing his family after what he'd had to do it was no surprise his control had snapped. That he'd snapped when faced with Rose trying to belittle not only him but his desire to completely seal the mating bond that was slowly growing between himself and Bella. He'd waited longer than any normal vampire would to seal the intimate physical bond that two mates shared, most barely lasted days into finding their mate. Edward had held against the desire to forge that bond completely and wholly for well over a year, almost two years since his very first meeting with Bella. Many found it strange that Rose would even try and question it, when most of the mated pairs had decided upon taking the time Edward had given to embrace their own mates. Facing danger always heightens that need to be one with your mate. She'd been targeting his own beliefs again; Edward hadn't been naive to it however, this time.

"I'll just lay our sleeping beauty here." Xavier said as he looked over his shoulder to Bella with a smile as he rested Edward down onto the bed, while he was most certainly shocked at the sight of Edward asleep. Both he and Rochelle were stunned at how relaxed Edward was and couldn't believe that whatever his brother Jasper had done could be able to send him to sleep in such a way.

"He isn't sleeping." Jasper said simply from across the bed where Xavier had placed Edward down onto the large space. Xavier and Rochelle both looking to Jasper intrigued. They had both been prepared to take some training under his teaching when Edward had instructed them to prepare. Anyone of their kind who simply looked at the man knew he could fight. His scars were testament to a life of fighting and surviving. You didn't obtain that much scarring without a few stories to tell, Xavier and Rochelle both knew Jasper was a fighter. One that they'd trust to show them anything he believed worthy of knowing when it came to facing this enemy, one they have never faced before, they knew that they'd need different training.

"I've heightened his calm and lethargy to a level that has placed him in a deep meditative state of content and peace. His anger was brimming on dangerous levels; he wouldn't have wanted to harm Rose. Or any of us but..." Jasper struggled then as he gritted down on the slowly burning flame that spread over his chest, Esme's words still so strong in his mind and heart. He'd never before felt the need to cling to the paternal care either Carlisle or Esme had offered, he'd always felt much of an outsider amongst them all. He'd relied much on Alice and Edward through the decades together, his guilt was much like Edwards in that respect for the lives they had taken.

"I didn't realise you could do this." Bella spoke out then looking to Jasper as she stroked back some of Edward's hair, tenderly caring for her fiancée and mate as he seemed to be asleep. She was happy for him to find some kind of escape from his pain; Edward had often in the past told her of his envy that humans could close their eyes and minds to the world and rest. His life never ending and constant in that regard, all the days melding into one endless loop, that he felt trapped by, she hoped that he felt better in his immortal life now he had her.

"It's not something I've ever wished to broadcast to my family. Alice knew, as did Edward. Though not much goes unknown by Edward." Jasper tried to say with some humour but Bella fixed her eyes on him, believing something more was there that he'd not said and wanted him to feel he could open up to her. They were family, they were all each other had in this world and she wanted to be able to offer them all what they had always offered her.

"For so long now, I have not allowed myself to use the full potential of my gift. I've held myself back, much like Edward in that respect when you truly look at it. I abused my gift when I was first created; I was manipulated and fooled by my creator Maria. She managed to trick even my gift, and I, like a puppet to her army, helped her. I trained her new-borns and kept them in line with my gift. I used them like minions, I took away their will power, I had made them numb vessels of destruction. I kept them calm while preparing then turned them feral during battle. Once I began to see what I was doing I tried to stop, Peter and Charlotte were the first to show me what I had truly been doing. I had held such power over them they'd barely even registered being mated. I had numbed them to the very level that they'd only just seen how much they would mean to each other. So I tried to deny my gift, I swore to myself I would never abuse this gift. Years would pass, I would struggle experiencing every death I took and then I met Alice. Like the perfect storm in a little diner, I'd had no right being there but I'd just found myself there and as they say, the rest is history." Jasper explained, and Bella found herself riveted by his story, and finally seeing how in many ways that Jasper and Edward were both so similar in that respect. Both equal of great ferocity and then even gentler tenderness, they felt cursed by the gifts given for what it made them feel and yet found the strength to continue on.

"You've been stopping yourself from using your gift?" Xavier was the one to question it this time; he had always found the thought of denying your ability insane. He'd often found it irritating how hard Edward spoke about the struggle he had with enduring the thoughts of those around him, Xavier had mostly felt a little jealous that he was just an average vampire in comparison and all these gifted ones seemed to not want the talents they had.

"Not stopping exactly, I've just been mindful to not take complete control of them. I only realised how far out of practice I am when I tried to help Esme, perhaps had I not denied..." Jasper said, believing he may have offered better aid helping Esme with her pain had he simply not spent so many decades not using his gift to its full extent. He'd created some kind of block in his own mind, limits of that which he refused to cross with anyone simply because of his anger at abusing it during his life as a killer.

"You can't think like that Jasper. Even with the gift you have there was nothing you could have done. Nothing any of us could have done to spare Esme her pain. We don't exist without our mates, not for long. She was in pain; you did the only thing you could. It wasn't the solution, even if we wish it had been." Bella said knowing she'd likely have to say those words again to Edward, knowing how she'd tried to hold him together in his car yesterday when he'd fallen apart. Mourning his father and what would become of his mother, all would have to face that there had been no possible way to save Esme her pain. Just as there was no way to spare their own now, without either Carlisle or Esme, they'd carry the loss of them both forever.

"Bella is right. I know not of loss, not in the binds that you and your family share but... it is no life without our mate. Our other half to the soul we all carry, even the darkest and depraved of our kind view the mating of others as sacred. There is a reason why we all hold dear our mate's." Rochelle spoke up in her thickly accented soft voice giving Bella a side smile that was impressed by the human woman that was at Edward's side, they would make a strong mated pair. Even more so once she was one of them, she imagined that few would ever come against the both of them one day when they were both immortal and whole in their union.

"I'm going to lessen my control over Edward now. He may feel a little disorientated due to the length of control I held over his lethargy. I know it's an unusual feeling for any of our kind to experience, fatigue rarely affecting us. He'll be fine though Bella." Jasper smiled to Bella before turning to both Rochelle and Xavier looking towards the door with a silent intention for them all too leave. He had taken Edward's words seriously and didn't want anyone to bother Edward or Bella, especially if they were truly ready to finally take the final steps in their physical intimacy.

"Perhaps the both of you would like to take part in some sparring and training before our planning for this evening. I know that Carmen, Eleazar and Kate wished to practice. Even if you aren't willing to stand in, taking note of what will be happening will give you a better understanding of what we face. While the numbers of them are large they still could have grown since then. They are extremely adept at fighting in numbers; it's what makes them lethal to us. I know Edward wouldn't wish for any harm to come to you while helping our family, so any training you feel you need I'm willing to offer my help." Jasper said creating a purpose to take away those within the house of hearing Edward and Bella gifting them some level of privacy. There was also the desire to completely prepare his family; while he'd have much preferred to have Edward there also, he understood Edward's desire to be close to his mate. Jasper too planned to spend some time alone with his mate before nightfall, before they planned to cross into enemy territory finally, and shed the blood of the enemies that had taken family from them.

"That sounds like a bloody great idea. I've not had nearly as much need for a good spar since my time with Edward and he wasn't much for fighting fair. Rochelle here, too likes to take advantage of her gift always sneaking up on me." Xavier turned to send a wink to his own mate as she looked at him with a hint of humour in her seriously set face, she would be a liar to say she didn't fear this threat. She had never been the adventure seeker that her mate has always been; she'd also never been brave like him, facing the dangerous circumstances that he had.

"If you are willing we would both be accepting of anything you may offer to teach. While we hunt the human scum of this world they aren't nearly as dangerous an enemy as the ones you have facing us. We would appreciate anything you would wish to teach." Rochelle said, taking her mate's hand as Jasper nodded in acceptance; he'd suspected the two of them had wanted to have at least some time training. With both Peter and Charlotte with them it would make training easier, the both of them well trained in fighting themselves, they would make for good assistants with the rest of them.

"We won't be far from the house. Well within Edward's hearing range should he need us. We'll be a little bit away from the house, so don't worry about anything." Jasper said smiling to Bella as she turned away from meeting his gaze understanding dawning on her of what he was trying to tell her. That she shouldn't be embarrassed should Edward's plans go ahead when he was back to himself, that they would be close but not too close to be able to overhear everything. Even in her blushing embarrassment she couldn't help but appreciate that Jasper had somewhat subtly tried to hint at it. She knew there were others within her family and friends who might have been a little blunter with the approach of that conversation.

"Thank you Jasper." Bella said as she sat on Edward's bed, her fingers still tenderly caressing through his thick untamed hair, once upon a time all she'd thought about was running her hands through it. How innocent her thoughts of him had been during those early days when just imagining his touch and his kiss was all that seemed to make her blush. Now there was so much more, so much they'd already shared together and even in spite of the awful things that had happened, Bella too wished to embrace her mate as any other would. She knew she'd be left behind during the coming fight, she could not hope to offer any kind of help but being an obstacle for Edward to overcome. For now she would have to remain with her father and away from La Push while Edward risked his life to end the threat to his family. She'd wait panicked and scared but had to hope and believe he'd return to her like he'd promised.

Bella stayed with Edward's head cradled to her as Jasper, Xavier and Rochelle exited the room, she watched and waited until Edward slowly seemed to come around. It was something she'd never believed she'd ever witness, him seeming to awake from slumber, even though Jasper had made it clear Edward hadn't been sleeping. Watching as his long eyelashes fluttered open to finally setting on looking up into her face, that breath-taking smile as he looked up at her made the world around her all but fade away. Their love was selfish. It was all consuming and demanding of them but it was pure in its basic belief, it held them together. It was strong and unbreakable even after everything they had both done that should have risked the very structure and foundations of the love they had. Eventually they'd come out stronger, they had already shown signs of how strong they were together rather than apart. Bella softly caressed along Edward's jaw line as she tried to caress every inch of his face as his eyes fluttered closed once more under her touch. Before his hand brought her own to a stop and he pressed a long lingering kiss to the pulse at her wrist and then flicked his tongue against it making Bella look down at Edward wide eyed.

"I'm sorry I lost my temper." Edward said remorse clear in his expression and tone, as Bella shook her head not wanting him to apologise, not wanting him to feel he had too. He'd lost his temper but who could honestly blame him, not with what had been expected of him, not with what he'd had to do for his mother. Bella didn't want an apology, not for this, not for anything. She just wanted him to be okay. That was all she could ever hope for, his happiness.

"You don't need to apologise. Rose she's..." Bella didn't want to be sympathetic to Rose after the things she'd said to Edward not only last night but once he'd arrived back home. Bella wanted to hold her grudge even though she could already feel it slipping away knowing Rose's grief, knowing that Rose was walking into danger she had helped create to protect the family. She couldn't hold her blame on Rose when Rose had treated her no differently, if anything she'd treated her better since the entire ordeal since her attack began.

"Rosalie is hurting. While not always open she and Esme were very close. Esme was there, she knew and understood Rose when no one else did, both had suffered at the hands of men they believed they loved. Esme was never meant to leave Rose, in Rose's mind she can't blame Carlisle or Esme. She can however blame me. I don't hold it against her, it was just too much, too much after…" Edward turned his eyes away from Bella's and she could feel his pain as she caressed along his jaw, she could feel the shudder of his pain move through his body as he tried to protect Bella from his own suffering.

"You don't have to hide from me Edward. You never have to hide the pain from me, I'm your mate we carry it together. Let me carry it too." Bella whispered, leaning down even if awkwardly to press her lips to Edward's as his head twisted better to alleviate any pressure on Bella's neck in the way she leant over his head. His hands moving into the thick locks of her soft hair as he kissed her back deeply, his tongue daringly teasing across her bottom lip which was pressed against his top lip in the strange angle they were positioned in with his head cradled in her lap.

"I killed my mother." Edward said, finally breaking the kiss, the words taking the very breathe that was left in Bella at Edward's words. She'd wanted to help shoulder his pain and while she'd known what he'd been expected to do and what Esme would ask of him she'd never expected him to so bluntly state it.

"It wasn't like that Edward, it wasn't like that, you helped her. You freed her." Bella tried her best to help, tried to put it into words that weren't so sinister and knew that for all her words could do, they would never fix the part of Edward's mind that believed he'd killed his mother. That there were some things that this world simply couldn't fix or heal, that time would pass and it wouldn't matter. Edward would always believe he'd killed his mother. That he was the killer of Esme even though it had been Carlisle's choice to go to the pack alone that night, that it had been the pack that made the choice to kill him. That it had been Esme's choice to pass from this world, it wouldn't matter, because in the end it had been Edward's hands that had needed to bring it about.

"I feel dirty. Like I'll never be able to wash away what I've done. I just wanted to find you and embrace you and bury away my pain in our love. It was selfish and I knew Rose would dare to question it, I just want to feel less pain and more complete. I know with you I'll feel that. It was selfish, you can't still want me that way after what these hands have done." Edward said roughly and Bella stiffened and moved her hands to hold Edward's face firmly shaking her head, her eyes set firmly and ablaze with anger at him. Anger that he'd even speak those words, she would always want him, this wasn't her Edward that she'd grown accustom to. This was the Edward of the past that he'd let go of and she refused to allow him to regress back to his old habits, she would never make his pain less important but she wouldn't have him believe himself unworthy. Not again, never again for as long as she walked this earth would she let him feel that way of himself.

"I will always want you Edward Cullen. I will love you and want you no matter what you do. What you gave Esme, what you did was a gift. She would have suffered; she would have slowly became a different person and hated us all for forcing her to live without Carlisle. You gave her freedom; you gave her the chance to find Carlisle in life after death. You were strong for her and our family. I don't ever wish to hear you speak like that again this isn't my Edward. That is the Edward of before talking, the man I hurt and the man who didn't want to show his true self to me. We've come so far from that I won't let you fall to old habits. Your hurting and I understand it hurts, I understand it must be tearing you up inside but you are mine Edward. Nothing changes that, so don't ever breath a word of it!" Bella said with a firmness that had Edward stiffly secure in watching her serious face as he nodded, watching her intently, strong and powerful was his mate. How could he feel aroused when he felt so much deep shame, how could he still experience this sense of hunger for his mate while his world was tilted on its axis. Once again like in the car he found that his pain only seemed to call for his mate louder, his instincts telling him in his mate he would find the soothing balm his soul needed in that moment.

"You're right. I know you're right, I... I feel like all I do is apologise. It hurts and I feel like I'll never be able to wash from me what I've done. Like all I'll ever feel like and be to my family is the one who destroyed our mother" Edward admitted weakly as he pressed his face deeper into Bella's touch embracing and revelling in the warmth of her touch upon his cooler skin.

"Then let me help wash it away. Let me try to help you Edward. You've helped me so much and now I want to help you." Bella stood from the bed extending her hand to Edward as he moved to take it, completely willing to follow his Bella to the very edges of this world should she guide him there. His mind completely unaware of where she planned to take him, all he knew was that his family were far enough from the house that they were only on the edges of his hearing their thoughts.

Only once they came to the bathroom door connected to his bedroom did Edward believe that he understood to some level what Bella had in mind as she moved slowly to the shower. Edward watched her intently not moving as she twisted the nozzle of the showerhead and the hot steaming water started to cascade down onto the tile floor. Edward remained still as he watched Bella move, in many ways more confidently then he'd ever seen before. It would have been provocative and alluring was there not so much innocence and beauty in what she was doing for him, she wasn't trying to seduce him. She was trying to help him; trying to wash away those visible marks that only he seemed to know were there. He watched stiffly, frozen as she bravely removed her top, healing scars that once had made her tear up at the thought of him seeing her, now forgotten as she unbuttoned her jeans and pushed them away. Slowly moving towards Edward as she stood in her modest underwear, reaching forward and unbuttoning his shirt, one button at a time as they stood staring deeply into each other's eyes. There was no need for words to be shared, both couldn't have understood each other more completely then in that moment, both vulnerably bare to each other. Bella allowed his shirt to fall to the floor as she reached down to his belt and unzipped his jeans, hearing the audible hiss that vibrated in his chest as she pushed his jeans down his wonderfully muscled legs. Impossibly long and powerful, human Edward in his silly shorts had been gifted with powerful legs. The perfection of the change had only made them impossibly more beautiful and Bella couldn't help but be shocked by just how much she enjoyed the sight of them finally.

Edward couldn't pull his eyes from her body, he had enjoyed every touch and kiss he laid on her body that brought her so much pleasure and gave her release. He'd taunted and teased her beautiful body in his mind more then he'd ever willingly admit, and had pleasured himself countless times in the isolation of the forest alone when he'd believed no others close enough to know of his actions. How he'd ever believed his love and desire for this woman being wrong was a testament to how truly deluded and clouded his mind had been for so long. The creamy skin of her hips so enticing that it created such an urge to reach forward and take purchase of the skin, to see it yield under his large grip as he pulled her against him. The beauty of her thighs and the fantasy of having them pressed firmly upon either side of his face, as he tasted her, his arousal grew impossibly hard. The moment her hands removed his jeans he'd believed his very boxers would have torn at his impossibly hard manhood. Bella was his siren and as her blood had always called to him her body called to the most baser instincts of both the man and the beast that he'd always believed separate but even here he knew they were one of the same. God help him, he not only wanted to make love to his fiancée, he wanted to claim her possessively and aggressively with a savage passion that wouldn't even leave the house standing. Edward Cullen wanted to fuck. And he didn't feel guilt for a second while realising just the lengths of his lust for his mate. Years of condemning others for such actions seemed almost laughable to his own mind, now that he was faced with it.

"Bella..." Edward almost purred in his thick gravelly tone. Bella's hand move up to press her finger against his lips stilling him in silence once again as she looked at him. But she found his eyes not on her own but instead focussed on the creamy flesh of her blushing chest, her breast pressed impressively up in her bra and Edward seemed more than happy to be silent under her instruction once given that sight.

"Shush Edward, let me." Bella whispered moving closer still to Edward as her hands moved, clutching at his sides and moving up along his ribs, feeling the muscles and firm cool skin under her touch. Her hand, slipping into his and then moving it around her body and up her back resting it on the clasp of her bra, offering herself to him then. Allowing him to have what she could already see he wanted, feeling braver and more confident in her sexuality then she'd ever believed before.

It didn't matter then, even though she had only brought one of Edward's hands to her bra clasp he'd snapped the material between his thumb and finger pinching until the clasp yielded and broke. Bella held the giggle in as he looked down at her shocked by his own actions, the bra falling limply from her shoulders and then Edward was lifting her. Bella barely squealed out her response before she felt the bare cool air against her backside as Edward tore her underwear from her body. Pressing her body against the cold shower wall as water fell over them both, for the first time completely bear to one another. Edward kissed her deeply and Bella's small hands clung to his wet dripping hair under the pouring shower water as their tongues moved together. They could have been anywhere it wouldn't have mattered, two mates completely entwined together in the heated shower embracing an intimacy for so long resisted before.

"Everything... Everything in this world, it's all for you, anything I could give you, you'd only have to ask." Edward begged out passionately, heated in his thick tone, eyes onyx black but endearing to Bella as she slipped from his hold her back sliding down the shower wall as she looked up into his love filled face. His declaration so passionate it made her ache for him even more, his beautiful body so completely on display, his length so hard against her stomach and pulsing like it was alive against her skin. Nothing had prepared her for the absolute devastating beauty of this man completely bear to her, why had they waited so long for this moment, it seemed like a crime she'd been made to wait to see him.

"Let me love you, let me love you like you've always loved me." Bella said around the falling water of the shower as she turned Edward slowly moving to press her lips against a scar that had once not been there.

Bella pressed her lips over the bite mark on his arm that he'd received during his fight with the new-borns, a sign of his battling for his family. A sign of his protection, he'd allowed his once perfect flawless skin to become marred in his need to keep his loved ones safe, he didn't worry over it as she'd done her own scars. He carried his scars like a medal of honour well earned and survived. Bella pulled down on Edward's shoulders, wanting him to lower his body so she could kiss along his neck. As Edward willingly surrendered his control to her and allowed Bella to force him down to his knees. Edward had always longed to worship this woman on his knees anyway. Bella dragged her fingers through his hair and turned his face aside as she dragged her tongue along the large expanse of skin savagely scarred by a new-born that had tried to destroy her mate. She dragged her tongue over his neck feeling the twitch of his body as he pressed his face into her skin and groaned huskily. His large hands stroking along her thighs and moving to cup her bottom, kneading the flesh of her bottom with eager hungry hands.

"I can't take much more Bella." Edward said looking up at her on his knees, eyes begging for more and she could see that he was barely restraining himself from moving things forward. She wanted things to move forward, she wanted all of him, wanted every impossibly beautiful inch of him. They'd waited long enough.

"Take me." Bella whispered.

Her body lurched, as suddenly she was no longer under the warm spray of the shower, instead now she was looking up at the silky fabric that was drawn over the top of the four-poster bed. Bella could see Edward looming above her, his body still naked, the tensed muscles over his stomach tightening enticingly as his member bounced and twitched between them.

"Take me." Bella pleaded again.

She had no need to ask him a third time, as he moved forward upon her, his hands taking purchase of her ankles and lifting and spreading her legs as he crawled between her thighs. Bella watched, her tongue thick in her mouth as Edward's lips and tongue trailed an inferno up the inside of her thigh. Collecting droplets of water as he went, his hair still slick from their shower, both of them still drenched from the water. It didn't matter though as suddenly Bella's very sight seemed to blur from in front of her as Edward's tongue reached its destination. The feel of his rough tongue against her centre brought a wordless scream forward from Bella, she didn't believe even the distance would have prevented her family from hearing. She felt like a woman possessed as she reached forward and took claim of Edward's slick wet hair, tightening in it and forcing his head closer while pushing her hips forward. She'd never believed herself to be demanding but she was demanding of his tongue. Demanding of his touch and his love, as he tasted her, Bella could only moan in utter pleasure under her fiancées skilled tongue and rode the high that he seemed to be bringing her towards.

Edward hummed against Bella's sex, his tongue eagerly moving into her. Making love to Bella with his mouth, he'd never believed he'd ever find himself here and yet felt closer to any god in this moment then he'd before, human or vampire. With her thighs tight around his head muffling her moans with the grip she had upon his head, the possessive claim she held of his hair as she pushed her womanhood towards his eagerly lapping tongue. He could feel every muscle in her body contract and tighten, could smell her intoxicating arousal all around him, and could hear the thump of her femoral artery. The desperate desire to sink his teeth into her thigh as she reached her climax and change her in that moment, a desperate desire that he wondered if Bella would be completely against experiencing. Even to his own mind it shocked him with how badly he wished to change Bella while taking her as his own, how impossibly good it would feel to change her in that exact moment as he was filling her but knew that now was not the time. Edward swirled his tongue around the bundle of nerves he'd been working maddeningly as Bella cried and pleaded for him to keep going until he brought her over. Hearing the pop of her spine as she arched her back so much under his teasing and pleasuring, the smug satisfaction that he'd made her cum on his very tongue, filling crude parts of his mind. No longer would he ever be considered the prude of the family, he'd opened Pandora's Box and he'd never dare to deny himself ever again.

Bella panted roughly as Edward slowly kissed up her hip and body slowly working his lips the length of her body before he was positioned between her thighs kneeling there. Looking completely happy with himself, his eyes bright now but his tongue sweeping over his bottom lip, glistening still with her arousal. Bella could still see how impossibly large and hard he looked as she desperately reached out for him, wanting to bring about the kind of pleasure for him that he'd brought to her body. Her hand wrapping around him brought forward that sexy purred hiss that had quickly become one of her most favourite sounds in the world. His length was warmer than any other part of his body she'd felt before, and it thrilled her knowing this information now, as her hand caressed the length in her fist. Bringing forward her second hand to pump his arousal still not able to cover it completely in her hands as Edward kneeled before her, his stomach tight and tense as he grunted against her ministrations of him.

"Now it's my turn." Bella said daringly, as she moved to sit up, her mind completely made up and set on reciprocating to her immortal lover, the swollen tip leaking was more desirable then she'd thought it would be. She'd often thought that act was something girls did reluctantly; she'd found that she couldn't stop thinking about doing that for Edward. Taking him in her mouth as he'd pleasure her with his own. Only Edward shook his head, denying her what she wanted then, as he smirked down at her pressing her chest down slowly, moving forward on his knees between her still spread thighs.

"While the very thought of your lips wrapped around me makes me want to weep from need, I have other plans. I've waited Isabella... I've waited and I shall wait no longer. I want my mate and it's time I have her. Time for your mouth comes later, now I shall have you." Edward said in a commanding possessiveness that made Bella ache between her thighs as he pushed her legs to rest on the top of his thighs, taking his own arousal in his hand and guiding him to her entrance. Bella feeling the tightness in her stomach at the anticipation, it was finally going to happen, they were finally going to be one together, finally.

"Are you ready love?" Edward leaned forward, his lips at her ear as Bella wrapped her legs and arms around his strong body, clawing at his unyielding firm flesh.

"Always. I'm ready always, Edward" Bella moaned out as he pressed his hips forward, Bella completely consumed with the feeling of his member stretching her around him. The coolness of his length seeming to somehow ease the sting instantly as he moved inside of her, Bella's face pressed into his neck, her nails clawing at his back as she could already feel a sense of pleasure filling her. She was confused, where was the pain, the brutal pain of her first time, it didn't seem to be happening and before she could even linger on the thought he was moving inside of her. The world faded from her then as she completely embraced the pleasure of making love to her mate. There was no room for human experiences and ideals in this world, the love and shared bond of two mates coming together could have never been explained to Bella, by another human.

"I love you Bella" Edward moaned, his hands reaching to either side of her, sinking into the mattress tightly but his body still perfectly rotating and moving forward into her. Bella's own hold on Edward helping his movements to reach the very depths of her as she pushed her hips up from off the bed that he was ripping to ruins under his pleasure and need for more.

"Oh god Edward. Love you" Bella cried, her head pressing back into the pillow beneath her head, she barely managed to see around the very sparks she'd been seeing in her climax to catch sight of Edward.

Edward was both, completely adoring in his expression and open. His deep black eyes with red just lingering on the very edges of his irises as his neck tensed, his head arched up. The loud cry of pleasure that echoed around her as he filled her completely, as she felt the strange sensation of flooding inside of her as they released together. The shocking but also pleasing coolness of his seed inside of her aching centre from what they had shared. Nothing in the world could have possibly prepared her for the pleasure she had just felt. Bella would have waited a century too, knowing just what this had meant for them both. Edward gently resting the weight of his body carefully between Bella's thighs as she looked up at him, her hands slowly caressing down the length of his muscled back, his hands moving through her thick hair. They didn't need to declare the love they shared. Both could see it completely in one another's eyes.

Finally they were one.

They were completely bound in every sense of the mated world.