A/N: Here's chapter 12! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: The characters in the following story belong to Stephenie Meyer

Usually, before any family takes a trip, they always have that last minute rush before they leave. Not the Cullen's. They were perfectly ready when it came close to the time that we needed to leave.

I went over to Charlie's early that morning and said my goodbye.

He told me to have fun and be careful.

That's Charlie for you.

When I got back, they were already loading up the cars.

Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie would be taking the Mercedes.

Edward, Jasper, Alice, and I would be taking the Volvo.

Everyone was really exited. I had never seen Edward smiling so much.

"Why is he so happy?" I asked Alice.

"Bella, don't you see? This is what he's always wanted…"

"What, a hunting trip?"

"With you along. I think it's finally settling in that you're one of us now and he doesn't have to be so careful anymore."

"That and you'll be with him forever." Jasper added.

I smiled. So this is why he's so happy.

"Well, we better go and get in the car, Carlisle's already left."

Edward was just putting the last bag in the trunk when we got outside.

He closed the trunk and went and opened the passenger side door for me.

I smiled at him as I sat down.

Alice and Jasper climbed in the backseat just as Edward started the car.

When we hit the road, Alice squealed "Alaska, here we come!"

The road trip itself was interesting. There were no rest stops, or stops to eat. Just a non-stop trip to Alaska.

We listened to Edward's entire CD collection that he had in the car. Then we listened to a couple of Alice's CDs, then some of Jasper's.

"If I had known we could bring CDs, I would have brought a couple of my own." I said.

"Don't worry, there's always next time!" Alice said.

Next time…

I turned to Edward, he smiled.

We have a million of those.

I looked down at the speedometer, we were going 150.

I didn't even care. It was exhilarating. I finally had what I wanted. The ability to be with Edward forever.

We arrived in the hunting spot around noon. We had crossed Alaska's borders an hour previously.

The others had already arrived and were unloading the Mercedes and taking all the bags to a three-story cabin.

I looked at it in shock. "How long have you owned that?"

"Oh, I think it's been twelve years or so now." Edward answered simply.

"Twelve years?"

"It'll be thirteen this September." Alice said as she walked past, carrying her bags.

"Wow. It's beautiful."

"It's even better on the inside, come on, let's get your bag."

I insisted on carrying my own, Edward simply shrugged and grabbed his bag. Two seconds later, he was carrying me and my bag to the cabin.

"I said I'd carry my own bag!"

"You are carrying it, I'm just carrying you carrying your bag."

He had me there.

He took me up to the third story.

It was comprised of a bedroom and a bathroom. There was no bed, just a couch not unlike the one in Edward's room. There were also two whole shelves of CDs and a stereo. As well as an armoire and dresser. One whole wall was taken up by a glass door, with window surrounding it. When you opened the door, you were on a balcony.

"Wow."

"This whole story's mine, it's ours now."

I went over to the CD case.

"Where do you get all these CDs?"

"Those are all my duplicates. If I already have one at the house, I bring the other one here."

I nodded in shock.

"Go ahead and put your things in the armoire, I'll use the dresser."

As I unpacked my clothes, Edward turned on Debussy, the music filled the room.

We had just finished unpacking when Alice entered the room.

"Come on you guys, we're going to the spring!"

"Spring?" I asked.

"Oh, don't worry, I brought you a swimsuit!"

I groaned inwardly.

"Come on, it's in my room!"

She dragged me down the stairs to the second floor. She took me into the first room on the right.

"This is mine and Jasper's room. It's smaller than Edward's, but that's mainly because his bathroom's attached. When we use the showers, we have to fight for the communal one across the hall. It's really annoying, because Rosalie usually gets it first, and she takes the longest! You're lucky, you'll be able to use Edward's, unless any of the rest of us beat you to it." Then she grumbled more about Rosalie taking forever.

As she was saying all of this, she was digging through one of the dressers. Looking for said swimsuit.

The room was smaller, it had a couch and two dressers, plus a bookshelf covered in books. I went over to that.

"Where did you get all of these?"

"Oh, they're just books I've collected over the ages, if you see one you like, just go ahead and borrow it. Oh, good! Here it is!"

She held out a blue two-piece.

"Alice, I've never worn a two-piece before. I'm not sure I even want to go swimming…" Vivid memories of the last time flooded my memory.

"You can't kill yourself at the spring. Just try it on!"

I did, hoping it wouldn't fit.

It did.

"Ooh! Good! It does fit!"

As I was changing, she had gotten herself into a black two-piece. It looked great against her marble skin.

"Come on! Let's go! The boys are already down there!"

I still didn't want to go, so she had to drag me.

As we were walking down to the spring, towels wrapped around our waists, we ran into Rosalie. She was wearing a red bikini. Alice rolled her eyes and kept walking.

We arrived at the spring just in time to see Emmett cannonball into the water sending a wave over the already drenched Edward and Jasper.

I didn't want to get in at all, but Alice dragged me in. It wasn't so bad actually, the water was warm, despite being in an Alaskan spring.

Eventually, I was over not wanting to be there and was beginning to enjoy it. It was just the six of us "kids." I had asked why Carlisle and Esme didn't join us, Jasper replied that they were giving us "kids" time to be "kids." I couldn't help but laughing. I mean, sure, we all looked to be teenagers, but I was the only one who actually was still one.

If you really thought about it, I was 17, and frozen looking that way forever. Emmett and Rosalie both looked to be around 18 to 20, but was really around 90 years old. Alice and Edward both looked to be around 17-19, but were both over one-hundred. And Jasper looked to be around 20, but he was well over 150.

We soon began to think up games and contests. First was the one to see who could swim to the bottom of the spring the fastest. We all went to the middle and dived. Edward won. But it was still fun, I could actually see clearly underwater.

The next one was to see who could stay underneath the longest without breathing. I thought this odd, none of us needed to, but Edward told me that eventually, someone did, out of habit. We all went underwater, I lost. Alice and Rosalie soon joined me above water. Jasper eventually won, but only because Edward and Emmett began laughing.

The third one was who could make the biggest splash. Emmett won that one with no competition. I will admit, my splash was the smallest.

The fourth one was who could dive in with the least splash. Alice won that one, her swan dive looking perfect. I belly-flopped.

The next one was who could come up with the most original dive. Surprisingly, I won. I did my best imitation of one of my trips and somersaulted into the water.

The last one was who could remain the quietest while treading water. Rosalie won that one. Edward were kind of cheating by having a "private conversation" inside our heads and were disqualified.

All too soon, it was dark and time to go inside.

"That was fun!" I said as we walked back to the cabin.

"Told you so!" Alice said.

The rest of the night was spent in a grueling game of Monopoly. All eight of us played. I was losing, badly. Edward had Boardwalk and Park Place, both of them had hotels on them, and for some reason, I kept landing on that one. All of my property was mortgaged, what little I had, which included the two purple ones and a railroad. I was almost bankrupt as well.

If you give me your railroad, I'll consider the debt paid.

You already have two! Carlisle has the other one.

So.

I growled as I handed it to him.

"I'm not sure that's fair…" Alice began.

A stern look from Edward silenced her.

Two rounds later, I was bankrupt.

How is it possible that I can land on Boardwalk every time?

You are a magnet for trouble.

This hardly counts!

I sat and watched the others play. Esme soon joined me. Followed by Rosalie. Eventually, Alice and Jasper both gave up and auctioned off their property, Edward getting most of it.

It was down to Edward, Carlisle, and Emmett. Edward was winning by far, and Emmett wasn't doing so well. When it was his turn, he landed on Park Place and ended up giving almost all his money to Edward.

Edward landed on one of Carlisle's yellows, but it hardly made a dent in his money. He had more than the bank.

Carlisle landed on a railroad, Edward smiled, until he realized that that one was the one he didn't own.

Emmett then rolled snake eyes and landed on Boardwalk. He was bankrupt. He auctioned off his property, Edward getting most of it again, and joined us.

About thirty minutes or so later, Edward won.

Not fair! That is just not fair! You're even better than vampires at Monopoly!

I just happen to be really good with money.

The next morning, our hunt began.

It wasn't anything formal, we were all in jeans and t-shirts.

"You've hunted before, just let your instincts take over."

I nodded, I was worried, not because I was just going to see a bunch of vampires hunt, but because they were going to watch me hunt. Edward was one thing, but….

Stop worrying.

I can't.

Edward sighed, You're not worried because you're on your first official hunting trip with vampires, but because you're afraid you'll make a fool of yourself in front of said vampires.

Pretty much.

You never cease to amaze me Bella.

I needn't have worried, everything went fine. I saw Emmett tackle a bear. I watched Carlisle weave in and out of a bear and confuse him so much before he snapped his neck. Alice didn't even waste her time, she just snapped the neck and begin to drink. Jasper fought with a bear a little before eventually killing it. Esme was more gentle, but still killed several bears. I only saw Rosalie fight with one bear, but she, like Alice, didn't waste her time, just snapping the neck and drinking. Edward played with his bear a little before killing it. It must be because he fights like a lion and cats play with their food.

Everyone was surprised when I avoided bears all together and went for caribou.

"That can't be filling," Rosalie stated.

"It's what she likes." Edward said.

It was true, bears didn't appeal to me, I was more of an herbivore eater.

Rosalie just shrugged and ran off to find another bear.

We hunted all day until dusk.

After that we headed in and fought for the showers. Well, everyone else fought for the showers. Edward let me use his before he even took one. When he was done, Alice came banging on the door saying that Rosalie had just gotten out of hers and Emmett was going to use it next. Edward let her use his. After Alice, Jasper came in saying that Emmett had just finished and he was letting Esme go, he was aloud to use this one as well.

We listened to Debussy, and once Jasper was done, the two of us headed down to the spring.

I didn't really mind swimming now, now that I knew I couldn't kill myself.

Have I mentioned that you're taking this rather well?

You've thought it, I know, I'm not sure if you've actually mentioned it though.

Well, you're taking this rather well.

Thanks.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I leaned against his shoulder. We walked like that to the spring.

"You were scared about swimming at first," Edward said as we placed our things on a nearby boulder.

"Well, the last time I went swimming, I almost died."

"Technically, you are dead, but you are more beautiful than ever." He climbed up the rock face and proceeded to jump into the water. His splash was huge.

I climbed up the rock face as well, and stood at the top, deciding my form of entry.

I analyzed my three dives from yesterday, the cannonball was small, and hardly made a splash, the swan dive turned into a belly-flop, and the trip turned into a somersault and was actually pretty fun. I decided for the last one.

I "tripped" and pulled myself into a somersault. Then, trying something, I turned my somersault into a dive. I entered the water soundlessly, hardly making a splash.

I came above water to see Edward's shocked face.

"Did you seriously just do that?"

"What?"

"That was a beautiful dive!"

"Thanks."

We spent the rest of night deciding who could pull off the best dive. Edward won, of course, but I didn't mind.

We went in around dawn, it was already Wednesday and we were supposed to be back in Forks this afternoon.

Packing was easier this time. We were out of the house by 6:00.

The ride was fun as well, we all were busy talking about the trip and had a singing contest to Linkin Park.

Something told me that life was going to be a bit more adventurous from now on.

A/N: Well, there it was, R&R please!