Disclaimer: I own nothing.

EPOV

Hunting was a great release for me. It was the only time I could turn off my human sensibilities and let my animalistic side completely take over. I gorged myself on three deer and felt full to the point of spilling over when I decided it was time to get back to reality. I had been gone the whole night and I decided I really needed to start to take on this situation and take responsibility for my actions.

As soon as I started back towards the house, my attention became centered on Bella's heartbeat, as per usual. I laughed to myself thinking of what I'd listen to when it stopped in just a couple hours' time. Then I remembered that there was nothing funny about what I had done to this poor, innocent girl. I could only hope that I'd made the right decision.

When I walked in the door I realized I was the only one home. I turned my phone back on and realized that I had an unopened text from Alice saying that they all went in to town to finalize things before the move and to plant the story of our departure. Clearly we wouldn't be able to stay here.

Carlisle was still working at the hospital for the next month or so, just to wrap things up. It also helped because he could still get blood for Bella since she wouldn't be able to handle being around people for a little while.

I mused to myself about her transformation and what she would be like. I could not deny that I hoped she would be for me what Esme is to Carlisle-my other half. I had felt it even when she was human. This girl had sway over me in a way that none ever had before.

I found myself in her room before I realized my legs had taken me there. She looked so still and peaceful lying on the bed, but I knew what was boiling just below the surface. Already, the venom had done a majority of its work. Her body wasn't the broken thing that we had brought into our house yesterday but a beautiful, young woman. While she had been attractive to me before, now she was stunning. Perfection.

I sat down next to her and held her hand. None of us knew what she was going through, whether or not she could hear us. I figured I would try and talk to her anyways. I explained what happened, how sorry I was, but that I felt I had no choice. I told her how I felt about her; how I couldn't let her go. I asked for her forgiveness and I waited.

Deep in thought, I was a little jolted when I heard the tires of the Jeep pulling up the driveway. Emmett and Rosalie were home from wherever they went. I heard her speaking to Emmett in a hushed tone. Maybe she thought I was still gone but I could hear her easily.

"This is all going to blow up in our face, Em"

"Hon, just give it a rest. We won't know anything until tomorrow anyways. Plus, we were gonna have to move soon even if this didn't happen. Carlisle is looking a little obvious at the hospital. People are noticing."

Silence came after and I could almost feel the icy daggers that Rosalie was shooting at Emmett in that moment.

"Okay, okay but what if—what if this is what is meant to be. What if Edward finally found his mate? He's been a bachelor for over one hundred years. He's gotta be deserving a lady friend by now, right?"

"I could care less"

At that, I'd had enough. I got up from the armchair next to Bella, squeezed her hand and left the house through the window rather loudly. I wanted them to know I'd been home the whole time and heard everything they'd said. I heard Em yell sorry but I didn't turn back.

I came back from hunting to handle this situation but clearly my emotions were still out of control. I needed to be alone.

When I returned from my self-imposed time out, the entire family was home. I could hear them talking up in Bella's room, so I decided to steel myself against their thoughts and see what was going on. I could already tell Carlisle and Esme were relieved to have me home while Rosalie and Jasper wavered somewhere on the other end of the spectrum, though Jasper's reason was not motivated by spite but rather, by self-preservation.

"What is going on?" I questioned as I entered the room. I had a feeling I had just missed a noteworthy conversation about myself. I looked into Alice's thoughts and confirmed that they had been talking about my intervention in Bella's fate.

"I can't figure out what is causing her to be silent. As you all know, I've been present for several transformations and they are always accompanied with the usual sounds of someone burning from the inside out for three days", Carlisle noted.

"She's special...just you wait and see," Alice chimed in and turned to catch my eye.

And I did see. I saw what I had been hoping for-I saw us together. I saw Bella becoming something that I had only dreamed of. I saw my mate. But there was also darkness and fear and it seemed neither I nor Alice could decipher which path was in the immediate future. The events of the next couple days held enough weight to propel us in either direction, and it scared me.

"We don't know what will happen, Alice. We have to just be cautious and wait and take things one day at a time. You, of all people, know how fickle the future can be."

Esme walked over to me and placed her arms around my waist and her head on my shoulder. I could hear her sending her positive thoughts to me, somehow using her motherly powers to sense that I was becoming upset. I could feel the affection that Jasper was picking up from her. I had to take a moment and appreciate how true her and Carlisle's love for me was. I had put them through so much during my time with them and she was reminding me that she would always be there for me, no matter what happened when Bella woke up.

It was in my nature to ruminate on things, so this hope stemming from Alice's visions and Esme's reassurances was exactly what I needed. I could easily see myself spiraling out of control from the extreme guilt and apprehension but I knew that I had an amazing support system that wouldn't let me down. I also knew that they all, including Rosalie, would do everything in their power to make sure that Bella wasn't let down either.

Sensing my momentary peace, Jasper hinted towards the others that it would be alright to let me be. After a gentle squeeze from Esme and another flash of an unbearably promising future from Alice, I was alone with Bella once again.

I stayed by Bella's side through the remainder of the day and all through the next night. I was aware of my family going about their business around me and I was thankful that they let me stay with Bella without interruption.

Jasper had reached out to his contacts to begin the process of acquiring new legal documents for us. It was lucky that we had him and his incredible network for getting things done—even the illegal stuff. Rosalie had insisted that she would not be attending high school again, and therefore we needed to forge some high school diplomas. Esme was also looking to open her own interior design business in the new place so Jasper was working on paperwork to make her seem legitimate. Honestly though, Esme's sense of style had decades to develop into something far better than anything education in this field could create.

Alice being Alice was very eager to go back to college and therefore it looked like Jasper would be going back too. Emmett had no plan and was helping Rosalie stay calm by giving her constant reassurance and lending his shoulder whenever she devolved into her hysterical rants about how unfair this all was.

Carlisle was also working very hard to reach out to different hospitals in the Northeast where he could secure a position as a doctor easily. It was looking like we were headed to Connecticut or New York and everyone had their two cents to throw in about where they'd rather land. Alice was positive we would end up in Ithaca, New York. I don't know why anyone bet against her anyway.

Between the anxiety over Bella and the excitement over the impending move, our house was more energized than usual. Jazz was gone quite a bit getting things done, but I knew he was also desperate to avoid the frenzy of emotions, particularly mine.

I had thought through things for two days now and I was still at odds. From Alice's visions I could clearly see a happy ending for both myself and Bella. If this happy path ended up being the way that things panned out, I could probably shirk the guilt I felt over Bella's fate over time. If things went dark I wasn't sure I had the strength to keep myself together. I knew that Bella would've surely died if there had been no action taken on my part but I still couldn't decide if Rosalie was right—if I had damned her to a life she would never be able to escape from.

Then there was the added weight of Bella's feelings towards me. Looking down at her flawless face, I could already feel the pull becoming stronger and stronger as the hours went by. This went beyond fascination and admiration now—I was tied mind, body and soul to this woman. How was I going to explain this when she woke up without completely overwhelming her?

Alice called to me in her mind from the kitchen downstairs. As she was putting pots and pans we would never use into boxes, she showed me the many ways Bella's introductions to this new life could go. She made sure to show me that my emotional fragility was directly correlated with Bella's meltdown. It seemed Bella was bound to freak out, though I was determined to do whatever I could to stop it. Alice showed a better result the more I was able to keep myself in control. This was obvious but I was unsure as to how I would handle myself when the time came.

Emmett came in the room and slapped a hand across my back. I looked up at him to see a huge smile plastered across his face.

"Dude, she is pretty freakin hot. How can you not be excited about this?"

I just shook my head. I could always count on Emmett to be frank.

"How about you go hunt so that you can be here when she wakes up. I'll watch over her for you, I promise," he stated sincerely.

Reluctantly, I agreed. I knew he was right and that I would not want to be separated from her once she was finally awake. I gave him a nod and left the house. As I distanced myself and entered the forest I became faintly aware of the feeling of loss that I always felt from my other family members whenever they left their mates. I smiled and lost myself to the hunt.