I felt Carlisle and Esme behind me as I reached the front door. I knew I would see Edward and his siblings come out of the forest line any second and that if my heart could still beat it would be going crazy in that moment. Esme placed her hand on my shoulder as we walked out onto the porch and waited. In reality, it took about four seconds before they appeared, however, it felt like hours as I tried to predict what route this situation would take.

The second the group came into sight it was chaos. The only person that didn't immediately begin speaking was Edward, which I knew because I was focused on his face, searching for a reaction. Everyone else's voices became background noise as Edward slowly made his way toward us. I forced my legs to carry me down the porch stairs and across the yard to meet him halfway. The other members of our family could have started killing each other right then and I still wouldn't have been able to tear my eyes away from Edward's face. It was blank. His eyes were focused on me but gave no indication of his thoughts or feelings on seeing me this way. I was getting more nervous by the millisecond and before I knew it, we were standing less than a foot away from each other.

Edward's eyes darted around my face for a moment before he reached out and pulled me in for a fierce hug. I heard him release a shuttering breath as he held me. My arms slowly came around him, fingers digging into his black sweater. I released a breath I didn't realize I was holding as we stood there silently, together.

It was then that the family's voices made their way into my consciousness. I heard Carlisle calmly explaining that it was my place to tell everyone what had happened followed by a round of protests and questions.

"But why didn't I see it? Were the wolves involved?" Alice. Her voice sounded even more beautiful than I remembered, and I was suddenly itching to see her. I pulled my head up out of Edward's shoulder just enough to see the rest of the yard and made eye contact with my new sister. If I had the ability to cry, I would have. I saw only love and concern in her gaze as she gave me a small smile. I let my eyes wander to the rest of the family. I saw Jasper, his arm around Esme whispering something to her that I surprisingly could not hear. Emmett was standing with his hands on Rosalie's hips, watching the interaction between Carlisle and Alice. I expected a glare or angry words from his wife, but instead she was staring intently at the ground.

My focus switched back to the man in my arms and I turned my face back into his shoulder. I took a breath and pressed a light kiss to his neck right where it peeked out of the collar of his sweater. This seemed to pull him out of whatever trance he was in because he began to move. He took a step back and his hands traveled from my back the frame the sides of my face. We looked into each other's eyes for a moment before he leaned in to kiss my forehead and turned to face the rest of the family.

"Let's go inside and sit down. We clearly have some things to discuss." I let a smile take over my features as I realized how much he sounded like Carlisle. We led the way inside and Edward took one of the chairs in the living room, pulling me onto his lap. I sighed in relief, taking that as a clear sign that he was not angry enough to put a wedge in our relationship. Everyone settled quickly, eager to have some understanding of what had happened in the last four days, I'm sure.

I noticed everyone was looking at me and suddenly panicked. Would they be angry with Esme? How was I supposed to tell a story about something when I didn't remember most of it anyway? The anxiety melted away and I let out a laugh, sending a 'thank you' smile to Jasper who returned it with a wink. This was my family and they would react just how I needed them to, I was sure of it.

"Well, I guess I'll start at the beginning," I started. I felt Edward's hand tighten on my hip and realized that he hadn't heard me speak yet. I placed my hand on top of his and prepared myself to continue. "Three days ago, I was attempting to walk down the stairs and in true Bella fashion I tripped, right at the top."

I heard Emmett laugh, which gave me confidence as I was reassured that things weren't going to be that different after all. I gave him a playful glare before starting back into the story of my changing.

"By the time I was done falling I had three broken ribs, a punctured lung, a broken femur, and a severed femoral artery," I knew this would cause a reaction in Edward, so I tightened my grip on his hand. I didn't forget that I was stronger now and I could provide more comfort in small ways like that. He pulled me closer, resting his forehead on my back. "Esme and I were here alone, and she had no choice but to change me. I don't remember much, but she was amazing." I made eye contact with Esme as she gave me a watery smile. I knew this part would make her emotional.

I looked to Carlisle for help. This was the part I didn't remember, and I wasn't sure how to proceed. He nodded and took over from there. I looked around the room while he spoke, outlining my change and the first day of me being a newborn. All of my family members had their attention fully set on Carlisle and I was surprised to find that all of their expressions were pleasant. We had already come to the agreement that I would eventually join the family, but I had been worried about some of the reactions among the group. Rosalie, particularly, shocked me as she adopted a concern look and turned to face me.

"Bella, what are you planning to do about your family and school? What are we going to do about the wolves?" My stomach dropped. This was the topic I had managed to avoid thus far and I did not particularly want to discuss it at the moment. I had to, though, and it upset me immensely.

"I don't see another option but to fake my death or disappearance. It's going to wreck Charlie." I felt my eyes fill with venom and I turned into Edward's chest. He kissed the top of my head and rubbed my back lightly.

Edward took the question about the wolves, sensing that I needed a break from the responsibility of carrying the conversation. "I think we should be honest with the pack. They care about Bella and they might let it slide if they knew she would have died otherwise." I was pleased with this logic. I didn't want Jacob to think I was dead or missing too if I could help it.

"And if they decide to attack anyway?" The question came from Jasper. It was a valid concern as they had made their opinion on my change clear from the beginning. I didn't want to risk the family getting hurt on my account.

"What if we tell them after we leave? I can call Jacob and explain everything when we are far enough away that they wouldn't be able to reach us without traveling." I pulled myself together enough to face my family while I made my suggestion. It seemed that no one had an immediate argument against this plan, and we all turned to Carlisle to make the final decision.

"I think that is a good plan to start out with, Bella." He stood and began to walk toward his study. "Let's have everyone start packing the important things and we will hash out details as we go. Alice, do you see any problems so far?" I tuned out the rest of the conversation and turned to face my fiancé. I put my hand on his cheek and brushed my thumb across his lips, feeling the strong desire to capture them with my own and feel them with my new strength for the first time. I've never been one for PDA, however, so I settled for waiting another few minutes.

"I love you, Bella." Edward's honey eyes locked onto my own.

"I love you, too. More than anything." I smiled, partially giving in to my urges and leaning in to kiss his cheek. "You're not angry with me?" I asked the question that had been burning in me since I woke up from the change.

"Angry? Bella of course not." He stood up, taking me with him so that we were pressed together as much as possible. I noticed that the family had vacated the room and moved to put both of my arms around his neck. "I'm just happy you're okay and that I officially have you forever."

My stomach fluttered as he said the word that had been running around my head all day. Forever. I closed the gap between us and felt his lips on mine, for the first time at the same temperature. "Forever."