17th February 1927

I feasted, for the first time ever, on human blood today. I suppose I should feel something, remorse for killing a human being, shame for defying Carlisle and everything he's worked for but I don't feel anything but hatred for the human scum I murdered.

I gasped but couldn't tear my eyes away from what I was reading. I felt Edward fidget next to me and I knew he was deeply uncomfortable as I read on.

He deserved it for this human was a serial killer on his way to kill yet another young innocent girl when I just happened to read his mind and foresee what he was planning. I saved her, the girl, his to be victim and surely that makes what I did right? An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. I will only hunt those who hunt others, murderers and rapists and god knows what other human scum and then at least that way I haven't completely undone everything Carlisle showed me.
I can't go back to him and Esme now anyhow, it's too late. Instead I will stay here, trying to find redemption and do what I must; ridding this city of its human waste.

I close the diary, having read more than enough and look up at Edward. His golden eyes are troubled and ashamed. "You came back even though you said you wouldn't return to Carlisle." I say calmly.

"Yes, Carlisle and Esme were much more… welcoming to me than I deserved. They welcomed me back with open arms, like nothing had happened." He said quietly, sounding disgusted with himself.

"How long were you… gone?" I ask softly.

He hesitates before answering. "Five years."

I nod slowly. "And why did it take you so long to rebel against them?" I question.

Edward looks startled. "Out of all the questions… and comments, you choose that one?" He shakes his head as his expression grows serious. "I could read Carlisle's mind so I understood his perfect sincerity of why he lived life the way he did which is why it took so long for me to defy him, but defy him I did." He mutters.

"You shouldn't be ashamed." I murmur. "You only hunted the guilty. Rather the guilty than innocent humans." And it was true, if a vampire was going to kill humans surely it was better if those he killed were killers themselves?

Edward was shaking his head before I'd even finished. "And that made me as bad as them, didn't it? I killed the killers, as if I had any right choosing who lived and who died!" He cries.

"You probably saved as many lives as you took." I argue. "I don't think you have to be ashamed Edward. You're not that person anymore, that's all that matters."

"Bella…" Edward begins and I cut him off fiercely.

"And that's all that matters to me." I repeat.

He smiles suddenly, surprising me. "How can you be so non-judgemental?"

I smile back. "I think you're judgemental enough on yourself. You found the right path again."

"You really are incredible." Edward murmurs. "How you don't think I'm an evil monster is beyond me."

I frown. "I've seen evil vampires Edward. Hell I've seem damned vampires. You're not one of them." I say fiercely.

Edward's expression hardens. "You don't believe all vampires are damned? That there is no afterlife for our kind?"

"Definitely not. Our ability to have a moral conscience is proof that we have souls. We may be vampires but we still have some remnants of humanity. There's no way you, or even your family is damned. It's not what you are that counts, but who you are."

Edward chuckles. "Even Rosalie?"

I laugh. "Even Rosalie." I agree.

"Edward's right." A low voice sounds from the doorway. "You are incredible." I look up to see Jasper leaning casually against the doorframe. He grins. "If Rosalie had treated me the way she treated you today I definitely would not be so kind towards her." He laughs before turning to Edward. "Just incredible. May I come in or am I intruding?"

"We were just talking. Feel free to enter." Edward says warmly.

Jasper smiles and walks in the room, speaking as he moves. "Alice wanted me to ask…" he breaks off suddenly, choking to a halt. "What is that smell?" He gasps.

Edward blurs to his feet. "Bella. Get out."

I instantly jump to my feet. "What's wrong Edward?"

"No time to explain. Get out now before he attacks you." Edward says sharply, gesturing to a motionless Jasper.

I don't hesitate at that tone. I leg it to the door. Even with my newborn strength I wasn't fast enough because in the next instant something had tackled me, knocking me to the ground. I instantly bare my teeth and growl, noticing with some shock it was Edward who was on top of me, who had knocked me to the ground.

So where was Jasper?

My question was quickly answered, for a split second later Jasper sailed harmlessly over me and Edward, landing exactly where I'd been just milliseconds before. Edward growls fiercely as Jasper instantly turns on his heel, his frenzied golden eyes focusing on me. Edward flips backwards off me and grabs Jasper by the throat as Jasper blurs towards me, flinging him into the wall so hard it splintered, causing a crack to jag down the wall.

To give him credit, Edward didn't even flinch, focused entirely on a struggling Jasper. "Get out Bella." Edward growls at me and I instantly sprint for the door.

The door opens before I can get there and Carlisle and Esme run in, looking shocked and confused as well as blocking my escape. "What's go…" Carlisle chokes to a halt as he takes in my panicked expression and Jasper's feral growls. Edward now was holding him in a headlock and he was struggling fiercely.

"MOVE!" Edward yells, still grappling with Jasper. "LET BELLA OUT!"

A stunned Carlisle and Esme begin to move out of the way to let me out when, with a feral roar Jasper breaks free of Edward and neatly catches me around the waist.

"NO!" Edward screams as I jerk my head forward out of reach of Jasper's snapping jaws. He's crossed the room in the next second and grabbed Jasper, yanking him off me and throwing him away from us with all his strength.

CRASH!

One of Edward's shelves of CD's rained to the floor in pieces as Jasper slammed into it but it didn't slow down Jasper who instantly jumped back to his feet, baring his teeth at me.

Me, Carlisle and Esme hit the floor as Edward blurred over to Jasper and neatly flung him through the window.

That's right.

Through the window.

It exploded in a shower of glass that flew through the room, only missing me because I was on the floor. Edward looked at me grimly. "Bella get out. He'll be back up here in a minute." He growled. "He's cottoned onto your scent and is in full hunting mode."

I didn't waste time, I instantly turned on my heel and ran for the door, implicitly trusting Edward.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" Emmett's roar sounded and I skidded to a halt as his bulk filled up the doorway. He blurred into the room followed by a pale Alice and an angry Rosalie who had her hands on her perfect hips.

"MOVE OUT OF THE WAY NOW! ALL OF YOU!" Edward screams in response and all three vampires instantly move aside at his tone but it was an instant too late for I felt a tug on my hair and in the next second a sharp shooting pain as teeth sink into my neck.