Chapter 2

Edward's POV

As soon as I got the call from Jasper I immediately went into action. I told the staff at the clinic to call and reschedule the patients. I had a family emergency and would be gone for a few days. They knew me well enough that family was very important to me. I quickly called the hospital and informed them. Fortunately Carlisle was there and agreed to take my shifts. I drove my car back to the house, told Esme everything as quickly as I could, and took off. In 30 minutes time I was at Tanya's door. I knocked loudly.

"So, what took you so long," Tanya joked.

"The weather," I quipped as I was invited inside. "Where's Jasper? Have any of you heard from Bella since they left?"

Jasper entered the room shortly after I spoke and immediately began to send waves of calm towards me. But he looked worried.

"We've heard nothing from either of them since they left," Jasper answered as he set down on the nearest chair.

I sat down across from him. Tanya walked to the couch where Kate, Eleazar and Carmen waited. I knew Irina had left due to some stupid connection she thought she had to Laurent. I didn't see how that was possible considering she had not known him that long. But that was a problem for another day. My Bella might be in trouble.

"She was going to Charlie's and then what," I asked.

"They didn't tell us but I do know that she was very mad," Tanya replied.

"I can tell you where it was initially all my fault when I left all blame can go to Charlie. He's the one who started this whole mess," I explained.

"Why would he have done such a thing," Kate asked.

"I did crush his daughter's heart. And that I will never be able to forgive myself for. I have tried for many years now to make this right. To get back my Bella, even after she married the dog, I know without a shadow of a doubt that she is my one and only. My whole reason for existing, for not killing myself long ago just on the off chance that our lives would change and we could be together again."

"I do believe you are serious about her, Edward," Eleazar joked.

"You think," Jasper added.

I looked at him. I tried to listen to see if I could hear Alice or Charlie or even the dog. But nothing came clear; I must have been too far away. I had to go find her. Now that she knew the truth I had to go and beg her to take me back and forgive me for my transgressions. It was time to go. I quickly stood up. And Jasper followed suit.

"I need to go find Bella. You are more than welcome to come with me, Jasper. But we need to go now," I explained.

"Of course I am going with you. There was never any question whether I would or not. I am very worried about Alice with all those wolves around her," Jasper explained.

"In that case, I'm going too," Tanya said.

"Me too," Kate added.

"We'll stay here in case they come back and then we can tell them where you went," Carmen replied.

"Okay. But when we get to Charlie's, I'm the only one he needs to see. You three can wait in the woods outside his house. We're going to have to go the long way so that we do not disturb the Quilette line. We are not starting a war," I instructed.

We said our goodbyes to the others and began our journey. I ran at full speed as I was afraid of what I might find and I could not bear to think of anything happening to my Bella. I wanted to see her again, feel her touching me, saying my name. I knew she was no longer the living breathing Bella that I had fallen in love with but it didn't matter. My love for her transcended past the bonds of mortality and I would embrace her immortal self as readily as I had the other. I was anxious to see if the transformation could have possibly made her more beautiful than she already was. Bella could have become a vampire and nothing change and she would still be the most awe inspiring woman in the entire world. It was never about her looks, her mind was amazing. She was always reading and researching things on the internet just to keep her mind fresh. She had been in gifted classes while in high school and I heard she had gotten a scholarship to prestigious college back East but would not go to them. She had to stay near the pack and then when she became a vampire, they would not let her go to their community college. It still hurt to think she had married that dog. I was there that day and when I saw her in all her glowing beauty say 'I do' to him, I could not help but cry out. I am sure she heard me but what could I do? The pack had threatened to start a war with my family or do something bad to Charlie and they even threatened to hurt Bella at one point. What kind of sick thing would do something to one of their own?

We came down through the outer edge of the mountains on the opposite side of the line and then down into Forks. I ran for Charlie's and the others fell back in the woods behind his home. I saw the lights were on and the cruiser was in the drive. I raked my fingers through my hair and knocked roughly on the door. Charlie peeked through the curtains and hesitated before he finally opened the door and motioned for me to come in.

"What are you doing here," Charlie demanded.

I whipped around and faced him. I was going to keep my composure if I could. Right now I could feel the venom pooling in my mouth.

"I came looking for Bella and my sister, Alice. Do you know where they are," I asked.

"Why would I know," Charlie asked.

"Well, Bella is your daughter and you were the last one to see them."

"How do you know?"

"They told Jasper, my brother, where they were going. Are you going to tell me the truth or do I have to simply read your mind," I asked and when he didn't answer I did just that. "So, she called the dog and they are meeting in the meadow?"

"How dare you do that!"

"If you had simply told me I would not have to. Chief Swan, I know exactly what you think of me, whether I could read it in your mind or not, but you have to know that I love Bella with all I am. I always have and always will, for all eternity. And nothing you or the dogs do to me will ever change that. I will say that I am very disappointed that you worked so hard to keep me from Bella."

"You have got a lot of nerve saying anything to me about being ashamed of someone! You were a coward and didn't have the guts to cross their line," Charlie yelled.

"They threatened my family," I explained calmly.

"They can handle themselves," he said.

"They even threatened you," I said a little louder.

"I can take care of them," he replied.

"Jacob said he would hurt Bella to where no one would ever have her again! Do you know what that means, Chief Swan," I growled, my control completely gone.

Charlie lunged for his gun and I crouched into a defensive mode. I knew that a blast from the gun would not hurt me but I also knew he was either frightened or angry at my outburst. He aimed the barrel at my head and immediately Jasper entered the house and filled the room with waves of calmness. Charlie lowered his gun and I stood up. I breathed in deeply and Bella's new scent filled my nostrils and it smelled even better than her human one minus the heavenly aroma of her aromatic blood. But her scent helped me to remember why I was there. I turned to face Charlie for I needed to tell him something.

"Chief Swan, there is something more important here today besides our differences: your daughter's safety. When did she go," I asked.

"About 30 minutes ago. But it won't do you any good! She doesn't want you anymore," Charlie spat out.

"Oh, I beg to differ. I can see clearly what Bella told you: she very much loves me and I am sorry to have to go against your wishes but if she agrees to, I will marry her," I calmly explained.

Charlie began his protest but I had tuned him out: I could hear a raging verbal diatribe between Alice and Sam. I searched even harder than before through the chaos and I finally picked out Bella from Alice. Charlie got even louder and actually pushed me to get my attention which meant I could no longer hear them.

"Sir, your daughter is in a bitter dispute with the dogs! I need to see if they have moved from their original location. I need some silence," I demanded.

Surprisingly Charlie did as I had asked. I concentrated on Alice and they were still in the meadow. I had to leave but I could not be rude, I had already been that and it was unnatural for me to behave in that manner.

"Chief Swan, I must go. Bella needs help where she realizes it or not. She and Alice are completely outnumbered by the pack. Surely you do not want Bella to die, again," I asked.

"No. Just go," Charlie said.

I nodded and went quickly out the front door. I had no more stepped on to the side walk than I was flanked my three companions. I quickly explained the situation and they understood. Nothing else needed to be said. We quietly and stealth fully ran through the trees. I was not about to arrive too late. I would save her. I would have her back in my arms again.

I saw her as soon as we were in the clearing and her immortality had actually made Bella even more beautiful than she had been before. If I still had a heart that beat, it would have been doing cartwheels. She was clearly in a defensive mode as Jacob continued to berate her and she quickly defended herself and the rest of the Cullen's, including me. That seemed to incite Jacob's wrath even more. I knew he was about to lunge so I did the only thing I could; I leaped with all my might and put myself between Bella and Jacob.

"Edward," Bella softly said in a trilling voice.

I was washed over with all the love I had for her but I could tell it had grown exponentially. As much as I knew I had to face her attacker, I wanted more than anything to hold her, hold her close and never let her go.

"What're you doing here," Jacob growled.

"I came to help even up the odds, along with three more of my family. I did not like how stacked against them your pack was. Six to two does not seem in the slightest bit fair. Now we are even," I explained.

"You have no right to be here! You left her, remember?!"

"I do, Jacob, and it is why I will always feel the need to beg for Bella for her forgiveness. She may one day forgive me but I do not expect her to forget my stupidity. I made a huge mistake that I have had to live with. But I know that you are as much to blame as I am, if not even more!"

Bella looked at me strangely. I knew Alice had told her some things but not everything. But I knew that if he pushed me, she would know.

"What is he talking about, Jake," Bella demanded.

"Nothing! He's making stuff up! You already know I kept him away because it was for your own good," Jacob answered.

"That's your biased opinion," Bella yelled back.

"She had every right to make up her own mind," I added.

"You stay out of this, bloodsucker," he growled.

The other 5 members of the pack circled the rest of our party. I was aware of their slow movement as I was also aware of who each person was. Sam, Quil, Seth, Leah and Embry all began to close in. Kate and Tanya started moving in a defensive pattern. Jasper stood beside Alice whom he knew could handle her own. Jasper had taught her well. Bella came from behind me and stood at my side. Leah growled when Bella moved. She was in love with Jacob and from her thoughts I saw something that had happened in the not so distant past. Something I was sure that Bella was unaware of. When Leah saw me staring, she knew what I was doing.

"Stay out of my head," Leah spat out.

"Why? What you have revealed is most entertaining," I replied.

Leah knew exactly what I was referring to and obviously Jacob did too because he started morphing into his wolf form. The others followed suit. I was not afraid of them, especially Jacob. He was simply fighting out of anger. Not entirely at me but mostly at himself for getting caught. When he lunged I caught him by the fir on his back and threw him away from me to my left. The rest attacked and were more difficult to dispose of. But I didn't want them hurt.

"Don't hurt them. They are only following orders. Poor ones at that," I sneered at Jacob.

Jacob jumped back to his feet and came at me again. I made sure to keep an eye on Bella as Leah tried to attack her. It seems Bella had some kind of shield that Leah couldn't penetrate. I had a thought and Alice could see what I was thinking.

"Bella, put the shield around all of us," Alice said as she threw Embry. "Everybody get rid of your wolves! Now!"

As soon as the wolves were away from each of us, Bella increased the size of her shield and try as the dogs may, no one could cross it. Jacob began to shake and morphed back to his human form, followed shortly by the rest of them. Bella showed no sign of any strain from her force field. I started to step a little closer to her until she abruptly stopped me.

"Uh, if you distract me, I won't be able to hold this. Okay," she said.

"I understand," I replied with a smile which she quickly returned.

The others came in closer to stand with us. Jasper, Alice and I marveled at Bella's extraordinary gift. I always knew she was a miracle and extremely gifted. This only proved it. Jacob slammed his fist into the barrier.

"Come out, you damn coward," he yelled.

"Are you sure you want to anger me? Because I will tell Bella the truth about everything," I warned.

"You're bluffing! You won't do it!"

"I have nothing to lose. But then again neither do you I suppose."

Bella looked at me confused while Leah appeared to be about to explode in fear of what I would say. Alice caught on and I could see someone had obviously changed their minds about the future.

"You sorry dog! How could you do that to Bella?! And then you have the nerve to get mad enough to throw her out just for saying Edward's name! After what you did," Alice hissed at Jacob.

Bella spun around almost dropping the force field. It wasn't really protection as it was I wanted to make Jacob even madder.

"What did he do? Edward, since he won't tell me, please," Bella asked.

I could be ever the gentleman and refuse to tell her, saying it was Jacob's to tell or I could do it myself. Decisions. Decisions.

"My love, it is his to tell. I could always make him tell you if you would like," I stated.

"Like you could! Damn you! Damn all of you to hell," Jacob cursed.

"Too late. We already are," Tanya snapped.

"Maybe not," I said. "At least not according to Carlisle."

"I say you are! And forget me telling her anything," Jacob growled.

"Fine! I'll do it. I have no code of honor like Edward tries to keep. Bella, first thing is not only did Jacob threaten all of us if Edward crossed over the line, but Charlie and he even said he'd kill you just so neither he nor Edward would ever have you," Alice explained.

Bella dropped the shield and immediately was at Jacob, hand around his throat and had him off the ground in seconds.

"You actually said you'd kill me? Kill me, your wife?! What kind of twisted thing are you," Bella growled as she squeezed his throat harder.

The rest of the pack prepared to defend their leader and I planned to defend Bella. We circled her.

"What else, Alice," she asked as she continued to choke Jacob.

"He's been sleeping with Leah and she's expecting," Alice added.

Jacob looked shocked by the last revelation. Leah was mad. Bella slammed Jacob to the ground with all her might. She broke his leg in the process. Leah rushed to his side cradling him in her arms.

"You bitch! I hate you, bloodsucker," Leah roared.

"Hate me? What did I do? It was your fault I was bitten to start with! You let Victoria come and attack me," Bella yelled.

Sam looked at Leah with anger in his eyes as did Jacob. I tried to hide a smile.

"Is that true, Leah? Is it," Jacob asked through the pain.

Leah began to cry. "Yes! I was already pregnant at the time; Jake, you were going to be leaving her soon anyways since we had imprinted and I thought that this is something that she had always wanted any way. Both of us might as well have gotten what we wanted."

"You had a job to do and you went out of your way to allow something to happen to Bella. I am shocked and ashamed," Sam said.

"Ah, it's the power of the imprint," Quil explained.

"But did that give her the right to play with my life? Victoria wanted to kill me and she could have," Bella screamed.

"No. It didn't. I am sorry, Bella. But I am the one who belongs to him, not you," she said.

"I'm sorry too. When I did that to Edward, Charlie and I were convinced it was what was best for you. As for cheating, there is no excuse. Not even the imprinting thing," Jacob said.

"I cannot get over how you controlled my life when I wasn't supposed to be with you and you knew it! How different my life would have been if you'd have let Edward come back to me," Bella said.

I crossed over to Bella and put my arms around her and pulled her in tight against me. I was instantly over come with emotions and it was like we were the only two in the meadow. I wanted to hold her, in silence, memorizing each hair, each breath, everything. Even thought I already knew it, I wanted to commit it all again to memory. After thirty minutes had passed we were interrupted.

"Would it be too much if I offer a truce between us and your family," Jacob asked as Leah helped him to his feet.

"How so," I asked.

"What if you could cross the line and move back to your old house? You've not been gone so long that people could tell that you'd changed that much or not."

"Would it have to be now? Four years is our limit and it has been over four," Jasper asked.

"No, you come back anytime. We will not bother you anymore. I owe Bella and you that much, Edward," Jacob answered.

I looked at my family and I could see they all agreed that it was a wonderful idea. Forks had been our favorite place to live. I extended my hand to Jacob and our handshake solidified the deal as Carlisle had so many years before. Bella looked pleased.

"Edward, take care of Bella. You'll be better for her than I ever could. I hope you both can forgive me," he said.

"Give me some time," Bella answered.

He nodded at her and it was then I noticed that the rest of the wolves had already disbanded and Leah turned to help him leave as well. We watched until they were all gone and I breathed a sigh of relief. Alice laughed.

"I know. I felt the same way. That was nowhere near as bad as it could have been," she said.

"So, do you plan to stay here or do you want to come back to my house for a few days," Tanya asked me.

"It's up to Bella," I replied.

"Oh. We'll go back in a little while. I think we need to be alone here for a bit," she answered.

I knew by 'here' she meant our meadow. Alice smiled as she knew exactly what she meant. Jasper, Alice, Kate and Tanya left us so that she and I could talk. There were things we needed to say, things we needed to know before we could go back to Bella and Edward, the couple. I waited until I could no longer hear them before I approached Bella again. I took her by the hands and we say down in the middle of the wildflowers. The sun was sitting and it was my favorite time: twilight.

"Bella, I first want to beg your forgiveness for every leaving you to begin with," I said.

"Edward, you really don't have to ask for my forgiveness. After I found out that you had been trying to come back to me just three days after you left, I forgave you. I won't say that it wasn't hard. It nearly killed me. That was the only reason I fell in to Jake's arms. I was lonely and he was here. But I always wanted you. You are the only man that I have ever really loved," she said.

"And you are the only woman I have ever loved. Thank you for forgiving me."

"I should beg your forgiveness as well."

"Why?"

"Because I won't be a virgin when we get married."

I looked at her shocked. Did she say married?

"Bella, did you say married," I asked hopeful.

"Leave it up to you to gloss over the first part. Edward, I have wanted to be with you for all eternity and I want to do it legally. I want my name to be Bella Cullen. God, it's like I'm asking you or something. Do you not want me?"

"No, Bella! Nothing like that. No, I very much want you, in every sense of the word. I do want to marry you. But can I ask you properly or will this just be the proposal?"

"No, you can do it ever how you want to. But I don't want a big deal made out of our wedding. Can't we do something small with your family?"

"What about yours?"

"Well, I am mad at Charlie and he won't approve anyway and Jake told my Mom I was dead."

"You're kidding?"

"No, when I turned he called her and said that I had gotten killed in a car wreck and that I was so damaged that he cremated me. She was upset and mad because Charlie had not called her the day it happened. I still think she refuses to talk to him."

"That was not a very proper thing to do to Renee or Charlie."

"Look who you are talking about."

I didn't want to bring the subject up of her nonvirginal status but she had been the one to initially bring it up and I was curious. My baser instincts had gotten the better of me.

"Bella, I hate to ask you any kind of questions about your sexual relations with Jacob but . . ."

"But you're curious," Bella interrupted.

"Yes."

"Okay. It was okay up to a point. He could be a little rough and he was not very gentle the first time. Jake's body temperature was so hot that it made it uncomfortable most of the time. When it was over, it was over. He always passed out afterwards whether I was satified or not. It was not very exciting. No foreplay, no cuddling, no nonsense sex actually. No frills of any kind, just very straight forward. I'm sorry. I hope I didn't hurt your feelings."

"No. I am sorry that he did not satisfy you."

"He wasn't who I wanted."

I knew what she meant and that was all it took for me to lose my mind. I immediately pulled her close and kissed her with every ounce of passion I had. We were both lying in the grass amidst the wildflowers and I looked at her and her at me and we knew. The love was there, the passion, the need, the desire, it was all around us. And we took it. The rest of the day and into the following morning Bella and I made love many times. Each and every time was as wonderful and exciting as the one before. It was new to us, me as a virgin and her as a vampire. We were exploring each other, taking time when we wanted and in a mad frenzy when it became too much. I never wanted it to end.

But we needed to go back to the Denali's so that we could start our lives together. We loved one another and we knew it, we had shown each other for hours. I would have shown her longer but she helped me up and smiled at me as we watched the sun come over the mountains.

"Come on, Edward. Let's go start forever," Bella said as she leaned in to kiss me.

"Forever," I said before I leaned into her lips.