Disclaimer: Me: HOWCANYOUEVENREMOTELYTHINKTHATIOWNTWILIGHTNOTTHATTHATWOULDBEA BADTHINGBUTSTILLYOUGETMYDRIFTCOOLBUTIFIDIDICOULDOWNEDWARDANDITWOULDBEFANTASTICWOULDN'TITWECOULDBETOGETHERANDSTUFFANDICOULDSTILLOWNTWILIGHTITWOULDBEMAGNIFICENT--!

Them: Now, that's just craptastic! You don't own Twilight, so just SHUSH!

Me: Sheesh. -Rubs arm- That hurt! I was just laying out the facts, thanks! Fine, fine. I'll let it slide, young ones. But next time....!

Them: Whatevs. Just get on with it! You left them with a cliffy last time, remember?

Me, hand flies to mouth in realization: OH RIGHT! HERE YA GO!

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Hey! OK, I have to admit, with my disclaimer, I totally just weirded myself out. Er, yeah. So what? I did leave you with a cliffy, didn't I...?

ENJOY! (Oh...And I'm not supposed to tell you but...Close to the end in this chapter, it gets...I can't tell you!) ;)

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Chapter Ten: A Single Memory

Jasper's Perspective (Starts right after Bella rolls her eyes about the 'pretty' thing)

Immediately after Bella rolled her eyes, I felt an alarming amount of triumph and satisfaction burst from Rosalie. My confusion toppled onto that, and Edward's love--yes, love (and relief that Bella hadn't had a boyfriend, I was sure)--was overwhelming me. It was like a major, destructive wave crashing over me--just not with water, with emotions.

And it didn't help that my brothers literally had to pin me down to the couch because Edward's emotions were seeping into me, making me want to run--at vampire speed--to Alice's room and lather Alice in a billion hugs myself.

But we all froze on the spot when Rosalie's next question was spoken.

"Are you human?"

Our jaws dropped, and we were like statues. It was like we were glued to the ground. And of course, I was triple-stunned because that was what everyone was feeling now. Great.

Bella felt cautious, stunned (of course), and suspicious. Do you see what Rosalie has done?!

"E-Excuse me?!" She was literally shrieking, as if we couldn't hear her clear enough already. I winced, covering my sensitive ears with my hands. My brothers did the same. I surprised myself by thinking, Gee! She's like Alice! Such a tiny body with such a LOUD VOICE! How could I be thinking like that now?

"Er, nothi--" Alice was cut off by Rosalie. Again.

"Oh, I mean nothing by it," Rosalie said loftily. I could just imagine her staring at her reflection about now as she spoke. "It's just that...Well, I used to have this obsession--with mythical creatures, that is. I read about them all the time. Heck, when I was about nine, I wanted to become one!" She barked out a laugh, then began again, adding to Bella's suspicions.

"So, yeah. I guess my obsession never left me, right?" Laugh.

Bella's tone was neutral, with just a tiny hint of smugness.

"Oh, OK," she said, as if it made all the sense in the world. I passed a look at my brothers before switching my attention back to the girls. "So what you're saying is," she continued, "you brought up me being inhuman because you used to--and may still--have an obsession with mythical beings--such as, per say, Vampires, Werewolves, Witches, Changers, Halves..."

As she trailed off, I realized that my eyes were wide as saucer plates. No shock there. But the fact that 'vampires' was first on her list and that humans don't know--or aren't supposed to know--the legend of Changers and Halves, that was different. That wasn't just shocking--it was...shocking. (Emphasis on 'shocking')

"O-Oh! How do you know of...Of Halves and Changers?" Rosalie stuttered.

Bella's comeback was immediate, instant. "How do you?"

All was silent.

Alice's Perspective (Sorry, know it's short, but I had to add it!)

I was silent--we all were, this whole house sounded like it was holding its breath (possible, and happening, just for the record)--with my mouth hanging ajar. Who was Bella?

Bella was still smirking at her comeback, and seemed sure--absolutely positive--about something that I didn't have a clue about. As I sat there, shell-shocked and possibly going into shock, she sighed.

"Hey, guys? While you're in shock...I'm going to call Annabelle. When I'm finished, hopefully we can start the party?" She smiled, and glided out of my room to call her cousin.

Edward's Perspective

Bella glided into the living room then, and stopped in the hallway. I watched her with interested eyes--she was so fascinating. How she could captivate me so much was beyond me.

A vampire falling for a human. How ironic. The words slipped into my mind before I could stop them--and they made me stop in shock...once again. How was she doing that?!

"Hello, Annabelle, honey! How's Claire's house? Are you having fun?" She was smiling, and it was beautiful--as she was. (A/N: That deserves a big, whoppin' WOW!)

"Good, good. I miss you so much. I love you, baby." She smiled once again. I found myself lost in it.

After a moment, she snapped the phone shut and began walking back towards Alice's room. In the midst of completing her quest there, she froze. I was at her side as fast as I could be without totally giving away our secret.

"Um, Edward," she said, seeming distracted, "could you tell Alice and Rosalie that I might not

make it back in time for..." It was useless; the two were already appearing at the top of the staircase.

"OK, that's fine," she said, swallowing. "I'm just going to go out for a while...I'll see you later, I promise." She turned to leave. I longed to reach out and stop her, but I couldn't move.

"Bye. Oh, and Rosalie," she added, giving one glance and grin back, "I know you aren't obsessed with mythical creatures, ya know. In fact, I believe that you hate them; but the thing is, you can't change that you are one of them."

Bella's Perspective

I had the pleasure of hearing everyone's distinct, shocked gasps. Sigh. Now I was positive. They were a coven of vampires.

It wasn't that I didn't like them--that definitely wasn't the case. It was that I felt it; the familiar tug that gestured to the fact that I had Hearts on the loose, looking for the Cullen family. They were getting closer, but not close enough for me to be worried-worried.

On my way, I took a quick hunt--I needed to keep my strength up. I took down two elk and one buck before I decided that I was satisfied.

I ran as fast as I could to the Hearts' destination. There appeared to be only three of them. Huh. Strange when you're looking for a coven of seven, wouldn't you say so? It seems like there's something fishy going on here.

"Well, hello," said the--obviously--leader. He had stark-black hair that contrasted...well, bad with his skin, which was a sickly gray color. All Hearts' skin was like that. (Ew, right?)

His eyes were a firey orange that forbid his pupils to show. They burned into me, but I paid no attention. I just ignored it.

I didn't reply to his earlier greeting. Just moved closer. His eyebrows flew up to his forehead in surprise.

"Why are you--"

"You aren't a good person," I concluded. "You used to be. You used to have some decent part in you. But no more, I see." His eyes narrowed. "You will regret that," he snapped. "Now, who are you?"

"Your worst enemy," I said viciously. He laughed. I decided to give him a name, then.

"Swan. Isabella Swan." I grinned when his laugh stopped short, abruptly, and did a mental Yes! at my James Bond method.

"You're"--he gulped--"Isabella Swan?"

"Er, yes," I said, nodding. "Didn't I just tell you that?"

OK, so maybe I've kicked the Hearts' butts so many times that I'm famous. That is, in a good and bad way. To my Changer buddies, I'm legend. They worship me (figuratively speaking; you catch my drift?). But as for the Hearts themselves, their hatred for me is...Well, strong?

"Well," he sneered, trying to gain back his bravado facade, "we're a strong family. You can't defeat us. Not with me around." Ugh! They could be so...cliche-ish at times! Couldn't they be original?

Wordlessly, I stepped closer. Ugh. Close enough to smell their scent...Like rotten eggs and, in my opinion, stinky socks.

He tried first. Drawing his fist back--it seemed like it was in slow motion--he threw a punch at my face. I ducked down, prepared, and in one swift movement, aimed my own blow upward. It clashed with his jaw, and I heard a sickening crunch! before turning to the others. Sure, I would have to finish the leader up later. But I wanted him to suffer--to suffer for all the wrongs he's done, for all the deaths he'd caused.

I worked on the next two at the same time. I grasped the collar of their shirts and held them high in the air before throwing them both at a large tree. Smack! I knew they were out of the game, but before I could celebrate my victory for the two--may I remind you, at one time--my breath was knocked out of me and I was tripped, stumbling to the ground.

Apparently, while I was working on the two before, I hadn't noticed two more arrive from behind me. I knew something was up!

For a moment, I pretended to be hurt, clutching my arm and staring up at the others. They didn't cave completely, but just enough, to where they paused for one moment before I pounced. I took them down with me.

I grabbed the most recent two and hammered them for a while before I was sure they couldn't fight back. Sighing, I turned around to where I knew their leader would be.

Apparently, he was closer than I thought he would be. He grinned before his grimy hands connected with my throat and he lifted me up to a tree. He was trying to kill me...by choking me.

I felt the air in me slowly giving away. His hold was firm, and I was locked into place for a moment.

Then I slowly moved my right foot, bringing it in the air out in front of me where he couldn't see it. My hand did the same thing, and I gradually scooted down, hand lingering on the lip of my shoe.

"It's over now," he growled. "You will be no more. You've caused problems for my family for quite some time, have you not? And you are going to pay."

I scowled at him, and brought my foot down--hard. It made contact with his own, and his grip loosened. Expressionless, I moved away for a moment before flinging my poisonous dagger--which I had been trying to grab as I slid down the tree so I could reach it--and waited.

It landed perfectly in the center of his chest, and he sank to the ground. Now my face that had been void of all emotion was pained. I closed my eyes and an earlier conversation which I had experienced many years ago with my good friend...my good friend. I can't remember his name, but that we were extremely close and had a strong bond.

Flashback:

I had only known the boy a little while, but we already were a close pair. He actually seemed to be the only person that would really talk to me...Be my friend. Ever since I had discovered my being a Changer, no one had bothered to befriend me.

And it pained me to think that I would only have a short amount of time with him.

The reason was so awful, so painful, that it pierced my heart when I thought about it. He was dying, and he only had a short while to live. His mother was well on her way, seeming even worse than he, himself, was.

Since he was the only person that I could really relate to, I had told him my secret. What I am.

He took it well, to that I am amazed at. He'd ask me questions that I would answer without a second thought--with no hesitation.

"Bella?" he asked. He seemed reluctant this time...But that had never happened. When he would ask a question, he would ask it without difficulty. He was a great person, in so many ways. That was why I loved him.

"Yes?"

"Well...I was just wondering," he stuttered. My brow furrowed. "If...If you've ever thought of yourself as a murderer?" The question took me by surprise, but that didn't stop me from answering. Honestly, as usual.

"Yes," I replied sadly, truthfully, taking his hand in mine. It felt surprisingly warm. "I do. I think of myself as a murderer every single day."

End Flashback

By the time my memory cut off, I was in tears. They flowed freely. Not only did I realize that I was a murderer (and famous for it) once again, but my friend...I loved him. So much. And yet, he was taken from me...

I heard something rustle. I think I heard gasping. Maybe I'm imagining things now.

I quickly ripped my dagger out of the leader's body and did what I needed to do: I ran.

Hey! Did you like it? I especially liked the end--not to brag...It's just that I like people to not only see the tough, proud Bella, but also the part in her that's human. The part that indicates that she can be who she used to be by expressing her feelings. By crying. Yep. She needed that. And I know, the deaths were a little...Ya know. But I had to have the violence happen so the last part could. Thanks! Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter will start out in Edward's Perspective!