Sorry about this story kinda stopping for a while, but I decided I am going to finish it, so here is a chapter. This is a kinda weird chapter, but I like it even though it goes really fast. The next chapter is going to take a while but hopefully, not as long as this one took. So I hope you like it, review and tell me what you think!

Disclaimer: Don't own anything, not even the story really. . . SM made it up.. .

I really hope you like it!

The Clearing

I stared out the clouded window in the living room, trying to memorize the six unique sides of a single snowflake. It was the first snow of the year, and the first snow of my vampire life. I loved the look of it. There wasn't much snow on the ground, but it was cold, because the edges of the window were fogged up. My cool breath blowing against the glass didn't make any difference to the clouded surface, like it would have if I was human.

As I peered through the thin glass, I thought about the last little while. Most of the last week I had been learning how to control my little 'talent'. It drives Jasper and Edward crazy, but I could control it better now, I don't usually do it on accident anymore. Also, I learned I could do it to multiple people at once.

I still went half-crazy to scent of animal blood, and I still reacted the same way to human blood as before. We were going with Carlisle's assumption of why that was, mostly because we couldn't come up with anything better.

The visions of the Voulturi were getting clearer, Alice says. Every time they make a decision, her vision of when and where gets clearer. She says she can see snow on the ground, but she can't tell where. Snow on the ground. Suddenly, I didn't want to look at the little white flakes falling outside anymore, but I didn't look away.

I moved my gaze to one of the largest snowflakes outside. I memorized the design, trying to keep myself distracted. Loop, straight, two tiny loops, loop, straight, two tiny loops, pointed end, I thought in my head. My eyes flickered to another flake, after the big one touched against thousands of others, piling up slowly on the soft grass. The little design reminded me of icicles, and I started memorizing it like the first one.

Breaking me out of my trance, Edward's arms slid around my waist, his chin resting on my shoulder. I turned my head to look at him. He smiled, then leaned forward and kissed me. I smiled.

"Miss me?" He murmured. I looked up and kissed him.

"I'll take that as a yes." He said softly. I looked back outside, and I watched him follow my gaze.

"It's so pretty." I murmured. He smiled, turning his head to look at me.

"I like snowflakes." He said after a minute, turning back to look outside. "It's one thing that after a hundred years, no matter how many I've seen, it's always something new."

After several minutes, I turned around. "Let's go outside."

He smiled, and took my hand. We went out to the back. I stepped off the porch, and let the snowflakes fall into my hair. I lifted up my hand and caught one on the tip of my middle finger. I lifted the little snowflake up to look at it. It didn't melt resting on my cold skin, so I brushed it off. I looked at Edward. He was just watching me. Then, he grinned.

He took my hand and started running. We ran through the backyard and into the trees. I laughed and let go of his hand, pushing harder to get ahead of him. Realizing what I was doing, he sped up and soon passed me, laughing. We ran for a few minutes until he darted through a break in the trees. I followed him, and realized he had stopped. I stopped, and turned back. He was looking through two trees, crisscrossing over each other so I couldn't see what he was looking at.

"What?" I said. He didn't answer, he just turned and took my hand, and with his other hand, pulled back the branches, motioning for me to go first.

When I stepped through, I had the immediate strange sense of déjà vu. We were in a huge clearing, like the baseball clearing in Forks. It wasn't as big, but it wasn't as small as our meadow either. I turned to look at him. He was standing several feet back, barely in front of the trees. His face was smooth, so I couldn't tell what he was thinking. I waited for him to say something.

"This is it." He said in a monotone voice.

"This is what?"

"This is it. Bella, this is where the Voulturi are coming. I saw it in Alice's head. She couldn't tell where it was, and neither could I, at the time." He said. I swallowed hard, and turned around slowly to look at the clearing. There was a thin layer of snow on the ground. It clicked together in my head. When and where. Snow on the ground. We don't know where. That's what Alice said. I stood there for several minutes, horrified. Now?

"We have to go tell Alice." I said in almost the same monotone voice as Edward. He nodded, and I ran forward, grabbing his hand. We ran through the forest, faster than before. Branches reached out and whipped at my arms. I ignored them. Logs lay hidden in the green underbrush. I darted around them. Without breaking stride, I released Edward's hand, and leaped lightly over the river. He followed immediately after, taking my hand again as we ran to the house.

"Alice? Carlisle?" Edward said as soon as we stepped into the house. Alice ran down the stairs, stopping in front of us.

"Carlisle is hunting. What is it?" She said in her high, trilling voice.

"I know where it is. The place the Voulturi are coming. It's a clearing, like the one in Forks, a couple of miles away." Edward said. She froze mid-stride, to stare him. Her eyes flashed to me, and back.

"Was there snow-" she said slowly.

"On the ground." I finished.

Edward nodded.

"So soon." I breathed. I knew this was coming, but now that it was here, it was hard to wrap my mind around the concept. I had been dreaded this, horrified of this, for weeks. It was here. It was happening. Now.

"We have to get Carlisle and Esme." Alice started all of a sudden, talking fast. "Jazz! Em, Rose!" She called up the stairs, and continued talking. "We can't let the Voulturi come into town. We have to go meet them there." I gulped, and stared past Alice and Edward, not seeing anything. Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie came downstairs.

"Jasper, will you go find Carlisle and Esme? They are hunting somewhere, but Carlisle said they weren't going far." He nodded, and left. "Emmett, Rosalie, you heard what we said a minute ago?" They both nodded, and we all looked toward the door. Nothing to do but wait.

I couldn't concentrate on anything really. My fingers clicked against the hard surface at the table, demanding and impatient. I was sitting at the table, Edward behind me. Alice was pacing, and Emmett and Rosalie were just standing, probably talking. Edward laid a cool hand on my tapping fingertips, and kneeled down next to the chair I was sitting at.

"Bella, It's okay. We are all going to be fine. Calm down." He soothed me. I didn't respond. He could tell I didn't buy it, and stood back up next to me. His gaze flickered to the door. "They're back." He said quietly.

Alice's head snapped up, and she followed Edward's gaze. Jasper stepped through the door, followed by Carlisle, then Esme.

"Jasper told me already." Carlisle said. Jasper nodded, and went to stand by Alice. "Edward, where is it?" Edward looked at me, then back at Carlisle.

"A few miles away, in the forest. Bella and I found it when we were running." Edward replied.

"We have to go. There's nothing else we can do." Carlisle said. My breath became more ragged every passing minute. It was silent, everyone looked at each other.

Carlisle continued, "It don't think it will come to a fight." He said, speaking the words no one wanted to hear. I saw Jasper glance at Alice and back, worry plain in his eyes. Emmett put his arms around Rosalie's waist, and Edward kissed the top of my head. "But if it does. . . " He couldn't finish the sentence. What would he say? I didn't want to hear the answer. I could see him squeeze Esme's hand.

But if it does. The words rang in my head. I couldn't even begin to think about what I would do if it does. I started planning in my head. I could help. I could make the Voulturi guard useless, in the way Aro uses them. Jane wouldn't be able to hurt anyone, or her twin, Alec. I could help. The thought gave me hope.

I swallowed hard. This had happened so fast. It seemed like hours, or even days ago I had been looking out the window in the living room. Now I might only have hours left. I held Edward's arms wrapped around my waist.

"We have to go." Carlisle breathed, almost silently. For several minutes, we were all quiet. I couldn't think. Everything was moving too fast. The seconds ticked by at double speed, and my breathing wouldn't slow down.

"Now?" I managed to whisper. Now. I couldn't fathom how fast my life had just been thrown away. If it came to a fight, which even through my horror, I thought it would, I wouldn't go on living much longer. I looked up at Edward's perfect face. He was staring ahead of everything, his face smooth so I couldn't tell what he was thinking. It would be different this time. I wouldn't be the one in danger, with him coming to save me. I would fight next to him, and if he were to die, I would be next in line, following after him. It would be different this time. I wouldn't go on living without him. Not again.

I stared at the ground in front of me, unable to look away. We were standing in the clearing. It had stopped snowing, but now there was a clear blanket of snow layering the ground. Just like in Alice's vision. A breeze blew through the trees, and simultaneously, Edward and I looked up. I relaxed, slightly.

"Alice?" I whispered.

"Soon."

I swallowed hard. Edward turned me around and hugged me tightly, then kissed me. I saw Emmett kiss Rosalie, and Jasper and Alice with their fingers interlocked, their heads together. Carlisle and Esme, who were closest to us, stepped over. Esme hugged me gently, and Carlisle kissed my forehead. They both hugged Edward, and then walked over to Emmett and Rose. I hugged Alice tightly, and stood next to Edward. He kissed me again.

"I love you." He said softly, then took my hand. I couldn't talk. I took a breath, but it hitched in my throat, and I swallowed unwillingly. Then, I realized that's what it felt like to cry.

I faced forward, mirroring Edward. Then, I could hear them. I tried hard to keep my breathing evenly, by matching it to Edward's. They're footsteps were soft, like a ghost. I held my breath. It was time.

What did you think?? Good? Horrible? Review!

Um at the beggining of this chapter, Edward is gone, and I don't really know where he is. . . Let's say he was talking to Carlisle. . Father son bonding trip. . . Idk. whatever you want to think..

Hope you like the rest of the story. .When I get around to it.

mRs-cuLLeNxxx