Smileon: ahh thank you about the length thing - everyone is hounding me about that! Ha ha.

ashxkami13: yayyyy thank you!!!

girlwholikestwilighttoomuch: shank you. ;)

alice-in-wonderland101: lol why thankyouverymuch.

katchelle87: I will, I will! I already have up to chapter 10 written, but typing it up is the main problem haha. Thanks so much!

vampire's love: sounds scary. I'll keep it coming to get you through. The real question is... HOWAREYOUTYPINGWITHOUTAKEYBOARD!?!?!?

pheobesaphira:D thank yoooouuu!!

Chapter 7

As Bella made her way to the bathroom, her thoughts were racing full speed. She stepped through the door & closed it behind her. She saw the toilet & wondered if it was a prop. She glanced to the mirror & gasped. Her hair was a complete mess. Her eyes turned from chocolate brown to the blackest onyx. But that wasn't why she gasped. She was gorgeous. She hadn't given her looks much thought previously. She knew she wasn't bad looking - just average. She couldn't pick out a single thing about herself that was drastically different, but when she looked closely, she saw subtle changes. Her skin was paler than before, & she had dark circles under eyes - these were the most drastic changes, but didn't make her beautiful. She noted that her eyelashes were longer, darker, her cheekbones were more prominent, her lips fuller, her nose smaller. Subtle differences, but she liked it. She then noticed her body. She was thin before, carrying no excess fat, but she was lean & muscular now, her breasts fuller, her hip bones more prominent. She could get used to this. She combed her fingers through her hair a little bit, & almost immediately it fell into place, looking more shiny & vibrant than ever. Her teeth were exceptionally clean & white, her skin was clear & flawless. Well, that didn't take much effort, she thought. She walked back to Edward's room & sat down.

"Well," she began, & he looked into her eyes. How can I feel so at ease with someone who had just tried to kill me? She wondered. "It doesn't take much thought to decide that I don't want to be a killer..." he smiled gently. "But I can't just live with you. I mean, I don't even know you!" She exclaimed, though she felt like she did. Why is she taking this so well? "Plus, Charlie... Oh! Charlie!" She jumped up. "How long have I been gone anyway?" Edward sighed.

"A little over three days." She glanced at the clock. It was nearly 3 A.M. "Oh my god, poor Charlie! He must be worried sick!" Edward knew this was coming. The poor man's only child... "Bella, I know you're worried, but just wait a minute. For one thing, it's 3 A.M. Most humans are sleeping. & not only that - what exactly are you planning on telling him?" She sat back down.

"I have no idea." He reached out to touch her shoulder, & her breath caught in her lungs, & chills ran through her. That reaction was unexpected to both of her. Edward only suspected it, but Bella felt it full force. He just tried to kill me 3 days ago! I should not be getting butterflies over him! He was unaware of her internal struggle, still focused on the need at hand.

"Well, let's just think for a minute. I want to help you any way I can." She subconsciously summoned up some of the anger that she knew should exist.

"That's funny coming from you," she spat.

"Bella..."

"& how do you know my name anyway?! Bella. Everyone around here knew me as Isabella before I arrived." Oops. He had forgotten to tell her about that.

"Oh, well..." he drew in a breath. "That's another thing about... our kind. Extra senses. I can hear people's thoughts."

"Okay... so..." she shook her head. This was just too unreal. "So you heard me think that I like to be called Bella?"

"Not quite. For a reason that I am entirely unaware of, your thoughts are a total mystery to me. I heard you telling people that, using the medium of their thoughts."

"All right. So, does everyone have these extra senses?"

"In a way. Some more subtle than others..."

So he went on to explain Alice's visions, Jasper's... charisma, one could say, & other things relating to such. There was so much that she didn't know. They went on like that, talking explaining, asking. At about 5 A.M., Edward brought up the inevitable.

"We still need to figure out what you need to tell your father, you know..."

"Oh god," Bella moaned, throwing her head back "Any ideas?"

"Well, if you could come up with an excuse as to where you've been, I would say that you could stay with him, let some time pass to reconcile, but..."

"Why is this option out?"

"Well... to be honest, I'm not sure you can handle it. Those new to this life... have very limited willpower. We at least need to get you hunting before you can be around humans, especially those you love. If... that's okay with you.

"Anything you say, Edward," she responded immediately, without thinking. What am I saying? He did the unthinkable, unfathomable! He stole my humanity! Why am I trusting him so much? But when she thought about it, she realized that he was right. She had an inexplicable thirst scorching her throat, but she never once thought of water to quench it. Plus, despite everything that had happened, she felt like he genuinely cared about her well being.

& he did. He wanted only the best for this girl. A stranger, really, but she already felt like part of his family. He couldn't explain it, but it was more than just the debt of her morality. He cared, he honestly did. Saying goodbye to her was the last thing he wanted to do - ever.