TotalVAmpire-holic: don't worry, Bella will get cheered up soon enough. ;-)

Midnight Walker: It does sparkle! Woo hoo! Yeah I totally love shopping, sorry... but yeah... thanks for the review!!!

LovieHiggins: haha thank you!

Smileon: e v e r y t h i n g makes me want to jump into Twilight & become a vampire! Yeah... but no emo. Psh. Cheer up, silly boy! Posting now!

Edwardlovr026: oh thank you, thank you! There's not really much Charlie in this story, but in the next one, I'll keep that in mind. So be sure to read it!

Twilightfan21: haha thank youss!!

Lizziemcclure: thank you so much!

Lost without a cause: I think your word is awesomenessness! Hahah... Yeah, I really suck at summaries, I'm glad my writing is better. :-) Oh, but yeah, they are tottally in love. I kind of want to tease them. & thank you, I love my & signs! M&Ms are good! M&M is my initials. Meghan M. Yeah. Go me. I know.

-bookluver1515-: ...k.

Chapter 15

Carlisle & Edward drove for about an hour before Edward even thought to ask what they were to be hunting.

"Mountain lion - your favorite, right?"

"Yes, it is my favorite. Thank you, Carlisle."

"Anytime, son. But I wanted to talk to you about something as well." Edward figured this was coming. "You miss her, don't you?" He sighed.

"I guess I do. I don't know. I haven't known her long. I think I just feel responsible for her." Carlisle knew him better than that,

"There seems to be something else though, Edward. I can see that you care for her, possibly more deeply than your letting on."

"I suppose I do. It's strange though. I don't feel like I have the right to. Does that make sense?"

"It does make sense. But it isn't justified. Know that. You'll see her again soon. She'll be fine."

EB.EB.EB.EB.EB.EB.EB.EB.EB.EB.EB.EB.EB.EB.EB.EB.EB.EB.EB.EB.EB.

As soon as Alice & Bella were in the house, the phone rang. Bella raced to pick it up, & did so just milliseconds after the heard the sound.

"Hello?"

"Bella, oh, hello, that was quick."

"Oh hi, Mom. Yeah I was... picking up the phone to call you just as it rang," she lied.

"Oh all right. Well anyway, I just got a call from Charlie. Tell me what's going on sweetie, talk to Mommy." As free-spirited as Renee was, that protective mother instinct was locked deep inside her. Bella sighed & sent through the same routine she went through with Charlie.

"Do you want me to come home, baby?"

"No Mom, I'm fine. I need some time to myself anyway. I'm looking for a place of my own."

"You're so young though, & what about school? You're already a senior, you need to finish high school." Renee's voice was pleading.

"I'll finish online, Mom. I'll be okay. I have to go. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetie." Bella hung up the phone. She missed Renee. She missed Charlie. She even missed Phil. But luckily, this was where her human ties ended. It still hurt.

"This sucks," she sighed to Alice."

"I know, babe. It gets easier though, I swear. Are you ready to hunt?"

"Oh god, yes!" Bella groaned. "That sounds so nice right now." Once in the car, Bella felt better about missing her parents, but she missed Edward even more than before.

"When are we going back?" she asked Alice.

"Maybe in a week or so," she thought for a minute. "It doesn't look like Charlie is going to get a search warrant anymore, but he may change his mind. It's best just to be safe." Bella knew she was right, but she wanted to leave earlier. She felt homesick, strangely enough. She wanted to see her new parents. She wanted to see Jasper & Emmett, & even Rosalie. Which made her wonder...

"Rosalie doesn't seem to like me very well. Do you know why?"

"I'm not really sure. I love her, but she's a bit self-absorbed. She's upset that we have to move because of you. But don't worry about her, she'll come around. She finds it hard to open up to new people."

"I hope so... she doesn't want me to stay with you guys?"

"Are you going to?" Alice asked.

"I-I'm not sure. I hate to impose but... I don't really have anywhere else to go."

"You are always welcome with us, babe. I want you to stay. Rose will get over it. It would break Edward's heart if you left." Bella winced. She knew that.

"I really can't even imagine leaving. It would be difficult. You're my family now. It's just so strange. Everything changed in an instant. I miss Charlie & Renee... I don't know if I can handle losing two families."

"You don't have to, Bells. It's no imposition, honest. The more the merrier, right?"

"That's us - we're just a jolly ring of vampires."