A/N: This isn't at all what I had in mind for the next chapter, but I felt that we needed the previous chapter from EPOV so here it is. Hope you won't find it too boring! ;-) I am still overwhelmed by the number of reviews I got for "Union". You're amazing, guys! Thank you so much! I loved every single one of them.

As always, a very special thank you to my wonderful beta and friend KayMarieXW. I don't think I'd have ever got this far without her support.

Enjoy!

Camilla10 kindly reminded me that since it has been while since the last update, I recap was in order:

Learning that Henry Lambert has been feeding information to Victoria, the Cullens decide to go after her rather than wait for her to return to Anchorage. Bella is to fly to Helena, Montana, Victoria's base of operations, as Victoria won't know Bella is after her because of her shield. Edward isn't at all happy with the plan, especially since Alice has shared her disturbing visions of the future with him, but knows he has no choice. Bella eventually forgives him.

Disclaimer: The Twilight Saga is property of Stephenie Meyer. I'm only borrowing.

35. PEACE

EDWARD

Tough we're tethered to the story we must tell

When I saw you, well, I knew we'd tell it well

With a whisper, we will tame the vicious seas

Like a feather bringing kingdoms to their knees

Turning Page by Sleeping At Last

I was getting on Jasper's nerves.

Standing beside me, behind the house, he approvingly watched Seth charge at Rosalie, who neatly flipped out of the way and, landing on her feet, spun around just in time to avoid getting tackled by Alice. With a low growl, Alice caught herself before she hit the ground and then wheeled around to come at Rosalie yet again. Seth, circling them, was waiting for another opening. While he had managed to nip Rosalie's clothes once or twice, Alice had yet to deliver a blow. Blind because of Seth's participation in the training session, Alice couldn't rely on her visions to guide her. She was trying to be a good sport about it, but her patience was about to run out.

Jasper was already preparing himself for the storm of fury that would inevitably come, fuelled by the pent-up frustration of days and days of feeling helpless and useless and desperate. That he had to deal with my emotional state on top of that didn't help. To his credit, he hadn't commented on it, aware that I was doing my best to keep the worry and dread that were gnawing at my insides at bay.

But I wasn't doing a very good job and Jasper couldn't help but wishing that I was at least a mile away and out of his reach.

"I'm sorry," I said eventually. Jasper shot me a quizzical look, uncomprehending. He was too focused on Alice. "I wish I could leave," I added quietly, "but I can't be alone tonight. I'm sorry, Jasper."

Jasper looked at me for a very long time before he finally spoke the words that had been lingering close to the surface of his mind all evening. "She didn't call, did she?" he asked softly.

I glanced at Alice, Rosalie and Seth, but they were too engrossed in their fight to pay attention to Jasper and me. "No, she didn't," I replied, trying to keep my voice even and failing miserably. Then again, it didn't matter. Not with Jasper. "I don't know what I expected," I continued dejectedly. "Or hoped."

"You were hoping she'd make a decision before she left," Jasper said. It was a statement, not a question because he had picked up on the feeling of hesitant hopefulness that had been growing inside me steadily ever since Chicago. Had I been wrong to hope?

"Yes," I admitted. "I shouldn't have. I can't force her to forgive me and if she's not ready, then there's nothing I can do about it. It's her choice and she has every right to take all the time she needs."

If she forgives you at all.

The thought shot through Jasper's mind before he could stop it. "I'm sorry," he said hurriedly. "I didn't mean to imply that she won't. I just…" He shrugged helplessly.

"I know," I said softly. "I don't deserve her forgiveness."

"Edward." Slowly, Jasper shook his head in mild exasperation. "Everybody makes mistakes and everybody deserves to be forgiven. You went through hell because you left her."

"As did she," I reminded him sharply.

"That's not what I meant and you know it," Jasper replied patiently. "You atoned for what you did. You told her the truth and you apologised and you have changed. It's so very difficult for us to change and yet you have. For her. And that alone is what matters."

"And still you think she won't forgive me," I said. I couldn't keep the edge of despair and bitterness out of my voice for if even Jasper, who had the most insight into all our feelings, believed Bella wouldn't forgive me, then what had I left to hope for?

"I don't think that," Jasper retorted, somewhat frustrated. Do I have to spell it out for you? he asked with mild annoyance and when I didn't react, said, "It's just one possibility of many and I'm sorry the thought ever crossed my mind. I was trained to consider every possible outcome, that's all. Personally, I think she will forgive you. You belong to each other and Bella's emotional state when we met again was such that I am convinced she couldn't walk away from you even if she wanted to. Which I don't think she does." He gave a shrug. "You're mated. You're both in it for life."

"If only it were this simple," I muttered, but Jasper's attention was already back on Alice.

Alice and Seth had managed to close in on Rosalie. I knew what Alice didn't, that Rosalie was allowing them to come closer. She was preparing for a lunge that would catapult her right on top of Alice. Suddenly Seth's ears twitched in response to something only he could hear and he yelped once to signal a break. Rosalie straightened out of her defensive stance and exchanged a quick glance with Alice, who grimaced and shrugged. She had no clue what was going on any more than Rosalie did.

My heart sank.

She wants to talk to you, Jacob said evenly.

I had recently discovered that as long as they were in wolf form and at least one of them was in my reach, I could read the minds of every single member of the pack because of the link they shared. So I could hear Jacob's thoughts just fine. He had delivered Bella's message in a neutral tone and yet I thought I detected just a tinge of glee.

I swallowed hard.

"You okay?" Jasper asked, confused. Then my expression, or rather the complete absence of any expression on my face, registered with him and he caught my elbow just as my legs gave out. Concerned, Alice and Rosalie converged on me. Seth hovered behind them, nervously pawing the snow, unsure what was going on.

This was it. This was exactly what I had been waiting for, but now that the moment had arrived I wished it hadn't. Not knowing if she would ever forgive me—that I could live with, that I could endure, for while I craved the certainty of knowledge, I also feared it.

The thought of what I would become if she didn't forgive me made me want to retreat into the black safety of my mind.

Jasper hit me. Hard.

"You back with us?" he asked and he shook me once for good measure, only steadying me when my eyes focused on his face.

I blinked. Somehow I had snapped out of the despair before it could fully sink its claws into me. "Jesus, Edward, what just happened?" Jasper demanded.

"Nothing," I gasped. I felt Alice and Rosalie's eyes on me as I reached for Jasper's shoulder, just to have something to hold on to. I was painfully aware of the stunned silence of their minds, a silence that spoke volumes, but I didn't acknowledge it. I didn't look at any of them as I took a careful step past Jasper, still clutching his shoulder. My legs reluctantly obeyed.

"Edward?" Jasper asked again. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Nothing," I repeated, but he didn't believe me. He was confused by the conflicting emotions he got off me, panic and relief and despair, and he was anxious because he didn't know what had caused the unexpected shift. "Bella wants to see me," I whispered eventually because I knew they wouldn't let me leave before I had told them.

And suddenly they understood.

"You're a mess, Edward," Rosalie whispered and then she wrapped her arms around me in an unprecedented display of sisterly affection.

oOo

Time was a funny thing. Whenever you were looking forward to something, time tended to drag and pass unbearably, sometimes even agonisingly slow. The exact opposite was the case if you didn't want something to arrive. Time sped up and suddenly you were facing whatever it was that you didn't want to face.

The trip to Bella's place didn't take long as it was, but tonight I seemed to make it there in half the time. Hovering just behind the broken fence that marked the end of her backyard, I watched her gazing at the sky, wondering, as I always did, what she was thinking.

"Just get it over with," I muttered, too low for her to hear. My feet refused to obey and I remained in the shadows of the trees, still as a statue. I didn't want to think about what would happen if she didn't take me back, but I couldn't put the matter out of my mind.

You're selfish, my conscience scolded. Tomorrow Bella would board a plane that would carry her directly into Victoria's clutches and here I was, worrying about myself instead of her.

I didn't deserve her forgiveness.

Part of me was aware that this was the darkness talking, the darkness that had been my companion for so very long, but how could I not listen? Even if things between us had changed, how could I expect her to forgive me for what I had done?

As I finally stepped into her backyard, wading through the waist-deep snow, I braced myself for the worst.

Bella opened her eyes and as she met my gaze, I forced a smile on my face. It didn't feel natural and it didn't seem to convince her; a tiny frown appeared on her forehead as she looked me over. I hoped she wasn't reading my mind. I couldn't control my thoughts. Not tonight.

"That was fast," she said lightly. "Jake and the others left not ten minutes ago."

I smiled, the crooked smile I knew she loved, despite my inner turmoil. "They're fast and so am I. Besides, Jake had Seth relay your message to me, so I actually left before they arrived."

Bella didn't answer and I hesitantly moved closer to join her on the roof, but she shook her head. "Wait, I'm coming down!" And then she leapt to her feet and off the roof. Fear blossomed in my mind, a remnant of the time when she was human, when a stunt like that would have killed her. But by the time Bella touched the ground in front of me, the fear had faded. She was so graceful now, so beautiful. She had always been beautiful, but now the sight of her made my heart swell in my chest.

No matter what she had decided, I would always love her.

"You know, the thought of you jumping off a roof would have given me a heart attack once," I told her, faintly amused because for a moment I had been scared even though I knew better. "It's a good thing you're not so breakable anymore."

She grinned and my dead heart leapt. "True. So…" She looked up at me. Part of me desperately wanted to avoid her inquisitive gaze, but I forced myself to meet her eyes.

Don't be such a coward!

"I guess you're wondering why I wanted to see you?" she asked slowly.

Any amusement I still might have been feeling, disappeared instantly, as did my smile. "I have an idea," I managed, surprised at how calm my voice sounded. Calm and guarded.

Her lips curved into the tiniest of smiles. Was that a good sign?

"Come on," she said softly, motioning for me to follow her back into the forest. "Let's go for a walk."

My breath caught in my throat and I couldn't speak anymore. Turning, she strode into the trees and I had no other choice to follow her even though my mind was screaming at me not to. How could I have been so cruel? How could I have broken up with her in a place so dark and sinister? I kept shooting nervous glances over my shoulder although I knew for a fact that there was nothing there, that we were completely alone. From the corner of my eyes I saw eerie shadows move, just a trick of the faint moonlight that managed to penetrate the cloud cover, but it added to my growing unease just the same. Why would she bring me here if not to leave me? To bring things full circle and end what had begun in a place like this over nine years ago.

But would she really be so cruel? Bella would never do something like this out of pure spite. Or would she? How well did I really know her after all the time that had passed? Had I ever really known her? And if she forgave me, if she took me back… What if she did it because she pitied me? She had glimpsed into my mind, had seen the shadows that were haunting me. She knew what I would become if she left.

I didn't want her to stay with me out of pity.

If only I could read her mind. She was a few steps ahead, moving purposefully through the trees. We were heading to the small clearing we had gone to after returning from Chicago. What was going through her mind? I desperately wanted to know, but no matter how hard I tried to reach out to her mind with my gift—her shield kept me out. If she ever learned to control the second layer of her shield, the one that protected her mind, would she let me in?

And what was I thinking? In a few moments she might tell me that things were over, that she didn't want me anymore. I would still have her as a sister, but that would never be enough. I would have to leave my family, but that was a small price compared to being with her for as long as we existed, knowing she didn't want me.

Reaching the clearing, she stopped. I was hesitant to follow her and so I remained a few paces to follow her, unable to speak or even breathe. When she turned to look at me, I couldn't bring myself to meet her gaze. The panic that had settled over me rendered every single thought incoherent. I stared at the trees behind her, completely still.

"Edward," she began, her voice soft, but I raised my hand and she fell silent, eyebrows arched. I needed to say something before she told me what she had decided.

"As I said, I have a very good idea as to why you wanted to speak to me tonight." My voice was steady and didn't betray my anguish. I was grateful for that. It would have made this so much more difficult and I didn't want her to realise that I was lying. "And I want you to know… No, I need you to know that whatever you decide, I will be able to live with it. I don't want you to forgive me, or take me back, simply because you pity me. My feelings are my responsibility and mine alone."

For a moment she just looked at me, then she sighed in exasperation. "Edward, you're a rotten liar."

My eyes snapped to her face. Surprise and confusion flooded my mind in equal parts. What?

"This entire situation could have been avoided if we had just talked about our feelings. If you had just asked me how I felt about Jasper attacking me or if you had just explained the way you felt instead of…" She shook her head. "Edward, of course I knew that Jasper could have killed me. I'm not that stupid and contrary to what you believed at the time, I didn't have a death wish. I knew it was a close call and I was scared… But I didn't tell you because you didn't ask and because I knew that if I told you how I really felt about it, you'd do something rash." She sighed. "In the end, I guess it didn't matter. Still… We have to stop lying to each other, Edward. If we don't, this," she gestured first at me and then at her, "can never work."

I stared at her. This can never work? Did she mean to forgive me then? Did she mean to take me back? A sliver of hope sparked in my mind.

In a gentle voice she continued, "I have seen a lot of things in your mind that you probably never intended me to see. I can understand why you would want to keep them away from me. Your mind…"

She paused, pensive, and it was easy to guess what she was thinking. I tried so hard to keep the shadows away whenever I had reason to believe she was inside my head, but sometimes it was impossible.

"It's not a very happy place," she whispered eventually. "Never be afraid to tell me how you really feel, Edward. You don't have to be strong for me. We're equals. We have to save each other equally. What our relationship needs is some balance. Promise me that you'll talk to me about whatever is on your mind." She smiled shakily, relieved. "I don't want to have to pick it out myself."

I could only stare at her, my mind suddenly spinning.

She crossed the distance between us and took my hands into hers, holding them tight, and I intertwined my fingers with hers, holding on to her as if she were my lifeline.

Then again, that was exactly what she was. My lifeline, the only one that could save me, the person who made my life whole and worth living.

"By the way," she whispered, "I forgive you."

And just like that the darkness in my mind retreated, pulling back and leaving me with a strange feeling of relief that made me feel light-headed. I wanted to pull her into my arms and hold her against my chest, wanted to kiss her and tell her that I loved her. Instead, the crushing relief forced me on my knees and I sank into the snow, my eyes stinging with tears that I knew would never come.

But I buried my head in my hands and began to weep nonetheless.

oOo

I was at peace.

The darkness had been my companion for so very long that I hadn't even realised how heavy a burden it had become until it was gone. I knew that it was a part of me and would eventually return, but I would cross that bridge when I came to it. With Bella at my side, I could face anything, could keep the shadows of doubt and despair at bay.

With her I was whole.

"I could get used to this," she whispered. She lay in my arms, her back against my chest, but now I felt her turn around so that she could look at me. She seemed just as relieved as I was and just as happy.

"So could I," I replied, with a quiet chuckle. I could have stayed here with her forever. The threatening shadows had disappeared with the clouds, and moonlight filtered through the natural dome of branches that were crusted with ice. It glittered, like millions of tiny stars that shone just for us.

"I love you," she whispered. She brushed her thumb across my lower lip, her touch tentative and careful and so very warm. Part of me did miss the hotness of her skin, the beat of her heart that had been the most important sound in my world once. But now that she was like me I didn't have to be afraid of crushing her anymore. I wanted to grasp her hand, place her palm against my face. I wanted to kiss her, wanted to taste her again, but I was hesitant.

What if this was only a very vivid hallucination?

"I love you," I whispered, pulling her closer. Feeling the weight of her body on my arm and the warmth she radiated made her feel more real to me.

"May I ask you something?" she asked slowly, as if unsure of my answer.

I opened my eyes. "Anything," I replied. "May I ask you something in return?" Something I had been wondering about ever since Alice had shared her visions with me. "Of course you don't have to answer if it's too… personal," I added quickly.

For some reason this made her smile. "Too personal? What could possibly be so personal that I wouldn't want to share it with you?"

One of the visions Alice had had flashed across my mind and I felt tension spread once more, but I fought it back. I didn't want Bella to notice. "You first," I said.

She sat up. I kept my arms around her waist. I needed to touch her. Tomorrow she would leave and then…

I didn't finish that thought.

"Now, you don't have to answer if you don't want to," she said.

"What could possibly be so personal that I wouldn't share it with you?" I said lightly, hoping she wouldn't pick up on my sudden wariness. Where was this headed?

"It just seems very… human to me that you feel like you have to try and control everything around you," Bella said very slowly and carefully. "It's not like anything that happens to you could ever harm you in any way—and now you don't even have to worry about me anymore. At least not like before when I was still human and much less durable."

I can still lose you, I thought even though I knew this wasn't what she meant.

I sighed. I was aware of what Alice called my 'control issues'. How could I not be? I didn't know if I had been like this as a human. Carlisle thought not. But then, he had his own theory as to why and how I had become the person I was today. Did I want to talk about this with Bella? But with whom could I discuss these kinds of things if not with her? "I don't know," I answered eventually. "My family has been wondering the same thing for a very long time. Carlisle theorises it's because I suffer from survivors guilt and that my… control issues stem from the fact that I subconsciously try to prevent a traumatic event similar to the one that caused it in the first place from ever happening again." This was almost a direct quote. "Of course vampires don't have sub-consciousness—it's why we can't suppress unpleasant memories. Carlisle's theory is flawed, but it's the best explanation he's been able to come up with."

"It sounds… plausible," Bella said at last, frowning. "I assume Carlisle believes the death of your parents is the traumatic event that's caused it?"

My surprise at her having figured it out so quickly must have shown on my face because she shrugged. "I had to sit through more psychology classes than I care to remember. Besides, it's fairly common. I see…" she paused, then corrected herself, "saw it in a lot of people who were the sole survivor of an accident. I can't even imagine what it must be like. To know what you were saved when others weren't, I mean."

"It was… hard at first," I admitted quietly. Waking up after the agonising pain of my transition and finding my mother dead had been so very painful. I had always been closer to her than I had to my father and to know that she was dead while I lived… I knew that ultimately every child outlived its parents, but it shouldn't happen like this. She shouldn't have died like this. I shouldn't have died like this.

"Of course I knew that Carlisle had acted according to my mother's wishes," I continued. "Maybe she really knew that he was different, that he had the power to save me. Maybe that's where I got my insight from. But it was hard to come to terms with the fact that I would live forever… and that she was dead. Carlisle explained to me why he couldn't save her too and I knew he was right. I know that he was right. But…" I trailed off with a sigh. "Of course it's all speculation, but I'm inclined to agree. My mother and I were very close. In any case, it's annoying to be affected by something that happened so long ago. I don't want to feel compelled to control everything, and that's exactly what it is—a compulsion. It's hard not to act on that compulsion, even when it's something that clearly isn't in my power." I met Bella's golden eyes, which were full of compassion. "Like you leaving tomorrow," I whispered. "I know it's the right thing, but the thought of losing you again is… paralysing I want to grab you and run off somewhere safe." My hands tightened on her back. Somewhere safe and away from Victoria, I thought. But then this will never end and it has to. It has been going on for far too long.

"Thank you for telling me," Bella said softly. She lowered her head to kiss me on the forehead, but I reached up and pulled her down, overcome by the need to kiss her, to feel her close to me. Her lips parted and I tasted her freesia and strawberry scent, mixed with the bitter sting of venom, on my tongue. Sitting up, I pulled her against me, and her hands settled on my back, tugging gently at the hem of my shirt. I gasped when I suddenly felt her hands on my skin, and her lips curved into a smile. Heat blossomed where her skin touched mine and for the very first time in over a hundred years, I almost felt human again, alive and burning with a desire I had never known before.

My shirt came off easily, as did hers. Her skin was warm and smooth, like alabaster, and like the ice and snow around us, it glittered softly in the moonlight. She was so very beautiful, my Bella.

I was getting carried away. I knew this and the primal part of me didn't care, the part that wanted to see her naked underneath me, that wanted to feel her against every inch of my body.

But I couldn't. There was something I needed to know first.

I broke the kiss, my breath coming fast and ragged. She blinked at me, a lazy smile on her lips that reminded me of a cat that had just licked clean an entire bowl of cream. "That," I managed, "wasn't what I had in mind."

"I didn't mind," she whispered.

She was still sitting on my lap and it would have been wiser to let her go. Instead I placed my hands on her hips, holding her against me. There was a part of me that was embarrassed at my body's obvious reaction to her, but the primal part couldn't have cared less. The strangest expression crossed Bella's face, calculating and oddly amused, and she ground her hips against mine.

I almost came undone.

"I was under the impression you had a question for me," she said with a straight face. "What?" she asked innocently when I gaped at her.

"You're unbelievable," I muttered, which made her laugh.

"So I've been told. What's your question?"

Although I needed an answer, I was suddenly hesitant to ask.

"As I said, you don't have to answer if it's too personal," I reminded her.

She rolled her eyes. "Just spit it out."

"Alice told me about her visions," I began carefully.

A frown creased Bella's forehead. "And?"

"And I wanted to ask you how you… feel about them."

Strangely, she relaxed in my arms while I remained tense. What I had seen in Alice's mind—what Victoria had in store for Bella as soon as she got her hands on her—had filled me with horror. How could Bella want to do this, knowing what would be done to her?

Because she's selfless, a voice in my mind whispered. Because she feels responsible and thinks it's the right thing to do. It's who she is. Selfless and brave. Braver than she thinks.

"I'm scared," she admitted quietly and I wished more than ever that I could read her mind. "I'm no masochist, so I'm definitely not looking forward to it. I'm trying to be optimistic about it though. The future isn't set in stone and Alice's visions don't always come true. Besides, there have been visions with a more… positive outcome too." She shuddered and I tightened my grip on her. More positive? By whose definition? The worst thing wasn't that I knew what was going to happen—it was that even though I knew it, there was nothing I could do to prevent it. The only way Alice's vision wouldn't come true was if Bella decided not to go. It didn't matter how she travelled to Helena. Once she was there, the future Alice had seen would unfold unless… Unless there was something Alice didn't know about yet, an unknown factor, a decision that hadn't been made yet because it hinged on another decision. But how likely was that, really?

I was grasping at straws and I knew it.

"I wish I could be as optimistic," I whispered.

"It has to be done," was Bella's quiet reply. "I don't want to go, Edward. I don't think I've ever been this scared, but this needs to end before more people die."

Then don't go!

But I kept my thoughts to myself. She was right. She had to and keeping her from leaving because I was afraid I'd lose her would be utterly selfish. I knew I could never be as selfless as Bella was, that I could never be as compassionate about something as she was. I didn't want any more innocent people to die either, but I also didn't want to lose her. I couldn't.

It would destroy me.

Selfish, selfish, selfish.

Alice's visions had been so very dark, so terrifying. She would be tortured—after all this time Victoria had spent on hunting Bella, she would take her time killing her because that was who she was. Inflicting pain on a vampire wasn't the easiest thing. But there were other ways to break someone.

"If this doesn't work, we'll get another chance eventually," I said, sensing that this was what she needed to hear even while hoping desperately that by the day after tomorrow this nightmare would finally be over.

Bella drew a deep breath and when she spoke again the shadows that had crept into her golden eyes had retreated a little. "I know. Let's not talk about it anymore, okay? I think we're all scared. Well, expect for Emmett." She rolled her eyes, but her tone was full of affection for my brother. "He can't wait of course."

I grinned. "No, he can't. He never worries about anything. I really envy him that. Things are… difficult at home at the moment. Alice and Jasper are on edge. Esme is worried, and Emmett still isn't talking to Rose." He had stayed inside during the entire training session. He would have loved to join us, but he didn't know how to deal with Rosalie. I wasn't sure what exactly his problem was. He had already forgiven her—he just didn't seem to know how to tell her, although there had to be more to it than that because usually Emmett didn't particularly care about properly expressing himself. He simply said what was on his mind and that was the end of it. But I was too wrapped up in my own problems to pay much attention to my brother's. He'd have to figure it out on his own.

"Poor Rose," Bella sighed.

I shook my head. "Your friendship to my sister continues to baffle me," I said with a chuckle, then decided to share my assessment of Emmett. "I think he's coming around though. Deep down he knows that Rose didn't mean the things she said to Freya—and that her remorse is genuine. It's just that he really liked the kid." That wasn't all, but as I didn't know any better, I had no other theory to offer. "I hope she's okay. I'd hate for her to end up in Victoria's clutches. She deserves better."

"All of her victims deserved better," she reminded me softly.

"I know," I replied. "I promise you we'll end this. One way or the other." I didn't doubt that we would—eventually. But how many of our own would we lose? We didn't know what we were up against, how many vampires Victoria had created. A dozen—or even two dozen—we could handle easily. But more than that? I wasn't so sure.

But I didn't want to think about it anymore. Not tonight. Not when I could lose her tomorrow. I reached up, brushing my thumb across her lower lip as she had done with me. Something flashed in her eyes, something dark and hungry. Her hands slid up my back and her fingers found their way to my hair, pulling me closer so that she could kiss me again. There had been an almost desperate edge to the first kiss we had shared tonight. Now it was sweeter and even more intense, a promise of more to come.

How could I possibly let her go tomorrow? How could I let her confront Victoria alone? I wished I had never suggested using Bella to find Victoria. I had assumed we'd have more time, enough for Bella to master her shield so that I could go with her. So that she wouldn't have to face Victoria alone. Bella wouldn't be able to withstand long in a fight—if she lived past what Victoria's lackeys would do to her.

The vision unfolded in my mind once more.

"What is it?" Bella asked breathlessly as I went still. Confusion that quickly turned to worry swept across her face. "Edward, stop thinking about that," she whispered pleadingly. With a twinge of annoyance, she added, "Thanks for the visual imagery by the way." But her tone was so droll that I felt my lips twitch. That was Bella as she lived and breathed, always trying to comfort others even though, this time, she should have been the one being comforted.

"I'm sorry," I said, gathering her against my chest and holding her tight. "It's hard to forget."

"I know. But torturing yourself with the knowledge what's going to happen to me won't change anything. I'm going, Edward. I have to."

"I know that. I just wish I could come with you."

"So do I," she replied softly. "But you know why you can't."

Because we couldn't risk alerting Victoria to the fact that we were on to her. Bella was the only one who could get close to her without tipping her off. In theory, I reminded myself, but Eleazar had yet to be wrong about how a vampire's gift worked. Our entire plan hinged on his correct assessment of Victoria's talent.

"Yes, I know," I said. But there had to be a way for me to go with her. A way for me to…

And then the answer came to me. It had been staring me in the face for some time, but it was only now that I realised that it was there. Bella wouldn't like it. Neither would the others, for that matter.

But I didn't have to tell Bella, did I? Or the others. Bella would be furious if she found out that I was keeping things from her, but that was a small price to pay compared to losing her.

"Edward?" Bella said, worried.

I quickly wiped my mind clean.

"Nothing," I assured her, suddenly feeling strangely elated. How could I have missed this? "I promise not to think about it anymore."

Bella eyed me suspiciously. Was she reading my mind again? I was beginning to understand how my family must feel, knowing that I constantly read their every thought. Then she shrugged. "Let's go home," she suggested, smiling in a way that made my skin tingle. "We still have a few ours before the others get here."

"Yes," I agreed as I got to my feet without letting go of her. "Let's go home."

A/N: What do you think Edward's come up with? And how will Bella react when he finds out? There Bella gave him this whole honesty speech and what does he do? Keeps something from her… Please, please, please review!