I just wanted to wish everybody a very Merry Christmas, and I should be done with this story by New Years, so HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR TOO!

And Happy Birthday Baby Jesus

Please don't forget to review :)

Chapter Six

"Are you two alright? What happened?" Esme's voice broke through my mind, severing Jasper's numbing touch both figuratively and physically. He released my hand,

"Morgana burnt her hand. I was cooling it for her,"

I held up my hand as proof, which had an ugly streak of red along it. Esme bustled over, taking my hand softly in hers, "I think that Carlisle may have some ointment for this somewhere. Jasper, would you mind?"

He nodded quickly, and didn't even look at me before he flitted out of the room. I exhaled a little too loudly, and Esme's naïve expression softened, "Does it hurt badly? You really are suffering lately aren't you,"

I managed a smile at her, but inside I was falling apart. It felt like my life, the fabric of my universe, was being torn apart at the seams. How had that just happened? I could lie to myself, and everyone else, and pretend that I didn't know what was about to happen. What would have happened if we hadn't had been interrupted...

I couldn't help but imagine it. Being kissed by a vampire. The notion itself should make me sick, but somehow when I thought of Jasper, of what had just happened, it didn't seem so bad...

No!

There was something wrong with me. There had to be. This couldn't happen. My reason for existence, to bring down vampires, challenged by a single being, and a vampire nonetheless! I was vaguely aware of calming my emotions when Jasper returned with the medicine, which Esme applied carefully, but that didn't stop my mind from tearing itself apart. My hand, my head, my stomach, my heart - everything hurt. Was this what love felt like?

Now that was absurd. I didn't love him. Hell, it probably wasn't even possible to love people after about four conversations and less than a week of knowing each other.

"I need some air," I spluttered, surprising them both as I pulled away and hurried out of the door. Once I'd left the house, the fresh air didn't soothe me as much as it usually did. My breathing was loud, more like sobbing or crying than gasping. I had to get out of here. I needed to go and just...rethink. My mind, usually so clear and coordinated, was in a mess. Once I was a few hundred metres from the house, the emotions and thoughts building within me were suddenly too much to handle, and crying out, I hit at the closest tree. Bark exploded outwards, as the tree creaked dangerously. But my release only lasted a moment, and my attention started to become drawn to ridiculous things that were annoying and uncomfortable. The bandage on my wrist was torn off in a flash, and I my muscles began to ache insatiably. Angry tears spilled from my eyes, and I wiped them away roughly.

I tried to get my breathing back under control, and started to make myself realize how things affecting me weren't even worth it. Eventually, the pain subsided, and I started to think more clearly. I needed more time with them to decide. Not that they knew it, but their actions in the next few days could decide whether they lived or died. Besides, Nicholas and I were the only ones who knew that I was here.

Letting out one final breath, I stood up from where I'd sat on the damp forest floor. Brushing the dirt off of my jeans, I checked for Iris, before slowly making my way back to the Cullen house. I savoured the chance of being outside, before I walked up to the house. Rather than go in through the front door and have to face them all watching me, I climbed up to my balcony, and in through the unlocked door. From my room, I slipped out to the bathroom, and splashed my face with cold water. My hands gripping the basin tightly, I stared myself out in the mirror. My eyes were only just simmering down from red, but they'd soon return to their normal violet shade. My hair was turning wild, and ugly red blotches were fading from my white skin. I gave my face one more splash with cold water, before drying it with towel that despite being warm and soft, had an overwhelming stench of vampire. My ringtone sounded as I threw the towel back onto its hook, and sighing, I answered it,

"Hello?"

"Morgana! Oh thank God, I thought you were dead!" Nicholas babbled,

"I'm fine, why?"

"Did you get my texts?" He asked, worry beginning to creep into his voice,

"No, Nicholas, I didn't." I said exasperatedly,

"Oh...well..." He cut off,

I froze, "Nicholas, what did you do?"

"I...um...I kind of...um...told your Dad..."

My eyes widened, "What!" I hissed,

"Don't worry; he actually seemed kind of pleased. Him and a bunch of Hunters are coming to help you take down your Yellow Eyes."

My mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. They're coming...

Well, I guess this is an answer to your problems.

But it wasn't the answer I was looking for.

"When are they coming?"

"We're all packing up to leave now. We should be there tomorrow."

"Your coming too! But...I don't even know where I'm supposed to lead them," As if it could be avoided like that.

"They said bring them somewhere deserted. Preferably a building, makes it easier. We'll follow the stench,"

"Right,"

"Listen, I know you wanted to take them down yourself. I'm sorry,"

I shook my head, "It doesn't matter."

He went quiet for a moment, "Are you okay? You sound-,"

"I'm fine." I quipped,

He managed to sneak in a goodbye and good luck before I hung up. I clutched the mobile angrily, but my body just felt too weak to have the energy to be mad. A knock at the door lifted the trance,

"Morgana, are you alright? I can smell fresh blood," Carlisle's voice drifted in,

I blinked, and glanced down at my wrist. The wound was steadily bleeding, not as bad as it had been, but I figured that tearing the bandage off like that hadn't helped. I opened the door, not even bothered about the fact that I was presenting my blood to a vampire. Carlisle was still in his uniform,

"You're a doctor?" I blurted,

He gave me a quizzical look. No wonder, I should have figured that out ages ago.

"I enjoy helping people," He said simply, before holding out his hand. Obediently, I showed him my wrist. He didn't question the lack of my bandage, only leading me back to the hospital room. "I can clean it and bandage the wound again, but this time try and keep it on,"

I smiled guiltily, "Sorry,"

"It's not a problem," He assured me, as he set fire to the bloody cloths he'd just used to clean the blood away, and began to dress my wrist.

"How...how can you do this?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me, "I mean, aren't vampires supposed to drink blood?"

"From my experience, there are two kinds of vampire. The majority of our race drinks human blood, and it makes their irises turn red. This coven and another up in Denali, and possibly a few more nomads or covens around the world drink animal blood to sustain ourselves. It turns our eyes golden,"

I felt as if another lead block had been added to the weight I was carrying. "You don't drink human blood..."

"No. If there's anything I can do to make myself any less of a monster, I will do it happily."

I looked up into his golden eyes, and for once, I truly believed him. These vampires didn't want to hurt people. And I'd sentenced them to a death they didn't deserve.

"There you are," Carlisle said, smiling. I twisted my newly bandaged arm,

"Thank you," I replied quietly, staying seated on the hospital bed. Carlisle turned away to deal with his equipment. I stared at the back of his shirt, guilt radiating through me. This changed everything. So I hadn't been ill or misguided like I thought I had been, I'd been right. These people didn't deserve to die. These vampires, who'd been the kindest and most welcoming people I'd ever met, treated me in a way that I hadn't been treated in before. Like a daughter. Even my father didn't treat me like that, and my mother...well, she never had the chance.

I needed to sort this out. Now.

...

Thanks for reading! I'm deciding on some music to accompany my story, but I'll probably put that in a little later :)

Please review!

P.S THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS FAVOURITED OR ALERTED OR REVIEWED! I'll list you all a little later on :D But seriously, thanks to all of you who have stuck around after reading the first few chapters. Between you and me, there's a lot that didn't...

Merry Christmas :)