If I could have blushed, I would have then. I sheepishly turned and smiled at my family. They were standing patiently, waiting for me to do something. I looked back to Nicki and hurriedly introduced her to everybody.

"This is Carlisle, Esme," Carlisle smiled and Esme gave a little wave, "Jasper and Alice," Alice grinned, exposing her glistening teeth and Jasper's forehead crumpled in confusion. "And Emmett and Rosalie. Careful about Emmett, he can snap you like a twig if you piss him off." Rosalie glared stoically-unsurprising, she was always like this with new people-and Emmett feigned hurt and shock.

"You know I'm working on my anger issues," he protested jokingly. I rolled my eyes but laughed.

Nicki laughed, too. "All right, you all seem trustworthy to me. Which is good. I'm Nicki, I'm half-vampire, half-human. The story is long and not all too interesting but if you'd like to hear it, come with me." She faced the direction we had run from and took off. My family gaped behind her, unable to move or react.

"Sh-she-she-," was all Jasper could stutter.

"Impossible," Carlisle whispered. Edward suddenly twisted, as if in pain, his eyes slamming shut.

"Possible, yes," he choked, bending double. "Easy to explain, no. Not something to be taken lightly." He fell forward onto the ground, panting, on his hands and knees. "Jane is nearby," he added, writhing in apparent agony. I gasped and felt the hole in my chest again. No, I had promised myself I would never have anything cause him such pain, ever again…

"Finally."

The cold, high-pitched voice echoed through my mind. Jane. We turned to face her and her evil, angelic smile. She cocked her head and stared into my eyes, still smiling.

"So she has been turned," she said, her red eyes boring holes in my own. "Has she been feeding on humans? Her irises are ruby."

"No, she has been fed only once on animal blood," Carlisle replied. The usually warm tone of his voice was gone, replaced by steel. Jane laughed and looked more intently into my eyes. Her smile melted into a frown, however, when she realized I wasn't on the ground like Edward, who was lying down to recover.

"And you are still resistant. Pity." Her smile was back on her face in no time. Suddenly I had a thought. If I could thought-speak with Edward, an effect of my reversing ability…why wouldn't it work on Jane? I concentrated on her eyes, determined to make her suffer as she had made Edward suffer.

To my delight, it worked. Her glistening teeth were now clenched in an agonized snarl. She fell to the ground, rolling and shaking uncontrollably. I laughed humorlessly, relishing in the backfire of her only weapon. As she cried out in pain, her short sobs growing into long screams, I felt unstoppable. Empowered. It wasn't until someone grabbed ahold of my shoulders and shook me did I become aware of my surroundings.

"Bella!" someone shouted frantically. Who I couldn't tell.

"Bella!" the voice shouted again, shaking me harder. "Snap out of it! BELLA!"

A hard slap cut through my trance. My cheek smarted and my eyes welled up again-damn those tears. My mind all but shut down. I blinked hard to clear my vision of the stupid saltwater and shook my head. Two scorching golden eyes were trained on my face, scared and slightly furious.

"What?" I asked, dazed. "What was that for?" I blinked again.

"You're driving Jane to the point of insanity!" a female voice screeched. My eyes darted around, trying to find the source. A small, black-haired girl was staring at me fearfully. In front of her was a small, childlike figure that was whimpering and moaning. It trembled from some unknown force. Suddenly it screamed and shook harder.

"Whatever you're doing, Bella, stop, or we're going to have a worse situation." The first voice spoke again. I looked back into the scared golden eyes.

"How do you know my name?" I inquired, my eyes narrowing in suspicion. I stepped back and looked around. There were more of them with the same eyes.

"Bella-" the first voice said, trying to comfort me.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME!" I screamed, stumbling backward, staring into each pair of golden eyes. "HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?" The fear in their eyes said they knew me, but didn't recognize me. I continued backward until I tripped over a stone and fell. Then I tried crawling.

"Jasper, Emmett, come here, please," the first voice said, sounding strained. The two younger men with golden eyes came forward and dashed behind me, one grabbing my wrists, the other grabbing my waist. I screamed and twisted away from the unwelcome contact as they tried to hold me down. Who were these people? And why were they so interested in me?

Another boy, who looked about my age, crouched in front of me and smiled. I almost melted with the combined intensity of that gorgeous smile and those smoldering eyes…but I resisted. I had to, for my own protection.

"Isabella," he said patiently, his voice smooth as silk, "do you remember me?" A breeze blew past and ruffled his messy bronze hair. I shook my head, confused, still wary.

"Should I? I don't believe I have ever seen you before." Maybe he was confusing me with some other Isabella. They might let me go if they realized this. "Maybe you have the wrong Isabella. Now, can you take me back to Charlie? He'll be worried sick by now and I need to make dinner."

The boy's eyes tightened and filled with…anxiety? Confusion? Fear? They were impossible to read. The dazzling smile was gone. He leaned in further and I shrank back, afraid he might hit me or yell. A wonderful, sweet smell filled my nose and I closed my eyes, inhaling. Was he wearing cologne? It wasn't like any other cologne I had smelled.

"Bella," he said, reverting to my nickname," tell me. Do you have a boyfriend?" He choked a little on the word.

"No," I replied carefully. "Never had one. Why?"

The boy groaned and muttered something unintelligible. When he looked up again, a beautiful crooked smile was splayed on his face. His topaz eyes were still filled with some kind of emotion.

"Well, Bella, my name is Edward Cullen. Sit here while I go talk to my father, OK?"

I nodded. Maybe this was a psychology exam? I wasn't crazy. These people were, for asking me this stuff. I wanted to go home; Charlie was waiting, and was probably hungry and worried sick. I wondered if he had called Billy and his son-Jacob?-to look for me. Actually, he probably had half of Forks looking for me. Mike would only be too happy to find me and save me and be the hero.

"Where am I?" I asked the two boys holding me down. They exchanged a look before the bigger one replied, "I don't know if Edward would be very pleased with us if we told you." I shrugged and tried to answer the question myself until Edward came back with the tall, blond man that must be his father.

The man turned to Edward and said something-I caught the words "Hit too hard…new member of Volturi…Nicki…confused…trauma…"

"Are you talking about me?" I interrupted. "I'm not deaf."

The blond man smiled and kneeled at my side. "Hi, Bella," he said. "My name is Dr. Carlisle Cullen. I have a question for you."

"Is this a mental exam? Because the only mental people here are you," I said. Carlisle chuckled quietly.

"Bella, do you believe in vampires?" he asked me, suddenly a serious expression on his face.

I snorted; these people really were crazy. "Are you kidding me? 'Pale people who suck blood and can't go out in the sun?' Yeah, right."

He and Edward were silent. Edward bent down in front of me again and called someone named Alice over. The short, black-haired girl from earlier bounced over.

"Bella, do you know who this is?" Edward asked me, looking hopeful.

"A loud, short girl who looks small enough to be a fourth grader?" I guessed. Alice looked hurt and glared at Edward. His face fell, and he looked away.

"Taking the term 'mad with power' to a whole new level," he muttered. Before I could react, he grabbed my hands and was way too close to my face for comfort. He breathed, and the sweet smell filled my nose again. I noticed it was an icy sort of sweet.

"Please don't fight me," he whispered, "it's for our own good." Then he kissed me.

I did fight. I screamed, though it was somewhat muffled, and tried to pull away. His grip on my hands was strong though, and the boys behind me managed to hold me in one place. I tried pulling my head back but found that impossible as well. Finally I just stiffened and remained unresponsive until Edward pulled away, hurt and sadness clearly written on his perfect features.

"Edward, next time you want to do that, give us time to close our eyes," the big one behind me said teasingly.

Edward frowned at him. Now he looked to be on the verge of tears, even though he couldn't cry-hold on, how did I know that?-and looked at me sadly. "This is no laughing matter, Emmett," he whispered, holding my gaze. God, his eyes were beautiful, even when they were like this. Carlisle came over and laid a hand on Edward's shoulder to discuss something with him.

"Bella, do you know me?" the other boy holding me asked suddenly. I turned to look at him and laughed shortly.

"I don't know any of you," I said. "Is this little interrogation almost over? I want to go home."

"Almost," he replied, staring at the ground. "By the way, my name's Jasper." It sounded like it pained him to say this.

Alice left momentarily and brought two other women with her when she returned.

"Bella, this is Rosalie," she said, nodding to the beautiful blond one, "and Esme," the brunette, motherly figure.

"Hi, Bella," the blond said timidly. I smiled at her. Even though she seemed nice I couldn't help but feel slightly jealous toward her. Esme's bottom lip was trembling, an she couldn't look me in the eye. Edward and Carlisle walked back then, Edward staring up at the angry gray sky. Wow, that's something you don't get often in Forks. Ha.

"Bella, we'd like to show you something," Carlisle said. We're hoping you'll remember us after this."

"How do you remember someone you've never met?" I asked. Edward sighed a shaky sigh.

"Wait a moment, Carlisle," he said. "We don't have to show her the grave.

Grave? Who died?

"What do you mean?" Carlisle wanted to know. He sounded curious.

"Her bracelet," Edward replied simply. "Jasper, let go of her wrist. My hand was let go and I rubbed it, sure it was chafing. Jasper had one hell of a grip. Something glinted against my pale skin and I looked down at it. It was a silver bracelet with a small wooden wolf charm and a glittering crystal heart.

"Pretty," I remarked, holding it out to inspect it. I don't remember getting it, though. Maybe Renee sent it to me." I smiled, admiring the rainbows the small heart cast, even in the limited light.

"What is taking you so long?" a new voice complained from somewhere to the side of me. I squinted up to find a tall girl with stunning green eyes walking quickly toward us. "Hi, Bella," she added brightly, beaming when she saw me.

"Do I know you?" I asked. If I had I certainly would have remembered her. Her bright smile turned quickly into a frown.

"Remember? I'm Nicki," she said. Her eyebrows pulled together. Edward quickly pulled her to the side to explain something in a hushed, fast tone. She gasped.

"Well, why don't you try hitting her harder?" She strode over to where I sat, bemused. "This is going to hurt me a lot more than it's going to hurt you," she told me, before pulling her hand back. Edward quickly ran up behind her and grabbed her hand.

"No," he said fiercely, giving her a death glare. Her eyes flashed and she ripped her hand away, scowling. Edward sighed and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. His eyes had dark purple rings beneath them, I noted.

"Charlie probably has about half of Forks on the lookout for me," I offered, knowing I probably wasn't helping. "Mike-you know Mike Newton?-will want to be my hero." I chuckled. Of course he would. Something stirred Edward with Mike's name and his eyes flew open again. He grabbed my face in his hands.

"Isabella Marie Swan," he whispered. "You and I, and everyone else here, are vampires. We are the eternally damned, cursed to destroy the lives of others with our actions."

"You really are crazy," I complained, twisting out of his hands. He let me go, a shocked and hurt expression on my face.

"CHARLIE!" I yelled, running away from the strange people who claimed to know me. "HELP! I'M HERE! YOU CAN STOP LOOKING NOW! CHHHAAARRLLIIIEEE!" I was surprised I was running so fast without tripping. Still, I ran, just to escape the crazy people behind me.

I stopped for a moment to catch my breath. In that instant what felt like a huge, living boulder ran into me, slamming me onto the rocky earth. It took the wind out of me and stunned me for a moment.

"QUIET!" the rock roared. It was Edward. He clamped a hand over my mouth to stop me from screaming.

"What are you doing!" I shouted, but my voice was smothered, so it sounded more like "Maph ah oo ooe!"

"Saving you from the Volturi," he replied.

"Oo ah eh ah uh oouhe?" Who the hell are the Volturi? "I ah oo oh-eh-e e uh eh?" Why are you protecting me from them?"

"Just please be quiet, love," he hissed. Something about the panic in his voice made me obey. A voice floated on the sea-smelling air and made its way to my ears.

"Demetri, have you found them yet? Bella had left a little while ago…perhaps Edward followed her?"

Edward must have heard the voice too. Quickly he pulled me behind a large boulder and kept his hand over my mouth. I didn't mind it so much now, it smelled like his breath when he had kissed me.

"Nearly, Aro," another voice replied. "One moment…ah. Edward is behind that rock over there. I can't seem to find the girl though."

"Never mind. She is most likely with Edward. We shall see…" The voice came closer with every word until it was right above our heads. We both looked up simultaneously to see a very pale man with long black hair. He smiled down at us. I wondered how his face didn't crack, his skin seemed so paper-thin.

"Dear Bella," he said, looking straight down at me. "How wonderful! You have been turned." His eyes frightened me-they were a milky red color, sinister and macabre.

Noting my confusion as to who he was, he frowned and looked at Edward.

"She can't seem to remember anything about us," Edward explained. "Nothing we've done seems to initiate recall. We still can't determine the cause."

Aro, as I assumed his name was, laughed. "I can." Turning around to talk to someone behind him, he called, "Beatrice, it is working. You may lift the forgetfulness now."

"Aro, I was having so much fun!" a female voice complained.

"All right, you may leave it on for the time being." He turned back to look down at Edward and me.

"Of course," Edward muttered, seemingly disgusted with this Aro's actions.

"Now, Edward, if you'll give Bella to us," Aro said, as though he had not heard him. "She must be dismembered for harming the Volturi."

Abruptly Edward stood, dragging me up with him. "NO!" he roared at the pale man. One of his arms tightened around my waist. I flinched.

Aro seemed unfazed. "You know what the rules are, Edward," he said lightly. "She must be punished."

"No," Edward whispered, more quiet now. "She had no control over what she was doing. She is only a newborn, she can't be expected to have knowledge of the full extent of her powers!"

"Uh ih e, oo oh," I said.

"Shh," Edward murmured. "At least let her regain her memory," he asked of Aro. The pale man nodded and looked behind him.

All at once, everything came back. Meeting Edward at school, the meadow, James, Edward leaving me, Edward in Italy, the Volturi, Jake drowning, meeting Nicki… I screamed. Thousands of emotions tore through me like fire. Edward took his hand from my mouth. I shook my head and buried my face in his neck. My arms tightened like vices around him. I whimpered as the emotions subsided and dwindled down to one-icy, stabbing fear. He whispered words of comfort before looking up to glare at Aro.

"It had to be done," Aro said simply. "She was torturing poor Jane. Felix escorted her back to Italy a few moments ago."

"Please," Edward sighed, reduced to begging. "Please. She had no control."

There was silence from Aro as he mulled this over. "I will let this one pass," he said at last. "One more mistake, though, Bella, and you will no longer be a vampire." Wind ruffled my hair as he whisked he and his coven away. Edward wrapped his arms around my waist. After a few moments of absorbing the situation, I looked up into his eyes. They were scared and relieved at the same time.

"I was sure I'd lost you," he whispered. "That you would never remember me ever again."

"You're very hard to forget, Edward," I replied. He caught my lips with his and I smiled into the kiss, content and happy that I was not insane after all.

Thanks to everyone who has been keeping up with this story! The reviews/favorite author/favorite story/story alerts have been going like crazy and I'm glad I can make you all so happy :)

Till next chapter,
-xDLWx