"I guess I can handle this, but don't you think we should go to school, since we already skipped yesterday?"

"Of course, but you ought to know…Kate, Irina and Tanya are coming as well…"

"They…oh my gosh, that'll be fun!" I laughed, heading to the kitchen and grabbing me an apple. Then we went to Edward's Volvo, where we took the three girls as well, but it was definetely somewhat full. They'd be taking another car tomorrow, at least I hoped so.

When we arrived at school we were already very late, so the girls headed to the office and we to our classes. They obviously skipped the first classes, for the first time we saw them again was when Alice, Edward and I walked them to the Cafeteria, heading to sit at our usual, but by now still empty, table.

Everyone was staring at the three beautiful new arrivals beside us. Suddenly Jessica grabbed my hand and pulled me to their side of the table. I gave Edward an it's-allright-let-her look and went along with her, taking a seat between her and Angela.

"Bella, who are they," she hissed.

"Friends," I simply retorted.

"Friends of whom? You seem to have better choices than me, don't you?"

"They are friends of the Cullens. They moved here from Alaska, and I don't know how long they will stay. Look, they are three really nice girls, Irina, Kate and Tanya." I hoped she would let me go back to Edward who was already glaring but she wouldn't let go.

"How come you are so much with the Cullens? They left you, Bella!"

"Oh, and since when do you care about me? You just want to fresh up your image with some pretty little rubbish to tell everyone."

"I thought we were friends!"

"Oh, did you? Well I don't need a friend like you, only talking to me when you want something. I've got the Cullens again and the Denalis. We are all living as one big family. No Jessica Stanley necessary." I stepped back to Edward's side and sat down when Jessica woke from her shock and shouted into my face so the whole Cafeteria could hear.

"You bitch! You filthy little slut! You gonna see what that does you good." And with that she stormed out of the building, leaving me surprisingly unimpressed.

"I am utterly impressed," Edward told me, his eyes staring deep into mine.

"I wouldn't have thought you would shake her of that easy."

"Let them think what they want. Literally in your case!" I told him, when he filled me in about the fact that Mike wasn't pleased with that at all. That guy could be persistent.

"Bella, I have to send you down to the reservation today, I fear…" Edward started.

"Why? I thought I shouldn't go see them anymore?" Now that was confusing.

"Somebody has to keep Jacob and his pack from hurting the Denalis. I'll drop you off as close as I can after school, ok?" He seemed really worried. But Jake was still my friend, wasn't he?

The rest of the day passed quickly, even Gym, although I had no Alice there today, so I was stuck with Mike. When we went out after the bell he closed up to me.

"Bella? I want to talk to you. It's wrong what you're doing. Cullen's not the right one for you, you can't move in with him after he left you all these months. You should have seen yourself all the while he was gone…"

"Haven't you seen me after he returned, Mike? I am happy again, now that he is back. Everything was just a huge misunderstanding…"

"How can you be sure he still loves you?" Mike asked. I couldn't answer. The truth was that after he had left me I didn't know that anymore, but I trusted him. I slapped Mike right across the face, and ran into the arms of my angel who had been waiting next to the car for me. I buried my head in his chest and started crying hard.

"Shhhh, Bella. What is it?" He tilted my head up and dazzled me with his mesmerizing eyes of liquid topaz color, and the only thing I could do was sobbing.

"Do you love me, Edward?" I choked out.

"Of course, Bella. How can you ever doubt that again?" He whispered, placing me on the passenger's seat, standing in front of me.

"It's just… you left me again and I still don't know why?" He sighed.

"Oh my Bella. I only left for you, I didn't mean to hurt you I had just some errands to run…the bracelet being one of them." He smiled my crooked smile and dragged me up.

"Let's don't miss the tryouts, will we?"

"I've completely forgotten! Oh my gosh, didn't we plan on practising?" Before he could answer he had me already dragged into the assembly hall, sitting down next to Alice and the Denali girls. Mrs. Onelly, the teacher, stepped in front of us and I tried to listen and to look at the people around me at the same time. There were Mike, Tyler, Eric, I hoped they wouldn't expect me to get Julia so they were supposed to be my romeo, besides I would never ever get Julia. Angela grinned at me and Lauren was sitting there as well, along with Jessica, ignoring me and chatting with Ben and Conner. Great. Everyone I knew was there.

"Welcome young actors and actresses. Theater is a gift given from god and I hope you will aknowledge it through giving your very best.…bla…bla…blubb…" This went on for about half an hour and then we started the tryouts. As always I had to be the one with the bad luck. Thank god I had Edward with me. We started with the first meeting between Romeo and Juliet. I was Juliet and Edward, how else should it be, was my one and only Romeo.

"If I profane with my unworthy hand this holy shrine, the gentle sin is this. My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss" Edward begun at the point where Tybalt had gone, I was immediately lost. I loved Romeo and Juliet and I knew it by heart, so I just gave in and said with all my compassion for Edward, the play and our love, like I had never done anything else, the next lines.

"Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hands too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this. For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss." I heard some sharp intakes of breaths and saw Edward's glowing eyes resting on me full of love. Was I really that bad?

"Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?"

"Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer."

"O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do! They pray: grant thou, lest faith turn to despair."

"Saints do not move, though grant for prayer's sake." It didn't matter to me how bad I was anymore, I was fully into this. I was Juliet and Edward was my Romeo, this was our story and I knew I would die for him, since he was already dead, just for us it wouldn't be a tragedy.

"Then move not while my prayer's effect I take. (he kisses her, well me!) Thus from my lips, by thine my sin is purged."

"Then have my lips the sin that they have took."

"Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again." Edward kissed me again, long and soft. He smiled at my lips and told me I was utterly perfect… It seemed we were enjoying each other a bit too much, for at some point Mrs Onelly started caughing and Alice and the girls started to giggle. I pulled back and finished our text.

"You kiss by th'book." We turned to the rest of the group and they started clapping like mad.

"Anyone else to try out for Romeo or Juliet?" Mrs Onelly asked while Edward threw a glare at Mike, Tyler and Eric, but not a single hand raised. Not that I would've expected it.

In the end Alice ended up as my nurse, Irina, Tanya and Kate did the three musicans, Jessica Lady Montague and Angela Lady Capulet. Mike got Paris and Tyler did Tybalt. Eric was choosen as Montague, Ben was Capulet and Connor was Escalus.

A lot of parts were still missing, so why didn't it surprise me when Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper suddenly popped into the room, telling Mrs Onelly sorry and that they had intended to fetch their younger siblings… Emmett ended up as Mercutio and Jasper as Benvolio and Friar Laurence (double part), Rosalie for some matter did Friar Jhon and it didn't seem to bother her that she got a male part.

We didn't hear the rest (Mike Balthasar, Tyler Apothecary...) for we stepped outside and to me it was perfectly clear that the three of them had only come to get parts in the play.

Everyone but Edward, Alice and me squished into the covertible and haeded home, we headed down to the beach. Close to the reservation Edward pulled over and turned to face me.

"Listen Bella, just scream if anything goes wrong, we'll hear you. Here's a picture of the Denalis, so thaey know who not to go after. I'm sorry, but we can't follow any farther unless you are in absolute danger." He kissed me and I quickly got out of the car, running as fast as I could to the Blacks'. It was only two minutes and when I knocked Jake opened the door, obviously not aware of whom to expect.

"Bella?" He asked incredously.

"Yes, Jake, I'm sorry I didn't step by earlier, can I come in?" I was trying to get into the house.

"Um, well, Sam and the others are here as well…" He eyed me suspiciously as if to check weather I was still human.

"Oh, very good. I have to talk to all of you." I walked into the living room behind Jacob, greeting the boys I already knew were werewolves and Quil. I knew he'd join them soon.

"Bella, what is it you want to talk about?" Jake pushed me. I sat down and started.

"Well you see it's about the Cullens…" I saw some of them starting to tremble and quickly continued.

"Calm down, it's nothing. They have some visitors from Alaska down here, they mean no harm to any of the humans in town. I just don't want them to get hurt, here's a picture, please don't harm them, they're friends." I handed the picture to Sam.

"All right. I'll take you by your word." He answered.

"Friends!" Jacob and the others hissed.

"Well to me they are friends, but please don't make me pick sides as long as I'm still human." I told them, Everybody relaxed, but Jacob seemed to heat up even more.

"As long as you are still human? You don't want them to break the treaty, do you?"

"Jake, get a grip on yourself, I assume you don't want to hurt me. No I don't want to break the treaty, but it has only grip on the Olympic Peninsula, am I right, so I guess, we'll just go somewhere else… and then return to Forks… they'll have to move in a few years anyway…" Sam, Embry and Quil were holding him now.

"I can't believe you? Since when do you want to be a monster?" He spat through gritted teeth.

"Since I love Edward more than I do my life. Literally. Goodby Jacob, I don't think I can stay any longer if you don't calm down. You'll always be my best friend, you know that, right?" I whispered and ran out of the door, tears running down my cheek, and hurried to get back to he Volvo.

"Order fulfilled!" I said when stepping into the car.

"I see," Edward mumbled while wiping the tears off my face.

"You are very brave Bella, did you know? Well I guess you did, but I do admire the way you handle all of this. I love you even more for it."

"Wow, Bella, are you still suicidal? The way you talked to them! I bet they were close to loosing it." Alice told me, but before I could respond, Edward picked up on her.

"STILL SUICIDAL? Alice what the hell do you want to say? I thought Bella hadn't thrown herself down the cliff to kill herself." Wosh he was pissed.

"Not down the cliff, but out your window after you left her yesterday!" She snapped back at him.

"Bella! What the hell did you think? How stupid could you be to attempt suicide over me?"

"I'm not the one who had to be stopped from stepping into the sun back in Volterra…" I whispered. I wanted just him and couldn't bear the hole in my chest to return.

"I gues you are right. I am so very sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, I thought it would be if I were just out hunting, or something like this…I promised you to be there for you, and I thought I had been keeping that promise. I still plan on keeping all the other promises I made!" He said, taking my hand in his and already pulling up in front of the Cullens'.

"Every single one? Including…" I started, but he silenced me with a kiss on my lips.

"Forever," he breathed, and carried me into the house. Carlisle was waiting for us already, wanting to know what the pack had said, so I told him everything from our conversation and, Edward filled him in about their thoughts, especially Jake's.

"Fine, I guess they will be not happy about our or rather your plans on that part, but they'll have to cope with us going around the treaty. So, I get it that our Edward has chosen?" He said when he was aware of the happenings.

"Not quite," Edward said. Carlisle cocked his eyebrows at him and I looked more than hurt.

"Why?" I whispered, taking a step back from him.

"You didn't agree with my condition. That's why." He reached out for me, but I stepped back once again.

"I did. I told you to coose, either eighteen months or a promise within the next ten years." I snapped, Carlisle looking at us questioningly.

"Oh, did you? Well, I am still waiting for a better offer."

"So am I." He sighed. I looked deep into his eyes, we were both trying to dazzle the other one. Don't let him break it. You are strong Bella, I told myself. It didn't work.

"Within five years?" I said, pleading.

"The next half year at the very most." He made his eyes turn cold, but he couldn't do that properly in front of me.

"Two?" I was desperate now. Why did he want to marry me so soon if he would have me for ever?

"Nice try." He said and turned around and attempted to walk out of the room. I couldn't stand that. Gosh he was way of a cheater.

"One year, Edward, just give me that little bit of time… please!" Why wouldn't I marry him, I asked myself. When I was about to give my life for him, marriage seemed to be only a little formality. Edward stopped in his tracks.

"Is that an offer?" I couldn't see his smirk but I felt it from where I desperately tried to keep standing.

"It's a promise in exchange for another…" He turned around too look in my pleading eyes. I tried to tell him through mine that I wanted nothing more than be with him forever, and if possible as soon as I could. Edward seemed to see in my eyes exactly what I wanted him to get from them. And his told me that he would want that as well. If it were possible right then.

"Easter," he mouthed, so even Carlisle didn't get it, since he was looking my way. Easter was in two weeks, so soon, and I thought he even meant the holidays which started next Friday…that left one week…and Charlie would return on Thursday evening, so probably just before…. I couldn't stand anymore, I was so happy. I knew I wouldn't have to fear the Volturi or Victoria anymore then…my knees betrayed me and before I could hit the ground I was already in Edward's arms and kissing him thank you.

Carlisle gave us a half questioning, half knowing look, and Alice gave a loud squeal from upstairs. Just then Edward pulled a ring out of his pocket. It was a silver ring thats band was designed like a flower, a rose, with leaves, and in the middle there was a crimson ruby formed as the head of the rose. He slid it on my finger and I started to cry tears of joy into his shirt. Nobody could hurt me in this moment. I knew that I had never been so happy in my entire life, not as he told me he loved me the first time, not after I had saved him back in Italy, just this very moment was the one I definetely knew I would never ever regret anything, not even if he just killed me himself… I was truly happy now.

The very next moment I found myself in Edward's room, and as soon as I was seated on his sofa Alice stormed in and hugged me a bit too tight.

"Alice…can't …breathe…still…human…OUCH" was all I managed to choke out. I yelped when I heard a crash out of the door. Alice let go of me, but as the noise grew louder I hid beyond her back, immediately thinking of some of my problems coming to kill me. Alice just started to laugh and pushed me a foot back as the door flew open, revealing a fighting Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie, all eager to reach us first, me and Edward who was still on the sofa, to grasp the news. Esme and Carlisle came at human pace through the corridor.

"So?" Jasper asked.

"Anything to tell us you two, or rather three?" Rosalie asked innoncently, throwing a glance at Alice, obviously asking herself why she always had to know everything first.

"Go on, we want you to tell us! If Alice already knows everything, so we have a right to be told as well." That was Emmett. I smirked at Edward, and he got up, getting me from Alice and putting his hands around my waist, facing the others with his head on mine, we looked at them as if we didn't know what they were talking about.

"Can we help you in any way?" I asked. Edard kissed my hair.

"I do think so. Come on, spat it out! When, where and how did you agree, Edward?" Rosalie asked like a little child begging to get its teddy back.

"Well, I have often agreed to various things on different occasions all over the world. I usually use words or my signing for it." I barely could hold the laughter back.

"Mate if you won't tell it we'll have to make you." Emmett said, lifting me into the air, away from Edward. He and the other Cullens ran down to the cellar, Edward behind us. They shut a large metallic door before Edward could make his way into the room.

"Let her out! Let me in! You little…" Edward screamed from outside, but it was only muffled, and he couldn't burst the door, althugh we heard the crash of his attempt. Just then I recognised that Alice was outside as well, but I couldn't hear their screams anymore, at least after Jasper pulled some strange kind of a layer over it. We were obvoiusly in a room through thats walls no sound drang. I hated it. The next cruel thing happening was the fact that Rosalie pushed me into a chair at the end of the room, right against the wall. Leather straps were closed around my hands by Emmett and Jasper. I was as trapped as a mouse in it's cage… no, worse. The mouse had no five cats in ther with it.

"I doubt that we can ever break through to the two outside, so we have to get our information through you." Carlisle told me. I had suspected something like this.

"Are you going to tell us what we want to hear?" Jasper asked. No way. Never. If Edward and Alice wouldn't I would fight as well.

"No." I kept my tone light.

"No? I guess we have to get some idea how to force it out of you. We'll definetely get our answers out of some weak human!" Emmett accused.

"I'd like to see you try…" Ooops, I guess I shouldn't have said that, because the next moment a roaring Rosalie crouched down in front of me. That sight was maybe frightening, but they wouldn't do anything. So why trick me then?

"Will you tell us or not?" Carlisle asked politely.

"Rather not."

"I'd be careful. You are the mouse between five angry cats…" Jasper hissed. Wow, they could be persistent.

"I will not tell you. End of discussion." I leaned back in my chair and glanced at my ring out of the corner of my eye. He loved me… five angry, no pissed roars made me look up. Even Esme was eager for the information. I could make them wait…

"You are brave to talk like this, human, you know what we are capable of, though! Talk!" Rosalie was really pissed.

"Yes, yes, yes…do you really think I am afraid of you, Rosalie?" That question earned me a slap across the face from her.

"You should be!"

"You should be the one fearing, Rosalie. What do you think Edward will do when he finds out you slapped me? Have fun, sister!" I nearly laughed at her expression as she realised my words were true. Another bang against the door made me laugh out aloud. Obviously Edward could still hear their thoughts through the walls… Was that imagination or did Rosalie look really frightened?

"Gosh, I won't tell you guys until Edward does. And you won't force it out of me because of two things: One, because of Edward, and two, because I am part of your family now and you do not want to hurt me!" That made them all look pissed. I was right, that much I knew for sure. Jasper tried to change plan.

"Please Bella! We are your family after all…"

"Bad attempt Jasper. Just ask your wife if she tells you…"

"Bella, darling, please, Edward won't tell us…" Esme laid her hand on my shoulder and took of my shackles with the other. They all turned to each other to discuss how they could get it out of one of us. That was my moment. I pushed the layer aside and managed to open the door wide enough for Edward to get his finger between it and its frame before Emmett pulled me back into the room. Just then the chaos made its way. Edward tackled Rosalie to the ground and Emmett let go of me to help his wife, while Alice took me into her arms and ran me to the living room. Five minutes later the others joined us, Edward's shirt buttons were ripped and Rosalie's jeans were awfully shreddered and she was wearing Emmett's shirt. I couldn'T help but laugh and kiss the love of my eternity.

That very moment the Denalis returned to the room, they had been gone, getting a new car for the three girls, since they had left all but one in Alaska.

"What has been going on here recently?" Eleazar asked when he saw the mess and Edward and Rosalie.

"Our dear little brother - " Edward growled at her. "Has some dirty little secret he won't tell us."

"Well, be as kind to tell everyone, or Carlisle will have to afford a new house if your argument continues the way you look." Always thinking practically.

"Oh that wasn't over the not telling, Rosalie slapped Bella because she wouldn't tell." Alice told him and gave Rosalie a dirty look.

"So? Edward, dear, now we are eager to hear as well!" Carmen pleaded and Esme immediately sided with her. These two women, that had been mothers to him for a century, finally convinced him to give in.

"Ok, got it. Well, you see, I have decided – there has been some time for me to think now – and I really do think …that…I will…I am going to change Bella." Alice squealed and hugged me, as did Irina, Kate and Tanya, along with Rosalie and Esme, but the rest stood there, utterly perplexed. Carlisle seemed to have guessed, though.

"When?" He asked, seeming proud, and excited.

"Easter," Edward mumbled sheepishly. I had to stamp on Alice's foot to stop her from squashing me. Suddenly she stepped back and her eyes went far away. She was having a vision.

"Bella, I think it would be better if you don't go anywhere alone during the week." Edward suddenly interrupted my staring at Alice. She came back and nodded in agreement.

"Why?"

"Someone's coming down. One person, probably not dangerous, and just a short stop, but still…" I knew what he meant in an instant. Vampire visitor.

Edward decided we should go home to Charlie's for the day, and I had to get a few things anyway, so we drove up the freeway and he dropped me off. He said he had to gather some things and run some errands himself, so he left me on my own. I walked into the house and up to my room, when I heard a knock on the door. With shaking knees I walked down the stars, telling myself not to be stupid and that there was nothing to fear.

"Bella! Oh my gosh, you look so good. Wow, it has been a long time since last we met."

"Uh…Amily?" Amily was the only real human friend I had ever had, similar to Jacob during the weeks of Edward's absence. I had known her from the day we moved to Phoenix, about fifteen years ago. The last time I had met her had ben too long ago… she'd been the only person I had ever missed when I moved here.

"It's great to see you again, we have so much to talk about!"

"Hey Amily, I would have never expected you of all people to just knock on my door in this town! Why are you here? It's soo nice to have you there again, it has been too long, indeed."

"I'm going to college in Los Angeles, but I decided to step by, because I had been to Seattle, anyway. What have you been doing in the past year since last we phoned?" She shot an accusing look at me, obviously for not calling.

"I have been kinda, err, busy."

"No!"

"What do you mean by no?"

"I can't believe it! You have a boyfriend?" Oh, gosh. I blushed furiously.

"Well, actually, … fiancé…" She shrieked and hugged me, her arms just momentarily touched mine, but I felt a familiar kind of cold. Maybe I was paranoid, but I had to look into her eyes. They were as blue as I had known them, but I could see the shades of contact linses.

"You wear contacts?"

"Actually, yes, but nothing serious…" Ok, I was paranoid, but somehow a feeling overcame me that something serious had happened to her since our last meeting…

"Do you want something to eat? I just came home and I'm kinda hungry, so…" I pulled out a tray of frozen pizza. The Amily I knew would never say no to pizza…

"No thank you, I just ate." Of course… no paranoia, Bella, I had to remind myself.

"So, what about your fiancé? Is he georgous? Is he romantic? Strong? Trustworthy?"

"Everything. Flawless and perfect, I might add…" Edward. What to do if he returned? Just as in question, the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Bella? Can you stay on your own tonight? I'll fetch you tomorrow, but I can't tell you when. I absolutely have to go hunting tonight, or I, well actually that could change into you, would have some serious problems."

"No problem Edward. An old friend from Phoenix just happened to be in the area. I guess she will stay overnight."

"Good. Be safe. I love you!"

"I love you, too!" He hung up.

"Was that your fiancé? What's his name?" Amily nosed. Curious as always, you wouldn't think she's two years older than me.

"Yes, that was Edward! Ouch!" I had just burned myself on the oven door. Not my day.

"So, what have you been up to, Amily? The last time we really met was two weeks before your car crash, two years ago." I had to get it out of her, since she had probably heard Edward say 'hunting'…

"Not much, just a lot of traveling. Somewhere out of the hot Phoenix sun…" Beware what you say! Another proof. Was I really getting paranoid? She was my best friend, so how could she…?

"Why do you wear contacts, anyway? Your eyes have always better than mine!"

"Such things change if you grow or age…But that's not important. Important is why I came in the first place. I need your help."

"My help?" Why could she possibly need my help?

"Yes, you see I want to go to Europe, and I haven't got any idea how to make it there, without a scene from everyone I know, but I have to get the hell out of everyone's reach…"

"Why?" Becuse she was a vampire and no one had to unrevel that fact?

"I can't explain, but I doubt we will meet each other again when I have said goodbye."

"I doubt that we won't meet again…"

"We certainly won't meet during this century, I suppose… can you help me?"

"Only if you do me a favor." I had to get it out of her.

"That would be?"

"Take out your contacts!" Bang! The look on her face was priceless, but she quickly composed it as if she thought I had gone insane.

"Tomorrow. I'm tired, can I have your couch?" To what? Fake sleep?

"No problem, I'll get upstairs myself, the blanket's on the sofa, pillows everywhere. Feel at home. With that I left her and went to bed, though it had been an exciting day, it had also been a very exhausting one. I drifted to sleep the second I lay down I fell asleep.