This chapter is huge. Be prepared.

I might not be able to update again for a few days seeing as I'm moving out soon AND my wisdom teeth are currently making me howl in agony. If you can, leave me some reviews to cheer me up. I'm in a bad state (sob). I hope you all like it. Thanks to everyone who reads & to everyone who reviews.

BPOV

I smiled weakly back at Esme. I didn't want to smile at all, but the kindness that floated in her topaz eyes made it difficult to be angry with her. She looped her arm around mine and started walking to what I assumed was the exit.

"Bella," Carlisle called, coming up beside me, "how are you handling the thirst? I think we should go hunting immediately once we're outside these walls."

I didn't answer, mainly because I wasn't sure if I was thirsty or not. My throat hurt but I didn't feel any hunger.

Jasper sensed my confusion and smiled faintly in my direction. "Is your throat sore? Does it feel dry?"

I nodded slightly.

"You're thirsty, then."

I said nothing in response, allowing Esme to continue to lead me out. The others walked behind us in silence. Everyone seemed to be lost in their own thoughts, as I was in mine.

I wasn't sure if I could handle living with the Cullen's. Carlisle and Esme were only being kind to me because they felt guilty and responsible for me. As for the others, who knew what their motivations were? All I knew was that I had to get away from them and fast. I tried to think of where to go so that I'd be isolated and away from the temptation of humans. My mind drew a blank. It would certainly be prudent for me to stay with the Cullen's for a while to learn how to live the "vegetarian" lifestyle properly but Edward's sigh from behind me quickly doused that thought. How could I live with him, loving him every day without it ever being returned? What if he brought home another woman? The thought made me sick to my empty stomach, a feat I assumed was not easy for most vampires.

Jasper walked up beside me and placed his hand on my shoulder. "We're going to take care of you, Bella."

My body tensed at his touch and he quickly withdrew his hand. I kept my gaze focused on the unending hall ahead and nearly felt guilty when he pulled back to walk next to Alice again. I wasn't ready to play nice. I wasn't sure if I'd ever be. Even Esme- lovable, mothering Esme- had left me to rot back in Forks. It was going to take a long time for me to learn how to forgive her. To forgive all of them, really. I wasn't sure if it was ever going to be possible and the man behind me who continued to make impatient-sounding grunts convinced me that living with them was going to be torture.

Finally we reached a door that opened out into an alleyway. Carlisle turned back and took Esme's hand, leading the both of us outside behind him. Carlisle led us over to two beautiful rented cars that I of course could not identify and I climbed into the backseat as Esme slipped into the front.

Faster than my body could comprehend, Alice and Edward were hopping in on either side of me. I glanced at them both in horror before turning my head straight. I tried my best to ignore their stares and instead focused on different ways I could escape and where I could go. I noticed Carlisle looking at Edward through the rearview mirror and saw Edward nod out of the corner of my eye. I rolled my eyes, slightly amused that some things never change. His growl at one of Carlisle's obvious commands surprised me but I didn't let it show; instead I decided that I would go up to Canada, after all, and find someplace nice up there.

"Did you forget, Bella," Alice cut into my thoughts, "that I see the future?"

I didn't answer. I pictured myself rolling around in the snow with a new vampire boyfriend who looked exactly like Edward.

"I see all of your plans, Bella. We're not going to let you escape us and move up to Canada."

I scowled but refused to look at her. Edward slightly chuckled under his breath and I wanted to smack him right out of the car. He wasn't allowed to find me amusing anymore.

The drive to the woods was interminable, made worse by Edward and Alice's persistent stares. I didn't let Alice's words scare me; some way or another I was getting the hell away from them or else I'd end up being the first vampire dead from a heart attack. Or the first lunatic vampire- take your pick.

Carlisle smoothly turned off the car and in one graceful, fluid movement hopped out. I ignored how closely Edward and Alice stood next to me as we followed. I wanted to scream when the others joined us; instead of having two sets of eyes on me, I had all seven.

I felt the crisp leaves beneath my feet as I walked into the expanse of trees. A hand touched mine and I flinched away from the contact. My eyes slowly met Carlisle's and his expression nearly made me collapse. For the first time since I'd met him, Carlisle looked hurt.

He quickly recovered and once again let his cool mask slide over, a trick all the Cullen's seemed to possess. I had to teach myself when I got the chance.

"Edward and Emmett are going to go hunting with you, Bella. The rest of us will wait here. Will you be all right?"

I blinked at him. "I want to go alone."

"Someone needs to show you how, Bella," Esme said gently.

"I think I can figure it out."

I knew I was being a brat but I couldn't help it. I was a vampire now, for goodness sake. I didn't need protecting and I knew that this sort of thing was instinctual. Plus, the last thing I needed was Edward watching me as I sunk my deep teeth into something, effectively ending their life. It would be an all too clear reminder of why he left me in the first place.

Alice closed her eyes and when she opened them, she smiled. "Let her go alone. She'll be fine."

Carlisle looked unhappy but nodded, regardless. Edward, on the other hand, snarled.

"No way. What if she comes across a human?"

Alice snapped her head. "Are you questioning my ability, Edward?"

His jaw tensed but before he could speak, I cut in.

"Stop it," I sighed, staring down at the leaves. "If you're all so worried about it, then I'll take someone with me." I look up at everyone's faces. "Rosalie?"

Everyone practically gasped in surprise. Edward looked horrified.

"Bella, you really want Rose to go with you?"

I said nothing; I kept my gaze on her and willed her with my eyes to come with me. Rosalie I could handle. We never got along and she disliked me nearly as much as I disliked her. If any of the others came, it would be harder to remain a bitch. I was safest with her, knowing that a few hours in her presence would certainly cure me of any lingering feelings.

She looked me over, shocked. "You want me to go with you?"

"If you don't mind," I said calmly.

Alice whimpered and nearly broke my heart but I couldn't let my affection for her win. I didn't want to g running back into their arms. When they left again, I know I'd die. This was my defense mechanism.

Rosalie looked at the others before nodding in my direction. Alice whispered in her ear so quietly and quickly I couldn't hear. Rose looked at Edward and then at Carlisle before kissing Emmett goodbye. Without a word, she turned and started walking north. I followed silently, unfortunately passing by Edward whose smoldering gaze almost stopped me in my tracks. His amber eyes glittered as though they were lit from beneath and I knew he was begging me to let him come with him. I refused with my own glare. I fought back my smile when I saw his eyes harden; he was obviously coming to terms with the fact I needed alone time. I didn't want to hear any more of his lies and excuses. If he wanted to be rid of me so badly, I wouldn't resist. Sure, it would break my heart, but at least I could say goodbye to everyone this time.

I walked with Rosalie in silence for an hour before she suddenly turned to me, her eyebrows raised. "Okay, Bella. Tell me why."

"What?" I asked innocently.

Her eyes narrowed. "You know what. Why did you ask me to take you?"

Sighing, I sat down on a large rock. I rubbed my hands together and reveled in the warm friction. I thought back to the day in the meadow. Edward had said how wonderful my warmth felt. I finally knew what he meant. Rose cleared her throat, obviously trying to bring me back into the moment. I cleared my own and studied the dirt beneath my feet.

"You don't like me," I said. It wasn't a question.

Rosalie snorted. "You asked me to take you on your first hunt because I don't like you? Do you have any idea how crazy that sounds?"

I shrugged.

"Why, Bella?" she asked, softly this time.

I couldn't speak. My eyes traveled up to hers without my permission. Her expression was so sad and I knew in that moment she understood. I hadn't picked her with the intention of being understood but somehow that's what I got. Maybe I was destined to pick her for this little trip, after all. If I had been human, I would have started sobbing then.

When I didn't say anything, she took a step closer to me. "Have you hardened so much that you can't bear to be around those that love you?"

I flinched involuntarily. I'd gotten sick of Rosalie's ways but it still hurt when she threw her hatred in my face. She looked shocked when she saw my expression.

"I don't mean to say that I don't love you, Bella. I haven't always agreed with your decisions but my time away from you has opened my eyes to how much you mean to my family. My family is the most important thing to me and if they want you to be a part of it, how can I not?"

I said nothing. She still hated me; she just "accepted" me now. It didn't matter. As soon as I could get her to turn the other way, I was going to run off and be far away.

"I know why you asked me," she said, smiling sadly. "You don't want them to guilt you into forgiving them. I get that. But don't think that you're going to have it easy with me, Bella. Alice warned me that you were going to try and run off and I just can't allow that."

I groaned and rubbed my forehead. "I should have known."

"Come on, Bella. Let's hunt."

With a groan, I heaved myself off the rock and ran off with her.

Alice POV

I can't say that I didn't expect Bella's reaction, but it still hurt. It hurt because in the time that we were away, all I could think about was my first and only best friend who was probably tripping somewhere without me. I tried to focus on all the little things so that the bigger ones wouldn't hurt, like trying to focus on whatever hideous clothes she was probably wearing. Or I tried to imagine her being foced to go some party. At first it was a comfort and I didn't think about the hole inside me. Eventually, however, the trivial things started to become so significant that it broke my heart to think about them at all.

Bella didn't have me around to dress her up. I wasn't there to get her ready for any parties she might be forced into going to. I didn't have her to complain about Edward or to have a girl's night. I missed her scowl when I forced her to do something "girly". I missed the way her heart picked up whenever Edward was around or even when I just mentioned his name. I missed having a friend, a commodity I'd always been without. And then she was gone, just like that, and I never got a chance to say goodbye.

It seemed fitting somehow that she hated me now. I knew I deserved it; we all did. But I guess on some level we thought that Bella would just forgive us. I know it's so selfish to think that way but Bella had always been so incredibly selfless. She still was- we could all see that. But we'd hurt her so badly that we all worried we'd never be able to fix things again.

I can't begin to explain the hurt that I felt when she picked Rosalie to be her hunting companion. I knew she didn't do it to hurt me; she did it to shield herself from all of us. But the pain was still acute and I knew that we all felt it, too. Even Emmett's face fell.

Edward's face contorted into unbelievable anguish, somehow managing to look even more desolate. He kept begging me to peer into the future to see if Bella could ever forgive him but he knew I could never see that until she made a decision. Yet he persisted, desperate for anything to hold onto. He was terrified she wouldn't take him back and I can't say that I blamed him.

Jasper assured us all that he still felt love from her but would it be enough? I nearly laughed at all of her escape plans, knowing full well we could thwart most of them. But would we want to if that was what she clearly desired? We couldn't force her to live with us, no matter how much we wanted her to.

A howling Edward tore me from my thoughts. I looked up and saw him flinging a large branch into the woods.

"How long have they been gone?" he demanded, looking at Carlisle.

"Two hours. Relax, son."

Edward ignored him and started pacing again. He looked up at me expectantly, asking me silently for any insight. I shook my head.

Sorry, Edward. I see them returning in another hour or so but that's the extent of it.

His shoulders sagged and my heart went out for him but I couldn't feel completely sympathetic. It was his decision, after all, that ended us all up at this point. It was his fault Bella hurt, it was his fault she was now in the clutches of Aro, and it was his fault she hated us all now.

He growled at me, clearly hearing my thoughts. I shrugged at him. It didn't matter to me if he knew.

A rustling in the trees alerted our senses and we all stood, sniffing the air. I picked up the familiar scents of Rosalie and Bella and smiled. They'd returned.

Rosalie slipped into the clearing, walking deliberately over to a waiting Emmett. Bella slipped in more smoothly, glancing at all of us anxiously before looking down at her feet. Her beauty took my breath away; I could only imagine what it did to Edward. Her eyes met mine and I was still astounded by them. They weren't the crimson red of other newborns; they were dark and nearly brown, like the color of cherry wood. She looked down quickly.

Edward started walking over to her and I watched in horror as she seemed to almost collapse in on herself. She wrapped her arms around her body and started panting.

I don't think that's a good idea right now, Edward, I warned him.

He paused and looked back at me.

Give her time. Can't you see that you're making her uncomfortable?

He looked shamed and I immediately felt guilty but it was the truth. Bella's comfort was a priority in my mind.

The most important thing to me right now was getting my best friend back.

BPOV

The hunt wasn't exactly as I expected. I thought that I'd still be present when I was in my predator form, but I was wrong. All of my animalistic senses came out and all I could focus on was prey. Nothing else mattered and if anything desirable got in my path, there was no question it would be mine.

I understood now why Edward had been so vehement about me not coming along on any of his hunting trips when I was a human.

Edward.

I was still thinking about him when I faced them again. His intense stare made me look down and would have certainly made me blush if I were still human. I caught Alice staring at me, looking like a wounded puppy, and I had to fight to urge to run over and hug her.

"How was the hunt, Bella?" Carlisle asked kindly.

"Good, thank you," I answered politely.

"Did you have a bear, Bella?" Emmett asked, grinning at me.

"No." My tone was flat and I was sure my face was completely blank. His smile fell and I instantly felt remorse. I couldn't be mad at Emmett any more than I could be mad at Alice. "I had some deer," I added as an afterthought, a small way to make it better. "About four."

"She chased them all by herself and everything," Rosalie laughed. She even looked… proud.

"Well, alright!" Emmett cheered, smacking me enthusiastically on my arm.

"Do you feel sated, Bella?"Carlisle asked. His gaze was still on Edward.

I looked over and saw him still staring at me, his eyes scorching with some indecipherable emotion. I swallowed hard; he looked so sexy. I felt a different kind of hunger now and I didn't like it one bit.

"Yes," I said, prying my eyes from the beautiful god across from me.

"How are we going to get her on a plane without her massacring everyone in sight?" Jasper asked, eyeing me like I was about to go postal.

"I've already taken the liberty of purchasing us a home in England. We're going to drive through France and then get a private boat to cross the water." Carlisle stopped speaking and looked at me with an almost amused expression on his face. "Alice told me that you plan on leaving us, but since I took the trouble of buying us an expensive home in a secluded location especially for you, I really hope you'll stay with us. I know how much you hate wasted money."

Emmett snickered at me and Alice grinned. Edward nearly smiled, too, looking somewhat amused since the first time I saw him again. Even Esme was smirking. They had me and they knew it.

I sighed heavily. "Fine."

Carlisle's face lit up and he smiled so brilliantly that I knew it was worth it. "Thank you, Bella. Let's go."

SPOV

I knew what I was going to do was stupid. I should be staying clear of the Volturi, no matter how much they seemed to appreciate my last job. I was asking for trouble going to see them like this but I couldn't help it.

I was led down by a scrawny looking vampire, one of the only unattractive ones I'd ever laid eyes on. He opened the door to their chamber for me and then wobbled away.

Before I entered I took in a deep breath, going over what I was going to say in my head. I walked in and immediately was greeted by the overwhelming scent.

"Shane! How brilliant it is to see you!" Aro exclaimed, rushing over to stand in front of me. "My brothers will be delighted to know you're here… Caius, Marcus… Look who's here!"

The two vampires merely grunted at me before resuming their conversations.

"How can I help you today?" Aro asked me politely.

"Well," I began uncomfortably, "I was wondering what eventually… happened to Bella Swan."

Aro's face darkened with an emotion I couldn't recognize before he forced a smile on his face. "She became one of us."

"What?!" I cried out. "I thought you wanted to kill her!"

He shrugged gracefully at me. "Would you rather I had?"

I stayed silent.

Sighing, he sat down on an elaborately designed chair and motioned for me to sit in the one across from him.

"Why are you so interested?" he asked. "Have you grown attached?"

"I was just curious," I replied, hoping I didn't sound too panicked.

Aro smiled again. I should have known better; he saw through everyone.

"She's alive and well. Actually, I guess I can't say 'alive'. I decided she was going to have some great talent and I refused to kill her. You know about her blocking skills."

I wanted to see her very badly to find out if she truly was still alive but I didn't know how to go about it. Would she want to see me? I betrayed her when she was in an incredibly fragile state. I wasn't even sure what I wanted from her. I just knew I wanted to see her for one last time.

"Can I help you with anything else?" he asked patiently.

"May I see her?" My voice was timid.

He laughed heartily, shaking his head. "She's no longer here."

"You let her leave?" I was confused. Aro never let his newborns go.

"For the time being," he said cryptically.

"Well, where is she now?"

He smirked at me. "The Cullen's took her. She decided to leave with them, actually, in a moment of weakness."

I stared at him, confusion evident on my face. She hated them; why would she want to go back and live with them?

Aro calmly reached out and took my hand in his. He froze, reading my thoughts, before looking at me and smiling softly.

"I know that I said she was gone but I never said she was gone for good."

If it was possible, I was beginning to feel even more confused.

"I have a plan and I need your assistance. Can I count on you?"

His ruby eyes bore into mine and, even if I was not so attached, I still would have consented. I nodded my head at him.

"What's the plan?"

BPOV

We stopped for gas a few hours after the hunt. I watched in amusement as Alice tinkered around with the gas nozzle. It was interesting to me for some reason to see a beautiful, graceful vampire make such an ordinary activity absolutely riveting.

Edward was off sulking somewhere, joined by Emmett and Rose. Carlisle was inside the convenient store and Esme was standing just outside the car. I decided to run over to the phone booth with everyone's attention diverted.

I reached it and turned back to see if anyone noticed. I sighed in relief when I saw that no one stirred. I hesitantly picked up the phone and dialed the number that I still knew my heart.

"Hello?"

Charlie's voice sounded utterly broken; it twisted my heart. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out.

"Hello?" he repeated, sounding dead. "Who is this?"

I tried to speak but a squeak came out instead.

"Bella?" he asked in a soft, urgent tone. "Bella, baby, is that you?"

I looked up and watched as Jasper, Edward, and Alice cautiously took steps to the phone booth. The rest of the family stood back and watched me.

"Talk to me," my father pleaded. "I just want to hear your voice."

Edward now stood just outside the booth. He put his hand up to rest on the glass and stared at me with a blank expression that just hinted at the pain underneath. Thunder sounded out and it began to pour. I watched in fascination as the beads of rain slowly drifted down his hair, nose, lips, chin onto his jacket. His stare darkened in intensity. His eyes begged me for something that I wasn't sure I could give.

"Bella?!" Charlie cried out again, reminding me what I was doing.

"It's me, Dad," I said calmly, never taking my eyes off of Edward's.

"I don't believe you," Charlie said firmly. "You don't sound like Bella."

"I know," I said sadly. "I can't call you again."

"Bella-"

"Just know that I'm alive," I said softly, fighting back the sobs that threatened to overtake me.

I hung up the phone before I was tempted to say anymore. Edward's gaze never left mine. His hand still rested on the glass and he was now drenched. The sobs started, then; I couldn't control them. The first one bubbled up and surprised me. A few more slipped out and suddenly I was shaking with them. My hand reached up involuntarily to rest against Edward's, a silly piece of glass separating us from an actual touch.

All I knew then was that I needed him. I needed to be comforted and he was the only one that could manage it.

With a deep breath, I pushed open the door and joined him in the rain. It was pouring now, washing me clean of the dirt and blood that remained from the hunt. He watched the raindrops trickle down my body as I'd watched his. The sobs were more satisfying now; I could pretend the drops on my face were tears.

His eyes kissed my face as he raked them over my features. He took in an unsteady breath and stepped closer to me. I wanted to step back but some indescribable force kept me rooted to the spot. When I gave it more thought, I realized it wasn't so indescribable; it was just Edward.

In an action so fast that my vampire eyes hardly picked it up, his hand shot out and gripped the front of my shirt to pull me in closer to him. The rain was caught in his eyelashes and fell onto his cheeks like the tears I'd imagined them being before. His other hand slowly came up to my face and traced the lines, memorizing my features. Every inch seemed to be fascinating to him.

I never saw him look so beautiful.

I watched his loving, awed look turn into one of determination as he slowly but deliberately leaned into my face. So gently that I barely felt it at all, he pressed his lips onto mine.

And just like that, everything melted.

All my anger, my pain, my hurt. With one simple kiss in the rain, everything I'd bottled up was erased. All that was left now was want. And need. And love.

Flames lapped at my very soul. My legs shook with undeniable pleasure and I wondered why it had taken me so long to kiss him. I'd forgotten how amazing it was.

He reluctantly pulled back and met my eyes again. A smile threatened his mouth but he somehow reigned it in. His tongue lapped out to taste what I'd left on his lip and the smile finally won, lighting up his face with such brilliance that a smile played on my own face. He bit his lip, an action that nearly made me jump him with his entire family watching, and unclasped his fingers from my shirt. I stepped away only to have his hand capture mine. He tugged me closer and walked back to the car.

Everyone had left us in our private moment and now sat waiting for us in the cars. He opened the door for me but stopped me before I got in. With his eyes he begged for my forgiveness and I hoped he saw it in mine.

He kissed the top of my head and placed his lips onto my ear. His breath fanned out and I could taste him on my tongue. He started whispering something to me but, being in the position I was in, I could hardly make anything out. All I knew was that his lips were touching me. The one murmur I did hear made me smile for the first time in a long time.

"I love you. Forever."

It's unfortunately not going to be all roses, especially if Aro has his say (oy). The plot's definitely going to be picking up next chapter... Stay tuned.