A/n Hey everybody! It's been a bit crazy here again – big shock. I'm in show rehearsals... so.. this chapter has taken longer than it should.

FYI, we're winding down. There will be one more chapter after this and the Epilogue. I might be convinced to write a sequel but it will most likely be in Bella POV or a combination if I do it. There will be some collective TA/Freshman outtakes.

Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight. I own some yarn and knitting needles.

Music:

Cowboy Mouth, "Hurricane Party"


Stop panicking Edward. She's a vampire; she doesn't need to breathe. Jasper reminded me.

I wonder how long she's going to stay like that. It's kind of eerie and weird. Almost like watching a dead body... I shot Emmett a look and he stopped his internal monologue. Sorry bro.

She drew in a breath and I gasped for air. I didn't realize that I stopped breathing when her heart stopped. I looked to Jasper.

Confused. Do you want me to keep tabs of her emotional state and inform you?

I nodded.

I hope that this overprotective streak doesn't last long. You do realize that she can probably take you down now, right? Edward, stop or I will be forced to calm you and we both know that you're 'happiness resistant' and therefore I would have to focus too much attention on you possible to Bella's detriment.

Jasper's jab at my mental health was not welcome. At that moment I felt like I was trying to crawl out of my skin. There was a reason why I tended to block out everyone's thoughts and it wasn't just common courtesy. Jasper and Emmett were growing all too used to jabbing at me internally to affect some kind of change that they deemed necessary. This tendency had grown to epic proportions in the past week. They felt that since Bella had returned, even if she had spent the entire time somewhat distant, that I should 'pull my head out.' That was Emmett's term.

At the beginning of the week I came on strong. I wanted to pick up right where we left off because that's where I still was. I hadn't changed. My feelings hadn't changed, except to possibly grow more ardent. However, Bella had other ideas. She was with me, she responded to me, but things weren't the same for her. Bella was sad and broken and spent the greater part of the week simultaneously cemented to my side and distancing herself from me emotionally. She would get frustrated and yell at me for taking care of her. She even snapped at Esme occasionally.

I made the decision over and over again in my mind to change her, to keep her with me forever, and yet it wasn't until she was in danger that Alice had a vision of her changing. Then, Bella asked Esme to change her. I couldn't help but wonder if this was what she really wanted. I wondered if she would be all right or if she would adopt the same attitude that Rosalie harbored. We didn't need another Rosalie in the family.

I needed her to be all right. She moved her jaw slightly and jumped before opening her eyes wide with shock. The she pulled back in on herself. Her eyes snapped closed.

"Bella?" I called to her and she visibly relaxed. I felt the tension melt from my own frame.

"Yes?" She asked but her hands flew to her mouth faster than humanly possible.

Watch it, she's afraid. What is Alice doing?

Alice was bouncing on her toes in the doorway behind Jasper. She desperately tried to contain her internal monologue and keep it from spilling out. She's so pretty Edward! Alice scanned the future and found images of Bella, little flashes with hardly any meaning. She was so excited that her effervescence was even getting on Jasper's nerves. He was on a mission. There was an implied promise that he could and would keep Bella in line and he intended to do so.

"Alice, be patient. She's trying to adjust." Jasper was always calm and gentle with Alice. It didn't matter what she did; he remained calm because he loved her. Alice did her best to settle down.

"Take your time, Bella." I took a few steps closer to her. I tried to step softly and hush the amount of sound that I made. It wouldn't take much to startle her. She took another deep breath and a small smile played on her lips.

She's relaxing because of you. Your presence is a calming influence.

Then, I make a mistake. I reached out and touched her cheek. She swiped my hand off.

Watch out!

She rolled to the other side of the table and assumed a defensive position. She growled at me, low and fierce. Her eyes snapped open and her face was predatorial. However, she looked at me for a millisecond and gasped in shock. I put my arms up to show her that I meant no harm. Touching her had been a stupid move.

She's just disappointed now, but you need to be careful.

"It's a bit disconcerting, isn't it?" Emmett's voiced boomed from behind me. I cringed.

"Bella, do you remember what happened?" I tried to remind her. Waking up was disorienting enough that according to Jasper's memory sometimes amnesia occurred. I attempted to move closer but she backed away.

Fear again, but she's trying to suppress it on her own. Jasper gave me an encouraging nod.

"I'm not going to hurt you," I stepped toward her again. Her eyebrows scrunched together and she stepped back. I moved again and so did she. She huffed slightly and tensed up before she planted her feet in place.

Try again Edward.

"Do you remember anything?" I tilted my head slightly. She nodded and I barely heard Jasper's mind.

Every time you ask a question she gets scared. I'm not sure but I think that her voice being different triggers it.

Her eyes were a vivid shade of red. They glowed. She held my gaze and I got lost in her. Bella had always been beautiful but now she was almost frighteningly gorgeous. I had expected it; I had even watched it happen but I was wholly unprepared for her to be a vampire. She pulled me in. Was this the feeling she described as being "dazzled?" I gave in to it a raised my hand very slowly this time to touch her cheek. Her head turned instantly to watch my hand. I was moving it just to her cheek.

"I know that this is all new and scary and you're being bombarded by all kinds of signals that you're not used to catching, but you need to try to focus." Her eyes returned to mine and I stopped my hand just shy of her cheek. I could feel the electrical tingle that sets off when the tiny hairs on one person's body stimulate that of another without completing contact.

Careful.

I took a breath and gently placed my hand on her cheek. She leaned her head into it and in a disconcertingly fast movement she placed her hand on my cheek. I smiled and so did she. I was still in love with her. My body reacted to her hand and whatever kind of magnetic force there was that pulled us together was still in tact. I wanted to pull her close and hold her but I held back because I didn't know how she would react.

"Are you ready to try talking again? Jasper thinks you're afraid of your own voice." I slowly stroked a circle into her cheek with my thumb.

"It's different," She tested her voice in a whisper.

"You'll get used to it," I explained. "Now, everyone else is here and they're ready to talk to you. Particularly Alice. Are you ready?" She stood there smiling at me but concentrating on her hand. She had been rubbing my cheek as I had done with hers. Bella was testing her control a bit and trying to see how little pressure she could apply.

"Bella?" I asked.

"Huh?" She gave her head a quick shake and I knew that she hadn't heard me. The confused look on her face was adorable.

"Bella, everyone else wants to say hello. Jasper thinks that you're calm enough. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry." She sunk her teeth into her lip and winced.

"Your teeth are sharper now," I told her. I had forgotten about that little habit of hers. She was going to have to break herself of it. I suppressed the urge to laugh as she stood there for a second longer. "They're waiting, love," I reminded her.

She literally whirled around to greet everyone. Aside from gripping Emmett a bit too tightly, that was the reason he went first, and nearly attacking Jasper when she took a good look at his scar covered face, things went pretty well. She didn't attack anyone, and she reassured Esme and myself that this was indeed what she wanted.

Carlisle was the last to greet her. He picked her up and twirled her around like a little girl. The fact that he had longed for that kind of relationship was something that he had always hidden from me. Rosalie was too bitter and stubborn to act like his child and Alice wasn't used to the human social structure. They were both daughters, but older daughters. Bella had a very young spirit and was receptive to Carlisle treating her like a doting father.

A beautiful peel of laughter rang from her lips when he set her down. Bella's hands covered her mouth in shock at the music that came from her throat. The rest of us laughed at her reaction but she kept her hand over her face.

"Don't you dare," I took a risk and commanded her. I pulled hr hands away from her mouth. "I've waited too long to hear you laugh again." She looked puzzled. The previous week had been a happy one overall but she hadn't really laughed like she used to laugh. She would chuckle or scoff or smile but she no longer laughed.

"How are you feeling?" Carlisle interrupted her musing.

He was thinking about her thirst but she paused for a moment and tested out her new body. She stretched her legs and her side and her face broke out into a glorious smile.

"I don't hurt!" She literally bounced up and down. "The pain is gone," she sobbed. Her hand ran down the side of her dress in a smoothing motion but I knew that she was feeling for a scar where she would no longer find one. Bella spun around again with the grace of a dancer and I caught her in my arms before she could run into anything.

"You're perfect; you always have been. Perhaps now you'll understand that you are." I tried to keep the moment a private one between the two of us. She wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me. My body almost sighed into hers.

Carlisle cleared his throat. "Bella, are you thirsty?"

Yes!!! Jasper replied in his mind for her.

"Does thirsty burn?" She sounded unsure.

"Come on, let's hunt," I laughed.

Heck yeah, let's see what she can do! Emmett agreed while making some sort of primitive grunt to emphasize his thoughts. Bella laughed again and felt my chest lighten even further.

"Are you coming Jasper?" We would need him because if we had to restrain her for one reason or another his ability to calm her down would be necessary.

"I'll catch up." I need to talk to Alice.

Bella moved for the door and Emmett blocked her way. I want to see if she'll jump. He folded his arms and glanced down at her. Bella gave him an exasperated look and turned her head over her shoulder for help.

"Are you sure you want to take the stairs?" I bet she'll jump. Do you think she'll jump?

"How else would I get out of the house?" Bella rested her hands on her hips in irritation.

"Emmett thinks that you should use the window," I clarified. She let out a soft laugh. I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face. She thought that I was kidding.

"The window?" She turned back to me and I schooled my features.

"It's fun..." Emmett sang.

Freaking idiots... "Certain males in the family seem to lack the ability to use a door." Rosalie explained.

I was obviously included in the "freaking idiot" category as I hardly ever used the door when Bella wasn't around. The window was a perfectly good exit and thus there was no point in going all the way downstairs to get outside. Being a vampire had to have benefits and jumping out of windows just happened to be one of them.

"Come on, let's jump out the window!" Emmett radiated the enthusiasm of a four year old who had ingested too much sugar. He grabbed Bella's hand and dragged her across the room. Bella forgot that she didn't have to put up with that anymore because she protested while she followed. I moved with them and fell into step next to her.

"Edward?"

"I'm afraid that if we don't jump out the window, he'll explode." I cocked an eyebrow at her and she reciprocated.

In the meantime, Emmett pulled open the window. He shot me a devilish grin when he pulled Bella up to the ledge. I watched her stiffen with apprehension. She wasn't going to jump with him. He attempted to persuade her but ultimately she watched from the ledge while he did a back flip and landed with a loud thump.

Come on, she has to try! He looked up from the ground outside.

"Together?" I inquired as I stepped onto the ledge and slipped my hand around hers. It was very strange touching her and having my own skin give just a bit. It felt natural. She squeezed my hand and I grinned at her. I studied her face for a brief moment before moving my foot to step off of the ledge. She went with me. We plummeted to the ground and she landed gracefully on her bare feet.

Wow... Alice watched the landing from the window and saw exactly what I did. Bella, clumsy Bella floated to the ground.

She's beautiful Edward. Esme's mental voice called down.

Bella lifted her chin slightly and drew in a deep breath. I could almost see her mind working to isolate scents. Watching her discover the world was exciting. She had so much to learn and see.

"It's a different world than the one you left, isn't it?" I gave her hand a quick squeeze before heading for the forest.

"Do you know what I think we should do?" Bella swished her hips back and forth before batting her eyelashes coyly.

"Of course not. I still can't hear your thoughts." I actively tried to hear her to no avail.

"That's a relief, I'd hate to think that being changed made me less of a freak," She paused for a second. "I think that we should race."

Bella took off without me. I stood for a second and looked at Emmett. The smile on his face was so big that I thought his head would crack open.

This new Bella, is going to be so much fun to have around.

I took off after her and found it surprisingly hard to catch her. I had always been the fastest but now Bella was outstripping me. I followed her scent. I first started to become concerned when I noticed that she was heading toward a neighborhood several miles away rather than further into the forest. Anyplace with people qualified as a bad location for a newborn Bella to find herself, particularly without a chaperone.

Then, I heard Emmett behind me. Catch her Edward, Alice sees a little boy.

I cursed and continued to run. There was no way to make my limbs move any faster. I could only hope that I would make it in time to keep her from hurting the boy. Her scent grew stronger but I also picked up the scent of human blood.

"Bella!" I called and heard her laugh reverberate through the trees back to me. I was gaining on her. The thought of her taking the life on an innocent child crushed me. She came into view ahead, near the edge of the trees. She stopped and looked up at the clouds and I took the opportunity to pounce. She began to move just as my arms encircled her waist.

The smell of blood was strong. I stopped breathing and hauled her back from the edge. She protested verbally but didn't react otherwise. I was shocked.

"Do you have her?" Emmett called.

"What's wrong?" Bella shook her head a bit like she was trying to clear it before she turned in my arms and buried her nose into my shoulder.

"Blood Bella -" Emmett stopped dead in his tracks. She shouldn't be coherent right now. Shouldn't she be charging him or fighting you, something? That's just not natural Edward.

"There's a child over there with a skinned knee." I pointed to the small boy standing next to a swing set. He sucked his lip in and tried not to cry. The child couldn't have been more than five. Bella turned to look and slipped out of my arms.

"Bella!" Emmett warned.

"I'm fine." She took a step away from me and I grabbed her by the wrist. This was an unnecessary risk for her and the child.

"No, Bella, you're a newborn, you can't," I tried to reason with her.

"But he's hurt," She unleashed the full force of her pitiful expression on me.

I listened to the nearby house for thoughts and found the child's mother. "His parents are in the house and his mother is coming outside now." I informed her. She returned my gaze with a confused expression. She didn't understand why it was a bad idea for her to try to help him. "Listen, I don't know how you're resisting his blood this far away but let's not chance it by getting any closer."

I'm almost there. Jasper ran to us.

He came through the trees and pushed a wave of calm to Bella just as she stopped moving. She seemed to regain her senses. Bella shook her head again and turned around. Her hand gently tugged mine and we ran. She kept going long after the smell of blood had abated. Jasper wasn't far behind us. When he caught up he leveled his eyes at Bella.

"You weren't going to attack him were you?" He asked her.

"I don't think so." Bella bit her lip again.

"Wait," I stopped her. "You weren't going to feed off of him?"

I really don't think that she would have. There wasn't a touch of blood lust. If I hadn't have known better I would have thought she wasn't thirst at all. Jasper looked stunned. There had to be a logical reason.

"I hadn't really considered it an option." She slipped her hand back out of mine and I mourned the loss.

"Are we going to go hunting or are we having a party in the woods?" Emmett sidled up next to Bella.

"Didn't he smell good to you?" I asked. Her restraint seemed impossible.

"I smelled blood but it didn't smell any different than it did when I was human."

That doesn't add up.

"She could smell blood as a human?" Emmett piped up and I nodded to confirm that Bella could smell blood as a human. "Sweet." Awesome!

"Wasn't your throat burning?" Jasper tried to figure out what was going on and exactly how Bella could walk away from blood.

"Yeah, it was pretty intense but he looked like he needed help."

Maybe it has to do with her sense of smell? Do you think that that could have carried over. I know that she couldn't handle being around it before without passing out.

"It's okay Bella. We're just trying to figure out what happened." Jasper tried to comfort Bella.

"Is there something wrong with me?" She twisted her fingers together.

"No, there's nothing wrong with you. Let's just get you fed." The discussion of her ability to withstand blood had gone on for long enough. Bella was too self-conscious. I needed to get her out of there.

I took her hand and she froze before I had even moved. I caught a faint scent in the wind and turned to look at her. I could smell werewolves but she seemed to be gagging on the scent.

Whoa, what's wrong? Emmett stepped closer.

Is that werewolf? Jasper's nose wrinkled.

"What is that stench?" She dropped my hand and dry heaved.

"It's werewolf," I gritted my teeth. The dogs were early. Sam was supposed to wait for her to be ready and she hadn't fed yet.

Shouldn't we get her out of here? Emmett glanced in the direction that the scent came from.

"Oh, wow! That is really strong! I take back every complaint I've made this week about having to shower more often than usual." Bella continued to gag.

"It's not that bad Bella," Emmett had apparently left his compassionate side at home. What is wrong with her?

"Are we smelling the same thing?"

"Be polite they can hear you," I warned.

"Are you sure that this is wise?" Jasper dropped his hand on my shoulder. "She hasn't fed yet. I know that she just resisted feeding off of that little boy but who knows what she's going to do around a couple of werewolves."

"That's what you're here for isn't it Jasper?" Emmett crossed his arms. Let's make a wall I suppose...

"I don't like it." Jasper stiffened and took a position next to Emmett. The two stood between Bella and the wolves.

I groaned internally when they came into sight. They were actually insecure enough to show up in wolf form. Bella wasn't initially upset but her natural reaction to their form took over quickly. Jasper was able to give me a warning that she was getting edgy and I wrapped my arms around her. I don't think that she knew she was struggling with me but Bella very nearly escaped from my arms a couple of times before we convinced Sam and Embry to shift. I turned her to give them some privacy.

I suppose that I should have seen what was coming. Sam would of course want to rehash details from both fights in front of her. I was proud of her. She recounted the events that led up to her change without showing the slightest hint of being upset, until Sam asked about Brady.

Bella snapped. She twisted and swiped my arms off of her body before shoving me violently into a tree. My head hit hard and left an indentation in the tree. By the time I jumped to my feet she was stalking toward Jasper. She had already shoved Emmett and pushed his shoulder out of joint in the process.

What the...! Emmett stared at her wide-eyed.

The wolves phased again. Are we needed?

I tried to signal them to hold off. If Bella hurt them it would only make matters worse. They continued to try to find a position behind her.

"You knew that he was dead when we started talking didn't you?" She accused him.

"Yes Bella, I knew. My focus was on getting you back to the family alive though and knowing wouldn't have helped you survive." Jasper tried to talk her down verbally.

She's going to attack him leach. Embry pointed his snout at Bella.

"Stay back and let me handle her," Jasper requested. Edward, I don't want to panic anyone but I can't get a read on her feelings. It's like she's not there.

"Didn't you think that I had a right to know?" Bella's eyes flashed dangerously; she was really intending to attack Jasper.

I'm trying to calm her down but the emotion is just bouncing back at me.

"Calm down." I placed my hand on her shoulder only to have her forcibly remove it.

Back up Edward. She doesn't know what she's doing right now.

"No, I will not calm down." She stalked closer to Jasper. He had managed to put a few feet between them but she realized it and came closer.

I'm going to have to take her down, Edward. I'm going to be as gentle as I can.

"Jasper-" This wasn't a good idea by any stretch of the term.

"I can't even sense her emotions Edward. She's like a blank; I can't calm her down." He reiterated. Bella sank into a crouch and prepared to pounce. Jasper mirrored her.

"Bella-"

"Stay out of this Edward." She moved in on Jasper and I tried to grab her. She threw me several feet into Emmett who caught me.

So, this is exciting. Emmett smiled down at me and I growled at him.

"You don't really want to fight me Bella." Jasper warned in a calm voice.

"I think I do." They started circling each other crossing one leg over the other and staying close to the ground. Bella moved like a dancer, her steps were mesmerizing and dangerous. She looked like she might actually know what she was doing, but I knew that she was no match for Jasper.

"Bella, you're going to regret this later." Jasper made one more attempt at calming her both physically and verbally before she lunged. He expertly dodged her and she whirled around regaining her footing and going back to her circling dance step with Jasper. I couldn't stand it. I had to help restrain her.

"Edward stay back!" Jasper stared me down. You're not going to be able to help. "Sam, Emmett, keep him away. She'll hurt him."

Emmett grabbed my arms and Sam stepped in front of me.

Patience, your brother seems to be able to handle her. Sam leveled his large brown eyes at me.

Bella jumped into the air and flung her arms out to Jasper. She was making a very obvious attempt to crush him. He deftly swept her arms into each other and folded them over her chest. She snapped her teeth at him and her forced her head to the side.

"Bella the fact that you're stronger than me isn't going to help you win this fight. I can still throw you around like a rag-doll."

Bella smirked before twisting her hips sideways, ducking down and flipping Jasper over her back. He landed hard. Got her, he smiled. His hands reached for her ankle. When he gripped it he swiftly turned one hand over the other and flipped her to the ground. I watched through his mind. He could sense her again and took the opportunity to calm her.

Wow... She's a firecracker. Emmett let go of me.

"She's fine Edward. I just had to distract her enough to keep her from blocking me." Man that hurt. We need to remember not to tick her off again. She's a natural fighter.

"Blocking you?" Bella let out a deep breath and looked at Jasper for an explanation.

"I tried to calm you down but I couldn't. It was like I was hitting a wall, and I couldn't feel you." Jasper flipped himself up to a standing position and reached a hand down to her. "I think that you're going to have to learn to control your emotions on your own." Bella nodded from the ground. She lay disheveled in the dirt for a few more moments and pondered her situation.