Chapter 6

I remained silent for a long period of time. Edward did as well, and I didn't need Jasper's power to feel the sadness radiating from him.

I sat down on the large black couch, looking up at Edward.

Edward sat next to me, his head in his hands. "What even brought this on, Bella?"

I sighed. "I don't know," I spoke softly, honestly. "I guess the whole idea that we can't ever be equals is getting to me."

Edward gazed at me in shock. "Is that it?"

I nodded slowly, and rubbed my hand over my eyes. "You're treating the idea as if it's no big deal."

Edward took my head in his hand, cradling my chin gently. "Bella, I've been thinking about that for as long as I've known you. I've always realized that I could kill you at any moment, and that we shouldn't naturally be together. And I wasn't about to change you to fix that."

I pulled away, grimacing at the very familiar idea: that Edward didn't want to change me when I was human. But Edward followed me, kneeling in front of the couch, holding my gaze. "Bella, you knew that as well. We shouldn't have ever been together, but we were, and still are. I love you," he said, his eyes burning into my own. "And that is why we can be together. This isn't any different than before, except now I can't kill you…"

My lips pulled into an involuntary smile. Edward rubbed his thumb on my cheek, as if he was wiping off tears. He smiled as well.

"You honestly think this can work?" I whispered surprised by the intensity he had in his argument.

Edward nodded, kissing my cheek softly. He whispered into my ear, "I know it will."

His voice made me shiver, and I hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Edward," I said softly, resting my head against his shoulder. "I was about to do something really stupid to us."

"I know you were. And I had made the same mistake. That's why I had to stop you," He said.

I smiled against his shoulder, and then pulled back. "Do you think Emmett and Rosalie will believe I'm here?" I asked, my thoughts drifting back to the family meeting.

Edward nodded. "It'll just take some time. You know, it is a lot easier for me to believe you when I can actually see you. They have to simply trust that you are here, based off of what they can hear."

I nodded, and then looked up at Edward. The dark bruises under his eyes had yet to go away. "You need to hunt," I stated.

Edward nodded. "Yes I do. Are you alright if I leave you here for a few hours?"

I pulled my eyebrows together in confusion. "Why?"

Edward shook his head. "Bella, I need to hunt-"

I cut him off with a smile. "I mean, why do I have to stay here? You can't kill me, Edward."

Edward looked at me, appearing somewhat in pain. "Are you sure you want to see me hunt?"

I nodded vigorously, a smile on my face. Seeing Edward hunt was something I had always wanted to do. It seemed fascinating to me, Edward hunting. It was a defining part of who Edward was, and I had yet to witness it, but for good reasons at the time.

Edward rolled his eyes. "I guess you can come." He smiled at me, his expression changed. "But if this is the thing that finally scares you away from me, then God has a cruel sense of humor."

I slapped his arm playfully. "You know you can't scare me."

Edward raised his eyebrow, and stood up. "Let's see if anyone else wants to come with us."

I nodded in agreement and followed him down the stairs.

"I'm going hunting," Edward stated, addressing the seemingly empty house. "Does anyone want to come with me?"

Alice appeared with a cheerful smile on her face. "Is Bella coming as well?"

Edward looked at me and sighed, "Yes, she is," he muttered, still annoyed that I was so eager to go hunting with him.

Alice clapped her hands together. "Perfect! Jasper just hunted, so I'll be going without him." She paused, pursing her lips. She gazed towards the wall, a far away expression in her eyes. "And I think," she began, but stopped with a wide smile. "No, scratch that. I know that Emmett will be joining us."

Shortly after Alice's announcement, Emmett appeared in front of Edward. He gazed at Edward hesitantly. "Can I come as well?" He asked, smiling, though he didn't look completely at ease.

Edward nodded. "Of course. Any one else?" He asked, and then nodded to himself. "Alright. Let's go."

I smiled to myself, becoming more anxious. "Will we be driving there?" I asked as we exited the front door.

Edward shook his head. "Running. We'll be hunting relatively close to home today."

I nodded swiftly, before hopping up on his back. I heard Edward's breath rush out as I landed on his back, pulling my arms gently around his neck and winding my legs securely to his waist. Edward remained stiff for a moment, then relaxed, overcoming his surprise at my actions. I stifled a giggle by pressing my mouth against his shoulder as he turned his heads towards me, an eyebrow raised.

"Not that I don't mind," he said with a devilishly crooked smile, "but why did you choose to play the role of my backpack?"

I shrugged, lifting my head up from his shoulders. "I missed the feeling," I said softly.

Edward nodded sadly, his actions echoing the change in mood. "I did too."

He looked around at Alice and Emmett, who were now outside as well. "Shall we?" He asked.

Emmett nodded. "I'll race you. First one there gets the first choice of game."

Edward chuckled as Emmett took off. Alice disappeared shortly after that, and Edward turned his head so that he looked at me once more. "Ready, Bella?"

I nodded and smiled, as Edward took a running stance.

He began to sprint, following what I assumed was the same path Alice and Emmett had taken; they had both left so quickly that I had no hope of watching which way they departed.

I let my head rest against Edward's neck, angling it so that I could watch the scenery as he ran. Blurs of green passed before my eyes, and if I tried hard enough, I could focus on one tree, but then it would quickly disappear from my line of vision. I inhaled, smelling both the piney, dewy, rich scent of the forest as well as the sweet, inviting scent of Edward.

I closed my eyes in the total comfort of the moment. Edward's feet continued the gentle padding against the ground as he ran towards his destination. His steady breathing combined with the gentle movement he created by running to construct a calming effect.

I lazily opened my eyes and rested my chin on Edward's shoulder. I glanced up at his face and smiled at the sight.

Edward's hair blew carelessly in the wind; his eyes were excited and focused, while his mouth was pulled up in a cheerful grin.

Mere seconds later, Edward slowed to a stop, gently helping me off of his back. "We won," he declared with a confident smirk.

I smiled. "So, you get your pick, right?"

Edward nodded. "Yes. And luckily, there's a mountain lion nearby."

Emmett quickly appeared at Edward's side. "Good. Then you won't feel the need to eat my bears."

Edward chuckled. "Of course not."

Emmett nodded, a satisfied gleam in his eyes. "Good. I'll get going then, in case you change your mind."

Just as Emmett left the area, Alice entered, stopped quickly, and then sprinted off after Emmett.

"What was that about?" I asked Edward, curious at Alice's actions.

Edward shrugged. "Alice wants some of Emmett's bears."

He said it so nonchalantly, that I had to laugh. Edward gazed at me questioningly, as I continued to giggle. "You're serious?" I asked, wondering if this was a joke.

Edward nodded.

My mouth dropped open in surprise. Alice, four foot ten Alice, was hunting bears? "Bears," I whispered, disbelieving.

Edward chuckled at my reaction. "You'll see how it's possible. But for now, let's hunt."

I nodded, and watched him as he breathed in deeply. He turned his head swiftly to the left, and began to run in the same direction. I drifted after him, watching him pick up speed as he got closer to his currently invisible goal.

His posture grew less rigid while his paces became longer. He paused, slipping into a crouch, then sprang forward in a powerful move. He disappeared from my sight in his strong leap.

I followed him silently, in awe of the raw power he had. Edward was crouched over a mass of fur when I saw him. I made certain that I was completely silent as I drifted around to face him.

He was huddled over a mountain lion, drinking from it quietly. I half expected to be repulsed by the sight, as Edward would have predicted, but was surprised by my reaction.

Seeing this part of Edward, which he had never let me see, felt oddly enticing. It seemed forbidden for me to see this side of him, which was so carefully managed and kept from my sight. Edward wiped his mouth with the back of his hand after I had been watching him for a while. My knees were pulled up against my chest and my arms were wrapped around my knees.

He looked up at me, taking a deep breath as he stood up. He remained quiet as he brushed off a bit of dirt from his jeans. His eyes were pleading as he gazed at me. He opened his mouth a few times, but ended up closing it wordlessly.

I stood up as well, walking over towards his motionless figure. "Edward?" I asked, unsure of his reaction to seeing me.

Edward took a step away from me. "I'm sorry," he whispered, closing his eyes.

I drifted towards his side. "Why?" I asked curiously.

He smiled darkly, his eyes saddened. "For being a monster. For letting you see that."

"You're sorry for letting me see that?" I asked, dumbfounded. What was he thinking?

Edward nodded, walking towards me hesitantly. "What you just saw, Bella, I don't want you to be afraid."

"I don't want to be afraid," I whispered in response. "And I'm not afraid," I said softly, looking him in the eye.

He paused, though he continued walking towards me in a cautious, yet steady, pace. "You are honestly telling me you aren't afraid, repulsed, or anything else of the sort from that?"

I shook my head. "Not at all," I said with a smile. "It felt like I was watching the other side of you which you never let me see…"

"Because you were," Edward said matter-of-factly. "And it's for good reason, too."

I ignored him and continued. "That made it kind of hot," I said, and knew I would have been blushing.

Edward raised an eyebrow. "You are absolutely crazy," he said, walking closer to me and pressing me against the tree.

I rolled my eyes. "It took you this long to realize that."

Edward smirked. "Apparently." He brought his hands up so that they rested on either side of my head against the tree.

I smiled and pulled my hands around his head, pulling him closer to me. Edward, knowing what I wanted, kissed me as we stood against the tree. We pulled away smiling.

"Edward," I after a moment of silence between us. "Where's Emmett?"

Edward rolled his eyes. "I kiss you and you think of my brother?"

I rolled my eyes as well. "Not like that. I'm just curious. I was hoping we could use this time to… convince him?"

Edward smiled in understanding. "Alright."

I followed Edward, watching as he jumped gracefully over streams and logs, as if they were hurdles on a track field instead of natural obstacles that would cause even the most graceful of runners trouble jumping over.

We arrived at Emmett's huddled body quickly; he was just finishing up a rather large bear. He turned towards us, looking at Edward.

"Hey Edward," he said, brushing dirt off of his pants as he stood up to face us. "How's it going?"

Edward shrugged, "Good. But Bella would like to say something, I believe."

He gazed at me, an eyebrow raised. Emmett's face was emotionless, and he simply gazed at Edward.

I sucked in a deep breath, and then smiled, knowing exactly what to say. I propelled myself towards Emmett, gaining a bit of momentum as I got nearer to him.

With all of the force I had mustered, I collided with Emmett, wrapping my arms around me.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that my momentum had, in fact, affected him.

Emmett rocked back, taking a few steps to steady himself. I gripped my arms tightly around him, hugging him. I could tell that he could feel me hugging him, as he slowly returned the hug, bringing a smile to my face.

"I missed you, Emmett," I said, pulling away, and then standing next to Edward, who held me gently to his side.

Emmett was speechless. He opened his mouth a few times, with no sounds coming out, until he finally said, "Was that really…?"

Edward nodded, rubbing my shoulder tenderly as I wrapped my arms around his torso, standing by his side.

Emmett grinned widely. "You have no idea how much we've -I've- missed you, Bella."

I couldn't help but smile back, both at his kind words, and at his own grin, which I hadn't seen in months.

Edward stepped away from me, a sad smile on his face. "I need to hunt a bit more, if you'll excuse me."

I gestured for him to go on, and I walked back to Emmett. Edward gave a quick nod before running deeper into the forest.

I tapped Emmett on his shoulder to gain his attention once more. When Edward was a safe distance away, I asked a question which I had been wondering for a while.

"Emmett?" I asked uncertainly.

"Bella?" He smiled back, though his eyes were unable to focus on the exact place in which I stood.

I exhaled, looking at the trees before asking. "Exactly what was Edward like when he left?"

Emmett gazed around uncertainly. "I… I don't know if he'd want me to tell you that. It wasn't exactly one of his proudest moments."

I groaned impatiently, before remembering Emmett didn't have to tell me. He could simply show me.

"Sorry, Emmett," I said before drifting into control of his body. I wiggled my toes, relishing in the feeling of the solid earth below me.

Bella, what the hell did you do? Emmett asked, completely confused.

I'm sorry! I know you won't tell me, but could you possibly show me? It's important to me…

I remained quiet as I overheard Emmett's internal debate. Finally, he showed me a memory of Edward.

It was dark outside, and I was looking at the inside of an unfamiliar house. Alice, Esme, Carlisle, Jasper, and Rosalie sat around the living room. Rain was hitting the side of the house rhythmically.

Alice stiffened, and turned towards the door in the corner, which appeared to be the front door. Everyone else followed suit.

Within seconds, the handle to the door shook slightly before being turned. The door opened softly, and Edward stood in the doorway, his hair wet, his clothes torn, and his face unreadable.

Esme got up from the couch to greet him, but Edward walked past her, without saying a word. Each of the family members were silent as they watched Edward walk up the stairs.

The setting shifted so that I was standing in front of a door. I opened it, walking carefully into the room. Edward sat against a wall, his head in his hands.

The room was a mess; many CDs were shattered, their remains spread about the floor. A large mirror was off kilter, the glass broken into thousands of tiny shards.

Edward took a shaky breath and gazed up at me, his eyes filled with unbearable pain. "What do you want, Emmett."

The words were a tortured growl, each one held an attempt to appear cold and detached, yet the pain was evident in his voice.

"I just wanted to talk to you," Emmett's voice spoke awkwardly in the silence.

Edward growled. "I don't need another lecture about her."

"I know you don't, it's just that we all miss her. We aren't the same without her. Alice told me not to tell you this-"

"For good reason," Edward responded darkly, glaring up at me.

"Edward, man, you need to go back to her. You know that," Emmett's voice said, disregarding Edward's remark.

Edward sighed, his head in his hands once more. "I'm doing this for her. I couldn't go back now." He paused, continuing. "I know she's better off without me."

The image stopped, and I was brought back to the forest.

You wanted to see it, Emmett said softly.

Yes I did. Thank you, Emmett. Really.

No problem, Bella.

I smiled and left him, so that I was standing next to him. I heard a soft sound, and looked over my shoulder towards the source.

Edward stood casually against a tree, his arms folded over his chest. His eyes were sad, but he smiled softly as he held my gaze.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. What I did, and seeing it time after time… Please forgive me," He whispered, moving closer to me.

I smiled. "I love you," I whispered, walking closer to him to close the space between us. He closed his eyes at the sound of my voice.

I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him gently. I felt Edward stiffen, and then relax to my touch. I smiled and rested my head against his chest, and he kissed the top of my head. "Thank you, love," He whispered.

I heard a cough from behind us, and turned to smile at Emmett. "Sorry," I murmured, but returned to my comfortable position against Edward.

Edward chuckled and led me towards Emmett. "Alice is coming back," he said softly. "And then we'll head home."

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AN: *hides behind fort made of biology notes* I'M SO SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I owe you guys big time. Honestly, if I could send y'all giant teddy bears holding a plethora of chocolates, I would. Really. But, due to my lack of funds at the moment, and the creepiness that would come from a random teddy bear on your doorstep, I can't. I wish I could... but I can't.

You have put up with my writing, and for that I'm grateful. I'm also happy that you remained patient as I tried to fix this story, which I personally thought resembled the large "present" my neighbor's dog left in my yard for my poor tennis shoe to discover. Maybe I'm too harsh on my own work, maybe I'm insecure about my writing, but at least I'm trying to fix this? (I don't know where I was going with that sentence...)

Anyhoo, all that I'm trying to say (in my random, incoherent rambling way) is that I am excited that my story is getting back to where I originally wanted it to go. And I hope you appreciate this chapter, which has been posted long after it should have been.

Seriously, I couldn't write this without you and your support, so thank you so much!!!!!!

Thank you for reading (and putting up with me, the obnoxious crazy-writer), and please let me know what you think! It'll brighten my day!!!!!!!!