Without warning she threw herself into my arms. I was shocked for a moment and then I pulled her close, holding her with more force than I had previously been able. I clutched at her desperately, feeling her body being still. She wasn't shaking. She wasn't crying, she certainly wasn't screaming. She was clinging to me as urgently as I was holding on to her. And it was wonderful.

"Bella you have no idea how glad I am that this is done. I…it was so hard…seeing you like that," I mumbled out. I felt her body relax as she let go of me. She drew away, sitting up. I watched her as she looked around, as though confused. She must have noticed the heightened state of her senses. She inhaled deeply.

"You smell so good," she said quietly, still looking away from me. I sat up with her, turning her face so she had no choice but to meet my eyes. She would need to hunt soon; the hunger would take her body not long from now. But at the moment, I wanted nothing more than to touch her, kiss her.

So I did just that. I touched my lips to hers. Her reaction was similar to the first time. She nearly tackled me. But I had been expecting that. Everything feels so much better as a vampire because you are much more receptive to touch. To kiss someone as a human was nothing compared to kissing someone as a vampire. At least that was what I assumed; I had no personal experience with kissing someone while human.

But from Bella's reaction I figured my assumption was correct. She smiled against my lips right before pulling away from the kiss. She rested her forehead against mine and retained the smile.

"Check that off my list," she murmured.

"Excuse me?" I questioned, puzzled.

"In my head, to keep from going insane from the pain, I was making a list of things I wanted to do when it was over. That was the first thing. So now I can move on to number two," she explained.

"What was number two?"

She kissed me again, throwing all her promises to behave out the window. Not that it mattered now; I didn't have to be careful. When she finally withdrew we were both breathing quite heavily, not that we really needed to breathe.

"Your list seems redundant," I commented, smoothing back her hair gently.

"Then you might not want to know what number three is," she said, shrugging. I laughed. Oh my Bella, so beautiful and playful. It was as though she had forgotten the pain already. But of course she hadn't.

"How did you even manage to think while that was happening?" I asked. It was amazing that she had been coherent when she spoke. I was surprised that she had any thoughts beyond the pain.

"That was the problem, I kept thinking about the…the agony of it. I focused on how much I was hurting. That's why I liked it so much when you talked to me. It was a distraction. It made it easier to…well I couldn't ignore the pain, but it was easier not to concentrate on it."

"I'll tell you, Bella, you had some amazing restraint. You didn't scream half as much as I thought you would. Sometimes it looked like you were going to but then you just…didn't."

She looked down, avoiding my eyes. If she could have blushed, I think she would have. Over the days before I had become quite familiar with her mannerisms and the way she responded to things physically. The way she was moving down was her embarrassed or uncomfortable body language.

"Why are you doing that?" I asked her. What was uncomfortable about my amazement at her constant magnificence?

"Your face," she whispered. I cocked my head to the side. Was I missing something here?

"Every time I screamed your face was so…full of sorrow. The pain I felt was coming out through me and hurting you too. I just…couldn't stand it. Sometimes I obviously wasn't able to keep it inside, sometimes you just can't, but if I could, I did."

I took a moment, trying to figure out what she had just said. She had been in unbearable anguish and she had kept herself from screaming because of me? WHAT? Her mind baffled me to no end. Could she be selfish at all? It was like she had martyr in her DNA. Because there was nothing in the world that could have kept me from crying out. It was unworldly. And she had kept it inside so she wouldn't hurt me. It was almost funny, if it wasn't purely disgusting. What was I doing to this girl?

I leaned forward and covered her face in kisses. My poor girl. She pushed me away gently and smiled softly. I thought perhaps she was upset with me, but then she sighed and reached out. She was tracing the lines of my face again, touching me all over again as she had done before.

"You feel different," she said quietly, her fingers never leaving my face. So did she. Her fingers no longer burned me, no longer sent heat through my flesh. Not to say that there wasn't something like a fire inside me caused by her touch. But now her skin wasn't warm. I thought I would miss it more. I thought I would sorely ache after the burn. But just to have her touch me again, just to feel that soft caress was more than enough.

"Is that a good or a bad thing?" I asked, smiling under her fingers.

"A very good thing," she said, grinning as I was. And then a knock sounded at my door. I opened my mind to hear the thoughts of whoever it was before inviting them in. If they weren't one of my family, or someone sending for me from Aro they were not coming in. But just as I heard the thoughts of my entire family outside my door Bella shrieked.

Her hands flew to her face, covering her ears with a grimace.

"Bella, what's wrong? What happened?" I asked, suddenly very confused. I reached out to touch her as her face relaxed. As soon as my fingers touched her cheek she screamed again. I pulled away. Had my touch caused her pain? What was going on?"

"Edward? Is she okay?" I heard Carlisle yelling to me from the hall. I called for them to come in. What was happening? Why was she crying out?

"Bella?" I inquired softly. She opened her eyes and looked at me, her expression was shocked and wide, almost perplexed. She reached out to me once again, her movements hesitant. As soon as she touched me she flinched, but she kept her hand on my arm.

Is she okay?

Alice's thoughts skimmed across my mind, sent deliberately.

"I'm fine Alice," Bella said softly, withdrawing her hand. Had Alice spoken? I looked over to Alice, whose eyes had gone wide with shock.

"I didn't…I mean I thought that…Edward what the hell is going on?"

I turned to Bella. I had no idea what was happening.

"I heard you. I touched Edward and your thoughts all came to me so fast…it was…so much. How do you stand it?" she turned to me with a question. She had heard them? Was she a telepath?

"I…Bella what do you mean you heard it?" Carlisle asked. She turned to him and then reached out to me.

I wonder what is going on?

Is she like Edward?

Does she hear this too?

This is so weird!

The thoughts of my family quickly swirled through my mind and from the look on Bella's face, though hers as well. Her brow furrowed as the thoughts became more intense. Esme was worried sick. She was afraid that Bella was hurting after just finishing the change. No one deserved that; at least that was what Esme was thinking. Bella pulled away from me and smiled gently, shaking the thoughts of the others away.

"I'm fine Esme, it doesn't hurt its just a little overwhelming. I think…I mean I guess what's happening is that Edward is hearing you and if I touch him…I can hear you too," she said sheepishly. That was drastically unfair. So she could delve into the thoughts that passed through my mind, but I still couldn't hear hers. I wondered quickly if when she touched me she could hear my thoughts as well.

"Bella, when you…tune it to their thoughts, do you hear mine as well?" I asked.

"Well wouldn't that be fair? Finally someone to invade Edward's mind," Emmett muttered.

"I don't know," she said, "Try it. Think something."

She touched me as I thought about her—her perfect smile, her gentle touch, her melodic laugh. She scowled.

"Nope, just the others." She shrugged. That was a relief. I didn't want her knowing every thought I had any time she touched me. I was sure the others felt much the same, but oh well, no one said life was fair.

"Bella, this is a very interesting little gift you have. I wonder if it is solely Edward whose…gift you are able to connect with. Would you mind trying with one of the others?" Carlisle inquired. She shrugged again.

"Jasper," Carlisle motioned for him. Bella stood and placed her hand on his bare arm. I took a moment then to appreciate the beauty of her. The change had perfected her already perfect form. Her face was smooth and even, wonderfully soft and lovely pale. The shadows under her black eyes were like fading bruises, betraying what we were to anyone who knew what to look for. But she was beautiful. She far surpassed anyone I had ever seen. She was exquisite. And I loved her. So much. I was brimming with it, the wonderful light feeling of love. It delighted me. It filled me like nothing else ever had, or ever would again.

For a long moment she stood there with Jasper—while I was thinking these things—and there was nothing. And then she smiled.

"Oh, Edward!" she exclaimed, "I love you too!"

Her hand left Jasper's arm and she came over to me. She grinned so brightly. I stood and took her in my arms, kissing her forehead. She sighed. Jasper's empathic abilities had gone to Bella as she touched him.

"Clearly you are able to join yourself to others powers, it isn't just Edward's. However, I have another curiosity I was wondering if you would indulge me," Carlisle said.

"Of course," she answered cheerfully. He motioned for her and took her tiny hand in his. Then he looked to me.

"Try and read me Edward," he said. I looked at him and opened my mind. I heard the rest of them. Esme was practically bubbling over with anticipation. Alice and Jasper were both simply stunned. Emmett was excited. Rose was bored and introspective. But Carlisle was…blank.

"You aren't trying to block me are you?" I asked, suspicious. He shook his head.

"No even a little. I am completely freeing my mind up to you." I scowled and shrugged.

"I can't hear a damn thing," I muttered angrily. It appeared that not only was Bella still immune to most of our powers, and she could now tap into them at the slightest physical contact, she could also use her strange immunity to block other people's gifts from being used on a person. That was handy, but also infuriating.

Carlisle released Bella's hand and laughed loudly with appreciation.

"This is absolutely fascinating," he stated. Yes, fascinating. And annoying. And dangerous. If Aro ever found out about this it would cause some serious problems. Someone with talents like hers, with a gift so profound and unheard of would surely mean that she would be trapped here. She was valuable to them. She would be a prized possession, more coveted even than Jane was. They would never let her out of their sights. And I would lose her to them. I didn't want that.

And just as I was about to tell her exactly how dangerous it was, she stiffened. Her whole body went completely rigid. It looked like she was going through more of the change, like the pain was overflowing and coming after her again. But then I inhaled, and realized why she had gone so severe so fast.

Human blood.

There was a human walking around somewhere near my room, probably just passing by the door, not knowing there was a new vampire on the other side of it. A growl, low and menacing came from her throat. She must have been starving. The burn in her throat was probably unbearable now. It was taking her over. Her mind would be focused on the hunger. The need to drink, NOW.

Emmett responded instantly. He grabbed her around the middle and tugged at her, holding her back from propelling herself into the hall and massacring the human on the other side. She wanted to.

"LET GO OF ME!" she shouted. I could hear the hunger in her voice. The bloodlust was overwhelmingly obvious. She was clawing at the air, struggling so hard against him. But he was stronger than she was. At least for the moment. And then she remembered. I saw the look in her eyes. I had told her that we each had a special gift. Alice had visions. Jasper was an empath. I was a telepath. Esme brought her ability to love. Carlisle was Carlisle. Rose had her beauty. And Emmett had his strength. It was his gift, in a way. And Bella could use it.

So suddenly she threw him off of her, launching him across the room. Were all shocked. Emmett landed hard, but I had no time to watch him. I dove at Bella, pulling her down to the ground. Emmett came over but I told him to back off. If he even touched her she would be strong enough to break away. She struggled and yelled but as the scent began to fade, she stopped trying to get away. She was panting, her breath heavy and ragged. And then her face crumbled.

"Oh my…I was…I'm so sorry Emmett…" she lowered her had in self-disgust. The glorious wonders of being a vampire, the amazing power she had, the incredible feeling of being so powerful, so in tune with everything had faded with that one moment. She hated herself. And I couldn't blame her. She had just discovered why it was I didn't want to change her in the first place. We were monsters through and through.

"Its okay, Bella. But you know, don't do that again okay?" he said sheepishly. Bella let out a surprised and sad little laugh. She was appalled with herself.

"I'm so…" she murmured.

"Thirsty?" I finished for her. She looked up at me, her eyes meeting mine with obtrusive reluctance. Then she nodded.

"There are herds of deer near here. We can go hunt. It wont solve the problem, but it will help," I said, extending my hand to her. She took it, wincing again as the thoughts of the others pushed into her mind unwillingly. She stood with me for a moment before dropping my hand. I didn't know if it was because she didn't want to hear the thoughts, or because she didn't want to touch me. I prayed for the former, but somehow I had a feeling it was not.

I took Bella out through the window she had escaped through. We went through the grounds, hopefully avoiding any other humans. I didn't know what would happen now that her thirst had been sparked. We went into the nearby forest. As soon as the scent of fresh blood hit me Bella was gone. She was off, taking the blood of anything she could catch. And she could catch anything she wanted.

I waited for her to finish. When she returned to me she didn't say a word, neither did she reach for me. But I reached for her.

"Now do you see?" I asked quietly. I didn't want to bring up morbid things, but it was hard not to. I wanted to see what she thought now about being one of us. I needed to know.

"Yes, I see. I understand now."

She sounded blank and empty, as though waiting for something to wake her from a daze. We walked, her hand securely in mine for a long while. We didn't speak as we got through the grounds or jumped through my window. When we got back my family was still there. With Jane, Alec, Demitri and Felix. Was it necessary to send an entire team up here to retrieve us?

"Aro wants to see you all," Jane stated. I narrowed my gaze at her but nodded. I hadn't gotten a chance to tell Bella about not revealing herself. If we went to Aro now, and she told him what she could do he would take her away from me and never let her go.

I absolutely, completely, utterly refused to let that happen.

I just didn't know what to do to stop it.