Oh, wow, guys! I had nearly 20 emails saying showing your reviews, story alerts, fave story, & fave author. I'm speechless! Thanks, and keep it up! So, guys this is pretty much your last chance to ask questions because the end is near. -tear-
Madison wasn't the average baby who would cry all day and night; she was just the opposite. She was usually calm and awake most of the day and slept soundly most of the night. Edward, being the perfect gentleman, husband, and father, watched over her all night to make sure she was warm and happy. He enjoyed his new full time role of fatherhood more than many expected. Sometimes at night he'd sing her to sleep and hold her for hours. And as soon as he was sure Madison was asleep for a few hours he'd change roles and become the gentle, caring man I married.
All summer long our friends would drop by to see Maddy, as everyone else called her. Alice hinted that she'd be cursed with that nickname for as long as she lived, very annoying news for Edward and me. Madison's appearance had changed since the day she was born. Her thin black hair was rapidly growing and turning darker into a raven black that showed off her albino white skin. But it was her eyes that caught everyone's attentions. They seemed to change everyday that first moth. In one picture we sent Charlie Madison had bright blue eyes, but in the picture for Mom, she had onyx eyes just like her thirsty father's. Even the pictures Edward kept in his wallet and I kept in my purse showed the same baby girl, but with two dramatically different eye colors- and those pictures were taken the same day! Eventually they stayed fixed on the incredible Masen emerald green.
Looking at my baby brought up another change worry: could I resist my own daughter's blood? As the months flew by Edward and my first anniversary, also the date of my change, approached. All of the Cullens promised to keep me sane and Madison safe, but the doubt always lingered in the back of my mind. It was Rosalie who helped me find my courage.
"I'm jealous of you, Isabelle," she told me a few days before the big day. We were spending the day together while the Edward and Emmett went bear hunting in the sun. I longed to see him sparkle like diamonds again, but I'd have forever to see us both like that soon. I watched as Rosalie rocked Madison in her arms like she was her daughter.
"I never said you can't come around us and the baby, Rose, as long as you give her back."
"I wouldn't listen to you even if you did. No, what I meant was that you're about to have the world-everything I truly ever wanted and everything you've been wanting." I handed her Madison's bottle which she took and gave to the fussing babe.
"I'm afraid to lose myself, but I know that, despite what he says, to be with Edward, or any of you, I must become a vampire, too."
"You've heard too many monster stories. Blood is resistible if you focus hard enough. Just look at what Edward's done for all the years! There's no greater want than your blood to him, yet you live."
"All the restraint after eighty years!"
"Remember when I told you that I've never tasted human blood? I killed when I was young, and I could still say no-and I don't think that had much to do with my hatred towards them either. You'll always be Bella, and Bella wouldn't allow the monster to hurt this baby. Beside, if you do even so much as lick you lips around her I'll make sure you don't see her until she's eighty-five!" The picture of an eighty-five year old woman running with her walker and screaming "Mom!" to a nineteen year old popped in my head. I smiled back at my sister and made a mental checklist of everything she and Emmett would need to watch Madison for a few weeks.
Later that night after the guys came home Edward and I handed over our joy and watched as Emmett and Rosalie started the long drive south to Carlisle and Esme.
Edward wanted to make sure I was ready to become a vampire and had everything planned out-like having a decent last meal..
"Eat whatever you want because this is it. Don't eat just anything because you'll remember it forever," he warned that night at dinner.
"What was your last meal?"
"I was in the hospital dying, remember? Not only do I remember very little about having that flu, I don't remember eating much either. I know that my mother, even in our final moments, forced me to eat the hospital food. It sounds like the food hasn't improved much." We both laughed.
I eventually ordered a true Alaskan dish of baked fish, noodles, chocolate cake, and a small glass of wine later on (I'd never drank before so I figured I might as well.). I took my time savoring my last food, trying to enjoy our anniversary and pushing our plans back.
Late that night Edward prepared for my transformation by setting out the morphine at laying out bandages for when I started bleeding. After the last hot shower I walked back into the master bedroom.
"Come here," he darkly ordered as he rose from the bed and towards me. I locked my arms around his neck & kissed him. He pulled my towards the bed and gently pushed my down under him. He held close to his perfect body and began kissing my neck, stopping at the largest vain. My heart involuntarily raced.
"I'm going to miss this. Your warmth and heart have captured me, but I don't want my freedom. You don't have to do this for me, Bella." His breath was addicting, and I lost all self control. I fought to hold him tighter and tried to kiss with without all of his stupid limits, but as always he pulled apart and sighed.
"Edward," I whined. He rested his head on my collarbone and thought for a minute. He looked back up at me and smiled.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't ready for that, but I am now." he pulled my head closer to his and opened his mouth. My fingers twisted knots in his hair while he kissed me with much more force than he usually allowed. A few times my skin accidentally brushed by his venomous fangs, but no harm was done. At last he left go, and quietly laughed.
"I should have done that long ago," he said as he rolled over on his side. I did the same, still clinging to him.
"Probably," I said back as I began unbuttoning his shirt. His smile brightened, and the fun began.
Later, Edward smiled as I laid back down in the bed against his solid chest. I could still feel the cold through his shirt, and I shivered slightly. He put me down flat on his side of the bed and got up to get the painkiller.
"You know you don't have to do this," he reminded me again. I only rolled my eyes and held out my arm for the injection. "Will you forgive me for stealing your life and damning you forever? I don't deserve, you know, but I'm a very selfish creature. I want forgiveness." He was sitting on the edge of the bed, whispering in my ear. He kissed me one more time.
"I thank you already. You and Madison are my life, and as long as I have you both fire or light makes no difference to me."
"So we are damned!" he chuckled.
"That's debatable, but not for tonight." We both laughed a little unitl the needle met my arm. I cringed in sudden pain, but, remembering the pain James caused me in Phoenix, I tried to calm myself again.
"You may say things you'll regret, and your last sleep may not come at first," he warned.
"Then ignore anything I say." He leaned closer to my heart, listening to its rushing beats. His liquid topaz eyes hardened, and then in a flash his teeth sank deep into my throat.
I was lost in the dark and laying on a cot with fire scorching my body. Slowly over time the fire began to die away, but my sore, blistered body was still suffering from the flames. My neck hurt the worst, even though that was impossible to believe. It felt like five ice daggers took turns stabbing into the same spot, but why was I going through this torture?
The pain was letting up, but my heart was stopping. I'm dying! I thought. I dared to open my eyes, but I was instantly blinded by a bright light. It hit my eyes and reflected out like a prism. Every shade of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple sped back into my eyes.
I shut my eyes and rolled over, but plummeted down through the air. When I opened my eyes again I was lying face down on the master bedroom's beige carpet. Two sets of footsteps raced to the room.
"Bella!" cried a familiar voice. I began to get up, and his smooth, normal feeling hands touched my bare arms.
"I'll give you two some time," said the other man. Edward scooped me up off the floor an back onto our bed. I looked at my angel with perfect vampire vision, but something was wrong.
"Edward! What happened to you?" I was shocked to see a glittering white light shinning behind his entire body, even his out stretched hands.
Edward's loving smile dropped in concern as he reached for my hand. The white light instantly turned safety jacket orange and lime green, one color on top of the other. I looked down at my own hands, expecting to see the same bright neon colors, but they were the same chalky white all vampire's had-no glow, no light, no nothing!
"Bella, what's wrong?" the two glowing lights switched places so that the green was closest to his skin. I reached out to touch his face; it didn't feel as hard and cold has before. His free hand held my out stretched hand and brought it back down. He slowly, cautiously laid us down. We heard Carlisle enter to room.
"Hello, Bella. How are you?" I easily pushed Edward off of me so I could see Carlisle. Again his colors changed, this time into a sky blue.
"I don't like this," he teased. "Traditionally men are stronger than their wives."
"There's not much that's traditional about us. It's only for a year though, right?" he wrapped his arms around me and looked to his father.
Carlisle was in our doorway, smiling at us, and he, too, was glowing! A bright yellow light shown all around him. I looked back at Edward who had gone back to the green and orange.
"I think I'm going mad!" I screamed as I closed my eyes to shut out the constant colors. I felt another person sit on the bed beside me. Carlisle's hand pushed my head towards him.
"Why?" he asked.
"I see different colors radiating off of both of you. This can't be normal!"
"No, it's not." Carlisle sat in deep though. I waited for Carlisle's expert opinion, but it was Edward who spoke first.
"This could be your power. I remember after the pain died away I heard Carlisle's voice echoing all around me, and once I was around other people I realized I coudl hear their thoughts, too. What happened when you were sleeping?" I kept my eyes closed and retold the strange lights that flashed in my eyes. We were silent for a minute.
"Wait, this glow around me changed after I picked up up and after you pushed me back. First I was happy to see you alive and like us, but then when you looked worried I began to worry about you. I was-"
"Bella! It's emotions! You see how people feel," exclaimed Carlisle. It kind of made sense, but it was so annoying! Would everyone look like this? I guess after a few hundred year I wouldn't notice it so much. I dared to open my eyes again. Carlisle was still yellow, but Edward had once again changed into a deep red and lime green. Edward looked into my eyes and crookedly smiled.
"Would you like to hunt with me?" Carlisle smiled again and walked out to call the family. I jumped out of bed and raced Edward downstairs to the door. It felt great to not have to worry about tripping over my own feet and to see Edward slightly infront of me.
Of course Edward beat me to the car, even though he gave me a head start, and within a couple of hours we were in the wild. Edward raced me to the bridge he used to cross the river when he'd hunt alone. We ran further into the woods until he froze as only Edward could freeze. He was at least five yards away when he silenced me and told me to listen. I crept closer to him, focusing on a sound. I looked over at him in confusion, and he began to pat his chest like a heart beat. I listened again and heard it!
I closed my eyes and listened only to the beats until they pounced inside my skull. I crouched down, ready to pounce, but Edward stopped me. He shook his head and pointed to our left at the heard of deer a hundred yard or so away. He shook his head again & silently told me to listen. I began to process again, but it hardly took any time at all to change my target. Together we raced to the heard & picked our victims. I didn't expect the blood to taste so good! It was like thick wine and sugar.
Long after the sun set and all of our needs were satisfied Edward took us back home. The next morning we started the long drive to see the family and to get our joy again. Carlisle flew back to his home and was there with Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper to greet us. When Alice handed Madison to me and I saw her emerald green eyes it hit me. As long as Edward as nearby and Rosalie's words stayed with me Madison Joy Cullen would live a safe, healthy life as my daughter.