Nightfall

by Black Angel

As Bella and Edward grow even more comfortable with one another, the world seems to conspire against them. But no matter how hard things might get, they will always have each other. COMPLETE

2. Alaska

Nightfall

Alaska

I pointed at the picture Alice had just drawn. "The tracker from my dreams, the one that kills us both. It's him."

Edward glanced up at Alice. Even though I was too terrified to think straight, I could still see her very faint nod.

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Everyone turned around to look at Edward then and the room fell silent. He had closed his eyes and was now standing there, unmoving. After a few moments his hand went up to rub his eyes and he yelled, "Will everyone please stop thinking for a moment! I can't order my thoughts when you're all talking to me at the same time! Ask her!"

I frowned as every pair of eyes except for Edward's turned suddenly to stare at me. Finally Emmett spoke "What dreams?"

I sat back down on the couch and whispered, "I've been having this dream lately... Edward and I are being attacked by that guy."

"And?" Carlisle prodded after I made a pause.

"And he wins." I said simply.

Silence fell over the Cullen's residency once again. When Esme spoke, she did so in a whisper. "He kills you both?"

I opened my mouth to say yes but stopped myself. A confused look spread over my face. Even Edward stared at me curiously when I didn't answer right away.

"I don't know." I confessed.

"You don't know?" Edward repeated. He sounded so mad his voice made me flinch.

"Well no, the dream always ends when he kills you but I'm still alive."

"But you've been bitten." Emmett interrupted.

I nodded. That much I knew for sure. I had felt that kind of fire only once before in my life.

"Wait, Wait!" Rosalie shook her head "So what if she's had some weird dreams? We might be used to Alice telling us about the future but let's all remember this girl is just a human. It's just a silly human dream of hers."

Her words felt like a slap to the face. She wouldn't even say my name. I once again wondered why she hated me so much. But then again, I desperately wanted her to be right.

Alice sat down next to me and took my hand. Edward was still standing. He had turned away from me and covered his eyes with his hands. Alice bit her lip "I don't know why she dreamed what she did but Rosalie, if it was that exact guy... I don't see them fighting, but I know it will get to that. He wants her, but I don't know what he'll do to her. He will kill you to get to her, Edward. There is only one way out of this one."

"No!" Edward's voice sounded broken, "I will not turn her." I could feel the pain in his voice even thought I couldn't see his face. I stood up, walked over to him and moved his hands away from his eyes. When his gaze met mine he pulled me into a fierce hug and buried his face on my shoulder. "Why does this keep happening to us? Why do you attract trouble like this, Bella? Why?"

Emmett whispered, as if not to interrupt his brother's laments "Just do it Edward, she'll be safe then."

"No!" Edward growled, "I will not end her life."

"You are right. I don't want you to turn me." The room fell silent again at my words. He looked up from my shoulder, a frown on his face. "What?" He asked. He'd gotten so used to me begging for his bite that it struck him as odd that I'd refuse all of a sudden. He looked, to be honest, a little hurt.

"I don't want you to turn me like this. When it happens, and it IS going to happen Edward, I want it to be because we both decided it. I don't want you to regret it or feel guilty about it, ever."

Edward stared at me in awe. He couldn't even find the words to disagree with me.

"Well Bella, we're open to suggestions here." Emmett threw his hands in the air at our stubbornness.

"How long do you think we have before they go through Forks?" I asked Alice, my eyes never leaving Edward's.

"I don't know. They'll probably be here in a week. They come from the south."

"Then let's go up." I told Edward.

"Up?" He asked.

"Yes, don't you have relatives in Alaska?"

Emmett let out a snort. I couldn't tell if it was because of my use of the word "relatives" or because he was once again amazed by the fact that a simple human like me could come up with an alternate plan.

"You and I can go up there for a week and wait for them to leave. By the time they get here my scent won't be so strong and they won't be able to follow us. We can come back once we're sure they are gone for good."

Carlisle smiled "You are forgetting one little thing." I frowned "What?" "School's already started Bella, how are you going to explain a week of absence to your father?"

"We can get married. We'll elope and that will be our honeymoon." Edward said simply.

My eyes widened "I won't marry you!"

He visibly flinched and moved away from me at my harsh words. He looked more hurt than I had ever seen him before. I spoke quickly to correct my mistake. "I mean I will not marry you now. Edward, it's the same thing as me being turned. The first time we get married I want it to be because we want to, not because I have to explain a week of absence to Charlie! Besides, I refuse to marry you until we can have a proper honeymoon, which means you have to turn me first. Not to mention I'm still a minor for another month and I can not elope."

He'd started smiling in the middle of my speech. By the time I was done talking he was grinning in spite of himself "The first time we get married?"

"Yes well, who knows how may weddings we're going have to have? I mean Emmett and Rosalie have been alive for less than a century and how many have they had? Six?"

"Just four actually." Rosalie answered.

"Let's get back to the matter at hand. If you two won't get married and you can't just leave, what are we going to tell your father?" Esme asked.

"We'll tell him Edward's birth father is very ill and he wants to go meet him before he dies. We'll have to go with parental supervision though." I looked hopefully at Esme.

"I'll go with you. I've been wanting to visit our old friends anyway." Carlisle offered. I could tell it wasn't just the old friendships he craved. He wanted to be there in case we ran into any trouble.

Emmett was staring at me "Kid, you never cease to amaze me. You have a killer mind." He looked awed. Rosalie slapped the back of his head.

Edward's worried frown had returned. "Alice, will that work?" Alice closed her eyes for a moment before answering, "It might. It's your best shot. But Edward, if things change, if it seems like something is going to go wrong..."

"If it comes to losing me or turning me he'll do it." I answered for both of us. He closed his eyes and trembled with the frustration that this situation caused him but he didn't deny my statement.

Carlisle was already at the door when he said "Let's go to Charlie, we leave tonight."

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Edward waited in the car while Carlisle and I talked to my father. He wasn't happy about me missing school for a whole week but he seemed to understand how important it was for Edward to have me there when he visited his birth father. Besides, he was incapable of denying anything to Carlisle.

They waited downstairs while I packed. As soon as I entered my room I discovered that Edward already had most of my winter clothes in a suitcase.

"We are gonna have to go shopping somewhere in Canada. If I take you to Alaska with only this things we're not going to have to worry about killer vampires."

I rolled my eyes and opened the drawer where I kept my underwear only to find it empty. A wave of embarrassment went through me then as I tried to remember if I'd at least folded my plain, white panties properly. Edward had his arms around me in an instant.

"Don't be embarrassed Bella, you have beautiful undergarments."

The heat spread through my whole body as I said "You know, I'm perfectly capable of packing everything myself." He kissed my cheek with his cold lips and whispered "You can go through my underwear drawer when we get back home if it makes you feel better. They are just clothes Bella. Besides, you have absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about with me."

I sighed. He was right of course, but still...

As I looked at my open suitcase, a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach made me tremble. I sat down on the bed and grabbed my pillow. "I should probably take this right? I mean why would vampires have pillows? It's not like I can't sleep without one, I mean, you make a very nice pillow but soft pillows are nice to have around." I was rambling of course. I had suddenly realized that we were in deep trouble, again. Plus, if my dreams really were premonitions, Edward was in more danger than ever.

Sensing my panic, he knelt down between my legs and pulled me to him. I wrapped myself around him and held him close. "I will never let anything happen to you Bella. You are my life. I'd rather die than see you suffer."

"That's exactly what bothers me." Desperate tears filled my eyes "I can not exist without you Edward, my life started when I met you and it will surely end if you ever leave me. You don't know how alone I felt before you."

He let out a chuckle that sounded more like a sob "Oh yes my love, I do know." He took my cheeks between his cold hands and pressed his hard lips to mine. Tears rolled down my face and through his fingers while he held me. I completely forgot to breathe while our lips were touching. He noticed, broke the kiss and gently shook me out of my stupor. When I inhaled again, my head swimming, he smiled gently and rested his cool forehead against mine.

"Let's go, the sooner we get out of here the better." He let go of me so fast I almost fell flat on my face. When I turned around to look for him he was already gone. I grabbed my suitcase, threw my bag of toiletries and my sock full of money in it before closing it and hurried down the stairs.

Carlisle and Charlie were sitting in the living room. They both had cups of coffee in their hands, even though Carlisle's was almost full. They stood as soon as they saw me at the foot of the stairs. Carlisle hurried to take my bag and went to put it in the trunk while Charlie said goodbye to me.

"Take care of yourself Bells, stay safe." He stood a few feet away from me, awkwardly trying to decide whether to hug me or just let me go. I solved the dilemma for him when I threw my arms around his neck for an instant.

"I will dad." I was already halfway to the door when I said that.

"Wait Bella." I stopped and cursed to myself "Take this." He shoved a bunch of twenties into my hands. "Buy yourself a heavier jacket. Canada can be a very cold place."

I nodded and smiled. I was relieved to know Carlisle hadn't told him where we were really going. "Thanks dad."

"Hey, no problem"

"No, I mean, for being okay with this."

Charlie shrugged "That boy really loves you Bella, he seems to depend on you." It looked like he was still trying to decide if that was a good thing or not.

I gave him a tiny smile "I love him and depend on him too dad." I admitted. It struck me as odd that I didn't feel the tiniest bit embarrassed when I said that.

He nodded "Dr. Cullen is waiting."

I kissed his cheek and ran out into the pouring rain, closing the door behind me.

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It took less than 30 seconds for Carlisle and Edward to pack. Esme handed me a plastic bag that contained an apple, a sandwich, a chocolate and a soda. The Cullens had been nice enough to keep some food in the house for me at all times. A wave of love for all of them washed over me at the gesture.

Alice pointed at a small suitcase by the door. "I packed some of my winter things for you. Edward should take you shopping anyway, since my shirts and pants won't fit you, but the coats and gloves should be fine."

I frowned "You own gloves?" I knew for a fact she didn't need them. She flashed me a toothy smile "Hey, gloves can be very 'in' every few decades." I smiled for a moment but sobered up almost instantly. "Alice, I need you to do something for me."

She nodded. "Anything."

"I need you to tell me what's going on at all times. Edward might try to keep some things from me. If things seem to be getting too dangerous and it looks like he might get hurt..."

Alice brushed a strand of hair away from my face "Silly Bella, Edward can take care of himself. Try not to worry."

I refused to give in "Promise me Alice." She sighed in defeat and nodded. Then she held out her arms and I walked into her cold embrace willingly. I loved her like a sister. I was going to miss her a lot, even if we were only going away for a week. For some reason, I felt like I had to say my goodbyes properly. She reached into her back pocket and gave me a package of tissues. I laughed. I was so worried I'd completely forgotten about my cold.

"Just take care of yourself Bella, I'll look after the rest of us."

"And Charlie..."

"Charlie too."

I smiled and kissed her cheek. Her hand shot up to the spot where my lips had been for a moment. She seemed to be relishing in the warmth.

"No wonder Edward can't stay away from you, the heat of humans does feel good."

I remembered she had no memory of ever being touched by someone before becoming a vampire and for an instant I really understood why Edward refused to change me. But then the moment was gone and I was once again filled with the constant fear of not being with him forever.

I hugged Alice one last time before saying goodbye to Esme. Emmett ruffled my hair and just said, "Take good care of yourself kid. I kinda like having you around."

Rosalie was nowhere to be seen but Jasper was there. I smiled at him and said goodbye. He stuck out his hand, as if he wanted to shake mine. I offered my hand to him and he squeezed it between both of his. Immediately I felt calmer and very sleepy.

Edward flew down the stairs then, with Carlisle at his heels. He lifted me into his strong arms and I rested my head against his marble-like neck without protest.

"She'll be out for a few hours." I heard Jasper telling Edward.

"Thank you." His reply was the last thing I heard before falling into the deepest of sleeps.

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When I woke up screaming I was lying in the back of Carlisle's Mercedes. Edward had pulled me into his lap as soon as I opened my eyes and he started rocking me back and forth to calm me down.

"It's okay my love, you're safe here with me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You can relax now."

I couldn't understand what was happening. The images of Edward's death were still too recent in my mind for me to stop crying. He kept rocking me and whispering loving words in a soothing voice until I regained my bearings.

"Why are you sorry?" I asked him after I'd shaken the horrible nightmare from my mind.

"Because I didn't wake you when you started to dream." He kissed the top of my head and held me a little closer.

"Why didn't you?" I wasn't upset, just curious.

"We need you to get as far into the dream as possible so we can get some details. Bella I'm going to walk you through your dream like we do with Alice's visions okay?"

I hated the idea of reliving the nightmare but I knew it was necessary so I nodded.

"Were we indoors or outdoors?"

I shook my head "I'm not sure, I don't think there were walls around us but it didn't feel like we were out in the open."

"Was it day or night?" Edward asked.

"I can't tell, it was either cloudy or we were indoors... or maybe in the shade."

"Was it cold?"

"It's hard to tell, I couldn't feel anything over the pain."

"Where was the pain coming from?"

"All over."

"Were you bleeding?"

"Profusely."

Edward closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath. It took him a second to regain his composure.

"Where did he bite you? Was it a clean bite or did he tear your skin?"

I frowned "I don't know."

"Well where was the pain coming from?"

"I told you, all over."

"But where did it originate?"

"I'm not sure."

"Bella, if he'd just sunk his teeth on you, you'd feel the fire coming from there."

I rubbed my eyes with my hands. Tears of desperation had started to form. I felt like I was letting him down.

"Edward I don't know! I'm sorry I can't tell!"

Carlisle must have told Edward to calm down, or maybe it'd been the high pitch of my voice. Whatever the reason, Edward crushed me to his chest and started rocking me again.

"I'm sorry Bella I'm sorry. I'm just trying to understand."

"Well so am I." I replied.

He kissed me softly for a moment. "I love you, I want to make you safe. Everything I do, I do it for you."

I nodded "I know, I love you too."

"I think it's time for a break." Carlisle interrupted. Edward agreed. "That's enough questioning for now."

Carlisle parked the car in what I soon realized was the underground parking lot of a mall. Edward helped me out and wrapped his arm around my waist, holding me up. My leg was stiff from being in the car for so many hours, not to mention it was still weak from the months it'd spent in a cast. Looking back, it surprised me I'd been able to get through the day pretty much on my own two feet.

"We won't" Edward answered Carlisle's mental request for us to not take too long.

We walked through the mall as quickly as we could without arising suspicion. It was hard to go around unnoticed with Edward's inhuman beauty though. He quickly took me into a crowded clothing store and started grabbing as many warm garments as he could find. I managed to look at the price tag of one of the heavy coats he was carrying and my eyes widened.

"Edward, I don't need all this things! We're just going to be up there for a week! Besides, I don't have nearly enough money..."

"Don't be silly Bella. Besides, we never know what might happen. You might need them."

I scowled "Alice already leant me some coats anyway." Edward stopped short so fast I would've tripped over if he hadn't been holding me up with one arm.

"Bella, please, will you just let me spoil you? Just this once."

I sighed and rolled my eyes but didn't complain again. If buying things for me made him happy for the time being then I could deal. I'd talk to him later about this habit his family had of getting me expensive things.

He didn't even ask for my pants size when he reached the rack. He just grabbed a handful of the warmest ones he could find in an assortment of colors and threw the whole bunch on the counter. He slapped a credit card on top of the pile without even allowing me to try anything on but somehow I knew every single thing he'd chosen for me would fit perfectly and look better on me than anything I currently owned.

The girl behind the register had been staring at us the whole time we'd been in the store and looked a little surprised at our behavior. She would, no doubt, be telling her girlfriends soon about the incredibly handsome guy who walked into the store with an average girl hanging from his arm and spent exactly five minutes purchasing as many clothes as he could for her.

Edward grabbed the bag with my new clothes and guided me to the next store, where he proceeded to buy thick warm booths in three different colors and stiles. Three pair of boots were ridiculous, but I'd agreed to keep my mouth shut for the time being. However, when he waltzed me into a jewelry store I had to put my foot down.

"Edward no. I'll let you buy me things that are at least a little necessary but nothing as superfluous as this."

He rolled his eyes at me but left the store nevertheless. He guided me towards the food court instead and got a hamburger, large fries and a coke for me. He wanted me to eat it in the car but, in spite of his best efforts, my leg was too tired to walk any further at the moment. He would've carried me back but the mall was so full of people we were bound to attract even more attention to ourselves. Besides, we had time.

He sat down next to me and observed me while I ate. I gulped down a piece of cardboard tasting hamburger and said. "Edward, can I ask you a question?"

He nodded, so I continued, "Where did you get so much money from?"

Edward chuckled "Well, you are aware of the fact that we could rob a bank faster than the cashier could blink?"

I stared at him with wide eyes, he laughed wholeheartedly "Not that we'd ever have to resort to that. My family has been around for centuries Bella, or at least Carlisle has. And with the help of Alice's abilities we've been able to do reasonably well in the stock market."

I frowned "How well?"

"Well... we've pretty much owned a large piece of almost every major company at some point or another. We usually just buy at the right time, cash in soon afterwards and place the money in an offshore account. It helps us stay off the radar."

I tried not to let my jaw drop "An offshore account?" I'd only heard of those in economy class.

He nodded "The best thing men could've invented for us. It's made our lives so much easier. It's incredibly less difficult to disappear when you have unlimited resources."

I'd stopped eating all together sometime in the middle of his story. There were still so many things I didn't know about the Cullen's it amazed me.

"Bella, do you think you can walk now?"

I moved my leg around a little and grimaced. Edward sighed, threw my half eaten food into a brown paper bag, grabbed all our purchases in one hand and lifted me up with the other one. He wrapped his free arm around my waist and lifted me less tan an inch off the ground.

"Try not to put any weight on it. I'll carry you." And with that he dove into the crowd of people, walking as fast as he could towards the parking lot.

"Is something wrong?" I asked him in a hushed voice.

"Carlisle is just getting impatient. We really shouldn't have taken this long."

I looked at his other hand, which was carrying way more than a normal person could, and then down at my tired feet which barely touched the ground. One thing was for sure, being a vampire's girlfriend did have it's perks.

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After a very long ride, in which I was contempt with just resting my head on Edward's lap and either sleeping or staring at him, we stopped at a gas station. I was pleasantly surprised to realize that the consuming panic that had taken over me the last time I'd been in a similar situation never came. It probably had something to do with the fact that my beautiful guardian angel was right there with me instead of being off chasing the man who wanted to kill me.

We'd stopped to refill a few times on the way and I'd slept through most of them, but this time Edward woke me up with a kiss.

"Bella, we need to buy some food for you. I doubt our friends will have anything for humans in their kitchen." I rubbed my sleep filled eyes with the palms of my hands and sat up. We seemed to be in a city. I'd fallen asleep while it was still dark, but it looked like it was maybe 7 am. Had we been traveling for that long? Or was it that little? I was totally confused.

"What time is it?" I grunted. My watch said four, probably a.m.

"It's early in the morning probably." Edward was looking inside one of our shopping bags that he'd dumped on the front seat at the mall. I frowned "My watch says four"

Edward smiled "That would be four p.m. Bella. Different time zones." I groaned. This was totally going to screw up my sleeping patterns when we got back home.

"Well, let's go buy myself some food." I opened the car door on my side and closed it again almost instantly. Edward was trying hard not to laugh at the look on my face.

"Is something wrong honey?"

"It's cold!" I shuddered. He laughed and handed me the long coat he'd taken from the plastic shopping bag. "This is Alaska Bella."

"Yes, but it's september!" Edward laughed again. He opened his door and was outside opening mine before I could turn my head around. I stumbled over my own feet and Edward steadied me, but then he let go of my arm. I frowned.

"You coming?"

He looked up at the sky. It was clear. He was standing safely in the shade next to the gas pump. Carlisle was checking the front tires, he was also in the shade. "Oh, right." I started walking again. It was amazing how used I'd gotten to the constant clouds of Forks.

A cold hand wrapped itself around my wrist, stopping my advances and throwing off my balance again. Edward handed me his credit card. "Get as much food as you can carry." I slapped the credit card back into his palm "Let me get my own food."

He opened his mouth to protest but I interrupted "Hey! You hunt your way, I hunt mine, and with my own resources."

It looked like he wanted to fight me on that but I stepped out of the shade quickly so he wouldn't be able to follow and almost ran into the mini market. There wasn't much to choose from. A few cans of tuna, some canned fruits and vegetables, a pair of sandwiches, cokes and an assortment of chips were the only edible things I could get.

Edward was scowling when I got back to the car. He was sitting on the passenger seat next to Carlisle and didn't even look at me when I got in. I sighed "Edward, are you mad because I wouldn't let you pay for my food?"

"I want to take care of you Isabella." He grunted.

I rolled my eyes "Edward! Taking care of me has noting to do with being the sole economical provider of this relationship!"

"Well you're my girl, you shouldn't have to spend a dime while you're with me."

I sighed, exasperated, and said without thinking "God Edward, what are you? Eighty?"

"A hundred and four actually." He said between gritted teeth.

I suddenly found myself at loss of words. I could think of nothing to reply to that. The car fell silent for a moment, until I noticed that Carlisle's shoulders were shaking ever so slightly with unexpressed laughter.

I started giggling and Edward smiled. Once the tension was broken Carlisle started laughing so hard it would've made it impossible for him to drive. If he'd been human, that is. I'd never seen him laugh like that, it was a beautiful thing to look at.

"Oh you think our fights are funny don't you?" Edward accused lightly.

"Well yes, I'd never had the privilege of observing a vampire/human relationship before now. You two would make a great sitcom."

"How are vampire vs vampire fights usually like? Are those really that different?"

"Well there's a lot more yelling, a lot more violence... and a lot more danger to anyone who watches." Carlisle was still smiling "Hey Edward, remember the time Emmett stared at some human girl in the street and Rosalie hit him so hard he went flying against a parked car?"

Edward roared with laughter "He left such a huge dent, Alice had to go hit it with a baseball bat a few times to cover the shape of his body on the side door."

I was a little confused "Wait, why was Emmett looking at another girl? It's not like there's someone out there who could compare to Rosalie."

"He was hungry! Just because we're on a diet doesn't mean we can't look at the menu right?" Edward laughed. Just the fact that he could so openly refer to humans as food in front of me without worrying about my feelings proved how far our relationship had advanced in the last few months.

"Wow, but what did Rosalie hit him with?"

"Well she didn't really hit him, she shoved him away from her. He normally wouldn't have gone flying like that but she took him totally by surprise." Carlisle answered.

"You should've seen them back at the house trying to explain why there was an Emmett-shaped dent on Mr. Smith's truck."

We all laughed again. When we'd settled down I asked, "How far away are we?"

"Not far. Our friends live in a house just a few miles away from this tiny town called Nenana. We're less than 60 miles away." Carlisle couldn't sense my sudden worry at his words, but Edward could. In an instant he was sitting next to me, his arm around my shoulder. "Don't worry Bella, they won't hurt you."

"I know that, but will they like me?" I asked, concerned.

Edward sighed, "I'd forgotten your annoying tendency to worry about the stupid little things."

I settled my head on his shoulder and smiled "Oh come on, you know you love me."

"Yes," he smiled against my hair "I do."

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We'd gone off the highway about five minutes before I could see the house, even with Carlisle at the wheel, which meant it was pretty excluded.

Just like the Cullens' place, this huge house was completely surrounded by tall pines. The house itself was beautiful. It looked at least a hundred years old, was painted white and had an amazing looking porch with a swing. It looked like it had at least twelve bedrooms. It reminded me of home.

When we drove up I saw an older man, maybe in his sixties, although I doubted he was younger than the house. He had short white hair and a very handsome face. He was dressed elegantly but light in black dress pants, a navy blue shirt and a black coat. He didn't approach the car when it stopped, in fact, he hadn't moved at all.

Edward helped me back into the heavy coat and out of the car. He held my hand as we walked to meet the older vampire. Once we were standing in front of his elder, he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind.

"Hello Edward, it's nice to see you again." The man's voice was deep and smooth, the most beautiful one I'd heard other than Edward's.

"Hello Jonathan. Thank you for having us. This is Bella."

I reached out to shake his hand and he looked pleasantly surprised. "You are very welcome here my child. We are happy to have you." He smiled and looked into my eyes with a hint of curiosity. "I can see why Edward is so infatuated with you. You are a brave and beautiful girl. Smart too."

I blushed and his smile grew, he was clearly pleased. "Thank you so much for letting us stay here." I had to work hard to keep my voice from breaking. Even thought it was cold out my palms were sweaty. I was very nervous.

"You must be hungry." Even though I had just eaten in the car I nodded. I truly did feel hungry.

Edward stared at Jonathan warningly "Thank you for your concern Jonathan, but she just ate."

The older vampire nodded wisely "I know that, I just wanted to give you a chance to tell her more about us, as I'm sure you haven't done so yet."

I looked from Edward to Jonathan and back to Edward. "Bella, Jonathan can make you do whatever he wants. That is his gift."

I frowned "You mean like Jasper?" Jonathan answered "Well yes... and no. Jasper can make you feel what he wants you to feel, and he does so with his thoughts. I can make you do things, like eat with gusto when you are not hungry, and I do so with my words."

Edward smiled "Jonathan was very charismatic in his other life." The older vampire nodded and said "I wanted you to know this Bella because I believe trust is based on truth, and staying in a house full of vampires for a week requires a great deal of trust."

"Jonathan doesn't use his gift much, he thinks it's unethical." Carlisle was carrying an armload of blankets and my suitcase.

"And after a while it can also get very boring. I'd rather be surprised." Jonathan smiled at me.

"Come my child, let me give you a tour of the house."

All my fears about meeting Edward's relatives had faded away and I gladly followed Jonathan into his warm house. I felt very welcome and wondered if it had anything to do with him.

Edward walked next to me, his arm around my shoulder. As soon as we stepped through the door we met Ruth, Jonathan's partner. She too had a head full of beautiful long white hair and looked sophisticated and smart. I soon learned she had the gift of learning and absorbed knowledge like a sponge, every high school student's dream.

We met Ellen and Arthur in the dining room, which featured a magnificent table that could comfortably sit twelve. I wondered briefly why vampires who couldn't dine would have such a splendid thing. Then I figured if I never had to eat sitting down again but I had the opportunity of furnishing my own home, I'd buy a table too just out of habit.

I was a little surprised, but pleasantly so, when Ellen ran up to me, threw her arms around me and kissed my cheek. She had the ability to love to the extreme, which made it easy for her to be a "vegetarian"

She and Arthur were both physically in their thirties and looked every bit as sophisticated and cool as the other two. "So Arthur," I called him by his first name upon his request "what is your gift?"

"Actually, Arthur's gift is one of the rarest and most desired ones." Jonathan smiled "He can change his appearance at will."

I, who had turned away from Arthur when Jonathan spoke, snapped my head around to gawk at him and jumped out of my skin when I discovered two Carlisles standing before me.

"How does that work? Do you actually change your body?" I asked curiously. Arthur shrugged "We are not sure. If I change and look in a mirror I see the face of the person I became, but I don't know if I really look like them or if I just somehow talk them and myself into believing so."

I frowned "Well why don't you take a picture of yourself? You can't manipulate a photograph's mind." I finished my statement with a laugh. I had just been trying to make conversation but I soon realized the whole room was staring at me.

"Would that work?" Arthur asked Jonathan.

"It's worth a try."

My eyes widened "In all this years, you've never taken a picture of yourself?"

"Not while I was pretending to be someone else." Arthur looked somehow hopeful. I could tell it'd been bothering him for many years, not knowing.

"Oh but it's so stupid, do you really think it'll work?" I asked.

"Sometimes the easiest answer is the right one my child." Jonathan smiled at me kindly "You were right Carlisle, she is exceptional."

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The other two members of the VanBeaullen clan were Abraham and Mina. He, like Emmett, had incredible strength. Mina had her compassion. I felt a pang of longing for everyone back home. I hoped with all my might that we'd be able to return soon.

Jonathan walked us to the room that Edward and I would be sharing. It felt weird having someone who looked like your grandfather escort you and your boyfriend to a bedroom... with a bed in it... for you to spend the night in.

The room was quite large. It had a nice stereo system in a corner, a small brown leather couch next to it, and a big four poster bed that faced a huge window which overlooked the forest surrounding the VanBeaullens' property. A nice big private bathroom connected with the bedroom. It had one of those classic white bathtubs with golden legs and two sinks. We were all standing around in the hallway once we were done with the tour.

"Bella, if you need anything please don't hesitate to ask." Ruth was looking at me with adoration in her eyes. It made me a little uneasy.

I suddenly wrinkled my forehead and my nose twitched. My upper lip trembled and I gasped.

Edward was in front of me in a flash "Bella, what's wrong?" I didn't answer, my strange behavior continued. "Isabella, are you alright?" He took me by the shoulders and tried to shake me out of my apparent trance.

I sneezed.

The room fell silent for a few moments, and then everyone burst out laughing.

"Oh my dear, that was delightful." Mina clapped her hands. Edward shook his head and handed me a tissue. "Excuse them, they don't go out much." He smiled at me to let me know he was teasing.

"Trying to stay away from temptation eh?" I asked them lightly.

"Not exactly." Jonathan's answer was just as light, but something in the way he said it made me feel like there was something more to his statement. Edward ushered me to the bathroom then, he wanted me to take a hot bath to warm up before my cold turned into pneumonia.

As I was lying in the tub I couldn't shake the feeling that, as honest as the VanBeaullens had tried to be with me, I was being kept in the dark about something big.

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Edward had left a fluffy bathrobe for me next to the tub. I slipped into it and walked barefoot to the room where my bag of toiletries was. I discovered that Edward had already unpacked all my things, old and new.

I took the bag back to the bathroom and opened it. I stared into it for a moment and then groaned and slapped my forehead.

"What's wrong?" I heard Edward's voice behind me. When I turned around I found him leaning against the bathroom door.

"I forgot my toothbrush." I said stupidly. "Could we go to a drugstore in town or something?"

"I'd rather not leave the house. I wouldn't want your cold to get worse." Something in the tone of his voice made me frown.

"You can borrow mine if you don't mind." He pointed at his electric toothbrush. Of course I didn't mind but I still had a bit of a problem. I turned beet red all of a sudden.

Edward frowned "Oh come on Bella, it's the same as kissing!" He sounded very reluctant to drive into town.

"No, it's not that. Your toothbrush is fine I just... I need to get something else." If I'd turned any redder I would've caught fire.

Edward stared at me for a moment before understanding what I was trying to tell him. "Oh!" He exclaimed. I was mortified about having to let him know about my girl issues. He could see that and rushed to my side. "Oh Bella, don't be embarrassed." He enveloped me in a hug.

"Well, this is not exactly the kind of thing a normal girl wants her boyfriend to know about." I mumbled but Edward chuckled "I think this is exactly the kind of thing a normal girl wants her boyfriend to know about. It's more like a necessity really. Besides, I always know."

I looked up in surprise "You do?"

"I'm a vampire Bella, of course I know." I shook my head. I didn't want to think about what he'd just said too much, it made me blush more than I'd ever thought possible.

"Tell you what, you stay put and have a snack or something. I'll go to Nenana and get you your things." I refused to have him buy those things for me, but he refused to take me with him, claiming it was too cold outside. I finally gave in, figuring he'd never take me if he didn't want to and I had no real way of forcing him to.

I looked out our bedroom window to watch him go. I discovered, annoyed, that the sky was packed with clouds. I'd been planning on taking a walk in the sun with Edward later. I could tell it was going to start raining soon and I really wanted to have a look around before it did, so I bundled up and walked outside.

I half expected someone to meet me halfway to the door and force me to stay inside, but no one did. I tried not to go too deep into the forest. I was amazed at the wonderful flora of Alaska, for some reason I'd always thought of it as icy and bare.

While I walked I started thinking about the group of vampires that were going to pass through Forks sometime that week. I was worried about my scent. Was a week really enough to get rid of it? Maybe I should've taken all my clothes with me instead of just my winter stuff.

To my dismay, I soon noticed I'd lost track of where I was going. I turned around nervously and silently cursed myself for being so distracted. I walked around for about fifteen minutes. The forest had been silent up until then but suddenly I could hear something approaching me. Several somethings, in fact.

I started to run away from the crunching noise leafs and twigs made when they were stepped on. I ran and ran, looking constantly over my shoulder. My heart pounded in my chest and my leg hurt like crazy. Suddenly the ground left me and I fell. I expected to connect with the wet forest floor but when I reached ground level I just kept falling. I landed in a dirt hole with a soft thud.

I quickly checked myself for injuries and discovered some sore spots, but nothing too bad. As I looked up I saw a pair of almond shaped eyes staring at me from above. To my surprise, they looked human. The hole was just deep enough so I couldn't get out on my own. It looked like a half made trap.

"Excuse me, could you help me out?" The eyes widened in surprise.

"I think she's human." The man told someone else. I shuddered at the comment... human.

"Excuse me?" I asked again.

An older man, probably around my father's age, with the same kind of almond shaped eyes and fair skin peeked into the hole. "What are you doing in the house of the damned?"

"The damned?" I repeated.

"Yes, the damned. We saw you leave their grounds."

I rolled my eyes. The situation felt just a tad familiar. "They are not damned, they are my boyfriend's family."

The man frowned "But you're human."

"Yes." Evidently Mr. Watson.

"We should dispose of her before they turn her into one of them." The older guy said.

My eyes widened. "Dispose of me?" That's when I saw the bow and arrow he was carrying. He pointed it at me and I cringed, waiting for the impact, which never came.

I heard a yelp, a thud and something cracking. When I opened my eyes again I was being stared at by Edward, who was standing right next to me. I shrieked both in surprise and at the look on his face. I'd never seen him so angry.

"Did I not tell you to stay inside?" He wasn't yelling, but something in the tone of his voice hurt my ears just the same. He didn't wait for my answer, instead he threw me over his shoulder and ran me to the house.

Once we were inside he yelled for Carlisle and sat me down on the dinning room table I'd been admiring just hours before. Dr. Cullen was quickly informed of how I'd fallen into a dirt hole. Edward was giving him a murderous stare, probably mad because he hadn't kept me from leaving.

Carlisle checked my legs. They were fine. Then Edward took off my coat and lifted my shirt so the doctor could look at my back. Edward hissed under his breath, bruises were already starting to form. Nothing seemed broken or displaced though, so Carlisle let me go fairly quickly. The VanBullens commented on how lucky I'd been, how if the dirt had been well packed I probably would've broken at least everything that had just healed recently. Edward didn't even look at me again.

He carried me to the bathroom and made me take another hot bath, then waited patiently while I got dressed. When I walked back into the bedroom he had some takeout Chinese food laid out on the coffee table. He stared into space while I ate, then sat down unmoving on the bed while I went to brush my teeth. When I got back he folded the covers, indicating he wanted me to lie down.

I did, obediently, even though it was barely dusk, and he laid down next to me. Out of either habit or concern he wrapped his arm around my waist.

After a few more minutes of unbearable silence, I just had to ask in a very small voice. "Edward, are you mad at me?"

"Go to sleep Bella." He grumbled. I took a deep breath and tried to keep my emotions in check with little success. It wasn't long before tears started rolling down my cheeks.

"Are you crying?" He didn't sound concerned, just surprised, which made me cry harder.

"I just hate it when you're mad at me."

He sighed and turned me around to face him. "Oh Bella, I'm not mad at you! You know that's impossible. I just wish you'd do as you're told every once in a while. Don't you know by now that everything I tell you is for your own good?"

I nodded but said under my breath "How parental of you."

Of course he heard my statement and lifted my chin with his cold finger. "As long as you're with me, you're stuck in the middle of a very difficult and dangerous situation. It amazes me how you seem to forget that you're constantly in danger of being killed. You have to listen when I tell you things, I'm just trying to keep you safe."

I buried my face on his stone cold chest. "I'm sorry."

Edward sighed again and held me close "I just hated the way those villagers were looking at you, the way they thought of you. They thought you were a monster."

"They thought I was one of you." I corrected.

"Same thing."

"No, it's not the same thing!" I sat up on the bed "It's not the same thing at all! Just because you are immortal and have to hunt for your meals doesn't make you a monster! Anyone would be lucky to be one of you. I would be lucky to be one of you."

"You are, Bella."

"No, you know what I mean."

He groaned and turned away from me. "We are not having this discussion again Isabella. I will not turn you."

"Why? Give me one good reason why you won't do it!"

"I've given you a thousand different reasons!"

"Well give them to me again!"

Edward sighed. He turned back around to face me and ran his fingers from my cheek to my chin. I closed my eyes and tried to keep my heart from racing. I was sitting cross-legged on my side of the bed by then and my feet tingled on response to his caress.

"I don't think I could bear never seeing you blush again, Bella."

"I could wear lots of makeup." My response was quiet but forceful.

He rolled his eyes. "It's not just the color, it's the warmth."

"You are being so selfish!" I gasped. His hand was still on my cheek, making it impossible for me to raise my voice. I had to concentrate hard just on breathing.

"Vampires are selfish creatures by nature."

"So are humans."

Edward growled and took his hand away. He was getting exasperated. Bad move on his part, as soon as his touch left me, the fog in my brain started to clear and I could think coherently again. "I can't do this to you Bella! I can't let you lose your humanity."

"Humanity is a noun, Edward. Humanitarian is an adjective and it's not exclusive to humans!"

Edward scowled "You know what I mean."

"No, I don't know what you mean! Are you telling me you won't love me anymore if my skin turns cold? Will you love me less if my heart stops beating? Will you be repulsed if I have to kill an animal with my own teeth to feed? Does your love for me depend on my human scent or my inability to walk in a straight line without falling flat on my face?"

I was yelling, I knew everyone could hear us fighting in our bedroom, but Edward made me so mad sometimes! He was pretty upset too, but he managed to wrap his arms around me in a fierce hug when he answered "Don't be ridiculous, Bella."

I closed my eyes and shed a few silent tears. "I don't want to die."

"You're not going to, I'll protect you always."

"I don't mean right now, I mean ever. I would gladly give up 60 years of walks in the sun and comfortably getting my meals out of the fridge for an eternity of twilights with you."

Edward shook his head "I refuse to condemn you like that."

"You're not condemning me, you're giving me a choice. Have you ever stopped to think that maybe the reason why you can't fully come to terms with who you are is that you weren't given a choice?"

Edward was shaking his head, but not in answer to my question. I was getting to him. I took his hand and placed it on my neck, over my racing pulse.

It was a bad move on my part. He freaked out and leaped out of bed before I could really feel his touch leaving me. In a flash he was by the door. "The answer is no, Bella." And he left the room.

I sighed and got under the covers again. I'd pushed him too far too fast but I could tell I was getting to him. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little scared. The idea of suffering for three days, the knowledge that I'd have to lose contact with my parents before they noticed that I looked like a seventeen year old no matter how many years passed, the fact that I'd never be able to truly satiate my hunger, it all made me uneasy. However, it was nothing compared to the way I felt when Edward wasn't around, the inexplicable pain in my chest when he left me for more than a couple of hours, the tingle of fear that made it hard for me to breathe whenever he went hunting.

There was a knock on the door then. I figured it was probably Carlisle coming to see if I was okay. Imagine my surprise when the door opened and Edward walked back in.

"Bella, I don't want to fight you, especially not now. I know it's easy to forget the troubles back home when we're all the way up here but you are in danger. I can't afford to have you mad at me."

I sat up again and patted the space on the bed next to me. He sat down without a glance in my direction.

"I don't want to fight any more than you do Edward, but we've been dancing around this issue for months! We need to agree on something here, whether it's on doing it or not, or even agreeing to disagree."

"I vote for that last one." He grumbled.

"No, if we agree to disagree then we have to set a date for us to talk about this again. I'm not giving up that easily, after all, time is in your favor. But maybe if we do that we can stop dancing around each other so much."

Edward still wasn't looking at me, but he gave me a faint nod so I took his hands in mine and asked, "Edward, what are you so afraid of?"

He closed his eyes and sighed in defeat. "It's taken me almost a century to come to terms with what I became the night Carlisle changed me. It's like living on borrowed time, except you're not really alive and time means absolutely nothing to you. Humans have a purpose Bella! They are born, they grow, reproduce and die like every other living thing on this planet. We have no purpose! No reason for being here, no hopes, no dreams, no nothing. We just walk among the living knowing everything we do means squat. We are here merely to help with population control."

He finally turned around to look at me. I didn't even realize I was crying until he reached up to dry my tears with his cold fingers. "When I look at you Bella, I see someone so full of life, full of dreams, of purpose. I can not be the one to take that away from you."

Minutes elapsed in complete silence. I could see a little bit of triumph in his eyes, mixed with a lot of sadness. He clearly thought he had me beat.

"Your life does have meaning Edward. You are my purpose. You stayed alive for this long to save me from a life of conformity and utter discontent. I never really felt right until I met you. You are here to show me what life is about, and it has nothing to do with a beating heart. I'm convinced that I was born to love you, and that I'm meant to die for you, with you."

He stared at me with his beautiful intense eyes full of love. I knew that if he could've cried he would have, right then and there. "Well, you're right about one thing Bella, you are my reason for being here, you give meaning to my existence."

"Then let me exist with you forever."

I took his face in my hands and made him stare into my eyes so he'd know I was being sincere. "I don't want to grow old, I don't want to get gray hairs or wrinkles. I don't want to spend my life looking like Mrs. Robinson when I'm with you."

My voice softened "I don't want to lose you. I don't want to live without you. I don't want my life with you to end in less than seven decades. I want you forever. I'll want you always."

He sighed, "Bella, it's hell."

"It'll feel like the North Pole compared to what it'd be like knowing my time with you is finite."

He was starting to look defeated. "You will never be a part of society again."

"Society is highly overrated."

"You'll never have children."

"There's always adoption."

Edward looked like he was about to fight me on that one so I interrupted. "I don't need anyone besides you. We'll cross that bridge if and when we ever get there."

He sighed, "You'll lose everyone you know."

"I'll still have you."

He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

"Don't you want this Edward?"

"Oh Bella, more than anything."

"Then please, please make me yours forever."

He took a deep breath and after a few minutes of silence gave me an almost imperceptible nod. I let out the breath I'd been holding and smiled.

I made him sit back on the bed, so his back was resting against the headboard, then straddled his hips and moved my hair to the side, exposing my neck to him.

"No!" He shook his head.

"Edward..." my voice sounded tired.

"Bella, we have to plan this. We'll do it during the Christmas break so you can spend some time getting used to it before going back to school. You'll be eighteen by then, you can move in with me so I can watch over you at the beginning."

As much as I wanted to just do it then and get it over with I knew he had a point, so I nodded and rested my forehead on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around me again and held me as close as humanly possible. I thought hopefully of the day, a few months from then, when he wouldn't have to hold back.

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Again, sorry for my grammar and spelling. Things will get interesting in a while, so don't worry. Thank you for your wonderful reviews, Oh! Do me a favor please, if you see that I keep making the same grammar or spelling mistake over and over again let me know! This is a good learning experience for me.