My Uncle Carlisle made me stay in bed for the rest of the day but the more time passed the worse I got. I began coughing, which was strange, and I felt boiling, different because I wasn't affected by the weather and, though I could tell whether something was warmer and colder than I, it didn't affect me. After a few hours, my beloved husband came to lie with me and I could tell he was scared by the new revelation that I must have the ability to get sick. I felt so useless lying there when normally I could be up and helping but my uncle gave Alec strict orders to make sure I stayed where I was.

'Isabella?' I heard a familiar velvet voice ask after a short knock on the door.

It was long past midnight but for vampires that made no difference.

'Yes?' I replied. 'Come in.'

The door opened warily to reveal the tall, lanky figure of Edward, his face morphed into what looked like shame and regret. Seeing this I smiled and patted the bed next to me, indicating he should perch on the bed all the whist hoping Alec would not return soon for he would not take well to this after what happened at the wedding. He moved slowly almost as though he was thinking about every step he took closer to me.

'What is it, Edward?' I asked him to try and speed up the process. Gold met gold as he looked straight into my eyes for what actually seemed like the first time.

He waited a beat to long to answer me, though eventually he did: 'I'm sorry.'

'I beg your pardon?' I asked surprised as he finally sat down on the edge of my bed: despite his expression this was the last thing I had expected.

'I'm sorry,' Edward repeated earnestly. 'For everything. For the wedding, for any snide comment I've made, for the way I've been acting. You don't deserve it and neither does Alec. I'm sorry, you guys really are great for each other but I had spent so much time mourning over you that I'd always thought that, if you were alive, we would be together again and the fact that we aren't is difficult to wrap my head around. But you're married now and I can see your happy and I really don't want to ruin that.

'I love you and I think I always will because you're the one who made me live again but I'm going to try and be better from now on if only for your happiness, I promise.'

'Thank you, Edward, I really appreciate it,' I grinned brightly at him and reached forward and hugged him. He stiffened I realised that that was probably too much contact when he still loved me. 'I'm sorry.'

'It's fine,' he said through gritted teeth. 'You're my cousin, right? Cousins show affection for one another.'

'We'll get back to what we were before without the relationship part,' I assured him. 'We'll be able to talk like we used to and have fun, I know it. We just need to give it a few more years.'

'You have so much faith,' he murmured and in return I shrugged.

'Things have turned out well for me,' I smiled sweetly because I knew I hadn't always been so optimistic about life but I had so many wonderful things in my life, so many friends, and a large family that I loved. I was a newlywed which made me feel like I was on a high all of the time.

I opened my mouth to say something else but all that came out was a horrible cough that was painful.

'They're really worried, you know,' Edward spoke up when my coughing attack finished and I looked up at him. 'Jane, Aro, Carlisle, Alec, Esme: they're scared. Carlisle and Alec especially.'

'They shouldn't be worrying about me,' I sighed heavily. 'I'll be fine. They should be worrying about Alice's vision.'

'He's not going to be able to concentrate on that till your well,' Edward said in warning as he rose from the bed. 'It will eat at Alec's mind every minute he's away from you because he loves you. I would know, I feel the same, though I guess it's not as strong.'

Before I could say anything else, Edward was gone and the coughing was back. The effort of keeping more body upright was straining on my energy, enhancing the feeling of weariness and weakness that had been present all day. I leant back on the headrest and shut my eyes, it was difficult having no way to relieve the feeling of exhaustion. Alec came back after five minutes the worrying that Edward mention clear on his face.

'Hi, honey,' I smiled shutting my eyes one I had seen him

'How are you feeling?' I heard him come over and perch on the bed as Edward had but closer. Edward had sat at the end of the bed, as far away from me as possible while my husband sat closer. He brushed a bit of hair off my face and my smile widened as a tingle went through me at his touch.

'The same,' I replied, my eyes fluttering open. 'But, Alec,' - I grasped him hand gently and stared at him imploringly - 'please don't worry. Please. I'll be fine.'

'None of us can be sure of that,' he muttered under his breath but then he spoke louder. 'I want to try something.'

At his words, Jodi Jameson came in and I smiled. Jodi was one of the transitionary guards so I didn't see her as often as some of the others. Her gift was similar to mine but instead of mental gifts, hers worked on the one's like Jaspers: the ones that physically affect your body but she could only focus it on one person after herself. I gave Alec a curious look with this knowledge in mind.

'What are you trying?' I asked him warily and he shot me that boyish grin.

'Trust me.' I groaned and he chuckled, kissing me lightly on the lips. 'Jodi.'

I could tell looking at Jodi's face that she was focusing her power on me and as she did so I began to feel a lot stronger. Alec must have noticed that I was starting to feel better but, after he had smiled, his gaze narrowed and his head wiped to the window. There was no one out there I could tell so I touched Alec's hand lightly wondering what he as glaring at.

'Honey?' I asked but he had risen from the bed and was at the window.

Jodi was still focusing her power but I knew she would have to stop soon and I would go back to feeling ill and weak. I realised what Alec was glaring at: if Jodi's gift was making me better that meant someone's gift must be making me ill in the first place. Alec suddenly spun away from the window and stormed across the room.

'Alec?!' I called after him, worried what he would do in a fit of anger. I glanced over at Jodi to see that she was becoming strained. 'Jodi, stop.'

'But, your highness -' she went to protest but I raised a hand.

'Please, there's no point, you following me around the castle all the time, it's impractical,' I told her but her power still did not stop having an affect. I changed my voice. 'Jodi.'

Her eyes snapped to focus and she curtsied slightly as I felt my body weakening slowly, 'sorry, your highness. I'll go.'

I felt bad for ordering her around, I hated to use that tone that made me sound just like my father when he was giving orders but she had had to stop.