AN: Thanks to babylopez2008 for pre-reading.

Thanks to traceybuie, sujari6, hnwhitlock2000, Solar571, DreamOfTheEndless, Angel N Darkness, IcarusToSun, april666king, DutchGirl01, gettingnowherewithwords, and team jazper for reviewing.

This fic now has a banner! It's how I thought Alice's 1st premonition of Bella would look like. You can find it on my profile. :)

Enjoy...

Edward

My Bella must be some kind of angel for accepting her fate so easily. She actually seems happy to be a part of this species.

If I'm being honest, I love Bella as a vampire.

She's not fragile anymore. Heck, she's stronger than me. There have been a few times this week where we've gotten carried away with each other. We haven't done anything other than kiss though. I guess I'm stuck in the era I was born in. I want her to be my wife first, but I know she isn't ready for that. I think she's also put off by the fact that you can practically hear everything in this house. She still embarrasses easily.

As much as Bella is thriving, there are times when she becomes visibly upset. Whenever I would ask her what was wrong, she would shrug it off and tell me it was nothing. She usually went back to her normal, happy self after that. If I had to guess though, I believe it's over about her father.

Carlisle has spoken to him several times this week. He's still searching for Bella. Posters have been put up all over Forks and Port Angeles. Thankfully Bella hasn't seen any of these. It would break her heart if she saw.

Today, he's expanding his search to Seattle. Esme has offered to go with him to help which he gratefully accepted.

"What do you want to do today?" I ask Bella as I join her at my piano. She's spent a lot of time playing it, more than me even. It's made Esme very happy, myself included.

Her playing stops.

"I want to get out of the house."

"To hunt?"

She shakes her head.

We've hunted every day since her transformation. Each time, I've been impressed with her growing restraint. She's not like a usual newborn. It's almost as if this life was meant for her.

"I just want some freedom, you know?" she finally says. "I feel... restless."

"Okay, how about we go swimming down at the waterfall I took you to last month?"

"I don't have a bathing suit," she replies.

I bend down by her side and whisper in her ear, "You won't need one."

Bella

We race each other to the waterfall, jumping over fallen trees and rocks. I've never enjoyed something so simple so much, but Edward makes everything fun.

And going skinny dipping with him...

I can't wait.

I have all of these emotions. I realise that I had them all when I was human too, but they've become heightened and sensitive, making me feel everything more.

It's not always a good thing though.

I miss my dad. I have so much guilt over the fact that he's searching for me. I wish there was some way I could let him know I'm okay. I want to make him stopping looking for me, but I know my dad. He's a cop, he won't stop, and he has connections.

Maybe I should take a trip to Canada or something and call him from there. I could let him know everything is fine, that I'm well. It wouldn't even take that long to do.

I know I sound different though. He would notice and ask questions that I can't answer without lying. He's already been lied to enough.

We continue running.

"Wait!" Edward calls out as he comes to a stop.

"What? Don't be a sore loser," I reply as I keep going and try to push myself faster.

"No, Bella!" He starts running again and tries to catch up with me.

Then I smell it.

I change course and head towards the delectable scent that has my mouth filling up with venom. It can only be one thing, and I want it so much.

I've got to have it.

I race on towards the scent, towards the sound of blood being pumped through someone's veins.

"Bella!"

I feel a change in wind direction flow across my skin and blow through my hair. It's quickly followed by a pair of arms closing around my waist from behind.

I snarl and growl loudly as I try to throw off my attacker. It doesn't work. They cling onto me tightly. I turn around, raising my arms in an attempt to push the thing away from me, so I'm able to get rid of them properly and head towards my meal.

I'm startled to see its Edward. I immediately stop my planned attack.

"I'm so sorry!" I tell him as I bury my head into his chest.

"Why are you apologising? I should have been paying more attention to our surroundings. That shouldn't have happened," he replies as he hugs me closer to him.

Breathing in Edward's scent helps my mind to become clear.

"What happened?" I ask. "What was that?"

"That was the scent of a human, Bella."

"Oh..."

His hand rubs up and down my back in an attempt to calm me.

"I never imagined I could act like that," I admit.

"You have amazing control, Bella. Don't underestimate yourself. You do realise that you stopped, right? We're still near the human, but you stopped. How do you feel now?" he asks as he looks down at me.

I think carefully about each emotion that I currently possess before I answer.

"Embarrassed, a little thirsty, and really guilty."

"We can fix the thirst. Can you tell me why you feel the other two though?"

"I growled at you, Edward. I was ready to attack you!"

"It's all a part of our nature," he placates me. "Don't feel embarrassed or guilty. You reacted how any one of our kind would when they feel their prey may be taken from them. You've done nothing wrong."

"That can't happen again," I reply. "I've never felt so out of control. I've never wanted anything so much."

"It'll get easier with time," Edward says quietly.

"How much time?"

"Give it a decade, and you should be able to go back to school without a problem."

A decade? That's a really long time.

I pull away from Edward's embrace.

"I can't wait that long," I tell him as I walk off in the direction of the waterfall. Thankfully, it's in the opposite direction to the human.

Don't think about it Bella, I tell myself. I can't lose control again.

"You might not have a choice," Edward says when he reaches my side. "Knowing you and your stubbornness, it would probably take you half the time." I can tell he's trying to make a joke out of my situation but it's not helping.

"I didn't ask for any of this."

As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I immediately wish I could take them back. Edward stops walking beside me.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," I tell him as I walk back over to face him.

"But it's what you're thinking isn't it?"

"Honestly? That was the first time the idea had entered my mind. I'm sorry for saying it. I just haven't gotten used to all these conflicting emotions yet."

He looks so sad.

"I just couldn't be without you," he finally says quietly.

"I know," I reply. "I feel the same way. Without you, I wouldn't have a life. I wouldn't feel how I'm feeling now. I wouldn't know what it is to be loved by someone. I just need to get used to it all."

He nods. "It's only been a week," he says.

"Exactly. I'm still getting used to everything. I mean, I still haven't gotten over the fact that I don't need to sleep anymore." I try to make our conversation more light hearted.

He offers me a sad smile.

"Hey," I say when I see it. "You know I love you."

"Is it enough?" he asks.

"Enough for what?"

"Do you love me enough to spend the rest of eternity with me?"

I smile at him. What a stupid question.

"Only if you'll have me."

"Always."

He punctuates his sentiment with a kiss to my temple.

"Come on," I say. "I thought we were going swimming?"

Edward takes my hand in his as we run together, side by side, into the dense growth of the forest.

Charlie

In all of my police training and experience, I always tried to display empathy towards the families involved in the crime. I know I'm not one to display my emotions, but it doesn't mean I don't feel them. I never realised before how much pain one person could feel before now.

I've lost Bella, my little girl, and I don't know what to do.

I don't understand why she would have run away. It doesn't make sense. I'm the only person she's got left. Where could she have run off to?

I made up some posters at the station and enlisted the guys to help put them up around town. We also asked anyone who was around if they knew anything at all, or if they had seen her. Not one person did.

It's like she's disappeared without a trace. She didn't even take her truck with her. She didn't leave me a note either.

Today I'm in Seattle. It's been thirteen days since I last saw her. They've been the longest of my life.

Luckily, there are some kind folk in the town of Forks. They came to the city with me to help out for the day. Esme Cullen is one of them. She's always been the compassionate type, and her family took in Bella like she was one of their own when she first came to stay with me. She made some good friends in those kids. I don't understand how she could leave them behind either.

I don't know what it is, but something isn't adding up.

Bella

We approach the waterfall and the surrounding lake. Edward immediately begins to strip off, taking his black t-shirt off first. I take a moment to commit his sculpted chest to my memory. Once I do, I relish in the fact that I have a photographic memory. I'll be able to see his body any time I want.

I climb over the rocks to the right of the small lake. I keep going until I'm at the top of the waterfall looking down. This looks like a good place to jump from. I wonder if I can soak Edward before he even gets the chance to jump in.

Before I get the chance to even start getting myself ready to swim, I catch a scent coming from behind me. I can't hear anyone but I turn to look anyway, just in case I'm missing something.

There's nothing there, but the scent draws me in. It's like I've smelled it before, just not this strongly. Could it be something from my human life perhaps?

"Edward?" I call out. Maybe he can help me to identify it.

He's by my side in seconds. He doesn't speak. His eyes narrow in the direction of the scent. He starts to chase after it less than a second later.

"Edward!"

I go after him. What is he playing at? He's too fast for me, but I stick to his trail as I run through the trees. His scent gets stronger the faster I run.

A few seconds later, I realise it's because he's stopped running. I join him just as he punches a hole into a tree's trunk.

"Why did you run?" I ask as I take his hand from the tree. He bashes his forehead into the trunk instead.

"She got away!"

"Who, Edward? Who were you running after?"

"That bitch that attacked you when you were still human. She was here, and I let her get away again."

My breath catches in my throat.

"What? What was she even doing here?"

"She must be after you, Bella," he replies as he pulls me into a tight embrace. "I won't let it happen. You're mine."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Mine," he replies.

Our moment is interrupted by Edward's cell phone ringing in his pants pocket. He answers it quickly, still looking pissed off.

"What?" he demands.

"You need to come home," Alice tells him down the other end of the line.

"We were just leaving anyway. We just caught that nomad's scent. I thought you guys would like to know as soon as possible."

"Tell Bella I'm sorry."

"What? Why?" I ask.

Of course she can hear me.

"I just had a vision. Bella, she's going after your father."

AN: Until next time...