Okay, so the last chapter was depressing and a big blow to Bella. But, in this chapter she comes to terms with her parent's death, and the change begins.

Ch.8: Let the Change Begin

BELLA'S POV

I knelt down silently between the two matching graves. One marked for my mother and the other for my father. It had been exactly two weeks since the incident had happened. The funeral was held one week after their deaths. For a while all I could feel was sadness and the huge feeling of regret. But as the time progressed, Edward helped me realize that my parents had died knowing that I was happy and that made them happy. They had both lived their lives and it was just their time to go.

Tenderly, I replaced the dead flowers with new ones and bowed my head to offer prayer. Against my will the tears flowed. Every now and then the feeling… the knowledge that my parents were gone hit me with a blow that left me weak, emotional, and mentally exhausted. It was gradually getting better, and I knew that my parents would want me to keep living happily.

As I stood up and gazed down at the graves, two strong arms wrapped lovingly around my waist. The tears slowed to a stop and I wrapped my own hands around the ones on my waist. "Bella?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you alright sweetheart?" Edward had been worrying over me ever since the car accident. The rest of the family was just as bad. Slowly, I turned and embraced my husband.

"I'm fine Edward. The pain gets better and better through each passing day. As long as you're still here, I will get through this. And I know that Charlie and Renee would want me to move on and be happy, and I am going to honor that," I answered him.

Edward smiled that crooked smile. "I'm so proud of you Bella. You're so strong. I love you Bella." Then he kissed me softly, sensually. My face cradled in his strong hands. He broke the kiss, but I kept my eyes closed, savoring the feel of his lips on mine.

We hadn't had sex since the honeymoon two and a half weeks ago because of all the events. Now the tension was starting to come back and it was just a matter of time before we both snapped.

Once the news hit Forks that Charlie and Renee had died, everyone took pity on me. I hated it. I did not want their pity. I just wanted to be left to mourn in peace. It eventually died down and life continued.

As I opened my eyes, Edward chuckled at me. "What?"

"You look so beautiful Bella," he whispered.

I blushed. I took on last look at the graves before stating that I was ready to go. I would be back in a week or so. I had reasoned with myself and come to the decision that I would visit like every few weeks to replace the flowers and pay my respects. That would stop once I was changed into a vampire which, hopefully, would be sometime soon.

Edward led me back to the shiny Volvo and opened the door for me as usual. He sped out of the cemetery and started for our home. The Cullens had officially accepted me into their household after Charlie died. Charlie's house had been sold because I couldn't afford the payments, and I was not about to let Edward take care of them.

As the scenery passed by quickly, I stared intently at Edward. And for the first time in a while, I felt a surge of arousal pool between my legs. Edward's eyes quickly shifted to mine and a smirk plastered itself to his face. "Feeling better love?" he teased. His eyes held that mischievous twinkle in his eyes that dazzled me immediately. I blushed and averted my gaze. Edward chuckled and continued to drive. "No need to be embarrassed, my dearest, if it makes you feel better, I feel the same way."

I giggled and stared at Edward's god-like features. My heart gave an unexpected flutter at the thought of being with him forever. My thoughts, however, were cut short when Edward announced that we had arrived home. In a flash, Edward had me cradled in his arms bridle style and was carrying me into the house. Before we could make it to the stairs, Carlisle appeared and asked to speak with us. Edward had a worried look on his face which made me extremely confused. We entered Carlisle's office, I the more hesitant. Edward gave me a reassuring squeeze on the hand that was resting in his own.

"Please have a seat," Carlisle ushered, politely.

We both took a seat on the sofa that was situated to the right of the room. Apparently, Carlisle had something important to say because he sat down in a chair directly across from us instead of sitting behind his desk like he usually did when we spoke in his office. Once Carlisle was comfortable in his chair, he cleared his throat and looked at each of us. "You both are probably wondering why I brought you here. Well, Edward you know what I am here to discuss with you," he began.

"Yes," Edward agreed, curtly. I could tell he was frustrated by whatever thoughts were in Carlisle's head at the moment. I looked between both men trying to figure out what was going on.

Carlisle brought his hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose much like Edward did when he got flustered or angry. "I know you don't like this Edward, but I must discuss it when both you and Bella are present. I wish to know what her thoughts and opinions are."

I couldn't take it anymore. "Does anyone want to tell me what is going on?"

Carlisle turned to me and opened his mouth to speak, but Edward let out a growl, cutting him off short. Carlisle rounded on Edward. "That's enough Edward! Stop acting like a hypocrite! You want this just as much as the rest of us!"

Edward looked ashamed; I was shocked. Never had I heard Carlisle scold any of his kids. I took Edward's hand that was grasping mine with my other free hand and rubbed it soothingly. He looked back at me then to Carlisle and gave him an apologetic look. Carlisle took a deep, unneeded breath and spoke. "Now that that little charade is over, let me begin. Just recently Alice had another vision that concerns both me and the rest of the family including Edward." His attention was now completely on me. "This vision was about the Volturri."

"What?" I squeaked. "Is something wrong?"

Carlisle was quick to try and comfort me. "No, no, no Bella. There is nothing wrong per say, but there is something about the vision that has me worried."

His tone had me worried. I had no idea what to expect. The shear intensity of his golden gaze made me uncertain as to what he was going to tell me. I was afraid that the news was going to be something horrible, but I couldn't come up with anything that the news might be.

Carlisle shot one last glance at Edward before he stared at me with a look that clearly said, I'm sorry. "The Volturri have made their decision. They will be here in exactly three weeks to make sure we honored our promise to change you. Bella? Bella are you alright?" Carlisle's face changed to that of horror. Apparently, I had begun hyperventilating. Edward was calling my name, but he sounded so far away. My vision blurred and the last thing I heard was Edward yelling at Carlisle before I collapsed.

I was under water. I couldn't break the surface. Something was holding me down. It took me a moment to realize that a voice was beginning to reach my ears. It was the voice of an angel. My angel. Edward's voice, although very faint, was soothing the roaring in my ears. Then I broke the surface. My eyes snapped open, I gasped for breath, and tears streamed down my face. The first thing I saw when my vision became focused was my beautiful husband. Sadly, I couldn't find my voice.

"Bella?" Edward's silky voice cried anxiously.

I opened my mouth but nothing came out. "Bella are you alright?" It was Alice this time. I looked around and came to the conclusion that I was in Edward's room on his bed. Unable to form words, I pointed to my throat desperately. Jasper seemed to understand so in a split second he was handing me a glass of water. I gave him an appreciative nod and slowly sipped the cool tap water. Immediately, I felt my dry throat become moist, soothing the dry ache of my vocal cords. As I brought the glass away from my lips, I sighed in satisfaction.

I looked up into the expectant faces of my family. "I'm fine Edward. What happened exactly?" I was generally confused. I couldn't really remember how I had ended up on Edward's…our bed.

Edward gave me a relieved look and sighed. "You fainted Bella. Apparently, the news of the Volturri's arrival was a bit of a shock to you, my dear." His flawless face was contorted in discomfort and worry.

My memory came rushing back to me and I remembered Carlisle telling Edward and I about the Volturri and then blacking out. I shifted my eyes to Carlisle then. "Well what do we do now Carlisle?" I asked, timid.

Carlisle gave me a sympathetic look that I noticed all the other Cullens were giving me as well. He closed his eyes briefly, as if to gather his wits, and turned his attention back to me. "Bella this is actually a very simple situation; well not completely simple, but the timing is perfect," he sounded pleased. Edward was already growling a low menacing growl. "Of course this decision is totally up to you Bella. There are pretty much three options, although I think the third one is out of the question. Option one: we change you right now into a vampire. This would allow us almost two and a half weeks to help you become aware of the different scents, including that of a human, and start building your resistance. It would also allow us time to discover any abilities you might gain. You would be exposed to the instincts and hardships of a vampire and not be as dazed as you would be if we wait. Option two would be we wait until about a week until the Volturri shows up to investigate. When they arrive they would see you in your most vulnerable newborn state. You would not be as exposed as you could be. The last option- option three is that we don't change you and we let the Volturri decide what to do with you. As you can see, the third option is simply not going to happen."

I was speechless by the time Carlisle was finished. The Volturri were coming to see if I was a vampire yet. I only had so much time to become one. The scenarios, the options that Carlisle gave were the only logical ways to go about doing the change. Though before I could voice my opinion, Edward made his own known, and it was not a positive one.

"This is ridiculous! Bella…we should get more time dammit! This just isn't fair!" His voice was strained, angry, and vicious. His eyes were livid, a mixture between self-doubt and uncertainty.

I sat up on my knees on the bed. Edward had his face buried in his hands while he sat at the end of the bed. Gently, I placed my hands on his two rigid shoulders. He stiffened, and then lifted himself to face me. It nearly killed me to see him so torn; so confused. With confidence, I grabbed his face between my hands and lowered my lips to his. Fervently, I kissed him. He kissed back just as strong but several times more urgent.

I broke the kiss and lay my forehead against his so I could stare his directly in the eyes. "Edward please do this for me," I begged.

"But I don't want to lose you Bella," he tried desperately to reason.

I kissed his forehead. "I'm not going anywhere. Ever."

Edward refused to give in. "But what if you don't wake up Bella! Do you know what you're asking? For me to kill you Bella. Kill you!"

I had known he was going to throw this curve ball at me at some point and knew exactly what to say at the moment. I looked him in the eye and said softly, confidently: "To die is to live; to live is to die."

His eyes widened and his hold on me tightened. He went to speak but I interrupted him. "Edward, I know exactly what I'm asking, what I'm about to give up. I'm going to be given a chance to spend an eternity with the man I love more that air. How could I pass that chance up? Sure I'm going to lose my human traits, but one thing that will not change is my feelings for you Edward." I terribly wanted him to understand.

Once again his face was torn. "Bella," he whispered.

My hands released his face and trailed down. One rested on his chest, the other cradled his chin. "Edward you can do this. I trust you. I know you can do this."

I was relieved tremendously when I saw the uncertainty vanish from his eyes to be replaced by something much more promising; determination. I smiled and kissed him one more time. When we broke apart, we turned back to the family who had been patiently waiting.

Carlisle stepped forward. "What is your decision Bella?"

I gave him a reproaching look. "Do you need to ask?"

They all chuckled, the tension leaving the room for the moment. "Actually I do Bella."

I took a deep breath. "I chose the first option. It gives us and me the time that we need to make sure I can function properly when the Volturri arrive. And I would love to rub it in their faces." I smirked at my last statement.

Alice laughed. "I know what you mean Bells."

I smiled at her soprano voice. I turned back to Carlisle. "I'm ready whenever you are."

Carlisle turned to Edward. A moment passed and Edward nodded. He turned to me. "It will take a few hours to prepare Bella. I have to go hunt. While I'm gone, love, I want you to enjoy yourself alright? The next few days are going to be Hell for all of us."

I nodded and kissed him one more time before he vanished and I was left to contemplate what to do. Eventually, I decided to go get something to eat since it will be my last human meal. Esme helped me cook. We made small talk and I found out that she was very supportive of my decision which didn't really surprise me all that much. There was only one person that I really needed to talk to. So after my delicious meal, I made my way to Rosalie's room.

"Come in," her voice flowed through the door.

I pushed it open slowly and stepped in. "Hey."

She was sitting at a vanity mirror brushing her beautiful blond tresses. Her eyes reflected that they were on me. I settled myself uncomfortably on her and Emmett's bed. "Umm," I couldn't think of a place to start. Rosalie through down her brush angrily, making me flinch, and marched over to me. She got right in my face and hissed, "Why?"

It took me a moment to respond. When I did, neither of us expected my answer, "Because I hate my human life." Rose's eyes widened and she shifted away from me.

"Bella?" she croaked after a minute or two. I was still shocked from the words that had just came from my mouth. What shocked me the most, though, was that it was true. I was tired of always having to be careful around my family. I was tired of having to worry about growing old and dying and leaving Edward to suffer. I had nothing more to lose. My parents were gone, I had graduated high school, and I had married Edward. He had promised to change me, and I was going to hold him to it. Nothing more mattered. I wanted to spent the rest of my eternity in the arms of the one man who made my boring life worth wild. The man who made me flustered and crazy and happy all at the same time. The man that I couldn't live without. The man that made the pain of being turned into a vampire seem like a gift.

I snapped out of my reverie and addressed Rosalie, who was looking extremely upset. I sighed. "Rosalie…rose I know you don't like this and probably never will. I know that I can't change your views, but please try and put yourself in my position. If this was you in this situation and it was Emmett who you wanted more than anything. If you were given the choice to spend an eternity with Emmett compared to a few decades."

Rosalie exploded. "But that's just it Bella don't you see! I didn't have a choice Bella! I didn't get to chose the life I wanted! You have no idea how I wish I could trade places with you!"

"If it was Emmett what would you do Rosalie? Huh?" I screamed.

She paused, hesitated. She finally spoke. "I would ask him to love me while he could and hope that after I had lived my life that he could find someone else to love in my place."

I was appalled. "How can you say that Rose? Do you know how that would break his heart? To hear you say that you're human life experiences were more important than his emotions. I have never heard something so utterly selfish, conceited, and greedy!"

"How dare you Bella? The one who should be called greedy is you!"

"You think I don't know that Rose after all Edward and I have been through together! I know I have to be the most selfish person in the entire universe to ask Edward to do this for me, but that is where things change Rose," I huffed.

"Oh? And just how is that?" she sneered.

I glared hard at her pompous expression. My anger boiled and I screamed so loud that I know the whole family hear it. What I didn't know was that Edward had returned as well in time to hear what I screamed at her next. "Because I AM NOT YOU Rosalie! I'm not you, and I never will be! My love for Edward could never change my feelings towards my human life. My life has nothing without Edward in it. I learned that the hard way! So DON'T YOU DARE say that I am making a mistake because I know that my heart is telling me that I am making the right one for me, NOT YOU! This change is not for you Rosalie Hale! I don't care if this makes you happy or if you hate me for the rest of forever, but I will NOT let you tell me what is and is not a mistake, and what human experiences I should and should not have!"

Rosalie looked taken aback. Neither she nor I was expecting that I would blow up like that. Tears of frustration poured down my face, and I stubbornly swiped them away. My breath was ragged and I was huffing unevenly. Suddenly, I felt guilty for yelling at Rose the way I had. I sighed again. "Look Rose, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

"No!" she yelled.

I was confused. "What?"

She shook her head. "Don't apologize. I should be the one apologizing. I have always wanted to live my life as a human because the one I wanted to have I never got. And because of my selfish and demanding attitude at being used to getting what I wanted all the time, I tried to do something that I couldn't do; I tried to live my life through you. I wanted you to make the decisions I would have made given the chance to. I truly am the selfish one."

Unable to say anything to that, I strode across the room and enveloped her into a cold, stone hug. She hugged my back and whispered apologies in my ear over and over. I pulled away and looked at her guilt ridden face. "I forgive you Rose," I stated, smiling.

She smiled back and then giggled. "What?" I asked.

"I just find it amazing how forgiving and understanding you are Bella. You really are an amazing person," Rose complimented.

I blushed at the statement. "I'm hardly deserving of that Rose."

"Never mind that now. It's time Bella."

"You mean?"

She nodded, "Edward's back."

We both grasped hands and traveled to Edward's bedroom where I would be spending the next few days in agony. My nerves started to resurface, but I pushed them down with the thought that this was all worth it. For Edward, I thought.

Edward, Alice, and Carlisle were present in the room when I entered. Shyly, I made my way to the bed and lied down. I looked up into their faces and took a deep breath. I could tell they had heard the dispute between Rosalie and I, but I brushed that aside. "I'm ready."

Carlisle approached my side. "Alright Bella. Know that we are all going to be right here with you. You are not alone for this Bella. To make it better, I am going to inject you with some morphine to help numb some of the pain alright?"

I nodded my head in understanding and Carlisle was replaced by my beautiful vampire husband. I could tell he was nervous. I grabbed his hand in my own. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be fine as long as you are here Edward."

I smiled reassuringly at my love. His face lowered to mine and he kissed my passionately. His lips devoured my own. He quickly released my lips and whispered in my ear. "I love you Bella. Always and forever."

His hand tilted my head, exposing my tender neck to his blazing eyes and flaring nostrils. Out of my peripheral vision I saw his fangs for the first time. I truly saw my Edward as what he was; a vampire. I felt no fear, only joy as his lips descended to my awaiting flesh. A shock wave passed through my body as his teeth broke the skin. Raw pleasure mixed with a slight pain made me moan loudly. I felt his lips sucking, drinking the sticky, metallic liquid that flowed through my body.

As the pleasure died down, Edward remove himself from my neck. I glanced at his face. His eyes were wild, untamed, and down right feral. His thirst for my blood drove him to an almost thirsting madness, but he restrained. For that I honored him. His strength, his courage, his love made this all worth wild.

"I love you," I whispered to him one last time. I let my eyes fall closed as the first spasm of pain racked my body. My muscles contracted under the excruciating pain, and this was just the very beginning. Well then, let the change begin.

Yeah I did it! Bella is finally being changed. I know that Bells sort of exploded at Rosalie, but I would to if I was in Bella's position. Anyhoo, I hope you guys liked it. Please review and the next chapter will be up very soon…I hope.