Oh, lord. The suspense must have been killing you. You finally get to know who those seven people are! Read and find out!

Silence is a term many humans use, though none of them have ever experienced it. Humans constantly make noise, whether it be a fluttering heart or a whispering breath.

This room was silent. Eight immortals were marble statues, the recently freed moon sending a waterfall of ghostly light across our skin. Not even the wind dared to whistle past the house.

I made the first noise, swallowing loudly. The beautifully familiar faces stared back at me in awe. I stared sheepishly at the floor, aching for someone to say something.

I stepped forward carefully. The Cullens leaned away in unison. I froze, confused. Oh. Right. Newborn. I held up my hands and smiled timidly.

Carlisle cleared his throat. Rosalie clasped her manicured fingers together. Alice shook her head. Emmett crossed his arms. Edward ran a hand through his hair. Esme rose and flicked on the lights. It was unneccessary. I could see perfectly in the dark.

Only Jasper remained immobile, leaning against the wall. To my surprise, he spoke first.

"Stop fidgeting. She's under control."

The tension in the air crumbled.

Emmett's face broke out into a huge grin. Everyone except for Edward stood up and circled around me, murmuring about how wonderful it was to see me. Emmett swept me up in his huge arms. I laughed.

"Bella! You're not even any paler."

I stuck out my tongue at him. Alice and Rosalie giggled. Esme shot him a disapproving glance before extending her arms towards me. I accepted her warmly.

"I've missed you, dear." She whispered in my ear. "I'm so sorry."

"I've missed you too." I whispered back.

She looked on as I went to greet the rest of them, her soft eyes shining. Carlisle embraced me in a way that my father would, making me feel a pang of loss for Charlie.

"It's so wonderful to have you back, Bella."

I didn't respond. How would I tell them that I wasn't back? That I didn't know where I'd go?

Even Rosalie gave me a quick hug before pulling back and squeezing my hands, smiling sadly at me. I hugged Jasper shyly.

Edward sat in my chair, watching our happy reunion with a pained expression. I almost wanted to comfort him. Almost.

Carlisle then took me aside.

"Bella, may I speak with you for a moment?"

I nodded, waiting. He smiled and gazed at his family for a moment before adding, "Alone?"

"Oh, yes, sure."

I stayed where I was as he excused us and led me out of the room. I followed him, sending a confused glance over my shoulder at Alice. She waved me along encouragingly. When we were in the kitchen, he leaned against the counter and turned to me, his expression curious.

"Bella, are you going to stay with us?"

I shook my head, trying to clear it. I could have sworn I'd smiled when he told me it was good to have me back.

"I don't know, Carlisle. This is all so overwhelming. And I don't know if I could handle seeing Edward everyday. I had a… tough time after all you left."

He nodded sympathetically at my editing.

"I understand completely. However, I do believe you should discuss the situation with my son."

I bit my lip, considering. Why should I? I glanced at the doorway we'd come in from and sighed. For my family.

"I'll try."

Carlisle was just about bursting with satisfaction.

"Thank you, Bella."

When we entered the room again the family rose at once. I watched, baffled. Carlisle turned to Edward and shot him a meaningful glance before wrapping his arm around Esme's waist.

"Well, Bella," He started, smiling, "We would all love to stay and chat, but it seems that we have a wall to repair and a window to replace."

Mortified, I looked down and folded my hands in my lap. Jasper chuckled as Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie left the room. Emmett followed, his booming laugh echoing off of the walls.

"You're embarrassing her." Jasper called, his a slight smile still on his lips. "Come on, Alice, let's go and and fix the window." He gently took Alice's hand, and they glided out the door.

Once they had all left, I realized why Carlisle had looked at Edward so oddly.

I was trapped.

Edward smiled crookedly at me. I crossed my arms, irritated. I wished he would stop smiling at me. His smile faded quickly and he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Bella, would you like to join me for a walk?" His voice was strained. My eyes widened in surprise.

"As long as you don't leave me in the woods." I said brightly. He winced. I watched him, perplexed. Why would that bother him?

We walked into the woods without saying a word. I peeked over at him from underneath the curtain of my hair, suddenly feeling very self-conscious about my clothes. He was clean, his clothes crisp and ironed. I tugged on my tattered shirt and ran my hands through my tangled hair. I hadn't even bothered with shoes.

About five minutes later Edward stopped and turned to me, extending his hand to me, palm up.

I stared at it stupidly.

"Bella, just let me lead the way, please."

I bit my lip, my razor-sharp teeth threatening to break the skin. I could take his hand, or I could tell him that I would rather just follow him. I shifted my weight to one side. His hand looked so familiar and inviting.

I placed my hand in his.

Aw. I loved the ending to that chapter, I have to say. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy to write it. Anywho, leave me some big, juicy reviews and maybe you'll get to see what happens with Bella and Edward later on tonight. I need at least five reviews. It's all up to you!