A/N: Hi guys! *waves* Someone was getting impatient to see you again. :)

Chapter-14: A Vision of Hope

EPOV

The moment I had finished taking care of the human who had dared to think harmful thoughts about my Bella, I was running again. This time I was running toward home, for a change. Why? Because it had dawned on me that while I was here, taking my little revenge, my Bella, my human girl, was alone in her house.

What if those assholes who are keeping an eye on her reach her before I do?

Worry unlike I've ever felt before took hold of me, making me run as fast as I could to her.

I didn't stop until I was standing in front of her home, looking through the window to see if she was awake. I didn't see or hear any movement inside, what I did hear is a heartbeat … Bella's heartbeat.

It was steady and strong. She was asleep.

Walking the perimeter of the property, I managed to sneak a tiny peek at a sleeping form through a window. The next thing I knew, I was forcing open the window and slipping inside.

Just to see with my own eyes that she's safe, I told myself.

I didn't know how agitated I had been at the revelation of the woman's plans … not until I laid my eyes on her face.

Sleeping … a state of mind that hangs in between consciousness and unconsciousness … a state of limbo where even though a person is unconscious, he can be brought to consciousness with a good nudge … a state of being divided into four scientific stages … an unnecessary waste of time.

That's what I used to think until that moment.

The moment I saw Bella lying on her bed, with her body curved to one side and her hair spread out on her pillow, no scientific thoughts came to my mind.

With a soft half-smile playing on her lips and her body half-covered with her blanket, she was a vision … a vision of reality. Suddenly, sleep didn't seem that unnecessary to me anymore. No, this human turned that state of limbo to something I suddenly found myself wishing … just so that I could join her in her dreams.

And then it all changed. She sighed in her sleep and with her eyes still closed, she whispered, "Edward."

One word.

One word from this extraordinary human made me feel like I was breathing for the first time. And even though I didn't need to breathe to exist, I welcomed the slight burn in my throat as the air filled with her scent entered my lungs.

I started to move toward her, intending on pulling her blankets on her when I caught the sight of myself in the mirror hanging on her wall.

My shirt was covered with blood spatters and there were definite dried blood tracks running down my face—remainders of my hunt.

Fuck! I never liked getting messy while on a hunt.

Looking back at her with a longing, I sighed. My Bella was pure. She was so fucking pure. And though I couldn't stop the monster in me from wanting her, I didn't want to taint her shadow with my monstrosity.

So with another longing look at her, I got out of her room and I ran.

BPOV

I woke up with a gasp, my mind still agitated with the vivid dream I was having. Weirdly enough, I couldn't remember the beginning of it, except that I had been running … from what I didn't know. I also remembered two strong arms that had held me in the dream while I shook with fear. And I remembered bright intense green eyes looking into mine, whispering to me that I was safe.

Edward.

As my heart calmed down from the adrenaline rush caused by the dream, I felt myself smiling, remembering what had happened after that. Edward was there. He had saved me from whoever was coming for me and he had kissed me just like he had done in the rain a few hours back.

I sighed as I touched my fingers to my lips, remembering how his lips had tasted on mine. The way he had looked at me after our kiss … as if I was the most important thing in the world.

A small giggle escaped me as I recalled our conversation at the hospital a few nights back. I had called him my guardian angel and even in my sleep, he was there, saving me from whatever was chasing me.

I reached for my phone to see the time and noticed that I had a message waiting for me. Opening it, I felt my heart picking up its pace. It was from Edward.

Sleep tight, my Sleeping Beauty. I'll see you in the morning.

The thoughts of seeing him again, made me fall asleep, and this time, I dreamt of rain kisses and teasing lop-sided smiles.

EPOV

After washing off the blood in the river that ran through the forest, I went back home, hoping to sort through my chaotic thoughts and decide on the next course of action.

I needed to find out who the fuck was after my girl and I needed some peace and quiet. However, the moment I walked through the front door, I groaned because apparently, I wasn't going to get either.

Esme was the first one to rush to my side as she hugged me tightly. "I'm so happy for you, my darling boy."

What the hell?

Before I could voice my confusion, Carlisle, the great pain in the philosophical ass, came up to stand next to her. "Esme, let him catch his breath first," he said to her and then turned to me. "Son, it seems we have some things to talk about."

Trying to put as much sarcasm in my words as I could, I asked him back, "Talk? Oh no! Don't tell me that you're breaking up with me, Carlisle."

Emmett laughed at that, making Carlisle chuckle and Esme to reprimand me with a quiet whisper of my name.

"Breaking up isn't what we're talking about in here exactly," Carlisle said. "We're more interested in your date."

The fuck?

For a moment, I wondered if they had somehow gotten an inkling about the cougar spy I had decapitated a few hours back but then Carlisle added, "Your very human date", and I gasped.

They knew about Bella? How will they …?

Alice.

Think the name of the culprit and the culprit shall open up her mind to you. That's when Alice started rambling to me in her mind, Edward, I'm so sorry, but today's vision was so different. It was so astounding to me that I slipped up and Jasper detected it. I had to tell them.

I held back the growl that threatened to burst from my lips as I glared at her. Oh, you just had to, didn't you? Don't play with this, little sister, she's far more important than your silly games.

I know she is, she hissed back in her mind. She's your mate, brother, not some dirty little secret you can keep hidden from everyone.

This time, I did growl when she assumed that I was keeping Bella hidden. That wasn't what I was doing, was it? No, I told myself. I'm keeping her safe and as far away from a family of vampires as possible.

Of course, Alice figured out what I was thinking and she glared right back at me. A family of vampires who drink animal blood, unlike you.

I was getting ready to snap back at her when Emmett broke the tension. "Ok, enough with the creepy mind-talking, you two," he said, raising his hands up over his head. "We already know what's going on. So why not talk a little louder? Aside from the growling, I mean." He rolled his eyes at me.

Jasper came to stand next to me and laid a hand on my shoulder. I could feel the rush of calmness he was sending in my way. "Stop worrying, Edward," he said slowly. "We just want to know about her. Alice seems to think that she's important to you."

Through gritted teeth, I replied, "She is."

A sigh of relief came from Esme as she took my hand. "Take a seat," she said, tugging on my hand. "Tell us all about her."

Hanging my head in defeat, I followed her and took a seat on the couch, sandwiched between her and Carlisle. Oh goody! Emotional fun times are here.

When they call kept staring at me like I might combust at any moment, I asked, "What do you want to know?"

"What is she like?"

"Why a human?"

Esme frowned at Carlisle's question and scolded him softly. "Honey, what kind of question is that? The heart wants who the heart wants, you know that. Tell me what she's like, Edward," she urged me again.

Instead of answering her, I looked at Carlisle and asked back, "I could ask you the same thing. Why a dying human? Why any of us dying humans?"

He sucked in a breath and closed his eyes as if in pain, but I persisted. "Answer me, Carlisle, and I'll answer you. You chose Esme when she was a human and almost dying."

"That's different, Edward," he argued. "Esme's my mate. I had to save her."

"Well then Isabella's mine. She's my human and I'm not gonna attempt to justify myself any further than that."

Pin-drop silence—that's what followed my declaration, making me frown. I thought Alice had filled them in.

Alice's head snapped up to look at me, and she offered me a sad smile. "I only told them that you were out on a date with a human girl, Edward. I didn't say anything else."

My eyebrows pulled together in confusion. "Why not?"

She shrugged. "It's not my story to tell. If you really think she's your mate, brother, you need to let her in and see the real you."

In her head, she added, if she loves you like you love her, she won't leave you after knowing the truth.

Love? Where the fuck did you get that idea? Suddenly, I was furious at her … at all of them.

"Why the hell do you care anyway? What does it matter if she's human or a vampire?" I asked the room at large.

Emmett laughed at that and said, "Let's just say that we're worried how you might react when you're … smelling her butt crack."

His loud guffaws earned him a glower from me, and then Carlisle spoke, making him stop. "Son, with your choice of diet, we're not sure if it's safe for you to be with her," he said, sounding calm. "Not if you want to keep her safe like you claimed earlier."

I opened my mouth to tear him a new one when someone spoke up for me … someone I never expected to have my back—Rosalie.

"Stop it, all of you," she said loudly. "It's his life, his mate and his choice." She pointed at me while talking. "Yes, she's a human, and yes, he might end up killing her, but he just might not."

"Rosalie …"

She cut off Carlisle with a raised hand. "I know I've never been Edward's biggest fan, but I know this. I know how important a mate can be to a vampire. I lived through it," she said, turning her sad eyes toward Emmett. "When you know he's your mate, you'll do anything to keep him safe … even resist the temptation."

In her thoughts, I could see the day she had found Emmett who had been left to die after being mauled by a grizzly bear.

"You were a newborn at the time," Carlisle mused.

"Yes," she responded with a nod. "And though I carried his bleeding body to you, the thought of tasting his blood never entered my mind. Not once. All I cared about is keeping him alive."

Her words stirred a thought in me and I spoke to no one in particular. "That's all I want. I want to keep her heart beating. I'm not tempted to bite her. She's not a meal ticket to me."

Jasper, who had been silent all this time, looked at me and nodded. "I can feel the sincerity of his words, Carlisle. He's not going to mess this up."

Slowly, Carlisle nodded and turned to face me. "I'm sorry, son, for doubting you. I know you've grown very good at controlling your urges. I've seen firsthand how you control yourself at the hospital."

I raised an eyebrow in question. "Am I gonna get a box of condoms as your sign of go-ahead on dating her then?"

He laughed, and Esme gasped at my crassness. "I trust you to make the right decision for that, Edward," he said before standing up. "I believe it's time to go for a hunt."

Murmurs of assent followed his words as one by one everyone went up in their rooms to get ready. Before passing me, Esme ran a hand through my hair in her motherly fashion as she thought to me, I'm so happy you found your mate, Edward. She must be special.

"She is," I replied, my voice quiet enough to just reach her.

With a smile and a nod, she left.

"You better not fuck this up." I looked across the room as Rosalie as I heard her. She sighed. "I know I said a lot of things about being supportive of you, and I am. I don't understand your choice, but I know how important it is to you … how important she is to you."

"Thanks, Rose. I'm surprisingly happy to find out that you do have a heart."

Rolling her eyes at me, she held one finger up in warning. "Like I said, you better not fuck this up. I like it here and I'm not in the mood to move anytime soon … especially not for some douche move you pull. Understood?"

"Clearly."

~*~*~*RoALS*~*~*~

"Do I even want to know about this monumental vision of yours?" I asked, leaning against the doorframe as I watched Alice go through her closet like a Chihuahua on a mission.

She stopped to look at me and asked back. "You want to see it?"

I nodded. I needed to see if it was anything about those assholes that are after my girl.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded back. "Alright."

Immediately I was sucked into a scene I had seen before … in another vision of hers—a vision of me lying underneath a woman in a meadow.

"I've seen this before …" I started, but she made a clucking noise with her tongue.

Keep watching, smartass.

I did, and it was exactly the same vision, except this time I could hear Bella's little giggles and soft sighs as we kissed. I even got a peek at her face as she moved over me, pinning me down to the ground. I smiled at her playfulness; this time finding it adorable instead of shocking.

After the vision ended with me pulling down Bella to meet my lips, I raised an eyebrow at Alice. "So …?"

She looked at me closely and asked, "You didn't notice anything different this time?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "I mean, I did see her face this time, but I had known it was her since the night I met her."

"No, no, I'm not talking about her," she said quickly. "I'm talking about you."

"Alice, what …?"

Huffing at my cluelessness, she opened her mind to me again. "Look again and pay attention to yourself."

I did as she asked, and I still didn't see it … not until Bella lifted her face from mine, allowing the sunlight shine over the two of us.

A shocked gasp left my lips as I felt like the ground under my feet had been snagged from beneath me. There I was, lying in the sunlight and my skin wasn't reacting to the sunlight like it usually did.

In fact, the way I looked in the sunlight made me seem … human.

What was this? What's gonna happen?

A/N: Intrigued? I sure hope so. ;)

Share your thoughts with me and leave a review.

Song rec for this chapter: Lost in the Echo by Linkin Park.

Thank you for reading.

See you in dream-world. ;)

Take care, and please keep those in Nepal, India and Bangladesh in your prayers.

Ann