EPOV

It was sweeter than I remembered it, but I banished that thought as soon as it entered my mind. Bella's body arched into mine just as it had moments earlier in pleasure, but now it was done out of agony. Keeping my mouth in place, I allowed my venom to flow into my love for a moment more before I licked the wound closed and began moving down her body. The loss of her most sensitive flesh on mine was pushed aside as I bit her in the creases of her elbows, her wrists, crisscrossing the mark left behind the first time I tasted her essence to save her, and moving lower to bite her behind the knees and on her ankles. Having helped to spread the venom before it closed off her veins, I threw on a pair of boxers before I lifted Bella and brought her into the bathroom.

Turning on the water, I washed the sweat and make-up off of Bella and then cleaned the product from her hair. Lifting her from the tub, I dressed her and wrapped a towel around her hair. Walking out with her, Alice was pulling down the covers on the freshly made bed. "Thank you for today Alice, it was beautiful."

She smiled and helped me to pull the covers up before she took the towel off of Bella's hair and began brushing it, letting it fan out over the pillows. "You're welcome, big brother. Thank you for making my sister-in-laws dream come true."

I shook my head at her and then settled in next to Bella. "You're doing so well, love. Just focus on coming back to me." Just then I felt a small ripple of love. "Alice, I thought Jasper wasn't coming by until morning?"

"He isn't, he went hunting with Emmett. I think that was Bella."

I looked down at her still form; little whimpers were the only thing that betrayed the calm she was trying so hard to maintain. "Was that you, Bella? Were you letting me know that you heard me?"

Another ripple confirmed it for me. "Leave it to Bella to find a way to comfort you even now. I'm going to relieve Carlisle. The boys should start their patrol when Leah goes to try and get some info from Billy. You focus on what's happening in this room and we'll take care of the rest."

With that, we were alone again. Listening to the increased beat of her heart, I laid with my head on her chest as Bella did so often to me and let time pass.

The knock at the door caught me a little off guard until I caught Beth's scent, and then I relaxed and asked her to join us. Walking in, she froze at her mother's stillness, but quickly climbed up next to her. "I'll give you some time with your mother; if you feel a ripple of emotion, don't get scared…her power has already become more pronounced."

"Okay…thanks." Beth settled in next to Bella and I walked out the front door.

"Hey stranger, want to go on a quick hunt?" Rosalie smirked down at me.

"Sure, might as well while it's still quiet here."

"That mutt would be a fool to start something." Rose huffed as we took off.

Hunting with Rosalie was nice because she doesn't think much when she's out there, and she rarely thinks something about me that she wouldn't say out loud a moment after it entered her head. We took down a few deer before we went back to the meadow so I could go back to my vigil and she could give Emmett a break from his guard duty.

Sitting with Beth was nice, as we rarely got time together uninterrupted. She loved hearing me tell her about Bella when she was younger and was also quite interested in vampire nature. She asked me about my power and our thirst, wanting to understand what it would be like for her mother when she woke up. Hearing about how drawn I was to Bella's blood, she was in awe at how I had been able to restrain myself long enough to fall in love with her.

She asked about when I left Bella and the vampires that had tried to kill her mother because of her involvement with my family. Her fascination with leaving her to protect her was something she dwelled on. "You loved her enough to walk away, to have the things you couldn't give her…not once, but twice. You put my mom's happiness first, so I could never be angry at you, even though it was pretty boneheaded not to fight for her. But I have to know something, why wouldn't you change her? Didn't you want her with you forever?"

I shifted at the question I had answered countless times, to Bella, to my family, and now to my step daughter. "Beth, back then I was convinced that our transformation had stolen our souls…that the demons we were by nature made us incapable of any kind of redemption. I couldn't take your mother's soul, it felt selfish. I would have happily taken every minute I could with her back then if it meant that she would make it to heaven. How could I deny heaven an angel like her?" I turned to run my hand through her hair and place a kiss on her forehead. "When I lost your mother, it nearly killed me, but I survived it knowing she would have what I had wanted for her, even if it wasn't with me. Then Alice had her vision and everything shifted. I wanted Bella with me for all eternity, but I couldn't take her away from you. I don't know if you've thought about it, but when you pass away, a very long time from now if I have anything to say about it, your mother and I will be forced to go to the funeral as your grandchildren or great-niece and nephew. No parent should ever have to bury a child, but someday, your mother will be forced to. These are all things that we talked about before I agreed to change her. I wanted her for me, but I wouldn't let her make a decision she would regret, because there is no going back."

Beth was quiet as she looked down at her mother. "I never thought about that. I'm glad she had you to think about it for her." She was quiet for a moment before moving on. "You really don't remember your parents?"

I met her eyes and knew what she was asking. "No, but I didn't really try to when the memories were still fresh in my mind. Believe me; your mother will do everything she can to remember you and we'll all help. Besides, you'll be around after she's changed so all of that will stay with her."

Beth nodded and then went to get herself a snack as I looked down at Bella. "That girl of yours is truly something special, love."

Beth stayed until morning when Esme brought her to the main house to eat and get some real sleep. When they had left, Carlisle came in to check on her, and presumably, me as well. After looking her over, Carlisle sat next to me on the bed. "She's doing well, son. Half way through the transformation and Bella's progressing nicely. Another day and a half and everything will be right again and you and Bella will be able to face whatever comes with Jacob together."

I nodded as I turned my attention back to my wife where she lay in the bed. "If there was something wrong, you'd tell me, right?"

"Of course. But there's nothing to tell." He stood up and went to the head of the bed to kiss Bella's forehead. "Rest now, sleeping beauty, you'll be one of us soon enough."

Patting my shoulder, Carlisle headed to the door. "Esme's going to try and get Beth to stay at the main house, that way if the transformation winds down earlier than we expect she won't have to leave seeing her mother in pain."

I took an unnecessary breath and then turned to him once more. "How's Alice?"

"She hates being normal, but other than that; she's excited to see Bella wake up."

Carlisle left the house as I moved back to Bella. The ripples were stronger in intensity now, and less like an actual ripple. It was almost like a blanket covering me with love and trust…it was nice feeling to experience.

As the hours passed and Bella continued to be affected by the change subtly, I began to think that we were going to dodge the bullet and that the transformation would pass without incident, so of course, something had to go wrong.

"He's almost here!" Beth burst through the front door. I ran out to meet her in the living room and try to calm her.

"What are you talking about?" I knew it was Jake, but how and what she knew was still a mystery.

"Leah got a call from Seth. For some reason, we can't use the pack mind to talk to the boys, but all the other Alpha commands my father had imposed have lifted. Jake left yesterday. He has a few hours on the rest of the pack, but they're gaining ground. And he's getting close, he just contacted me and asked me to meet him about 20 miles from here. He wants to talk to me."

There was no masking the horror on my face at the news she was relaying. "Beth, I don't want you going out there."

"Edward, I'm not going alone. Leah went to get your family. They're coming with me. I have to try to set this right, or he'll never give this up."

"I don't like this Beth, I'll talk to Carlisle…he can stay behind with Bella and maybe Alice. I want to be there to protect you if I need to."

"No! You have to stay here with my mom. She needs you to be here with her. I'll be safe and the pack will be here soon enough. Please, Dad, let me try to end this."

And that's when she did it. If her calling me dad wasn't enough, she unleashed those eyes…Bella's eyes, on me, and I was done for. "You don't fight fair, young lady."

"I've wanted to call you that for a while, and Mom finally said she was okay with it. I know the timing isn't the best-"

I pulled Beth to me and held her as tight as I dared. "The timing is perfect because it was instinct, not planned. I'll keep your mother safe; you go talk to your father. Just be careful."

"I will."

With that, Beth ran off to meet my family at the main house while I returned to Bella. She continued to lie there still, although there was worry woven into the emotional blanket she covered our house in. "Love, our family will keep her safe and I will keep you safe."

Holding Bella, I counted the minutes it would take for Beth and the rest of our family to make it to the meeting place and then began to wonder how long it would take for them to resolve this, if it was possible. As I had that thought, I caught a scent that I hadn't in over four years.

Jake was here.

Climbing out of bed, I locked the bedroom door in a vain attempt to put a barrier between Bella's unconscious body and the fight that was about to happen outside. Jake had used his daughter to get himself the one on one fight he'd been waiting years for.

Walking out into the clearing, Jake was at the opposite side in wolf form, glaring at me.

I'm finishing this today bloodsucker, your hold on my family ends now.

"I don't have a supernatural spell over them, they chose me. I didn't have to trick them to get them to stick around." I knew I wasn't playing fair, but Jake wasn't about to and I needed him off his game as much as possible to keep us safe until everyone realized he wasn't coming to the meeting and made it back here.

Your family isn't that bright, all I had to do was borrow a play from that red-headed leech's playbook and I slipped right past them to where you were.

"It was your daughter's faith in you that lead them to meet you. Her trust is obviously misplaced."

Don't tell me about my daughter!

"You put yourself first, Jake. Someone had to look out for her; we've become quite a nice family unit."

Just then the memories began to hit.

Bella in a white dress, standing in front of a bed. Jake kissing Bella as he fondled her breasts. Bella and Jake having sex. Her calling out his name. Him calling out hers.

Then the images shifted.

Bella sitting on the couch in their house. Her face lit up as she filled the vision as Jake sat with her. "Bella, what is it? Did you get your midterm grades back?"

Bella laughed, shaking her head. "Jake, this is so much better than school. I'm pregnant!" Bella's arms flew towards me in the vision.

Bella's hand resting on her swollen belly, while she gasped as her hand moved to feel Beth kick.

Bella being handed Beth for the first time in the hospital.

"All things that your lies brought about, Jake. But I can't truly hate you for it, because Elizabeth came out of it. I'm surprised it never bothered you that Bella named your daughter after my mother and sister."

Jake's hackles shifted as a growl ripped out of his chest.

I don't know what I'll enjoy more, ripping you to shreds or insuring that Bella never becomes one of you.

"A little late for that, Jake. She'll awaken to my life tomorrow evening, with me at her side."

If either of you make it that long.

"That's your ex-wife you're talking about, the woman you lied to keep." I tried messing with his resolve by reminding him that Bella had once meant the world to him.

She was dead to me the minute she made that choice and put our daughter in danger. It's your fault my daughter lost her childhood and has to know the pain that being a wolf causes the females in our pack.

"I'm sorry every day that Beth had to go through that, but your daughter is thriving as a wolf."

I'm done playing games with you bloodsucker, I came here to end this.

NO!

Beth's mental scream was terrifying and stopped me a second longer than it had Jake as he jumped at me, catching me off guard as I barely escaped. He landed and lunged again, once more missing his mark. I was losing my footing as the thoughts of my family became more pronounced and louder as they neared us. They were still a while off, but I just had to hold him off a few more minutes and Jake's plan would be finished. I was grateful for the superior vampire senses as I could see Jake's move coming, even when the roar of voices drowned out his thoughts.

We continued on for another minute or two when the ripples began again. The calming influence that Bella was projecting was exactly what I needed, but I was worried if she was aware of what was happening outside.

Jake dove at me and I dodged him but hadn't expected him to use the tree as leverage as he pushed off of it and connected with my shoulder, knocking me to the ground while still standing on my back, causing me some of the first physical pain I had felt in nearly a century.

Everything happened very slowly after that, as if my mind was aware that these were my final seconds. I felt his muzzle graze my neck as his breath blew hot on my head. His claws dug into my shoulder blade and I winced as his thoughts echoed in my mind.

I've dreamed of doing this for so long…the only thing that makes this moment sweeter is that either way, I was right. Choosing you will destroy Bella, whether I do it, or the grief does it for me.

His teeth scraped at my hard skin over the back of my head taking it into his mouth before he began to squeeze his iron jaw around my skull. I heard every crack and chip in my skin as the pain became overwhelming.

Bella's waves came stronger and it kept me from struggling against him, which was probably why I was still alive. Hoping she could hear me, or at the very least feel what I was, I pushed past the pain and let one thought fill my being.

Bella, I'm sorry…I love you.

And then everything went black.

Ahh! I know, I'm evil, but don't worry, you'll hear something soon! Remember, I don't really hate Jake, but this Jake was twisted by power and is even worse than some of the hateful moments Jake showed in the series out of anger that Bella was choosing death over him in his eyes…this is a very different man than the boy SM dreamed up. Leave love, or scorn at the cliffie I stuck you with, either way I appreciate it!