3. Awakening

A/N: I am completely blown away guys- it's amazing the response I got to the last chapter. Thanks so much for the ten reviews (and hugs and cookies in one case and advice in a couple), and for the many favorites and story alerts, and the crazy number of readers. Y'all make me feel so proud- and a little writer-happy, meaning quicker updates!

Disclaimer: I'm not awesome enough to own Twilight…but Stephanie is cool enough to let us borrow her characters…

The moment I decided to open my eyes, my lids had already lifted. My eyes focused, and I stared at the ceiling, shocked at the detail I could see. Every grain of the wooden beams, every shadow, and every shade of brown- I could see it all. I was awed at the simple intricacy. More than that, I could make out the floating of tiny dust particles moving lazily around the room, riding along on invisible air currents. Colors were suddenly more vibrant, and there was even a new one I couldn't begin to describe. It was like I had never truly seen before.

Everything that I had never noticed before was now breathtaking. Except, I didn't think I was breathing. Now that I thought about it, I was kind of uncomfortable, but not in the way I was used to. There was no pressure in my chest, no burning in my lungs, or a compulsion to inhale. But I did find that I wanted to breathe- as in the way I used to want to eat, even when I wasn't hungry. So, I took a deep breath.

The air coursed down through my nose, into my still lungs and my chest expanded. I was shocked at the medley of scents that suddenly bombarded me. There was sugar, and flowers, and cinnamon, and so many others that I couldn't find a sufficient label for. The scents were so strong- I could almost taste each of them as they came at me from somewhere near where I thought the door was. Breathing had never been so pleasant- at least not that in anything I could remember…which suddenly didn't seem to be very much, beyond the past few days. I didn't think I would ever forget any of that.

All of these thought processes only took a few seconds, and somehow I realized that the scents bombarding me were coming from something- something I should be able to see. Before I could even think, I had arched my back, pushed off the bed, and flipped back to the wall. I landed in a crouch, and surveyed my surroundings.

At the door stood Emmett and Jasper, with Rosalie and Alice positioned slightly behind them, as if they were trying to guard them against something. The sight of Jasper made me deepen my crouch and stiffen further, for reasons I wasn't sure of. All I knew was that his arms and neck were covered in crescent shaped scars, white against white. Fear gripped me, just as my eyes locked with his, and his mouth moved to form a minute smirk. Then, curiously, the fear faded a bit as an out of place sense of peace and security hit me. It was just enough to allow my gaze to shift away, and I looked to Alice.

She looked like she might be jumping up and down a little bit, or at least bouncing on her toes. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and she smiled hugely at me. She reminded me a kid on Christmas morning, overjoyed at the new toy she had to play with. Emmett also looked a little friendlier than the superiorly serious Jasper. Though his body language was tense, a small bit of humor pulled at the corners of his mouth.

Rosalie, on the other hand, was just as on guard as Jasper. Her eyes were cold, her face a frozen emotionless mask. She was truly disconcerting, and seeped raw anger.

A man with hair the color of his light golden eyes and the same pale skin as the rest stood slightly in front of the first four, forming a sort of triangle with them. I drew the conclusion that he must be The Voice I had heard over the last couple of days, Carlisle. Another woman, who I could only assume was Mrs. Cullen, stood slightly behind him, hands gripping one of his arms. She too had pale skin, but her hair was the color of caramel while her eyes were the same color as her husband's- the same as all of the Cullen's. Though her body expressed the same defensiveness as the others, a kindness and concern was written across her small features. It was slightly comforting, even in the midst of the surrealistic moment.

Unsure of what to do, my analysis was interrupted by the sound of someone shifting their weight, off to my left, by the window.

Before I could possibly remember who it was- my mind was so easily distracted- I shifted my body weight so that I faced whoever seemed to be a threat. I couldn't stop myself, and a low growl erupted from my throat and I bared my teeth. Then I saw who it was.

Edward, in all his copper-haired godliness. I straightened just as quickly as I had turned to pounce on him- I knew he brought no danger to me.

"Edward," Jasper began, as if cautioning him. That's when I realized what was going on- I was the danger here. That's why the Cullens looked so edgy and defensive.

"Jasper, I know, but I'm going to handle this." His words seemed to hold a deeper meaning- like this was his duty. Then again, he had bitten me…I suppose this was his fault. Geesh...no wonder some of his family looked so angry.

With that realization, I was gripped with insecurity. I wasn't supposed to be here. For all intents and purposes, I should be dead now. Without the burning taking my attention, I felt a thousand questions and worries flood my mind.

How had Alice found me to stop Edward? Why had Edward picked me, of all students at Forks High? What if the Cullens didn't like me? Forget that- what was going to happen to me now? What about Charlie and Renee? Would I even be staying with the Cullens? What was I supposed to do? Had Edward been this beautiful before?

"Bella?" the god asked, as if unsure of how to interact with me.

I looked at him, trying to figure out what to say. Really- what does one say in the presence of a would-be-killer-but-luckily-just-attacker-vampire? Especially when he's unbearably attractive and looks like he's about to shatter into a thousand pieces from the sheer force of grief and remorse? Thankfully, it seemed that my attention was enough.

"Do you know where you are- what…happened?" he asked, croaking out the very last part. This was extremely difficult for him.

"Not really…" I began, stopping for a moment, shocked by the tinkling sound of my own voice. As quickly as the shock registered, I felt a tiny bit of reassurance touch me- from where, I had no idea, but I used it.

"…but, I assume, your house?" He nodded, but kept silent, so I continued, grappling with the words to answer his question. Now that I thought about it, it was an awkward one, considering the answer and who was asking it. And my mind kept wandering- to the way the dust particles were swirling, the sounds that I could hear from who knows where, and the various pleasant smells. It was all so distracting.

"And, well…I vaguely remember walking with you to the parking lot at school for some reason, and you were looking for something in your car…" I let my recollection drop off for a moment to sneak a glance at Edward. His eyes were closed, but he seemed to still be listening, though his entire body was as still as a statue. I decided to continue, after reminding myself again what I was saying.

"Then, suddenly you were in front of me, you apologized, then yo..you leaned in and…bit me." I glanced over at the rest of the Cullens, where not much had changed. Carlisle gave me a reassuring look, and Mrs. Cullen's expression was still kind, but it also seemed to be twisted in pain as she gazed at Edward. She fit the roll of concerned mother perfectly. Alice was still looking a bit hyper, Emmett nonchalant like this whole thing was nothing, while Rosalie and Jasper both had the appearance of being in complete disbelief at the situation and my recounting of the events.

I proceeded, trying to not dwell on the next part, since I was sure that everyone could guess what I had gone through over the last three days, what with my screaming and thrashing about.

"Then, Alice brought me back here, and the burning started." Edward grimaced. "Other than that, all I know is what Carlisle told me earlier." I still couldn't bring myself to really talk about what was happening- I didn't have the guts to recognize my new reality, changed forever. A few days ago, I had been the new girl who generally blended in except for when she fell, literally, into the spotlight. Now..I didn't really know who I was.

Just before I could go off on a soul searching- did vampires have souls?- tangent, Carlisle chimed in. "Did you understand all of that?" he questioned, filled to the brim with curiosity. I thought about that for a second- did I really understand? A thousand questions filled my thoughts, but I thought I did get the basics.

"Well…honestly…I get that I'm a…vampire…but I have a ton of questions." Like why the burning that I thought had stopped now consumed my throat, like I imagined dying of thirst must feel like if someone gets trapped in a desert- then pours sand down their throat. Now that I was focused on it, it gripped my awareness like nothing else was able. It was like the painful sensation was my entire world.

"Edward…she's thirsty." Jasper said. I whipped my head around to glare at him. How the heck did he know that?

At the mention of my thirst, Carlisle stepped in. "Bella, there will be times for questions later. For now, I think Edward should explain some things that are of immediate importance." His advice his voice full of stern, fatherly authority. Obviously, Edward didn't really have a choice right now.

"Of course." Edward stated simply, though his two words had heaviness in them.

"What things?" I asked, whipping my head from Carlisle to Edward, then back.

Everyone suddenly looked uneasy, as if unsure what to do, but Edward finally responded.

"Just come with me, and I'll explain."

I cocked my head to the side, wanting so badly to know, but worried about being alone with Edward. Not out of fear, but because I felt nervous around him. But I did have so many things I needed answered.

"Ok. Let's go." Where to, I had no idea. I did hope that it would involve stopping the burning though.

A/N: So, I'm gonna admit it- the response made me feel a little nervous about living up to expectations- hopefully I did. Writing a newborn is hard- even if it is super-controlled Bella- really, it took me a few days to write this, instead of a couple of hours. Thus, please review and tell me how I did!