it is amazing that after all this time i have finally got a beta

a million thanks to istas isi! she is my saviour for my horrible grammar.

enjoy it people!

Alex's P.O.V

Time didn't stand still. There was no time for me to react to what came next. Suddenly this woman had stiffened and pounced upon me. I never even had time to pull out my wand.

I hit the porches wooden fence with this woman still on me. My vision became clouded but I saw her face draw nearer to my neck. I'd seen her somewhere.

Growls filled the Cullen home—they came from more than one person. And that was all I heard before I slipped into darkness.

Alice's pov

I couldn't understand how I hadn't seen any of this happen. I never saw Bella arrive until she was already at the door.

Everyone was speechless when she launched herself at Carlisle, who had opened the door.

Bella was dead. This wasn't possible. There wasn't time for an explanation though. The moment the door of the house was closed, Edward arrived with Alex. He had obviously been too caught up with her that he didn't hear our warnings.

"Emmett, get her." Carlisle ordered. Though he tried to remain calm he was panicked. Alex could die from the blow.

Jasper and Emmett both ripped Bella away from Alex's limp body.

Edward was already at Alex's side fiercely protecting her. I don't think he had recognized who her attacker was yet.

Rosalie was at his side too; both of them growling. She crouched defensively in front of Alex and Edward, daring Bella to come any closer.

"We need to get her inside quick and Bella needs to be away from here—Alex is bleeding." Carlisle said to Edward.

"B-Bella?" He said hesitantly, all hostility was gone as he turned to look at the person that nearly killed Alex. She didn't take him into notice she was too overpowered by her instincts to make any sense of what was going on.

"I'll take her to Frank. I'm sure he's going to be able to tend to her faster. Maybe they can close the wound without stitches or something." Rosalie said.

"Good idea." Carlisle agreed. "I'll call him to alert him."

I don't think Edward heard any of this exchange as he still stared dumfounded at Bella who still struggled against Emmet's and Jaspers hold. She eyed Alex with crazy hunger.

Rosalie picked up Alex's small body and was about to leave when Edward stopped her.

"Where do you think you're taking her?"

"Away from that beast that just tried to kill her." Rosalie hissed. "Let me guess, now that she's here you're just going to forget all about Alex?"

Edward's nostrils flared in anger and his eyes flashed dangerously. He made to take Alex away from Rosalie, but she moved her away.

"No." she hissed coldly. "All you're ever good for is hurting people. And that's what you're going to do her; you're going to hurt her. Besides, I'm sure there are better things for you to do right now."

She ran off into the woods. Edward made no move to follow. Instead, he turned towards me, a sad look in his face. Rosalie's words really did get to him.

"Will she be alright?"

"I can't see anything Edward…" I said softly. "But I'm sure she will be. Carlisle is going to go too, so she's definitely in good hands."

This didn't cause him much assurance; he obviously wanted to be there with her.

I saw Emmett loosening his grip on Bella. Bad idea.

"Don't let her go Emmett!" I warned. "She's going to follow Rosalie if you release her." Emmett nodded and secured his grip on her.

"Let her go." Edward said softly.

"Edward I saw her-"

"Jasper, try to calm her down please." He continued ignoring my protest. "Alice, Esme, could you help me clean all the blood?"

"Yes Edward." Esme said quietly, she and I began to clean off Alex's blood.

"Bella?" I'd never heard such tremor in Edwards's voice. For years he hadn't been able to even hear the name, let alone say it. And now he was talking directly to her. This must seem like some sort of dream to him. It seemed this way to me. The idea of having my sister back here after she was dead to us for so long seemed like the most wonderful dream.

Bella seemed to return to her normal self when he called her name.

She had changed since I last saw her. Her skin was paler than ever and her chocolate brown hair was long and luscious. Her eyes, which had once been warm brown, were now the darkest of blacks. I could see some of the old Bella in her; otherwise the transition from human to vampire had greatly changed her. The biggest change being that her body wasn't deformed by a hybrid baby.

But how did this happen? We buried her! She wasn't breathing, she was dead!

"Let her go." Edward said.

Emmett and Jasper looked towards me.

"I don't see her trying anything." I said and nodded.

The moment she was released she ran towards Edward. This time he caught her. There was no hesitation when he kissed her. I suppose that somehow we all understood. But Rosalie's words seemed to ring in the air. Maybe she was right.

We all turned to look at each other.

Don't get me wrong, I guess if he was happy then we were happy for him. And as unbelievable and shocking as it was that Bella was alive, we were all overjoyed to see our sister again. But none of us approved of what he was doing right now.

Simply because this would break Alex.

Quietly we all slipped inside the house to allow them some privacy.

Carlisle stood at the foot of the stairs, with a disappointed look fixed in place. He sighed.

"I will go to make sure Alex is alright. Although I'm sure I'm not needed there." He kissed Esme and was out on his way.

We could hear Edwards shaking voice from here.

"Yo-you're…you're here." Sobs followed his words.

I couldn't help but glance out the window. They had sunk to the ground; Bella had him in her arms as he lost control and sobbed into her neck.

"I've looked for you for a century..." said Bella's sobbing voice. "Just when I had lost hope I find you here, where it all began…"

His body shook and she lovingly stroked his hair. "You're here…" he kept whispering.

In that moment his future along with Bella's and Alex's disappeared. As used as I was to the disappearance of Alex's future I knew I wouldn't be able to see it for a long time.

We all went into our rooms to give them as much privacy as we could.

After two hours Carlisle was back and Edward and Bella were more composed.

"There's a lot to talk about." We heard Edward's soft and loving voice say. His voice though it was happy and unbelieving it held preoccupation. "And I think everyone else is hoping that you'll explain."

We heard them come in.

She was still our Bella and although she had just tried to kill someone dear to us, we couldn't judge her; she was hungry and got out of control. It happened even to the best of us.

Her timing was just really bad.

Edward's P.O.V.

No words could ever describe what I felt when she was in my arms. She was where she belonged after a century. Something inside me snapped and I forgot everything and everyone except her. For so long I had dreamed of her somehow living. It had been so hard for me to understand that she was gone. But somehow, God had found it in him to give her back to me. To this day I still do not understand how he could be so good to me.

My Bella, I don't know how, but she was alive and she was here. That horrible ache in me had vanished; she was back in my arms.

There was a problem that didn't allow me to be completely happy though.

That ache had been cured about a year ago.

Bella's soft lips weren't the ones I had known. These had a shape of their own, unlike my Bella's, which just seemed to mold to mine. Her body, it wasn't soft, it wasn't vulnerable. It was strong and independent. Her scent, she smelled like one of us, there wasn't a single trace of that scent that had constantly kept me on edge.

She had changed.

Alex.

Alex's limp body came into my mind.

Guilt and worry washed away any good feelings I had.

Trying to be subtle, I pulled away. She took my hand. Her wedding ring lay there on her ring finger. Whereas my wedding ring; I had disposed of in a surge of anger.

I led her into the living room—swirls of emotions filled the room. I led her towards a couch and made her sit down. Her beautiful face looked at me expectantly. I smiled, kissed her cheek, and went to the other side of the room. I hated the lack of contact with her. I had been without her for a century and now that she was here I still couldn't be with her. Her hurt expression only helped to build up my guilt.

Too perturbed to sit down, I leaned against the rail of the stairs and looked at my wife as she began to explain what had happened in the last century.

"I thought I was going to die. I don't know how it happened but suddenly I was in the dark. I couldn't move. It was as if I had been paralyzed. After what seemed like an eternity, I felt the fire. It was just like when I was attacked by James."

Even now, after she had been turned into one of us, her mind was still silent to me. But I could see she was remembering.

"It went on like that; I don't know how long it was. But I screamed, no one answered. Eventually I stopped screaming—there was no use. I was surprised when the fire began to subside. I knew what was happening to me. When I opened my eyes though, it wasn't what I expected. I expected to be met by my family and my husband. Instead I was in a casket, buried deep in the ground."

I closed my eyes at this. How could this have happened? We had all been sure she was dead when in reality I left her to fend for herself ten feet under the ground. Rosalie's accusations seemed to be correct. I was only capable of causing pain.

"I got out. I was quick to understand what had happened so I made sure to make the grave seem untouched. Then I hurried here expecting to find my grieving family. All I was met with yet again was emptiness."

A dry sob escaped her and Esme went forward to embrace her. I should be the one doing that.

"I have to say I lost a lot of time here. I was confused as to why you would just leave like that. Finally, I decided to go up to Denali; I was in high hopes of finding you there. I was disappointed to find that not only were you not there but neither was any of the Denali's. That's when worry and despair kicked in. Unsure as to where you could possibly be I roamed around. Just earning money and going here and there in search of you. My hope was lost long ago. I wanted one last visit here. So I came, unsure however, whether I should arrive to the house or not."

She stood up and crossed the room in a second.

"As it turns out," she looked at me closely, lovingly, she looked at me the only way she had ever looked at me: with love. "It was the best decision I could have ever done. I'm home and back with my family."

This is what Alex's dreams had referred to. Bella was the woman she had been so afraid of.

How was Alex right now?

Bella's hand touched my face. "Oh how I've missed this Edward." She whispered stroking my cheek. For a century I had longed for her touch and now when I finally had it, I was forced to pull away. I took her hand into mine and softly kissed it.

"What have you done all these years, Bella?" Carlisle said.

Keep your mind straight dude. Remember that your relationship with her isn't that simple right now. Emmett mentally warned. I gave a curt nod and with a heavy heart I slowly slipped away to sit at the piano bench.

She began telling stories about what she had been doing for this past century and the rest contributed their own stories. Throughout everything I was quietly observing.

I loved Bella as much as before, but I also loved Alex. I don't know what I would do without her. Even now with Bella here, I don't think I was ready to let go of Alex and I highly doubted that I ever would.

I didn't need Alice to know that my future was at crossroads, as I watched I became perfectly aware that I could not have both, I had to choose. And it was impossible to choose between the two most important people in my life.

I had failed Bella, I had always told her she would be the only one I would ever love. I lied to her and abandoned her all these years. What kind of a husband was that?

I was also letting Alex down. I had worked so much to earn her trust—worked so much for her to not doubt my love to her. But with what was now happening how could she not doubt my love for her?

Alice straightened and her eyes became unfocused. I searched through her mind to see what she saw.

"My head…" Alex groaned. A bandage was wrapped around her head and she had a hand shaped bruise on her neck. She tried to sit up, her face screwed up in pain.

"No." Rosalie said and firmly put a hand on her shoulder to gently push her back down on the bed. "You need to rest."

"I don't want to rest." she said stubbornly. "I'm perfectly fine."

"You are not!" Rosalie said sternly. "Now drink this." She handed her a little flask filled with purple liquid.

"What is it?" Alex eyed it—she was well aware of what it was.

"You know what it is, now drink it."

"I don't want to sleep." Alex shook her head stubbornly and looked out the window, it was night already.

"I highly doubt he's going to come." Rosalie wasn't being gentle about the matter. She herself felt too irritated to be nice when it came to me.

The vision ended. Everyone in the room looked at me and Alice. I shook my head at them.

I had to go and see her tonight and I couldn't leave Bella here and let her find out about Alex by my family.

"Bella." I spoke. Her head whipped to stare at me—a beautiful and hopeful look grazing her flawless face.

"Yes Edward?" she said softly.

I stood up and motioned with my head for her to follow me. Eagerly, she stood and came to my side and took my hand.

"I'll race you!" She said and was off before I answered.

Long gone were the days when I had to carry her through the forest.

I turned to look at the others. They all gave me a single sad smile. With a nod to all of them I set off after Bella.

I followed her scent all the way to what, to this day, still remained as our meadow. She sat in the middle of it.

How did I pass a century without her?

It wasn't raining today in Forks. The moonlight hit the meadow and Bella's skin. She was a vision…she was like a ghost. And in a way she was a ghost to me. I still couldn't get past the idea that she was alive.

She smiled at me and patted the spot next to her. I sat down without hesitation.

"You don't seem happy to see me." She said taking my hand and playing with my fingers.

"Maybe it doesn't seem that way, but you have no idea of what it feels like to know you're alive and you're here." There was more that I yearned to say and do. But I couldn't fail Alex more than I already had. I couldn't betray her like that.

"You've changed Edward." she whispered. "Do you not love me anymore?"

"No." I said quickly. Her face was momentarily shocked. "No, I mean, I do. Bella I love you as much as I loved you the day of our wedding. I never stopped loving you."

"Who was that girl?" she whispered. "That one with the red hair—the one I attacked?"

I closed my eyes as I was about to do the hardest thing I'd ever done. I didn't want to tell her, but she had to know the ground on which we stood.

"Her name is Alex Potter…I met her a year ago."

She sobbed and shook her head; just with those words she seemed to know what was going on.

As she covered her face with her hands I enveloped her in my arms.

"I'm sorry." I whispered into her hair.

I had never wanted death more than I did now; for I didn't deserve either of these girls and they didn't deserve someone as worthless and horrible as I.

"Why?"

I had known that it was wretched of me to ever love again. When I realized what was going on I had felt extremely guilty because my love was meant to be Bella's only. No one else had a right to have what she still had to this day. Yet Alex managed to pull me in and take my love with that broken expression and that suicidal heart.

"Nothing justifies what I did Bella." My voice quivered with emotion as I tried to explain to her what had happened. "She came here so vulnerable and depressed. There where similarities between you and her that just- they-they drew me in. I don't know how but…we understood each other. We helped each other to live again…I tried to ignore it, but when I least knew it, I was too tied up with her. Please forgive me."

I didn't deserve to beg to her. But if she was the same person I knew she would forgive me in the end. I took advantage of that.

"Does she know?" she struggled to control her dry sobs.

"She's a witch—she knows."

She said nothing about this.

"It makes sense that you would move on Edward. I do forgive you-"

"No!" I said angrily. "No Bella! I don't deserve your forgiveness or your love or anything that's not loath from you! I don't deserve it! Just for once I wish you would say 'no' to me Bella! I wish you would make me pay for my faults."

"I can't do that Edward." she said quietly. "I'll always forgive you because I can never hate you. I love you so much that there's no room for me to hate you. The same way you could never hate me."

"I tried…" I looked up at the sky; I desired to be as peaceful as the sky looked. Just to escape the messy tangle that had become of my life. However this wasn't a matter I could run away so easily from. "There is no justification for what I did, but I have never forgotten you. She's just as special to me but she can't take your place."

She leaned in to me and hid her face in my neck. I held my beloved for years it seemed.

This is how it should have been, just her and me. Alex shouldn't have even had a small part in my life.

What should and shouldn't be, however, was meaningless. What mattered was what it was. And the fact was that Alex was in my life, and she was a big part of it, and I was too enamored by her to have a clear future with Bella.

Yet despite all this I did not hate Alex I did not resent her for keeping me from Bella because in the end it wasn't her fault. I most definitely did not regret falling in love with her. I didn't regret meeting her.

"I suppose I'm sorry for attacking her." she whispered. "Her blood…it was just too… It was impossible to resist."

"Have you been feeding on human's Bella?"

"No." she said incredulous. "I know better than that. I have had great practice at resisting humans. But I've never smelled anything like her. I think she could be my singer- is that how you felt with me?"

"Yes…it seemed impossible to resist but I was able to do it. If I wasn't so good at controlling myself I wouldn't be able to be near Alex."

"She's you're singer too?" she frowned.

"Yes, Emmett once told me that he'd had two. And one was stronger than the other. The same applies to you and her. Her scent is more potent. Harder to ignore, for me at least."

"What other similarities are there between her and me?"

"Just that one and like you I cannot hear her thoughts."

"That's interesting."

"It is…" I let the sentence hang in the air. Taking a deep breath I looked around. I was anxious to know how Alex was. I wanted to be with her, to hold her and reassure her. Yet the mere idea in itself seemed like I was hitting a new low. Being here with Bella telling her how much I still loved her and then going to a wake Alex to hold her through the night and reassure her if there be need for it. The mere thought put my self loathing into action.

"I'm going back to the house." She said and softly stroked my hair.

My eyes closed at her touch. So soft, so caring so unlike anything I deserved.

"If it matters that much, I suggest you go and see for yourself how she's doing."

She didn't sound happy. But it was to be expected. How could she be happy about this? It would be perfectly natural for her to loathe Alex right now.

"I need to see her."

I had to make an effort to make her see that alex mattered to me a lot. That I could not be at ease with a simple reassurance that she was all good.

"I see that." she responded, she stood and without another word she gracefully ran off, back the way she had come.

I will never be able to atone for this sin of mine because surely hurting both Bella and Alex was counted to be a sin. But there wasn't enough punishment in this universe to make me pay, that truth greatly disturbed my already disturbed mind.

I stood and raced all the way to Alex's home. My feelings were too mixed to make any sense of them. But I felt the distinct relief that washed over me as I smelled Alex's scent and heard her steady heartbeat.

Deciding to take the shortcut I climbed onto the balcony. Before I could enter the room where I now registered a sleeping Alex was at, Rosalie came out. A fierce glare fixed in place. She closed the French doors silently and looked at me

"What are you doing here?" her cold tone only helped to fuel the irritation that had sprouted within me the moment she stopped me from going any further into that room.

"I don't see how that is any of your business Rosalie."

"She's like my sister." she crossed her arms.

"She's my mate!"

"Last time I checked, Bella was you're mate. If you really cared for Alex as much as you claim to care then you would have followed over here to make sure that she was alright."

"That's exactly what I'm doing right now—making sure she fine."

"She knows."

"Well of course she does! What—you thought that I thought you wouldn't meddle? I don't even want to imagine what your words were. Move over Rosalie, I'm going to fix the mess you have caused."

"You don't fix things Edward. You break them. And I won't let you break Alex anymore than you already are."

I drew closer to the doors; she crouched defensively and growled at me.

"Rosalie…" said a soft voice from inside the room. I broke the glaring contest between Rosalie and me and looked up to see an unnaturally pale Alex standing in front of the French doors.

"Please let him come in."

This only angered me more. Alex should not be asking for Rosalie's permission.

Rosalie was fuming but said, "Fine." sharply. And then ran away to the house. Violent thoughts infiltrated her mind as she ran.

I walked into the room; too much of a coward to look into those eyes that I knew would be sad.

She walked over to the bed and sat on it crossing her legs.

"You lied." she whispered.

I wasn't expecting those words. I followed her and sat next to her silently awaiting for her explanation. my anger towards rosalie had already vanished.

"You said it was going to be alright. But nothings alright right now."

"I'm sorry."

But what was sorry to her? They were just words to her, they had no meaning.

"I am too." She raised a hand to her bandaged head and rubbed her temple, closing her eyes.

"How bad was it?" I should have been here when she had awakened and I should have been the one to have told her.

"Cracked skull, concussion, two broken ribs—the usual for me." she shrugged. She was good at this- the physical pain- though she really shouldn't be. She removed the bandage from around hear head. I didn't argue—it's not like she needed it. Her hair fell to her shoulders, it was white. Not white like an aged persons white hair, no, hers was paper white, like snow.

"I should have been here." I said to myself.

"I understand why you weren't—it's alright."

"It's not alright Alex!" Here I was, blowing up on yet another girl. I pulled at my hair in my frustration and bowed my head in shame. "Everything has gone so wrong." I muttered.

I could see as she reached out to touch me, her hand stopped in mid air and a second later she pulled it back.

I mentally pleaded for her to touch me, to hold me and comfort me and not doubt me.

"You should be sleeping." This was too much for her right now. She needed rest.

"I can't. The potion isn't helping…I keep waking up." I glanced at her bedside table; two empty flasks littered the table. Just one flask filled with potion was left. I reached for one of them.

"Here." I said giving it to her.

I don't know why she didn't argue. Perhaps she wanted to rest, or perhaps she just wasn't in the mood to argue. Nevertheless she drained it.

I collected her in my arms where she momentarily stiffened and then relaxed. I settled her into the bed where I lay down. As she had done countless times she scooted over to me hiding her face into my chest. But her movements were much more timid. As if afraid I might reject her.

She definitely did doubt my feelings for her.

I put my hand on her cheek and guided her face to meet mine in a kiss.

I placed as much fervor and love as I had into our kiss. My heart broke when I felt her warm tears make contact with my cheeks.

"Don't cry my angel. It breaks me further." I softly whispered and brushed away her tears. More and more tears fell as she silently cried.

What else could I do? I couldn't reassure her and tell her it was all going to be alright, because things weren't going to be fine.

So I did the only thing I could do right now. I sang her to sleep.

I stroked her hair as words of honey fell from my lips.

Goodnight my angel time to close your eyes

And save these questions for another day

I think I know what you've been asking me

I think you know what I've been trying to say

I promised I would never leave you

And you should always know

Wherever you may go no matter where you are

I never will be far way

Goodnight my angel now it's time to sleep

And still so many things I want to say

Remember all the songs you sang for me

When we went sailing on an emerald bay

And like a boat out on the ocean

I'm rocking you to sleep

The water's dark and deep inside this ancient heart

You'll always be a part of me

Goodnight my angel now it's time to dream

And still so many things I want to say

Someday your child may cry

And if you sing this lullaby

Then in your heart there will always be a part of me

Someday we'll all be gone but lullaby's go on and on

They never die that's how you and I will be

The potion worked its magic and slowly her eyelids dropped.

I stared at her for a long time. She looked disturbed and fatigued.

"What am I doing to you?" I whispered as I lowered my head to bury it into her hair. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths of the scent that I had, with a lot of pain, grown to love.

Alex's P.O.V.

I remember waking up. I didn't, however, open my eyes. I remember having woken to a sweet honeysuckle smell.

I pressed my face closer to Edwards's shirt and sniffed him. I loved how he smelled—the scent was comforting.

"Hmmm…" I hummed in content.

"Well good morning my little puppy" Edward said softly. His soft playful mood almost made me feel like this was just some normal day.

I wish that were true. My night had been dreamless, yet it had been restless. I could feel it in my body I was stiff due to all the tension.

"No school today?" I muttered. My voice was raspy due to the sleep.

"No, you need to rest."

"Thanks, but I doubt that I'll get proper rest anytime soon." even now I felt like I'd barely gotten any sleep.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I'm stressing you out."

"Stress is part of my everyday life, don't worry."

"We have to talk don't we?" his tone was hard; it was clearly something neither of us looked forward to.

"Yeah, I guess we do." But instead of talking I got up and went to my closet to grab the first clothes I could find. Then I headed into the bathroom to shower.

Edwards P.O.V.

When I heard the shower turn on I got up, intent on going back home for a quick change of clothes. Though at this moment home is the last place I wanted to be in. I didn't want to be deterred and Bella would definitely keep me there.

Stay there Alice's thoughts called to me.

She was heaven sent. She climbed onto the balcony with a bag that contained my clothes.

"I thought you'd rather not stop by at the house right now."

"Thank you, Alice. What would I do without you?" I embraced her.

"Yes I do wonder that." she said grinning. She glanced at the bathroom door. "How is she?"

"She's composed…right now."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know, Alice." I sighed and rubbed my face with my hand.

"I'd like to tell you you're going to do the right thing. But no one knows what the right thing is right now."

"Thanks Alice." I said sincerely. "How are things at home?"

Do you really want to know?

I nodded.

Bella's a mess. This wasn't the welcome back she was expecting. I'm sorry, I don't think even she planned on coming here last night. I didn't see it, it was a spontaneous decision it seems.

"Yeah I realized that. You would have called me otherwise."

She agreed. She looked towards the bathroom again and then back to me.

"Get changed. She's going to come out soon."

On cue the water stopped running.

"Thanks Alice."

"I love you brother." she hugged me again.

"I love you too, little sister." I ruffled her hair. She playfully slapped my hands away.

"I'll see you later."

She was gone in seconds. I could hear Alex pulling on her clothes. Quickly I pulled out the jeans and button up that Alice had packed for me. Apparently, there would be no rain today.

I was ready when she came out. Her hair was still white, but it was wet. She wore a white long sleeve shirt with a pastel blue jumper over it and jeans.

I could help my gaze as it ran over her petite form. Her soft curves were hidden by the jumper which flared under the bust. Yet the color of the material set off the color of her skin in a lovely way.

She noticed my appreciative look and rolled her eyes, turning slightly pink. Desire flooded within me as her cheeks flushed pink.

"Come on." She said taking my hand. "I'm hungry."

"I'll take you to eat." I offered.

"No thank you. I don't feel like being in public."

We walked down the stairs hand in hand. Frankie was already going around the kitchen making breakfast.

"Oh you're up!" he said when we walked in. "Hello Edward." he said.

He knew what was going on. It had been going around in his mind all morning. It was a wonder that he wasn't cross with me right now.

"Good morning Alex. How's your head?"

"I feel better. My ribs feel slightly bruised." She took a seat on one of the chairs. I leaned against the counter and crossed my arms.

"Yeah well that was a nasty accident you had. It wasn't going to all just go away just like that. It'll be gone by the end of the day."

How nice of him to just pass this off as a nasty accident when clearly it was much more than that.

"Breakfast is ready Alex, alright? So you help yourself. I'm off to the ministry. Got some work to do, so I won't be home until late."

"Alright, Frankie. Thank you." She said as he came over to kiss her cheek.

"I'll see you later Edward. Take care of her."

"I will Frankie. Have a good day."

"Thank you."

He went to the living room where we heard him leave.

There was a moment of silence before Alex made to get up—no doubt planning on getting her breakfast.

"Stay." I ordered and began sprinting around the kitchen getting a plate serving her pancakes then filling a glass of milk for her. I set it all on the table along with the peanut butter, jelly and chocolate syrup. I had come to learn that she preferred that instead of the traditional honey and butter.

"Thanks." she said looking at her plate. I took a seat across from her and observed as she took small pieces of pancake and slowly ate it. She seemed to be deep in thought and only half aware of her movements.

She wasn't even done with the first pancake when she set down her fork and announced that she was full.

"I just can't stomach anything right now, Edward." She explained when she saw my disapproving look.

"You should try at least to finish it."

"I did try and I'm full."

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "But you're going to eat lunch no matter what."

"Deal. Can we go to the creek?"

I was gone in a second and seconds later I was back with a forest green trench coat, and gloves.

She stood when she saw me and smiled at the sight of me holding her things.

"Thank you." she said as I helped her into her coat. Then she took the gloves and placed them on her hands.

I took a step back to give an appreciative glance. The trench coat covered her jumper and flared under her waist. My eyes ran over her neck. A purple bruise formed from where Bella had grabbed her.

"You look lovely." I said embracing her and kissing the bruise. "Well you look especially lovely, because you always look lovely."

"Stop, you're making me blush!" she giggled. Indeed she was blushing.

"That's good; you've been looking pale lately." I teased. I took her into my arms and ran out through the kitchen door into the forest.

Alex's P.O.V.

As Edward effortlessly ran thought the forest carrying me, I realized with a pang that this could one of the last times that he ran with me.

I had been a mess since I woke up yesterday and Rosalie had told me what was going to be. Especially because I knew I would be the one leaving.

Though Edward and I made an effort to talk normally and act normal, the tension was in the air. And neither of us could hold this conversation off any longer.

We reached the creek where Edward sat down with me on a rock close to the stream. He cradled me in his arms.

"Your blood has the same effect on her as it does to me you know."

"That explains the sudden attack." I responded. His hand absentmindedly ran over the bruise on my neck. I tried to get up but Edward held on to me.

"Stay with me." He pleaded. I caught the double meaning of that. Mutely, I nodded and relaxed in his hold.

"I was surprised," He began, "When I found out it was her. It all seemed so…surreal…Like I would wake up from this dream soon."

He thought it was a dream…I thought it was a nightmare. How ironic.

"How did she survive? You said you buried her."

"I don't know. My only guess is that the venom kicked in late. She says she went through the motions of becoming a vampire after that. Then she dug herself out of the dirt. By then, we were long gone. I tried to go on my own, but the rest wouldn't let me, fearing I would try something to go. She looked for us throughout the whole century. Only now did she find us again."

I tried to gather my thoughts and find something to say. It was just a lot to take in. My boyfriends formerly dead wife suddenly arrives tries to kill me and then says she was never dead. Why did she look so familiar?

"Are you happy Edward?" My voice was so quiet that a human wouldn't have heard me correctly. Being Edward though, he heard perfectly.

"On the one hand, I'm ecstatic I mean-" He stopped himself abruptly.

I was the last person he wanted to tell this to. But I wanted—no—I needed to know. I sat upright on his lap and raised my hand to guide his face to turn and look at me. His eyes wouldn't meet my own; sorrow was set deep in them.

I stood up from his lap sat on the ground. I looked up at him with an invitation. It was my turn to comfort. He accepted and stood. I spread my legs apart so that he could sit between them. He did so and then rested his back on my chest. The back of his neck rested on my shoulder. He pulled my hands forward so that he could entwine his hands with mines.

I leaned forward to kiss his temple.

"Please tell me and be honest. I won't judge you Edward. Trust me."

Conflict arose in his eyes as he speculated me.

"I do trust you." he said resolved.

"Then tell me the truth." I placed an assuring kiss on his hair. He sighed when he felt me breathe in the sweet smell of his bronze locks. He took my right hand and kissed it.

"I was beyond happy when I realized who it was. It was a swirl emotions: confusion, fear-"

"Fear?" I interrupted.

"I was afraid that I was imagining it—that I had gone…'mad' as you like to say. I felt worry, but the dominant emotions were happiness, disbelief and-"

I knew the next word that would come out of his mouth.

"Love…" His voice was quiet—nervous. But there was no hesitation.

My heart couldn't help but tear a bit at the word.

Love.

It was the torment and delight of my life, it seemed.

He wanted to say more I reckon but he stopped himself.

"Speak your thoughts." I encouraged in quiet whispers.

"To this day Alex, I love her just as much as I did that first time I realized that I was in love with her. I love her as much as I did on our wedding day. And I love her as much as I did that last time I was with her a hundred years ago."

"No." I said firmly. Yet my voice was soft and loving. "You love her even more. You've lived without her—in pain—for a century, Edward. You know what life is like without her now. I know you would never give her up. You cherish her even more now that you've lost her once."

He was quiet.

"Am I wrong?" I said softly in his ear. His eyes fluttered as he exhaled and he closed them.

"I don't love you any less…" he whispered.

But you love me no more than her I thought.

"I'm guessing she's not safe to be around?" The change of topic was abrupt and it seemed to throw him off for a second. He recovered quickly though.

"She feeds on animals, but I would prefer it if you would be with me when you see her."

Does he expect me to stand before his own wife while he protects me from her? I didn't think I wanted to meet her anyways.

He said he loved me. It was clear he had no intent on letting me go…yet. Eventually, I knew I would end up losing. For all I know, next week I could be packing to Hogwarts.

The thought sent waves of pain throughout me. It seems that good things can never last for me. It didn't matter. Even if I had one more night with him, I would feel like the luckiest girl in the whole universe. I already felt lucky enough to have met him and have been loved by him. One thing was for sure: the pain wouldn't be as bad as it had been with Cedric.

Maybe most of the pain with Cedric's had been because there was actually a future for us. We could have had so much together. And it was ripped away from us when he died. I was left empty handed—with nothing bright to look upon. No traces of sun to brighten the never ending gray days.

With Edward there was no future. Edward wasn't dead. I would be empty handed, but I knew that I would be giving so much for Edward's happiness. Edward would be happy with her. Anything that made Edward happy- up to some level- made me content.

"I love you Alex." He whispered when I became quiet. "Never forget that."

"I'm scared Edward…" I cried. I could tell I would be doing that a lot for the next few months. "I'm afraid of the future—not knowing what's going to happen."

"I am too, Melody. I'm terrified, but please don't desert me right now. There's one thing I'm most scared of right now and it's you leaving me."

Edward was there for me when he had needed me. Now it was my turn to be there for him and help him through the hard times he was going through. Even if it meant that he might send me away in the future. I owed him that much and I didn't want to leave him yet. I wanted as much time possible with him.

"I'll be here for you Edward." I promised.

"Thank you." He leaned his head back and I met his lips. I grew slightly panicked when I realized that our kisses were numbered. This propelled me to get a hold of his hair and kiss him desperately—as if I would get much needed air from his kisses. Tears ran down my cheeks when I realized it wasn't enough. My body trembled as loud sobs ripped throughout my body. Edward quickly switched our positions. Ugly sobs overtook me as I buried my head in Edward's neck.

"Y-you know…I still can't believe it when you said you loved me that first time…"

"Oh Alex…" He murmured, hugging me tighter and kissing my head.

"I love you too, Edward." I cried. "I love you so much that right now I'm hurting. I love you so much…"

I repeated the same thing over and over as I cried.

I was startled when I felt Edward's body tremble.

"Edward I-"

"Don't say anything Alex, please."

"I'd die for you Edward."

"I wouldn't let you." His voice was unsteady.

"I wouldn't ask for your permission."

"I'd stop you."

"I'd evade you."

"How?"

"I'm a witch."

"I'd threaten you."

"With what?"

"My death."

I took in a breath. He wouldn't do such a thing…would he?

"Surely there is a place for you and me in the afterlife?"

"And if there wasn't?" he challenged.

"We'd be together in spirit." I wish I could believe my own words.

Edward picked me up and carefully set me down on the ground where he laid next to me and held me close to him. I'd never noticed, but it had begun to snow. I remember looking into his eyes for an immeasurable amount of time. He stroked my cheek delicately and softly whispered for me to go to sleep.

Edwards P.O.V.

Alex slept with her head nestled into the crook of my arm. It seemed like it was the most peaceful sleep she had gotten in months. Here, in this little wonderland filled with snow, she looked like an angel: her white hair blending perfectly with the snow, spots of pink tainting her cheeks and tip of her nose then the rest of her skin pale—a perfect sleeping angel in the arms of a demon. She was a vision in white.

She was my angel, only mine. I couldn't give her up. So then what was I to do?

Time would tell I suppose.

For the mean time I observed as her chest rose and fell with each breath. I ran my hands delicately over the soft skin of her cheeks; they felt like satin. Unlike I, who was like rock, she felt like a life size rag doll…yet she seemed as delicate as a porcelain doll.

Alex's P.O.V.

I awoke when I felt Edward's nose skim across my neck. I drew in a slightly startled gasp.

"I'm sorry." He said still running his nose by my throat. "I didn't mean to wake you."

I let out a shaky breath, "We should get home."

"We should." He agreed, but didn't stop his motions.

"Edward?"

"Hmmm?"

"What time is it?"

Sighing he kissed my throat and pulled back. He looked at his watch. "It's five-thirty seven"

With a gasp I stood up. "I'm supposed to be at Hogwarts at six!"

Edward stood too, "Must you go today?" His voice was pleading.

"Yes I do. Lesson with Dumbledore remember? I have to be there."

"You'll come back right?" That's where his fear came from? Did he believe I would just leave him like that right now?

"Of course I will. Don't worry about that."

He stared at me then nodded. "I trust you."

"Thank you." I kissed his chest. In one swift motion, he picked me up and began running.

"You've been awkward all day." Harry said, coming to sit next to me in the empty common room. It was midnight and I had decided to stay for the night. I figured I needed time on my own to think. And I'm sure Edward wanted time with Bella.

It was still so odd for me; knowing that there was someone else in Edwards's life. It was odder knowing that Edward was married and that technically I was the "other woman".

"Have I?" I said tearing my gaze away from the fireplace.

"Yes you have. What's the matter?"

"The usual drama." I sighed.

"There's nothing usual about you Alex." He teased.

"It's Edward." I said abruptly. Heaven knows that I needed to talk about this.

"What did he do?" He was quick to get defensive.

"Oh he didn't do anything…he's just involved in the problem. He's a big part of it might I add."

"What is it?"

When I finished recounting Edward's past and what had just happened, all Harry was concerned about was me being too close to Bella.

"That's not the big picture Harry."

"It bloody hell is for me! Do you really think you should go back to Forks?"

"For now, yes. I'll probably be back in a few weeks. All I know is that I won't be living in Forks for long."

"What makes you think that?"

"Come on Harry. In the end, he's not going to give her up. I'll be the one out of luck." I said, "Regardless of what you say or he says or anyone for that matter says, Edward loves her more than he can ever love me. It makes sense. She was his first love—they married and all. But that's not the biggest thing. Edwards a good person—too good actually—so he tends to think of others more than himself. Edward's dead set against me becoming a vampire.

"He's already doomed Bella's life, so to say, by turning her into one like him. I'm positive that he thinks this. He's married to her. There's nothing binding him to me. So it's obvious he's going to keep the one whom he already has 'ruined' and leave the other escape from that same fate. He's going to think that it's the best for me."

A moment of silence.

"You really know him like the palm of your hand." He said quietly.

"I love him, so I'm observant."

"This hurts you more than you're letting show, huh?"

I hugged my knees to my chest and rested my chin on them.

"It's killing me…" I could only manage to whisper. My voice was too weak to go any louder.

He put his arm around my shoulder, "I'm sorry to say that this time, I can't say that everything is going to be alright."

"You see the same ending don't you?"

"I see you leaving on your own account. I know you sister and Edward would be mad if he ever personally sent you away. On the bright side, we need a good seeker right now."

Despite my stress and tears I laughed. Leave it to Harry to have his mind on quidditch. Truth be told, I missed playing.

"That sounds good." I said.

We heard someone's footsteps descend the staircase.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione stopped at the very bottom of the stairs looking slightly surprised, "I didn't think you'd be here. I saw Alex come down and got worried when she didn't come back up."

"Yeah, we should worry when she gets up from her bed at night. It usually means she's up to no good!" I gave a small smile.

Hermione glanced at me and saw my blotchy face. "Oh dear." she said.

"Hermione I think you should talk to her." Harry said, "You're better about feelings than I am."

"Hmm, I know that. Boys are so tactless!"

I don't think she was necessarily referring to all boys…more like one specific boy.

"Uhm…yeah, well goodnight." He turned and kissed my cheek, "You going to be okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm a big girl. Thanks for listening."

"I love you." One last hug and he was then saying goodnight to Hermione and going back to his dormitory.

"So which boy were you talking about?" I asked when I heard the dormitory door close.

Hermione quietly studied me, "What do you mean?"

I gave her an assuring smile, "Come one Hermione. I know you weren't referring to all boys."

"It isn't of importance. Are you okay?"

"It's of importance to me. I need to keep up to date with what happens around here remember?"

"Really, it's nothing. What's the matter with you?"

"Just some problems back at Forks." I said averting my gaze elsewhere.

"What happened?"

"Does this have something to do with Ron?"

Her eyes flashed angrily at the name. "No! This had to do with you not telling me what's wrong with you!"

"Hermione you are always listening to my problems, I think that for once you should relieve yourself of them and not take in more!"

She sighed, "He's a fool. I just…I loathe him sometimes…"

"You loathe her—not him."

"Oh how I despise her!" She said suddenly, "She's just so…she's like gum—always sticking to his side!"

I laughed at that. I had seen the way Lavender clung to Ron. She wasn't in love—she was obsessed.

"How can you laugh?" She scowled at me.

"Because you're right—she does stick to him like gum on the bottom of his shoe! Don't worry…nothing lasts forever and they surely won't last any longer."

"She's all over him!" She said indignantly.

"Yes and you're jealous."

"I am not!"

Had it been someone else, she would have outrageously denied it. But she couldn't lie to me and she knew it.

"I've never been jealous before." She said quietly. "I don't know what it feels like."

"It feels like what you're feeling."

"How do you know?"

"I've been jealous before."

"Who would you ever be jealous of? If anything girls are jealous of you. You're beautiful."

"I'm flattered." I said, rolling my eyes.

"You are beautiful." She repeated much more firm. I rolled my eyes again.

"You're beautiful, Hermione." I said taking the spotlight off of me.

"I'm not." She said looking down.

"Krum certainly thought so—McLaggen thinks so."

"Ugh." She closed her eyes at the name. I was well aware of her plain dislike for the boy.

"And I know that Ron thinks so. Or else the idea of you with Krum two years ago wouldn't bother him so much."

"Then why can't he see what's in front of him?" Tears fell from her face.

"It's not the right time." I said simply.

"So, meanwhile, I have to just sit here and drown in…jealousy?"

"You don't have to…you can try to move on."

"It's a horrible feeling—jealousy."

"Yeah, it is."

"When have you ever felt jealous?"

"Before, when I was with Cedric, remember Cho Chang had a thing for him?"

"You were jealous of her?" She seemed shocked.

"We had been hanging out for some time—Cedric and I—and I would see the both of them laughing together sometimes. They taught me jealousy."

She shook her head incredulously, "I would have never imagined that."

"I know. And with Edward, I've not been jealous until recently."

"When?"

"Over the summer."

"The summer? Who-" A knowing look crossed her features and a smirked bloomed on her tear stained face. "Fleur? Really Alex? Did you forget she is going to marry?"

"No I did not. But still I couldn't help it."

"Are those the only times you've ever been jealous?"

I thought about that.

Was I jealous of Bella right now?

Yes I was. Because she had what I could never completely have. She had Edward and his love. But with all my other emotions going wild I barely had enough time to think about jealousy. Now that I had been granted the chance I felt the impact of it.

The first time one experiences jealousy, it is overwhelming. It had been like that when I saw Cho with Cedric two years ago. This was even worse.

"Yes." I said emotionless, or at least I tried to sound that way.

"When?"

"Right now."

She looked confused. "Wait…could this have anything to do with your problems right now?"

I nodded.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

And so for the second time in this night, I told what was currently happening at Forks. When I finished, she seemed deep in thought.

"What are you thinking?" I said quietly.

"If he chooses her Alex… he's going to make the biggest mistake of his life."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because he's going to lose someone truly special. Alex, I've seen it with my own eyes, he adores you. He's over the moon with you. Not even my parents love each other as much as you two do. I don't see how he can love her more than he loves you. But I will say this: if he chooses her it won't be because he loves her more, but because he doesn't. It will be because he's going to feel compelled to stay with her."

"I think the same way. Edward likes to think with his head first and then with his heart."

"Things will brighten up for you Alex. After so much unhappiness, you deserve to have something good in your life."

"You guys are the good things in my life. And so is Edward. But if I lost him and you guys, there would be no meaning any more. When the time comes, I'm going to need your support."

"You always have it." She said, hugging me.

I broke down again. I just wanted to go back to him and make time stop.

"I don't blame him—I completely understand him…" My voice shook. "But it's going to be horrible when the day comes in which I have to say goodbye. I don't think I could live through that!"

"You're strong Alex, don't let him break you."

That was impossible. He had complete control of me. He could break me into a million pieces if he wished. Without knowing it, he was already breaking me.

The next day I stayed until after dinner. It was somewhat nice to get away from that problem infested town. But I was already desperate to get back. And so, with haste, I said goodbye to Harry, Ron, and Hermione and was on my way to McGonagall's office to go back to Forks.

"Edward's going to have your head when he sees you." Frankie said the moment I appeared in the living room fireplace.

"Did I do something?" I said stepping out.

"Yeah, you stayed over even though you promised him to come back that very same day."

In that moment, the door burst open and in came a demented looking Edward.

"Don't leave." He said when he had me trapped in his arms. "Don't ever leave me like that!"

"Edward, it was only a day!" I said trying to get away from his grasp to breathe.

"Why didn't you tell me? I thought you-"

"I promised you I wasn't going to leave…I just needed some time to think. But I'm back okay? I won't be leaving you I promise."

It hurt to see that I made him so vulnerable.

He roughly pulled my face up so that he could capture my lips in a desperate kiss. I never minded when he was rough—it was rare. It was so different from his normally careful touches. But this time, I just couldn't put enough into the kiss. I was the first to pull away. The action seemed to have hurt him but he settled for encircling my waist with his arm and pulling me close to his chest.

"Well I can see there won't be any rolling heads, so I'll be leaving you two. I'm in my room if you need anything." Frankie said and headed up the stairs.

"I missed you." He said burying his face into my hair and inhaling.

"I did too, a lot." I placed my hands on top of his which rested on my waist and squeezed them. "I'm sorry for scaring you."

He let out a small hysterical chuckle. "Only you have the power to make me go crazy Alex. Because that's what happened to me today. I was crazy."

"I thought that you would want some time with Bella." Jealousy licked my heart like a flame at the very sound of her name.

His mood turned somber. "It was hard to have a conversation with any one, given the state you had me in."

An apologetic smile was all I could give. It was all he needed to pull me in for another kiss, this one much happier and equally urgent. Brightening my mood, I returned this kiss with as much fervor as him.

November passed in a tense atmosphere. We entered December and I decided to stay with Edward for his sake rather than going to the Weasleys. I had every intention on going so he could be with Bella, but he said he would like it better if I was here.

Things were complicated. Edward was torn between spending time with Bella and time with me. He always felt guilty with each other. Soon enough, for both of our sakes, I asked him to not go to my room at nights. He was hurt, but he understood. We went to school as always and Bella stayed at the Cullen's house. I hadn't seen her since the day she arrived. I had no urge to meet her.

Soon all of Edward's kisses and touches, though I had formerly loved them, now made me uncomfortable. I could tell he tried his hardest to act like there was nothing going on, but it wasn't something we could hide. I felt used every time he kissed me even though I had seen through his memories that through all of this time, Edward hadn't so much as held Bella's hand. The only time had been that day she came back. That brought more guilt to me. I was keeping them away from each other.

With everything going on in Forks, it was a breath of fresh air every time I went to Hogwarts. It was only natural that I jumped at the idea of going to Slughorn's Christmas party. I really needed some time away. Seeing as how Ron hadn't been invited, and I would sure as hell not go and ask some guy to the party, I decided to take Ron. To say he was grateful was an understatement.

At the party I quickly realized it had been a mistake though. He and Hermione had a horrible row. On the upside we knew that Malfoy was now for sure up to something. And Snape was part of it too.

Edward's P.O.V.

I snuck into Alex's room almost every night, today was no exception. She would be really upset with me if she woke up to find me here next to her.

She had grown distant. I couldn't blame her. I was driving her away every time I went to Bella. Likewise, I hurt Bella every time I rejected her advances.

Alex hugged a pillow close to her body as if it were a person. She had begun to do this when I stopped coming. How I wish she could hug me close to her instead.

My head turned sharply to the French doors as they opened.

Bella entered the room. And it didn't matter that I loved her—I moved to cover Alex's body with my own and hissed dangerously at Bella. She stopped, surprised at my reaction.

"Leave." I growled.

"I can control myself Edward." She said. My hostility had hurt her feelings. "I just want to see the object of your obsession."

"No." I wouldn't allow such danger to come near Alex.

It wasn't right for Bella, Alex, and I to be in the same room alone. I already felt guilty enough but this was just betraying Alex more than I had already done so.

"She's so small. I can't see a thing of her with your body. You completely cover her." She stood on her toes trying to look over me.

"Leave Bella. I won't allow any harm to come her way. You are not to come near a ten mile radius from her."

"What will you do if I don't leave? Would you really kill me?"

No I wouldn't kill her. I could never be capable of that, but I would protect Alex to death.

"Leave."

"Just let me see her."

Giving her a warning stare, I moved just enough to allow her a small look at her. Bella drew a bit closer to look at the small human nestled in my arms. Alex groaned and her small hand reached to tug at my shirt.

"She's a beauty Edward." Bella said clearly unhappy. "Didn't she have red hair?"

Her hair though still white it was short again, it had been easy to pass it off as if she had dyed it.

"She changes appearance at will." I said staring at Bella. I was wary of her right now. I couldn't hear her, I wasn't sure if she would try anything.

Having enough, I once again moved to cover Alex from Bella's view with my body.

"She looks so young, how old is she?"

"Sixteen."

"Really?" Her eyes widened at the revelation. "She looks fourteen."

She did look too young to be sixteen—I had noticed this before.

She looked around the room. Her eyes fell upon something beside me. "Who's that?"

I turned to see what she talked about and was met with a happy Alex and Cedric.

I will admit that once I was slightly jealous of the boy. I felt like he held all of Alex's affection. But I quickly got over it and accepted the way things were. After all I was glad to see that at least it looked like I made her really happy.

"Her ex-boyfriend." I said very calmly.

"She must love him if she still has a picture of him on her bedside table even though she's with you."

"She does love him. However, he died."

"Is this why she came here?"

"Yes."

"Does she love you?"

I didn't question Alex's love; she had shown me how much she loved me in almost every way possible.

"Yes." I said solemnly.

"Are you sure?" Her tone implied something else.

"Don't go there Bella, please."

"Edward, I'm not trying to make you hurt, but it seems to me like she's using you to forget him."

"She would never do such a thing. You don't know her."

"Edward… I'm going fight for you. I'm not willing to give you up. I still loved you more than my very own life. I will get you back no matter what I won't lose you to her. I don't even think she can love you as much as I do."

"Please leave." I said quietly.

There was only the sound of the closing door.

Bella's statement forced my thought to the direction I was trying to avoid.

In the end only one was going to stay. And the decision lay upon my shoulders.

I stroked Alex's cheek and a troubled smile appeared on her red lips.

"Please don't let me go." I whispered.

Despair gnawed at me. Everything had happened so fast I couldn't make sense of my thoughts or my feelings.

Alex's P.O.V.

"Will you come to see my family?" Edward said though the phone a day before Christmas. It was morning and I had just finished eating.

"Uhm…" I hesitated.

"She's out hunting." He said, already knowing the reason for my hesitance. "She's gone with Alice."

"Alright then, I'm on my way there."

"I'll pick you up."

"No, I want to drive my car. I haven't done so in a long time." He always took me to school.

"Alright." Said his disappointed voice.

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

Snow coated the streets of forks and it made the Cullen's home look like a dream. I parked my car in the garage.

Edward was already there, leaning against his car.

He opened my door and helped me out. As we kissed I felt like I hadn't felt in the longest time. It almost felt like things were back to normal.

"How are you?" He asked as he placed a hand at the small of my back and led me into the house.

"Alright—pretty neutral."

"Neutral." He repeated to himself.

"ALEX!" Emmet's booming voice called. Before he could envelope me into a crushing hug, Edward had pulled me behind him.

"Hey!" Emmett said indignantly.

"Don't break her." Edward scolded. He had been seriously worried as I had lately gotten thinner. Even he was afraid of holding me too tightly. So his hold on me was very loose most of the time.

Overprotective fool was all that I could think. The thought always made me smile.

"I won't, but I want to hug my sister."

I walked around in front of Edward and hugged Emmett. He raised me off the floor and pulled me close to him.

"I've missed your presence in this house."

Everyone had joined us and were happily smiling.

"Emmett." Called Edward's warning voice.

"Fine." He scoffed and set me down.

The moment my feet touched the ground I ran to Esme and hugged her. She was startled, for I had never done something so abrupt. I had learned not to surprise vampires, but I couldn't help it. I hadn't seen her since Bella came.

"Oh Esme, I missed you." I whispered.

"I have too Alex, I felt like I had been missing a child." She hugged me tightly.

I moved on to Carlisle and hugged him too.

Finally I greeted Rosalie and Jasper.

We had a great time. All of us talked and put each other up to date. Esme had recently begun a new project in Seattle. She seemed very pleased.

It was the happiest I had been in a long time.

I was in the kitchen drinking some water when Edward came out of nowhere and began kissing my neck.

I giggled and chocked on the water.

"Jerk." I laughed when I stopped coughing.

"Hmm," He said I felt his tongue run over my throat, "You taste especially delicious today."

I heard wolf whistling come from the other room.

"Edward!" I laughed and tried to pull away. He wrapped his arms around my waist and put playful kisses all over my face.

"What's up with you today?" I said when I had finally gotten his attention.

"I'm happy." He shrugged.

I heard music come from the living room.

"Come. I came to see your family, not to make out with you in front of them." In spite of myself I made him lean down so I could give him a brief kiss that soon turned not so brief.

As we came out of the kitchen, happily hand in hand, I was pulled away from Edward and was suddenly waltzing around the room in Emmett's arms. Music came from somewhere in the room as we twirled all over the room and everyone laughed at the scene.

I had trouble keeping pace with him, so I constantly stomped on his feet—not that it had any effect on him.

"Come one Alex, work with me." He whined, concentrated.

"I can't!" I said. "You're too graceful!" I heard chuckles come from everyone. Suddenly the arms were replaced by less bulky ones. Jasper had taken hold of me.

"Hop on." he said. I placed my feet on his and he led me through the whole room.

"Hands off my girl, Jasper." Edward said. Without breaking the dance I was passed off into Edwards arms. Unlike the rest he slowed down so that I could fall into his step. Soon he went a bit faster and we gracefully glided around the vast living room.

"Get your own!" He called to Jasper.

I laughed at his childish behavior.

"You're very good at this you know." He murmured in my ear.

"Thank you; mind you, I haven't done this in a very long time."

"Where did you learn?"

"Cedric taught me." I said.

"Oh." He said, "He must have been a good teacher."

I didn't respond. I never liked to discuss Cedric with him. I felt like I hurt him when I talked about him.

"Will you show me?"

"No." I grinned.

"Why not?"

"There's no need to look back upon such memories. I'm too happy right now; you know it's still a touchy subject for me."

"You right, I'm sorry." He smiled. "There's no need." He dipped me unexpectedly. I couldn't help but laugh at his joyous expression.

Suddenly the door opened Alice and Bella entered the room and everyone stopped. Edward immediately pulled me upright. I held my breath as I took in the breathtaking creature that was Edwards's wife.

Edward stepped in front of me as everyone else moved in front of me too, to cover me from sight and harm. I couldn't see anything but the Cullen's backs.

"Calm down, she won't hurt her." Alice said slightly irritated.

"You wound my feelings. I've grown used to her smell Edward—you always arrive reeking of her smell." She tried to make it sound like a joke, though there was no joke.

"Come on Alex, let's get you home." Rosalie tried to guide me out of the house.

"Don't you think you should introduce us?" Bella asked.

"No." growled Rosalie.

"I think you should." I said quietly.

"Come Alex." Edward took my elbow.

I should just agree. But I didn't want to leave and make her feel like she had scared me away.

"No, don't you think you should introduce me to your wife?" I said. Edward frowned at me and silently begged me to not do it. I didn't budge.

"You know better than that Edward." Bella added.

Edward sighed but moved back enough to allow me to see her. When my eyes made contact with her own, I gasped. Not because they were devastatingly beautiful, not because they looked so much like Edwards own eyes.

It was because I remembered.

The night was dark and cold and I walked along the edge of the forbidden forest, angrily kicking rocks as I went.

I was asking for trouble by just being near here, but I wasn't thinking about that. I was too furious to have any rational thoughts.

The last two weeks hadn't been kind to me I was getting hate from almost everyone in school for having 'cheated' my way into the Triwizard tournament along with Harry. Just now, I had finished having an ugly argument with a stupid Ravenclaw.

I quietly muttered curses under my breath as I began to go into the forest. I wouldn't go in too deep. I had said this to myself. After all, all the real danger was deep in there. I walked aimlessly in the black forest, not daring to make some light. The last thing I wanted was to attract unwanted creatures.

I walked angrily throughout the forest until I had calmed down.

I stopped to look around the forest. Everything looked exactly the same.

"Great!" I said to no one.

A laugh came from somewhere in the forest. I jumped in fright. My mind began to imagine what it could have possibly been. You never know what you may find in here.

"Harry?" I called out though I was sure it wasn't him. The laugh rang again. It was a woman. Maybe a centaur… The sound sent Goosebumps on my skin the voice was dangerously sweet and it frightened me.

"Who are you?"

There was silence—it was just as unnerving as the darkness. Unable to stand anymore of this blindness I uttered "Lumos."

The wand had barely cast its light when a woman's face showed up. There was an intake of breath from me and then she was on top of me and biting into the back of my neck.

My body flinched when I was abruptly brought back to reality. Instinctively I shook my head as if to clear my thoughts and met the cold gaze of Bella Cullen.

"You!" I growled.

She had taken my life and now she was taking Edward from me. Rage bubbled in me and my hand twitched toward my coat pocket where my wand was.

A hand wrapped itself around my wrist. My eyes flashed towards Edwards who had noticed the slight movement in my hand.

"Let's go." he said gently.

"No!" I said pulling my hand away, but to no avail since Edward did not release me.

"Shouldn't you be dead?" Bella said.

"No, you should have been dead a hundred years ago."

Bella's P.O.V.

She thought she could come here and take my husband from me? She was sadly mistaken. I had fought too hard for Edward. I married him, I rejected my best friend, I changed for him, I looked for him for a century only to have him taken away from me by some insignificant human? I don't think so.

For so much time, I had looked at Edward and noticed how plain I was next to him. I had wanted to be turned, to be an equal to him and now that I was finally worthy of someone as beautiful as him, I would let it be taken away from me by this girl.

When I had seen her that day, I attacked her. I was surprised to find that it was the very same girl that I had attacked two years ago.

That night I would have finished her off had I not heard two more people arriving. This whole wizard thing was so new to me; I had aimlessly wandered into the small town of Hogsmeade. Of course it didn't come as a surprise that I was amongst witches and wizards. True, I didn't know that they existed, but I'd seen too much in my human life to not believe it.

I was thirsty and I had wandered around the outskirts of the town. I came across an old abandoned shack. Curiosity had filled me so I went in. No one had been there in some time, but I could still faintly smell the different scents. One of them stood out the most to me. Despite its faintness, it was the most wonderful scent I had ever come across. It was hard to resist it. Mindlessly, I began to follow the faint traces until I was led to an underground tunnel which I eagerly followed. That's where the scent disappeared. The earth had taken it away, which meant that this person had a long time since they had been here.

It didn't all go to waste; I was met with a splendid castle. I had never seen anything as such. It was beautiful. What struck me the most was that it was inhabited by millions of humans. I could hear many heartbeats and smell a wide diversity of scents. None as incredible as the one I had been following though.

Filled with awe and curiosity, I went into the edge of the woods and went around observing everything around me. After some time I decided to head inside the woods. Maybe I would find something to calm down the fire in my throat. It was almost unbearable and that scent was still very present in my mind. Very soon though I smelt that very same smell I had been in search of.

I ran towards it, my throat burned with such intensity that I had never felt before. I stopped to see a small red haired girl who was very clearly lost.

I laughed malevolently as I realized that she wouldn't find her way back.

She jumped and pointed a wooden stick in front of her, but her magic wasn't enough for my fast movements. I also had the darkness to my favor.

"Harry?" She called with a tremor in her voice. I laughed again at the poor girl.

"Lumos." She said and immediately her wand tip ignited. I moved fast and launched myself onto her. She had no time to react, but as I fell on her she twisted in such way that I bit the back of her neck. Regardless of this I drank. Her blood was sweeter than any animal—it was sweeter than the past five humans I had killed on accident. There was nothing in this world as good as the taste of this girl's blood.

My head snapped up when I heard the footsteps of two humans. They were very close to me by now. There wasn't much left of the girl, but it still was a pity that I had to leave her. I could see a light approaching I had to leave for I might not run with the same luck. I didn't know the extent of a wizard's power and I didn't want to find out tonight. I left the way I had come. And I never stepped foot there again.

I didn't think she would have survived—there was almost nothing left of her blood. I didn't see how she could have changed into a vampire with so little blood.

I looked at her. She wasn't a vampire, yet. But were it not for her heart beat she could have passed off for one. If I looked back to that day then, I will admit that she was a pretty girl, but still no prettier than the average human.

Now as I saw her I noticed the changes. She was too lovely to be an ordinary human. I couldn't pin point what the change had been, but there had definitely been a change in her appearance that made her appear as an angel. Yet I saw flaws. A scar that was placed upon the right side of her forehead, her eyes were slightly too big for her small face. Permanent dark shadows took residence under her eyes. Her top lip was very slightly bigger than her bottom one. Yet these flaws only served to enhance her childish beauty.

Next to Edward, it was hard to decide who was more beautiful.

And I cursed her for not dying that night. But it was of no matter—I wouldn't let her take my husband from me. Edward was mine only.

Alex's P.O.V.

My breaths were heavy as I continued to glare at Bella. She looked me over quickly before giving me a taunting smile.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you." She said.

I took a step forward and was instantly picked up and swung over Edwards shoulder.

"Put me down!" I screamed as he walked out of the house. When he didn't respond, I began hitting his back.

"Enough Melody!" He said sternly he stopped in the garage. As soon as he set my feet onto the ground I slapped his hands away and got into the car angrily.

I was enraged. How could I not? That monster was the reason for which I was stuck at fourteen. Not only did she take that from me, but suddenly she comes here and tries to take the reason for my existence from me. I wanted to kill her and put her ten feet under the ground, which is where she should have been for the past century.

I forgot to lock the other side of the car. By the time I realized this, Edward was already inside.

"How do you know her?"

"I don't know her. Now get out."

"Alex ,I know that you do."

"She's you're wife! That's how I know her!"

"Tell me the truth!"

"Get out of the car Edward." I said turning on the engine. He didn't move but kept glaring at me.

"I have a right to know."

"You have don't have shit over anything that has to do with me! Now get out of the car or so help me I will get you out myself!"

We both fell into shocked silence. Never had our arguments turned into something like this. Already, I could see the barrier Bella was forming between my relationship with Edward.

I felt warm fingers brush my cheeks. I felt the damp of my tears and I bit back sob.

"I'm sorry." Said his normal gentle voice.

"Whatever." I hastily wiped away my tears.

"We promised, Alex." He said trying to be reasonable. "We promised to tell each other everything."

I shook my head. "They were just words Edward. I have learned not to trust meaningless words maybe you should try the same."

"Those words weren't meaningless to me."

"All words are meaningless. They aren't to be trusted….get out."

I looked out the windshield as he leaned over and kissed my head.

You said you loved me. But in the end those words won't matter anymore.

"Won't you tell me?" He quietly begged.

"If you really want to know Edward, then ask your wife. I'm sure she remembers more than I do anyway." My voice was bitter and full of hatred.

Edward quietly stepped out of the car.

"I'm sorry." He said once more. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"Yeah well like I just said…they're just words Edward."

Without a second glance at the wounded man I was leaving behind, I pulled out of the garage and left the Cullen house. My hands shook on the steering wheel as I came to the realization that I had more or less been kicked out of the house by Bella, and that was because I was taking her place. There wasn't room for me in there. The same way there wasn't room in Edwards's heart for me.

Love, I thought bitterly, the torment and delight of my life.

okay so hows that?

you make sure to tell me

:)

-airali