All These Lives

EPOV

I woke up slowly to Bella tracing my lips with her fingers, her own lightly taking their place every now and then. My heart sped up when I felt her fingers leave my mouth again and I pressed my lips against hers when I felt her lean towards me. The hand that was still against my face flinched, but she didn't pull away. We kissed for about a minute or so before I slowly leaned back against the arm of the couch, making the kiss linger. She sighed and rested her chin on my chest. I had somehow managed to get on my back and she was on her side, her legs wrapped around mine. She was half on me, which was why it was easy to tell when she was leaning towards me.

"Good morning, love," I whispered. She smiled shyly.

Good morning, she signed. I was happy to see that the dark spots under her eyes were gone and she didn't seem as worn down as she had when we came back to the house. Her hair was a little mussed from sleep and the wind, but she looked a lot better than she had yesterday. She looked like she was thinking about something, so I asked. Her answer made me smile and chuckle.

You told me you loved me. Was that a dream or did it really happen? I took her chin in my hand and kissed her lips.

"I did and I do. It really happened," I answered calmly. She kissed me again and leaned back, a smile on her face. "I did dream about you before you woke up, though. Was that your doing or my imagination?" It was her turn to smile.

I told you I was going to wake up, didn't I? I chuckled again as she kissed the corner of my mouth. She rested her head on my chest and sighed contentedly.

We fell back to sleep after a few minutes and I was woken up again by Alice and her squealing. I leaned up, keeping my arm around Bella so she wouldn't fall, and saw Alice rushing down the stairs. She skipped right over to the couch and sat down lightly on the coffee table.

"You guys are too cute together!" she squealed. I smiled and shook my head, feeling Bella laughing against my chest. Alice must have woken her up too. "I knew you would be perfect for each other!" I just sighed and closed my eyes as more footsteps came into the room. I felt Bella move to see who it was, but I didn't look.

"How are you after your little escapade, Bella?" Carlisle's voice said from behind the couch. I felt her nod and opened my eyes to see Carlisle leaning over the back of the couch. I glanced at Bella and she looked at me, signing for me to translate.

"She's a lot better today. She doesn't feel as exhausted and her wounds feel almost completely healed. They don't hurt anymore either." I paused and looked at her incredulously. "You were in pain and you still left the house? Why did you do that?" I asked, trying not to sound angry.

I had to make sure. I had to know why you did what you did. Plus, it wasn't that bad, she answered, shrugging one shoulder. I shook my head and sighed, not pressing on with the subject since there wasn't anything I could do about it now. I felt her rest her chin on my chest again and looked at her. She was smiling softly. I remembered what Bella had told me in the dream and looked up at Carlisle.

"Bella told me some things about her healing," I said. He nodded and looked at me expectantly. I told him about how she showed up in my dreams, how she was able to see and talk, how she has to have blood in her body like he had first thought, and how the blood in her body acts the same as food does for humans.

"It's slowly used up and she starts feeling slower when she needs to feed again. Her powers and just every day actions use it up," I finished.

"That would make sense," the old man's voice said from somewhere behind the couch. I couldn't see him, but my eyes bulged when he came around near the table in a wheelchair. I sat up slowly and so did Bella, moving so she was sitting next to me. He offered me his hand and I took it slowly, having trouble taking my eyes off the chair.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced," he said. I turned my head and watched as a whole bunch of other people came in, Jacob, Leah, and the rest of the Cullens among them. I counted five that were new to me.

"My name is Billy Black." I nodded once and tried to get my mouth to form my name, but it was like I was frozen, my attention solely focused on the one thing I never wanted to see again. He noticed my inability to talk and saved me from making a fool of myself. "All of us already know who you and your friend are." I closed my mouth and nodded once. He turned towards the others and pointed them out as he said their names.

"You already know Jacob and Leah, but next to them are Quil, Embry, Sam, Emily, and Seth. Everyone but Sam's Emily are werewolves," he finished. I nodded to everyone, finally able to look away from Billy's chair, but once again froze. This time, my gaze stayed on Sam.

He was standing slightly behind the others, Emily standing half in front of him. I felt my gaze narrow slowly and he dropped his to the floor and away from me. He was older than Jacob and the others. I looked at Emily then, not being able to help but notice the horrible scars marring her face. It looked like she had been slashed. She smiled apologetically at me and I gave a small smile back, looking away so she wouldn't think I was staring. Billy cleared his throat and I turned back to him, seeing his gaze on Sam rather than me.

"Sam has something he would like to say to the two of you," Billy said slowly, his eyes not leaving Sam's face. Sam looked at the floor until Emily took his hand, his head shooting up so he could look at her. She nodded once reassuringly and he looked at us, but mostly just me. He took a single step forward so that he was standing right alongside Emily before he said anything.

"I know it doesn't really make up for anything," he started, talking slowly, deeply. "But I'm truly sorry for hurting you…her…both of you. I should have listened to Jake when he told me to let her…Bella…up," he said, fumbling with his words. "I know what it feels like to see the one you care the most about get hurt." He took Emily into his arms slowly, hugging her from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder and she smiled. Bella squeezed my hand and I turned to her.

It sounds like Emily and I have something in common, she signed. I gave her a confused look which, as usual, she missed, but translated for everyone else. Emily gave her the same look I just had, but voiced her confusion.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked. I could tell she was trying to stay open minded, but the doubt was not well-hidden. Bella smiled softly.

Being hurt by the one you love, she answered. But in my case, I guess it's more along the lines of the person I thought I loved. Bella had everyone's attention now and they moved closer to the space in front of the couch. I wrapped my arm around her, knowing what she was talking about.

She explained to them all about her sire, the one who tricked her into loving him. It was everything she had told me that night in the field, but I had to translate for them. Even I could hear the tension and anger in my voice as she went along. I tried to hide it, but I knew everyone could tell. Emily was looking at Bella sadly when I finished.

"So, he played you to get you to trust him and really had no reason for it?" Emily asked, blinking back tears. Bella shook her head and shrugged.

Not as far as I can tell. What I can tell you is that he likes to play games. He hasn't stopped taunting me since the day he found out I was still alive, even though it was like this, she answered, gesturing to herself. Emily moved towards Bella, sitting on her other side. She hugged Bella and Bella returned it.

I glanced at Sam and he looked at me, still wary but not as regretful as he had been. I stood up and he stuck his hand out, looking slightly away from me. I stood there looking at him until he returned my gaze before I took it. I physically felt the tension leave the room as the four of us bonded, each other's pain giving us something in common. We dropped hands and turned towards the girls when we heard Emily start talking again. Emily was holding both of Bella's hands in hers and both of them were crying softly.

"What happened to me was an accident though. It wasn't on purpose. What happened to you…I hope you get him for it. I really do. You didn't deserve to go through that, and you don't deserve to now," Emily said, visibly squeezing Bella's hands. Bella just nodded and smiled, unable to respond. Emily hugged her one last time before standing up and walking over to me, hugging me around the waist with one arm. She moved over to Sam after letting go of me, and he embraced her. I sat back down next to Bella and she took my hand. I looked over at Billy, a question coming to my mind.

"Were you able to find anything about Bella or the rogue?" I asked, trying not to sound pushy. Billy looked thoughtful.

"Well, Edward, besides the fact that she has to defeat him and that she knows him personally, there was really nothing besides the prophecy itself. The deaths that the rebel is causing are messing with the balance between life and death, which is why he needs to be stopped. We don't know what will happen if he keeps it up. The blood promise isn't mentioned anywhere, so my guess is that only Bella knows what that is," he finished, looking at Bella. She bowed her head and closed her eyes. I wrapped my arm around her without unlinking our fingers and squeezed her to me.

I know what it is, she signed, not lifting her head. She leaned against me and continued. When he was drinking from me, something happened nearby. He had almost finished when he let go of both me and my soul. I fought with everything I had, trying to hold on. I still blacked out, but I must have managed to pull myself back into my body. I promised myself that if I somehow survived this, I wouldn't focus on anything but getting him back for what he did. I woke up three days later, still on my bed, she finished. I looked at her and raised her head until she was facing me.

"So that's why you can't see me," I said slowly. She opened her eyes and looked at me, her eyes constantly moving over my face. I chuckled. "You can't see me because of your promise. That's why you can see everyone else more." She shrugged.

I guess so. And I guess that's why I can't talk either. It would mean I was distracted if I was able to talk to anyone I wanted. And why I can't see everyone clearly. I see enough to get myself through, she said. I nodded slowly.

"Well, I think it's about time we let these guys get back to their lives," Esme said. She linked her arm with Carlisle's and smiled softly. "I think we've imposed on them long enough."

"I agree," Carlisle said. "We should be getting back. The six of you have school and the hospital's been calling."

"Have they said anything?" I asked, standing up. Bella followed, not letting go of my hand. He shook his head.

"They just said there was a case that I might be interested in. They wouldn't say anything about it unless I came in," he answered. All of us made our way towards the front door, Billy making his way in front of us. We filed out onto the porch and stopped.

"This has been much more of a pleasure than I first thought it would be," Billy said. Carlisle nodded.

"I agree. If you ever need anything, just let us know. We owe you for this," he said. Billy smiled and stretched his hand towards Carlisle. He took it and put his free hand over Billy's.

"I don't think it's you who owes us, but we'll just agree to help each other if the time ever comes," Billy responded. Carlisle nodded.

"Agreed." We all said our goodbyes and Emmett threw me over his shoulder.

"Sorry, little bro. We're running so you're gonna need a lift." I sighed and Bella laughed, stretching up on the tips of her toes to kiss me.

"Hey, none of that!" Emmett said, taking a step away and making the two of us laugh.

We made it to the house in only a few minutes and Bella went for a quick hunt. Carlisle went up to his office to call the hospital and Esme started cooking something. I sat on the couch and waited for Bella to get back. I heard something coming from upstairs and moved towards them. I saw Carlisle standing at the top, hanging up his phone. He looked down at me and smiled.

"You will never guess who just had surgery," he said. I looked at him, confused, wondering why I would guess the name of someone who was in the hospital. He paused, seeming to realize the wording he used, but continued.

"Danni had her surgery the other day. She's getting out of the hospital now. Her mom is on her way to get her." My eyes grew wide and he came down the stairs.

"She had her surgery?" I asked. "How did it go?"

"It worked. She can hear, but she needs to learn how to talk now. There's also the problem of teaching her what the words she's been signing sound like, but her mom is ready to get started," Carlisle explained. Bella walked through the door then, and came over to where we were standing. She wrapped her arms around my waist and I put one arm around her.

"Can I see her?" I asked. Bella looked up at me, but I didn't look back yet. Carlisle nodded and I turned to Bella as he went to get his keys.

"Bella, we're going to the hospital. One of my friends just had surgery and we're going to visit her," I said excitedly. She looked at me worriedly. "What is it, Bella?" I asked, concerned.

You never mentioned her before. Who is she? Bella asked, and I suddenly realized what she was really asking.

"Bella, this is a little girl I knew from when I was still in the hospital. She walked into my room one day and visited me almost every day. Her mom taught me sign language so I could talk to her," I explained. She smiled softly and nodded.

I'll have to thank her, then. I wouldn't be able to talk to you if she hadn't, Bella signed. I smiled back and kissed her softly. She smiled against me and we broke apart when Carlisle came in.

"Let's get going if you want to see her before she leaves," he said, not acknowledging what he had seen. "And you should probably take your own car in case I get stuck." I nodded and grabbed my keys off the hook in the kitchen.

Bella and I went into the garage to get my car while Carlisle got a head start in his. I pushed the button on my dash to raise the garage door and backed out, not seeing Carlisle anymore. I shifted into drive and headed towards the road, taking Bella's hand on the shifter like we had before.

"You're going to love Danni, Bella. She's like the little sister I never had. I think she's only six or seven and she's got so much energy. She would run around my room telling me stories…I couldn't even tell what she was signing, so she ended up having to tell me all over again. I'll have to translate for you for a while, though, until she starts talking," I said, squeezing Bella's hand.

I heard an ambulance coming up behind me and pulled over, turning to see it shoot by us in the direction of the hospital. I felt an uneasy pang in my chest, but brushed it off, not even sure what could have caused it. I didn't even know who it was. I pulled back onto the road and followed the direction of the ambulance, trying to keep myself calm.

We pulled into the parking lot as the ambulance was leaving. I had to park in the back and we walked slowly to the entrance, Bella not letting go of my hand the whole time. We approached the desk and the secretary smiled at me.

"Edward! Oh, my God! You're walking!" she exclaimed loudly, running around the desk towards me.

She was about as old as Esme looked and had made sure I wasn't bothered too much by the nurses. I thought of her as a savior at the time. I thought differently as she plowed into me, wrapping her arms around my waist and obviously trying to break my grip on Bella's hand. I didn't return her embrace, but she didn't let go all that quickly. I cleared my throat and she hastily backed up, glancing down to see that our hands were still linked. I saw a flash of annoyance, but she didn't say anything.

"What are you doing back here?" she asked.

"I'm looking for someone, actually," I answered, trying not to sound too hasty. She smiled and giggled, turning my stomach.

"I can help with that. I could help you with a lot of things, actually," she said, trying to flirt. I held back my eye-roll.

"The little girl, Danni. She's supposed to be released today. Can you tell me what room she's in?" The secretary went back behind the desk, swinging her hips the whole way.

"Edward," someone called. I turned to see Carlisle coming towards us. His face was pained and he looked like he was regretting what he was going to say.

"Danni's not going anywhere just yet," he said. "An ambulance arrived with a crash victim. She was dead before they arrived. It was Danni's mother." A sound escaped my lips and I felt Bella's arms catch me around my waist. I was set down in a chair and she kneeled in front of me, keeping me from falling forward in case I passed out.

"The strange thing is that her injuries were consistent with any other car crash. There's nothing that we can see that would have killed her so quickly. Bella, I'd like to borrow you for a minute or so. I'd like you to take a look and see if you can find anything we can't," Carlisle continued. I saw Bella nod and look at me. I tried to smile and nodded for her to go. She kissed my forehead and left. They were back before I even realized, Bella taking my hand in hers.

"It's what I thought, Edward. Unfortunately, this seems to be the work of our rebel. Bella couldn't see where her soul went. It looked like it was ripped out of her, but he made it look like she had a heart attack at the wheel." I closed my eyes tightly.

"Have you told her yet?" I whispered.

"Yes, someone was sent up when I came to tell you," he answered gently. Bella took my hands and pulled me to my feet. "She's on the next floor, a few doors down from the elevator."

I nodded and opened my eyes, immediately seeing Bella looking at me worriedly. She wrapped an arm around my waist and we walked over to the elevator, Carlisle leading the way. I didn't pay any attention to the people we walked by, but I heard the sound of a gurney being wheeled away from our direction. We got in the elevator and the first thing we heard as the doors opened was the screaming of a young girl.

A/N: Sorry to leave off on such a bad note, but I was making this a little long. Or, at least it would have been if I had continued. I would have put this up last night, but fanfic wouldn't let me log in…

So, I have a little bit of bad news. I don't think I'll be able to update this weekend with all of the stuff for school I have to get done, but I will definitely update the week after. I'll try to work on the next chapter as often as I can, but I have my senior speech, scholarships, and the second half of a term paper to do. Believe me, I would rather do this. I actually left off here so it's easier to start the next one.

The song is All These Lives by Daughtry. It probably would have fit the next chapter better than this one, but I can always find another.

Please review and vote on my poll! :)