Disclaimer – I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. :'(

That honor still remains with the genius that is Stephanie Meyer.

A/N – I know it's taking me a while to update, but I want to thank all of those who have reviewed and/or added me or the story to their alerts and/or favourites. It means a lot.

Chapter Five: Confirmation and Choices

Bella's POV

I can't believe I did that. I went against my father. He wanted Edward to leave, and I couldn't have that. In a way, I'm glad that I went against him. He needed to understand just how serious I was and still am about Edward.

Carlisle and Esme collected Edward and me outside my house. Before Edward left, I never would have heard the Volvo's engine as it drove down the road and pulled up to the curb. I did now. I could hear everything. I could hear the wind as it rushed through the branches on the trees. I could hear nocturnal animals running around in the dark. I could hear Edward's every breath and heartbeat, as well as my own. And now as we neared the Cullen House, I could hear the others unpacking and settling into their nightly routines again.

Carlisle drove straight into the open garage and turned off the engine. As we exited the car, Alice came bounding in, throwing her arms around me and hugging my tightly. A move like that would have left me with bruises if I'd been a mere human.

"Bella! I missed you." Alice all but sang as she hugged me.

"I missed you too, Alice. So much."

"Come on!" She said, taking my hand and pulling me inside the house. I felt Edward, Carlisle and Esme follow on behind me. The garage connects onto the kitchen and the living area through two separate doors, Alice pulled me through to the living room. Jasper was there waiting for us, he stood up as we entered. For once his eyes weren't on Alice… they were on me.

"Bella, I'm so-" He began, but I cut him off.

"It was never your fault, Jasper." I said, showing him my emotions. Showing him I meant it. He walked towards me, but paused a few feet away. "I never blamed you."

"If I had remained in control, we never would have left."

"Jasper, stop. It was my fault, not yours." I tried to convince him.

"No." Edward and Jasper said at the same time.

"If I had been careful and not gotten a paper cut, you wouldn't have needed to control yourself around me."

"You're not going to let me apologize, are you?" He asked and I shook my head.

"There's nothing for you to apologize for, and that is final." I replied, firmly. Jasper sighed, but nodded his acceptance.

"I know, I completely agree." Edward said. I looked at him; his eyes were focused on me, their depths greener than an emerald locked in a chest full of blue diamonds. "Just something Jazz thought to me."

"What did you say?" Alice said as she skipped over to Jasper and slipped an arm through his.

"I said that Bella is too good and gracious, and that it's wonderful to her back."

"I think we're all in agreement there." A voice said from the top of the stairs. It was Emmett, he leaped down the stairs and landed with a shudder. He took two steps, then scooped me up into his arms and spun me around in a circle.

"Emmett, be careful. She's still breakable and I'd like my Bella to remain in one piece." Edward reprimanded.

"Yeah, yeah Edward. You know I would hurt never her." He said as he put me back on the floor. "It's good to have you back… little sis."

"Thanks Emmett." I could help grin at his enthusiasm at seeing me again. Plus, he did call me his little sister and I did quite like the sound of that. I took my eyes away from Emmett to see Rosalie at the top of the staircase, slowly making her way down at a human pace. She looked from me to Edward. Something she saw in him made her normally negative expression towards me change.

"For once, I'm in agreement with some of the things said here. …It is good to have you back." She said as she took the last few steps that brought her next to Emmett and in front of me. I could tell that she meant what she said. I couldn't fathom it though. Rosalie didn't like me. That was universally acknowledged. So why was she being nice now?

In answer to my mental question, Edward walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist and buried his face in the curve of my neck and took a deep relishing breathe.

"He has a smile on his face, and a genuine one at that. You did that, Bella." Rosalie said, smiling. "And I just want to say I'm sorry. Sorry to both of you, for how I've acted. You make my brother happy, and I'm sorry it took me a while to realise that. …and," She took a deep breath. "I would be happy, to have you as my sister."

"Thank you." I said, shocked. My voice had risen a little, and Edward, who was still hiding his face against my skin, chuckled in acknowledgment. I felt my blush pool in my cheeks. Feeling the warmth, he looked up and smiled. My brown eyes met his green ones and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Okay, I still need to diagnose what exactly is going on with Bella…" Carlisle said, breaking mine and Edward's reverie. Still looking at me, Edward nodded.

"You're right, but just tell this to me straight, Carlisle. Is Bella turning out like me?"

"Possibly, but I need to check to be sure." Carlisle hypothesized.

"What are you going to do?" I enquired. Carlisle obviously had a theory of what was happening to me, and he'd already expressed the thought that I was becoming a half vampire like Edward. But how?

"I'm going to check your reactions."

"My reactions?"

"Speed, strength, hearing and sight." Carlisle explained. "If you are equal to Edward, all of those should be heightened at an exponential rate." I nodded. That all made sense and I couldn't help but smile at the sound of Edward and I being equals. I didn't always have to be Lois Lane.

"Come on, we have a lot of unpacking to do. Let's just leave them to conduct their examinations." Esme recommended. Emmett looked disappointed but after a small tug from Rosalie, he reluctantly left and went upstairs.

"Okay, well Jazz and I will go shopping." Alice announced, taking Jasper's hand.

"Alice, its seven minutes past four in the morning."

"I know, but that doesn't mean we can't shop over the internet. We need food and new bed spreads." With that she and Jasper disappeared round the corner to unpack the computer.

"Alice!" Edward said, calling her back. Her head appeared round the corner. "Can you order a bed for mine and Bella's room?"

"I knew you were going to say that." She nodded then vanished. I barely registered that he said 'mine and Bella's', I was too happy to say anything. With only Esme left, she smiled and picked up one of the boxes at the bottom of the stairs. It was open slightly and I could see that it was full of the pictures from Carlisle's office. Each one was carefully wrapped up in bubble wrap and cushioned with newspaper. She left quietly with her smile still fixed in place.

"Shall we?" Carlisle began. Both Edward and I nodded. "Right, Bella we'll start off with the easiest first. Four and a half miles away in the forest there is something going on, what can you hear?"

Carlisle was looking at me with an excited shine in his eyes. I had a feeling that he wanted me to be the same as Edward. To be equal. I didn't want to let either of them down, so I blocked out any and all sounds that were coming from inside the house and focused on the outside. I listened further and further until I found what I was looking for. It was the sound of deforestation.

"The trees are being cut down. There are four men there." I replied, certain of my answer. Knowing it was correct. Judging by the grins from both Edward and Carlisle, I was right.

"Brilliant Bella. Now turn to the window and look."

Edward's arms were still wrapped around me, so we both moved to the left to face the window. It was pitch black outside, being just after four in the morning, and the location being Forks.

"What do you see?"

"Everything. The blades of grass are moving swiftly through the breeze. I can see the stream flowing down river. I can see each leaf that falls from the trees float down to the ground." I felt Edward grin into my hair, it seemed that he finally felt happy that I was like him.

"Excellent. Now for the harder tests." Carlisle looked round, think on what he would like me to do. "Bella, lift up the armchair." As Carlisle said that, Edward, reluctantly let go of me.

"One hand, or both?"

"Whichever you feel comfortable with."

I took a deep breath and moved towards the armchair. I gripped it with both hands and on a whim, raised it off of the ground with ease, bringing it higher past my waist and near to my head. It weighed like air to me. I didn't struggle and I wasn't in any pain. It was easy. I gently placed it back on the floor. It didn't make a sound. I sighed in disbelief.

"Your hearing, sight and strength has increased. I'm willing to bet that you can run like we do as well. Do you want to give it a try?" I nodded, a smile beginning to form on my face. Edward moved from one side of the room to the other, it was a good twenty metre distance. "Okay, run from me to Edward."

I didn't wait for Carlisle to tell me to go, I just ran. I didn't trip and injure myself like I would have done a few hours ago. I didn't feel like an idiot, running indoors. But the best part? One second I was standing by Carlisle and less than 3 seconds later I was in Edwards arms on the other side of the room. We both looked back at Carlisle who was showing both his Physical age of 23 and his Mental age of 363. And both were happy, young and carefree.

"Welcome to a life of a Vampire, Bella. You and Edward are equals."