Natalia's POV

Tick…Tock…Tick…Tock…

The minutes seemed like hours, and the hour seemed like days. How long had we been waiting? I had my heart lodged somewhere in the back of my throat. What a wild ride my life had turned into. Who would have ever known that I would lose my wonderfully big, loving, caring family and find myself the daughter of sorts of two Vampires who once tried to have me for dinner? Huh…

My mind whirled in circle after circle thinking back on my mother, my sister and my cousins…my uncles and my father – all dead. Every single one of them died at the hands of the monsters just down the hall…the monsters my new dad was about to confront. I don't know what happened to me when I offered my blood to Bella, but a bond, stronger than is describable with words alone, formed between us. In a way, that is to be expected – that was something quite intense. What I did not expect was the just-as-strong connection I held with Alec. Oddly enough I could feel him…when he wasn't around. Having two of them now, well it is like a heavy mist weighing down on me. I can feel the anxiety of the present day Alec and the confusion and torn feelings from Alec of the past.

As we waited in silence, Bella passing back and forth driving me nuts (I mean, aren't vampires supposed to be still?) I was listening to the amplified sound of my wrist watch.

Tick…Tock…Tick…To-

And then a feeling so strong, scary and at the same time, so vile befell me. Vision after vision of horrible deaths of Alec washed over me. It was odd because I could see Alec killing Alec and I felt both intentions and emotions at the same time. Both eyes glared at each other, both with malice.

I felt myself falling. I felt a sharp pain on my left eye and then I felt strong cold hands embrace me. I tried to shout for her to leave me and save Alec but the words just wouldn't come.

Come on, Nattie, you need to try harder. Spit it out! I thought to myself.

"H-he's…h-he's g-g-g-going to d-die." I managed to finally say. The visions of the two Alec's started to fade and I felt my body turn to ice. From somewhere off in the distance I heard Bella's voice say my name but all I could think about was Alec.

…and with that, his name was the last thing I ever breathed.

Bella's POV

The world was both entirely too vivid for such a dark moment, and too dark for such a shocking situation. Her words, although understood with the ears did not process clearly in my mind. How could it? Chose between leaving Natalia here alone and going to save Alec, or letting Alec take care of himself and possibly risk losing him while I mourned Natalia's death?

Natalia…what the hell happened? One minute she is fine and then…and then…

No, I could not lose her. I had to try and save her…but how? She didn't have a pulse.

I had to try anyway. I couldn't give up on her, not now.

Slowly I brought her wrist to my mouth. Slowly and not without cringing, I bit down. I thought about my venom. I let it fill my mouth and slide through her veins. I squeezed her arm trying to pump the blood manually into her system.

I remembered Natalia's blood. It was the only living blood I ever had and it was the most wonderful sensation, the rush of warmth and the sweetness of it as it made its way into my mouth, easing the ache in my burning throat.

Now…I was not only repulsed, but I had to fight a gag reflex I thought I no longer possessed. Oh, it was there alright. I continued my attack on her blood stream for six minutes and forty one seconds before I knew I had done all I could. I sat there on the ground, her lifeless body in my arms and I cursed the day I became a vampire, for now I was denied of the tears I longed to shed for this beautiful young girl who had her whole life ahead of her.

"I'm so sorry Natalia. I have failed you. I'm so sorry; so, so, so sorry." My voice cracked a time or two and I no longer cared if someone found me. I no longer cared if I was in danger. I would kill the person, dead or un-dead who dared come near her. The thought of it made a guttural growl escape from my lips and for the very first time I felt all the vampire within me. For the first time I lost who I was, Bella the girl stupidly in love, and immersed myself into Bella, the raging bitch of a vampire.

And then I realized that I was becoming something that both Natalia AND Alec would not agree with. What was I thinking? Nattie died trying to warn me of Alec's demise, the love of my life was in danger and I was sitting here acting like a child. Would I allow Nattie to have died in vain? I straighten my back and looked down at this angel's face.

"I'm sorry Nattie, but I have to let you go. I have to go help Alec." The sobbing was uncontrollable and it took all kinds of efforts to get the words out.

"I will not leave you here, sunshine. I will come back for you."

The venom wasn't working. She didn't stir and the smell of blood was pure. The venom never reached her heart – it never would. I have lost her for good. I couldn't save her family, I couldn't keep her safe as a human and I couldn't give her a chance to become one of us. I was a complete and utter failure.

But I would not fail again. I would save Alec. He is all I have left in this dark, terrifyingly tragic world.