AN: I know. i know. and i;m sorry! it's been forever since my last update it seems. And it was going to take longer, but i really needed to put out a chapter in honor of FALLING STAR's 1st birthday which was earlier in January. I've survived all the amazing reviews and the mob of readers waiting in my inbox with their pitch forks and torches ready if i didn't crank out another chapter soon, for a year now. And i loved every minute of it. i hope this year brings more fantastic reviews and more readers to my stories. Thank you everyone who has helped Selene's story come to life in my first attempt at a AU/OC story!

Now i hope this short little chapter is enjoyable for you all. Only 1-3 more chapters left...and then we are going to be having some laughs with the Cullens over their summer break befire we jump into MOONLESS NIGHT.

Read. Enjoy. And Review plz!!!!!

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Decision Time

(Selene's POV)

Bella had been unconscious for three days. In that time, Renee had returned from across the country and Charlie had driven here from Forks. Both were extremely worried, but had completely bought into the story that we had told them. News reporters were turned away with words of 'no comment' and everything had settled down. Well, that was with the exception of the fact that Bella hadn't woken up yet.

The only thing that was keeping my brother sane with her being unconscious was the fact that Carlisle had examined her once when her doctor was out of the room and had assured us that she'd be fine. She wasn't in a comma.

Alice and Jasper had driven back to Forks two days ago. I had tried to get Emmett to go with them, but he wouldn't leave my side. The day Alice got back into Washington, she had called me. I laughed to myself as I thought of our conversation.

*~*~*~*~*~*

My phone vibrated violently in my pocket as Edward and I sat in the waiting room, awaiting the diagnostic from Bella's doctor. I was thinking about not answering it, but if it was Esme, that would have been a bad call on my part. So I quickly slipped my hand into my butt pocket (where I always keep my phone) and withdrew my black phone.

Alice Cullen

I groaned. I wasn't really in the mood for my sister's chirpy voice, but I answered anyway. But no sooner had I flipped open the phone, then Alice's voice was screeching through the speaker. I couldn't make out anything she was saying though. Alice was talking way too fast and too loudly. I had to hold the cell away from my head so she didn't mess up my vampiric hearing.

"Alice!" I whispered just loudly enough to carry my voice to the speakers. "Calm down and quiet down! You are screaming into my ear!"

Edward was chuckling darkly next to me. I hissed at him lightly.

Think it's funny? I shot at him.

He just smirked and turned away.

Alice had quit with her screeches enough for me to put my phone to my head by then.

"That's better. Now what is it Alice?"

There were three humans in the room with Edward and me, so I had to speak at a human level. I so was not in the mood for this human façade right then.

"Oh my God! So Jasper and I get home and Jasper starts twitching like he was absolutely uncomfortable. I asked him what was wrong, but then I heard a ton of moans and other noises coming from the house. I had a vision of Esme out hunting, so she wasn't in the house.

"So, Jasper and I walked in the front door, and there was furniture strewn all over the place. I had a pretty good idea what was going on, but out of curiosity, Jasper and I followed the noises upstairs…"

I groaned as my sister spoke. I had a pretty good idea where this conversation was going already.

"The noises were coming from Rosalie's room. We should have known better than to go through the door…but we did anyway. Oh my God! And there Rosalie was. Ummm…underneath a naked Connor!"

Wow. I was pretty sure I saw that coming, but still. That must have been so awkward for Jazz and Alice. I couldn't help it. I had to start laughing. Just the fact on how awkward it would have been for them and just the thought that Rosalie already had another guy wrapped around her finger, it was all just hilarious.

"It's not funny Selene!"

"Oh yes it is Alice. It's very funny."

"What's funny?" Edward leaned towards me to ask. He apparently hadn't heard Alice on the other end. But he sure did here me cracking up.

Alice and Jasper caught Rosalie sleeping with Connor. I told him, so that the people around us wouldn't hear me.

His eyebrows rose the highest I've ever seen them go before and his lips curled in an evil smile.

Really? That was quick. He was mentally laughing his ass off.

Yeah, I know huh! I was laughing just as hard as my brother was by then. Rosalie sure bounced back from things quickly. She and Emmett had just broken up not too long ago, and she had just met Connor a few days ago. My sister wasted absolutely no time when it came to the guy she wanted.

"Alright. I suppose we shouldn't be surprised, but we will now be prepared to deal with their…ummm…sex life when we get home. Hopefully it's not as heated as hers and Emmett's was. That was bad," I whispered into the phone.

"Yeah, well, they've been at it since before we got home, and Esme is hiding out in this little rundown cottage she found out in the forest. We're staying with her."

"Is the house still standing at least? I would hate for Esme to have to make plans to rebuild the place."

"I ran by there an hour ago. It seems to be in one piece still."

"That's good…"

"Selene." I was cut off on my end by Emmett's loud whisper. "Why are you and Edward laughing so much?"

My brother and I glanced at each other and burst out laughing again.

"Alice, I'm gonna go okay?" I gasped through laughs.

"Kay!" then the phone clicked and she was gone.

Emmett had the cutest confused look on his face and I took mercy on him as Edward and I continued to take all the humor in the world from his situation.

"Your ex-wife seems to have been, uh, getting it on with our newest member of the family."

His whole face lit up and then he was laughing too.

"No way! Already?"

I nodded. Em fell down into the seat next to me, put an arm over my shoulder, and the three of us sat there laughing until the doctor returned…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Coming back to the present time, I saw Emmett return from his "trip to the quick stop down the street". His eyes were newly revived to their topaz gleam and they were shining as soon as he saw me.

"Where's lover boy?" He asked as he took up his seat next to me again.

"Pretending to be taking a nap in Bella's room while Renee fuses over things that can't be hurried."

Emmett sighed and smiled.

"We should go to Vegas tonight. You and me. Just the two of us."

Startled by those sudden words, I turned to face my fiancé with a confused expression clearly painted on my face. What was he getting at? Bella was still in the hospital, unconscious nonetheless. Why would we leave Phoenix when Edward was crazy worried, Bella was comatose and Carlisle was irritated because he wasn't registered in this hospital, so he couldn't really do anything to help?

"What? You don't like that idea?" He asked in reply to my expression.

I shrugged, unsure really of what to say.

"I don't know. It's just that that was out of no where and Bella's condition… what are you getting at?"

Emmett's mind was a blur of too many things for me to get a read on anything. For my powers being more enhanced than Edward's, Emmett sure knew how to through my mind reading off when he absolutely wanted to surprise me with what he had to say.

"Well, while I was out just now, I was thinking…"

I laughed. "That's a dangerous thing."

"Not as dangerous as you thinking," he shot back. I could tell he just wanted me to listen, so I shut up and allowed him to continue.

"I love you Selene, love you with everything I am and have. I've lived close to seventy-five years without actually being with you and that was hard enough. I have you now. I love you now and always will. I don't want to wait until this summer to marry you. Our family's been through a lot and I want us to get married."

"Tonight?" I was bewildered. I loved him too, but I was so stunned that I was lost for words.

"Yes. Tonight. Vegas. Reno. Tahoe. LA. You name the place and we'll be there tonight." He was excited now. Emmett really wanted this. He loved me, and I loved him. I was never letting him go…but…I didn't want this.

"No."

"Huh? Why not?"

A mask of hurt shot across his face and I hurried to justify my answer.

"Emmett," I place one had on his cheek and pulled his face around to look at me. "Don't get me wrong Em. I love you too. I love you more than anything. But I don't want to elope. Not with you. You're too important to me to just go off and elope."

The hurt was still evident on his face, but it was starting to get phased out with confusion.

"What?"

"I've done the eloping thing before- with Cornel. Nobody but him and myself were there. It felt right for us. But, Emmett, you are my one and only. You're all I've ever looked for in a guy. And the fact that I've found my way to you, I want to commemorate it with a large wedding with our whole family. I owe Alice and Esme that much."

"So you want to wait until June 30th?"

Now he was simply sheepish. He had doubting the fact that I loved him when I had denied the idea to go to Vegas, and now I'd showed him that I truly did love him.

I nodded. A smile was touching my lips. I touched my smile to his smaller one and we shared a short kiss.

"I do love you Emmett. I promise you that much."

"I believe you. I love you too Selene."

Then he deepened the kiss. Every part of my body tingled with excitement. It was a good thing we were in the middle of a hospital waiting room, otherwise, we would have crossed the line I'd drawn for until he and I were married. Our kiss lasted a few minutes, until approaching footsteps interrupted us. We pulled apart just in time for Renee to round the corner.

I stood to greet her, Emmett right behind me.

"How is she?"

The smile, and her excited thoughts answered that question before her words did.

"She's finally awake! Oh, my poor Bella!"

"Bella was definitely very lucky," I answered.

"Lucky your family was a round. If your family hadn't been around, who knows what would have been the outcome."

I gave her a thin smile as I thought about the real reason Bella was in the hospital. Renee nodded and then proceeded towards the cafeteria. As soon as she was out of sight, I began walking dutifully towards Bella and Edward's voices at the end of the hall. Emmett never left my side, as he took my hand in his. He gave my fingers a squeeze and I smiled up at him.

"Things are going to be fine," he whispered to me.

"I know."

Then a loud beeping erupted from Bella's room, and I was pulling Emmett quickly behind me in a run for the door.

(Edward's POV)

"No! I'm staying with you! I'm not going anywhere without you."

Bella was panicking after I'd told her that she needed to go and live in Jacksonville and that I would have to stay in Forks. She hadn't liked that one bit. The heart monitor she was hooked up to began going crazy as she became more agitated. The beeping was so loud, I was afraid that a nurse was going to come rushing in. As it was, I jumped just slightly when the door opened with a slap from the wood to reveal my sister and her fiancé.

"What's wrong?" She said hurriedly.

"Nothing…" I started to say, but I was cut off by Bella's frantic voice.

"Edward is telling me to live in Jacksonville, and that he would stay in Forks. I'm going nowhere without him though!"

She was so upset; I thought she was going to hyperventilate. Selene dashed to her bedside and put the back of her hand to Bella's forehead to calm her down. Bella's breaths began to ease, and her eyes lost the wild edge they'd attained when I'd said those things.

My sister shot me a nasty glare as she calmed my Bella down. I didn't know how she did it without Jasper in the room, but apparently her presence was welcome to Bella.

Why would you say that Edward?!

She was hissing at me with more venom than I'd ever heard her speak in. It was actually pretty scary. Bells couldn't see Selene's face, but the irritation there was plain from the monster that seemed to gleam from her essence.

She needs to. I'm not safe for her. You've seen what's happened and…

And nothing! None of this was anybody's fault but James'. And he got what he had coming. Bella will return to Forks if that is what she wants, and you will not guilt her into leaving!

Her mental tone left no room for argument. She was adamant in keeping the two of us together, and nothing I said against it would sway her idea of what was right or swing her favor to my side.

Damn straight. And don't you forget that Brother.

With that, I nodded to her and approached Bella. As soon as my hand touched her skin, my hand lit on fire with the pulse of her warm blood. Selene whispered something into Bella's ear, too low for me to make out, and then she and Emmett were gone- with one more glare for me of course. Selene just wouldn't be the sister I'd known for over a century if she hadn't glared at me that last time.

Taking a deep breath, I allowed my sister's words to make my decision for me.

"I'm not going anywhere Bella. I'm yours for as long as you want me."

"Always. I'll always want you," she breathed.

As I leaned in to kiss her forehead, I whispered, "We'll see." She didn't hear me though, and that was probably for the better.