Wow, almost two hundred reviews! I can't believe it, pinch me I'm dreaming! Lol. Anyway, thank you everyone for all the support for this story! It even beat my 24 chapter fan fiction- but then again that was a really random kind of fan fiction. I'm really trying with this one-trying not to make it a random bouncy of weird ideas. I've gotten a lot of questions about what exactly the deal involved that Bella made, well I'm about to reveal that in this chapter hopefully. Thank you everyone and please enjoy but make sure to…REVIEW!

Chapter Seventeen: The Deal

B Pov

I felt so relieved. When I heard Edward speak, his expression was so sincere. I couldn't possibly believe otherwise. Even Rosalie! I mean, we hadn't exactly been enemies but we weren't extremely friendly like Alice and I. Still I felt there was something I was missing. And thinking about it as well as the hurried voices of the Cullens as they each rushed to say that I didn't have to make any sort of deal to keep them safe, well it was so naïve. It was a nice thought but it was the only way for us to go on living- unchanged and unharmed, even if I was different.

I was leaning on Edward's shoulder in the living room now, the sun slowly disappearing behind the horizon. I was so tired now that all the adrenaline had rushed out of me. So I closed my eyes, tuning out the jingle for super carpet cleaner.

"What do I have to do?" The hunter me smiled dangerously, if I hadn't known who she was I would have said she was a vampire. I looked somewhat different than her though, she was more penciled perfection- like a rose come to life. Her dark hair tumbled in silky waves, her skin a smooth white and her body seeming to move fluidly. Everything about her screamed lethal predator- a predator of predators.

She smiled again, as if hearing what I had been thinking. I didn't like her smile; it was cold and somewhat hungry. One that I'd seen all too well to like being a mirror reflection of myself.

"I pride myself at being at the top of the food chain," she laughed. I gave her a blank look. "It's a cruel world, Bella. Vampires seem to make it even more so by existing- making it more of a darker world. They survive by draining the life from anything or anyone who could have had a life."

"Not all vampires!" I defended. She laughed again, the sound like bells. She shook with menacing laughter.

"I'm not here to argue about your conflicting thoughts on vampires. I'm here to make a deal with you."

"Of which I'm aware," I glared at her, trying with little success to send an ounce of the fear back toward her.

"Well all I'm asking is a little control…" Her expression was almost gentle, smothering me in her tempting words. It took all my will not to agree right there.

"Control over what?"

"You," she said causally before she shrugged. "I mean just when I see fit."

"Deal."

"You don't want to think about this some more?"

"No, I can't afford to waste time. I've got to save Edward."

"So eager to rush off to the leech. Ah well, your life I guess- if it's drained out of you I suppose it's not my fault."

"Edward would never do that," I almost growled back. She smiled that familiar dangerous smile. I felt my own lips curl back in a familiar fashion.

"We have a deal then Isabella." She glided across the thin line that seemed to separate us. All I could see were her dark brown eyes, shimmering in something I didn't recognize, a faint smile still tugging at her lips.

I blinked a few times and focused on the TV. 50 First Dates was showing on the screen, Emmet booming with laughter even though it had only just begun. Had I made a stupid mistake then?

"Bella," Edward whispered in my ear. Without thinking, I looked up at him. He was smiling at me, a much different smile from the hunter. It was full of love instead of malice or barely concealed threats. He reached out a hand and brushed my bangs back from my forehead, bangs that I had specifically brushed over my forehead this morning to cover the blood red crescent moon that the hunter had drawn. It seemed like everything was in slow motion as I noticed several things at once; Edward hadn't noticed yet in the dark but he would and the others were oblivious to us as they were still watching the movie.

And then, his cold fingers recoiled as if he'd been burned by my skin.

"Bella? What is that?" Simultaneously, Alice and Jasper, Emmet and Rosalie looked toward us. I felt my face redden and hurriedly flattened my bangs over the moon shape again.

"Would you believe that my cat is an artist?" I laughed. "I mean she just got into my paints the other day and stepped all over my face!" The looks I was getting said that not one of them was convinced by my faulty story.

"What happened?"It was almost sad to hear how worried Edward sounded now, and over nothing more than a little red splotch.

"It's nothing really. Vivian decided to take me to a football game the other day and we painted the team logos on our faces- only mine still hasn't washed off," I lied again. It was almost scary how natural lying was getting to me now.

"Bella!" Alice demanded in an impatient voice.

"Alright, alright! It's just something that happened that night, I don't know why!" Everyone exchanged glances.

E Pov

You could almost cut the tension in the air with a knife. Bella was ok and that was all that mattered. Plus all had been forgiven with the added bonus that there didn't seem to be any hunters after us at the moment. But I was still a little worried, sometimes Bella would just space out or seem like she was deep in thought. I didn't know if she was coming to good or bad conclusions either.

I was getting an uneasy feeling about that moon shape as Bella hurriedly tried to turn everyone's attention elsewhere. There was something…unnatural about it. And the color was bright, almost as if blood had been painted on her face. But how in the world would that have happened? She didn't have it on her before Vivian drove off with her and I'm pretty sure that it wasn't added while she was there either.

B Pov

Isabella Swan's Log- Tuesday November 4, 2009

The deal is weighing heavy on my mind now. It seems like more of a mistake than ever, even if my intentions were good. Exactly how much control had I allowed the hunter over me, and exactly when is it that she sees fit to join in? It's almost like an uninvited guest- or a teacher who doesn't intervene when two children were fighting until one of them has a close call. I don't like this one bit. Edward and the others saw the mark today and I had no choice but to tell them the truth. But even I don't know what that is. I had just woken up with it on me. Had the doctors somehow given me an identifying tattoo?

It means I can't hunt anymore. Not that I still did but still, now all my enemies will be able to identify me. I was marked and that means I'll have to face the fact that I've got to get out of here. Forks isn't safe anymore. For the Cullens, the humans, or even me. I'm too vulnerable. I've got to get a hold of the Council branch office and have them set up a place to go into hiding. How long? I'm not sure. Where? Not much choice but I'm open to ideas. What does this mean exactly for the Cullens? It all depends on them, I suppose. They've come to be my family but as I've learned, sometimes we have to leave our families.

After returning to the house, I've found something amazing. It's an oval shaped golden locket. The Swan crest is carved beautifully into the surface, surrounded by a border of intertwining roses. I haven't managed to open it yet but I can feel how old it is. It feels like it was mine in some sort of distant memory but I know I've never seen the beautiful locket in my life. I hold it in my hands or wear it around my neck like I am now and I can almost feel my ancestors doing the same. Elizabeth's pale fingers holding it delicately like it may break in her fingers, Diana drawing strength from a reminder of her family, Violet feeling the weight of the knowledge of the past flood into her fingers, and Renee. She looked into the shiny surface of the precious locket and saw a future for herself. A loving husband of the same clan and a small daughter who was a smaller version of herself.

I feel the Swan family pulsing behind this locket, as if they're all sleeping inside-just waiting for me to open it and wake them all up. I wonder what Renee would say now that I'm older and in love with a vampire. But not just a vampire; a guy who understands me, loves me regardless, and would protect me no matter what- who just happens to have a diet of animal blood. Because that's how I see it now, they're not just vampires…they're family and Edward is the love of my life. I'll open this locket, I'll figure this out and I won't let anyone ever come close to hurting any of them.

-Isabella Marie Swan

Third Person

Bella didn't know that as she sat up late scribbling furiously in her log that others from the Council were wide awake as well- planning the demise of the very things she fought so hard to protect.

Though there was no actual conference meeting, several members and guests were conversing to each other through e-mail, phone or letter. They simply could not believe that they had finally perfected Project Rose, a super weapon who could wipe out all vampires off the face of the Earth in a span of 24 hours. And Rose would not allow for weaknesses that some hunters tend to let show all too often. Isabella Swan was a very good choice, they all agreed.

They studied her progress through computers and lap tops, the built in nanochip giving them a good idea of how well it was already beginning to work. Rose had come to Isabella as a hallucination in the form of herself- but with the idea of a deal in which Isabella would choose to reject Rose or keep her attached in which she could begin to make progress. Rose was indeed special, she had spoken carefully and chosen the right words to make sure that Isabella had kept her there and not died.

The prospect of this one special girl was mind blowing to many who had attended and many whom had been hunters and knew how difficult things could be and how easily things could get out of hand.

But one Dr. Newton was the one who was actively providing information to curious members and guests alike. He was the one who was solely credited for the creation of Project Rose and containing it in the small rose that would star the process. He kept special tabs on the monitors, watching for anything to happen. The others who had been able to acquire monitors of Project Rose were not minuet by minuet as Dr. Newton's was. Isabella was in the company of vampires which in turn made Rose react crazily but not to the point of intervening…yet.

"Mike!" Dr. Newton called to his son. Mike came trotting in moments later with an annoyed expression. He glared at his father as if he'd asked him to swallow mercury.

"What?"

"I want you to bring that Swan girl over for a date!" Dr. Newton laughed, making his tone sound more like a concerned parent who was worried their child wasn't socializing enough.

"Oh yeah that's gonna happen! She's dating that Cullen guy."

"That hasn't stopped you before."

"Yeah…I guess you're right!" He said as if it only just occurred to him. Dr. Newton sighed mentally at the stupidity of his son sometimes. Mike was walking back out of the lab when he turned back to gaze at the monitors. "What are you working on this time?"

"Oh just a gene strengthening serum we're practicing on a hamster." Mike rolled his eyes.

"Sounds boring, later!" And disappeared behind the lab's door. Dr. Newton sighed in relief and smiled to himself when he saw that an e-mail had popped up from one of the guests who had attended the meeting.

Dr. Newton,

Congratulations on the find! It must mean a lot to you that Project Rose is fully operational and with a subject at the moment. I am curious though, who picked Isabella? Not that I'm complaining. All seems to be well in your choice…or whoever picked her. If you did, is there any particular reason you did so? I'd appreciate an update on the results. Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

John Theodore Henderson.