A/N – Happy New Year!

Once again, I would just like to say thank you for all the kind reviews – it is really inspiring!

I would like to promote a great little tale that my friend, LolaRosa is currently writing called Macabre. It is a real gem and I believe it truly describes the dark days of Edward's rebellious years…please stop by and show her some love!! You can find it at:

www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5501651/1/Macabre

ChangedbyEdward, my lovely beta….thanks so much for looking after me so well and all your support!

Stephenie M owns all…..thank goodness she shares!!


Chapter 16

(Victoria's POV)

I sat, my back tight against the stone wall of the cave, as I watched his body squirm and shake, taking its last few movements of humanity. His breathing was shallow, each breath more frail than the last until finally, his chest moved no longer. I waited, anxious for his eyes to open, unsure of what to expect.

Moments passed and he stirred slightly, and then... his eyes opened wide. In a moment he was on his feet, crouched like the predator he had now become, a growl rumbling from deep within. His sight focussed on me and in a moment he had me pinned against the wall, hunger raging in his eyes.

"What have you done to me?" His voice had a new haunting tone and I smiled coyly as I took in the perfection I had created. His body had taken on a lean, chiselled look to its already fit physique and his hair now glistened with golden strands throughout the blonde locks that framed his face. I watched his expression change rapidly as he held me against the wall. I didn't move but continued to smile at him, waiting for him to relax his grip.

Realizing he needed me to answer his questions, I didn't have to wait long for him to release me. He moved away from me and stood staring, his arms folded tightly against his chest.

"Michael, I have been waiting for you to wake up, my pet." I moved towards him stealthily, my hands gently caressing his arms. "I know you must be a thirsty boy. Let me take you hunting and then we can discuss what has happened."

"No! I want you to tell me what happened now!"

"You will never grow old and are now stronger than you could have ever imagined. You no longer require sleep, or any of the other hindrances your human life encumbered you with. Your only requirement in life is to take what you need to survive. You have been given a wonderful gift, Michael – my only hope is that you will allow me to show you all your new world has to offer."

"I don't understand. How did this happen?" I could see the questions in his eyes, but I also could see excitement in his expression as he took in all I had told him. His skin, smooth and hard, was alive with electricity under my touch and I was overcome with desire to touch him and to have him touch me. A hiss escaped from my lips and he looked at me, questioning my reaction. I shook my head slightly and took his hand in mine.

"Come with me now, Michael. Let us find you something delicious to feast on." His grip tightened in mine as we ran from the cave. I was pleased with his strength and speed – I knew that he would be remarkable, but he far exceeded my expectations. I felt his eagerness to rush ahead of me, to test his new abilities and I urged him to do so, knowing that he would not stray far from me. The bond between a maker and fledgling is powerful and difficult to ignore.

He grinned at me as he sped off ahead, and once again I was overcome with feelings that I could not understand. Why was his transformation so different for me? What were these feelings?

I had led him in the opposite direction of Forks, not wanting his first kill to be anyone that might cause him distress. I had no doubt that once he had drank from his first victim, there would be no hesitation in feeding from anyone he might meet, but I knew it would be better if his recollections of his previous life laid dormant, at least until I could make use of them in better ways.

Darkness was falling as we approached the outskirts of Tacoma and I watched with interest as he got his first scent of human blood. I knew his first feeding could easily turn into a bloodbath and as much as I would have enjoyed watching him kill with reckless abandon, I knew now was not the time for a grand display of carnage.

"Michael, come with me." I took his hand again in mine and slowed our pace to appear as though we were taking a leisurely walk in town. His eyes darted in every direction as I led him towards the water where I knew we were likely to find a few lone travellers that would go unmissed. "We must be discreet, love. It is the only law that we must follow."

A low growl from the depths of his throat was his only response and I tightened my grip on his hand. "Un ugh."

I scolded him. "Just watch and I will show you what to do. I promise, you will have all you can drink before we are through." He relaxed a little and watched me as I moved towards an elderly lady out for a walk with her poodle. I rolled my eyes as I watched the little dog, dressed like a child. "Oh my, what a lovely little dog you have there. What is his name?" The woman turned to respond to my question and I grasped her by the shoulders, sinking my teeth into her neck, paralyzing her with my venom. The poodle began to yap, so I yanked the leash from her wrinkled hands and snarled at the dog, scaring it away. Michael's eyes were dark with hunger as he watched my movements. I slit her wrist and he drank from it hungrily, draining her almost immediately.

I watched carefully as he dropped her arm and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I want more."

I nodded, knowing the depth of his hunger. I felt the venom surge again to my throat, my hunger almost mirroring his own, and knew that Tacoma would lose more than a few residents that night. Smiling at the thought, I tossed the woman's remains into the water and held my hand out to him. "Then come, love, let us find you more," I whispered as we disappeared into the darkness of the night.


(Bella's POV)

Heat. I thought that I had felt the last of it when I left my home in Phoenix, but I was wrong. There was no comparison, however. While the heat in Arizona had brought me to life, kissing my skin with pleasure, the heat I was now enduring was surely from the depths of hell, ushering me to my death. I felt myself writhe against the pain, believing with no doubt that something had gone horribly wrong and my skin was being burned away from my bones. I could hear screams in the distance and wondered at first what other poor soul was receiving such excruciating torture until I recognized the high pitch of my own voice.

I tried to control myself, but with no use as the horrific sounds continue to echo around my head and I began to count the screams, as if counting sheep, in hopes that I would soon either pass out or die to escape the fiery grip clutching my entire frame.

The time seemed endless as I squirmed in agony, each flick of the flame seeming more scorching than before. I tried to focus, knowing that someone was speaking to me, trying to soothe my pain, and I listened as they whispered words of love to me, mentioning names of those I considered my closest friends and family. With each name, I tried to remember a face, praying that I would be able to recognize those loved ones, should I survive this hell.

And then I heard it. The name that for so long I had closed my mind to and a flood of memories rushed through my mind as Edward, my beautiful Edward's face came to me. I gasped as I once again took in his stunning features and knew that if I did not survive the horror I was now enduring, at least I could be grateful I was able to see my angel one last time. I tried to think of the lullaby that he had written for me, the one thing that had carried me through the months of loneliness before Carlisle and Esme had saved me from the hospital, but even that fled from me as the scorching heat continued to melt away my being.

I clung to anything I could hold onto as the endless torture went on for what I feared was now my eternity and then just when I felt as if I were about to go mad, I began to feel some relief. The heat seemed less intense and I no longer heard myself screaming, but a new sound captured my interest and I strained to listen, realizing that the faint thud I could hear was my heartbeat. It seemed so faint and a rush of fear passed over me as it grew fainter. I was dying. I felt a single tear fall against my cheek and then a moment of silence passed over me.

I lay still, realizing all at once that the heat and pain that I had been drowning in had evaporated. My body felt wonderful and I moved slightly, smiling at the pleasant humming sensation that coursed through me. I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling of what I remembered to be my room, the colours of the wood ceiling, swirling at me. I moved to stand and in what would have been a heartbeat, found myself on my feet, crouched as if I were about to pounce. I looked up in wonder and found two sets of amber eyes peering at me, full of hope yet with a hint of fear. As I took in the two faces, I smiled at them both, matching their names to the images that had flashed through my head only moments before.

"Carlisle, Esme." My voice seemed to sing out in a soft melody and I looked at them both in shock, realizing that the dream I had hoped for so long was now a reality. I looked down at my hands and watched as a beam of sunlight bounced off of my wrist, reflecting glistening tiny diamonds. "Oh!" was the only word I could find as I realized I was sparkling.

Esme smiled brilliantly and moved closer to me. She was breathtakingly beautiful and I wondered how I could not have been in awe of her before. Her graceful moves were remarkable as she seemed to glide towards me. "Bella, we have waited so long for this moment. Welcome." She held her arms out to me and I found myself in her motherly embrace immediately, shocked at how warm she felt against my skin. She pressed her lips against my cheek and then moved away, allowing Carlisle his turn.

Carlisle. I turned to face him and was floored by his sheer elegance. I had always found him awe-inspiring and I seemed to remember that most women in Forks felt the same way, but there were no words to describe how truly magnificent he looked. I waited for the blush to crawl up my neck to my cheeks and realizing that I no longer had my tell-tale giveaway, grinned as my eyes met his. And that was when I saw it. A sadness that had not been there before. I was a disappointment to him. I backed away quickly and found myself against a wall, unable to get away.

"Bella, I am so sorry." His words came as a whisper and I could not bring myself to look into his sad eyes again.

"No, Carlisle, please don't be sorry. I'll do my best to make you proud of me…" my voice dwindled as I heard a sharp gasp, even though I knew he did not need to breathe.

"Isabella, what are you saying?" He was by me in an instant and I felt his hand nudging my chin, urging my eyes to meet his. "You have already made me more proud than I can even explain to you. You misunderstood me, Bella." His hands fell to my shoulders and I stared up into his face, longing to understand what he was saying. "I need you to understand that I am so sorry for taking your life from you. I would like to say it was only for your safety, but I know that I had my own selfish reasons as well. Esme and I have loved you as a daughter since we met you and to have you join our family is a gift that I can not ever begin to thank you for, but I also know that changing you was the key to restoring my family as a unit and that was very selfish on my part. I only hope that someday you will be able to forgive me."

Without hesitation, I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed until I heard a slight huff in protest. "Oh sorry, I forgot my newborn strength." I chuckled as I lessened my hug and looked up, smiling at my new father. "Carlisle, you have nothing to apologize for. You have given me everything I have ever asked for. Please, please don't waste another moment on regret."

There was a slight rap on the door and I moved away from them both, hesitant of what lay on the other side. The door opened and I watched as a small white flag waved in the gap and then chuckled as Emmett bounded inside, followed by Rosalie. "Bells!" he crowed as he grabbed me in a bear hug, lifting me off the floor. I laughed as he swung me around and dropped me on the bed, the oak frame creaking from the force. "Man is it good to be able to hug you without fear of snapping you in two!" He grinned at Esme and Carlisle as he grasped my hand and pulled me to my feet once again. Moving away, I watched in shock as Rosalie moved towards me.

I had been stunned by Esme's beauty, but Rose was another thing altogether. As a human, I had considered her the most beautiful person I had ever seen, but now with my new eyes, I realized that had only been a dull reflection of her true self. She was stunning beyond comprehension. I smiled tentatively hoping she would be a bit more accepting and was greeted in return by a small smile of her own. "Hello, Bella. It is good to see you again."

"It's good to see you, too, Rose. I missed you all so much." I wondered at my words as it felt as if it was a distant memory, yet I knew they had been gone from my previous life for awhile. I glanced around the room, realizing that someone was missing? "Where are Jasper and Alice?" I asked, still stunned at the tone of my voice.

"They will be here soon," Carlisle answered quickly. He looked at me for a moment, as if he were waiting for another question, but then continued. "You must be thirsty, Bella. I think maybe now would be a good time for us to head out to hunt."

I looked at him first in confusion and then horror as I realized I had no idea how to do what was needed. Esme, sensing my worry, moved closer and wrapped her arm around me protectively. "Don't worry about anything, Bella. It will come to you naturally and we will all be there to give pointers." Emmett chuckled and she scowled at him, quieting him instantly. "Emmett, would you like us to tell Bella about your first endeavours?" That brought a full blown laugh from Rosalie and I smiled in response, waiting for more, but realizing simply from the glare written across Emmett's face, that it would have to wait for another time.

Not wanting to disappoint, I linked arms with Esme and smiled. "Well, what are we waiting for?"


End of Chapter – please review!! Emmett just might do some push-ups for you!! :o)