A/N: Yeah, waiting sucks, I know. But so does writer's block, and so does real life. But I managed to finish this, and here it is. Chapter 24. Hope you like it!

xo

A

-Bella-

I barely felt the twigs and branches that pulled at my clothes as I darted through the trees. I could hear the heartbeats of the squirrels and raccoons as they scurried to find shelter, the scent of their blood flooding my senses. The burning in my throat intensified and I knew I had to feed. But these tiny creatures were not what I craved. I needed something bigger, more my size. A human? My mouth began to water at thought and I cried out. This wasn't me! I didn't want to hurt any one! But damn, I was hungry! I really needed something…someone…just to ease the ache…

"NO!"

A growl erupted from the bottom of my chest, and I picked up speed. He had done this to me! He had turned me into this…this thing! This predator that sought to kill and to feed. How could he have done this to me? I thought he loved me enough to know that I would never want this! I would never want to be a killer! I burst through the trees and into a clearing and looked up into the night sky, the facets of each tiny star filling my vision and the pock-marked face of the moon staring back at me. The sight was almost as exhilarating as it was frightening. This whole experience scared the living hell out of me.

"You didn't tell me!" I shouted to the sky. "You didn't tell me it would be like this! That I'd be a killer!"

"But I did, though," Isaac's voice sounded from behind me. I whipped around to see my brother standing at the tree line.

"So what, I'm seeing you when I'm wide awake now?" I growled. "Or are hallucinations part of the whole vampire package?"

"I told you that you wouldn't wake up as a human," he replied calmly. "And you're not, are you?"

"No, but-"

" You're a vampire. And vampires are killers, which you were well aware of. Therefore, I told you."

"You didn't tell me shit!" I snarled. "I didn't want this, Isaac. I wanted to live. I wanted to get married, have kids, grow old and die. Now I can't do that. Now, I'm stuck like this! I can't age, I can't conceive, nothing!"

"You love him, don't you?" he folded his arms across his chest.

"Who, Emmett?" my brow furrowed. "Of course, I mean I'm pretty pissed at him right now, but yeah, I love him. Why?"

"How were you going to do any of that with him? Your plans for your life, having children, growing old. How did you plan on doing that with someone who can't reproduce? Can't age? Can't die?" Isaac maintained his calm, even tone.

"I, I don't, I don't know," I stammered.

"You want to be with him?"

"Well, yes…"

"This happened for a reason," he continued. "Your life took a nasty turn, and Fate intervened in the form of the man you love. Things aren't quite going to work out the way you planned, but now you have a new agenda. A new life. With Emmett."

"I guess….I guess I didn't see it like that," I bit my lip and looked down at my feet.

"I know, that's why I'm here," he grinned.

"Are you going to stay?" I looked up at him. He sighed and shook his head.

"You know I can't. But I'll always be with you."

"I miss you," I whispered.

"I miss you too. Now you should go. Eat. Emmett is on his way and you'll need your wits about you," he made a shooing motion with his hand.

"Oh God, Emmett," I swallowed hard against the burn in my throat. "I said all those horrible things…"

"He'll be fine. He understands the turmoil going on in your head, but knows that deep down inside lives the woman he fell in love with. Take care of yourself, and go be with him."

A light breeze blew through the clearing and wafted the image of my brother into the forest. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and smiled. It was time to hunt.

The grizzly was just beyond the tree line, not five feet from where Isaac had stood. I smirked and silently thanked him for sending me a real challenge. I dropped into a crouch, falling back on an instinct I didn't know I had, and suppressed a growl. The scent of the animal's blood was over powering, and I had to fight to stay silent as I approached the massive beast. He lifted his head suddenly and snuffled the air, checking for danger. I stopped short, staying low to the ground. He must have sensed me, because he rose up on his hind quarters and roared, exposing a muzzle full of razor sharp teeth. I grinned and stood slowly, matching his posture despite the at least 3 feet he had on me.

"Bring it on, bitch," I laughed, and with that he dropped back on all fours and charged. I growled and met him head on, crashing into him with a bone breaking crash. He snarled viciously and swiped at me with an enormous paw, his claws shredding my shirt. I rolled away from him, landing expertly on my feet. He whipped his head around and charged me again. I caught him in a head lock and deftly snapped his neck, and he flopped to the ground. With a victorious hiss I tore off a tuft of hair and sank my teeth into his neck. The skin parted like butter and my mouth was instantly flooded with the nectar of the Gods. I drank deeply, the blood pouring down my throat and slaking my thirst. I drained him dry and tossed him aside, finding myself aching for more. I darted into the trees in search of more prey.

Two more grizzlies, a mountain lion and an elk later I found myself perched high atop an evergreen, thoroughly sated. I snapped off a small branch, stripped it of twigs and proceeded to use it as a toothpick to clear my teeth of gristly lion and elk hair. The forest was peaceful at this time of night, and the moon cast a soft, blue-white glow. An owl swooped silently through the trees, the individual moon beams dancing across her snowy feathers. She hooted softly, banked left, and disappeared. I contemplated following her, wondering if owl's blood tasted any different, when he appeared in the clearing. His scent surrounded me, filling my nose with the glorious flavors of cinnamon and allspice. My Emmett. I shimmied down the tree for a closer look. His shoulders were slumped as he pushed aside the brush and stepped through into the moonlight. I watched his nostrils twitch, and he sighed heavily. He knew I was there, and rubbed his hand across the back of his neck, a sure sign of his frustration. I hated seeing him like this, in such dismay, especially when I was the cause. I grabbed a sturdy branch above my head with both hands and executed a perfect, gymnast-like leap after a good swing. I landed on the balls of my feet barely a yard behind him.

"Bells-" he began.

"I don't hate you," I stopped him before he could even start. "Really, Em, I don't."

"Could have fooled me," he muttered, staring at the ground. He didn't bother to turn.

"What did you expect me to do?" I asked. " I was scared out of my mind. One minute, I'm in your front yard, trying to talk Edward off the edge. The next, I'm in Carlisle's office, fighting an overwhelming urge to kill someone and drain them dry!"

"You didn't, did you?" he asked, slightly panicked.

"Unless you count three grizzlies, a mountain lion and an elk as 'someones'."

"Three grizzlies?" he turned to me, an eyebrow raised. He was even more beautiful in this new vision. The planes of his face were more refined, and his eyes now seemed to glow. I could now see each individual muscle expand and contract beneath his t-shirt, and forced my eyes not to drift below the belt. I swallowed hard and fought futilely against that carnal desire surging through me. I lost.

I launched myself at him, catching him completely off guard as I tackled him to the ground, crushing my mouth against his. He wound his hands in my hair, holding my head in place while he returned the kiss with fervor. I raked my nails down his chest, shredding the thin fabric of his shirt and leaving angry red welts that began to fade almost as soon as they appeared. He hissed sharply and broke away.

"Bella we have to talk," he said, combing his fingers through my hair.

"Later," I growled and kissed him again. "I need you first." I slid my hand between us and lightly traced his hip bone just below the belt. His eyes went dark with desire and he licked his lips slowly, then shook his head.

"No, love. As much as I want this," he trailed his hands under the remains of my blouse and down my sides, "And believe me…I do…" he rolled his hips into mine, eliciting a soft moan from low in my throat. "There's too much that needs to be said first."

I grumbled in defeat and sat up, straddling his legs and sitting lightly on his lap. He pushed himself up to a sitting position, his hands resting on the ground behind his back.. For just this once, our eyes were level. It was nice not to have to crane my neck to look at him.

"You have to understand I never wanted this for you," he began.

"Can I go first?" I placed a hand over his lips to silence him. He kissed my fingers and nodded.

"You're right, I didn't want this. I had dreams of getting married and having a big house with lots of kids, and dogs and all that fun family stuff," I lowered my hand when I knew he would remain silent. " I wanted it all, and when I woke in Carlisle's office and discovered that it was all gone I was irate. And when I found out that it was you that took it away, well, I was crushed."

"But I didn't want to -"

"I know that now," I shook my head. "But at first I couldn't accept it. I was devastated that the man I loved had taken away my dream. So I bolted."

"Out here?"

"I had to get away, Em. I wanted to rip your throat out, and I knew I couldn't do that. Despite how angry I was, somewhere inside me I knew I still loved you. I just ran until I could go no further," I shrugged. "And here I am."

"Why the sudden moment of clarity?" he swiped a stray hair from my face and gently caressed my cheek.

"My brother," I sighed and leaned into his hand.

"Isaac?"

"Mm hmm," I nodded. "He's been with me the whole time. Before I woke up, he was there. He told me you'd save me. And when I ran, he appeared to me again. Made me realize that though this wasn't what I had planned, I still had you, and in the end that's all that really mattered."

"Smart man," Emmett chuckled.

"Yeah, he really was," I laughed sadly. "Will that memory fade too?"

"Possibly," he nodded. "Most of our human memories tend to blur and eventually disappear over time. Sometimes, though, there are a few that are so strong that they stay with us. Because you had such a close bond with your brother, your times with him may not fade."

"That's reassuring," I smiled. "I really didn't want to lose him. His life, his memory…are very important to me."

"As you are to me," he sat up and took my face in his hands. "Bella, you know this isn't what I wanted for you. I wanted to give you the world, but I never wanted to take your life in order to give it to you."

"Had you considered it?"

"Having you with me forever?" he nodded. "Actually yes. Before Edward showed up at your house, I was battling myself over whether or not I wanted to ask you. By the time I worked up the courage to say something, you had fallen asleep in my arms. And then Edward started in on Charlie and everything snow balled. I never got the chance."

"So do it now," I shrugged.

"Now?" his hands slid from my face and returned to the ground beside him. "It's a little late, don't you think?"

"Better late than never."

"But it wouldn't make sense now," he frowned. "You're already changed."

"Don't you want to know what I would have said?" I asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Well, yeah…"

"Then do it!" I snapped a little louder than I should have.

He paused and narrowed his eyes at me, unsure of whether or not I was going to tear into him. Finally deciding that it was safe, he clasped my waist firmly and hoisted me to my feet. He rose slowly to his own and stood before me. I had to tilt my head to look up at him again, and he chuckled when I pursed my lips.

"What?" he grinned.

"I just liked being eye level with you," I pouted. He laughed again and sunk down to one knee. I was now looking down at him.

"Is this better?"

"You think you're cute, don't you?" I play-scowled.

"I don't think, I know," he winked at me. I shoved his shoulder.

"Just get on with it, would you?"

"Okay, okay," he cleared his throat. "I had this whole romantic speech worked out in my head, but circumstances being what they are…" his eyes shifted between his tattered clothing and my own shredded, blood stained shirt. "I guess I'll have to make do with what I have"

He paused to look up at the moon, and when his eyes drifted back to me they were soft and warm. He had his inspiration.

"Will you be my forever?"

I looked away, staring into the forest for a while. He took my hands in his and squeezed, bringing my attention back down to where he knelt, eagerly anticipating my response. I released his grip and took his face in my hands, slowly drawing him back to his feet.

"I can't believe," I began in a whisper. "You ever thought…that I would say…" I slid my hands behind his neck and pulled myself flush against his body. "No."

"Really?" he wound his arms around me.

"There is nothing more I want in this world than to spend an eternity in your arms," I smiled.

"You've just made me the happiest man alive," he leaned down but I pulled back slightly.

"Alive?" I raised an eyebrow again.

"Whatever," he smirked.

I couldn't help but giggle as he pulled me into his arms and kissed me, sealing our fate as man and wife.