Thanks for reviewing! Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight…*sigh* This chapter's song is called Breathe of Life by Florence and the Machine… (And yes, it is in fact the same song from Snow White and the Huntsmen, which BTW was AMAZING! And Florence and the Machine are just awesome in general so…)

I was looking for a breath of a life

a little touch of a heavenly light

but all the choirs in my head say no

to get a dream of life again

a little vision in the sun at the end

but all the choirs in my head say no

Denali, Alaska, 2008
Alexander Even Samuels POV

I sighed heavily and closed my eyes while letting the wind carry me wherever it may. My red wings trickled in the stormy night's dew, and my head felt like it was cramped with an overload of information.

I didn't know why Tanya was so mad at me, but she refused to even look at me when I walked by her. I tried to confront her this morning but she slammed her bedroom door in my face.

I took that as a sign to leave.

I didn't leave the Denali's house permanently; I was simply flying around the woods to clear my thoughts. I don't think I could leave this house now. As much as I hated it…I think I was falling for Tanya.

She had this adorable giggle yet her voice sounded so sexy and deep. Her looks made her seem like the only woman on the planet, and her attitude gave her an air of power around her.

I absolutely loved it.

I have been residing in the Denali's house for the past couple of weeks, almost an entire month. Christmas Eve was in two days, and it broke my heart every time I heard Tanya cry over how abandon she felt.

Eleazer and Carmen haven't showed their faces since the day Kate and Irina left. In fact, the only Denali I have met is Tanya. Her sister Kate is long gone and hasn't even called to let Tanya know how she is, and her other sister only called a few days ago to let us know how 'sorry' she was.

That was another issue we were having.

Apparently, Irina and Laurent are helping Victoria create an army of newborns so she can get revenge on the Cullens. Tanya was absolutely stunned silent and I even felt my blood slow for a few seconds. Newborn armies were common down south, not in Washington.

A million questioned flitted through my head, and I could tell Tanya's as well. Tanya was a nervous wreck now, always being extra carful wherever she went and whatever she did or said. She was afraid for her sisters and I think she was also afraid for the Cullens. Though she didn't like them, I could tell it was hard to get over them since she had known them for a century.

Also, though many people may disagree, Tanya isn't all that bad. She doesn't have a heart, but she hides her emotions because she is afraid of being hurt. That was another reason why I felt so attracted to her. I wanted to comfort her and let her know it's okay to feel.

But ever since that phone call, she has locked herself in her room. Each night I would hear her heat wrenching sobs and occasionally a few items being thrown across the room. It was like I wasn't even here. She felt utterly alone, and yet all I wanted to do was comfort her.

But I didn't know how too. And it was only yesterday that I finally realized why she hated me so much right now.

I had called her Bella while we were making love.

I felt my heart drop to my stomach once I realized that, and I fled the house like the coward I am. I honestly didn't know I had said that until I analyzed what I could have done wrong. I'm such an idiot!

Isabella was once my friend and I still wish we were but I knew after what I had done to her…we would never be the same again. And I don't blame her one bit. What I had done was atrocious and wrong on so many levels. And the fact that I had an aibi to back me up was just a hideous mistake on my part.

I had told her it was all out of blackmail for my 'love'. Sarah. I haven't thought about her since the night I raped Isabella. And I never wanted to think about her again. Sarah was just using me, and I was some sick pawn in her game. Hence the reason I am what I am now. A broken imprint.

Because I am broken, inside and out.

I truly believe the only way I can be fixed is by Tanya. Yes, I sound incredibly sappy but…its true. I have never felt this way towards anyone else, and I knew I never would. Tanya was, in all reality, my one true love.

That's when I realized…

I love Tanya.

With a jolt, I spun around midair and flew back towards the house. I exhaled and inhaled loudly, trying not to pass out while also trying to push myself to fly faster. I needed to tell her. I needed Tanya.

My wings flapped harder and I soared downwards towards the snowy floor. Once I hit the earth, I sprinted towards the house. "Tanya!" I yelled, hoping she would listen to me and come outside.

Once I reached the front door, I was about ready to fall over and pass out on the floor. But I continued to run and sprinted up the stairs towards her room. "Tanya!" I cried again, this time letting my fist bang on her door.

I heard a slight shuffle and saw the door handle turn. I couldn't control myself and I jumped inside once the door was opened.

There she stood, looking like a goddess with the sunset behind her letting her hair glow and her skin sparkle. She looked upset, confused, and hurt. That last emotion killed me.

I walked towards her with my hand extended, but she flinched away. I winced at the rejection but shook it off and stood my ground. "Tanya, I have to tell you something." I spoke out of breathe.

Her eyes down casted and her lips pouted slightly. "I think you've said enough." Her small voice whispered in a hoarse tone. I gulped loudly, feeling like a jerk. "I know…well actually I don't…or I mean I didn't…uh…" I'm such a stupid moron.

I sighed and let my shoulders sag. "What I mean to say is…I honestly had no idea I said her name. I was so caught up in the moment and, I was confused. I had been rejected by Isabella profusely and I just didn't know what to do."

Tanya finally glanced up, but her face showed no emotion. I continued talking.

"Tanya…what I feel for Isabella is nothing. We have been friends ever since we were children and then…well we all know what happened. And Sarah was never my love, she played me…obviously…" I laughed weekly and gestured towards the huge wings behind me.

I saw her smile a little and my heart soared. I stepped forward and slowly held out my hand. This time she didn't flinch away but remained still. I let my hand glide down her arm until I reached her hand. I let my fingers curl with hers and smiled like a fool when I saw she returned the gesture.

"I don't love Bella. I don't love Sarah. Bella is just my friend…or at least she used to be. And Sarah…well she screwed me over. And as I realized all of this, I also realized how hurt I was. I felt betrayed by everyone and…I felt abandoned." I said this while looking her square in the eyes.

She gasped slightly and looked away quickly. I knew I was getting to her, just by looking at her trembling lip. I squeezed her hand tightly and let my other hand cup her cheek, bringing her face back towards mine.

"Tanya, it's perfectly fine to feel emotions. No matter what they may be. I personally think you are beautiful when you smile or even when your soft lips tremble. I also know that I hate seeing you so upset, but love the fact that you're not hiding it from me. So please…don't hide from me. Because I don't think I can take it anymore."

She looked into my eyes and I saw her lip quiver again. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but stopped and shook her head. She pulled away slightly and took the hand that was holding her cheek and held them at arm's length.

"Alex…I don't know what to say…I thought you had feelings for Bella, and even if you don't confess them…they're still there." Her sad voice made me swallow hard and look down. I knew I had screwed up, but I was hoping that I could shed some light on our messed up lives.

"Your right." I said my voice stone cold with pain and regret. She nodded her head and looked towards the floor, pain evident on her features. "I feel regret and grief towards my once best friend and hate and anguish towards my once supposed lover. But I feel passion and lust towards you. I feel…love…"

Her head snapped up and her eyes widened. Her lip stopped trembling and she moved in closer. "What…did you just say?" I smiled down at her and cupped her face once more. I leaned down and our noses were almost touching.

"I love you Tanya." And just like that, our lips met in a fiery kiss filled with forgiveness, pain, lust, and most importantly…love.

But just like all fantasies, there has to be a price to pay. Little did we know, our time was running out and we were just about to find out how loyal some family members can be. Replacements are more like it.

I don't know how Victoria knew where to find us. I don't know how long I heard Tanya sobbing over the loss of her sister. I don't know how they captured us and were able to haul us half way across America. I don't know how I managed to not kill the red headed demon who demanded our tribute. But everything that once made sense to us is all falling apart.

Because the next week, we found ourselves filling in the roles of Irina and Laurent.

Forks, Washington, 2008
Isabella Marie Whitlock Mason Cullen's POV

With each new day, dawn passed over us and time seemed to speed up. It was now Christmas Eve.

Just like in a fairytale, it was snowing outside and the landscape of the town was covered in soft white fluff while tiny ice crystals fell from the midnight blue skies. It was beautiful; especially since the towns street lamps eliminated the falling flakes.

The doorbell was going to have a heart attack with the way we were abusing it. It never ended, and every half an hour or so someone else would ring it. I was anxious and excited at the same time.

Currently I was in Rosalie's room with Alice. We were all putting on the final touches for our outfits while the men were waiting downstairs. Esme, being the perfect host she was, remained on the first floor so she could welcome our guests.

I heard their voices and literally felt my cold heart melt. It's been so long since I last seen any of my friends.

Each of us put on our dresses and helped the other with their hair and makeup. Rosalie wore black eye-liner and mascara. Her lips were a vibrant red, the same color as her dress. And she had five inch silver heels hidden beneath the layers of fabric, making her towering frame that of a runway models. Her hair was twirled into a perfect bun with two braids wrapped around the center. She wore long ruby earrings and a matching necklace that had our families crest on the center.

Alice kept her makeup simple by just adding some green eye shadow and clear lip gloss. She wore six inch silver heels as well, and her height was still below mine. The straps of her heels wrapped up her calf in beautiful silver ribbons which made her legs look longer along with the split on the side of her dress. Her hair was flat ironed and looked longer than her usual pixie length. She wore emerald earrings and a matching green velvet choker with our families crest adorning it, just like Rosalie's.

I refused to wear any makeup, but Alice practically held me down while Rosalie adorned my features with black mascara and eye liner along with soft blue eye shadow that illuminated my golden irises. (We all recently hunted to regain our coloring) Rosalie curled my hair into barrels and let them hang down to my waist. I didn't wear any earrings, but I did wear our family crest on a long silver chain. My black heels were six inches, but I managed to walk in them.

I heard a tiny squeal behind me and turned to see Alice jumping up and down…in her heels. "Careful you don't put a hole in Rose's carpet Ali." I mocked her. She rolled her eyes and walked towards the mirror.

"I just love dressing up and we all look fantastic! Oh this is going to be so much fun! I can't wait to see our friends again!" Rosalie laughed and walked out of her bathroom. "You mean, I can't wait to see Bella's friends and get embarrassing blackmail stories from them."

Alice winked, "You know it. Why don't you help me?" Rosalie smirked at her and looked towards me, eying me up and down. "Damn…Edward's going to have fun tonight." I bit my lip and turned away from their laughter feeling slightly embarrassed.

Of course my sisters knew about my sex life, but that didn't stop them from making snide comments now and then. Although…if I had to say so myself, I think Edward and I could give Emmett and Rose a run for their money….just putting that out there…

"Alright, alright. Enough of this." Alice said while walking towards the door with her head held high. "It's time for the grand entrance!" I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. "Alice, this isn't the Oscars. We don't need to make a huge scene; I just want to make it down the stairs in these death traps." I picked up my right heel to emphasize my point.

Rosalie snorted and shook her head at our scene. Alice huffed and opened the door. I reluctantly followed behind them as we walked down the hall towards the stairs. I could hear everyone very clearly now and there was even faint Christmas music from the radio playing.

However, the noise halted when they heard the sound of our heels walking towards them. I clenched my fists and bit my lip nervously. I honestly don't know how I didn't chew it off by now. Why the hell did everyone have to make such a fuss about this? I thought this only happened in royal balls or Disney movies.

This was just tortures. I wanted to run down the stairs and into my husband's arms. Hopefully he wouldn't let my go at all tonight and I could mold myself under his arm while making small talk to my friends. God, I never realized how much I missed Edward's touch until now. I needed him.

Rosalie went down first and I heard Emmett walk forward, telling her she looked gorgeous. They walked towards another group of vampires while Alice hit the last step. My poor brother was shell shocked at the pure magnificence of his wife. I smiled a bit at how cute they were together. He really couldn't have picked a better girl.

Then it was my turn. And everyone knew it was me descending the stairs, so once more they stopped talking. Oh shit. This was too suspenseful.

I kept my eyes trained on my feet and my right hand held up my dress while I walked down the last few steps. Finally I reached the last one and let go of my dress while looking up under my lashes.

I smiled largely when I saw all my friends smiling at me. Everyone was here! The Irish, the Amazon, the Romanian the Egyptian, and even a few other nomads had showed up. But my eyes stopped moving when I saw him. He was staring right at me as well.

He had on black dress pants and shoes along with a black tux and a dark blue dress shirt. His hair was, I could tell, attempted to be tamed but with no avail. His lips were in that adorable crooked smile and his bright golden eyes were twinkling with emotion. He had his hands behind his back, but as he spotted me he moved forward to take my hands.

What seemed like forever was only a second and once he had my hands, conversations arose again. I sighed in relief, now feeling better that the spotlight was off me. Edward smiled brightly and looked me over. "So beautiful…" he murmured and I smiled at him. He leaned down to kiss me at the same time I leaned in. Our lips collided together in a soft motion that soon turned into a hard collision of passion. His arms wound around my waist and I let mine hold onto his forearms.

I heard someone clear their throat from behind us and we stopped our public display of affection, smiling sheepishly at each other before turning to see who interrupted us. My smile widened when I saw who it was.

"Ben!" I screamed and jumped into his arms. He chuckled and spun my around. I saw Tia behind him, smiling kindly at us. I jumped from his arms to hers and she rolled her eyes. "I see I'm still the second choice, huh?" I just hugged her tighter while they laughed.

And that was how I spent most of the night. Running around hugging people and laughing while rejoicing with memories. I bit my lip and looked away whenever someone would bring up an embarrassing story or thing I said. I almost died when Liam from the Irish coven brought up the time when I was running down a hill and I actually tripped over a stick and fell into a pile of mud.

Half way through my conversation with Zafrina, Jasper tapped my shoulder. I smiled and said my goodbye to my friend and turned my attention to my brother. He had a shy smile on his lips and to be honest, looked like a little boy. He looked like a nervous kid who was about to introduce his girlfriend to his parents for the first time.

"Yes?" I said and exaggerated it a bit. I raised my brows at him and saw him struggle with words. "Well…let's just say you weren't the only one to make friends while…away." I noticed how he flinched at the word 'away'. He was implying when we were in the newborns wars.

"I want you to meet them." He said with determination as he took both my hands in his. My eyebrows shot to my hair line and my mouth dropped. "There here? Like…right now?" I asked incredulously. He nodded sheepishly and looked towards Alice.

I turned to look towards her and saw her talking with two other vampires in the corner of the kitchen. One of them looked around the same height as Alice with the same short length hair except her hair was dirty blonde, almost a light shade of brown. She was smiling as she conversed with my sister and her red eyes sparkled with laughter whenever Alice said something amusing.

The other vampire towered over them and had cropped brown hair as well. He stood protectively near his mate with his arm wrapped around her waist, though I couldn't detect any hint of protectiveness or distress in their stances towards Alice. In fact, they interacted like they were old friends.

Then I noticed their skin and I wasn't surprised one bit. Of course they were covered in bite marks like my brother and I, and I shouldn't be surprised at their choice of diet. My coven was the only vegetarians here tonight. I'm not sure if the Denali clan had changed over the past few months, but all I knew was I wouldn't be surprised if they have.

Jasper directed me over towards them. I noticed Edward talking with Emmett and Ben just a few feet away. He looked like he wanted to come to me, but I smiled reassuringly at him and saw his shoulders relax slightly.

Once Jasper and I made it towards the small group, all eyes went to me. I smiled shyly at the new vampires and Jasper rubbed my shoulder comfortingly. "Bella, these are my friends Charlotte and Peter. Guys, this is my younger sister Isabella."

Both their eyes widened and Peter's mouth dropped open slightly in shock. "Isabella as in…she's your biological sister?" Jasper smiled and nodded his head. I saw the two vampires look back and forth between my brother and I, probably searching for the resemblance.

I chuckled slightly and decided it was my time to speak. "Yes, Jasper is my biological brother. Hard to believe someone this good looking can be related to him?" I nudged my brother playfully and he glared at me. Peter and Charlotte laughed along with Alice and I.

"She certainly has your sarcasm Jasper." Charlotte smirked at him. Jasper rolled his eyes and said, "That's what I worry about." Alice moved towards him and I leaned back against the island counter in the kitchen.

"So how did y'all meet?" I said and bit my lip once more at my slip up. They all laughed and to add to my embarrassment, started to talk in their very own southern twangs. But I have to admit, it did comfort me to hear them. It reminded me of home when I was human.

I learned all about how they met in the next hour. Charlotte was in the wrong place at the wrong time and Maria was out searching for new people to change. The first person she encountered when she woke was Peter. They became friends and eventually helped my brother escape. My respect for them grew with every second of the story. If it weren't for their help, my brother may still be in the wars or worse off.

I decided to tell them about my own story and they were very shocked to say the least. At the mention of Maria and Kara torturing me, they all hissed and Jasper even took my hand in his. I bet it was more for his comfort than mine. I would be absolutely furious if the same thing happened to him as well, so I knew where he was coming from.

"Do you mind if I steel Bella from you?" A musical voice cut in. I turned to see Edward standing there with a sly smile on his face. Jasper shrugged and responded, "As long as you two don't wake up the neighborhood grizzlies. Emmett will kill you if they relocate."

I shot my brother a look and saw Alice suppress her laughter. Edward rolled his eyes and took my hand, leading me outside onto the porch. It was beautiful as the snow continued to cascade downwards to the earth's core.

I leaned against the railing and felt two arms wrap around my torso, bringing me back into their muscular chest. I smiled and leaned my head back, letting my sense mellow and taking in his sweet scent.

"I know it's Christmas and it's a time of giving…I just feel like I'm missing something…" I muttered, mostly to myself. Edward frowned in confusion and said, "Don't stress yourself, love. I'm sure your just feeling on edge after everything that's happened and now all our friends here."

I sighed and nested my cheek into his toned chest. "You're probably right but…" I trailed off and looked at our surroundings. I noticed a family of dove a few miles off into the woods. I watched with contentment as the small family of three hurtled together for warmth in their nest.

And then it hit me. I gasped and spun around in Edward's arms. I felt so horrible for forgetting, and I'm pretty sure they did as well. "Bella? What's wrong sweetheart?" He asked with panic.

"Kimberly! Jasmine! Alexis! Marina! Frank!...the broken imprints!" my friends back in the 'limbo' world. How could I forget about them? They told me they were content with their lives, but I still felt horrid for leaving them out of mine. They were, after all, my friends.

"You want to visit them?" Edward asked in a soft, gentle voice that reflected his small smile. This man would follow me to the end of the world, I swear it.

"Oh yes! Please can we? Please?" I begged and pouted my lips slightly. He chuckled and cupped my face. "I'll follow you anywhere love…" his voice trailed off and he bent down for a kiss.

Suddenly the railing behind me was replaced with thin air and we fell backwards onto the snow. I gasped at the cold wetness against my bare back. Edward gasped and spun on his side, placing me in his lap and off the snow.

We both looked at each other with shocked and confused faces before we broke out laughing. I then realized I didn't hear the balcony break and I know we didn't fall over it. Then I looked around and felt my heart warm up.

"Edward…look where we are…" I trailed off. He looked confused and then let his eyes wander. He gasped as he took in our landscape. "It's Chicago…the park…" I nodded mutely. "I guess I accidently transported us to my territory."

Edward looked back at me and his eyes widened once more. I gave him a confused look and he shook his head, a smile forming on his lips. "It appears your wings have returned…you're so beautiful Isabella, I sometimes don't know how I got so lucky."

I felt my heart warm and I looked over my shoulders. Sure enough there were giant black feathers in my way and I sighed, smiling slightly and shaking my head.

"Let's go meet our friends…they will probably want to know why were dressed like this." I weakly joked and heard Edward laugh. He scooped me up bridal style, ignoring the huge black wings behind me, and carried us towards the others.

"Wait, don't you think the rest will be worried?" I asked when we reached the door. Edward stopped as well and frowned a bit. "Well…I guess we won't ever really know until we get back. But for now, let's just enjoy where we are and who we are with."

I smiled and placed a kiss on his cheek. "As long as I'm with you."

A bit of forshadowing? Hhhmmm…I wonder what will happen at the Cullen party now that E & B are missing…review please! Thanks for reading