A/N: It's not mine. I'm just playing with it.

The reviews are great, so please feel free to drop me a line or two. The boost is always welcome.

I would like to remind everyone that there will be Jacob bashing. The story will be picking up from here. Please don't forget that this is an alternate universe. Things are going to get crazy. So be warned!

Chapter 16

EPOV

Bella and I rode in comfortable silence. A small part of me was still in shock at how well she had taken in everything I had told her. But that was only a small part. I glanced over at her, admiring her beauty and inner strength. My mate never ceases to amaze me.

I pulled up to the house and parked the car. I got out and went to Bella's side to help her out. Everyone is waiting for you. I told them that we needed to have a family meeting Alice thought to me. Leave it to Alice to see what I had planned.

Bella and I walked in the house and found everyone already sitting at the dining room table. We held all our meetings in here. At least the table was used for something.

"Alice told us you needed to speak to us. What's going on, son?" Carlisle asked with concern in his voice.

I pulled out a chair for Bella and then sat down as well. Looking at my family, I jumped right in. "I took Bella to the meadow this afternoon, and we had a serious discussion."

Before I could finish what I was trying to say, Rosalie jumped up screaming. "You told her. How can you be so selfish? Has it ever crossed your mind how dangerous this is for us?"

"Rose, that will be quite enough! What did I say to you? You will keep your mouth shut," Emmett rebuked her firmly.

I cleared my throat to get everyone's attention. "As I was saying, certain events have made it necessary to tell Bella now rather than later," I informed them. I could see the confusion on their faces.

"Edward, what happened? Is everything all right?" Esme asked me.

"Yes and no. Bella had a very uncomfortable confrontation last night with Jacob Black." At the mention of Jacob's last name, everyone's attention piqued. I turned and looked at my Bella. She was obviously nervous, but understood the need to tell my family everything. She nodded her head, letting me know it was all right to continue.

"Wait a sec. Black? Any relation to Ephraim Black ?Are we talking about the Quileutes? Does this have anything to do with the treaty?" Jasper hit me with a barrage of questions, not giving me any time to answer them.

Everyone started to speak at once. The stress level in the room just went through the roof. I could feel Jasper trying to send out his calming vibes. "Okay, listen. Let's try to remain calm. To answer your question, Jasper, yes, he is a descendant of Ephraim Black. So I hate to say it, but this does involve the treaty."

"Edward, what happened? Please tell me that the treaty hasn't been broken," Carlisle asked me.

I looked around at my family. Once I was sure I had everyone's attention, I continued. "In a way, yes it has. Since Bella is my mate, that makes her part of this family." I paused briefly to see their reactions. Everyone except Rosalie nodded their heads yes. I turned to my Bella. "Bella, could you tell them what happened and show them what Jacob did to you?"

"Um.. Sure. The Blacks came over. I hadn't seen them in a few years. When Jacob went to hug me, he kind of froze. He looked really angry, and he started to shake. It freaked me out a bit. I just decided to excuse myself and go into the kitchen to get a drink. When I turned around, he was right there. He asked me who I was hanging around with. I told him that since I just moved here, I hadn't had the time. He grabbed my arms and yanked me to him and called me a liar. He said 'I can smell one of them on you'. Then my dad came in, and I ran up to my room." Bella finished. She then pulled up her one sleeve to show my family the dark purple handprint on her upper arm. I could hear several angry growls from my family.

"This is unbelievable. Not only did he harm her, but he also opened his big mouth. That's a breach of the treaty. I'm going to have to call Sam and set up a meeting. I think it would be best if Bella was there so he could see for himself what Jacob did to her," Carlisle informed us.

"Excuse me. if you don't mind my asking, but could someone please explain to me what is going on," Bella asked.

"Sure, love, the reason Jacob was able to smell me on you is for the fact that he is a werewolf. The wolves are the protectors of his tribe. We have a treaty with them. As long as we don't bite a human, they won't attack us" I finished.

"A werewolf? Is that why he's so strong?" Bella asked me. She was obviously still very angry at Jacob for what he did to her. I would love to rip his paws off of him for touching my mate.

"Yes, they're very strong and fast. They are also very unpredictable. They have no self-control over their phasing and anyone near them can be seriously hurt or even killed if it they phase next to them," I cautioned her.

I knew something was going to happen yesterday, and I knew it involved Jacob. Not to mention the dreams I have been having." Bella said.

"What do you mean by your dreams? Edward, do you know what Bella is referring to?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes, that's a whole other subject. It seems that Bella is precognitive." The second the words left my mouth, Alice started to jump up and down and squeal. Jasper gently put a hand on her shoulder and immediately she calmed down.

Carlisle's eyes widened a bit, and I could tell the scientist in him was instantly curious."Do you mean that she has dreams of the future?" Carlisle asked a bit eagerly.

"Exactly. Bella could better explain it. I'm still learning about it." I gestured to Bella.

"Well, for as long as I can remember, I have always have had dreams that seem to come true. And not only that, but I also get these feelings when I'm conscious as well. They kind of hit me out of nowhere. It's like I immediately know when something is going to happen, and it always does," she finished, looking embarrassed. I gently rubbed her back, trying to get her to relax. She leaned into my touch and smiled at me in appreciation.

"This is incredible. For her to have such an ability while being human is really impressive," Jasper said in awe.

"Well, I think it's great! I'm so happy to not be the only one anymore. Just think about it. When Bella's gift develops, the two of us could see ahead to all the next season's fashions," Alice piped in with her usual exuberance. It's nice to see that Alice has her priorities in their usual order.

"Alice, can you get your head out of the fashion magazines for once? Bella's gift could be used for something much more useful than figuring out what shoes go with what purse," I teased her. Bella giggled while the rest of the family laughed. Alice's addiction to fashion was notorious.

"Well, I do think it would be prudent to keep an eye on Bella's gift for now. And no, Alice, don't be trying to get her to help you with your fashion obsession. Putting up with your unhealthy habits are enough. Don't take someone else down with you " Carlisle told her jokingly. Alice just stuck out her tongue and pouted. "I'm going to call Sam as soon as we're finished here. Bella, I think it would be wise if you stayed away from Jacob. I know your father is friends with Billy Black, but Charlie doesn't know about the wolves. This is one secret he can't find out about. You don't need to be in a position where your safety is at risk," Carlisle cautioned her.

"I'm fine with that. I had already decided to stay away from him. After what he did, I think it's safe to say that we are no longer friends. I certainly don't trust him," Bella informed us. I felt much better knowing that she would willingly stay away from that mutt.

Our family meeting finally broke up, and I took Bella upstairs, so we could spend some time alone in my room. I put on some Debuss,y and we sat down on my newly acquired bed to talk.

"Are you alright, love? I know it's all a lot to take in. It probably seems like it's all coming at you all at once. I just don't want you to feel overwhelmed."

She smiled at me. "It is a lot to take it. But it's not like I'm completely normal. So I think that kind of helps me to accept everything. That, and the fact that I think it's important to keep an open mind."

"You're amazing. I love that about you. You never judge anyone. You're always willing to give everyone a chance," I said to her.

"Oh, please, I'm not the saint you're trying to make me out to be. You did hear me handle Newton, right? That was me when I have run out of patience. I do have my moments."

"He asked for it. You had every right to put him in line. Besides, I rather enjoyed watching you rip him apart. Just seeing him be turned down for the first time in his whole life was probably more exciting than anything I have seen in quite a while," I told her with a laugh. I really did find it funny. Just thinking back to Newton's face as she turned him down had me laughing again.

"Yea, well, hopefully, he got the hint. I'm taken."

I looked deeply into her liquid chocolate eyes, happy that she was my mate and that she had accepted it. I kissed her lips gently, pulling her into my arms."I love you my Bella. More than anything. You are my everything, my future."

"Edward, I was wondering. Will you ever want me to be changed?" she asked me nervously looking away.

I cupped her cheek, tilting her head up to get her to look at me. "I would want you to be with me for eternity. I can not imagine my existence without you. But I would never do anything that you didn't want to do. I will leave that decision up to you. It's an important one and shouldn't be entered into lightly. "

"I can't imagine ever being without you either. I already know what I want. You. Nothing else matters to me," she told me.

"What about your parents? What about having children? Have you ever given any thought about that? As selfish as I am where you are concerned, I do not want you to ever give anything up for me," I told her

"Edward, as difficult as it is for you to believe, this is a no brainer for me. In regards to my mother; yes, I do love her, but she isn't very maternal. I pretty much raised myself. She's remarried now. She no longer needs me to take care of her. She has Phil to do that for her. And, as far as Charlie is concerned, I love my dad, but he and I aren't all that close. In some ways, I feel like I have to take care of him too. My dad knows that I will be graduating soon and going out on my own. Trust me, he's more prepared for it than Renee is. He's expecting it," Bella tried to reassure me.

"What about children? Are you willing to give up having any?" I knew I was pushing her, but I really wanted her to go into this decision with both eyes open. I never wanted her to have any regrets the way Rosalie did.

Bella looked down sadly. "I..um..I really don't want to go down that route. I never really wanted kids. To be honest, I felt like I had to raise my own mother, not the other way around. It was exhausting. But when I was fifteen, I started to have some feminine difficulties. Renee took me to her gynecologist, and I was diagnosed with submucosal fibroids. It's kind of odd, considering I was so young. The doctor said that they are hereditary, and apparently, my mother suffered from them. Let's just say that It's not feasible, even if I had wanted children. Everything happens for a reason. I have accepted it. Now, I know why that hand was dealt to me," she said smiling at me.

My mate was incredible. So sure of herself, she knew exactly what she wanted. She accepts things the way they are without throwing fits. She's so gracious. It just amazes me how mature she is for her age.

"I love you, and if you are sure that this is what you want, then I will change you myself. But, you need to understand that the transformation is extremely painful. The entire time you will feel as if you are on fire. There is no respite from the pain, and it lasts for three days. I can't properly convey to you the amount of pain you will be in. Are you sure that this is what you want?" I needed her to understand what she would go through. She had to be sure of her choice.

"Edward, I would go to hell and back if that meant I could spend eternity with you. It's all worth it to me. Please stop worrying. I know what I want. I want You." She was so passionate with her speech, that I couldn't help but grab a hold of her and kiss her fiercely.

After a few moments, I reluctantly released her. "I need to get you home, love."

"Oh, all right. Just when I was having fun," she pouted.

I threw my head back and laughed. "I love you," I told her. "Come on, love. Let's get you home, before your father gets there."

I got her home in plenty of time for her to make dinner for her and her father. I watched her as she moved around their small kitchen. As much as the smell of the food she was cooking bothered me, I couldn't force myself to leave her side.

"Have you always had to do all the cooking?" I asked her.

"Yes, I did, if I didn't want to die from food poisoning. Renee can't heat up a can of green beans without messing it up. Seriously, I got sick after every time she cooked. I decided when I was seven that I was going to learn how to cook."

"Seven. You started to learn when you were seven? That's really young. I take it Charlie isn't any better?" I asked.

"Not at all. My first day here, I opened the fridge and guess what I found, a six pack of beer and a bottle of ketchup. I have no clue how he hasn't killed himself."

"Love, I hear the cruiser coming up the street. I better go." I watched as her smile disappeared.

"I wish you didn't have to," she told me.

"How about I come over after Charlie goes to sleep?"

"All right," she answered. Both of us did not look forward to being separated. The mating pull can be very painful when mates aren't near each other. It bothers me to know that she has been feeling the pain of separation.

I quickly kissed her forehead and headed out. I drove back to the house. Instead of going in, I went for a quick hunt. I needed the time to think anyway. A lot seemed to happen at once, and I needed to process all of it.

But out of all that has happened, my relationship with Bella has been progressing pretty quickly. I couldn't be happier. My mate wanted eternity with me. Everything I have ever wanted is just within reach. There's just one obstacle, and it's of the four legged kind. Soon it will be taken care of.

A/N: A sub mucosal fibroid is a noncancerous tumor that develops inside the layers of the uterus. Sub mucosal fibroids are common, and they are usually harmless. However, there are cases where they can cause difficulty with women getting pregnant, and they have also caused miscarriages.

In this story, Bella began to experience a great deal of pain at the onset of her menses, coupled with very heavy bleeding. She was informed of her condition and that pregnancy would be highly improbable for her. Bella was able to deal with this blow due to the fact that she never really had much of a desire to have a child of her own. Remember, she didn't get to be the child in her and her mother's relationship.