Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or its characters

And I won't confess that I waited, but I let the lamp burn

As the men masqueraded, I hoped you'd return

With your feet on the ground, tell me all that you'd learned

Cause love is never lost when perspective is earned

And you said you'd come and get me, but you were twenty-five

And the shelf life of those fantasies has expired

Lost to the Lost Boys chapters of your life

Forgive me, Peter, please know that I tried

To hold on to the days

When you were mine

But the woman who sits by the window has turned out the light…

A TETHER FOR ALL ETERNITY

Isabella stopped at the edge of the woods, taking in the home she'd run away from the day before.

As she took in the brick walls, the vines, the lush green grass and bushes filled with colorful flowers, Isabella couldn't help but wonder if this was how Hawthorne Manor would've looked in its prime. This wasn't like anything she expected. A part of her expected to come back to a cave filled with coffins, but not this.

Not a home.

Edward had stopped a couple feet ahead of her, unaware that she'd stopped walking, her bag filled with her books still hanging on his shoulder. He could sense her hesitation and anxiety, and the only way he could think to help her was by extending his hand to her.

"Come," he said. "They are eager to meet you."

Isabella wanted to ask how he knew that, how could he be sure when it was someone from his coven who aided in her escape, but decided against it. Instead, after taking a steady breath, she took his offered hand - a wave of calm washing over her the second their skin touched - and stepped onto the grounds of Cullen Manor.

The sound of the rocks under her shoes filled the silence around them. She couldn't help but glance at Edward's bare feet, only to look back at her own, now covered by a pair of pristine black shoes. The second Edward realized that besides her books, Isabella had nothing else to her name, not even something as simple as shoes, he cursed Aro's name under his breath. There wasn't a world where he'd allow his mate to run through the forest barefoot, so, despite Isabella's protests, he took his own shoes off and slid them on her feet.

Edward walked her to the door and stepped into the foyer. Isabella stopped once she caught a glimpse of the door at the end of the hall. The same door that led to the basement where she'd woken up and ran away from. Next to it was a set of stairs leading up instead of down. With a gentle tug on her hand, Edward led Isabella up the stairs to the main living area where five vampires waited for their return.

Isabella felt herself tense at the sight of them. All five vampires stood upon their entrance, as if they had been - as Edward had told her - eagerly waiting for their return. Carlisle and Esme stood on one side of the room, while Rosalie - the one who had let her out - stood next to the dark haired, broad shouldered one. Flashes of her tackling him down in the forest flashed in her mind. She remembered how Rosalie had acted when she did that, did that mean he was her mate?

Then, off by one of the windows, stood a blonde haired male, his arms crossed over his chest with a hard look set in his eyes.

And alone.

Isabella swallowed back the knot that had formed in her throat, her hand squeezing Edward's tightly.

Esme was the first one to move. Much like she had done in the basement, she approached Isabella and spoke to her softly.

"Isabella, I can't express how happy we are to have you back."

Isabella glanced at Edward, who nodded in Esme's direction and said, "I know you've met her before, but I'd like to formally introduce you to my mother, Esme. Esme." He directed himself to his mother and gave Isabella's hand one more squeeze. "This is my Bella."

Isabella felt a twinge of pain in her chest at his words.

My Bella.

This is my Bella.

She felt Edward stiffen beside her and she wondered if he had felt her pain through the bond. What must be going through his mind, she wondered?

"And my father." Edward gestured to Carlisle who was now approaching them, his voice tight. "Carlisle."

Carlisle gave her a curt nod and said, "I'm happy to see my son made it just in time. We've got so much to talk about-"

"Yes, but not right now," Esme cut in.

"That big one over there is my brother Emmett," Edward said before Carlisle had a chance to protest. He pointed to the dark haired one standing next to Rosalie. "And Rosalie, his mate."

Emmett stepped forward then, a shy smile on his handsome face.

"Nice to formally meet you. I hope there are no hard feelings for… well, you know, the forest."

Isabella shook her head, but found the silence in the room uncomfortable and said, "As long as you don't make a habit of it."

"Oh trust me, after the broken arm Edward gave me, I am not planning on pinning you to the ground any time soon," Emmett said jokingly, but Isabella was rather startled by his admission. Edward had broken his arm? For tackling her to the ground?

Isabella then looked to Rosalie, who hadn't moved from her spot by the couch, her arms crossed over her chest and her lips twisted in distaste.

"And that one over there-" Edward pointed to the blonde one in the corner. "That's Jasper."

Jasper simply gave her a curt nod, not a word. Isabella wondered what his link to this family was. Edward had said he and Emmett were Carlisle's true born sons, so what did that make him?

"So much for being out of the state by nightfall," Rosalie finally said, stepping forward.

"Rosalie!" Esme hissed.

"Ignore Rosalie, that's what I do," Edward whispered to Isabella, giving her hand another squeeze.

"Yes, let's ignore the elephant in the room," Rosalie argued. "The entire family is now in danger because of this."

"The family has been in danger long before Isabella, Rosalie," Carlisle said, rubbing at his jaw.

"But now you are harboring someone who is being actively targeted by the Vulturi. And for what? So you can give in to one of Edward's whim?"

Edward let go of Isabella's hand, stepping in front of her, using his body to shield hers.

"I've kept my mouth shut out of respect for my brother because you are his mate, Rosalie. But after your little stunt, you're treading on thin ice, so kindly, shut the fuck up."

"Cool it now." Emmett stepped in front of his mate, shielding her like Edward had shielded Isabella. "Rosalie has her concerns, as do the rest of us."

"Concerned or not, it does not mean she gets to berate my mate. The only reason I am here with her is because of Carlisle and Esme, because they asked me to. Trust me, Rosalie, if it hadn't been for them I would've been long gone with her."

Isabella stood there, shocked by Edward's revelation. He had wanted to leave with her? And he had chosen to stay for his family?

"Okay, stop this, right now." Carlisle finally stepped in, facing Emmett and Rosalie. "I know the circumstances are less than ideal, but Edward is running the same risk Emmett did when he turned you, and we took you in, Rosalie. We are a family, and Isabella is Edward's mate, which means she is now part of our family. And we protect our family. We don't open the door for them to leave."

Carlisle's words seemed to have affected Rosalie, as her hazel eyes glistened and the hard set of her jaw softened. She gave him a curt nod, swiftly turning away and walking back to the couch, hugging herself. Emmett went after her, wrapping his arms around her. Edward gave his father an appreciative nod when he turned back and then directed himself to his mother.

"Isabella needs clothes. If you could-"

"I'll take care of it. I'll get her everything she needs," she assured him. She looked at Isabella, glancing quickly at her feet, noticing her son's shoes and then his bare feet. "Come with me. I've prepared Edward's room for you and you can have a shower. I'm sure it was a long run back."

Isabella looked at Edward instinctively, and he nodded, urging her toward Esme.

"Go. There's a few things I need to speak to Carlisle about."

Still unsure, Isabella stepped forward. Esme wrapped an arm around Isabella's shoulders and if she noticed the way her body jolted under her touch, she never said. Esme guided her up the stairs to the third floor, down the long hall until they finally came to the last bedroom at the end of the hall.

The first thing Isabella noticed when she stepped into the room was the sweet scent of earthy pine. Her chest pulsed, a dull ache compared to the pain she had felt before, and she wondered for a second if the dull ache had anything to do with being separated from Edward.

The walls of the bedroom were covered with ceiling high bookshelves, but as Isabella inspected the titles that took up the shelves, she realized it wasn't all books he had. He had music. So much music. Isabella couldn't remember the last time she listened to a tune as she stood there, marveled by the sight. The center of the room was taken up by a large bed with black covers draped across with the puffiest pillows she'd ever seen. Her body ached with the sudden need to lie down, to rest her head on those pillows and cover herself. She'd slept on a stiff cot for the last eighty years, and before she even had the luxury of a cot, it'd been the hard and wet cave floors before she found the manor. Isabella hadn't laid on a bed since the night before her wedding.

Isabella hadn't noticed Esme had stepped out of the room until she came back, a pile of clothes in her hands.

"Tomorrow I'll go get you everything you need. You can come with me, if you'd like, that way we can pick out things that are up to your taste," Esme said.

Go with her? To where? Did she mean in public?

The idea terrified Isabella. She couldn't go out in public, what if she was seen by other vampires? What if someone caught their scent?

"I-I trust your judgment," Isabella said.

Esme nodded, holding the clothes tightly against her chest. She shook off whatever thought crossed her mind and then pointed to the door leading to the bathroom, and walked in ahead of Isabella. Isabella followed after her.

She was startled at first by the bright lighting in the room. The lighting in the rest of their home had been dimmer, more comforting even. But this was too bright, too white and Isabella hated it. However, she didn't have time to marvel at the giant bathtub or the rest of the bathroom, for the second she stepped into the room, her eyes landed on her reflection in the mirror.

Isabella hadn't seen her own reflection in so long. Just wisps of it in the windows of Hawthorne Manor or in the lake, but never her full reflection.

It still both amazed her and terrified her how she hadn't changed after all these years. There was an unsettling feeling that came over her as she took in her wide brown eyes, her unruly mahogany hair and ghostly white skin. It was a feeling… it was as if she couldn't believe that the girl in the mirror was her.

As if she wasn't real.

She didn't feel real.

"Beautiful." Esme's voice broke Isabella out of her trance. There was a gentle, somewhat motherly expression on Esme when Isabella looked at her. "You are very beautiful."

Isabella would blush if she could. She smiled tightly, turning away from her reflection.

"Well, I'll leave you to it." Esme left the clothes on the sink and then pointed to the glass door next to the giant bathtub. "The shower is right there. I've left some of my products for you until we can get you your own. Let me know if you need anything."

"How…" the word slipped out of Isabella before she could think about it. But she had no idea what to do or what the knobs on the wall did.

Esme looked at Isabella, then back at the shower, then back at Isabella and realization dawned on her then.

Isabella didn't know how to use a shower.

"How did you bathe?" Esme asked, and Isabella could see Esme's embarrassment in the way she closed her eyes and her lips thinned. "I'm sorry. That was rude. You don't have to answer-"

"It's okay. There was a lake, so I bathed there."

A sad look crossed Esme's face. After a beat, she walked over to the shower, opening the glass door and signaled Isabella to approach. Esme turned the one with a thin red line across from it and Isabella jumped, startled at the sudden spray of water coming out from the top.

"Red means hot, blue means cold," Esme explained. "You can turn them until you get your preferred temperature."

She turned the knobs and checked to see if the water temperature was at a comfortable level. Isabella mirrored her movements, letting her hand under the spray of the water. The feeling was very reminiscent of rain against her skin and Isabella couldn't help but smile at the feeling. Esme went on to explain to her what products to use and stepped out of the bathroom to give Isabella privacy.

Once nude, Isabella stepped into the shower, the cold tiles felt odd under her bare feet and goosebumps flared through her entire body as she stepped under the cascade of water. A part of her wanted to laugh, another wanted to cry, and another just felt pure relief. She stood under the spray of the water for a very long time and marveled at the feeling, at the warmth and the smells that surrounded her senses.

She couldn't stop smelling her own hair as she walked out of the bathroom wearing the pair of sleeping pants and shirt Esme had given her, the steam of the warm shower trailing behind her. Esme, who had been waiting in the bedroom, motioned for Isabella to sit down on the bed as she picked up a hairbrush from the nightstand. Isabella sat down, turning her back to Esme as she began brushing her hair. Isabella wasn't sure what to do at that moment, she didn't know what to say for all she could think about was Esme brushing her hair. The feeling was so familiar that Isabella felt that if she closed her eyes, she would be back in her old bedroom, sitting by her old vanity and her mother would be standing behind her as she brushed her hair.

Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes and Isabella swallowed back the ball of emotion that had formed in her throat. Once she was done, Esme braided Isabella's hair, letting it down one shoulder and said, "There you go, good as new."

"Thank you," Isabella said, her voice hoarse with emotion.

When she looked at Esme, she could see her confusion. Esme didn't understand what about brushing and braiding her hair made Isabella so emotional, but fortunately she didn't ask, instead giving Isabella a reassuring smile. And she didn't hover, wishing Isabella a good night before stepping out of the room.

Alone in this strange room, in this strange house, she stood from the bed with a shaky breath and approached one of the shelves. She recognized many of the titles on the leather bound books, many of which she had read herself and so many more she had been planning to steal from the town's library when she had a chance. It seemed like her ghost also had a thing for classics.

That was until she noticed the black leather bound book with golden letters that lay lonely on the table next to the futon. She took the book, immediately recognizing the drawing of the raven on top of a skull before reading the title.

"The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe"

She flipped the book open to where the pages had been folded, assuming it was the spot her ghost had left off.

It was many and many a year ago,

In a kingdom by the sea,

That a maiden there lived whom you may know

By the name of Annabel Lee;

And this maiden she lived with no other thought

Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,

In this kingdom by the sea:

But we loved with a love that was more than a love-

I and my Annabel Lee;

With a love that winged seraphs

Of heaven

Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,

In this kingdom by the sea,

A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling

My beautiful Annabel Lee;

So that her highborn kinsman came

And bore her away from me,

To shut her up in a sepulchre

In this kingdom by the sea-

"Found something interesting to read?"

Isabella gasped, dropping the book back on the table. Her ghost was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest as he watched her with those piercing green eyes, her bag filled with books still hanging off his shoulder. He tilted his head, catching a glimpse of the book Isabella had found.

"I told you I was more of a Poe fan myself," he said.

"I could never get into his writing." Isabella backed up against the futon. "Too depressing for my taste."

Edward chuckled, pushing himself away from the door frame and walked into the room, leaving the bag on the floor. There was a shift in the atmosphere around them, as if their bond had sensed their proximity and filled the room with its vibrant energy, urging them closer and closer together.

"I doubt Wuthering Heights is the epitome of everlasting love and happiness."

"Some might say it's a realistic tale of how tragic and debilitating love can be."

Edward stopped, taken aback by her comment. He studied her for a moment, gazing at her eyes at first before trailing down to her lips. Isabella could feel his uncertainty, even as he asked, "Do you truly believe that?"

Isabella didn't respond, instead turning to look out the floor to ceiling windows and the dark woods that laid ahead of them. It wasn't a matter of whether or not she truly believed love was tragic and debilitating, it was what she had experienced. It was all she knew when it came to love. Everlasting pain and suffering, and she doubted it would ever change for her. She had learned long ago that happiness was not in the cards for her.

"Everything in here is yours. You can use the leftover space in the bottom to move things around and arrange the books as you like." He gestured to the bookshelves. "I'll make sure to have my things moved tomorrow, so you'll have room for the things Esme will bring you-"

"Moved?" The word slipped out before she had a chance to stop herself, whirling around to look at him. "Does… does that mean that-"

"I will not be sharing your bed tonight," he answered, and Isabella felt a wave of… determination through the bond.

"Why?" she found herself asking.

She was his mate. While she still didn't understand fully what it meant and the mechanics of it, she knew what she felt. The insatiable need to be near him, to scent him, to touch him, all feelings so powerful that they are almost impossible to ignore. That hurt every time they were not near each other. Was it meant to be this way? Would she hurt every time she was away from him? And did he not feel it the same way?

Sensing her confusion, Edward sat on the edge of the bed, bracing his hands on either side of it.

"It is not because I do not want to," he started. "Trust me, love, I do. There is nothing I want more than to complete the bond with you."

"What exactly does that entail?"

Edward tilted his head, eyeing her curiously.

"You don't know?"

Isabella shook her head no.

Edward looked down at his feet, one foot crossed over the other, almost as if he was contemplating answering her question or not, before he pushed himself away from the bed and approached her. Isabella stepped back, but suddenly his hand slid around her waist, pulling her against his body. Cold chills ran through her as she met his hard, broad chest. His lips brushed softly against her forehead, stealing her breath away as his other hand tilted her head up, making Isabella look at him.

He let go of her waist, cupping the back of her neck with one hand as the other threaded through her hair, keeping her in place. She smelt of lavender, a scent once insignificant to him, but that now… now it was his favorite scent in the entire fucking world. Lavender and her. It was a mixture so intoxicating, so addicting, he could easily get lost in her.

It was a scent that told every fiber of his being that she belonged with him.

"Picture it as two pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly together, but that are a world's distance apart." Edward leaned in, brushing his nose against her cheek, traveling down the line of her jaw to her neck. His hot breath sent goosebumps across her skin. "Picture an invisible string between these pieces, and no matter the distance or the circumstances, it will pull at them with the sole purpose of joining them together."

He reached for her hand, lifting it in the air between them, her palm pressed against his. Isabella's body hummed with need and as Edward lips faintly trailed from her neck to her shoulder blade, her eyes zeroed in on his neck. She was hit with a wave of thirst. A throat burning need to sink her teeth into his skin, to drink and drink and drink.

Edward breathed heavily against her skin, lacing his fingers with hers as he gathered every bit of self control he had and pulled away from her. From that spot in her neck that he wanted to sink his teeth in so badly.

"The moment I enter you, take your blood as I give you mine, the bond is complete," he said, breathy and hoarse. He pressed his forehead against hers, and she watched almost mesmerized as his throat bobbed and his lips parted. "We'd be one. Tethered to one another for all eternity."

Isabella swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry as she tore her eyes from his throat and looked up at him.

"And you will not do that tonight."

She didn't know whether she was disappointed or relieved. She should be relieved. She should be glad he wasn't giving in to this primal need, a stark contrast to Aro who had disgustingly suggested it the second he learned of her gift. Back when she had no idea what this meant. She should be relieved. But as he pulled away, eyes fixed on hers, jaw tight and nostrils flared, all she felt was need.

"Not until…" he stopped himself, pressing his lips together.

"Not until what?" She asked, breathless and confused.

"Until the day you can look at me and feel something other than pain."

Hello! I am finally back. I am sorry for the unexpected two month hiatus. It's been an insane two months with life and mental health, but I am slowly working my way back to writing and am so excited to bring a new chapter.

Though I am still not at my 100 percent, and cannot guarantee a chapter every Wednesday, I am actively working on this story and will update accordingly. Chapter nine is currently in the works and I am so excited with how the story is going so far.

Hope you guys enjoyed the new chapter! And I will see you in the next one!