Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    1/38

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    2/38

    Table of Contents

    Summary............................................................................................................1

    Pain and Happiness...........................................................................................2

    New Bella..........................................................................................................13

    First Hunt.........................................................................................................25

    New Bella Edwards POV

    i

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    3/38

    Summary

    This is the story of Bella's transformation through the first hunt through

    Edwards POV. Three chapters only.

    1

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    4/38

    Pain and Happiness

    No, I'm not Stephenie Meyer, no I do not own Twilight. I am glad she allows

    us to play with her imaginary friends, aren't you? So much better than Barbieand Ken...

    1. Pain and Happiness

    She wasn't writhing and she wasn't screaming. Where was the screaming? This

    was torturing me, more than if she had been screaming. I wanted to scream for

    her, but I was afraid it would alarm her. At least if she were screaming I would

    know she was in pain. The nothingness was unbearable. Even her fingersweren't twitching. I hadn't killed her, at least I didn't think I had, I could still

    hear her heartbeat. It was there, the only sound in the room, other than the

    sounds of her breathing.

    For the third time in my married life to my angel I wished I could sob. I would

    be sobbing uncontrollably for the pain I put her through. I was a monster

    through and through and now she was turning into one as well, because of me.

    I knew she desired this, but I wished I could burn for her. I'd burn for ahundred years if she didn't have to go through this for herself. Once again, I

    probed her mind, hoping her guard was slipping; maybe, just maybe I could

    start to hear her thoughts. I ached to know how much pain she was going

    through. I hit that same solid wall of silence. It was deafening.

    Alice came to help me clean up the bloody mess and put clothes on Bella once

    I had finished forcing venom into her veins. She would appreciate not being

    seen naked by the rest of the family. But I argued with her about the tightlyfitted ice-blue silk dress, and stiletto heels. She reminded me that Bella once

    thought this would be a black tie affair. Alice pouted when Carlisle and Esme

    put their feet down about having the rest of us wear tuxes and formals for when

    she woke up.

    She'll thank me later. Somehow I doubted that. Bella would have preferred

    sweats and a t-shirt. Her comfort was on my mind and I was sure she wasn't

    2

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    5/38

    comfortable in whatever Alice had put her in.

    I sat there watching her. It's all I could do. I held her hand, I wasn't sure if she

    could feel my hand. I remembered the pain of my transformation. Those were

    the longest three days of my existence. I remembered my screaming, mywrithing; my begging for death. I remembered how Carlisle buried himself in

    rotting potatoes and suffered through his transformation in silence. His was out

    of necessity; he didn't want his father to find him. Bella didn't need to hide. We

    all ached to know what kind of pain she was in. As much as it would torture us,

    we wanted to hear her make some kind of noise; that she was still with us. Why

    wasn't she screaming? Everyone's thoughts in the house echoed mine. We had

    all braced ourselves to hear the torment from Bells lips. We had decided to stay

    in the house to comfort her as she burned. We were more tortured as we neverheard a sound from her. Not even a twitch of pain from her littlest finger.

    The only thing that tore me away from watching her in silent pain was our

    daughter. I had created a baby, a baby I almost destroyed. Now that she was

    here, I would kill myself before I let someone hurt her. Just when I thought I

    could only hold love for my Bella, my dead heart swelled again to hold more

    love for another girl, Renesmee.

    Renesmee had a gift, we discovered this shortly after her birth. Rosalie had

    given her her first bath, as she was cuddling with her, Renesmee lifted her tiny

    hand to Rosalie's neck to show her what just happened to her. She replayed her

    birth and her bath. She showed her the warmth of the water and how it felt

    good to her. She showed Rosalie her mother while asking where she was.

    Rosalie was shocked, to say the least. We all were. We were all taken in by this

    new angel in our life. Just when we thought our existences couldn't be affected

    any more by Bella, the human in my life, she brought us another gift. Mydaughter. I loved that, even as a vampire, I had given life to someone. My life

    was complete. Whatever god looks over immortal creatures blessed me three

    times; once with Carlisle, twice with Bella, and now a third with Renesmee. I

    would forever be grateful for the blessings in my life. But like every blessing in

    my life, there was an undercurrent of turmoil to those blessings. As we all

    loved Renesmee, so Jacob loved her the most. That mongrel had the audacity

    to imprinton our lovely baby. He was never going to leave her side. His dog

    New Bella Edwards POV

    3

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    6/38

    smell scent would forever linger on her; this was something I had not taken

    into consideration. No one did. The treaty was officially broken now that he

    had imprinted on a half breed.

    I never left Bella's side; someone would bring my beautiful, gifted daughter tome. I requested that Jacob never come into this room, I couldn't stand to see

    him, first Bella and now Renesmee. This was my own personal hell.

    "She's asking for her daddy," Esme brought her up to me this time. Daddy.

    That's something I'd never expected to hear, especially directed towards me;

    that thought always made me glow. Esme and Carlisle were beyond ecstatic to

    be called Grandma and Grandpa. Though, at their age, Mimi and Papa, seemed

    more fitting. As I held my daughter I hummed Bella's lullaby to her. I wantedto show her how beautiful her mother was- is-I corrected myself. I didn't want

    to think of her in past tense until I absolutely had to. That thought made the

    ghost of a whole ripple with memories of the first time I thought I'd lost Bella.

    Even with our daughter here, I couldn't live without Bella. I fought back

    tearless sobs as I held my baby and watched Bella in her unmoving struggle to

    accept this life. I was torn, once again, between right and wrong. Everything

    about this was so wrong, but it felt so right in my world.

    Somewhere during the night I heard Bella's heartbeat speed up. Carlisle heard

    it, too, from somewhere in the house. He rushed up to my side. I looked at him

    with pained eyes. He used his stethoscope to check her heart.

    "There's nothing I can do for her, Edward. She's changing. The morphine

    seemed to have worked, you gave her enough, she's not in any pain, see? If she

    were we would all know it," Carlisle thought towards me.

    I nodded at him, I couldn't answer. I only hoped the morphine was the reason

    for the silent suffering she was going through. It pained me I couldn't hear her

    thoughts, I would feel better if I could at least have that much. To hear her

    internal screaming would make me feel better, maybe, maybe not. I wasn't sure

    if I'd rather hear her internally or if I needed her screams to fill the heavy

    silence of the house. Even Emmett didn't joke during this time. We all loved

    Bella, we all wanted her around; we all felt like we were at a funeral. I wasn't

    New Bella Edwards POV

    4

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    7/38

    the only one she had altered, she touched all of our lives, and none of us could

    ever dream not having her around. No one wanted to talk, but the silence

    needed to be broken with something. The TV was turned on for background

    noise; no one really watched it though.

    Occasionally Alice would sit with me, her visions would flip to the future, but

    Bella wasn't present in those visions. That pained me more. The fissure in my

    chest threatened to open up again. I couldn't imagine my life without Bella, I

    tried to for six months and that was pure hell on my heart, it made me feel

    hollow. I felt hollow now, even with her near, even with her heart strongly

    beating, she was a shell of herself, this was worse than when she was in a coma

    after James attacked her. I wanted to read her eyes to see what kind of pain she

    was feeling. But I couldn't. Other than holding her hand I didn't dare touch her.I was afraid my touch would bring her pain to the forefront and then the

    screaming would commence.

    Carlisle came in again during the day. "Still no change?"

    "None," I said quietly, with sadness in my voice.

    Carlisle leaned in to smell her still pulsing throat. "There's no scent of themorphine left," he assured me.

    "I know," I said, trying to hide my anguish. I only hoped that she wasn't in any

    pain. I had no clue.

    "Bella? Can you hear me?" Carlisle asked her in a subdued tone.

    She didn't answer. She didn't move. She didn't twitch. This was killing me. Iwanted something. I was ready to hear screaming, I was ready to hear panting,

    I was ready to hear something, anything, other than this painful, deafening

    silence.

    "Bella? Bella, love? Can you open your eyes? Can you squeeze my hand?" I

    was anxious, I hoped if she heard me coaxing her out of her silence she would

    make some noise or at least squeeze my hand. I wanted her to know I was here

    New Bella Edwards POV

    5

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    8/38

    for her. I couldn't leave her. I had hurt her, again. My worst fears were

    surfacing, I was too late. She was slowly dying and her body was shutting

    down never to wake, mortal or immortal.

    My voice was heavy with anguish as I voiced my concern, "Maybe...Carlisle,maybe I was too late."

    "Listen to her heart, Edward." Carlisle reassured me. "It's stronger than even

    Emmett's was. I've never heard anything so vital. She'll be perfect." No, I'm

    proud of you, she really will be perfect.

    She already was perfect. But I had to be selfish and have her for myself. I had

    broken her. I wanted to know about her other injuries from that torturous birthof our daughter. I had to know if she would be okay.

    "And her--her spine?" I felt my voice crack at this. I couldn't imagine her

    broken again.

    "Her injuries weren't so much worse than Esme's. The venom will heal her as it

    did Esme," Carlisle patted my shoulder as he said this.

    "But she's so still," I argued. "I musthave done something wrong," I conceded.

    I was always doing something wrong with her.

    Carlisle kept his hand on my shoulder, in an attempt to comfort me. "Or

    something right, Edward. Son, you did everything I could have done and more.

    I'm not sure I would have had the persistence, the faith it took to save her. Stop

    berating yourself. Bella is going to be fine."

    I could only whisper my earlier thoughts, "she must be in agony."

    "We don't know that. She had so much morphine in her system. We don't know

    the effect that will have on her experience."

    I had to reassure her that I was still there. I remembered my agonizing change

    all too well, "Bella, I love you. Bella, I'm sorry." And I was so sorry. Sorry

    New Bella Edwards POV

    6

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    9/38

    again for ever meeting her, for being selfish and wanting her for myself, sorry

    for leaving her, sorry for impregnating her, and sorry for this hell I knew she

    was going through.

    As I apologized a thought flitted across my mind. Was this her final act ofhuman selflessness? She was in utter agony and to spare me she wasn't

    screaming or writhing in her burning pain. She was holding it in. I hoped I was

    wrong, that the morphine really had helped with the pain, but I had a feeling

    that she was holding it all in to spare my feelings, my regret and my sorrow.

    Always so selfless, her soul was beautiful. I was going to miss that about her.

    Carlisle hadn't left; he was still looking over Bella with me. I didn't want him

    to leave me just yet. I needed someone else in that room. The rest of the familywas downstairs. The dog was there, too, he wasn't going to leave us, ever.

    "Edward, I know Bella can hear us, I don't want to say this out loud. Sam

    needs you downstairs to interpret for them. They don't want to be in human

    form to work out Jacob's imprinting," Carlisle said to me in my head.

    "No, I'm staying right here," I whispered hoping her ears didn't pick that up.

    "They'll sort it out."

    "An interesting situation. And I'd thought I'd seen just about everything." Who

    would have thought Jacob would have imprinted on your half-human

    half-vampire offspring?

    "I'll deal with it later." I didn't want to deal with it by myself; I couldn't think

    like that, I had to amend that thought. " We'll deal with it." I squeezed Bella's

    hand again. I needed her to know we were still in this together. I was still withher, I couldn't leave her.

    "I'm sure, between the five of us, we can keep it from turning to bloodshed."

    I sighed as I considered the different arguments Rosalie and Jacob were having,

    "I don't know which side to take. I'd love to flog them both. Well, later," I still

    wasn't leaving my Bella to suffer alone.

    New Bella Edwards POV

    7

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    10/38

    "I wonder what Bella will think--whose side she'll choose," Carlisle said with a

    smile in voice.

    I couldn't help chuckling at this thought. "I'm sure she'll surprise me. She

    always does."

    Carlisle left to take care of the wolf problem downstairs.

    I went back to pondering what I would miss about Bella. I would definitely

    miss her flushing red, to watch her blood swirl beneath the surface of her pale

    skin, and the aroma her blood had. But I wouldn't miss fighting off the monster

    within to take her life. The monster won. But since we had collected my venom

    in a syringe I didn't have to bite her too much, but fighting the monster off tonot drain her was the hardest part.

    I would miss her soul. I just knew that was going to be missing. This is what I

    feared the most about changing her. I sat there watching the steady rise and fall

    of her chest and the sound of her thumping heartbeat. I would definitely miss

    that. But to have her more durable, I couldn't wait to show her all of my love,

    to be able to not hold back with her. I couldn't wait for our first real kiss. If she

    thought what we had before was bliss, she would be surprised what she wasmissing. I would be surprised at what I was missing. I mused on that thought

    for awhile. It helped keep my sanity as she silently suffered.

    I heard Alice come up the stairs.

    "How much longer?" I asked as she entered the room. I was panicking; I didn't

    know how much longer I could take this torture. She was hurting; I needed her

    to not hurt anymore. I knew that now, she was staying silent for my benefit. Iwould have to talk to her about that later. But did it matter? Maybe I didn't

    want to know how much she suffered. I was sure Carlisle would pepper her

    with questions, I'd let him ask as much as he needed to know, I wouldn't add to

    it. It would add to my sorrow and pain of hurting her.

    "It won't be long now. See how clear she's becoming? I can see her so much

    better," she said as she sighed. I saw into Alice's mind, and I could see Bella.

    New Bella Edwards POV

    8

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    11/38

    She was never this focused before in her mind. Renesmee, on the other hand,

    she couldn't see at all, this frustrated Alice to no end. She was getting bitter

    about it. I had to tease her. It helped take my mind off the suffering.

    "Still feeling a little bitter?"

    "Yes, thanks so much for bringing it up. You would be mortified too, if you

    realized that you were handcuffed by your own nature. I see vampires best,

    because I am one; I see humans okay, because I was one. But I can't see these

    odd half-breeds at all because they're nothing I've experienced. Bah!"

    I had made her vision slip from Bella with that distraction; I wanted to focus on

    that. I wanted to see her again, alive.

    "Focus, Alice," I urged.

    "Right. Bella's almost too easy to see now."

    This made me sigh, I was content. I could see her through Alice, she was much

    clearer and I was happy I did do something right by her. Though, it still pained

    me to have her changed at all. "She's really going to be fine," I smiled as I saidthis.

    "Of course she is," Alice snapped at me.

    "You weren't so sanguine two days ago."

    "I couldn't see right two days ago. But now that she's free of all the blind spots,

    it's a piece of cake."

    I needed to know how soon she'd wake up. I was being selfishly impatient; I

    had to know when I could hold her again. I glanced up at Alice after looking at

    Bella, "Could you concentrate for me? On the clock--give me an estimate."

    "So impatient," Alice said as she sighed at me. "Fine, give me a sec-"

    New Bella Edwards POV

    9

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    12/38

    I waited while her visions swirled and solidified. I was ecstatic, two more

    hours to endure her suffering; my suffering. I was never more grateful to have a

    sister who could see the future as I was at this moment. "Thank you, Alice," I

    said with renewed hope.

    "She's going to be dazzling," Alice murmured to me.

    This made me mad, she never was anything but dazzling to me, I wanted Alice

    to know that, "She always has been," I growled at her quietly, I knew Bella's

    hearing was getting better.

    "You know what I mean! Look at her."

    I was looking at her. It's what I had been doing for two days straight. Never

    moving, other than to squeeze her hand and to pray to whatever god vampires

    pray to in time of comfort. But Alice was right; Bella was becoming more

    radiant, if that were possible.

    Downstairs Rosalie was sitting impatiently next to Emmett while he watched

    the Mariners baseball game. She was trying to get Renesmee back from Jacob.

    I reflected on the earlier conversation I'd had with Carlisle. What would Bellasay? Now she'd always have herJacob around, how would she feel about that?

    I couldn't be sure. Would she snap his head off? I certainly wanted to. How the

    hell did that happen? I questioned for the hundredth time since the birth. Of all

    the people in the world, that mongrel imprinted on ourdaughter. Would Bella

    accept him as a future son-in-law, to always have him in our family? I knew

    whatever she would do and say, she would surprise me.

    I sat there contemplating the transformation, her exquisite beauty and thetroubles that were about to ensue when her heartbeat started racing.

    "Carlisle." I said calmly, though I wanted to frantically run down the stairs and

    find him. Something was happening to Bella. Carlisle and Alice soon came in.

    "Listen," I said to him. I stopped my breathing so they could be sure to hear her

    quickening heartbeat.

    New Bella Edwards POV

    10

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    13/38

    "Ah, it's almost over," Carlisle said.

    "Soon!" Alice agreed. "I'll go get the others. Should we have Rosalie..." stay

    downstairs with Renesmee?

    "Yes--keep the baby away," I didn't need my new bloodthirsty wife attacking

    our newborn. I had two newborns now...her fingers twitched, causing me to

    lose my train of thought. The first movement I'd seen in two days from Bella. I

    frantically glanced at Alice, then Carlisle. He nodded at Alice so she could get

    the family. She didn't immediately run away, she was in the same shock as I,

    waiting for the next movement.

    I wanted something more, now that I knew she could move I knew she couldhear me, "Bella? Bella, love?"

    Alice finally broke from her shocked stupor. "I'll bring them right up," Alice

    said as she dashed from the room. We didn't know how out of control Bella

    was going to be. But we had agreed we wanted the whole family there, sans

    Rosalie and Renesmee, to reassure her that we were still here for her. She

    needed us.

    Her heart was beating faster and louder, like she was running a marathon, her

    heart racing to keep up with the blood her body needed. But her body was

    about to crave a new kind of blood. Suddenly her back arched high off the

    hospital bed, it landed back with a thud on the table. The first time in two days

    any part of her body had moved, other than the minor hand twitch a moment

    ago. I was frantic again. Was she hurting? Was this the end?

    The rest of my family was back in the room, against the far wall by the door,Esme and Alice in the back, Carlisle, Emmett and Jasper in front, ready to help

    me, if help was needed when she awoke. Rosalie had muted the TV; she

    wanted to be able to hear her new sister wake up. We were all holding our

    breath. We didn't know what to expect. Bella had been mentally preparing

    herself for this for two years. Would she jump off the bed, screaming, never to

    return to us and wreak havoc all over Forks? No, we wouldn't, couldn't allow

    that. We had to be ready to show her our way of feeding, the vegetarian way.

    New Bella Edwards POV

    11

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    14/38

    Her heart stopped. It thudded once more, twice more and then nothing. There

    was total silence. We all stopped breathing waiting for Bella to awake in her

    new life.

    "Ready, Edward? She's about to open her eyes," Alice told me with widesmile. She was more excited than anyone to finally have her sister back.

    Bella's blood red eyes slowly opened, staring straight up. I was going to miss

    those deep chocolate brown eyes, too.

    New Bella Edwards POV

    12

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    15/38

    New Bella

    No, still not Ms. Meyer and no, still not the owner of Twilight. Hmmmm, think

    someone will bite me to transform me into her? Hehehe, just kidding, there isonly one brilliant Stephenie Meyer. Now, if her imaginary friends would leave

    me the hell alone...

    2. New Bella

    Bella looked straight up, staring at the light, like she hadn't seen a light before.

    I knew what she was looking at. She could finally really see. The bright colors,

    the way we can see a filament in a light bulb, it's disconcerting at first. Butafter awhile it's all we know. I watched her eyes as she followed the dust float

    in the air; I kept her hand in mine.

    She inhaled; her first unneeded breath. We all exhaled, and started breathing

    again, to smell any danger in the air, but there wasn't any, not really. But as a

    newborn she would think there was. Bella was quiet as she took it all in. She

    startled as a car went by on the freeway, blaring the rap music, background

    noise to us.

    I squeezed her hand, letting her know I was still here for her. She froze; then

    she spun off the bed, detaching our hands; she crouched, ready to defend

    herself. What was she thinking? I still couldn't hear her thoughts. I was just as

    frustrated as before.

    "Get ready, Edward, in case she attacks," Jasper warned me.

    She straightened up just as quickly as she had crouched down. My hand was

    still reaching over the table, I was nervous and anxious. Was this still my same

    Bella? She held my gaze, but I could see was taking everything else in. I saw

    Alice beaming at her out of the corner of my eye. I watched as she jerkily

    moved her body. Again, this was disconcerting, the superhuman way we can

    move. She gasped.

    13

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    16/38

    "Bella?" I asked her, I needed her to say something.

    "Steady Edward," Carlisle warned me, "let her get her bearings, this is all new

    to her, let her take it all in."

    We all watched as she warily took in her surrounding, yet never breaking her

    gaze with me. Was she challenged by me? Was she contemplating taking me

    out, finally pissed off enough at me for hurting her for the last time?

    Her silence was killing me. "Bella, love? I'm sorry, I know it's disorienting. But

    you're all right. Everything is fine," I assured her, hoping she would start

    speaking to me, Alice or someone.

    Her face displayed a million emotions all at once. Why wasn't she talking? I

    had to touch her; I ever so slowly reached my hand further to stroke her cheek.

    I had to feel her skin. It was smooth as satin, soft as a feather and the same

    temperature as mine. She didn't feel too warm to me anymore. She then started

    to tremble. Did I hurt her? No, she's durable now, I reminded myself. Why is

    she trembling? I cupped my hand around her cheek, not wanting to let her go.

    Ugh, her silence was unnerving! Had I made her mute in her transformation? I

    arched my eyebrow as I thought back to what I had done to change her,wondering if I had damaged her throat. But even if I had, the venom would

    have repaired that damage.

    Her arms darted out to hug me in a bear hug that would rival Emmett's. Not

    that I needed to breathe, but she was choking me, her strength was unbearable.

    I shifted a little, hoping to alleviate the hold she had on me. Her gaze looked

    hurt that I was shifting away from her. "Um...carefully, Bella. Ow," She was

    hurting me.

    She yanked her arms back and away from me. "Oops," she finally spoke. Her

    voice was like bells, I smiled, glad that she found her voice. I wanted to hear it

    again.

    "Don't panic, love. You're just a bit stronger that I am for the moment," I said

    as I raised my hand to touch those kissable lips. Her eyebrows puckered in that

    New Bella Edwards POV

    14

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    17/38

    signature V as she contemplated what she had just done. I stroked her cheek

    again, I couldn't stop touching her. Then her V smoothed out as another

    emotion flickered across her face. Distress? What was going on in her mind, I

    asked myself, again. I watched her as she again focused on me. Her red eyes

    stared into my golden eyes...

    "I love you," she said.

    "As I love you," I smiled, she wasn't mad at me, she wasn't hurt, and she still

    loved me. I couldn't contain myself anymore, I took her face into both of my

    hands; I slowly approached her face and lips hesitantly, as our first kiss should

    have been, calculating, hesitant, as man kisses a woman for the first time to

    gauge the right response. I then kissed her like I had always wanted to kiss her.No barriers, no fear of her getting too close to my teeth. I kissed her with a

    fierceness and urgency that I was never able to do before. This made my heart

    swell to finally show her the intensity of my love for her. She reciprocated and

    started curving herself, almost seductively, around me.

    Emmett cleared his throat, "dude, can't you wait until we're out of the room to

    do this?" This made me chuckle, it felt good to finally smile and be happy

    again. No, I was beyond happy, is that possible? She would forever make mequestion possible verses impossible.

    Bella stepped away from me. She wasn't getting away from me that easily, I

    stepped with her. She took a breath, as if to settle some nerves. She would have

    blushed, if she were able. I would definitely miss that, but being able to kiss

    her that passionately, it was worth the trade off. I smiled down at her.

    "You've been holding out on me," she mused.

    I laughed louder this time, I was exuberant and I couldn't contain it. "It was sort

    of necessary at the time, now it's your turn to not breakme," I laughed again. I

    couldn't help it. She was here, with me, and our love was unaffected.

    She frowned for a second, and then laughed with me. Her laugh was nothing I'd

    ever heard before; it was still the same Bella laugh, only clearer, like singing.

    New Bella Edwards POV

    15

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    18/38

    "I'm going to talk to her now, love bird," Carlisle thought towards me, as he

    made his way slowly to Bella. Jasper was shadowing him, testing the air for

    any sign of distress from Bella.

    "How do you feel, Bella?" Carlisle asked her.

    She considered this briefly, "Overwhelmed. There's so much..." her voice

    trailed, like she didn't know it was her talking.

    "Yes, it can be quite confusing."

    She nodded her head, jerkily, again. "But I feel like me. Sort of. I didn't expect

    that."

    I hugged her tighter to me, "I told you so," I whispered, to reassure her that she

    would still be Bella. My silly, beautiful, dazzling Bella.

    "You are quite controlled," Carlisle mused. "More so than Iexpected, even

    with the time you had to prepare yourself mentally for this." This is most

    fascinating, how is she not growling at us or running out the door or looking

    for something to attack...

    "I'm not sure about that," she whispered, cutting off his internal questions.

    Carlisle nodded again, "It seems like we did something right with the morphine

    this time. Tell me, what do you remember of the transformation process?" Yes,

    the morphine is the key. If I ever need to do this again, I'll be sure to keep that

    in mind.

    She hesitated before saying, "Everything was...very dim before. I remember the

    baby couldn't breathe..." then she looked at me, her eyes filled with questions

    and fear.

    "Renesmee is healthy and well," I assured her, my eyes lit up as I thought of

    our beautiful baby girl downstairs. "What else do you remember?" I wanted to

    know as badly as Carlisle now.

    New Bella Edwards POV

    16

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    19/38

    "It's hard to remember," she said with a straight face, but I thought there was a

    trace of a lie there. "It was so dark before. And then...I opened my eyes and I

    could see everything."

    "Amazing," Carlisle said with wonder. I want you to think--to tell meeverything you remember," Carlisle pressed. Bella grimaced at that. "Oh, I'm

    so sorry, Bella. Of course your thirst must be very uncomfortable. This

    conversation can wait."

    She brought her hand up to her throat; I dropped my arms from around her but

    took her free hand, pulling her from the room, "Let's hunt, Bella." I was finally

    ready for her to see me hunt, now that the fear of losing my senses and

    attacking her were gone. I was excited at the prospect of never having to leaveher again, for anything. I watched her again, her eyes grew wider and wider.

    She was obviously nervous about her first time hunting. "It's quite easy, love.

    Instinctual. Don't worry, I'll show you," I said to calm her down. She still didn't

    move, I smiled remembering one of our first conversations, "I was under the

    impression that you'd always wantedto see me hunt."

    She laughed at this. I still hadn't stopped looking at her face, her expressions

    reflected thoughtfulness as she remembered our conversation about myhunting.

    "Shall we?" I asked as I took her other hand that was cupped around her neck. I

    was starting to worry that she would be hurting, I voiced this with her, "I don't

    want you to be hurting," I said this under my breath, testing her new hearing.

    She had heard it. "I'm fine. Wait. First," she stopped me. What could possibly

    be more important than quenching that unquenchable thirst?

    "Yes?" How is she not in pain? Carlisle answered her; I was still contemplating

    the reason behind the wait.

    "I want to see her. Renesmee," she requested. Her hands were out of mine and

    pressed against her now flat stomach. She clutched at her dress as if trying to

    cradle our baby that was no longer there.

    New Bella Edwards POV

    17

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    20/38

    I glanced at Carlisle, warily.

    "Not a good idea, Edward. Do not give her this yet. Let her get satiated first.

    Renesmee is part human, she would hate herself for killing her baby; after all

    she suffered through to bring her to life."

    "What?" Bella demanded through our silent conversation.

    I used my soft, velvet voice on her; one I knew would calm her down, "Bella,

    that's not really a good idea. She's half human, love. Her heart beats, and blood

    runs through her veins. Until your thirst is positively under control...You don't

    want to put her in danger, do you?"

    She frowned at this revelation. "Where is she?" she finally asked. "Is Rosalie

    with her?"

    No, Jacob has her. "Yes," I lied to her curtly; I didn't want to bring this up yet.

    I needed her desire for blood controlled before I let her know of the imprinting.

    I tugged at her hands still at her stomach.

    "Wait!" she stopped me again. "What about Jacob? And Charlie? Tell meeverything that I missed. How long was I...unconscious?"

    She would ask about Jacob, I looked at Carlisle again.

    "Don't tell her, Edward, she's not ready to hear it."

    "What's wrong?" Bella pleaded with me.

    "Nothing is wrong, nothing has changed much, actually--you were only

    unaware for just over two days. It was very fast as these things go. Edward did

    an excellent job. Quite innovative--the venom injection straight to your heart

    was his idea." Carlisle stopped to smile at me that was a very clever idea,

    definitely saved time on the changing. I'll remember that in the future as well.

    "Jacob is still here," Carlisle continued, "and Charlie still believes that you are

    sick. He thinks you're in Atlanta right now, undergoing tests at the CDC. We

    New Bella Edwards POV

    18

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    21/38

    gave him a bad number, and he's frustrated. He's been speaking to Esme."

    More like shouting...

    "I should call him...," her voice trailing again before realization hit of what

    Carlisle said, "Hold on--Jacob is still here?"

    Oh, man, this is going to get good now! Emmett thought, excitedly.

    Don't tell her, Edward, Carlisle thought. I knew he was right, I just wish I

    knew what her response was going to be. And since Alice couldn't see Jacob in

    the future, even she didn't know that outcome. I was nervous. I needed to

    distract her before she demanded she see him.

    "Bella, there's much to discuss, but we should take care of you first. You have

    to be in pain..." I speculated again. How was she not hurting? This was driving

    me insane!

    "But Jacob-" she interrupted. Always so difficult, always so stubborn, she was

    starting to rival Rosalie's tenacity.

    "We have all the time in the world for explanations, love," I stated. And wedid. I absolutely, with certainty, had forever with her. Forever held a whole

    new meaning for me.

    Edward, let me get a mirror first! "Wait, wait, wait!" Alice commanded of us,

    while Bella stared, rather, gaped, at Alice. She was seeing all of us for the first

    time, really seeing us. "You promised I could be there the first time? What if

    you two run past something reflective?" I want to see her see herself for the

    first time. I want to see her reaction. You'll love it too, but be careful, she'sgoing to snap.

    "Alice-" I protested. I really needed to get her hunting, and soon. And I didn't

    want her temper to flare this early into her new life.

    "It will only take a second!" Pipe down; it's not going to be that bad! Alice ran

    from the room before I could grab her. What an annoying little sister.

    New Bella Edwards POV

    19

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    22/38

    I sighed.

    "What is she talking about?" Bella asked me, but before I could answer Alice

    had returned with one of Rosalie's mirrors, and not just any of her mirrors, the

    biggest one she owned, full length. Alice liked to go grand.

    Jasper moved towards Alice, he had to make sure his love was safe. I read in

    his thoughts that Bella was shocked as she finally saw Jasper for the first time

    in all of his bitten glory. He was something to see with his scarred stone skin.

    Her eyes roved over his exposed skin.

    I don't think she's going to attack, but she's finally scared. I'm sorry Edward; I

    know it's me, again. I won't do anything to provoke her, but if she attacks, I'llhave to defend myself and Alice. Jasper said to me as he smiled to Bella. I knew

    he was right. His scarred skin was something to fear, if one didn't know him

    like our family did. And to human eyes, his scars are nearly invisible. I

    remembered back to when Jasper showed Bella a few scars on his arm, under

    the light. She really didn't grasp what he truly looked like to vampires. She was

    seeing him for the first time, and she was shocked. I only hoped she didn't

    attack him. Though, he would get his payback from her nearly fatal 18th

    birthday party.

    "Edward gave me grief for not getting you to a mirror before the wedding, I'm

    not going to be chewed out again," well, I know you didn't, but I needed to

    distract her.

    I played along, she was doing this to help Bella, "Chewed out?" I asked with

    my eyebrow raised at her with mock skepticism.

    "Maybe I'm overstating things," thanks for playing along.

    "And maybe this has solely to do with your own voyeuristic gratification," I

    teased. If she was going to open the door, I was going to walk in and say what I

    could. She winked back at me as Bella stared at herself. Alice was right to let

    her see herself. Her eyes roved, as they did at our wedding reception, from the

    tip of her toes to her face. She lingered on her face, hair, lips, and nose, before

    New Bella Edwards POV

    20

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    23/38

    focusing on her bright red eyes. She stopped. They grew in horror.

    Jasper assessed her moods as she examined herself. She's happy...no, she's

    scared and stressed. Edward, this probably wasn't a good idea.

    "The eyes?" Bella asked in calm panicked voice.

    I didn't want to feed into her horrorstruck feeling, I used my soothing voice

    again, "They'll darken up in a few months." I wanted to explain the process so

    she would know what to expect. "Animal blood dilutes the color more quickly

    than a diet of human blood. They'll turn amber first, then gold."

    "Months?" Bella asked in an octave higher.

    More stress and anxiety now... Jasper concluded. Even I could tell that. Jasper

    got ready to crouch, to counterattack if needed. This is the danger we had all

    waited for, the uncontrollable newborn ready to attack. I hoped it didn't come

    to that.

    Bella's eyes shifted to Jasper, then Alice then me. We were watching Jasper. I

    really didn't want to fight Jasper again over Bella. This was gettingmonotonous.

    Bella took a deep breath and calmly said, "No, I'm fine. It's just a lot to take

    in."

    She's calm? Just like that? A newborn can't do that. How the hell did she do

    that?

    How the hell..? Emmett mirrored Jasper's thoughts.

    What the...?

    Everyone was thinking the same thing. Carlisle was thinking incoherent

    thoughts, though fascination and amazement was at the top of the list.

    New Bella Edwards POV

    21

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    24/38

    "I don't know," I was wondering the same thing. I was dumbfounded. Though,

    I really shouldn't be, she was the most incredible thing I had ever met, even in

    vampire form she was surprising me.

    "What question did I miss?" Bella asked again, calmly but with a frown.

    I couldn't contain my happiness at her control, "Jasper wonders how you're

    doing it."

    "Doing what?" Bella asked confused.

    "Controlling your emotions, Bella. I've NEVER seen a newborn do that--stop

    an emotion in its tracks that way. You were upset, but when you saw ourconcern, you reined it in, regained power over yourself. I was preprared to

    help, but you didn't need it," I don't get it.

    "Is that wrong?" She asked. Silly Bella, she once again, didn't know her own

    brilliance.

    Wrong? "No," but how long can this hold? What will make her snap? Her

    human temper was hard to control, this is going to build and she's going to getsomeone. Jasper thought to himself.

    I stroked her arms absentmindedly, I was impressed. "It's very impressive,

    Bella, but we don't understand it. We don't know how long it can hold," voicing

    Jaspers concerns.

    She's fine! I want to know what she thinks of herself! "But what do you think?"

    Alice asked, finally.

    "I'm not sure," she said as she stared at herself once again. She looked at her

    lips again, she raised her hand to touch her face, what was she thinking? Her

    silence was still just as strong as ever. I sighed.

    "Disappointed?" Bella asked sadly.

    New Bella Edwards POV

    22

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    25/38

    I laughed, realizing that I had sighed out loud, "Yes."

    Her face fell.

    Edward, you're an idiot, she's dazzling just like I told you, and you'redisappointed? Alice snarled at me.

    Jasper felt Bella's hurt and poised himself to help, if needed. They were all

    overreacting.

    I wrapped my arms around Bella to reassure her that I wasn't disappointed in

    her beauty; I pressed my lips to her cheek. "I was rather hoping that I'd be able

    to hear your mind, now that it is more similar to my own. And here I am,frustrated as ever, wondering what could possibly be going on inside your

    head."

    I felt her relax in my arms. "Oh, well, I guess my brain will never work right.

    At least I'm pretty," she joked with me. She was joking around? This was

    unheard of; she should be clawing to get out the door to satiate her

    unquenchable thirst for blood.

    How does she DO that? She's not supposed to be this controlled. Edward, get

    her hunting before she snaps. Or before I snap.

    I ignored Jasper for the moment. "Bella, you have neverbeen merely pretty," I

    growled at her. She never saw herself as I saw her, even as a beautiful durable

    vampire. I wanted to take her and kiss her again, but Jasper was like an

    annoying buzzing in my ear.

    Edward, please take her hunting, now! She's going to snap and then you'll

    really be mad at me.

    "All right, all right," I said to him out loud. Annoying sensitive vampire...

    "What?" Bella asked.

    New Bella Edwards POV

    23

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    26/38

    "You're making Jasper more edgy by the second. He may relax a little when

    you've hunted."

    She looked over at Jasper and saw the unease on his face. "Okay, let's hunt,"

    she conceded. She unwrapped my arms from her while keeping one hand inmine as I led her to the window.

    New Bella Edwards POV

    24

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    27/38

    First Hunt

    I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyers does. Sniff, sniff...

    First Hunt

    "The window?" Bella asked with uncertainty. Silly Bella, she still didn't know

    her strength yet.

    "It's the most convenient exit. If you're frightened I can carry you." I knew she

    wouldn't want to be carried; remembering that day so long ago when I first

    learned she fainted at the smell of blood.

    "We have all eternity, and you're worried about the time it would take to walk

    out to the back door?"

    No, the reason was our daughter was by the back door and I didn't want her to

    attack her. I frowned at her, "Renesmee and Jacob are downstairs," and I don't

    need you killing him for imprinting before you've hunted, it would kill our

    daughter. She already loves him, too. I shuddered, but stopped before Bellacaught that, her clear observance would definitely carry over to her new

    existence.

    "Oh," she said with realization. "Is Renesmee...okay...with Jacob there?" she

    whispered at me. She had no idea how safe our daughter was with him.

    "Trust me, she is perfectly safe. I know exactly what Jacob is thinking," I hated

    being in his mind. And I would be in there a lot now. Oh, the irony of it all. Itwasn't so bad now, but I was already thinking of when she was older. Being in

    his head was going to be so much worse than being in Emmetts. This was my

    daughternot my sister.

    "Of course," Bella said quietly as she looked to the ground. The first jump is

    always the most unnerving. Well, the first everything is the most unnerving,

    this was a day of firsts and I was glad to be able to share it with her. I was

    25

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    28/38

    elated.

    "Stalling?" I kidded with her.

    "A little. I don't know how..." her voice trailed as she looked out the window,to the ground then to her tightly fitted ice-blue silk dress. I argued with Alice

    that that wasn't the best of choices, but Alice will be Alice.

    "Watch me," I encouraged. I took a step out the window like I was taking a

    step. I landed perfectly on the balls of my feet. I looked up to see if Bella was

    going to follow. She nodded her head, took her first step and gracefully, more

    gracefully than I'd ever seen her do anything, land on the balls of her feet in

    those crazy stilettos Alice put her in. I was thoroughly impressed. She stillcontinued to amaze me.

    "Right. Easy," Bella said once she realized she'd made it.

    "Bella?"

    "Yes?"

    "That was quite graceful-even for a vampire."

    Aw, man, the klutziness is gone! What am I gonna joke around with her about

    now?

    Emmett was as impressed as I was.

    " Thankyou," Bella responded; she may have been just as impressed. Then shetook her shoes off and lobbed them right at Alice who gracefully caught them

    before they could pierce through the back wall. Again, the best I've ever seen

    her throw.

    Dude! She is so pitching for us at our next baseball game! Emmett thought,

    also impressed with all of Bella's transformations so far.

    New Bella Edwards POV

    26

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    29/38

    "Her fashion sense hasn't improved as much as her balance. Does she not

    realize that she can run in those? Alice thought, she was disgruntled.

    I took her hand; I couldn't stop being impressed with her improvements. I was

    questioning all of my disagreements with her about her being transformed, sofar, everything was better than I had imagined. We ran together to the river.

    Alice's vision had finally come true, what she had shown Aro in Volterra. We

    would be together, running in the forest, hand in hand.

    We stopped at the river to cross.

    "Are we swimming?" she asked with a little panic in her voice.

    "And ruin your pretty dress? No. We're jumping," I couldn't wait for her to

    react to this. And I couldn't have Alice kill me for getting that dress wet. Stupid

    silk.

    Bella stood there with her lips pursed. "You first," she finally said.

    I took one more look at her; I knew she could do this. I just had to show her

    first. I touched her cheek, stepped back with two steps, though I wasexaggerating, I really didn't need any steps to jump across that small distance. I

    sailed through the air and landed softly again on the opposite riverbank.

    "Show off," Bella muttered. This made me laugh; she was going to be able to

    show off for us as well. I couldn't wait.

    Bella took five steps back. Her human memories were getting the best of her.

    Then she took a deep breath and stopped. I watched her scan the trees, then shetook her first step, with it came a small ripping sound of fabric. More

    specifically, that stupid silk. She bent down and scowled at her dress then

    ripped the seams to match on either side. Alice was going to hate her for that,

    but she deserved it. I knew that dress was not a good idea. Hmmm...but I did

    like the improvements, I shook my head to focus. I heard the rest of the family

    laughing at the absurdity of it all. I also heard Jacob, but I ignored him as I

    laughed with the rest of them

    New Bella Edwards POV

    27

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    30/38

    Ugh! No fashion sense! Alice thought, her teeth too tightly clenched together to

    say anything out loud.

    What was taking Bella so long, I wondered. "Bella? Do you want to watch

    again?" Was she ever going to cross?

    I heard her take a deep breath, ran for the river and sailed further than I did. I

    lost her as she cleared past me and landed in a tree like a gymnast, laughing

    like I'd never heard her laugh before. She was happy. I found her as she swung

    nimbly from limb to limb to land quietly on her feet. Show off, I muttered to

    myself. She was showing me up. This was a strange, yet exhilarating, role

    reversal. I rather liked it. She was better than me at something.

    "Was that good?" she had to ask?

    "Very good," I tried controlling my excitement for her, but I failed, miserably.

    "Can we do it again?" she asked.

    This sobered me up. What was going through that head of hers? "Focus,

    Bella--we're on a hunting trip.""Oh, right. Hunting," she nodded with understanding, but she seemed to be sad

    that she couldn't go swinging through the trees again.

    Well, if she wanted a challenge, she can have one. I grinned at her

    mischievously, "Follow me, if you can." I took off running at top speed; soon

    she overtook and blew past me. I couldn't keep up. I thought of Emmett and

    how, when we would play baseball, she would be faster than the ball he would

    hit. She would catch it better than I. Well for now, we'll see how strong shewould be in a year. I kept an eye on her as she ran freer than I knew she ever

    had. We were almost out of Washington, I stopped, hoping she would too.

    "Bella..."

    She sighed and turned around to race back to me.

    New Bella Edwards POV

    28

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    31/38

    "Did you want to stay in the country or were you planning to continue on to

    Canada this afternoon?" I asked with a smirk on my face. Running with her

    was better than running with her on my back, and I would have run to Canada

    with her if she so chose.

    "This is fine, what are we hunting?"

    "Elk. I thought something easy for your first time..." her eyes narrowed at me.

    Why? Elk were easy. Bears and lions were mean; she needed something tame

    to start out on.

    "Where?" she asked impatiently, pulling me from my reverie. Finally she was

    feeling the pain of the thirst, she had waited too long to hunt.

    "Now close your eyes," I told her. She was beautiful with her eyes closed. I

    stroked her cheek with out thinking about it. Her breathing sped up at my

    touch, hmm, interesting. If her heart were still beating it probably would have

    sped up, too. I would miss that, especially the blush that wouldn't come

    anymore with her speeding heartbeat. I had to focus myself away from Bella's

    beauty, the tempting silk dress... "Listen, what do you hear?"

    She paused for a moment letting her senses take over. "By the creek, to the

    northeast?"

    "Yes," finally, her sense of direction had kicked in. I smiled at this thought.

    "Now...wait for the breeze again and...what do you smell?" I smelled five, but I

    needed her to smell them.

    Her nose wrinkled, I knew she caught scent of the herbivores. This is where thevegetarian part of our diet came in. I laughed at her expression. "I know--it

    takes some getting used to."

    "Three?" she asked me. She was good at this, but she needed to be aware of all

    her options.

    "Five. There are two more in the trees behind them."

    New Bella Edwards POV

    29

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    32/38

    "What do I do now?" she asked.

    I smiled, "What do you feel like doing?" She was thinking about it, she needed

    to stop thinking; she needed her senses to completely take over. I coached her,

    "Don't think about it, just follow your instincts." My hand reluctantly left herface, I stepped back to let her hunt her first meal.

    I watched as she opened her eyes, bounding towards her prey, then the wind

    shifted. She took off away from the Elk, towards...Damn! There were humans.

    I should have been more careful, I should have sniffed out to make sure there

    weren't any. I didn't think there would be any out this far. We were pretty

    remote from the rest of the world. Serious backpackers, no doubt. I had to

    follow her, she needed to be stopped. I couldn't have her take down humans.She would hate herself for that. I bounded after her hoping to cut her off before

    she got too close.

    She suddenly stopped. She spun around and growled at me, the most gut

    wrenching guttural sound I couldn't ever imagine coming from her beautiful

    body. She crouched down as if to attack me. I raised my arms to embrace her

    as best I could to stop her before she fed on a human. The wind shifted again.

    "I have to get away from here!" she spat at me, clearly holding her breath.

    " Can you leave?" I was shocked, utterly and completely shocked. She had

    stopped herselfandheld her breath. This was her first hunt and she was

    restraining herself.

    She didn't answer me as she fled as fast as ever from this hunt. She took off

    from the hunt? How was she doing that? She stopped herself fromhunting...humans? What kind of newborn had we created? Carlisle would be

    most impressed. I ran after her to make sure she was okay. What was she

    thinking? I hated not reading her mind. Did she hate herself? Did she hate me?

    I struggled to keep up with her strength and stride, but I needed to check on

    her. She stopped again, so suddenly that I flew right past her. I spun around to

    meet up with her.

    New Bella Edwards POV

    30

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    33/38

    "How did you do that?" I knew that came out more demanding than I intended,

    but I couldn't stop myself.

    "You let me beat you before, didn't you?" What? I was talking about the hunt

    and she thought I wanted to know how she beat me in running? I shrugged andshook my head as she opened her mouth to taste the air.

    "Bella, how did you do it?" She was showing more restraint in the few hours

    she was alive than I had in several decades. I couldn't fathom this.

    "Run away? I held my breath," she responded, almost nonchalantly, like we

    were discussing a bad smell rather than human blood that she was craving.

    "But how did you stop hunting?"

    "When you came up behind me...I'm so sorry about that," she apologized. She

    was apologizing for almost attacking me. She would never cease to amaze me.

    "Why are you apologizing to me? I'm the one who was horribly careless. I

    assumed no one would be so far from the trails, but I should have checked first.

    Such a stupid mistake! You have nothing to apologize for," in this instance, shewas diabolical.

    "But I growled at you!" She exclaimed, like she was horrified for this reaction.

    "Of course you did. That's only natural. But I can't understand how you ran

    away," and I couldn't. I needed her to help me understand her thinking. I was at

    a total loss at her thought process. I didn't even have that kind of restraint and I

    was decades old.

    "What else could I do? It might have been someone I know!"

    She stated this like this was logic lost on me. And it was. My thoughts were

    incoherent. I did the only thing I could do. I laughed. This was the only thing I

    could do that made sense in my head.

    New Bella Edwards POV

    31

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    34/38

    "Why are you laughing at me?" She sounded hurt. This sobered me up again.

    She was about to snap, her needs still weren't taken care of, I needed her to

    hunt and soon. And I needed to assure her I wasn't laughing at her.

    "I'm not laughing at you, Bella. I'm laughing because I am in shock. And I amin shock because I am completely amazed."

    "Why?" she asked, calmly again.

    "You shouldn't be able to do any of this. You shouldn't be so...so rational. You

    shouldn't be able to stand here discussing this with me calmly and coolly. And,

    much more than any of that, you should nothave been able to break off

    mid-hunt with the scent of human blood in the air. Even mature vampires havedifficulty with that--we're always very careful of where we hunt so as not to put

    ourselves in the path of temptation. Bella, you're behaving like you're decades

    old, rather than hours old," I explained to her as much as to myself.

    "Oh," she stated with a little shock.

    I put my hands on her face again, I still wasn't over my shock and wonderment

    of my wonderful wife's control. "What I wouldn't give to be able to see intoyour mind for just this one moment." I probed her mind again, only meeting

    that same unpenatrable wall I'd always hit. So frustrating. I really, really

    wanted to know her thoughts this very moment.

    As I stared into her ruby eyes trying to probe her mind one of our first

    conversations resurface.

    " How old are you Bella?"

    "I'm Seventeen."

    "You don't seem seventeen."

    She laughed.

    New Bella Edwards POV

    32

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    35/38

    "What?"

    "My mom always says I was born thirty five years old and that I get more

    middle aged every year." She laughed again. "Well, someone has to be the

    adult." Maybe that was something else she had brought to this life. A decadesold newborn when she was only hours old. Carlisle might like that theory.

    Well, might was an understatement. I continued on this thought, unable to

    break from her gaze as she ran her fingers down my face and then they stayed

    on my lips. Now what was on her mind?

    "I thought I wouldn't feel this way for a long time? "But I still wantyou."

    My thoughts were incoherent again. I could not get my brain to wrap aroundwhat she was saying. She was a newborn, thirsty and she wanted...sex? I

    blinked trying to gain some coherency. "How can you even concentrate on

    that? Aren't you unbearably thirsty?"

    She didn't answer me instead she swallowed, sighed and closed her eyes as she

    regained her focus. I dropped my hands to let her concentrate. Yes, I wanted

    what she wanted, but I needed her to satiate her thirst. I watched as she ever so

    slightly moved her head to the east, she smelled something. Her eyes poppedopen. Then she ran to her first prey. I followed closely behind. She was hunting

    a mountain lion. I was eager to see this. Evidently she liked what I liked. I

    smiled at the thought of shared mountain lion hunts. I watched as she

    gracefully climbed the boughs of the tall tree. She completely let her senses

    take over. I quietly watched from a safe distance as she stalked prey while the

    large cat stalked his. As she jumped down on the large beast my breath caught.

    They fell to the forest floor. After protecting fragile Bella for two years

    watching her wrestle a mountain lion was well, almost excruciating. I leanedagainst a tree to keep my balance and I had to keep reminding myself that she

    was durable; she would win. I watched with horror as the beast raked his paws

    across her dress. Oh, Alice was NOT going to like that. Bella didn't flinch; she

    wrestled the big cat and sunk her new teeth into the neck. She threw him off of

    her like a rag once he was drained. She turned to me wiping her face on the

    back of her hand. She looked like Emmett after he's fought a grizzly.

    New Bella Edwards POV

    33

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    36/38

    "Hmm," was all I could say as I wrapped my head around what I just bore

    witness to.

    "I guess I could have done better," she replied as she looked over herself and

    tried to run her fingers through her knotted hair.

    "You did perfectly fine," I could finally tell her once I settled down my nerves.

    She raised her eyebrows at me looking for an explanation.

    "It goes against the grain, letting you wrestle with lions. I was having an

    anxiety attack the whole time," I admitted to her.

    "Silly."

    "I know. Old habits die hard." I let my eyes rove over her now ripped and

    soiled dress. "I like the improvements to your dress, though." And I did.

    Bella looked at me with questioning eyes. "Why am I still thirsty?"

    "Because you're young."

    She sighed. "And I don't suppose there are any other mountain lions nearby."

    I felt the same way once I caught the scent of deer. "Plenty of deer, though."

    Bella grimaced, "They don't smell as good."

    No, I agree, they don't, but that's because they're "Herbivores. The meat eaterssmell more like humans," I explained. Very little.

    "Not that much like humans," she agreed with my internal thought.

    "We could go back," I teased with her. "Whoever it was out there, if they were

    men, they probably wouldn't even mind death if you were the one delivering

    it," I said as I roamed over her barely clothed body. I knew I wouldn't have

    New Bella Edwards POV

    34

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    37/38

    minded being attacked by this angel. Does she know how beautiful she is?

    Focus, Edward! You're hunting. "In fact, they would think they were already

    dead and gone to heaven the moment they saw you."

    She rolled her eyes and snorted at me, "Let's go hunt some stinkingherbivores."

    We followed the scent of the deer; I had caught and drained two of the stinking

    herbivores as she drained a large buck, not being any neater in this endeavor as

    in her first. I felt her eyes on me as I went for my third deer. As I sucked it dry

    I wondered what she was looking at. Why her facial expression was that

    of...tenderness?...Love? What was she thinking? I would neverget that answer

    questioned. I wanted to hear her thoughts. I ached to hear them.

    "No longer thirsty?" I asked her as I threw my deer from me.

    She shrugged at me, "You distracted me. You're much better at it than I am."

    "Centuries of practice," I said with a smile. I looked at her again; I couldn't

    believe she was mine.

    "Just one," she corrected me.

    Yes, she was right, just one. I laughed at this correction. "Are you done for

    today? Or did you want to continue?" I wanted to make sure she was as well

    satiated as could be for the meeting of our daughter. Both of their needs now

    came first for me.

    Bella thought over this for a few seconds before answering, "Done, I think."Her face reflected more thoughts then she said, "I want to see Renesmee."

    I was ready for her to meet Renesmee. I held out my hand so we could go into

    our new world together. She turned towards me, stared into my eyes and

    started stroking my cheek, my face; then she wrapped her arms around me. I

    wanted to hold her, too. But it wasn't enough. Now that we were alone and her

    thirst was taken care of I wanted to return to that kiss we started back at the

    New Bella Edwards POV

    35

  • 8/4/2019 Drgnfly23 - New Bella Edwards POV

    38/38

    house. And since we were alone I could really share a kiss without any barriers.

    Just like before her fingers knotted into my hair, I resisted the urge to push her

    away, I didn't have to anymore. The trees, the deer, the smells, they all fell

    away. Bella was my only focus at the moment. I wanted her, urgently I pressed

    harder into her, and I felt her reciprocate into me. I was vaguely aware of thesensation of falling onto the ground. She landed on top of me. I didn't care.

    "Oops, I didn't mean to tackle you like that."

    I laughed. I was completely intoxicated by her. It was like our first kiss after

    we visited the meadow all over again. She had tackled me there, too, but this

    time I could allow her to. Restraint was no longer necessary.

    "Are you okay?" She asked.

    Of course I was okay. "Slightly better than okay," I told her. I let her lay on top

    of me; I reached to stroke her face again. The electricity still hummed between

    us, I reveled in her beauty and my luck of having a wife and a daughter. This

    broke me from my reverie. "Renesmee?" I spoke her name as a question. I

    knew Bella would only need to hear her name to remind her of her request of

    seeing her.

    She remained on my chest as her expressions played out what she wanted to do

    and what she needed to do. I was voting for staying here and letting her finish

    what she wanted to do. I wanted it too, but I was leaving it up to her choice. As

    always it was her choice. Stay, Bella, stay reverberated in my head. But now

    that she didn't need to sleep I knew we had all night to show our love for each

    other. I rubbed her back in small circles as she contemplated her choice.

    "Renesmee," she finally decided as she jumped onto her feet, pulling me with

    her. She impressed me with her strength again.

    New Bella Edwards POV