A Second Chance

What if Laurent changed Bella in the meadow? Bella would get a second chance to be what she was always meant to be – a vampire. Would she also get a second chance at love? New Moon AU.

A/N: I have to give credit where credit is due. Glass Cannon (dot) lj's work No Choice and Janna Banana's epic Jasper/Bella fic When Darkness Turns to Light were both influential and an inspiration to write this fic. It's my first attempt at AU. Please read and review!

"…This is nothing personal, let me assure you, Bella. Just thirst."

"Please," I gasped.

Laurent shook his head, his face kind. "Look at it this way, Bella. You're very lucky I was the one to find you."

"Am I?" I mouthed, faltering another step back.

Laurent followed, lithe and graceful.

"Yes," he assured me. "I'll be very quick. You won't feel a thing, I promise."

Laurent lied. His attack seemed to happen in slow motion. I felt everything. I felt his sharp, razor blade like teeth tear into my throat, I felt the venom enter my blood, I felt my body lose strength, and I felt surprise when Laurent released me and I collapsed on the ground. By some miracle, my heart was still beating. I was alive.

The sound of teeth snapping and grisly snarls was deafening. I could hear a tussle happening within my reach – heavy breathing, yelps, scratching against what sounded like granite.

"Surely it isn't a bear attack?" I thought, putting my hands to my throat to stop the flow of blood gushing from a severed artery. Bears were no match for a vampire. Laurent could have easily kicked a bear into Canada, instead of being carried off by one.

Struggling to remain conscious, I opened my eyes and saw several dark colored shapes carrying Laurent into the woods. There seemed to be a look of fear on Laurent's face as he tried to wrestle free from the creatures' grasp.

The adrenaline of self-protection rushed through my body and gave me the strength to stand up. I had to get out of the meadow and to a safe place. These creatures were gone for now, but they would undoubtedly come back for me. Or Laurent would return to finish attacking me. Either way, I had to escape.

I stumbled through the forest, not knowing where I was going. It began to rain harder than it had in months and that only made my escape more difficult. I couldn't see anything and I was still bleeding and my body felt like it was slowly being set on fire.

After only a couple of minutes of plodding through the forest, I tripped. It wasn't a complete surprise, considering my innate clumsiness, but I wasn't prepared for it.

"Argh," I screamed upon hitting the ground, but instead of sound, blood came out of my mouth. I choked on the blood, terrified that I would drown in it.

Sputtering, gasping for breath, I tried to stand up, only to find myself trip again and begin rolling down a hill. I felt every tree and rock I hit as I tumbled to what I thought would surely be my death. My body eventually came to a stop when I heard my skull crack. I felt blood begin to drip down my face.

Although the burning in my body threatened to overtake me, I opened one eye, and through the rain was able to see that I had landed at the foot of a large boulder. There was an indentation in the ground, a sort of mini cave, offering safety. With my last ounce of strength I pulled my body into the protection of the rock.

"I'm going to die," I thought. "There's no way I can survive this pain."

The pain. It was excruciating, but it was familiar. The burning was exactly as I remembered it when James bit me the year before in Phoenix. Edward had sucked the venom out, allowing me to continue to be human. Edward had saved me. Edward.

It was then that I began to cry. Foolishly, I had always imagined Edward would be there to hold my hand while I was changed. I thought I would be surrounded by loving family members – Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Alice, Jasper, even Rosalie – to help me through this transformation. But, there was no one with me now. There was no one to save me. This was happening. If I survived the pain, I knew I would become a vampire.

My heart ached for Edward and the family that was torn from me when he left. For months I had grieved losing him, losing a whole future, a whole family — the whole life that I'd chosen...

There was more pain in the burning overtaking me, than in these thoughts of Edward and the Cullens, but not by much. It was easier to focus on the flames than on my broken heart.

I surrendered to the burning.