"Your Eyes Will Adjust"

Chapter 1: Party

A/N: This is yet another rewrite. This time, though, it's of New Moon – I'm working on it from Edward's point of view right now, but later on in the story I'll probably switch to Jacob's, just because there's so much more to it. I had a request for this a little while ago, and I liked the idea, so I decided to give it a try. Why not, right? What have I to lose? I will try to update this as often as possible, but it's a much slower process than I imagined.

I hope you enjoy it – please, please give me reviews! I love reviews! And give me some constructive criticism – I don't improve if I only get fluffy stuff. Thanks a bunch! And also, thanks to those who have already reviewed me – I really appreciate the compliments! You are all amazing!

Daughter of Music

P.S. Just in case anyone doesn't know, I don't own the characters, setting, etc. I am merely rewriting this book from a different POV.

September thirteenth. Bella's birthday. I smiled fondly as I thought of what her reaction would be to the presents our family had gotten her – I hoped she would like them.

She's not going to accept them, Alice thought gloomily. She doesn't like presents. I sighed. Apparently Alice had a different point of view about things.

We were outside, in the parking lot of the school. I had been working on Bella's present all night, getting things arranged, and helping get her party planned. Alice hadn't been as cheerful about things now that Bella's birthday was here – she worried that Bella would be difficult in participating, and she was purposely avoiding Seeing things because she wanted to have an unaffected view of the party when it came.

Finally, I heard the roar of Bella's truck approaching. I smiled as she climbed clumsily out of her truck and walked over to where we stood. Alice was right – she had a sullen look on her face. Maybe she wouldn't cooperate after all. Alice held a silver box in her hands – a present – and Bella's eyebrows drew together when she saw it.

Alice danced forward to meet her. "Happy birthday, Bella!" she said happily. Apparently she wasn't going to let Bella's mood affect her own.

"Shh!" Bella's eyes darted around the parking lot.

"Do you want your present now or later?" Alice asked, ignoring her. They joined me, still arguing. I held my hand out to Bella, and smiled when her heartbeat thumped.

"So, as discussed, I am not allowed to wish you a happy birthday, is that correct?" I asked.

"Yes, that is correct."

"Just checking. You might have changed your mind – most people seem to enjoy things like birthdays and gifts." Of course, I reminded myself, Bella was not "most people". She constantly took my by surprise – having the ability to hear thoughts gave me an advantage as far as people's actions were concerned, but Bella had never been one to go along with the general flow.

Alice and Bella argued about presents and the party until first period started. Personally, I thought Bella was being a bit ridiculous – she was only postponing the inevitable, as far as Alice was concerned. There was no way she was going to let Bella escape her own party. I would know.

Bella wasn't going without a fight, though. After school, we were going to her house to watch Romeo and Juliet (Bella was stalling), then head to my home where Alice would undoubtedly be waiting with decorations galore. Bella wasn't going to be happy.

Romeo and Juliet was incredibly dull – I had seen the live performance of this play countless times, and I had every line memorized. I took a little pleasure, though, in the fact that Bella shivered and curled up closer to me as I began whispering Romeo's lines in her ear.

"I have to admit, I do envy him here," I said as Juliet woke up to find her dead husband.

"She's very pretty," Bella sniffed. I rolled my eyes and snorted. As if I could lust after Juliet when I had Bella next to me.

"I don't envy him the girl – just the ease of the suicide," I said, reminded of the time I had considered how exactly to kill myself if Bella had – I forced myself to think it – died in the hospital last spring. "You humans have it so easy," I teased. "All you have to do is throw down one tiny vial of plant extracts…"

"What?" Bella sat bolt upright. I shrugged, but the look on her face said that I wasn't going to get away with an easy explanation. I sighed.

"It's something I had to think about once," I said, trying to shrug it off, "and I knew from Carlisle's experience that it wouldn't be simple…" I remembered vividly when I had heard Carlisle think about committing suicide when he had discovered what he was – a monster… "And he's still clearly still in excellent health."

"What are you talking about?" Bella asked furiously. "What do you mean, this something that you had to think about once?" I struggled to keep my emotions in check. The day I had seen Bella lying on that dance floor, broken, bloody, and crying in pain…screaming…that was a very difficult memory for me to remember. But I made myself remember it, so I would never be in danger of letting anything like that happen again.

"Last spring, when you were nearly killed," I said slowly, "Of course I was trying to focus on finding you… alive. But part of my mind was making contingency plans. Like I said, it's not as easy for me as it is for humans," I finished bitterly. If only it were as simple as a teaspoon of poison or a few minutes' lack of oxygen… but no. Immortality did have its drawbacks, after all.

"Contingency plans?" Bella interrupted my thoughts. She looked sick.

"I wasn't going to live without you," I said, appalled at the very idea. Life without Bella would be… impossible… too much to bear. "But I wasn't sure how to do it – Emmett and Jasper would never help… so I was thinking maybe I would go to Italy and provoke the Volturi." It wouldn't be easy – I'd have to do something difficult, or dangerous – and I didn't like to think of myself that way. But it would have to be done. It was the only formula for death that I had come up with.

"What is a Volturi?" she asked angrily. So then of course I had to explain it all: the Volturi family - vampires' basic royalty.

"You don't irritate the Volturi – not unless you want to die," I said. I was so familiar with the Volturi story that it bored me to talk about it. Bella's face turned white. She grabbed the sides of my face with her warm hands and stared into my eyes.

"You must never, never, never think of anything like that again! No matter what might happen to me, you are not allowed to hurt yourself!" I rolled my eyes.

"I'll never put you in danger again, so it's a moot point."

"Put me in danger?" she snapped. "I thought we'd established that all the bad luck is my fault? How dare you even think like that?"

I frowned. She would do the same thing for me. "What would you do, if the situation were reversed?" I asked. Bella looked away.

"That's not the same thing." I couldn't help it – I chuckled. Of course it was the same thing. We would die for each other – we knew it – why deny it?

"What if something did happen to you?" she asked, shuddering at the thought. "Would you want me to go off myself?" I hadn't thought of it quite that way. Carefully keeping my face smooth, I answered.

"I guess I see your point… a little. But what would I do without you?" The thought of existing without Bella by my side was unimaginable. I would go mad.

"Whatever you were doing before I came along and complicated your existence."

"You make it sound so easy," I said, frowning. It wasn't. Before, I was content, but never truly happy. Now that Bella was here, I actually had a reason to exist.

"It should be. I'm not that interesting." I opened my mouth to snap a reply, but I heard Charlie: I think the game's on tonight… Mariners and Sox, that'll be interesting…

"Moot point," I repeated, pulling her to my side rather than on my lap.

"Charlie?" she said. I smiled at the pout on her face. She was so cute when she got mad.

We pulled up to my house a few minutes later, after a small argument about me changing Bella as a birthday present. (The thought made me shiver. Bella deserved more than a vampire's eternal doom.) She went back into pout mode when she saw the party decorations.

"This is a party," I informed her. "Try to be a good sport."

"Sure," she mumbled.

I helped her out of the car as she asked, "If I develop this film, will you show up in the picture?" The question was so random, it broke my somewhat sullen mood. I burst into laughter and led her up the stairs of my home. I could see the interior in Alice's head: the flowers, cake, and candles… the whole nine yards. I laughed harder when I thought of Bella's reaction.

As I expected, her face fell when we walked in. I kissed the top of her head comfortingly, breathing in her scent. Carlisle and Esme welcomed us warmly – "Sorry about this," Carlisle whispered to Bella, "we couldn't rein Alice in" – as did Emmett. Rosalie, as usual, was being difficult.

All this fuss over a puny human, she thought disdainfully. What a bore…even Emmett likes her…

"I expected a perceptible difference, but here you are, red-faced as usual," Emmett teased Bella. He hadn't seen her for a few months because he was in Africa with Rosalie. She blushed.

"Thanks a lot, Emmett," she said, smiling in spite of herself.

"I have to step out for a second," he said. Got to install her new stereo… "Don't do anything funny while I'm gone." I'd hate to miss it.

"I'll try," Bella said.

"Time to open presents," Alice said happily. She's got to love them…of course she will… she's cooperating now, isn't she? Edward must have her in a good mood…

"Alice, I told you I didn't want anything-" Bella began, looking as if she was being led to her death.

"But I didn't listen," Alice finished, shrugging. "Open it."

She smells so sweet… how does Edward stand it? It's almost… unbearable… It was Jasper. I shot him a warning look. He hadn't hunted in a while – he was dangerously hungry tonight. He knew better than to go so long without feeding.

Bella was staring into the empty box, the one that held the stereo Emmett was now installing. "Um… thanks."

"It's a stereo for your truck," Jasper said, laughing, glad to get his mind off her scent. "Emmett's installing it right now so you can't return it."

"Thanks, Jasper, Rosalie." Bella grinned. "Thanks, Emmett!" she added louder, laughing.

"Open mine and Edward's next," Alice said impatiently. Edward, she'll love it! I can't wait for her to see it… She'll be so excited when she hears your music… Bella turned and narrowed her eyes at me.

"You promised," she accused. I just smiled as Emmett came running into the room.

"Just in time!" He moved behind Jasper.

Jasper was too close to Bella, for either of them. He was still having difficulty. He would never hurt her intentionally, but… I kept a close eye on him. So enticing! he was thinking. I can smell her… but I can't taste! I mustn't… it's not good to be this close…

"I didn't spend a dime," I said, pulling Bella's hair back from her face. A mistake. Her heartbeat accelerated at my touch, and Jasper could see her blood pulsing now…

"Give it to me," Bella sighed in defeat and took the small package. Her finger, sliding to open the paper, was sliced underneath it.

"Shoot!" she said, pulling it out. A single drop of blood – then –

NOW! Jasper shouted mentally. He had lost all sense.

"NO!" I yelled, jumping to reach Bella before he could attack. The three of us crashed across the table, knocking dishes everywhere, and landed in a pile of shattered crystal, which sliced Bella's arms. She cried out in pain. Jasper was going insane – the scent of blood was too much for him.

Can't resist! Jasper was beyond reasoning. Must feed… I snarled at him, pushing him away, then jumping up to pin his arms behind his back and pull him away from Bella. He was strong – it was hard to restrain him. His teeth snapped together only inches from her throat.

NO! I thought. She won't die like this!

Bella looked up at us with clouded eyes.

To be continued…