EPOV

I leaned down, and softly, tenderly kissed her neck. I looked her over and took her in for the last time – rosy skin, quickening heart, the soft smell of strawberries. I was so intrigued by her, the one person on Earth that I could not hear her thoughts. I sighed heavily.

"Bella, my darling, are you sure this is what you want? You know I'll love you regardless, and I would love nothing more to spend the rest of your days with you, human or vampire."

Bella sat up from the bed quickly, her face unreadable. "You tell me Edward. Tell me how you'll feel when I look more like your mother, your grandmother, than your girlfriend! And that's assuming I even live that long, which is looking less and less likely, with all the crazy vampires after me!" And…" Bella turned away, biting on her lower lip, and turned to stare out the window.

"And what, love? You have to tell me what you're thinking." I turned her back around to face me. I couldn't stand not knowing, I needed to make this right.

"And nothing," Bella replied. "You promised me you would do this tonight. I've said my goodbyes. Please?" Bella looked at me with big, sad brown eyes, and I could deny her nothing. I gently laid her back on my bed. I could do this.

"Edward," Bella half breathed, half moaned as I positioned my mouth at her neck. Knowing that if I waited any longer, I would again lose my nerve, I took a breath and bit down.

Nothing could have prepared me for this. This was the sweetest taste I'd ever experienced. I pulled from her neck once more, letting the blood linger on my tongue. I had to stop. I wanted Bella, more than I wanted her blood, right? I forced myself to pull away and sealed the neck wound with venom. I quickly bit down on both wrists and ankles, sealing them as I had the neck wound. I had done it – my Bella would be one of us now.

JPOV

It wouldn't be long now. Her heart was slowing, her skin was hardening, and the screams were coming much less frequently now. Edward had gathered us all together for when Bella woke up, figuring that if she acted like a crazed newborn, we could handle her better that way. I felt her pain start to slacken, and then her eyelids fluttered open. She glanced around the room, eyes wide.

"Bella, what did you say?" Edward asked.

I laughed. "She didn't say anything, brother. Don't tell me that your vampire hearing is going, not when you've got a hot new vampire wife, old man!"

Edward stood up from his place at Bella's side, a place he hadn't moved from for three days, and started backing up slowly. "Say it again Bella," he said, a touch of menace in his voice.

Bella looked confused and remained silent. She looked at Edward quizzically.

"Oh. Oh, no Edward, no!" Alice cried. The rest of us glanced at each other, bewildered.

"I can hear her," Edward said softly. "I can hear her, and her thoughts are… ordinary. Like everyone else's. She's not special anymore. I don't want her." Edward glanced around the room, and like a petulant child, his glance landed on me. "Jasper. You're good with newborns. You'll take her, right?"

I looked at him, not comprehending what I was hearing. But while I may have been lost, the rest of the family was starting to catch on.

"You can't do this Edward! She's your mate!" Alice was practically sobbing. But it was Rosalie, comprehension slowly dawning on her face, who I was watching. She advanced toward Edward, her anger almost bringing me to my knees.

"How COULD you? You damn her to this life, and then you leave her? No. NO." Rosalie was practically screaming now, her crimson nails pointed like a dagger between Edward's eyes. "Get out of my sight, you make me sick."

"Carlisle?" Edward now turned to look at our father figure, who stood frozen, grief etched into his every feature. He stayed still another moment, then snapped out of his trance.

"Jasper, Rose, take Bella hunting," Carlisle instructed. "I need to have a few words with my 'first-born'."

I looked over to where Bella sat, all but forgotten by the man who had claimed to love her. I walked over, and helped Bella up off the floor. I could feel her thirst, but more than anything, I could feel her overwhelming grief and despair. As we left the room, all I could think was, "Edward, you may not know it yet but you may have just destroyed the most beautiful creature I have ever seen."