Full Summary: What if Edward had been too late to save Bella at the ballet studio? What happens when Bella wakes up, a newborn? And, most importantly, why is she alone? Where is Edward? Where will she go now? To Denali or back to Forks? What has happened to her extended family? Why did they leave her?

Disclaimer: I own no part of Twilight

Every life is like a march from innocence, through temptation, to virtue or vice

Lyman Abbott

I was ushered into the house by the girls the moment we stopped in front of the gorgeous house. I gladly obliged, happy to be out of the backseat with Eleazar. He had insisted on sitting next to me and I had freaked out, insisting that Carmen sit with us as well. We came to a conclusion that I would sit in back with my head lying on Carmen's lap and my feet curled up on the middle seat. Eleazar had sat on my other side, securing my feet. I was not allowed to breathe or look out the window. They were afraid I would see a human and completely give over to my instincts. I couldn't blame them; I was terrified it would happen as well.

Carmen laughed as Kate and Tanya pulled me eagerly through the door, giggling like school girls. I shifted uncomfortably, not sure how to react in this situation. Carmen came to my rescue, taking me by the arm and leading me to their living room. She sat me down on the ivory couch and I examined the room carefully. The ivory couches matched the creamy walls of the room. There was a large window at the west side of the room and I glanced out curiously. The snow glittered in the early dawn and I cringed away from the window, avoiding the sun. There was a large plasma screen TV hanging on the north wall, the only wall that was a pale blue. The coffee table was glass and rested on a light blue rug. The coffee table was settled between the love seat and couch and was a simple black. Many pictures were hung around the room and I stood, attracted to one on the wall behind the couch I had sat on.

In the picture there were Carmen, Eleazar, Kate, and Tanya. But there was also an unknown female. She had golden hair that cascaded down her shoulders, and she had Tanya and Kate locked in her iron embrace. Her white teeth were gleaming as her golden eyes focused on the person taking the camera. I tilted my head to the left curiously as my eyes swept the room again. I noticed she was in most of the pictures in the room. Footsteps approached me and my shoulders tensed up expectantly. I turned and saw Kate looking at the picture I had started out with. There was a wistful expression on her face and I worked up the courage to ask her about the woman.

"W-who is she?" I stuttered finally, nodding to the picture. Kate's face was stony as she replied.

"Irina," she responded. I could tell she wasn't keen on going any further with the subject and bit my lip. My curiousity won over my polite side and I cursed my newborn instincts.

"Is she your sister?" I whispered hesitantly. I didn't want to get on her bad side by insulting her. There was a silence.

"Yes," she said simply. "She found her mate though, a vampire named Laurent, and ran off with him two weeks ago. She left without a good-bye. We have no idea where she is." I took this in carefully, frowning. The name 'Laurent' seemed to ring a bell, but I couldn't recall where I had heard it. My eyes met Kate's as I thought this through.

"I see," I murmured. She didn't seem to hear me, fixated on my eyes. Her eyes were wide and I tried to look away. Her hand shot out, perfectly manicured fingers tilting my chin toward her. I struggled, trying to get out of her grip. Was this an attack? I was terrified. A frightened growl slipped from lips, warningly. Kate paid no attention, getting closer to my face. I growled defensively and struggled even more.

"Eleazar!" Kate called excitedly. My efforts got jerkier as I tried to pull from her grasp. Eleazar was down in a moment and examined our situation carefully. He walked to Kate's side carefully,

"Kate, what's wrong?" he asked gently. A whimper escaped my lips as I fought Kate. She seemed to realize what she was doing and let go of me, sending me an apologetic look. My instincts were in control and I shot to the other side of the room, crouching down defensively.

"Look at her eyes, Eleazar!" she exclaimed in an excited frenzy. Eleazar sent her a perplexed look before blurring over to me. I cringed as he bent down, taking my chin in a much gentler way than Kate's. I stared up at this man in awe. He had once been something I was terrified of, brewing with violence and wariness. Now, he was a person who was of kind nature and love for his family. It had turned out I was wrong about him, and I had misjudged him completely.

I watched, frozen, as his golden orbs peered into mine. His brow furrowed confusedly and a flare of panic rose inside me. What was wrong with me? He must have saw the panic in my eyes because he sent me a reassuring nod. I relaxed slightly, standing straighter. He patted my arm softly, another reassuring gesture. I nodded and wrapped my arms around myself, glancing at Kate warily.

"Kate, you terrified Bella," Eleazar warned. "You know that being a newborn makes her senses hyper-alert. She thought you were attacking her." He gave me a meaning look and Kate flashing me an apologetic, toothy smile.

"Sorry, Bells. I was just fascinated by your eyes," she said, her eyes lighting up. I gave her a small smile as she spoke, chuckling a little at the nickname she gave me. It was amazing; she had known me for a matter of hours and had already given me a nickname. But I was also confused, why was she so fixated on my eyes?

"What's wrong with my eyes?" I asked in my bell-like voice. I flinched at the sound and Eleazar and Kate exchanged a curious glance.

"Bella, your eyes are . . . red still, but there's also a few different variations of red. There are darker reds, and a few light oranges. It's a strange color for a newborn like you. It's like . . . you've had nothing but animal blood since you were changed." his tone had a humoring quality to it. I frowned.

"But I have only drank animal blood since I've been changed," I said, confused. Eleazar froze and Kate gasped. Tanya and Carmen descended down the stairs both looking alert.

"What?" Eleazar asked, bewildered.

"I've only had animal blood in my time as a vampire," I repeated slower. Everyone's eyes widened and I became as still as a statue, uncomfortable with the situation.

"What's wrong?" I asked, agitated. Tanya was the first to recover from the stupor.

"So you've never tasted the blood of a human?" she asked patiently. I shook my head. There was another tension-filled silence. Then Kate burst out laughing.

"Looks like we have a vampire prodigy on our hands," she cackled. I narrowed my eyes.

"Excuse me?" I squeaked, yet it still came out in a beautiful tone.

"Bella, it's amazing for a newborn vampire to have such restraint. Normal newborns usually go into a frenzy caused by the blood lust and thirst." Carmen explained. I nodded to let her know I was following along. "You're saying that you've defied the theory. You were able to choose animals over humans."

"She was in a cave, though," argued Tanya. "She might not even know what a human smells like." The others shuddered at the thought and I frowned.

"But I do," I whispered. "It's the most sweetest, intoxicating scent you've ever inhaled. It sets my throat on fire, and my instincts go wild. Ever nerve of my body screams 'hunt'." There was an awed silence after that.

"Y-you've smelled a human scent?" Eleazar said, aghast. "And you were able to resist?" I nodded, grimacing.

"More than once," I said grimly. The others gasped, and Tanya put a hand over her lifeless heart.

"Damn!" Kate exclaimed. "It must be her power, Eleazar! She could have super-control or something."

*For a tiny space, I was disappointed. What? No magic visions, no formidable offensive abilities like oh, shooting lightening bolts from my eyes or something? Nothing helpful or cool at all? And I realized what that might mean, if my "superpower" was no more than exceptional self-control. For one thing, at least I had a gift. It could have been nothing. And if it was was gift, it would mean I could skip over the whole part I had feared most about being a vampire. I could skip my newborn phase and all the blood lust that came with it. A small smile flitted across my face.

"No," Eleazar denied and my heart sank. "She's a shield. At least, I think she is. I can't tell. She's blocking me right now."

I stared at Eleazar, my brows furrowing in confusion. Shield? What did he mean about my blocking him? I was standing right here beside him, not defensive in any way.

"Amazing!" Kate exclaimed. "It's like Renata's, but only it's like her's is a mental shield." I was confused beyond logic and stood there, looking back and forth between Kate and Eleazar. Tanya caught my alarmed look and stepped in to explain.

"Renata is a well known vampire for the guard of the Volturi," she told me, "and she's a physical shield. What Eleazar and Kate are suggesting is that you are a shield like Renata, except a mental sheild. Eleazar's gift is to detect and identify the gifts of other vampires. But because of your gift, Eleazar is unable to identify your gift. Does that make things better?" I nodded, but my forehead creased in confusion again.

"What's a Volturi?" I asked hesitantly. She seemed so sure and confident of what she spoke of, it made me feel so immature and unknowing. Which was true. Kate and Carmen exchanged a behind Tanya's back that I couldn't decipher.

"The Volturi are a family," she explained, her eyes wary. "A very old, very powerful family of our kind. They are the closet thing our world has to a royal family, I suppose. Eleazar has spent some of his time there, studying with the Volturi coven: Aro, Marcus, and Caius. The guard is a group of vampires that, well, guard the coven. There's a lot of them. They're the biggest coven known today . . . " she trailed off. I shifted uneasily, feeling awkward. Eleazar sent a smile my way and I was taken off guard once again by the amount of kindness in his eyes. I swallowed thickly, avoiding his eyes guiltily.

"Come on, Bella. Let's go find a room for you to settle in," Kate said cheerfully and my muscles locked. My eyes widened to the size of saucers and I stopped breathing. Instantly, Tanya shifted into her feet slightly. It was only a small movement, but my brain automatically determined her stance as one prepared to leap into action. I took a deep breath and bit my lip, grimacing at how sharp my teeth were.

"What is it, Bella?" Carmen asked softly.

"I . . . you . . . " The words stuck in my throat uncomfortably. Carmen came to my side, laying a warm hand on my forearm. My eyes became dry and I swallowed uncomfortably. My throat felt bone-dry after I had swallowed and I turned away. Kate came to my other side, taking my hand encouragingly.

"Y-you want me to stay?" I whispered. I was terrified. What if they didn't want me to stay? Where else would I go? I wanted to go back to the cave, back to the state I was in before, but it didn't seem right. Now that I had fed and had a clear mind, I could see that the state I had been in was abnormal for a vampire. So what would I do? Wander the earth, praying to find something to occupy my time for all eternity? There was a silence and the others seemed to be looking at each other, discussing something privately. I closed my eyes, sinking to the couch. They didn't want me. It was obvious enough, the way they acted around me. I let my face drop into my hands in despair, realizing that I was truly alone in this world.

"Bella?" said Tanya gently. "Look at me." I struggled not to start bawling right there. I raised my head, meeting her light amber eyes.

"We want you to stay with us," Tanya said. "We want you to be in our family. Our new sister. If that's what you want." Kate was anxiously wringing her hands, eyes begging me to say yes. My mouth fell open, and I started to gape like a fish, unable to speak. I blinked; one, twice, three times. I attack Tanya at the waist, tackling her to the ground and burying my face in her stomach.

"Yes!" I gasped. "Please, yes! Thank you so much!" Laughter echoed around the room and Tanya sat up, pulling me into a proper hug. I hugged her tightly, and she shifted uncomfortably.

"Okay, um, easy there, Bella. Oomph, ouch. Just a little gentler." She winced and I let go of her quickly.

"Sorry!" I exclaimed. "I guess I . . . don't know my own strength yet." I frowned, this subject new to me. I had never had to worry about crushing somebody with a hug. A laugh bubbled at my lips and Tanya giggled with me. Kate rolled her eyes, coming over to pull me up.

"Come on!" She complained. "Let's go get you settled and changed. Then we can talk." I nodded and she tugged me to the stairs. She let go of my hand, winking at me and darting up the stairs. If I had been human, I wouldn't have been able to see her. But as a vampire, I was able to follow her every step and movement. She ran out of my sight and I followed her, placing my feet in the exact spots her's had been in. I flew up the stairs, my speed creating a slight wind that gently pushed my hair back. I paused for a moment at the top of the stairs, turning slightly to look at the rest of the family downstairs. Tanya smiled encouragingly at me and Carmen and Eleazar beamed. I offered a small smile before turning to follow Kate.

I wondered how a family could know someone for such a little time and accept them so quickly, inviting them into their family. I was part of a family again. And, somehow, it temporarily took away the pain from my troubles and thoughts of the Cullens.

Temporarily being the key word.

Decided to split this chapter into two, this chapter and the next. Reviews are welcome..in fact, they are encouraged!