Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

BTW BOLD are Bella's diary entries when she 17 italics are thoughts and normal is present day with growing up Bella from EPOV

Note: This chapter has been edited.

Sept 13, 2019

Happy Birthday to me! That's right. I turn seventeen today. Something you only get to do once… for us mortals that is. I woke up this morning to seven pairs of hazel eyes and a huge stack of waffles followed by a chorus of my least favourite song. The Birthday Song. Whoever wrote that one should be shot, though Edward assures me that person is long since dead (probably).

Forks, Washington
2007 EPOV

Edward was pacing. He hadn't been one to pace for about a century but was too anxious to stay still or do much of anything else. The Cullen's had been living in their large house outside Forks for a few years now and would soon have to leave the area to avoid suspicion.

Of course they would have to leave. Vampires do have a tendency to draw attention to themselves when they don't age for years on end. Especially when most young men their age should be hitting the tail end of puberty.

This brings us back to a pacing Edward, in the large white living room, with all large white furniture and a little brunette girl sleeping in an overstuffed white armchair.

What am I doing? I can't believe I'm entertaining the idea of keeping a little human girl in a house full of vampires for even a moment let alone any amount of time. Why did I even bother bringing her here?

The small sleeping girl let out a restful sigh. The scent of which hit Edward with an intensity just as strong as his first whiff. He had to fight to keep his hunger in check.

There is a long list of things I hate about birthdays.

All the presents.

If a certain family I knew would keep within a budget I clearly set out for them then maybe I could be gracious about accepting them. But in case the new Aston Martin (in addition last years model I got for my Sweet 16) wasn't enough, they had to buy me the newest addition of every gaming system ever and refill my entire wardrobe because last year Gucci 'just won't do'. Granted the video games will be used by Jasper and Emmett the hours I'm sleeping and the wardrobe was more for Alice's benefit then mine. Still!! What am I ever gonna do with them?

Having given up on trying to look anywhere but the angel in front of him, Edward gave in to staring at her sleeping form. All thoughts of why's and how's left his head while he concentrated on keeping her breathing and not being the cause of it stopping.

This can't work, he thought to himself.

His family went hunting two days ago and would be returning within the hour. He felt Alice's approach first because of the worried thoughts she was throwing at him in quick succession.

What going on Edward, I'm confused.

Picture started to fill his mind. Perfect red drops of blood falling to the carpet so vivid he could almost taste the sickly sweet in his mouth. He cringed back from the images of the dead girl in his arms.

As fast as the images came they were gone; replaced with those of him and much older brunette. One who could easily be identified as the same girl in front him. He was staring passionately into the visions captivating eyes, inching closer while she tilted her chin up to meet his gaze. Their lips were mere centimetres away and getting ever clos….

The door bursting open jarred him from Alice's vision.

"Edward!" she breathed.

2) Everyone around me thinking getting older is sooooo great. How would they know? None of them have done it this century.

What's the hell is going on? I see this girl in our futures and then all of a sudden I can't see you with us anymore and the girl is… the girl is dead. Tell me!! Now. Alice was throwing her thought at him a mile a minute. He moved towards her and put his finger to his lips. A universal signal for be quiet. After nodding in the young girls' direction he motioned them to the dining room they never used. Alice paused for a moment, staring at the sleeping girls form.

"I'm serious Edward," she hissed when they were out of hearing range. They could have whispered and been certain not to disturb her but now wasn't the time for being subtle.

He held up his hands in surrender.

"Okay. From the beginning, but let's wait for everyone. Jasper is worried about you after you ran off on them." Sure enough everyone else followed through the still open door. Jasper only paused momentarily at the sight of a child in the living room before seeking out his wife. The others all lingered longer with their mouths open in surprise.

The extravagant party with 'all your closest friends from school'.

Thrown even though most of the guest wouldn't recall my name if it hadn't flashed across the rented jumbotron, currently sitting in the living room. Don't get me wrong I love a good party. I just prefer hanging out with friends whose hearts aren't beating.

Thanks to an over eager Alice the rest of the family were soon ushered into the dining room as well.

"Hey Bro, you know there's a kid on the couch?" Emmett asked, jerking his thumb over his shoulder.

"Thank you Captain Obvious," Rosalie practically sneered, "The question is why?"

All eyes were on Edward. "Ummm…" He was shifting nervously. How to explain. "The thing is, she doesn't really have anywhere else to go?"

Esme let a small gasp and Carlisle put a soothing arm around her shoulders. She was always so empathetic.

Carlisle gave a nod of encouragement for Edward to continue.

"So I was in Seattle to get some of the accounts in order, Alice mentioned some windfall on the stock exchange." Six pairs of eyes were sneaking glances at each other. "A show was getting out of a small theatre not far from the hotel I was staying in and I heard a commotion in the alley."

Edward was looking at his feet while his brothers and sister thoughts were racing in different direction with possible scenarios. It wasn't a memory Edward wished to dredge up for them (no matter how recent) but once it was out in the open he could start working on forgetting it.

"I went to investigate the noise and heard a woman scream. When I rounded the corner I saw a man and women huddled together and another man holding a gun to her head demanding all their money." He closed his eyes wishing away his tale to no avail. "The guy looked up and saw me. He was just a scared kid with an itchy trigger finger and the gun went off. When he saw me coming closer he accidentally squeezed off another round into the man that had been sobbing over his dead wife."

He paused mid-story and sucked in an unnecessary breath. "There was so much blood. Too much blood. Just the smell of it was… there was nothing I could do. That was when I smelled something else. I had never smelled it's equal. It was more intoxicating then the blood that was darkening the pavement at my feet. She was like a drug made specifically for me. Then there she was. I followed her small cries to behind the dumpster."

Edward opened his eyes and looked up expecting to see some horrified glares. He could barely forgive himself for allowing this to happen himself, how would his family find forgivness for him. Instead he found his fathers eyes staring back at him with something else. Edward was confused because all he could find there was pride, a father's pride.

"There was nothing else to do. The shooter was … ummm… incapacitated, and I couldn't stay at the scene. So…."

"You did the right thing," Alice said while she latched on at his waist with her small embrace. She looked up at him with glassy eyes threatening tears that would never fall.

Something did come out of tonight though. I'm not sure what it was exactly but something.

I was asked to dance by some random at the party because I knew it would make Alice happy if she thought I was enjoying myself. After about 15 second on the dance floor and I regretted my decision because this guy had his hands all over me. But not 2 seconds after that I was saved by Emmett, of course (insert eye roll here for protective big brothers).

It was a fun happy dance song. The next one; however, was a slow song and Edward asked to cut in. "May I have this dance?" Who says that? Really. But as corny as it was I put my arms around his neck and wondered why we hadn't danced more often. We fit together like puzzle pieces and he was probably the only person who could lead me without serious injury.

There wasn't any chance to discuss the day's event when Edward heard her stirring in the living room.

"You guys make yourself scarce for a bit, okay? I don't want to be scaring her off just yet."

"What exactly do you mean by that? What do you 'intend' to do?" asked Rosalie snidely.

He ignored her to go tend to the young angel in their midst. He reached the living room with not a moment to spare as her eyes fluttered open. She took in Edward's face sleepily and then shot up to a sitting position.

"Where is mommy and daddy?" she asked her voice wavering slightly.

"I'm not exactly sure." Edward replied. It wasn't a lie so much as glazing over the truth of the matter.

"Oh," she looked confused, "Who are you? Did they tell you when they'd be back?"

Edward wanted to know what she remembered but came up blank. He couldn't hear her thoughts as he could so easily read others. Instead of going into great detail about the facts, he decided to go with a change of subject. "I'm Edward," he said brushing a scared tear away from her cheek. "What's your name sweetheart?"

She deliberated his question for a moment and shrugged coming up with no apparent reason to guard that information. "Isabella"

"Isabella," he repeated.

He makes a great best friend but when the song was over he kissed me, right close to the lips but it was still passable as on the cheek (Best friend. Best friend. Best friend) and whispered a happy birthday in my ear. (Insert sigh here) - Bella