A/N: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.

Chapter 1 – I've waited a century for you...

I was laying on my black leather couch in my room, listening to some music, just relaxing for once, without any interruption, enjoying my time alone. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the melody, humming it quietly to myself. It always helped me block out the sounds of my surroundings and the others' thoughts and voices, that nearly always filled my head. Although it didn't work completely, it did not silence them fully, only dulled them into a soft background noise, a quiet buzzing in the back of my mind, which was the most I could hope for. Being a mind-reader had always been very hard for me, especially in the first few years or decades of my new life as an immortal, and though I got used to this very unique gift by now, sometimes I still struggled with it and suffered because of it. I could only find peace when I was completely alone, away from anything and anybody, separated from the world.

Just then as the music quietened, the soft, sweet voice of my adopted mother brought me out of my thoughts as she, too, started to hum quietly to herself in our backyard. With one glimpse into her pure, loving thoughts, I knew immediately where she was and what she was doing exactly. She was in the garden, busy with planting different kind of flowers all over the place. This was one of her favourite hobbies and today was just perfect to do it. The weather was nice and the sun was shining - it was one of the few sunny days in Denali, Alaska, where we were living for almost four years now. Esme Cullen was the purest, nicest person I'd ever met, the best mother anybody ever could ask for and simply the perfect mate for my creator and adopted father Carlisle Cullen. They completed each other in every possible way and felt nothing but love and respect for the other.

Carlisle had a job in the local hospital, as he had every time we moved to a new place. Helping to humans, curing the sick and easing their pain was simply his life, even if others of our kind thought that he was denying his true nature as a vampire every single time he did this. He was at work right now, too, taking a double shift, covering the shift of one of his colleagues as well, who had got sick suddenly last night. I looked at the clock on the wall and saw that he would be home soon, much to Esme's delight, who missed him very much – her thoughts drifted to him more and more often with each passing minute.

I looked out of my huge widows again and sighed. It was almost twilight, my favourite part of the day, the sun was low on the sky and a soft wind blew among the trees. I watched for a few minutes as it played with the long, caramel colored hair of my mother, blowing a few strands into her heart-shaped face every now and then, which she brushed behind her ears every time.

Letting out a breathy chuckle, I turned my attention then toward my siblings, wandering what they were doing. I heard Rosalie and Emmett from the garage. They were talking and laughing together while she worked on his jeep - his other love besides his wife. They were a so much different couple than our parents, yet just as blissfully happy together. Sometimes I wondered how could that be even possible, because they were the complete opposites of each other, but maybe this was what made them so perfect for the other. Maybe I did not understand the reason of it, but I had absolutely no doubt that they were mates for an eternity.

Jasper and Alice, my other brother and sister, were out hunting for hours now, which I didn't mind at all. That little pixie had been just so annoying in the past few days, getting on my nerves constantly. She'd been more hyperactive than usual. She'd bounced up and down all day, grinning like a mad man. Not even Jasper – who also had a gift like mine; he was able to feel and manipulate the emotions of the others around him - could have calmed her, she'd been too cheerful and excited about something, it'd been just too much to bear. And the most frustrating thing above all else was that she'd blocked her thoughts from me every time she'd been near me by singing songs and repeating poems I hated the most. Sometimes she could be an annoying little creature. For a while I'd wondered what vision she could've seen about our future this time, that she was trying to hide so hard, but after being forced to listen to the song 'He's Got the Whole World in His Hands' for long, agonizing hours, I hadn't even wanted to know it anymore.

About half an hour later I heard the soft purring of Carlisle's Mercedes as he pulled up in our driveway slowly. A few seconds later he joined Esme in the garden. They greeted each other like they hadn't seen the other for centuries, rather than a couple hours. Their thoughts were loud, yet tender and full of happiness and love they felt for each other. They were excited beyond words to be together again.

Sometimes I wished I could have the same thing with somebody that they had with each other. I'd always admired their love. It was pure and unique. But I wasn't unhappy that I was alone. I had my loving family – even though we weren't blood related, our bond was really special, strong and unbreakable -, I had my passion for music and for books and those were enough for me.

"Everybody! Come here, please! Family meeting, now!" Alice's very excited voice pulled me back from my thoughts. She and Jasper just returned from their hunting trip.

I sighed, trying to avoid my sister's bubbly thoughts again, that were practically shouting. She was too excited about something, much more than ever before. Whatever this thing was, it was happening now. At least this was what she was repeating in her head again and again. I rolled my eyes at her odd behavior and got up slowly from my couch. I took my time to turn off the music and put the CD back to its proper place on the shelf, then walked down to the living room at a slow human pace. The others were already there when I arrived. There was complete silence in the room. Even their minds were blank, which was really odd and unusual.

Alice stood in the middle of room with the biggest grin I'd ever seen on her pixie-like face. Jasper was very close to her, hugging her petite form to him protectively, which was a common thing for him to do, at least. But the shocking thing, above all else, was the small bundle in my sister's arms. I couldn't see what was exactly was wrapped in the very pink blanket, but heard clearly a throbbing noise coming from it, but it was nothing I'd ever heard before. A weird, tiny heartbeat, a steady, perfect rhythm, that seemed so loud in the silence of the room. I listened to it, fascinated by its impossible familiarity. I felt like I'd known this sound in my whole existence and could listen to it forever. I needed to listen to it forever.

"Alice? Care to explain it?" Carlisle asked. His voice was calm as always but his thoughts were shadowed with a little worry.

"Of course, Carlisle." she smiled brightly at him. "A few days ago I had a vision. I saw Jasper and myself hunting in the nearby woods and on the way home we found something laying on the forest floor. I saw us bring it home and so here we are now."

She grinned again and lifted up the small thing in her arms slightly. It was still completely covered with a thick, dirty, pink blanket.

"It's a baby. I saw that this angel would become very important to our family." she explained further excitedly.

Everybody gasped. A human baby with a vampire family? Was Alice insane? I wouldn't be surprised.

"Alice? A baby? Are you sure you've seen it right? We can't just keep it. What about its parents?" Carlisle asked.

"I've already seen that we would be looking for them but find nothing. She's going to become a member of our family." she answered while the little creature under the blanket stirred then started crying as hard as its tiny lungs managed.

I saw a flash of an image for a brief moment in my sister's mind but she blocked it immediately. It was a teenage girl. She stood in the middle of a small, perfectly round meadow somewhere deep in a forest, bathing in the warm, bright sunlight. The wind blew her long mahogany hair softly and she smiled beautifully. She was an angel from heaven.

"She?" Esme asked leaning closer to the baby. Her voice was full of wonder and I knew if she could cry she surely would in that moment. She pulled the blanket away a little bit so she could see her.

I gasped as I saw the tiny perfection in her mind. Every muscle in my body froze, and I even stopped breathing. She was breathtakingly beautiful. The most beautiful baby I'd ever seen in my very long existence. How could a fragile, little human be so inhumanly perfect? I couldn't tear my mind away from the picture and I was grateful that my mother couldn't look away from her tiny, beautiful face either. It was so fascinating to me.

"Yeah. It's a girl." Alice smiled up at our mother, rocking the baby back and forth gently, trying to soothe her. But she just cried harder. Her chubby cheeks were red from all the strain and big tears ran down her angelic baby face. It broke my none-beating heart. She shouldn't be crying. She should laugh and be happy. Always.

"Well, let's decide this together then." Carlisle said. "Let's vote. Alice would you like us to keep the baby?"

"Yay! Of course!" Alice shouted, grinning madly, still blocking her thoughts very carefully. Though in that moment I couldn't care less about what else she was trying to hide from me.

I knew the only thing that kept her from starting to bounce up and down was the fact that she was still holding the poor baby, though that didn't stop the excited vibrating that was shaking her whole, petite body. Carlisle smiled and shook his head. He just loved her pixie daughter too much.

"Jasper?" he asked.

I looked at my brother who still held Alice close to him, trying to calm her, with not much success. His thoughts were full of worry. He was scared that he might hurt the baby in a sudden, careless moment.

Something inside me roared with fury at the thought.

"Well... I can feel how excited everybody is about her. But I worry a little about living with a human. What if I accidentally lose my control around her? I..."

"You won't hurt her, Jasper. It's not an option, believe me."

Alice shifted the baby in her arms so she could free one of her hands and put it on her husband's face. Her trust in him was so huge and unquestionable. And I knew it meant the world to Jasper.

"She'll never be a temptation for you." Alice said softly. "I've seen it." she added with a brilliant smile when he furrowed his brows sceptically.

They stared at each other for a long moment before Jasper nodded and looked up at Carlisle again.

"I trust my wife. My vote is yes." he smiled a little and Alice kissed his cheek lovingly.

"Rosalie?" Carlisle turned toward her.

"Yes." she said softly.

I'd never heard her speak like this, ever. Perhaps for the first time in her entire life or existence her thoughts weren't selfish or jealous or angry. They were tender and loving. She already loved this tiny, little girl.

"Of course yes. It will be so funny to have a human around." Emmett shouted even before Carlisle had a chance to ask him.

Everybody chuckled at him.

"Esme?" Carlisle asked her softly, caressing her arm. She was still leaning above the crying baby and staring at her in awe.

"Yes. Of course, yes." she whispered. Her voice was shaky and weak.

"Edward?" my father turned toward me then.

I was confused. Not because I didn't want her to join to our family, but because I wanted it. I wanted it so very badly, it pained. It was a primal need. I needed her to stay here, I needed her stay with me, I simply needed her. Hearing her crying broke my heart into a million pieces again and again. I wanted nothing more than just to erase her pain, whatever was it and make her happy, make her laugh. I wanted to protect her, shielding her from the evil of the world. I wanted to be her protector, her guardian and whatever she wanted me to be.

But first and foremost I wanted to see her. No, I needed to see her. To really see her with my own eyes, not just through somebody's mind. And I needed to touch her, to hold her in my own arms. It felt like a powerful tug in my chest. Like a magnetic pull. I didn't have the strength to resist this feeling, I was too weak. I didn't want to resist. My unnecessary breathing became erratic, I started to hyperventilate. I felt my hands and knees start to shake as the feeling in my chest grew stronger and became almost painful. Suddenly, without any premonitory sign or warning, I was imbued with the feeling that an unbreakable chain, which not even a vampire could tear apart, had been wrapped around my long dead heart and it was being pulled from my chest. The chain was pulling me toward that tiny creature with full force. I was aching to be with her. Every muscle in my body ached to hold her.

I grabbed my father's arm tightly, startled by the sudden intensity of the unknown feeling as the baby's crying became louder and more harrowing. A low whimper escaped from my mouth before I could control myself.

I did not know or understand what was happening, nor did I care in that moment. All I cared about was her and the fact that I had to be with her.

"Edward?" I heard Carlisle's voice again, but it sounded so distant, which was odd, I was a vampire after all. There was a hint of worry in his tone. I looked up at him unwillingly and nodded, unable to speak, to form any coherent word.

Jasper gave me an anxious look, my sudden wild and intense emotions confused and frightened him.

"Well, then it's settled. This little girl is the newest member of our family." Carlisle said, still looking at me warily.

"Carlisle? Why is she crying so hard? Is something wrong with her, maybe?" Esme asked panicking.

The baby didn't stop crying even for a second since she started it. She only got louder and louder with each passing second.

"I don't know, sweetheart. Probably it'd be a good idea to give her a full check up. We don't know for how long she's laid on the forest floor alone. She's probably hungry and exhausted. Or she might have gotten hurt." he answered and reached toward Alice to took the little girl from her.

I felt my throat tighten as a horrible feeling, an indescribable fear crept inside me. What if something was wrong with her? I couldn't bear even the mere thought of it. She had to be okay. I needed her to be perfectly fine.

"Wait." Alice said and Carlisle stopped instantly, looking at her confused.

She took a few steps toward me, smiling. The closer she was to me, the bigger the pain in my chest seemed to grow. The aching pull was growing exponentially with every second, and it felt like she couldn't get to me fast enough. I felt my muscles tense again, I was aching to see, touch, feel, hold that little baby girl.

"Edward? Would you like to hold her?" Alice asked sweetly, with a joyous glint in her eyes.

My whole face lit up as she lifted the small bundle toward me. If my heart had still been beating, it would surely have been pounding in my chest wildly. The others watched us, their thoughts and expressions were confused, but they didn't move to stop my sister. I reached toward the baby girl eagerly and cradled my arms carefully. My breath hitched in my throat as Alice placed her into my waiting arms. She fit in the crook of my arm perfectly, like it'd been made for her. I gasped at the feeling of her sudden close proximity, tasting her scent for the first time. I felt myself getting lightheaded with it, as the delicious aroma filled my lungs completely. It was the most heavenly scent I'd ever smelled.

"Oh God. She smells amazing." I breathed, leaning closer to her instinctively.

My whole family froze in shock, except Alice. She just continued grinning widely.

The baby was still crying hard, shutting her eyes tightly, but as soon as she heard my voice, she stopped and opened them. She stared up at me curiously with her tearful chocolate brown orbs, framed by long, dark lashes. I studied her little face carefully, drinking in every single, little detail of it.

On the top of her head there were a lot of soft, messy, brown curls. Her skin was pale, almost as pale as mine, but her cheeks were beautifully rosy. She wrinkled her tiny button nose as she focused on my face and her little, plump, pink mouth formed a perfect shaped 'O'. I smiled down at her and caressed her cheeks gently, wiping away the last drops of her tears.

As I touched her soft, warm skin an electric jolt shot through me and my breath hitched again. Her beautiful eyes widened, her chocolate pools shone. She uttered a small cry and kicked my arm with her tiny foot, smiling back at me happily, then tried to reach toward my hand with her own small ones. After a little struggle with her blanket she managed to pull them free and wrapped her tiny fingers around my index finger tightly, sending another electric jolt through my dead body, straight into my unbeating heart. Her grip was surprisingly strong, especially for a tiny, delicate creature like her. She pulled my finger immediately into her mouth and started chewing and nibbling on it eagerly. Her bright eyes never left mine even for a second. I chuckled at her quietly. She was the most adorable thing I'd ever seen.

I was so lost in the little angel in my arms that I completely forgot that we were not alone in the room. My family's laughter pulled me back to the reality. I lifted up my head and looked at them, they were all beaming at us happily.

"What?" I asked, feeling a little confused because of their expressions. Why were they staring at us like this? Their thoughts were not helping at all. But before anybody could answer, I felt a small, hot hand patting the back of my hand impatiently and a tiny cry of protest left the little girl's mouth in my arms. It seemed she didn't like the fact that I wasn't looking at her anymore. I turned back to her and smiled down at her petite figure. Her answering grin made me chuckle again. It was beautiful, a brilliant flash of tiny, perfect white teeth. She wiggled in my arm a little, snuggling closer to my chest and inhaling deeply, then returned chewing my finger, boring her shiny brown eyes into mine again.

"We should give her a name. We can't call her 'baby' forever." Alice said.

Then suddenly hundreds of names started to bombard my mind. But none of them seemed to be good enough. I heard my family arguing about names, although I couldn't really understand their words, their voices were just a low buzz in the background to me. I just continued to stare at the tiny creature in my arms. She was so warm and soft and delicate. Her little fingers curled around my hand tightly, her skin was like blazing fire against mine. She was simply beautiful.

"Bella..." I leaned closer to her and whispered into her cute, little ear. She spat my finger out of her mouth and dropped it from between her little fingers. She reached her hands toward my face then, and pressed her palm against my cheek, while her other hand grabbed a fistful of my hair tightly. I was lost in the wonderful sensation as her hot, little hand came in contact with my skin again. She trailed her fingers up and down on my cheek, mimicking my previous actions, when I'd wiped her tears away. That electric current I'd felt before, now flowed freely between us, filling every cell of my body and woke my long dead heart. It eased the pain, the ache I'd felt before when she'd been in Alice's arms, and filled me with warmth and life. She cooed happily in return and kicked with her little feet again. I couldn't help chuckling at her happiness.

"Do you like it?" I asked her and she squealed, not letting me go.

"...Samantha. We can call her Sam." Emmett's voice rang in my ear. They still couldn't decide.

"No! It's just not perfect. Look at her, she's not a Samantha." Rosalie said, clearly irritated with her husband.

"Okay, then what's your idea, Rosie?" Emmett asked patiently.

"Emma. Let's call her Emma." She said with a dreamy expression on her face.

"Nice, but I still don't feel like it's the perfect name for her." Esme murmured while ran through a list of names in her head, but she couldn't find the perfect one.

Rosalie pouted.

Suddenly Alice started to bounce up and down and squealed happily. Everybody stared at her surprised. Jasper put his hand on her shoulder and tried to calm her. It didn't work completely, but it was enough.

"Edward, it's perfect! It's just... perfect!" she shouted, her eyes sparkled from all the excitement she felt. I smiled up at her and everybody turned toward me curiously. "Tell them, Edward. Just tell them already. Oh, it's perfect!"

"Edward?" Esme asked, smiling at me sweetly.

"Her name is..." I said and looked down at the little angel in my arms. "...Isabella."

The girls gasped as soon as the word left my mouth and the boys just smiled.

"Bella for short." I added, smiling down at the little girl in my arms.

"Oh, Edward. It's really perfect." Esme whispered and came closer to stroke the baby's little head.

Bella didn't seem to notice her touch, or even acknowledge her presence, she was too busy playing with my hair and trying to grab my nose.

"Isabella is a beautiful name. And it seems to fit her perfectly." Carlisle smiled. "Why don't I give her that checkup and you decide about her middle and family name too until then?"

He stepped closer to take Bella in his arms. Everything inside me protested, screamed not to let her go and not to let my father touch her, but I forced myself to lay her carefully into his waiting arms. At the moment our skins weren't touching anymore, the pain I'd felt inside my chest before returned. Though it was a thousand times stronger now. It didn't squeeze only my chest, it crushed my whole body, I'd never felt anything like this before. It was pure agony. My whole body began to shake again, I almost fell to the ground as Carlisle started to walk toward the stairs, cradling Bella in his arms.

But the unbearable pain wasn't the only thing I felt. There was another completely unfamiliar feeling that crushed me the exact same way. I couldn't name it, I only knew that it made me want to tear the baby girl out of Carlisle's hands and rip him into pieces because he ever dared to touch that little angel.

A loud, menacing growl escaped from my lips, before I could control myself. And I would have sprung at him if the growing pain inside me hadn't paralyzed my every muscle. I cried out in agony at the same moment as Bella started to scream again, louder than ever before. Her pain-filled, high pitched cry only increased my own suffering. Every cell in my dead body longed for her. I longed to hold her again, to touch her again, to feel her close to me again. I wanted to protect her from whatever was hurting her this much. I wanted to ease her pain, to calm her, to hear her laugh and squeal again. I needed her close to me. I needed her by my side. How did Carlisle dare to take her away from me? She belonged to me, not him. She was mine... MINE...

A tiny piece of my mind registered that Jasper gasped suddenly, then moaned loudly. His hands flew to his chest, grabbing it tightly. He could hardly hold up himself, probably my emotions were too much for him. Carlisle stopped in mid-step and turned back toward us. His eyes flashed between Bella, Jasper and me, then widened as shock spread across his face. But I was in too much pain to care about his thoughts. I wanted Bella back into my arms.

The others stared at us confused and worriedly.

"Bella." I choked out, gasping for air and reaching toward her with shaky hands, while my knees buckled and I fell to the ground.

Carlisle rushed back to my side and placed her back into my waiting arms. The trembling of my body calmed immediately as we were touching again. The pain, the longing stopped. That wonderful electricity was humming between us again in a very familiar and soothing way. All those wild, tantalizing emotions calmed in a blink of an eye.

I sat back on my calves completely relaxed and pulled the tiny, fragile baby close to my cold, hard body. Her eyes were closed tightly, her long, dark eyelashes were wet as they brushed against her flushed cheeks. Her tiny brows furrowed and her button nose wrinkled. Her voice was loud and piercing, full of pain. The agonized sound clenched my heart. I leaned down to her, my nose brushed against her soft curls and her crying and screaming stopped instantly.

"Shh... it's okay... everything's okay, baby girl." I murmured into her ear as I rocked her back and forth slowly.

She opened her beautiful chocolate eyes and looked up at me. I wiped her tears away again as she continued staring at me, her dark orbs were full of curiosity and wonder. She reached for my finger again and grabbed it, much tighter than before, like she was trying to hold me there with her. Then she pulled it into her mouth again and started to chew on it, while her eyes stayed locked with mine.

"Okay, what's going on?" Emmett asked confused.

"I don't know." Carlisle whispered, his wide eyes were still flickering between Bella and me. "I need to know what exactly happened just now. What are you feeling now, Edward? What did you feel a moment ago?"

I hesitated, trying to find the right words to tell what had just happened. How could I explain something that I didn't understand either. What had just really happened a moment ago? What those intense, crazy emotions had been and where they'd come from so suddenly?

"I don't really know." I sighed, struggling to find the best way to describe my feelings. "It all started when I heard her heartbeat for the first time. It was simply the most perfect sound I've ever heard. I felt like I've known it in my whole life and that I needed to listen to it forever, that this was the only way I could exist. Then when I first saw her, through Esme's eyes, I couldn't tear my mind away from the picture. She was just so beautiful."

Bella cooed a little, her beautiful baby voice was the cutest sound I'd ever heard, then continued chewing my finger, wrapping her pink, hot, little tongue around it. It sent another jolt of electricity through my body. I closed my eyes for a moment and moaned softly at the incredible feeling. My arm tightened around her tiny body, holding her closer to me and she buried her face into my shirt, gurgling happily.

"Hearing her cry broke me. I couldn't bear it." I continued, my eyes stayed locked on her as she started to play with a button of my shirt, still chewing my finger. "I wanted to ease her pain and make her happy. I wanted to protect her from anything and anybody. Then suddenly I felt a sharp pain and a powerful tugging inside my chest. The need to see her with my own eyes, to touch her, to hold her was so unbearably overwhelming, I couldn't resist. I felt like something was pulling me toward her with such force that nearly crushed me and brought me to my knees. I ached to be with her. I needed to be with her. I'd never felt such strong desire in my whole existence. Not even for blood."

I looked up at my father then. He stared back at me, his eyes were soft but eager to learn more about the situation. Bella spat my finger again and uttered a tiny cry. She kicked with her little feet and reached toward my face, trying to grab my hair again impatiently. I turned my head back to her, my eyes locked with her chocolate orbs and she settled down instantly, smiling brilliantly. I couldn't help smiling back at her.

"And what happened when you touched her and held her for the first time?" Carlisle asked.

I closed my eyes for a minute, recalling the moment when I'd finally taken this little angel into my arms for the very first time. How could I describe what I'd felt then? Where should I begin in the first place? How could I make them understand something like this? There were no words for it.

"Her scent..." I murmured finally. "The most heavenly scent I've ever smelt."

I leaned to nuzzle my nose into Bella's soft curls and kissed her button nose ever so softly. She pressed her tiny palms to my cheeks instantly, her fingers grabbed a fistful of my hair tightly. Her warmth crept right into my cold, hard bones. It was incredible.

"Then when our skins touched, a shockingly intense electric jolt ran through my whole body, taking my breath away. It was like it was coming right from her. And ever since that moment I feel it buzzing between us, soothing the unbearable pain inside me and the frenzied desire and ache to be with her, to hold her that I felt when she was still in Alice's arms. Everything was perfect, in that moment my world seemed to settle into its proper position."

I sighed, staring down at the perfect, tiny creature in my arms, who was still playing with my hair happily, totally obliviously to anything and anybody around her but me. Yes, everything was right in my world, because she became the center of it, she was my whole world now. Nothing mattered anymore. She was the reason I still walked on this planet. She was the reason why I'd gone through the torturous pain of the transformation from a fragile, dying mortal to what I was now. She was the reason of my existence, the reason of everything. She was the answer of my prayers, the one I'd waited for for a century. I understood then that I'd been wrong all along. I'd never been a soulless creature as I'd always thought of myself. Carlisle was right. He'd been right all along. I did have a soul. Only it was broken, half of a whole. Until this moment...

"And after I took her away from you?" Carlisle asked, eager to learn more about whatever was happening between this petite angel and me.

I shuddered at the memory.

"I didn't want to give her to you. Every fiber of my body screamed not to let you take her, not to let you even touch her." automatically I cradled her even closer protectively. "And the moment we weren't touching anymore, the pain started again. Only this time it was a thousand times worse than before. It crushed my whole body with such force that I could barely hold up myself. But it was nothing compared to..." I hesitated, ashamed of my behavior.

"Compared to what?" Esme asked worriedly.

"To the need to tear me apart?" Carlisle asked ever so calmly. He smiled at my shocked expression. "I guess that's why you growled at me that way, so furiously and possessively." he explained. "Because I intruded into your territory."

"What do you mean by 'his territory'?" Rosalie asked, taking a step closer, confused.

"Vampires are very territorial creatures, as you know. And they can become quite aggressive when they feel that someone is intruding into their territory. They do not share anything that really belongs to them. Especially not their mate."

"Mate?" Rosalie raised her eyebrow questioningly. "What are you talking about?"

"Bella is Edward's mate." Alice said in a serious tone.

"You have to be kidding." Rosalie laughed. "She's just a human baby."

Alice scowled at her. But I couldn't concentrate on their argument. Only one word swirled around my head, overshadowing everything else.

Mate... mate... MATE... MY MATE...

Then I was bombarded with the most incredible and breathtaking images, one after another.

…a brown-haired little girl was running across our backyard, laughing and squealing my name, with me shadowing her every step...

…the same little girl was laying in a huge bed, under a thick blanket, listening to a bedtime story and staring up at me with wide, eager eyes...

…a beautiful teenage girl was fidgeting her fingers anxiously under a small table in a nice restaurant, staring at me with those amazing chocolate orbs, rendering me speechless...

…a perfect angel was standing in the middle of a meadow, bathing in the sunlight, while the wind was blowing her mahogany hair around her beautiful heart-shaped face. She smiled a breathtaking smile, waving with her small, delicate hand toward the shadows of the trees. I stepped out of the woods and walked up to her in a slow human pace. My skin threw rainbows in the sunlight, which only seemed to make her smile widen. She took my hands in hers and pulled me down into the soft, green grass with her, then snuggled into my arms comfortably. We stared at each other with a long moment, before I leaned to brush my hard lips against her soft ones. She deepened our kiss eagerly, lifting her hands to bury her fingers into my messy hair. Then something caught my eyes. A small, sparkling thing on third finger of her left hand. A very familiar jewel. The engagement ring of Elizabeth Masen, my biological mother.

The visions stopped suddenly and I stared at my pixie sister mouth agape, completely shocked by everything she'd just showed me. Images of an amazing future.

"She's Edward's mate, whether you believe it or not, Rosalie." Alice said firmly, rolling her eyes at her. "And you're wrong, because she's not human."