I knew it was stupid to react like this. Who knew how much time I had to look at his face?

"Forever," Edward said.

"Apparently," Emmett smirked and Edward growled at the reminder of the likelihood that she would be vampire soon.

He was saved, and I was saved, and he could leave me as soon as we were free. To have my eyes so filled with tears that I could not see his features clearly was wasteful – insanity.

Emmett chuckled.

But, behind my eyes where the tears could not wash the image away, I could still see the panicked face of the tiny woman with the rosary.

"All those people," I sobbed.

"I know," he whispered.

"It's so horrible."

"Yes, it is. I wish you hadn't had to see that."

I rested my head against his cold chest, using the thick cloak to wipe my eyes. I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself.

"Is there anything I can get you?" a voice asked politely. It was Gianna, leaning over Edward's shoulder with a look that was both concerned and yet still professional and detached at the same time. It didn't seem to bother her that her face was inches from a hostile vampire. She was either totally oblivious, or very good at her job.

"Or knew that it wasn't her time yet," Carlisle sighed.

"No," Edward answered coldly.

She nodded, smiled at me, and then disappeared.

I waited until she was out of hearing range. "Does she know what's going on here?" I demanded, my voice low and hoarse. I was getting control of myself, my breathing evening out.

"Yes. She knows everything," Edward told me.

"Does she know they're going to kill her someday?"

"She's knows it's a possibility," he said.

That surprised me.

Edward's face was hard to read. "She's hoping they'll decide to keep her."

"Fool," Rosalie hissed.

I felt the blood leave my face. "She wants to be one of them?"

He nodded once, his eyes sharp on my face, watching my reaction.

I shuddered. "How can she want that?" I whispered, more to myself than really looking for an answer. "How can she watch those people file through to that hideous room and want to be a part of that?"

Edward didn't answer. His expression twisted in response to something I'd said.

"Doesn't she want to be a vampire?" Emmett asked.

"She wants to be part of our family," Alice said. "She must think that we'll protect her from becoming a monster...which we will – the best we can."

"Hmmm...that is interesting. I wonder how bad she will be," Emmett mused. "We'll be there, so it will be hard for her to get to any humans..."

Edward hissed, but Emmett ignored him, as did Jasper. "But she'll be a newborn...it'll be hard to control her..."

"Not to mention her tempter," Emmett smirked. "That gets her in enough trouble now...think what it will be like when she's a vampire..."

"Hmmm..." Jasper said thoughtfully. Edward looked thoughtful too. "But you do have to factor in her compassion...She doesn't want to hurt anyone..."

"So, you think the count will be low?" Emmett smiled.

"Yeah, thought it's difficult to know whether her compassion or her temper will be the more powerful force," Jasper said. "I'm still going to go with low..."

"Good. I thought it would be more than a few...but how low are you thinking?" Emmett asked.

"How about we say less than you," Jasper said, "and it should only be for her first year."

"That works," Emmett said. "Four thousand dollars?"

"It's your money," Jasper smirked.

"Yeah…says the one that just lost a thousand a few moments ago," Emmett said smugly.

"Are we done here?" Edward glared at his brothers.

"Yeah," Jasper said before he started to read again.

As I stared at his too beautiful face, trying to understand the change, it suddenly struck me that I was really here, in Edward's arms, however fleetingly, and that we were not – at this exact moment – about to be killed.

"Oh, Edward," I cried, and I was sobbing again. It was such a stupid reaction. The tears were too thick for me to see his face again, and that was inexcusable. I only had until sunset for sure. Like a fairy tale again, with deadlines that ended the magic.

"What's wrong?" he asked, still anxious, rubbing my back with gentle pats.

I wrapped my arms around his neck – what was the worst he could do? Just push me away – and hugged myself closer to him. "Is it really sick for me to be happy right now?" I asked. My voice broke twice.

"No," Edward smiled. "I'm rather happy myself."

He didn't push me away. He pulled me tight against his ice-hard chest, so tight it was hard to breathe, even with my lungs securely intact. "I know exactly what you mean," he whispered. "But we have lots of reasons to be happy. For one, we're alive."

"Yes," I agreed. "That's a good one."

"And together," he breathed. His breath was so sweet it made my head swim.

I just nodded, sure that he did not place the same weight on that consideration as I did.

"She never understands that part," Edward smirked, shaking his head.

"But perhaps you're starting to," Alice said.

"And, with any luck, we'll still be alive tomorrow."

"Hopefully," I said uneasily.

"The outlook is quite good," Alice assured me. She'd been so quiet, I'd almost forgotten her presence. "I'll see Jasper in less than twenty-four hours," she added in a satisfied tone.

Lucky Alice. She could trust her future.

I couldn't keep my eyes off of Edward's face for long. I stared at him, wishing more than anything that the future would never happen. That this moment would last forever, or, if it couldn't, that I would stop existing when it did.

"With that kind of thinking, it's a good thing that I'm staying," Edward smiled.

Edward stared right back at me, his dark eyes soft, and it was easy to pretend that he felt the same way. So that's what I did. I pretended, to make the moment sweeter.

His fingertips traced the circles under my eyes. "You look so tired."

"And you look thirsty," I whispered back, studying the purple bruises under his black irises.

He shrugged. "It's nothing."

"Are you sure? I could sit with Alice,"

"As if I'm leaving you any time soon...especially in a place like that," Edward scoffed.

I offered, unwilling; I'd rather he killed me now than move one inch from where I was.

"Don't be ridiculous." He sighed; his sweet breath caressed my face. "I've never been in better control of that side of my nature than right now."

"What does that mean?" Jasper asked, looking at Edward.

"I'm not sure," Edward said. "Maybe it has to be something that I have to live through to gain."

"I hope not," Alice said, "because you won't be living through anything like this."

I had a million questions for him. One of them bubbled to my lips now, but I held my tongue.

I didn't want to ruin the moment, as imperfect as it was, here in this room that made me sick, under the eyes of the would-be monster.

Here in his arms, it was so easy to fantasize that he wanted me. I didn't want to think about his motivations now – about whether he acted this way to keep me calm while we were still in danger, or if he just felt guilty for where we were and relieved that he wasn't responsible for my death. Maybe the time apart had been enough that I didn't bore him for the moment. But it didn't matter. I was so much happier pretending.

I lay quiet in his arms, re-memorizing his face, pretending…

He stared at my face like he was doing the same, while he and Alice discussed how to get home. Their voices were so quick and low that I knew Gianna couldn't understand. I missed half of it myself. It sounded like more theft would be involved, though. I wondered idly if the yellow Porsche had made it back to its owner yet.

"Doubt it, but I bet it's been impounded," Alice shrugged. "Though I wish I could get it again."

"What was all that talk about singers?" Alice asked at one point.

"Oh, I know that one..." Emmett said smugly.

"That's because we talked about it during the last book," Alice rolled her eyes. "You didn't know that before then."

"So?" Emmett pouted.

"La tua cantante," Edward said. His voice made the words into music.

"Yes, that," Alice said, and I concentrated for a moment. I'd wondered about that, too, at the time.

I felt Edward shrug around me. "They have a name for someone who smells the way Bella does to me. They call her my singer – because her blood sings for me."

Alice laughed.

I was tired enough to sleep, but I fought against the weariness. I wasn't going to miss a second of the time I had with him. Now and then, as he talked with Alice, he would lean down suddenly and kiss me – his glass-smooth lips brushing against my hair, my forehead, the tip of my nose. Each time it was like an electric shock to my long dormant heart. The sound of its beating seemed to fill the entire room.

It was heaven – right smack in the middle of hell.

"Yes, that sounds about right," Edward smiled brightly.

I lost track of the time completely. So when Edward's arms tightened around me, and both he and Alice looked to the back of the room with wary eyes, I panicked. I cringed into Edward's chest as Alec – his eyes now a vivid ruby, but still spotless in his light gray suit despite the afternoon meal – walked through the double doors.

It was good news.

"You're free to leave now," Alec told us, his tone so warm you'd think we were all lifelong friends. "We ask that you don't linger in the city."

"And we all seem to want to stay so much," Alice said, rolling her eyes.

Edward made no answering pretense; his voice was ice cold. "That won't be a problem."

Alec smiled, nodded, and disappeared again.

"Follow the right hallway around the corner to the first set of elevators," Gianna told us as Edward helped me to my feet. "The lobby is two floors down, and exits to the street. Goodbye, now," she added pleasantly. I wondered if her competence would be enough to save her.

Alice shot her a dark look.