V. Vote.

For two weeks I could only see Edward at school or at night when my mom had gone off to bed. My mom was strictly against me going absolutely anywhere except school and work. Monday, there were a lot of questions about the Cullen's returning, my cold attitude towards Edward that still lingered, and why I was grounded.  I didn't give anyone much information and soon they let it go.

Mike was less than thrilled that Edward came back and our friendship was practically none existent now. I still hadn't heard a thing from Jacob but I didn't reach out to him either. I was starting to miss Jacob. My friend Jacob, not the mean asshole who was always arguing and yelling. But I wasn't ready to forgive. I wasn't ready to forgive a lot of people.

In the two weeks, my mom sat me down and came clean that something was going on between her and Charlie. It was still early and they weren't exactly in a committed relationship yet. It was nothing too serious but it seemed to be heading that way.

After two weeks of my grounding period, my mother allowed me to see Edward. He was only allowed to come over to my house for two hours maximum and I wasn't allowed to go over to his house or hang out around Forks with him. She only agreed to this arrangement because she still felt bad that he had tried to kill himself.

It was a Saturday morning and my mom was getting ready for work while I sat on the couch, painting my nails a dark red color. There was a knock at the door and my mom went to answer it. "Edward..." she called out in surprise.

My head shot up at the mention of Edward's name. I didn't mention to my mom that he was actually going to start coming over when she told me she'd allow it if I wanted. She didn't think I would want it.

"Mrs. Moore, It's good to see you again," Edward replied in a soft tone of voice.

There was silence for a second before my mom spoke again. "You too, Edward." She admitted softly, but I could hear in the underlying tone of her voice that she wasn't all too happy with Edward. "I'm going to work, sweetheart." She called out to me, and I heard her footsteps walk out of the house.

The front door closed and Edward stepped into the living room, his lips pursed. "She won't forgive me easily," he muttered softly as he sat down on the armchair in front of me, his eyes drifting towards my nails.

I silently stared at him for a second before slowly shaking my head. "Definitely not," I muttered in agreement before my attention turned back to my nails, finishing painting the last of them before blowing air on them to dry them faster.

Edward watched me, and once again I could see and feel his inner turmoil. I was still getting used to the whole idea of being able to feel his emotions, and knowing he felt mine more often and stronger, I tried to keep my emotions under wraps like I did my thoughts.

"Will you ever fully forgive me?" Edward asked softly as he clasped his hands together in front of him, resting his forearms on his thighs. He shook his head as his gaze diverted. "I don't deserve it but... I hope you will. Because I honestly have no idea how to live without you." he whispered as his golden eyes returned to me.

I sighed softly and shook my head. "You won't be able to get rid of me once Alice changes me," I replied with a shrug of my shoulder as I stared at Edward.

Edward cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, sitting up straight. "She won't have to," he replied with a shake of his head and my eyebrows furrowed. "There are ways to keep the Volturi in the dark."He explained as he shrugged his shoulders.

I scoffed in disbelief as I shook my head at him. "They'll come after your whole family," I argued with him. "You'd risk that just to keep me human?" I asked as I stared at him, my eyebrows furrowing even more.

"Just?" he repeated as he raised his eyebrows at me before shaking his head. "You really don't understand what you'd be giving up." He muttered as he stared back at me, his eyebrows furrowing.

"I really do," I argued. I knew I'd be giving up my mom, my friends, a chance at a normal white picket fence life. But selfishly, my heart was okay with that as long as I'd have forever with Edward. I stared at him with my furrowed eyebrows. If I was going to enter his family when I changed, that meant this wasn't just between me and him. "You're not the only one with a say in it," I informed him as I got up to my feet.

Edward's eyebrows furrowed as I walked out of the living room and he got up, following me as I approached the front door. He watched me as I pulled on a pair of my shoes that lay near the door. "Where are you going?" he asked as he quirked an eyebrow.

"To your house," I informed him as I opened the door and nodded for him to step out of the house. "Let's go, while I still have a little patience left for you," I muttered as I pursed my lips, clenching my teeth together.

"Aren't you supposed to be grounded?" Edward asked as he raised both his eyebrows, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared at me with squinted eyes.

I huffed as I nodded my head. "I am," I replied as I walked out onto the porch before turning to face Edward, placing my hands on my hips as I gave him an expecting look.

"We're already pushing it by me coming around," Edward muttered as he stepped out of the house and I closed the door behind him, locking it. "And we both know she only tolerates me here for one reason." He added softly.

I sighed as I turned around to face him, shrugging my shoulders. "Well, what she doesn't know won't hurt her," I muttered before stalking off toward his gray SUV. I could hear Edward sigh heavily behind me before following me towards the car. He opened the passenger side door for me and I climbed in, watching as he round the car and climbed in with a growing frown.

The second we pulled up to the Cullen's house and climbed out of the car, Rosalie came outside. Edward wearily stared at his sister while closing my door behind me. Rosalie approached us, fiddling with her hands. "Ana..." She began softly. "Can we talk?"

I silently stared at Rosalie before nodding my head and glancing over at Edward, offering him an assuring nod. He shot his sister a pointed look before he hesitantly walked towards the house.

Rosalie waited for Edward to be inside the house before she turned to me, not that there was any privacy to this conversation with all the super hearing. Before she could speak up, I spoke first. "I'm sorry for how I acted at the airport." I apologize sincerely.

Rosalie shook her head at me. "You were angry, rightfully so." She replied before hesitantly taking a step closer to me."I don't want you dead, Ana." She said as she shook her head again. "I never did and especially not after seeing how it affected Edward." She whispered and I slowly nodded my head. "I really am sorry." She apologized.

I silently stared at her. I wasn't ready to just forgive her either So I only nodded my head and offered her a small smile. She accepted that and we made our way into the house in silence. The rest of the family was already gathered in the first-floor living room.

Edward had already informed them I wanted to have this meeting and they were patiently waiting for me. Some of them were sitting around, and others were standing. When I entered the room with Rosalie, Edward came to stand next to me, staring at me like he was trying to will me with his mind to drop this conversation.

"I want to talk to everyone. It's about me becoming one of you." I informed them as I nervously rubbed my hands together, knowing Alice had shared her vision of me with the rest of them. "You all know what Edward wants. And you know what I want." I muttered and everyone wearily glanced at Edward before their attention returned to me. "But I won't force myself on you..." I said as I shook my head before taking a deep breath. "I think the only fair way to handle this is by vote -"

Edward cut me off with a scoff as he shook his head, turning to stare at me with deeply furrowed eyebrows. "You can't be serious -" he angrily began to argue.

My head snapped to the side and my hazel eyes shot towards him as I held up a hand to silence him. "This is my meeting, Edward." I reminded him as I clenched my jaw. "Sit down," I demanded. We had a silent stare of for a second before Edward huffed and angrily plopped down on the couch. I turned back to face his family. "However this turns out, I'm not letting the Volturi hurt you," I informed them as I shook my head. I was willing to go to the Volturi myself to have them change me. "I'll go back to Italy alone -"

"The hell you will." Emmette scoffed as he shook his head, crossing his buff arms over his chest. "I'm not missing another fight." He grumbled softly as his eyebrows furrowed.

I looked up at Emmette, vigorously shaking my head. "That's not up for a vote, Emmett." I insisted firmly. "I don't want you involved," I said as I glanced around at the family. I didn't want them to get hurt because of me.

"We've always been involved, honey, and we're not going to stop -" Esme began to speak up with a soft and endearing tone of voice.

I stared at her with my chin tilted up, my eyebrows slightly raised, and my lips pulled into a tight line. My gaze diverted down and my eyebrows raised even more as I began to speak. "No, please...I want you to seriously think about this." I insisted as my gaze returned to the family. "If I join you, you'll be stuck with me for a long time - forever. It's a huge decision. And I want - I need your honesty here." I pleaded with them, and everyone nodded in agreement, and Edward sighed, shaking his head at his family. "Then let's take a vote... Alice?"

A grin spread onto Alice's lips as she bounced over towards me. "Like you're not already my sister." She said as she wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a hug. "Of course, yes!" She squealed as she pulled me away at arm's length.

Edward rolled his eyes as he stared at us, clenching his jaw. Jasper stepped forward, hands clasped together behind his back. "I vote yes," he said softly as he offered me a small smile. "It'll be a relief not to want to kill you," he added softly.

I raised my eyebrows as I stared at him. "That's very...touching, Jasper," I muttered softly as I stared at him, eyebrows furrowing and eyes squinting in confusion and uncertainty. It was a strange thing to say but it was Jasper.

Rosalie stepped forward, folding her hands together in front of her. "Ana, I'm sorry for what I did. I really am." She apologized again as her eyebrows furrowed. "And I know you're not ready to forgive me... but this isn't the life I'd have chosen for myself. I wish there'd been someone to vote no for me...So... no." She whispered as she shook her head.

I nodded in understanding, offering her a small smile. Emmette was next to step forward, reaching out to ruffle my hair. "I vote hell yeah." he cheered loudly as a big grin tugged at his lips. "We can pick a fight with the Volturi some other day," he assured me as he lightly bumped my shoulder and I raised my eyebrows.

Esme was the next one to step forward, placing both her hands on my arms as she smiled at me. Edward stared intensely at his mother. So far this was going more my way than his. "I already think of you as part of the family." She told me softly before wrapping her arms around me and hugging me. "Yes." She whispered.

A smile tugged at my lips and I felt on the verge of tears. It felt good to know that most of them accepted me into their family. "Thank you, Esme," I whispered with a wavering tone of voice before pulling away.

Everyone's attention turned to Carlisle. He was the last to vote. Edward stared at his father, his jaw clenching. In a way, Carlisle would have the last say, even if everyone else voted yes. As the head of the house, if he said no, it would be no.

"Edward -" Carlisle muttered softly as he sighed and shook his head at his son.

Edward shot up to his feet, the couch screeching against the floor with Edward's force. "You can't go along with this, Carlisle, you know what it means." Edward loudly argued with his father.

"You've chosen not to live without her, which leaves me no choice," Carlisle argued back as he shook his head. "I won't lose my son," he muttered as he shook his head and I inhaled sharply. That was a yes. I was going to be like them, whether Edward accepted it or not. I wished he did. I didn't understand why he was so against spending forever with me. "But Alice has never turned anyone. It'd be safer if I did it -" Carlisle continued and Edward stormed out of the room.

I stared in the direction Edward had left. I wanted him to be part of this, I wanted him to want forever as badly as I did. But I was willing to go forward with this without his blessing. I wasn't going to let him or his family get hurt because of me. I wasn't going to let the Volturi do what James tried, using one of my loved ones against me.

I sighed softly before turning towards the family. "We should do it before the Volturi come to check on me," I muttered as I crossed my arms over my chest, my eyes turning towards Carlisle.

"Let's wait until after graduation." He told me as he nodded his head. "It will be easier for your mom if she thinks you're off to college." He explained softly.

Leaving behind my mom would be the only hard part of this. In my mind I had convinced myself that I could still keep in contact with her through phone, maybe write her letters. I just couldn't ever see her face-to-face again. But this was the life I wanted. My heart wanted Edward and only Edward and this was the only way I could give it that.

I walked out of the room, following the footsteps I heard upstairs. I figured Edward was inside his bedroom and that's where I went. I stood in the archway of his door. He was sitting on his lounge chair, his head lowered, his eyebrows deeply furrowed.

"Edward," I whispered as I crossed my arms over my chest, giving him a look that pleaded with him to talk with me. I truly did not want to do this without him. I didn't. I just wanted to understand why he didn't want me to be with him. I knew he thought he was going to doom me for all eternity, but he also knew I didn't believe in that.

He slowly lifted his head and stared at me. The tears he couldn't cry, pooled inside my eyes. "Why, Anastasia?" he asked softly as he shook his head at me.

"Why don't you want to be with me?" I questioned him accusingly as I stepped closer to him, my eyebrows deeply furrowing as a flash of hurt crossed my eyes.

He shot up to his feet. "I do!" he defended himself, staring at me with a scowl, angry that I even suggested he didn't want to be with me. That's all Edward and his unbeaten heart wanted.

"What, am I just good enough for a few years? Not forever?" I asked him as my head tilted to the side, a tear slipping down my cheek as my eyebrows furrowed even more. Edward sighed loudly as he shook his head before turning towards the glass doors in his room and jumping down from it. "Edward!" I called out after him as I rushed to the glass doors, watching him from above as he ran into the woods.

I sighed softly, tilting my head back and staring up at the ceiling. I sniffed and wiped away a tear that escaped my eyes. I ran my hand over my mouth and took a deep breath before turning around and walking out of the room.

This was hard for Edward, that I knew. I'd give him his time and space. He would come around eventually, I knew that. I didn't doubt that Edward loved me. But I knew the life of eternity wasn't one he wanted for me.

I went downstairs and stood in the archway of the living room, staring at the family. I rubbed my hands together, pursing my lips. "Jasper, can we talk?" I asked hesitantly as I looked over at the blonde before looking at the rest. "If that's okay?" I asked, not knowing if they'd leave me and Jasper alone together after my birthday. "I just...I've been meaning to talk since my birthday."

Jasper nodded his head as he stepped forward. "Of course Ana." He agreed and I offered him a thankful smile. We walked outside, sitting down on the steps of the porch. Jasper looked at me, his eyebrows deeply furrowed. "I can't begin to explain how sorry I am." He apologized softly as he shook his head.

"I forgive you," I replied softly as I offered him another small smile. "I know you have no control over it, and I know you don't want to be this way," I added as I slowly shook my head and Jasper lowered his head. "It was an accident," I assured him. "No one is an exception to that."

Jasper hesitantly looked up at me. He looked ashamed of what happened the night of my birthday. "Thank you for being so forgiving," he said softly, a thankful, underlying tone in his voice.

"You know, in a terrifying way it opened my eyes a little," I admitted softly to him as my head tilted to the side. Jasper's eyed me with confusion and curiosity. "Made me realize, I need to be more careful," I explained softly as I pursed my lips.

"Hopefully it won't stay that way for long, right?" Jasper said softly as he quirked an eyebrow, bumping my shoulder with his own.

"Hopefully." I agreed with a small smile as I nodded my head.

My mind still lingered on Edward and how upset this made him. Right now, I couldn't imagine going through this against his wishes. I couldn't imagine doing this without him by my side. A part of me wanted him to change me, not Alice or Carlisle.