bella. she spins to the voice behind her to see -- happy birthday. happy birthday. your birth is definitely a day to celebrate. eighteen is a little early to be worrying about your age. bella, i'm ninety. yes, it's the age that's creepy, not the fact that you're dating a vampire. class. someone wants you. the bell's about to ring. i don't have that particular gift. but i can read a watch. i'm clever that way. how come jacob black gets to give you a gift and i don't? "friends" don't spend two weeks looking for the perfect dreamcatcher. little hard to tune out. vampires. you can't trust them. come on, the last real birthday any of us had was emmett's - i think bing crosby was on top of the charts. you'll be helping us feel normal for a night. there are worse tragedies than a birthday. look at romeo. he's responsible for his wife's death. who could live with that? . though i do envy him one thing. not the girl - the suicide. nearly impossible for my kind. but humans, a little poison, dagger to the heart. there are so many options. i considered it. once. when james had you trapped. i didn't know if i'd find you in time. if i'd gotten you killed -- either way, i had a plan. there are. ways for us. at least one way. i would have gone to italy, provoked the volturi. certainly not. but i apologize for being a distraction. perhaps you should rewind to act five, scene one, line twenty-eight eighty-nine -- "if you had the strength of twenty men it would dispatch you straight." the volturi are a very old, very powerful family. the closest thing my world has to royalty. francesco solimena painted this; he often depicted the volturi as gods. yes. he lived with them for a few decades. he describes them as very refined - for killers. the volturi are also what you might call enforcers. the only rule they have: to keep secret the existence of our kind. we don't make spectacles of ourselves, or kill conspicuously, unless we want to die. who else would hurt me? victoria? yes, some day. but alice will see her coming. and she won't win. i know. but you do protect me. from boredom. and loneliness. you give me a reason to stay. un- dead. but it's. my job; to protect you. from everyone but my sister. finally, a decent sound system in that piece of -- i'll carry her to the kitchen. what do you want me to say? you got a paper cut. normal people get paper cuts. and a normal boyfriend wouldn't have flung you into a stack of plates. a normal boyfriend wouldn't have had to fight the urge to kill you -- that's your solution? my ending your life? you should go in. it's late. i won't be coming back. not tonight. walk with me? we need to leave forks. it's time. carlisle's supposed to be ten years older than he looks; people will start noticing. now. not you. us. nothing compared to what could happen. you don't belong in my world. -- you don't -- i don't want you to come! no. i'd like to ask one favor though. don't do anything stupid or reckless -- do you understand? . for charlie's sake. just. take care of yourself. don't worry. you're human. time heals all wounds for your kind. particularly if you're not reminded. try to understand. every second with you is about restraint. you're too fragile. i'm tired of pretending to be something i'm not. reining myself in so i can be with a human. -- you're not good for me, bella. i've let it go on too long. i'm sorry. i promise, it will be like i never existed. goodbye, bella. and here, for the first time, we see how truly agonizing this really is for edward. but bella doesn't see. move, bella. move, bella. turn around, bella. this is dangerous. stop. now. walk away. go. stop. lie. lie better. threaten him. don't. move. step back. stop this now, bella. what? i'm hanging up now. i'm sorry. i am. but they wouldn't be happier with me around. trust me. i know. but the further away i am, the safer bella will be. she deserves a shot at a normal life -- why, rose? did something happen? tell me, rosalie. tell me! -- i. don't believe it. have you decided? so you won't end this. carlisle was right. heaven. you're. not real. bella? you're here. i won't be needing your services after all, gentlemen. no rules were broken. fine. bella, why don't you stay and enjoy the festival? that's not going to happen -- but not easily -- jane. it's alright. alice will catch you. it's not without effort. one touch and aro can see every thought i've ever had in my life. no! get away from her -- ! alice, stay out of it. don't. go back to sleep. you've been through a lot. i'll be here when you wake up. you. think i asked the volturi to kill me because i felt guilty? i went to them because i thought i'd lost you. bella. the only reason i left was to protect you. i wanted you to have a chance at a normal, happy life. i had to be convincing. but easy? in my hundred years, i've never had a harder time than what i just went through. your own instincts were speaking to you. i wish it had been me. but you're the heroic one. you saved me. he won't forgive me easily. will you? i don't deserve it but. i hope you will. because i honestly have no idea how to live without you. she won't have to. there are ways to keep the volturi in the dark. just? you really don't understand what you'd be giving up. you can't be serious -- you can't go along with this, carlisle, you know what it means. when? just two months. would you be willing to trade for that? five more years as a human. i'll settle for three. why are you so willing to give up your soul? he wants to talk to me. he thinks i'm keeping you away. jacob, i know you have something to say to me, but i'd like to say something first. alright? thank you. for keeping bella alive when i. didn't. i know. i'm still grateful. but i'm back now. and i'm not leaving bella's side till she orders me away. either way, we'll handle victoria from here on out. she'll come back. we'll see. i haven't forgotten. -- bella, step back -- we're done here -- get out of here. now! i'm here. always. and she sees that's the truth, believes it. he takes her hand and together they turn, heading out of the woods.