While running/flying to Vampire Manor, Bella has an epiphany. She actually tells the reader she's had an epiphany, in case you didn't understand that from the long description that perfectly describes having an epiphany is what she's actually having. Yes, I'm nitpicking. These things being described to me are now words on paper, literary examples, constructs. There's no reason for me to care for one second what their motives or reasons are.
Bella decides that the adrenaline fueled fake-Edward in her brain that verbally abused her was actually her subconscious telling her that Edward truly truly truly really and for sure and no kidding loves her. It wasn't part of some withdrawal symptom or psychotic break or mental breakdown or suicidal urge or all the vastly more logical explanations, no it was love. True love. Love will keep us together. Stop in the name of love. Love is a mystery. She knew it all the time, of course, if only she had trusted in her love enough to see that. Stupid Bella, but it's all better now that the real Edward is here to emotionally abuse you.
Sorry. So now she has that box checked and the next time Edward fake-dumps her she'll know better. Or if he really dumps her it will lead to more confusion and drama. Can't wait.
Vampires don't sleep, so a 2AM muster isn't that hard to pull off. Soon we have everyone (Edward, Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Jasper, Alice, Rosalie) around the dinner table. Which is a "prop", which seems rather silly since nobody ever comes here who isn't a vampire. Guess they like to put on fake dinner parties for each other.
Bella explains that she wants to be a vampire because it'll fix lotsa things like the Volturi ultimatum. She wants to join the family, so they all get to vote on it. If they say no, she's going to go to Italy and see the Volturi to either become one or die, it's not really explained. Edward counters that the main Volturi Hunter, Demetri, relies on powers that Bella is immune to. Unless his powers work like Alice's, but that's not really considered. Well, unless they have other hunters who use the same skills that Edward and James demonstrated. Or they have access to normal, human private investigators.
The vote:
- Edward = no. Naturally.
- Alice = yes. She's also already promised to make this happen AND seen it happen in a vision.
- Jasper = yes. Bella doesn't know why. I don't know either. It isn't explained.
- Rosalie = no. She explains it's because she never wanted to be a vampire. Which isn't the same situation. But whatev.
- Emmett = yes.
- Esme = yes
- Carlisle = yes, even with Edward getting all annoyed and breaking things.
Bella asks Carlisle, who is the blindingly obvious choice. Ed points out they need days to do this and she's supposed to be asleep back at the house, so Bella agrees to postpone to after graduation. Carlisle agrees and promises to do it for/to her.
Edward takes her home and tries to figure out a solution. He starts negotiating:
- He asks for an opening bid.
- Bella wants Edward to do the deed.
- He wants 5 years of time
- No. He'll figure out a way to not do it
- Ed asks for 3 years
- Bella argues for 6 months, then a year.
- Edward asks her to marry him.
Charlie wakes up and confronts Bella. She essentially lays down the ultimatum: accept Edward and I'll be all grounded in your house with your rules. Don't and I'm moving out. Then she kicks him in the groin and dances over his crying, heaving body.
Made that last part up. Anyway that ends the scene, so I guess the negotiation ended at 1 year = Ed converts her. No handshake, so I'm not sure how binding it is.
SumUp D
The vote was odd, but we get some characterization and a little interest. We finally have some kind of Bella to Vampire timeline, which I've been waiting to be done with since the the prelude of the first book. Edward's plan to avoid the Volturi is moronic by itself, but others think it'll work. WHY? Even suggesting it'll work undermines the reader's impression that the Volturi are super-super-powerful. If Edward and Alice can hide Bella from them, how powerful can they be? Demetri's powers are silly, do the Volturi invite everyone they have to track down over for tea so Demetri can scan them? Is there no back up plan? Do they only have one hunter? The whole thing is bunk.
We also get the worst proposal in history and the worst reaction ever. Why is Bella NOT happy about this, other than because of the truly awful way it was brought up? Because Renee and Charlie's relationship went to trash after the rings, according to the text. I guess it's not an unrealistic idea about the dangers of marriage for a 17 year old to have, but it's a stupid place for it. Bella spends the entire chapter trying to set up her conversion into vampirism, a decision that's a little more life-altering than marriage. We're talking the potential for thousands of years, here. Why wouldn't she be overjoyed at this idea? You've all but married him in your mind, you're planning on spending a few hundred lifetimes with him, what difference does it make if it gets you the ONE THING you've been begging for since the middle of the first book? Mother Goose's garters, my head hurts.
I also don't see why Edward brings this into the negotiation at all. Why would he think for one second that this would help his cause? He's very anti-conversion and they've spent all of this chapter and the last supposedly finding the depth of their true love, why would marriage help in any way? Did he think she'd balk at the proposal? Did I miss the set up for this realization on his part? Was this just his way to get her to marry him? Neither option makes much sense.
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