I yawned for the fifth time during my flight, staring aimlessly out the window. I felt my boyfriend squirm a little beside me, and I immediately felt sympathetic. But I made sure to not let that get to my face, he'd have been furious if he saw me feeling bad for him. He was very touchy.

I stared out the window again, feeling rather exhausted. I had no idea why I was really coming here, but at the same time, I knew exactly why. I nearly laughed at myself, I sounded so cryptic, I could be mistaken for my boyfriend beside me. Once again, I was careful to not let any type of emotion show.

And I stared out the window of the plane again. 'Forks.' The name rang over and over in my head, and for a moment, I pictured my best friend, who was currently living there, or so I hoped. It'd been too long. I wasn't the type to admit that I missed people, or to acknowledge that I even had emotions. My boyfriend, Justin, lovingly referred to it as me being a bottle. Meh.

I hadn't exactly thought of how long the damn flight would last, so I fidgeted and squirmed in the uncomfortable seat, and I hissed out of the corner of my mouth, "Remind me never to fly coach again."

He laughed.

I turned to look at him again, in some confusion. It wasn't as though I'd never heard him laugh before, it was that I honestly wasn't used to hearing the sound, no matter how many times I heard it. It was a low quiet sound, so much unlike the laughter I was used to when we were alone.

I'm wandering again. I turn out to the window again, and all I see is green below me. I pull a face. This will take some getting used to, straight from the city, to this little town in the middle of nowhere. I'd never adjust. I sighed, almost a little wistfully. What I'd give to be on a flight back to Phoenix, back to the sun. Even as I thought it, I felt a pang of remorse, and my gaze automatically slid to the seat beside me.

Normally I'm rather easily jumpy around Justin, it's hard not to be. The boy is an unpredictable as the wind. He was staring at me again, intently. I found myself blushing under his scrutinizing stare, and I saw myself reflected in those deep liquid onyx eyes of his.

I'm rather normal as far as female teenagers go, slim, athletic, but stubbornly pale, I don't tan, I burn. But I guess my eyes are different, they're an odd shade of grey, that change with my emotions, or so I've been told. My hair is a dark brown with odd reddish highlights, tied up in a tight ponytail, and I'm wearing jeans and a crimson tanktop, Justin's favourite. His jacket is tied around my waist.

Oh yeah, he's still staring at me. With him, if he's staring at you, you normally have to look away. So I did. I heard his breezy chuckle again, and scowled inwardly. He's a damn god, and I still have no idea how it ended up being me he fell for. But I wasn't complaining, I had other things to worry about.

He was frowning again, and I could see this out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look at him, and my heart as normal, skipped a few beats. In an exquisitely pale face like his, every little turn in his mouth made some woman speechless. His eyes were like coal today, dark and brooding. His hair, normally an unkempt mess, how I like it I may add, was gelled back in little spikes today. His dark brown undercoat topped by the little blond spikes. His hair just was like that I reminded myself jealously, I'd never get over having a boyfriend who was way more attractive than I was, though it wasn't a competition.

I think he noticed my train of thought and his intuition flickered before mine did. I heard him whisper, the sound a near purr, out of the corner of his mouth, "Are you thinking about her again?"

I couldn't lie to him, his dark eyes made that nearly impossible. I nodded slightly, so I wouldn't need to speak back to him. He made a snorting sound, still as quiet as death, and I rolled my eyes. Why I loved him...

"She won't be easy to get alone." He reminded me with a gentle poke, gentle for him I mean. I was sure I'd bruise tomorrow. "Their coven is incredibly strong."

"I don't really care how strong their coven is." I told him fiercely, and when I realized I was being watched by a little old lady out across the aisle, I had to lower my voice, cheeks burning in embarrassment. Ugn, he was smiling again, could that boy ever take me seriously? My eyes narrowed, and I hissed as low but fiercely as possible, "I just want to make sure she's alright."

"She's not your blood or anything." Justin reminded me flippantly, and I had to resist the urge to punch him. I hated it when he did that, something he very well knew, but he liked to prick my flashpoint temper. Normally a dangerous job, but he wasn't scared of anything. The tool. He was talking again, I listened intently. "I don't get why you care about this Swan girl anyway."

"She's my best friend." I pointed out weakly, my heart ached just thinking about her. It'd been too long since she left, and this was the thing that bothered me the most, the fact that I actually missed her. She didn't have many friends in highschool, I didn't either. Loners tend to stick together, it's human nature. And we were friends. That is, until she decided to kill herself by moving to Forks. No amount of persuasion would convince her otherwise, I just got to sadly watch her go.

He could sense I was getting sad again, and he reached out to touch my hand, but he drew back, thinking better of it. I hated him for that, but I placed my hands in my lap and kept my gaze on the other seat in front of me, wishing I could burn holes in it. He suddenly got very stiff, and I turned to look at him worriedly, his jaw was set in a firm line, and he looked like he wasn't breathing.

Now I was very worried.

"Justin." I whispered softly, and impulsively I reached out to touch him, but I held myself back, remembering the rules. He didn't answer, he didn't even look at me. I raised my voice a little, hissed a bit, "Justin!"

He blinked, then looked at me as though he didn't even remember where he was. I really didn't like that look in his eyes. I shuffled as close as the seat would let me, and murmured as quietly as I could, "Are you alright?"

He shook his head, once, twice. I realized he really didn't want to talk about it, and shook my own head before glaring back at the seat in front of me. Holes. I really would like to burn holes in that seat. God I hated him as much as I loved him, I really hoped he understood that before he brushed me off again.

The plane touched down. I had my bag over my shoulder before I realized I was out of my seat, and I walked off the plane with him following right behind me. I sighed as soon I touched the pavement with my foot, I hated flying. Feet belonged on the ground. I knew he was watching me, I just really didn't want to look at him.

And that didn't sit well with him at all. He fluidly moved from behind me to in front of me, in those insanely fast and very annoying movements of his. And then he fixed the full power of his eyes on me, so I had to look away. He asked me quietly, voice saturated with heartrending confusion, "Did I upset you?"

I really wanted to glare at him, but the hurt in his eyes made me melt, and I half wondered if he knew what he was doing to me. I sighed. Shrugging my bag to my other shoulder, I told him in a growl, "If you don't want to talk about what happened before, you don't need to. I got over it. But dammit, don't pretend like everything's alright when it's not!"

He seemed alarmed by my quiet but ferocious outburst, and he fixed his gaze on the ground. I was quiet. Finally he gently took my bag from me, slinging it easily over his shoulder instead. I muttered a quiet thanks, but he didn't seem to hear me. He walked off in a graceful lope, and I had to jog to keep up with him.

It was all very annoying. In fact, I was just very annoyed. He wasn't speaking to me, I had probably ruined the only real relationship I had in years, I was sick and tired already of being wherever the hell I was now, and I really just wanted to sleep. I didn't know if he knew that, but I didn't care either.

He stopped, abruptly. Too fast for me, I bumped right into him, and staggered backwards. His hand shot out and closed around my wrist, stopping me from falling flat on my rear end. But it wasn't the sudden electrical current that surged through him to me that caught my attention, it was the way he was glaring out into the dense wooded area that our new home lay in.

He didn't speak, but gently released my wrist, eyes narrowing. And I heard the familiar growl in his throat, and that quickly had me on edge already. His hands curled into fists at his side, and I could see the muscles under his skin coiling, readying to spring. I impulsively grabbed his arm, pulling it against my chest as if to stop him from moving away from me.

That startled him, and he looked at me like I was crazy. But I shook my head quickly and maintained my grip. He sighed softly, gently prying my fingers from around his arm. I really didn't want to let him go, and I knew he could see that. He placed his hand on my shoulder, leaned down to brush a tiny kiss to my cheek, and then we were walking again.

In silence mostly was how we crossed the road to the waiting taxi, I honestly didn't want to get in, it felt like I was sealing my future. But we had to go 'home' or else things would continue to be strange. Did I say strange? Strange-er. He was still carrying my bag when we slid in, both of us slid into the back.

I watched how he pulled out bills from his jeans pocket and handed them to the driver without saying a word. The man began to drive without complaint, and I stared out the window. Ugh. I hated it here already. It seemed totally and utterly foreign, too green. Leaves, trees, bushes, wildlife was just everywhere.

I'm a city girl, and I was already mourning the steel and stone towers that made up my home. Or... What used to be my home. Too green, that really was my only thought. Even the road was littered with leaves that must have continued to blow off the trees with so much frequent rain, and I had to cover my mouth and pretend to yawn so Justin wouldn't hear my gag of disgust.

The drive was surprisingly short, I just dismissed it because the town was so small. The long apartment building that was to be my home for the next ew months towered eerily above us, and I looked up at it with only a hint of nervousness. I felt Justin's hand on the small of my back, sending a chill through me under my clothes, and he began to steer me gently into the building.

The move was incredibly short, our bags had arrived ahead of us through the order we'd put in earlier on, there was one bedroom. I put my things in there, I unpacked his things in his dresser too. I peeked out when I finished putting things away, and saw him on the couch, staring up at the ceiling with those black eyes of his. I didn't need to tell him I was done. He already knew.

The silence stretched for quite awhile, and I was growing increasingly uncomfortable. He knew it, I could tell from his pensive expression. I finally sighed raggedly, threw his jacket around my shoulders and said abruptly, "I'm going for a walk."

He was up before I had time to even go through the door, and his eyes were narrowed and focussed hard on mine. I instinctively took a step back. He was quite tall, I wasn't sure how much so, at least a head taller then me, and up close, he was full as well. Nobody in their right mind who as slight as I was would stand toe to toe with him.

"Don't go out of the town's limits." His voice was harsh and firm, seriousness marring his perfect features. That sounded too much like an order for me and I knew my face betrayed my stubborn personality, because he frowned too. I wasn't about to let anyone begin to boss me around again, and he knew that. He gave in first, eyes suddenly weary. He rephrased, placing emphasis on his words, "Please don't go out of the town's limits." Much better. Then he continued. "I don't like it here. The town's atmosphere is... Dangerous."

I nearly laughed, very amused. It wasn't as though we didn't know that one. I poked him gently in the chest, not getting any give but I felt better anyway. I told him casually, "I'm not worried."

"But I am." He reminded me in a quietly fierce tone, and in a very odd gesture for him, he took my hands in his and stared deep into my eyes. That alone had my blood racing to my face, but I couldn't tear my gaze away. "I can lose you too easily Skye. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you got hurt while I was supposed to be watching you."

"I'm a smart girl, and I think I've proved I can hold my own against the worst of the world." Even as I said it the words sounded very flat and easily translucent. He didn't believe me either, but he knew when we got into arguments, my temper normally let me win out against his patience. His hands dropped from mine. And he nodded.

I left. At a slow pace, I didn't exactly know where I was going. I remembered vague details about the town from the emails I had nearly religiously received a few years ago. Now I was lucky if I had any once every few months. That detail had stopped me in the street for a very long moment, and then I began walking again.

Her name rang in my head for a few long moments, and I didn't realize that the ache in my chest had turned into tears until I felt one slide innocently down my cheek. I growled several curse words and hastily brushed it away. God I hated to cry. I was mostly annoyed at myself, it really was annoying to have to hear her name echoing in my head and then realizing just how much a void my friend's departure at left in me.

I grumbled softly, shoving my hands into my pockets as I continued to walk down the long street. I had no real idea just where I was going, but it was somewhere and I needed that. My thoughts strayed back to our younger days, when we had been little and nervous, shy things that bonded out of the need to feel accepted. It was a basis for friendship anyway, and for the longest time, she was all I had. And I missed her.

I didn't realize just how much time I'd lost thinking, but when I snapped out of my daze, I was no longer on the street, I had taken a trail. Out of the town. I was in no-man's territory. And that was when the dread hit me. My boyfriend's warning didn't seem nearly as trivial as it had only an hour or two earlier.

"Uh oh." I mumbled under my breath, glancing around worriedly. I really felt uneasy as I glanced around nervously, and that was when I heard the ominous crack of a tree branch behind me. My heart jumped into overdrive, and my legs decided to start running without telling my head that. I was ducked under tree branches, racing quickly through the dense forest in a frantic urge to find a clear area. I could hear what sounded like growling behind me, and if I had had breath to spare, I'd have cursed.

I was quick from all my years as a track and field runner, but even I couldn't make my way fast enough through a dense forest. I tripped several times, but each time I hastily regained my balance and continued to run. I couldn't afford to stop, or even to look over my shoulder to see if I was really being followed, I just ran blindly.

I felt foolish, even as I strained to get through this ungodly green mess, I wondered what if I was just running from some poor animal that cracked a branch under its foot? But part of me, the part that I always trusted, was telling me to run, and I wasn't fool enough to not listen.

I pushed through the last branch, and I realized I was out, in a meadow. I gasped hard for breath, somehow a feeling of security locked itself around me. Open territory, why did I suddenly feel safer in the open than in the woods? While I was trying to sort that out, I heard that growling again, and shivers raced through me.

I wasn't being chased. I was being hunted.

The moment I finished that thought was when a huge shape crashed through the trees, and landed a scant foot away from me. I fell back, landing hard on the grass, and I could only stare in horror up at the beast that faced me now. It had russet coloured fur, and was huge, I couldn't get over its size. It was a wolf, I was certain of it, but so much larger. I was trying to back away before I realized it.

The beast, wolf, whatever it was realized it before I did, and slammed its paw on the ground, and I felt the tremor before I heard it in my ears. I wondered if it shook my heart. Its black eyes met with mine, and that was when my scream died in my throat. Its eyes weren't just staring at me, they were studying me. The scream started up again.

It growled, fiercely, hard, and the scream stopped. I felt the adrenalin pumping in my blood, and my instincts kept telling me to get up and try to run, but I was frozen, locked in the eyes of this huge beast that I was certain was going to kill me. I couldn't even scream now even if I wanted to.

That was when I heard another growl, a slightly higher pitched and equally fierce break through the first. As though under a spell, I turned to see what had made the sound. I was shocked to see a girl standing there, small, pixie looking, with cropped, spiky black hair. Her upper lip was curled back over her teeth, her eyes were like hard gold, she was in an awkward looking crouch and glaring at the beast.

The beast snarled at her, and she merely growled back, relaxing more into the crouch, it seemed natural for her. Her snarl echoed in my ears, a terrifying sound, but for some strange reason, I couldn't call up the urge to be scared now. They were facing off, as though to battle. And that, ridiculously enough, was what scared me.

She snarled again, but this time there were words involved, words I understood despite how animalistic they sounded. It was an order, a command, and I was very sure she meant it, "Get out. The girl is mine."

An enraged roar immediately answered the girl's snap, to which I immediately began cowering again, but the ghostly white girl only answered with a loud snarl of her own. Her golden eyes were hard like ice now, and she snapped, "I'm fed dog, I have no intention of feeding tonight."

Silence fell, an odd one this time. And then, slowly, the beast got up from its crouch and glared straight at me. This worried me, and I quickly scuffled as far back a few feet. It didn't advance, merely made a low growling sound, and I winced. It sounded like it wasn't too happy about losing to this girl. And then it turned tail and vanished back into the forest with astounding speed.

I hadn't realized I'd been staring after it until I heard a musical voice behind me long moments later. I missed whatever the voice had said, and I quickly whipped around to see the girl standing there now, looking entirely nonchalant. She seemed to notice my utter confusion, and asked me quietly, "Are you okay?"

I shook my head when I meant to nod, and I saw her suddenly warm golden eyes grow confused. I hastily tried to get to my feet, but my legs failed me and I couldn't get up. She seemed slightly amused by that, and my cheeks burned with my embarrassment. I tried again, and this time succeeded getting to my feet. I tried my voice, I croaked. "I'm fine."

She didn't look like she believed me, but she seemed to let it go, watching me. She spoke to herself, I had to listen hard to catch her quick lyrical voice. "You really are like her."

That certainly caught my attention. My eyes narrowed a little, but I knew after an experience like that, I certainly had no chance of looking intimidating to this girl. I must have been as white as paper, and I knew from my hands that I was still shivering. She laughed, softly.

"Nice try." She told me gently, and I saw a warm look enter her face, she seemed kind enough to me. But I wouldn't let anyone get through any guard, not right yet anyway. She watched me, carefully. Then she said quietly, "I didn't save your life by chance. Don't think it was an act of charity. I could get in quite a lot of trouble for what I just did."

Blunt and a hero. What a combination. I watched carefully, unsure of what to say to her. Finally, I managed softly, "I suppose a 'thank you' isn't going to make do."

"No, not entirely." She agreed, and she smiled, revealing her perfect white teeth for an instant. Then she was back to looking serious, but regarding me with a somewhat childish curiosity. Like I was a puzzle she was just dying to figure out. Finally she said gently, "Are you sure you're alright?"

I was shaking by this point, a delayed reaction to the fear I had tried to swallow minutes earlier. I bowed my head, took a few steadying deep breaths, but it really didn't do me much good. I really just wanted to cry, to curl up into a ball and cry. But I was too stubborn, and I nodded, hugging myself to make the shivering quit.

"I'm amazed you ran fast enough to get out of the forest." She said conversationally, and I blinked, astounded. As if I had thought it was something to be impressed about! I guess she noticed my shock, and she immediately added, "I didn't mean it to sound that way, honestly."

I couldn't look into her wide eyes and not see the honesty there. As fierce as she had looked moments ago, I found myself relaxing in her presence now. I sighed weakly, and tried for a joke, "Well maybe it didn't want to eat me."

I expected a weak smile, maybe a scowl, but certainly not a wide grin of sheer amusement. She laughed, it was a beautiful sound, and then she told me sweetly, "Oh the wolf wouldn't have eaten you, I know that for a fact." I still must have looked stupid staring at her like that, and her smile softened, then hardened a little as she realized something. "I'm going to be in trouble if I tell you anymore."

I didn't answer. How could I? What could someone say to something that sounded so ominous?

She sighed, and I could see in her eyes that she was trying to decide something. Then she looked at me again, completely. Her choice was made. She said quietly, "My name is Alice Cullen."

That unlocked my confusion, and the flash of recognition in my eyes alerted her to that. She stiffened just a little, it almost could have been invisible if I hadn't been staring at her so intently. My mind raced. I hadn't ever seen a beast like that, but I had heard enough to know, but I didn't recognize it. But the girl on the other hand... My eyes grew hard, her only grew soft with thought.

"I guess you know."

I smiled bitterly, and that took her for a spin, then she gazed at me again, as if trying to figure something out about me. But she still looked lost, and I said softly, "I know what you are."

"And that is...?" She asked innocently, as if she was trying to pretend that she hadn't just saved my life from the wolf, as if I hadn't seen her crouch in that all to familiar stance, as if I was a fool.

"A vampire."

AN

Uh... Well yeah. My first ever Twilight fic, it takes place a little bit after NM, so it's basically like Eclipse never happened. Mind you I love Eclipse, it just suited me better for the entire timeline. Um, it won't always be told from my OC's pov, I just had to open it from this way... Hopefully I captured what I could right, please review and tell me what you think.

Evie