a/n-Yes I do have a new story, and yes it is Twilight! Ok, moving along-this is the longest ever chapter I have ever posted. Ever-so squees for me! I don't like read Twilight fanfics with gaping plot holes, so I'm trying not to do anything plot-holey with this one. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Evanescent Effervescence

The sound of bells was the first sign that this place was most definitely not heaven.

The alcoves of soft, marbled clouds were lightly tinted and pink, and almost every human within calling distance wreathed with a halo of light, robed in fine ivory cashmere, but it was not heaven.

The bells were now maddening, the sound of metal clanging against metal causing a wave of pain in my eardrums.

Then all noise, and movement stopped, instead a vibration filling me up to the brim with the fluctuation in its hum.

I could not move, and found the almost-heaven-illusion stripped away, leaving me stuck in front of the path of three speeding vampires, the sudden tolling of the bell cutting through the silence.

The vibrations continued, harder and faster than before.

Then suddenly, with a tremendous jolt of sudden sound, I was awakened, and the impending terror of disaster was momentarily stripped from the immediate consciousness of my mind.

"Wake up, Bella. I tried to warn him that you were asleep, and a right mess when woken up prematurely, but he wouldn't listen. Honestly Charlie, you spoil this child far too much." I successfully stilled my laughter at Renee's blatant misuse of the word "prematurely" instead sitting up and blinking, trying my hardest not to look bleary-eyed. Renee was standing before me, Charlie a few steps behind her, his hands linked nervously behind his back.

"Good morning, Bella." He whispered.

"Where's Phil?" was the first coherent thought to come to my mind, trying hard to smooth my hair down in some orderly fashion.

"He's busy entertaining the young man who came to call on you. Honestly, ever since Phil and I came to Forks, it seems you always want to know where, and what we are doing at any given time we are out of your sight!" Renee gave a little giggled, her high, girlish voice paining my heart. At any second, the Volturi could come and hurt her—where would I be if Renee died?

The thought of the Italian vampires' eventual search for me almost made me forget Renee's first sentence. Young man who came to call? I practically fell out of my bed, running to the bathroom.

Twenty minutes after I had awakened from my sleep, I found myself in my most intimidating casual blue shirt and least imposing brown pants. The young man seated in front of the television, casually discussing the finer points of baseball with my mother's husband was indeed Edward, who raised his head almost immediately as I entered the room.

"Oh hi Bella!" Phil looked up at me, a boyish smile posed on his flesh-pink lips.

"Oh, hello Phil." I gave him a half-wave, feeling very foolish as I seated myself on the hard-backed wooden armchair on the right side of the living room. Edward, seated beside the couch, gave me a half-smirk from around Phil's head. It clearly said, "Why the cold shoulder?" Reluctantly, a smile broke over my own features, as I gave him a shrug.

"My gosh Bells, you didn't tell Renee that your boyfriend was so, so, awesome!" My face grew red as he gestured to Edward, his juvenility admirable and fitting to his young, handsome looks.

"Well, Phil, I'm not sure I would say that—" Edward was beaming as I made a fool of myself, "—Well I certainly wouldn't tell Renee, he's nothing to write home about." Even Phil could feel the lie in my voice. Edward was silently shaking with laughter.

"Erm, yes well, thank you Phil, but we must be going, ah, overcast, but not raining, eh?" I stumbled, the heat rising even more effervescently on my cheeks.

"Yes! It hasn't been sunny since I've been here, but at least it's not raining, today, huh Bella?"

"Quite wonderful," I practically bolted out of the door, not trusting myself to look at the expression on Edward's face.

"Oh so I'm nothing to write home about, am I?" Edward took my hand as I closed the door.

"Well, eh, I mean, not really, I suppose, I do like you, but I'm sure Renee has better things to wo—" Edward placed a slender finger on my lips.

"I've got something I want to show you. Nice pants, by the way." He gave me a sidelong glance.

"What is it?" I asked, before he laughed at me. "No really, what!" He simply smirked before turning away.

I gave him a smile.

I simply had to have imagined the distinct clanging of bells.

-- --

He was distancing himself from me, and I knew that in spite of his earlier, more carefree state, he was irritated.

I cocked my head to better hear him, trying to get his voice to betray some of his mood.

"Almost there," He said, and I could detect no change. His voice was indifferent. The speedometer on the dashboard stayed stubbornly at 65 kilometers per hour. It was slow, in Edward's ridiculously fast-paced mind, and I forced myself not to growl at him. As it was, I inched farther away from his hand on my seat.

My thighs were sweaty in my corduroys, betraying my nervousness. I busied myself with the view outside my window. It was lush, and we were now climbing steadily around a winding hill. I opened my mouth to speak, and then shut it again.

It was no use playing the battle of silence with Edward. We all knew who would ultimately succeed.

"I cave," I said, allowing myself to use Mike's favourite expression, "What have I done now?"

Edward gave me a condescending smile.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head, Bella, you couldn't possibly have done anything less than perfect." He dismissed the subject quickly, not even pausing to give me a reassuring smile.

"It's either the Volturi, Jacob, or some human who wants to tell me hello. Now tell me Edward, or I'll be forced to unlock the door and jump out." I said, sounding braver than I felt.

"You wouldn't dare, sweetheart." His voice was mocking. I flipped up the lock on the passenger's side door.

"Try me."

Edward elegantly arched his eyebrows, a smug smile across his features.

"All right, I shall tell you, but not because of your empty threats," I huffily cleared my throat, "But simply because I love you." I allowed myself a small smile.

"Bella—" His butterscotch eyes were boring into me, causing me to squirm and point to the road. He turned his attention back to the gray pavement, removing his hand from my seat to place it on the steering wheel. The car was still moving at a measly 65 kilometers.

With a flash of less-than-average genius, I discovered that the path grew more dilapidated and crumbled the farther on we pressed. It didn't even look like a two-lane street anymore.

"Edward—what?" Abruptly, the car made a sharp left, causing the steering wheel to strain persistently at my neck. I rubbed the sore area, feeling jostled and angry. I was about to soundly berate said monstrosity (no pun intended) when I realised that we have gone off the road and were about a few thousand metres above the ground.

"Edward," I said, feeling the anxiety beginning to build up inside of me, "where are we? I'm not sure I like heights." I could not help but feel slightly queasy, especially since points of extreme elevation required coordination to survive. One dash of clumsiness, and I was on my way to signing my own Life Insurance policy.

Edward gave me a sardonic grin, wrapping his arm tightly around my waist.

"You are so deliciously breakable," He breathed. I gave him a thin smile.

"I never understand you humans. You freeze up at heights, but are completely unresponsive when a vampire declares he thinks you are fragile. And I'm still frustrated with the demeaning fact that I can't read your mind." I found my stomach churning as my clumsy movement sent cascades of pebbles skittering over the cliff's edge.

I took a deep breath, feeling Edward's inhuman grip loosen from around my torso. The greenery around was plentiful and very, well, green. The air was still, and a probe of mist wrapped its way around the forest. Edward pressed a kiss to my temple, and I could tell that he was savouring the pulse there. Edward was right; maybe I was strange for not feeling worried about my safety.

I only wanted more of him, and more than he could handle.

"Come here, Bella." Edward encased my hand in his, his touch impossibly light and gentle. I followed him eagerly, momentarily forgetting my surprise.

With a grave smile, he took my other hand in his.

"Bella," He stopped for a minute to analyse the expression on my face, "do you know what a shade is?" His eyes were darkening, a brown I wasn't used to seeing on his face.

"Erm, you mean like tints and shades?" I was trying to remember everything I had learned from my art class in Phoenix.

"No, Bella, not tints and shades, but the creature."

"Oh you mean the myth? Well, I suppose it's like, something evanescent that can take over a body?" I looked up at Edward, my brain already steadily confused at his implications. What could this shade possibly have to do with him, with me?

"Well almost, it's not a myth, though. It's a presence, you could say, like a shadow, that can take over a body or object. There are different types of shades, but the most dangerous ones infect. They spread death and disease, working from a powerful being." Edward's face searched mine, while I still tried to comprehend what he was talking about.

"Well, I suppose so, but what exactly does this have to do with me?" The feeling of anxiety from the edge of the mountain began to overcome me again.

"Well, Bella, Alice thinks the shade is in LaPush." Edward's eyes searched me, looking for my response.

"So, it might infect Jacob?" My eyes were wide, and even as Edward pulled me to him I could feel the confusion on my face.

"Bella, she might not infect Jacob, but try to use Sam Uley's power over the werewolves to be in charge of another, more supernatural being. Whatever the reason, she has the power to change a lot of things in LaPush. Eventually, it might affect Forks. And Bella, darling, there's something else." Edward lightly pushed me onto a pale grey boulder that sat relatively far away from the edge of the cliff.

"There's a new student at our High School." Edward wouldn't meet my eyes, staring fixedly at a point to the left of my head.

"What's so important about that?" My brain was still reeling over the Shade. She, Edward had said.

"Well, I can't read her mind, for one thing." Edward finally brought his eyes to my face. Even I could feel the suspicion written on my face.

"And?" I grit my teeth. Her.

"Her smell, is rather, well, its rather enticing." I couldn't contain myself anymore. I stood up, took a breath, stared off into the distance.

"Oh Bella, pray don't be angry. I only told you so you'd know to watch out around Jasper, you know. He's still not quite used—although I think having you around has changed his, lack of control, in many ways." Edward's voice was flat, his eyes dull and deep brown.

"So Jacob's in danger, there's a girl whose mind you can't read, and the immediate promise of the Volturi hanging over my head? Oh, and also the fact that you may never change me, and it's doubtful Carlisle will either, what with your moods lately. How can you not expect me to be angry?" I was almost livid with rage, and somewhat jealous of this girl. Could it be possible that Edward might, like her? After he'd left me the year before, I didn't know what to think anymore.

Edward finally looked at me, his features still with no emotion.

"Let's go Bella, before you really lose your temper." He said, his mocking painfully clear as to how he felt.

"Fine," I said, my voice somewhat choked with tears, "Let's go."

A/n- Do you like it? I find it a bit--eh, not romancey, and definitely Bella is OOC, Edward too, I suppose, but it was really fun to write Phil, Renee's younger better half. Oh yes, and in the next chapter, someone in Forks' dies! Review dedication to whoever gets it...Wink, wink, wants reviews. So, just click the button and go, congratulate the author on her hard work!

Peaches,

Anya