The Last Petal Fell

A/N: Hello beloved readers! Okay, I know I've got a couple of stories on the go at the moment, but this morning I was sat in the middle of the baby room (I'm a nursery nurse) with a toddler asleep in my lap and, the Disney CD changed to play songs from Beauty and the Beast, and this idea struck me like a bolt of lightening! So, this story is loosely based on Beauty and the Beast. I don't know whether to continue it or not, so please read and let me know what you think. Extra points for anyone who recognises the significance of the title.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or Beauty and the Beast.

Chapter One

I love the sunshine. What little of it there is in Forks. I stretched out my legs in front of me on the damp grass, and wiggled my toes. My skin tingled at the first rays of sun it had come into contact with for a week. A short break in the clouds had given me an excuse to sit out in the garden with a good book. I shielded my eyes from the sun, and looked around. The forest looked bright and alive, sunlight reflecting off the raindrops and making rainbows. The grass was still and so was the sky, and for once the town of Forks was a physically beautiful place. I lay back on the grass, ignoring the dampness I could feel from the ground, and closed my eyes, relishing the warmth on my face.

I liked coming to visit Charlie. I love my Dad a lot, and I always feel guilty that I don't spend more time with him. That's why I'd decided to spend the whole summer here, instead of just two weeks. I felt strangely light and trouble-free. Graduation was behind me, and I was starting Dartmouth in the fall, so until then I had weeks and weeks of free-time. I was looking forward to catching up on my reading, going out with the few friends I had made here in Forks, and spending time with Charlie. It was going to be a good summer. If the weather stayed like this. Which was doubtful.

As if on cue, a deep, husky voice interrupted my reverie.

"Make the most of it; a storm's coming in."

I smiled involuntarily at the familiar voice, and opened one eye.

"You had to go and spoil it, didn't you?"

Jacob grinned, and sat down on the grass next to me. Jacob Black was my best friend in Washington, possibly my best friend anywhere. He lived down in La Push near the beach, and we had spent our summers together since we were little, evenings around a beach bonfire was my favourite pass-time here.

"So what have you been doing today?" I asked sleepily, looking over at him. His russet skin glowed in the sunlight, but his long dark hair was tangled and messy. For some reason lately, he had taken to wearing as little clothing as possible. I usually found him wearing a pair of old sweats, no shoes or shirt. That was what he was wearing today. I frowned at his apparel, but he didn't notice. He yawned. He looked exhausted.

"Jake, what have you been doing?"

"Nothing... just... in the forest." He waved his hand dismissively, and lay out on the grass next to me. He took up at least twice as much space as me, his broad shoulders threatened to block out my view of the sun. I sat up groggily, and saw that he was already almost asleep. I turned over to warm my back up against the sun, and got lost in Wuthering Heights.

The time flew by, and the sun shifted in the sky. The wind picked up, and I shuddered against the breeze. I glanced at my watch, and realised I had better start making dinner. Jacob was snoring lightly. I smiled, and shook his shoulder gently. His skin surprised me – he was so much warmer than normal. He jerked awake, and rubbed at his eyes. "What time is it?"

"Almost six."

He was on his feet before I had chance to move. "Oh, dammit, I'm late. Bells, I gotta go, I'll talk to you later." He mumbled as he left, something that sounded suspiciously like: "Sam's gonna be so mad..."

I headed inside, and set to work on dinner. I'd bought some steak especially – Charlie can't cook anything, so I like to spoil him when I come to visit. Once everything was cooking, I went to look out of the window. Jacob was right: the sky had clouded over, and although it wasn't raining yet, it was obviously inevitable. The wind swirled around the garden and through the trees, trying to uproot them. I checked the time again. Charlie should have been home by now. And he always rang if he was going to be late.

An hour passed, and the dinner was ruined. So were my fingernails. I tried his cell phone again, but it was switched off. I tried the station. Someone had to know where the chief of police was. A friendly voice answered.

"Hello, Forks Police."

"It's Bella."

"Oh, hey, Bella. How are you?"

"Is my Dad there?" I got straight to the point, too worried to bother with chit-chat.

"Um... no. Didn't he come home?"

"Why would I be asking if he were here?" That was rude, and I knew it, but I was panicking.

"Sorry, Bella. Last time I saw him was about two this afternoon, said he was headed out somewhere. He was looking into a case, but I can't remember... hang on, I've got it written down here somewhere..."

I rapped my fingers impatiently on the table as I waited for him to find whatever he was looking for. I checked the clock. Charlie was never this late without letting me know.

The officer finally found where my Dad was headed, somewhere off the highway. I wrote down the directions, and, without really thinking it through, rushed out to my truck.

Charlie had bought me that truck a little over a year ago, and I absolutely loved it. I didn't have a car back home, so I had to borrow my Mom's. The truck rattled into life as I turned the key in the ignition, and I turned on the headlights against the encroaching darkness outside. I checked the directions one more time, and headed off into the night. I was so sick with worry, I almost missed the turning. I found myself on a cramped, deserted road running through the forest. I could barely see a few meters in front of the truck, but the lights flashed off something shiny on the edge of the road. It was Charlie's car. My heart pounded in my chest as I left the warmth of my truck to investigate. The keys were in the ignition, and his cell phone was on the passenger's seat. The wind roared around me, but it was not the reason for my goosebumps. I shuddered, and rushed back into my truck. My hands trembled as I set off again, deeper into the forest. I felt tears well up in my eyes, but I blinked them away. I had to be strong.

I had no idea how long I had been travelling down this creepy lane, but I hadn't checked the speedometer: I could have been going at a snail's pace, I wouldn't have noticed. My knuckles where white on the wheel, and my eyes were sore from staring through the windscreen. The headlights suddenly caught a darker patch in the trees, and I realised there was a small lane winding off to the right of the road. I stamped on the brake, and swerved onto the narrow lane. It was even darker here, and every instinct in my body was pummelling me to go back. But my Father's face kept appearing in the front of my mind, and I drove bravely on. It went on for miles and miles. There was no sign of Charlie. And that's when I saw it.

The house was huge. In fact, the word 'house' didn't do it justice. It was closer to a mansion, shrouded in the darkness of the night. The wind howled and roared in the eaves, and I turned off the engine and lights, staring at the house. It was so... intimidating. I shuddered involuntarily, took a deep breath, opened the door and headed over to the house. The front door wasn't open, but it was unlocked. I peeked inside, and it was dark. Deserted. I was shaking as I entered the house, and made my way through the wide open space inside. A large, wide staircase drew my attention, and before I could stop myself, I was scaling the stairs. I peered through the darkness and saw an open doorway. I was drawn by the only sound I could hear except the howling wind. Breathing. Familiar breathing. My heart hammered in my chest as I rushed forward. The room inside was shrouded in the flickering light of a single candle. A figure lay on a bed in the centre of the room. It was breathing heavily.

"Charlie!" I rushed over to him, relief washing over me. I tried to wake him, but he didn't respond. Maybe he had been drugged.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

I spun round on my heels, nearly falling over in the process. My heart froze over. There, in the doorway, blocking the only escape, was the most beautiful person I had ever seen. His snow-pale skin and perfectly chiselled features were mangled in an angry snarl. His eyes were dark and vicious, his mouth menacing and stern.

"What do you mean, 'what am I doing here?' You've got my Dad! What have you done to him? He's unconscious!"

I shocked myself with my brave outburst, and it seemed to shake this stranger's hard stance. He shifted ever so slightly, coming closer into the room. The candlelight caught his hair, and I could see the deep bronze colour shine, almost crowning his unbelievable beauty. His eyes widened at my verbal attack, and the faintest trace of a smile traced the edges of his perfect lips.

"What's wrong with him?" I continued.

"That's none of your concern," he said calmly, the sneer still transfixed upon his face.

That made me angry. "But he's my Father! Help me get him outside before I call the police."

"But he is the police."
I scowled at him. I tried to sit Charlie up. "Just... help me!"

"I can't do that, he's seen too much here."

I felt the tears building up behind my eyelids again, but I forced them back down. I slowly reached behind me, feeling for anything I could use as a weapon. My hand found something resembling a wooden box. Hard. Sharp edges. I took a deep breath, and lurched towards the sneering stranger, snapping my arm forward with all the force I could muster. In the blink of an eye, he was behind me, and had my hands caught in a vice-like grip behind my back. His skin was ice-cold and his breath washed over me in intoxicating clouds, making my eyelids droopy. Who was this guy? What was he?

Charlie groaned a little, and shifted. He didn't open his eyes. Panic swept over me once more.

I turned my head towards the mysterious man behind me. "Please let him go. I'll do anything, just let him go. Please."

He let go of his fierce grip, and in an instant, he was in front of me, staring at me, watching me in a way no one had ever looked at me before. I shivered.

"Then stay here in his place."

"What?!" My mind went blank, I couldn't comprehend what he had just asked of me. "I... can't, I won't! I'm getting Charlie, and we're leaving."

And suddenly I was flung across the room. I cringed for the impact, but it didn't come. I opened my eyes, and found the beautiful, angry stranger crouching in front of me, blocking my escape. He stance was wild, almost animal-like. He bared his sharp white teeth at me.

"You may go. Or he may go. It is your choice."

I looked at my Father, helplessly unconscious on the bed. This time I couldn't stop the tears flowing down my cheeks. "Okay," I whispered.

The bronze-haired, onyx-eyed stranger stared at me with a look of intrigue.

"Okay," I repeated. "Just... please let him go home."

The stranger's mouth twitched, and he called out in a quiet, calm voice. "Emmett, Jasper."

Two figures appeared in the doorway. I had been so sure this place was deserted...

"Take the chief home. Don't leave a trail. Make us... unfindable," he said, not once taking his eyes from mine.

In less than five seconds Charlie was no longer in the room, and neither were the two newcomers.

The salty tears still flowed freely down my cheeks, for once not trying to hide my despair. My knees suddenly gave way, and I collapsed to the floor. The stranger watched me curiously for a few moments, before heading to the doorway.

"Sleep, Bella Swan."

I started hiccuping with my sobs. "How do you know my n-"

"Sleep."

I found myself on the bed suddenly, but as far as I was aware he had barely moved.

"Sleep, Bella. Rest until the morning."

I rubbed my hand over my eyes.

"I'm never getting out of here, am I?"

The only reply I received was the harsh, echoing sound of the key turning in the lock as he left.

A/N: Well, what do you think? I have a couple of stories on the go at the moment, but I like this one a lot. Please let me know what you think of it, and if I should continue.

Thanks for reading.