Chapter 2

Audrey's brother walked in. Well, we heard him walk in anyway. His footsteps were edging closer to the dining room.

He sat directly across from me, and I swear I would've fainted if it weren't for the voice in the back of my head whispering don't screw this up, Bella. You'll wake up eventually.

"Edward, it doesn't usually take an extra hour to walk home," his mother scolded him.

"I'm sorry mother. I had to stay late afterschool." His voice wasn't what I had expected it to be. It had changed drastically. I held my breath and stared down at the plate in front of me. Somehow, he was just as amazing as I thought him to be. It wasn't what I knew, but something I could get use to.

"Edward this is Bella, she's new to Chicago. Bella this is my brother Edward." She looked at her food and stared at Elizabeth pleadingly. I felt the urge to go up to Edward and kiss him, hoping that everything will go back to the way it was suppose to be, but I resisted.

"hello." I breathed. Inhale, exhale. I need to remember how to do that.

He wasn't quite the Edward I knew, but he was relatively the same.. Still extraordinarily handsome, still gentlemanly, still Edward. Something about him was different, though. Besides the fact that his eyes were now a piercing shade of green and his voice was now sounding of a normal human being, his face was... softer. Less angular.. Yes, that was it. He may not be the sparkling creature I had fallen for, but he was Edward all right.

Unfortunately, he had caught me staring at me a few times. Each time, my eyes dropped to the table. It reminded of me when we first met, and I felt the same sense of nervousness. I bet he didn't have the urge to eat me this time though.

After what I thought was probably forty minutes, the four of us had finished dinner and I helped Elizabeth Masen (how stupid of me to not even think of their last name) wash the dishes. She told me that if I could provide some income, she'd allow me to sleep in the guest room. There was an unspoken offer for me to live there for as long as I please, which I sincerely appreciated, even if this was all a fabrication of my unconscious mind.

Elizabeth thanked me for the help, and I thanked her for everything. The room, the food, the kindness. I headed upstairs, wishing Audrey a good night when I passed her bedroom door. I continued down the hall to my own room. I heard edward poking out some notes on the piano down stairs. I recognized the melody easily. My lullaby.

All of a sudden my legs were taking me down stairs to him, most likely hoping to find something of reality. He hadn't heard my approach. This was a first, I could sneak up on edward? Wow.

"what's that?" I asked. He jumped but composed himself quickly.

"just a song." It hurt that he didn't remember me.

"oh. Well, how long have you been playing?" he smiled, still plunking keys on the piano.

"since my mother forced me to take lessons as a child. I hadn't known how much I would love it until I played." Then, like the edward I knew appeared, his hands fell swiftly on the keys, repeating a part of my lullaby. I could have cried. I missed him so much, but all I did was smile.

"that's beautiful." His hands froze and he looked up to me. I felt equally as lost in these eyes as his golden ones.

"you like it?"

"I love it." He smiled. What? Did he just? What? Blush? Edward… blush? He looked so beautiful. I sighed. I was going to have to leave this behind, but that's ok. I would still have him. No matter what.

"I'm going to go up to bed." I said grudgingly. It was clear in my voice I didn't want to leave. He looked back up to me and laughed.

"good night bella." I stared at him, trying to will him to remember me. His eyes shifted from side to side, uncomfortably. I sighed again.

"good night edward." I slowly walked up the stairwell and walked to my bedroom. I pulled the door closed behind me, relieved that I would wake up tomorrow in my own bed in little Forks, Washington. Funny, I'd always had a distaste for Forks, and now I couldn't be happier to go back. That was even more ridiculous, considering I was actually there now, just asleep.

I humored myself by even puling the long nightgown over my head and getting into the small bed. I pulled the thick covers over myself and slowly drifted back to Forks.

* * *

Sunlight spilled over my sheets from the window. Birds were singing, as if to say

"Wake up, Bells! Another day awaits!".

I got up from the bed, drowsy, and walked to my closet. That was when I noticed my nightgown was still on.

It wasn't a dream.

It took serious self-control not to faint again. My head spun in unanswered questions. How was this even possible? People don't just time travel ninety years backwards! That's not even scientifically possible! I may suck at math, but science always came easily and I was fully aware these things don't just happen.

Then again, time travel probably could exist if vampires like Edward could.

And what about Edward? What would happen now? Would he even fall in love with me again? Would he die again?

What about me? Would I die of the Spanish Influenza just as his family had?

And Audrey! I never even knew he had a sister! Carlisle would've told me about something like that, though, wouldn't he? He'd told me about Edward's mother, why not his sister?

I sat upon the bed, feeling utterly defeated. It was such a bummer to be part of a story where everyone you love dies.

Minutes passed, and I decided to get up. It would just be like before: I hadn't the slightest plan of what I should do, but I jumped into the day anyway.

I descended the stairs slowly, cautiously. From what I could tell, no one else was up, either.

I thought as my mind digested the absurd situation I was in. This was such an odd time period. People would accept you into their house, just as long as you seemed half-sane. That was quite different from where I was living less than twenty-four hours ago. If someone had shown up at my doorstep dressed in this attire, I'd bolt the door and call Edward over to keep everything peaceful. Or maybe just keep close to Charlie's gun belt.

A sad sigh left my lungs. I felt utterly sad and empty, just as when Edward was out hunting. The only difference was he was right there, but he had no idea that he was madly in love with me and that I loved him back. That should make for awkward conversations.

"Fantastico magnifico." I muttered, almost inaudibly. The home was still extremely silent, so I decided to wander about the place a bit. Might as well get used to where I would conceivably stay for the rest of my days.

I let myself wander slowly throughout the house. It was still early, I could tell, so my adoptive family wouldn't be up for about another hour, I guessed.

I roamed silently through hallways adorned with gorgeous paintings and cold wood flooring. My fingers dragged across book spines in the living rooms. I inspected every window, marveling at the wonderful views. Most looked out to the garden, or to the windy city from within.

By the time I reached the kitchen, I heard someone's door open. I quickly crossed my legs and rested my neck in my hand, as though I'd been looking out the window the whole time. I let my hair spill out to cover my face.

"Hello," his voice rang from the door frame, behind me.

I spun around instantly, so eager to see his face. Yes, there it was. My still-perfect vampire sweetheart.

"Hi," I murmured. He gave me a speculative look. I should really use the right words for the century I was in.

He smiled that crooked smile at me. That was the same as always.

"You're up awfully early," he said. Still thrown off by his eyes, it took me a second to respond.

"I'm use to it." I smiled at him. He looked at the floor for a moment, and I tried to keep my head- failing miserably.

"So," he started. I focused every bit of my attention on him. I nodded for him to continue.

"Well, Audrey told me you'd be coming to our school soon. Which year were you again?"

"Junior." my mind fed me the word. He smiled a little.

"Me too," he said. "That's lucky. Same grade.. It's a shame Audrey's a sophomore, You might have had some classes with her." I bit my lip. I didn't quite know what to say to that.

"maybe you can show me around." I felt like I was on First Beach with Jacob again.

His eyes brightened. "sure." I smiled at him again because I had no words anymore.

He left the room. I could hear his footsteps trail up the stairs. As soon as I heard a door close, I made my way up to my room.

I shut the door behind me and sank to the floor. What would happen today? Elizabeth would probably enroll me in the high school. The rest of the day would be empty.

Maybe I could do some work around the house, let Elizabeth rest. She deserved a day of complete and total leisure. Tidying up the house would keep my mind as busy as my hands, as well. That would make a very nice day. An impossible and demented day, but a nice one indeed.

I stood up, and realized why Edward seemed so amused; I still had my nightgown on.

"Oh, wow," I muttered. I pulled it over my head and put on day clothes. This proved a process with many steps.

I noticed the corset sitting atop the pile, but I ignored it. Someone knocked at the door.

"Come in," said shakily.

"It's just me," Audrey's voice drifted in as she opened my bedroom door. She looked me up and down, and smiled.

"My my! Don't you look lovely this morning! Here, let me do your hair." She offered. I sat down and let her work her magic. Her fingers brushed through my hair, pulling it up and twisting it into a bun over my head. She had to pull a few bobby pins from her mouth to keep stray hairs in place.

"Perfect," she breathed after her work was done. She was definatly just like alice. Her eyes drifted to the corset I'd left on the chair.

"I'll help you put that on, if you wish." She said. I figured I should be polite, even if that would choke me all day. Who knows, maybe I'd need to go out of the house to run some errands for Elizabeth.

It turns out I needed her help more than I thought. She tugged the strings in the back to fasten the corset to my body. Luckily, she had about as much upper body strength as me, so I could still breath comfortably.

"I'll see you after school!" she kissed me on the cheek swiftly and left. I sat upon my bed again, wondering how life could get any stranger.