A 23 year old Isabella Swan still sends her mother letters every year, explaining her life as a columnist in a popular magazine. When her world goes for an abrupt turn in the southern direction, what will happen to the letters sent to Bella's mother, Renée? Will they save her life, or leave her burning in a heat so intense, that her life will crumble down, bringing her will-power along? Isabella Swan's life is in danger, and only one person will be able to save her… or else she will be left scalding.

(A/N) - Thanks for reading! I know I haven't been updating my other story as much as I'd like... but I didn't have it planned out ahead of time. I've been so busy reading all of your amazing, publish-worthy stories! If you have any suggestions, please leave them in a review!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Twilight, or anything that pertains to it, but I am held accountable for Edward's form-fitting, muscled-out tee!

This story is rated 'T', but may be mildly 'M' for later chapters ;). See ya on the flip side!!

Chapter 1: Laying Down the Line

Dear Mom,

Lately, I have been up to the neck with advise and updates for my fellow Forkians (I thought you might enjoy that little tidbit), so I have not been able to write back as much as I would have liked. Before this month's issue of my column, I was ankle deep in the waters of people's daily life problems, whereas now I am up to the brim of my cup, if you know what I mean. Therefore, to escape the rushing waters that are currently my life, I plan on booking a flight to Roma!

Yes, I am aware that by this point in my letter, you are most likely screaming at me because of my rash and idiotic behavior, or begging me to come with you; both are very unnecessary, I propose. After three days over two weeks, I have thought (and dreamt) of having a Roman escapade… by myself. If there is any chance in hell that I can get myself to relax enough to return to this hellhole, than I will need to remain solo. No, it would not be a burden on me, for you to tag along, but rather a burden on you. What woman would rather spend her days with her lazy daughter than meandering around with Phil? I sure know I wouldn't go for the first bet, so you are to refrain from your sudden urges to climb aboard. I love you dearly, and I will write to you soon from Rome – or just call you; whichever is cheapest.

As soon as I get to Rome I will call you, just to make sure that you know I am safe. I am staying in the 'Grande Deluxe Suite "Forum"', at 'Hotel Hassler Villa Medici'. And yes, mother dearest, I am in the know about this hotel and this particular suite… but I feel that in order to fully relax and unwind, I must engulf myself in the foreign counter. This means best hotel and suites, best shopping, best food, best everything. Remember, I do have a very well paying job that will keep up with my payments, and I talked to Caius Cambridge, my employer, and he agrees that I need quite some time for all of the stress that has come my way in the past month and a half, and quickly agreed to paying for my expenses in Rome, save for the shopping. That means that every expensive meal, every tax, every cent in the bill for my stay will be covered by the company – including travel expenses. Now, you see? No need to worry about your dear darling daughter. She's in good hands. It saddens me greatly knowing that you will not be able to reply to my letters for about a month, but we still have the telephone, as well as my own personal letters to yourself. I love you greatly, and please inform Charlie about this, if you wish. If not, call me and I will explain it to him myself. Stay safe, Mom.

Love Your Daughter,

Isabella Marie Swan

I checked over my letter to my dear mother, and then slipped it into a monogrammed envelope, placing an old fashioned stamp in ink over the seal. My preferences always had been unusual as a teenager, and they hadn't gotten any more normal over the past six years. Instead of telephone calls or emails, I leaned on personalized letters for my way of communications. Thus meaning no Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, or any other technology of communication was placed into my life; save for the Facebook account my Manager required, to become a more publicized column.

The way I saw it, letters were filled with emotion and compassion, and could be reread multiple times, unlike telephone calls. You got an insight into a person's life, and sometimes you learned there deepest secrets inside them. They could be saved in a decorative box for years upon years, in a way that text messages and calls could not be saved. You got to put sketches with the letters, informational sheets, or even just decorate the margins of the paper. You see, letters were more formal, yet secretive and alluring. They could be sent to a long, lost cousin or a lover from across the oceans. Letters you could hold by your heart when you fell asleep at night, and would still be there in the morning when you awoke. Letters described my life in a way that other ways of communication could not. I wasn't afraid to pour my heart and soul into a single letter without feeling a sense of embarrassment. You see, you always knew who the letter went to.

I packed my suitcase for the coming trip, after having an important conversation with Caius, covering the immediate details of the reservation, and reviewing the payment plan. Although I wasn't paying for the entire trip, I still had a few expenses (which were barely expenses, in the least) to pay.

Walking into the bedroom, I rechecked my suitcase, making sure I had more than enough clothing and toiletries for the trip. An unexpected absence of a personal belonging was anything but wanted, so I checked over it once more, making sure to search for my extra panties and undergarments. Slipping on my short baby pink silk pajamas, I walked to my living room and placed my personal belongings for my Roman escapade by the front door, placing my passport delicately on top of the luggage.

While walking to my bedroom to get a good night's sleep, I heard a rap at the front door to my apartment. Grabbing my silk, hand-painted robe from the back of my bedroom door, I raced across my 800 Fifth Avenue Apartment and into the warm, hard body of a 6 foot-something god. Yeah, no exaggeration intended, or applicable. This Adonis standing in front of me had wild, bronze hair adorning his silky-looking, sharp masculine head. Still gazing at his face, I took note of stunning green eyes, and long, black eyelashes reaching his cheekbones. Sharp to the touch jaw lines were breathtaking, but none were as breathtakingly beautiful as his. No hint of stubble, and the scent of an expensive wearing cologne man, he stunned me, and my eyes stayed locked within his depths.

Someone cleared their throat, and it definitely wasn't this Grecian God standing within the normal boundaries that I had set up around myself. His eyes stayed locked to mine, but I was forced to advert mine to a small, petite, slender woman sticking her head out from behind him in the hallway. My eyes shot abruptly back to his, and then back to Alice's own gaze. Knitting my eyebrows in confusion, I led them inside through my modern foyer, and onto my white leather living room couch.

I jumped around with surprise as I remembered why there was such a handsome man sitting before me. "Alice! Oh, my – I must've forgotten! I'm so sorry!" God, I forgot about the meeting for a new assistant! Shit, Bella! And here I am, sitting among my lounge, wearing revealing and inappropriate attire for an interview! I knew without a doubt that Edward, Alice had called him, had gotten the job, yet I was wearing something entirely inappropriate for our first greeting.

"Sorry, Bella, I should've called before we came. Would it be best if we came back later tonight, or even tomorrow?" Alice replied sweetly, jumping up from her place on the couch and averting her eyes to the front door.

"NO!" Great… smart move, Bella. "I… uh… mean… no. This is okay, I'll just change quickly." I retorted slowly, fixing my sudden shout at the thought of Edward leaving. Oh, and Alice, of course. I wouldn't want them to leave so soon… not without me properly meeting Edward for the first time.

"No, no!" Now it was Edward's turn for refusal. Tucking my chin to my chest, I blushed four shades of red. Edward's statement took me by surprise, but in a rather unlikely and good way. It was true, I would have rather stayed in my current attire while with Edward, but Alice's presence and my just having met him made it entirely inappropriate… once again. Alice's head flashed quickly to his face, having heard his double meaning.

"I think what Edward is trying to say, is that if he gets your assistant position, he will have to get used to being around you in your comfortable attire." Alice stated profoundly all the while with a smirk on her face, and never letting her eyes leave his ducked face.

"Oh, uh… yeah. Yes, that makes sense. So, Edward, can you tell me about yourself? Last employer, why you would like this job, and how early you can start?" I asked while grabbing my clipboard and his application. His sister, Alice, knew he had the job, and I knew he had the job, but Edward still had yet to find out. It was best to not let him in that Alice had already faxed over his job application and informed me of his past work field. It was all I needed, for now, but figuring that he had yet to find out about the position, then I would take one for the team and go along with it.

"I was an assistant to an important business broker, Tanya Denali, but things had gotten to personal with her. I politely declined the position once again; furthermore, I have past experiences with working as an assistant and aide. I am very organized, and I enjoyed helping others and working in this field. Oh, and I can start as soon as you wish." His voice was deep and soothing; it made me want to shiver… yet I refrained from doing such. I mentally took notes that his past jobs were quite impressive, along with starting soon and past assistance and aide jobs. Yes, he was definitely the one… but I wasn't so sure about him moving in and living in the bedroom opposite of mine, in the same apartment. I didn't know if I could refrain for so long when there was just a short distance away between the two of us. But I would make sure to get to know him better, seeing that he would be going to Rome with me… he just wasn't aware of it yet.

"Very impressive!" I said with a smile. Edward returned my smile with a bright white, crooked smile that caused my insides to melt. Shaking my head of all thoughts not including his job, I turned to Alice and smiled as well. Turning back to him, I continued. "Could you start first thing tomorrow morning? You won't be able to get all of your items unpacked from the boxes, but we can do that once we get back. We will be taking trips quite frequently, so it is important that you have all necessities for travel."

"Wait, unpacking boxes? Am I moving in with you?" Edward asked while raising his eyebrows.

"Yes, if that is okay with you?" I asked.

"Of course I will! Yeah, I'd love to!" His enthusiasm on moving in with me did not help my earlier thoughts. They came rushing back, and I had to stop myself from blushing and grinning wildly like a fool.

"Great! Alice, you may move in if you wish as well, but you'd have to share a room with me. There are only two bedrooms and two and a half baths, so I don't think it'll be a problem. If it is, though, just speak up." I said while smiling.

"Yes! Oh, Bella, I would love to move into your apartment with you! Why would you even wonder if I wouldn't want to?! Yes, yes, yes!!" Alice jumped up from her seat and was racing around the modern, glass coffee table to pick me up into a hug. The pixie-like woman might be small, but she sure was strong. Chuckling, I looked over to where Edward was laughing hysterically. Yes, I was definitely going to start keeping my mind out of the gutter. His manly laughter was amazing, and the sound shot down to my lower half. Letting me go, Alice plopped herself down by her older brother, all the while plastering a huge grin upon her pale face.

Back to business – "Okay, Edward your room is fully furnished with anything you might need, along with your bathroom. You may bring your personal belongings, but there will be no need for furniture, obviously," I said with a smile, returning his. " You have full access to every room in the apartment, save for my office. Your own office is already set up for you, containing everything from a Macbook Air, to sticky notes. My schedule is posted up on the cork board, and there are traveling compartments and accessories for the laptop. You will be needing a cell phone, of course, so I have already gotten you a Blackberry Tour, with Bluetooth accessories. My number is programmed in there already, and your number is on the front screen. When you arrive tomorrow morning you can use your key, it's in the top drawer on the left in your nightstand. If you need anything else later on tonight, or have any questions, just call me. Oh, and could you be here by 5 a.m. tomorrow morning? We have a 7 o'clock flight to Rome tomorrow, and it's crucial that we get there with plenty of time to spare."

"Rome?!" Edward asked with a grin on his face.

"Yes… and Alice – you are coming with… if that's alright by you," I replied.

"Oh, a million times yes, Bella! I would love to accompany you and Edward to Rome! Ah, I have to go pack and go to the bank! Yes… Roman shopping!" Alice leapt from her seat yet again, and picked me up in a hug. Patting her head, I chuckled at her immediate response to shopping in a foreign country. Alice loved shopping, and was all for the fancy, expensive boutiques. She even chose my clothes, and bought my entire wardrobe.

"Okay, so it's set. I'll see you guys at 5 a.m. tomorrow morning!" With that, the Cullens said their goodbyes, leaving me to my own thoughts of our coming days in Rome. This trip would no doubt be a blast, but I needed to book a last minute room for Edward, unless he wished to sleep in the same bed as me. Personally, I wouldn't mind… but he might.

Taking hold of my Blackberry, I dialed the number for the hotel, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the receptionist spoke English. He told me his name was Michael, or Mike for short. After having been persistent, he finally persuaded me into calling him by his nickname, but only because I couldn't stand his supposed 'golden retriever, lost puppy' nature. It annoyed the hell out of me, so I gave in, much to his pleasure, but my displeasure.

"Listen… Michael-" I began, only to be interrupted by him yet again.

"Mike… name's Mike," He corrected me.

"Okay… Mike; my new assistant and my best friend, his sister, are coming to Rome with me, and I need to book a last minute room for him. Seeing as there is only one bed in the room, I'm not sure he would be so fond of me as to sleep in the same bed with his employer and his sister… especially not for over a month. I need this extra room, and preferably side by side, with a door connecting the two. Is that at all possible, Mike?" I used his nickname simply to butter him up into giving me what I wanted. Yes, it was very distasteful of me to do so… but the times called for it. Besides, I was always taught to use my gifts for the better, and wouldn't it be for the better if Edward had his own room next to Alice and mine?

"As much as I would sleep better, knowing that he is in a different bed… in a different room than you-" How odd, he doesn't even know me! What a creeper! Let's just pray that he is not scheduled to work tomorrow, or the next day… and so on. "-… I can't. All of the rooms have been booked, and the closest open hotel room is five miles down the block. I can, however, add an extra bed to the room for an additional $200 per night. Heck… for you, Bella, I will make it $150 per night."

"What?!" I exclaimed. Just breathe, Bella. Breathe. "Yes… that will do. Thank you for the extra bed, and sorry for the inconvenience." Hopefully the formal apology with give him the clue, since it had no friendliness in it whatsoever.

"Yep!" Mike said, popping the 'p'. "Hey, I can't wait to put a face behind the voice tomorrow! I'm scheduled every day except weekends for the next month! I'll get to see you, Bella!" Yeah, here comes the puppy dog act… again. I didn't even know this Mike kid, but I had a feeling that he was short, small, and very, very annoying. If his non-telephone voice sounded half as bad as his 'telephone voice', then was I in for a treat. Hopefully Alice and Edward could occupy my time while I was in Rome, or else I might cut off the trip a little too soon for my likings. Alice was sure to get in his face if he talked to her like he spoke to me, and Edward would most likely threaten him to the tenth degree. Maybe having Mike work every weekday for my stay could be a good thing, no?

After hanging up the phone with Mike, I slipped off my silk pajamas to take a long, hot shower to calm my nerves and stresses. The knots that weren't present before Edward and Alice had arrived were now, and I couldn't fall asleep knowing that I was so tensed up. It felt as though every nerve in my body was on hay wire, and even the slightest noises in the apartment made my skin crawl, goose bumps rising and the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. If there was one thing I knew, was that chicken-fleshed skin was neither attractive nor was it comforting. Deciding on my large Jacuzzi instead, I began filling it up with hot water, placing lavender fizzy balls within the hot water to calm my nerves with its scent and power to relax myself. Stepping into the bathtub after having lit lavender scented candles all throughout the room, and dimming the lights, I felt rejuvenated and relaxed. I looked out the foggy, ripple-tiled bathroom window seated next to the tub, and noticed Manhattan still bustling with life. Even at 10:45 the streets were still as busy as rush hour. It was what I had signed up for… being in the know about Manhattan even before deciding to buy this place a year and a half ago, when I first got my job.

Slipping on white, soft and plush slippers and a robe – along with my silk pajamas – I walked into my bedroom after having drained the tub and blown out the candles. Hurrying into my bed to avoid getting chilly, I slipped under the warm, soft comforter and fell into a dreamless sleep, knowing the day ahead was to be a long one.

My alarm went off at 4:00 a.m., giving me about fifteen minutes to sleep longer so I was halfway awake already. At 4:15, I went into the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee and ate a toasted bagel, then ran back to my powder room to apply light makeup, style my hair, and slip on a lavender tracksuit from Juicy Couture, with diamond studded Juicy logo on the back. Throwing on some sock and a pair of Nike Reax, I raced to get to the door where the two Cullens were waiting.

I knew Alice would chide me on my comfortable wear this morning, but it was early, and we were to be seated on a plane for hours upon hours. At least it was an expensive tracksuit, so she couldn't throw that big of a fit. When I opened the door, I noticed Alice dressed in an outfit similar to mine, but different in color. We both smiled brightly at each other for having thought of the same thing. She wasn't upset, to my great surprise… and relief. Looking at Edward, I noticed he was wearing a form fitting white v-neck tee, which showed his abdominal muscles and arm muscles deliciously. On the lower half, he was dressed in what seemed to be designer distressed jeans, but they looking amazingly comfortable, along with a pair of Nike tennis-shoes as well. Edward's beauty, in a very masculine way, was strikingly perfect; I didn't think that I would have a different reaction than that of yesterday's, but my reaction today was multiplied greatly. He looked good enough to eat.

"Well, aren't you going to invite us in, silly Bella?" Alice asked as she nudged her way into my foyer, forgetting about the moving boxes behind her. Her excitement brought me back into reality, which wasn't really wanted… but was certainly needed. Edward had been gazing at me with such intensity that I thought I might have passed out if he did for a minute longer.

"Silly Bella?! Nope… silly Alice! Aren't you going to aide your wonderful brother and I with the boxes? After all, over half of them are just your clothes alone, not including any of you other personal belongings…" I added humorously. Yes, I did indeed say that Edward was wonderful, but I had hoped that it went unnoticed. After all, it slipped; just a simple mistake that was made while looking into Edward's emerald green eyes. It was all him; he dazzled me into saying it. With his eyes upon my face in that way, I don't think I could've stopped myself from saying it no matter how hard I tried.

"Naah, my brother wouldn't make me carry such heavy boxes into the loft," she emphasized heavy boxes to get her point across. "Right, Eddie?" Alice asked with a pout, puppy dog eyes, and a snicker in my direction.

"No way, Allie," Edward retorted before rolling his eyes and taking two boxes of his into his bedroom. Alice turned her body to me and motioned a 'wrapped around my finger' gesture, while I giggled hysterically. I hadn't really found her comment and his reaction extremely funny, but rather I was 'high' off of Edward's manly cologne and presence. Yeah, I knew it was sad that just him being in the same building as me did that, but could I really help it? It was Edward Cullen, after all.

"Okay, Allie, I'll just take your boxes into our room," I said. By this time, Edward had finished taking boxes from the hallway and into his bedroom, and was now assisting me in putting Alice's moving boxes into my room. Mine was considerably larger than any other room in the house, so it just happened to fit an extra bed that I ordered from the Apartment owner, along with her personal items.

"Is she like this with everything? I mean, I know I'm her best friend and all, and she does this a lot… but she does it even around her brother?" I asked jokingly to Edward as I placed the last box in our joined room.

"Basically… yeah. Even the simplest gesture and she flips out with excitement. It's pretty nice, sometimes, especially when I'm in a not-so-chipper mood, and she lightens it. She is a jumpy little thing, isn't she?" He chuckled while smiling his radiant, crooked grin down at me. Just then, Alice walked into the room with one eyebrow raised and hands on her hips.

"Jumpy little thing, am I now?" She broke out into a grin and a giggle of her own. Edward and I jumped into her laughter, and soon we were all gasping for much needed air.

"Come on, guys, lets go fly 1st class!" I waved them out of the bedroom and to our luggage. After having pulled a taxi over, we were set off to the airlines head off for Rome, Italy. I knew this was going to be an amazing getaway, and it had yet to officially begin. Yes… deciding to leave for Rome with my best friend and her hot brother, and now my assistant was a great idea. Now all I had to do was sit back, relax, and wait to arrive in Rome.

(A/N) - Again, if you have anything that you might suggest that pertains to anything Twilight, please, do tell! I am open ears, and would LOVE any suggestions that you may have! Remember: even a review that just says 'Cool', is a review, and greatly appreciated and needed! I love you... See you until next time!

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