I peered through the branches of the tree, looking at the giant white house I faintly remembered from the time when I was human, tipping my tattered black cowboy hat back so it wasn't obstructing my vision.

Hi. You might know me. My name used to be Isabella Swan. Now I just go by Izzy, and yes, I like to wear cowboy hats. Edward and the Cullen's left me about 175 years ago,give or take a few years. Two years after they left me, I left Forks and went to explore the world by myself. Within two months of leaving, I found Jasper's old friends, Charlotte and Peter-who were living northern Michigan-and begged them to change me. Their sympathy for me rose, and they changed me. For the first century, I hunted humans with Char and Pete.

Then, I started to feel bad about killing humans, so I hunted animals instead. Although, about once or twice a month, Char, Pete, and I'd filch some blood from the local hospital, and we'd have a glass. After a while, we left Michigan, and in our search for a new home, we came across a nomad, a very powerful one who could manipulate the elements, whose name was Benjamin. Benjamin and I became mates for a while, 100 years to be exact, until he found his true mate. I didn't let that fact bother me. I'd gotten used to people I thought loved me leaving. Char and Pete would always be my coven, but when we got close to Forks, I told them there was something I needed to do.

Now, I was back in Forks, just outside the Cullen's old house, which they happened to be inhabiting now. I'd been hanging around for a few days, hiding myself from them. Part of my gift is that no one can sense me if I don't want them to. Alice couldn't see my future; as far as she knew, I was dead. Jasper couldn't feel my emotions; Edward still couldn't read my thoughts. Over the last few days, I learned that they-all the Cullen's-were going on a hunting trip today.

The second the family sprinted into the woods, I swung myself down from my tree, and ran toward their house. I opened the door, softly shut it behind me, and looked around. It was the exact same as it had been so long ago, in my human years. I decided to lounge around, just hang out until they came back. I explored the house idly, going into the rooms, where I noticed something odd.

In Esme and Carlisle's room, both of their scents mingled. In Rose and Em's room, their scents mingled. There was still only Eddie's scent in Edward's room. However, in Alice and Jazz's room, there was now only Alice's scent, and Jazz's smell was in a guest room. I wondered, briefly, if Alice and Jazz had a falling out, then wondered why I cared. I went back to the living room, and threw myself on the couch. I watched TV for a while, then-and I honest to god don't remember what else I did-just killed time.

When I heard footsteps approaching the house, seven sets, I went to the couch and laid down on my back with my head down, hat tipped low, so they couldn't see my face in a parody of sleep. I heard the front door open, and voices, laughing, talking, and teasing. The sounds abruptly cut off as they entered the living room. After a second of shocked silence, snarls echoed through the room. "Who are you?" one of the guys snarled. I didn't look up. "What? You don't remember me?" I asked, feigning hurt. "Do we know you? How'd you get in here without leaving a trace of scent anywhere? What's your name?" I lifted my head and pushed the hat up, and grinned, letting myself look feral. For some odd reason, my teeth looked more like the teeth of fairy tale vampires, with very pointed incisors, and the hurt I'd gone through had closed off my eyes, so they were no longer a window to my soul, leaving hard, beautiful, inscrutable eyes behind. So it wasn't difficult for me to look feral, animalistic.

They all straightened, staring at me. "Wh-who are you?" Edward stuttered. Emmet, ignoring Edwards stutter, sank back into a crouch, lip lifting in a snarl. I gracefully matched his stance, snarling as he prepared to attack, only to have Jazz, his eyes never leaving my face, say, "Isn't it obvious? It's Bella." "Bravo, bravo," I said, standing. "Not all of you are idiots, are you? Also, close, but no cigar. It's Izzy." "What happened to you?" "Gee, thanks, Eddie." I said sarcastically. Carlisle came to his defense. "He didn't mean it like that, Be-Izzy. I think we're all curious about what happened to you after we left." "Mmm. I'm sure you are." was my careless response.

I felt all their eyes taking me in as I stood-I could tell they were having trouble reconciling the sweet, clumsy, soft Bella they knew with the new, graceful, edgy, sarcastic, hard Izzy I was now. Plus, my clothes couldn't help any either. I was wearing a pair of short, cutoff, frayed jean shorts, and a black top that was off the shoulder, the top of the sleeves just beneath my shoulders. I wore my makeup a tad heavy, with black eyeliner, mascara, and smudged grey and black eye-shadow; my hair was slightly curly, and had streaks of blonde and red in the deep chestnut, and I wore it in a low pony tail over shoulder.

They hissed in a breath as they finally saw my eyes, which were bright ruby red. Edward reached a hand toward me, and I grabbed his wrist, holding his hand distastefully away from me.

"Don't even think about it, Eddie." "Bella-" he whispered brokenly. I threw his hand at him. "I told you. My name is not Bella. Not anymore. And you want to know what happened to me? You guys left me, like a pet you couldn't be bothered to care about any more." I ignored the hitch of Edward's and Alice's breath, and the sheen of tears that could never be shed in their eyes, and spoke casually and indifferently, hiding the hurt at the memories behind a wall. In my head, I was separate from them, completely. "I waited for as long as I could after you left, but eventually, I couldn't stand it anymore. I left Forks, and went east. After a while, I arrived in Michigan, where I met Char and Pete."

"Wait a minute. Charlotte and Pete, Jazz's old friends?" Rose asked. "The very same. I begged them to change me, and they did so. I've stayed with them for the past hundred and seventy-five years, and we traveled together. They're my coven now. We met another vampire named Benjamin, who was my mate for a while, before he found his true mate." "Oh, Bella, it must have been so hard for you! Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to call you-" I held a hand up, forestalling Esme's next words. I couldn't bring myself to yell at her-I still looked at her as my mother, especially since my own was long gone. "It's alright, Esme." then, I added, not to her, "I've gotten used to people I thought loved me leaving me." the entire coven flinched at that. "Izzy, are Char and Pete here?" "No. I left them at the border; I'll meet up with them in a while." "So, I take it you'll be hunting here?" Carlisle asked, and I could hear the disapproval in his voice. I laughed. "Chill, doc. I hunt animals, but Char, Pete and I steal blood from hospitals about once a month or so." "So you don't hunt humans?" "I used to, but I don't anymore." "Ah." there was a pause. Then, "Izzy, would you like to stay here?" Carlisle asked. "Well, I was going to with or without your permission." I shrugged. "Okay, I'll be back. Don't try to follow me-if I don't want to be found, I wont."

With that, I turned on my heel, and stalked out the door. I ran to Port Angeles, where I broke into a store and stole some clothes, mainly tight fitting jeans and t-shirts, and started to leave, and what was left of my conscience pinched me hard, so I then left a wad of cash on the counter. Next, I went to a store that sold cell phones, and I took an iphone, and again left money on the counter. I swiftly programmed the phone, put Char's and Pete's numbers in it, and, after a brief moment, sighed and added Carlisle's-I had a feeling I'd need it sometime-then returned to the Cullen's house.

I ignored the family, except Esme, and-for some inane reason- I also didn't ignore Jazz. I showered in the guest room, then dressed in the clothes, after I ripped off the ends of the jeans so it made a pair of short shorts, and pulled my hair back in a bun. I went back downstairs, ignoring the other doors of the family. Downstairs, Esme was arranging flowers on the table. I came up behind her, and put an arm around her shoulders. I winced as she jumped, and instantly apologized. "Sorry, Esme. Pete and Char are used to me coming up like that." "It's alright, Izzy." she set the flowers down, turned, and wrapped me in a hug. "Oh, I missed you so much." she said softly. I hugged her back, hard. "You too, Esme." she brushed a kiss to my cheek, and pulled away.

I went outside, pulled out my phone, and dialed Char. "Hey," I said when she answered. "Izzy! Where'd you get a phone?" "I filched it and left some money." "Nice. Are the Cullen's there?" "Yeah. Suffice to say, I startled them. I keep forgetting they're not used to my silentness, like you and Pete are." "That could be disconcerting. To them, anyway. Hey, maybe you'll find your true mate with them." "I doubt it. I will never again leave my heart to Edward, and Emmet and Carlisle are taken." "What about Major?" "Jazz? I don't know. It was odd; I went into their house when they were gone, and Alice and Jazz's scents are in different rooms." "You mean like they're not mates anymore?" "I don't know. I haven't asked." just then, a leaf rustled in an unnatural wind. "Char, I gotta go. Give my love to Pete." "Take care, Iz." I smiled, and Char hung up.

I slipped the phone into my pocket, and turned around. I leapt into a tree, and crouched on a limb. The second the figure entered the clearing, I rolled my shoulders, and jumped down on the person. I landed with the person face up beneath me. In an instant, I pinned them down, and had my teeth an inch from their throat, venom dripping. "Bella, love, calm down. It's just me." I fully took in the person's face. Edward. I didn't move. "My name is IZZY, not fucking Bella. Bella doesn't exist anymore. She died when you left. And I am not your love. What do you want?" "I just want to talk." I snarled, but got off him.

"I'm serious, Bell-Izzy. What happened?" "I grew a spine, and realized I couldn't follow any guy I like around like a puppy. So, actually, I have to thank you. In a way, you did help me. To not be a mat, to not let people roll over me." Edward stared at me, ready to start crying again. "Izzy, I am so, so sorry. I thought I was doing what was best for you. I completely lied. I never stopped loving you, never stopped wanting you." "That's good for you. Not so much for me." "Izzy, could we please, just, start over?" "No. I will not give you a second chance. A, you don't deserve it, and B, you had my heart, and you shattered it, and blew the pieces to the wind. Maybe, maybe, we can be friends. But you cannot take back what happened. You cannot take back the fact that you left me, and I wouldn't want you to. I cant take back the fact that I'm a vampire now, and I'd never, ever want to take that back. I dreamed of being in your coven when I was still human, now, I have a new coven. Char and Pete. They're mine, just as I am theirs. I miss you guys, sometimes. But I'd never take back the fact that I am no longer yours." "Izzy…my Bella…" "She is not your anything, just as she no longer exists. I am Izzy now, and nothing you say can bring Bella," I sneered the name, "back." "What have I done?" Edward said in a tortured voice. "What was best for you, Eddie. What was always best for you." I took one last look at the vampire lying in a curled ball on the ground, turned, and walked back to the house.

So? Whatcha think? I'll try to update soon. reviews are definately welcome.