My heartbeat was the only sound that reached my ears. It was slow and had a mundane steadiness to it that gave me a reason to continuously sigh. My hair, long and dark, curtained the tired and lifeless expression in my eyes, I was sure. From where I sat on the park bench, my bag and jacket lay in a pile on the ground beside me. I hadn't even bothered to zip up my purse when I extracted my phone from it to play with it between my thumbs.

I had begun to receive so many calls I had to ignore, so my cell was permanently on silent. Once or twice I had debated with myself whether or not to switch it off, but decided against it in case Heath's caller ID finally changed into my grandmother's.

For what felt like the zillionth time today, I pressed down the red button to cancel my ex-boyfriend slash ex-imprint's call. At the moment he was the last person I wanted to see or talk to.

The only person I wanted right now was my grandmother. I wish she was here, smelling of lavender and freshly harvested wheat. I wished I could hear her soothing and understanding voice, telling everything would be okay and that we'll make it through together. I wished I could hear her call me Zoeybird again, knowing the name always brought me a mental strength nothing else ever could.

I sighed.

I haven't heard from her in days, but I was too afraid to call her myself. What would I say? How would I explain this mess I've gotten myself into? Put simply, I was too ashamed, and it made me feel like a coward. Knowing my grandmother, she'd be supportive and not as disappointed as I feared.

But I still couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself up to calling her. Eventually, I knew she'd call me herself, and I'd have to face her. But not right now. Not yet. Too much was going on.

At that moment, sitting alone in the deserted park, surrounded by nothing but darkness and my own shadow, I felt more alone then I have in years. I almost cried, but fought back the tears with my last smidge of pride. So much was going on. So much had happened. So much was messed up.

Loren, the guy who had 'stolen' my virginity and what was left of my shattered heart, was dead. Neferet resented me and I was willing to bet she was bent on revenge more than ever. My friends weren't talking to me, having I lied to them for almost a whole month now. Eric hated me, although he was a full vampire now, I hoped I wouldn't see him again for a while.

On the plus side, Stevie Rae wasn't an undead bloodthirsty horrible smelling . . . thing anymore.

But there was still the situation with Aphrodite and her Mark disappearing right after Stevie Rae had been healed. She was human now, and I couldn't help but blame myself. We weren't friends, but she had been loyal to me at a moment when my friends weren't, and that left me grateful.

I couldn't help but sigh again. I only woke up a few hours ago, and I instantly wanted to be alone and needed time to think. I snuck out, unseen by my friends and came to a vacant area nearest to the House of Night. After what felt like hours of thinking (what had only been an hour to be exact), I only felt more stressed and anxious than ever. I had no idea how to handle this. I was young and stupid and arrogant and weak and alone and only a fledgling for Pete's sake!

As pathetic as it sounded, I solemnly began to feel my last piece of hope drain and fade away.

Then my ears suddenly picked up something and I was on my feet in a second, my phone clenched tightly between my fingers. I hope I wouldn't break it. I kind of still needed it. But I swear I had heard a rustle in the bushes and trees behind me, and my heartbeat picked up, the excited organ pummeling the inside of my ribs.

I tried to calm myself. What if it was only Nala or something? Maybe she followed me here after I left my room? Or what if Neferet sent a spy after me?

"Who's there?" I asked firmly, although my hands were trembling. "Show yourself!" I demanded with a strong voice, yet I knew it shook a bit.

"Relax, I'm not an enemy," declared what sounded like a young female voice and a figure stepped out of the shadows. I gasped out loud when I saw who it was.

I didn't know her at all, but her appearance momentarily stunned me. It was completely dark and I had no source of light, but thanks to my good eye-sight, I could make out every detail about her. She looked seventeen at the very least and her skin was paler than anyone else's I I've seen to be. Her eyes glinted in the dark, a pretty golden topaz color, and I could make out ghostly shadows beneath them. I could also make her out to be a brunette, and even with no light, it shined with perfect locks framing her faultless face.

She was dressed quite stylishly and even if she walked with the grace of cat, she looked uncomfortable in them, although still stunning. Her jeans looked expensive and her black leather jacket was no doubt more worth than my car. Her boots were glossy black and had these deadly heals that clicked against the pavement. It was like something out of a movie.

She smiled brilliantly as she stepped forward and walked towards with an elegance that still astounded me. Her teeth were perfectly straight and unusually white and I was sure Neferet's appearance would falter next to hers.

When she finally stopped in front of me, still smiling like I was a friend she hadn't seen in years, she held out her hand and I only stared.

"Hi. My name is Isabella Cullen," she introduced somewhat proudly and I shook her hand with uncertainty. Her skin was extraordinarily icy and her grip overly firm, but still careful. "But you can just call me Bella."

"I'm sorry if I scared you," she apologized and we let go of each other's hands. "But I didn't want to jump out and give you a heart-attack. Although, I guess I almost did. I could hear that thing beating a mile away."

I inhaled sharply. She could hear my heartbeat.

She had to be a vampire, but judging by her clear forehead, I couldn't be too sure. After all, there were ways of covering your mark whenever you left school. At the moment, mine wasn't covered because I had been in such a hurry to get away, it completely slipped my mind.

I was speechless for a while, seemingly not able to find my voice, until she caught onto my silence and patted my shoulder sympathetically.

"Sit," she offered kindly with a grin and we both turned to sit down together on the bench. I was still bewildered and not totally sure what was going on.

The strange gorgeous girl turned to me. "I've been tracking you down for a while now, Zoey."

My eyes slightly widened but I fought to keep my cool.

"You know my name?" I asked and she nodded.

"But that's pretty much all I basically know about you. You're a fledgling Changing into a vampire who goes to the infamous House of Night."

My eyes narrowed suspiciously. The House of Night wasn't really a secret kept from the world, but it made me wary anyway.

"Why have you been looking for me?"

"Well, I came to talk to you actually," explained Bella but I cut her short.

"Are you a vamp?" I asked sharply.

"Kind of," she shrugged. "I am a vampire. But a . . . different breed you could almost say."

Well, this was weird.

I eyed her shrewdly, not certain where to place my trust in her. "How do you know about me then, Bella?"

She gave me a humorous grin, clearly enjoying some kind of private joke. "Let's just say a little pixie told me."

I didn't really get it. It was probable that this girl was mentally unstable, so I decided to play along.

"What else did the pixie tell you?" I asked, and my phone lay forgotten on my lap.

"Well," she began, "I'm not entirely sure what's going on. But, uh, the pixie said I had to talk to you and give you some advice." Her eyes glowed and my attention was diverted to them instantaneously. She seemed kind of nervous, maybe even discomfited like this is really not a place she wanted to be.

"What's wrong with your eyes?" I blurted out; feeling rude and embarrassed the instant I said it. But she broke out into a wide and spectacular grin, not minding in the slightest.

"I'm a different breed of vampire, right? Well, my family and I teach ourselves to live off animal blood, so we don't need to take any human's life. Originally, our eyes' color should be red, but it changes after a few weeks if you give up on human blood. It's not easy, and it takes decades to actually control it, but at the end of the day, it's always worth it."

I listened intently. It was immensely interesting, but I had never heard of other types of vampires before. Nobody at my school had ever mentioned it and we've never learned about it in class. It was fascinating, and I couldn't help but admire Bella. They were obviously good vampires if they didn't like to drink human blood. My suspicions died down, but I was still curious.

"How do I know you're not lying?" I asked, eyeing her shrewdly.

"Want me to hunt down a yak, tear out its internal organs and drink it dry right in front of you?" she asked with a straight and completely serious face. My toenails curled at the picture forming in my head.

"No, it's okay. That won't be necessary," I assured her hastily, blocking the image out of my brain with my best effort. She grinned friendlily at me.

"We are the vampires who live in hiding among the humans. My kind does not blend in as easily as yours does. But in some ways, we are very much the same, yet still different."

She paused, and her eyes searched mine sincerely.

"We are very much alike, Zoey Redbird. How, I am still not sure, but it was something the pixie guaranteed me."

Bella's eyes still penetrated mine in a searching manner, clearly waiting for a response from me.

I couldn't imagine her making it up, but I wasn't really in the mood for a gory and detailed blood fest here in front of me either. She had already said she wasn't an enemy, and that she was here to only give me some guidance. It felt actually unfair to not take the opportunity to listen to her and hear what she has to say, on a count she has been looking for me and came all the way here to talk to me. I decided to give her a chance, but I would stay on my guard.

"Where are you from Bella?" I asked, feeling more comfortable. Bella merely smiled.

"Oh, that's not really important. Point is, I found you and now I can finally help you."

"With what?"

"You're going to have to tell me, because believe it or not, I actually haven't got a clue what I'm doing here," she replied with a magnificent grin. Damn, she had a distracting smile. I intimidated me.

"You said you came to give me advice?" I suggested and she nodded.

"Yeah, I know," said Bella. "But you have to tell me what the trouble is, because the pixie didn't tell me that part."

I bit the insides of my cheeks tensely. In my mind, sharing my problems and teenage dilemmas with a complete stranger didn't seem right. I'd only known her a few minutes at the very least and I couldn't help but think how unreal she seemed. It was like she was from a different world or came out of a dream. My thoughts worked furiously, and I couldn't come up with the answer whether to trust her or not. I prayed to Nyx, hoping for any indication she would give me about this beautiful stranger,

My hesitation sparked something within the hollowness of my chest. It was only a second later did Nyx's melodious voice echo through my head.

'Tell her. Let her help.'

That was all I needed, and my hesitation faded, making me completely comfortable. If Nyx wanted me to trust her, I would. That was the only reassurance I considered necessary.

I smiled sadly at the beautiful vampire in front of me.

And I told her everything. From the day I had been Marked and the exception of my Mark being filled in, to taking over as the Dark Daughters as the new leader and defeating Aphrodite. I explained to her about Nyx and Neferet, about all my friends and their and my affinity for the elements. I told about Eric, Heath and Loren and how Stevie Rae had been healed. To put it simply, I summed up a total of two months in almost an hour.

Bella stayed patient and silent throughout my enlightenment, never interrupting or inquiring when I remained briefly silent after I described Loren's horrible death to her. Her staid expression looked like she concentrated deeply, and her eyes never left my face.

When I was finally finished, I felt a few tears roll over my cheeks, not bothering to stop or hold them back.

"I don't know what to do," I choked, my throat soar from talking through silent sobs. "My friends hate me because I had to lie to them. My mentor wants to kill me, and if I try to expose her for what she really is, no one will believe me. Loren's dead, and it's my steploser's fault. My mother isn't even herself anymore because of him. I have no idea how to handle this . . ." I trailed off into a whisper, bowing my head to let the tears fall in my lap.

"Here, take this."

I looked up and Bella was holding out a tissue for me. I took it with a grateful nod.

"Thanks," I mumbled and dabbed my face until my eyes only felt watery and swollen. My nose was starting to run as well.

Bella was still silent from next to me, apparently deep in thought. She then put her cold hand on my shoulder and looked at me compassionately and thoughtfully. I looked back at her with expectancy, hoping for any plan or answer she would give for my endless ring of troubles.

"Zoey," she started softly, had it not been for my acute ears, I might probably not have heard her. "You got it really tough kid, I have to admit." It sounded like she was choosing her words carefully. "And I have to say, it looks like you handled the best way you could."

It sounded like she meant it, yet I couldn't help but be doubtful.

"But it's all because of my dumbass choices," I retorted and she gave me a soft and careful pat, almost as if she was afraid of hurting me.

"You made the choices you thought were in your best interest," she comforted, her voice soft and kind. "Hell, you had the guts to make a choice even when you were surrounded be all of those confusing . . . stuff."

A chuckle choked out of my throat and Bella beamed at me thoughtfully.

"Why did you say you and I are alike?" I suddenly asked with a sniff and wiped my nose with the damp piece of tissue. I guess she was expecting the question, because she didn't look taken aback by the sudden inquiring.

"Well, not exactly alike. But we have been through similar situations."

"Like?"

"Well," she started again, thinking. "Take this Aphrodite girl for example. She sounds like a . . . uh . . ."

"Hag from hell?"

Bella laughed a chiming tune.

"Okay then. If you say so," Bella chuckled. "You once saw her as your greatest enemy right? That was before you knew about Neferet's intentions. But when your friends failed to come through for you, she supported you none the less. You both shared something you couldn't share with anyone else because Neferet would have found out. And she helped you, maybe only for self-interested reasons, but she did. You might never be best friends with her, but you might come to see her as your most trusted ally."

"Why do you think Nyx took away her Mark?"

"Didn't you say that ritual you did for the cowgirl needed a sacrifice?"

"Yes, but why take away Aphrodite's Mark? Why not cleanse Stevie Rae completely and make her human again?"

Her face fell. "That, I have no idea."

I sighed disappointedly, but appreciated her words all the same. It was true, Aphrodite had supported me well and I guess it shouldn't come as such a surprise that I entirely trust her.

"What about Neferet? What do I do about her?" I asked. My tears had now completely dried up and my head felt clearer than before.

Bella considered to herself for a moment before looking me in the eyes again.

"Betrayal was never something I experienced like you, but I do recognize the feeling. But it looks to me like you can beat her."

I raised my head. "How?"

Didn't you say this Nyx Goddess was on your side? As far as I'm concerned, you've got more power and support from her than her 'beautiful High Priestess'. It looks like you're her favorite. And it doesn't matter that your friends have momentarily abandoned you," she quickly added when she saw me trying to interrupt. "I'm more than sure they'll come around. And when they do, it will take time to build back up the trusting bond you had, but believe me when I say that it's near impossible to break apart a unit like yours."

She smiled knowingly, like she honestly knew what she was talking about, and her smile broadened.

"What about Eric?" I asked, hopeful for any other instructions she gave me.

Her face fell once more. "Yeah, okay. I'll admit you were a bit stupid on that part," she acknowledged and my face fell in shame.

"But it's all out now and you can start clean again. "You don't have to explain anything to him just yet. Give him some time . . . uh, a long time to blow some steam off, then when you get the chance, truly and honestly apologize to him, so he can at least know you didn't intentionally meant to hurt him."

"And if he doesn't forgive me?"

"Then you tell him to build a bridge and get over it already."

I laughed and saw her give another knowing look, her hand still on my shoulder. I had to say, I think she'd frozen it solid, because the feeling in my skin was tingling.

"Do you think-"

"That you'll ever get back together again? It's not impossible," she admitted after cutting me short and my eyes lit up. "Of course, things will most likely never be the same again. The emotional bond you had was thrown off balance and that balance is almost never restored."

My hopes sank.

"Did that happen to you?" I asked and she looked thoughtful again.

"Sort of," she said slowly and then added with a huge smile. "But then, something amazing happened that restored that balance completely, of course changing its course, which I couldn't be more grateful for."

I wanted to know the details, but she caught me off guard with a question.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" she asked and inclined towards the vibrating phone on my lap. I flipped it open and saw the caller was the same as it had been for the past few hours. I shut it instantly without thought.

"I can't," I admitted and the phone began to buzz once more.

"Who is it?"

"Heath."

"That human you imprinted with?" I nodded. I was surprised she remembered after my hour long explanation.

"I wouldn't answer it either. I also wouldn't meet him, if I were you. By the way you described it to me, this guy really liked it when you . . . uh, sucked his blood," she said with a grin. I guess she thought it was funny. How nice for her.

"I'm pretty sure that would be his way of comforting you if he saw you in an emotional state. Cut him out. It's safer for both of you. Plus, I'm pretty sure you'll get around just fine without him. I know you guys have history and everything, but now's the time to consider the future. That psycho priestess lady would use him as a weapon against you. In her eyes, a lover for a lover seemed fair for revenge," said Bella and I nodded seriously.

"How do I fight Neferet?" I asked. I was keen for any plan or diversion she gave me. She looked almost younger than me, but she sounded wise beyond her years. I wondered if her kind lived forever as well.

"Quite frankly, this is very unexpected and if I were you, I'd be scared shitless," she said with a merry grin, as if she'd just given me the best news ever. I gave her a look that clearly said, 'Are you freaking kidding me?!' and she changed back into a serious expression at my reaction. Her hand wasn't on my shoulder anymore, so the feeling on my skin returned back to normal.

"But you don't really have time o your side, by the looks of it. Her lover was killed and she's convinced to the point where she's certain it's your fault. Not that it is, but she's going to keep that thought inside her, build up the rage and then let the seconds slowly tick away to destroy you once and for all," she ended dramatically, inclining with her arms to emphasize Neferet's Big Bang.

I crossed my arms and then gave her a look that said, 'You are kidding me, aren't you?'

She gave a nervous laugh and scratched the back of her neck. She and I both knew that it wasn't until she finished her sentence did I realize that I really was scared shitless.

"Look, I'm not finished," said Bella and I raised my eyebrow expectantly. "There's only one thing you can do now."

I raised both my eyebrows this time.

"Prepare."

My eyebrows then furrowed and I felt confused. Bella looked entirely serious this time, her superlative face almost intimidating.

"When there's a storm coming your way, it's your responsibility to put together a secure shelter. You won't be able to do it alone, because the shelter has to protect more than one. This is where you take advantage of Neferet wasting up unnecessary time just so she can build more suspense for the heck of it.

"Think of every weak spot you have, and strengthen it as much as possible. It's already been made clear that lives are at stake, so take that into thought. See if you can form a back-up plan in case the first one back-fires on you. Always have a plan B, C, D and all the way through T, but switch over to plan S if absolutely necessary."

My mouth hung open once she finished giving her instructions. She merely shrugged and then grinned.

"My brother knows military," she explained.

"Apparently, he knows his alphabet as well."

She gave me dull look and then narrowed her golden eyes. "Ha ha, funny," she said with strong sarcasm and I smirked.

"Okay, I'll admit, my military tactics aren't exactly up to standard but I do think you should do what I mostly said. Most of it should help you."

"I won't forget," I promised with a genuine and thankful smile. Her face then lit up.

"Oh! I almost forgot! Hide your grandmother," Bella instructed me and I creased my eyebrows again. I decided not to ask.

"Okay," I replied, nodding. "What do I do about Aphrodite? She's human now."

"Find her," she ordered intensely. "What you do with her is your decision. But it's crucial she stays on your side. Keep her close and continue to trust her. Neferet would want revenge on her too."

"Why?"

"Hey, you can never take a change on crazy people." Bella shrugged and I finally unfolded my arms.

Amen to that.

"What about the Dark Daughters?" I inquired. "How do I keep my power over them?"

"That unfortunately, I can't help you with," she answered and I lowered my gaze to my lap again.

"I see," I muttered. "Do you think I should find Stevie Rae too?

"Duh. Why are you even asking?" she answered impatiently. "Of course you should. She's your best friend, isn't she? Plus, I think Neferet would like to get her hands on her too and her power is essential to this fight. Need I say more?"

"Okay, I get it," I said hastily, not wanting to get technical or anything. A lot of what Bella had said was still swirling around in my mind and I prayed to Nyx that I would remember it all.

It was all still very confusing. I had a lot of things to do and I hoped that I would be able to. At the moment, not many people were on my side, but I had a sudden instinct that would change soon. I needed an army; after all, this was a war.

"Can't your vampires help me?" I asked, hopeful, but she shook her head without hesitation.

"No, we can't get involved. The war would only get bigger and more violent. It was only a few years back did our . . . uh, 'war' end. It's not fully peaceful now, but we would like to uphold our secrecy as long as we can. Humans aren't ready for another kind of vampire yet. Hell, vampires aren't even ready for a new kind of vampire yet. We can simply observe, and only take part if your kind threatens mine."

She looked quite sad by her statement, so I let it go. It looked like she legitimately wanted to help, but had been forbidden somehow. But if our worlds did collide, I hoped they would be on my side.

"So, it can never happen?" I asked.

"Are you kidding me? All hell would break loose."

I nodded to myself and then sighed through my nose. "Figures."

There was a strange silence after that, bringing a humdrum finality to the conversation. Part of me knew Bella was going to leave soon, and that part also didn't want her to go, strangely enough. I was scared that this was unreal. That this was some kind of trick or joke someone was pulling. At least Neferet didn't have a sense of humor. Now I was sure it wasn't her.

I tried to stall for time. I had to keep Bella here as long as possible. I was still curious about her kind. How do they exactly differ from ours? Does sunlight make them weak too? How do they Change? How many are there? Could they harbor special powers as well? Did immortality submit to them as well?

I glanced at Bella and looked her over once more. From afar, she certainly seemed harmless. Like if anything touched her, she'd break immediately. I could tell by the way she talked that there was more to her age than appearance gave off.

"How old are you?" I asked her and she crossed her legs and inserted her hands in her jacket's pockets.

"Nineteen."

I gaped at her, but suspected otherwise. She certainly didn't sound or look nineteen.

"How long have you been nineteen?" The question slightly caught her off guard but she gave me an impish grin, almost enjoying another private joke.

"A while." She smirked.

I huffed. Typical. These new vampires must be touchy about their age. Or maybe it was just Bella . . .

"I have to go," announced Bella unexpectedly from next to me. We both looked disappointed and shared the same looks as we stood up to great each other.

It felt like saying goodbye to friend you knew you'd never seen again. And I knew I didn't have to ask. Bella would most likely never come to see me again either.

"Are you going to be okay? Do you have any more questions about what to do?" she asked sincerely and I shook my head. I couldn't think of anymore issues I had to solve.

"Thanks for your help, Bella. Be sure to give my regards to the pixie and your brother," I said and we shook hands once more, her icy skin pressed hard against my palm. I hoped I would still be able to use it after this.

"My absolute pleasure, Zoey. But I won't see them for a while in fact. They're on their twenty-eighth honeymoon actually," she replied and we both smiled warmly after letting go. "I wish you luck on your journey. You do have a long way ahead of you. This is only the start of bigger things."

I blinked.

And she was gone; only a pale and black blur swirling a faint breeze into my confused and perplexed face. My heart sank into disappointment, and I felt reasonably lonely for a moment, before picking up my bag and jacket from the ground, and turning around to leave. My footsteps were slow but I enjoyed the steady rhythm of my slouching.

I glanced up into the horizon and increased my pace at the sturdy glow of light erupting from the non-existent earth. I had to get ready.

Dawn was breaking.

A/N: Hi! Oh my word, this was hard to write. It took me a week, but I finally got it done. Yes, I know they are out of character, but please take note that Bella doesn't have the mind of a seventeen year old anymore, seeing as this happens years after Breaking Dawn. Zoey is a bit of a wuss, I must admit, but everyone has a breakdown now and then.

I've only read up to Chosen, and I got Untamed, Hunted and Tempted today, so the sequel to this will be the first thing I post on this site in 2010. (Mmmmm, who should Zoey meet next? Any suggestions?)

Okay, so this is the last new post for this year. I have to say, it was my busiest year ever. My fanfiction account is now exactly one year old! Thank you for everyone who reviewed and took the time to read. It means a lot.

Anyone is welcome to review, even if you hate it, I'd still appreciate it. Opinions AND flames are also welcome. BRING IT ON!! I'M READY FOR YOU BITCHES!!

Oh, and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Until 2010

Zee

(That reminds me; the Soccer World Cup is next year being held in here in my country, so I will be updating a lot next year to get over the embarrassment. Let's face it: Bafana Bafana's gonna bite the dust.)