She hadn't wanted to go to Forks that year. Renee had recently started cooking lessons and she knew she needed to be here to make sure she didn't accidentally cut her fingers off – or something.

Charlie wouldn't mind. He was always so busy with his job and then there was fishing at the weekend.

He didn't need her.

Bella was home alone when the urge to leave the house filled her. With nowhere particular in mind, she set off for the local mall. Last week, they had opened a new bookstore and she hadn't had the time to check it out.

Stepping through the door, she breathed in the scent of the new books. Their heavy leather was a balm for her.

Her hand caressed the books, pulling a volume at random and settling into the corner.

It was pitch black the next time she looked up and someone was looming over her. She rubbed her eyes.

"I'm sorry."

He gave her a kind smile. "No need to worry, it is rather an interesting book."

She bowed out of the shop and headed straight for home. Renee was still out when she got home and too tired to eat, she went straight to bed.

She avoided the shop for a few days but the urge reared up and called to her like a siren.

The shopkeeper welcomed her like an old friend and she settled herself in for another session when a cough from above interrupted her.

"Pardon me; I couldn't help noticing how you enjoy that book. If you like, I have more of those."

Her interest was piqued.

She followed him back into the shop where he pulled a box from the top shelf. She didn't get a chance to look at the title before it was thrust into her hands. He gave her a nudge out of the door and told her to come back next week.

Bella read the book from cover to cover and by the end of the week, she saw something glisten...

"Why does this have my name on it?"

He didn't even blink. "Oh hello dear, has it been a week already?"

Her face pushed near his. "I asked why it has my name on it?"

He took the book from her and glanced at the spine. Under the light, the letters that had been chipped away before were now whole.

ISABELLA MARIE SWAN

He sighed. "Because my dear, it is the story of your life." He continued when she looked sceptical. "You see Isabella, I know all about you. I know how you take care of your mother. How you try so hard to be a good daughter. How you refer to your father by his first name. How even now you are planning on not going to Forks this year."

She couldn't move. "How do you know all this?"

Shrugging, "My ways are varied. I'm here to offer you a gift. The gift of foresight. One that should you accept, will change the course of your life."

"What would I have to do?"

"What? No asking how or why? He was right, you have no sense of self-preservation," his voice veered low towards the end. "Very well, tomorrow we will meet again. You had better get home now."

Rain was beating against the pavement as she exited the store. It made things hard to see. One driver was beating against the elements; he turned the corner as she stooped into the road and...

XxX

When Bella woke up, she knew there was something different. She blinked, remembering how the car hadn't wanted to stop.

But how?

She looked up to see the man from the shop.

"Don't worry, you're not dead. You're in limbo."

She pulled herself up from the ground. He hastened to help her.

"Now you'll probably feel a little dizzy for a while. Partitions aren't easy."

"Partitions?"

"Of the soul. Bella, I offered you a glimpse. You didn't ask how. Your soul is made up of three parts. I've released it from your body."

It took a moment for his words to sink in. "You mean you took my soul? So where does that leave me?"

"Don't worry, your soul will be returned to you. For now you're still the body. You have the chance to find out how different your life could be. Everything is already in motion. Take a look for yourself..."

She turned to see the screen. In what looked like the main titles, there were three options:

Bella

Bells

Isa

"Isa? Who's she?"

"She's your alter ego. She's part of you that you keep hidden from the world. Go on, pick one."

She went for 'Bella' and after a couple of seconds, the screen revealed a direct link to the house she shared with her mom. She was alone as usual, reading.

She watched herself as she went about her daily life, going to school, working hard, looking after Renee and reading her books.

She had never complained with the way her life was. However, it was slowly occurring to her that she wasn't living, she was existing. Her mother had always referred to her as her middle-aged daughter but now it bothered her.

She didn't want to live her life like that.

She pressed pause.

His voice was full of concern. "What's the matter dear?"

"I don't want to watch it anymore. I want to see what happens if I go to Forks."

"By all means."

She pressed the 'Bells' icon.

She saw herself in the kitchen that hadn't been changed in years. The one her mother had decorated, trying to make it look lighter. She was cooking dinner. Not so different then.

He gave a laugh. "Wait and see."

The door opened to reveal her father. He stamped his feet before taking off his shoes, jacket and gun hollister.

"Smells good Bells."

"Thanks dad. What time will they be here?"

"In half-an-hour. I'll just go grab a shower."

"Ok dad."

"Smells really good kiddo."

In exactly half an hour, the door bell rang again to reveal her father's old friend, Billy Black and his son Jacob. Harry Clearwater was also there with his daughter Leah and young son Seth. She was shocked to see that Billy was in a chair but Jacob's sunny smile stopped her from over-thinking.

They settled in to watch the Mariners game as Bells dished up bowls of Chilli and rice.

The Mariners lost as usual but Bells found that she enjoyed the impromptu gathering. She also found that Charlie was not the same reserved man she had always envisioned from her summers in Forks. In company, he was almost sociable.

That evening transformed into days of La Push, fish-fry suppers, small bonfires and afternoons in Jake's garage, watching Jake fix up cars and drinking warm sodas.

Her friendship with Leah strengthened and there was a simplicity in life that could almost be described as charming.

The film stopped and Bella turned to her companion.

"Quite different to before don't you think? How do you feel?"

"I've never seen him like that."

"Well perhaps you chose not to. You've never liked Forks but how do you think your father would feel if you stopped going?"

"I don't know. I guess I've never thought about it before."

"Well maybe you should. I know your parents divorced when you were a baby but you could have made more of an effort instead of sulking."

"I never sulk!"

"Oh really? If you say so."

In silence, Bella chose the final icon. She was transported to a fourteen year old self only there was no Renee in sight. She was in a small room doing her homework. It changed to her at school. She was part of a group, not the preppy popular or the smart people. These were the outsiders. The troublemakers. It became clear to her that she was living in sheltered care of some description. She still made good grades but she was harder. More confident. She didn't stumble through life, she stormed through it.

The video cut instantly.

"You can imagine the rest."

"But..."

"Believe me Isabella, there's some things you don't need to see."

He turned away and she grabbed his arm.

"Wait, that can't be it. What happens now?"

"That's up to you. When you leave here, your soul will reconnect and return to your body."

"But what about what I saw? Am I living with Charlie?"

He shook his head.

"You're still with Renee. As of now, they both think you've been living with them. Before you walk out this door, you need to decide if you went to Forks or not. If yes, then your father will be more like the man you have seen on screen. If not then he goes back to the man you remember. I can tell you no more."

"What about Renee?"

"Oh, she doesn't change. She's still the same and I quote 'loving and erratic mother'. But if you hurry now, you'll be in time to hear your mother make an important announcement. Take care though, once you leave here, you can't come back."

She was still so uncertain.

More to himself than to her, "Why is it that they always take so long to decide?" He moved closer to her and gave her a shove towards the door.

XxX

When Bella arrived home, she saw an unfamiliar car on the driveway. Or was it unfamiliar? Something in her had told her that she had seen it before...

"Oh Bella, you're home! You'll never guess what. Phil has asked me to marry him and I said yes."

For days, she listened to her mom make arrangements only to change them regularly.

She loved her mother but all the quirks that had previously endeared her, now wore thin. She craved stability.

In short, she wanted Charlie.

With the plans finally set and the day looming closer, Bella paid a call to her father and asked if he would mind her moving to Forks.

He was uncharacteristically cheerful and she felt a stab of guilt that she had never paid much mind before. She waited until after the wedding and honeymoon to make her announcement.

Renee was upset but it didn't take long for Phil to convince her that it would be a good thing.

They packed up all her things and shipped the bulk of them to Forks.

Renee had informed Charlie that she would agree to this as long as he bought a computer so that she could keep in touch with her daughter.

The girls then pooled their resources to buy clothes that would be suitable for the near constant rain.

They said good-bye to the house and head straight to the airport.

Renee and Bella gave their goodbyes and she gave Phil an awkward hug.

Charlie was waiting for her at Sea-Tac. He gave her an awkward one-armed hug and grabbed her bags. The drive to Forks was mostly silent but it wasn't tense.

It was August. There was still two weeks before the new school year started. She spent most of that time finding a job, organising her belongings and getting reacquainted with La Push and Jacob Black.

It was during those two weeks that she heard a lot about the Cullens and on the day she was to meet them, she felt quite settled into her life.

She agreed with Jessica Stanley that they were all attractive but at the same time, there was something unnatural about them all.

Of course, in biology – when Edward Cullen physically turned away from her, she was intrigued but temporarily. She wasn't the naive girl she had been, nor was she so insecure. That was probably due to Isa's influence although what had happened was still a mystery to her.

XxX

The year continued and Bella found that life in Forks was not so bad. Her friendship with Jake bloomed into an easy relationship. Edward Cullen continued to warn her against the Quileutes but she tactfully rebuked their advances. Billy Black's warning was only a small part of her decision making.

By the time summer rolled around, she was off for a month's vacation in Jacksonville, Florida. When she returned, she began dating Jake. Their fathers posed no threat, in fact they were dancing for joy at the news that their offspring were dating.

Jake and Bells became everything to each other, first kiss, first love, first everything.

Their relationship was as easy as breathing.

But all good things come to an end and Jake and Bells soon fizzled out. However, they were able to remain the best of friends.

Bells went away to College after gaining a full scholarship. It was there that she met the Cullens again. They had left after junior year as Dr. Cullen received a position in a hospital in California.

She did not accept their repeated offers of friendship.

She decided that they were too weird in general.

After College, Bella decided to travel for a bit, before settling into a career. She was away for four years.

On her return, she took a teaching job in Forks High.

It was on a night out that she met him. Jake had invited her to a bonfire. He was now happily in love with one, Leah Clearwater. Like Bella, her first love had fizzled out and for a time she was bitter as he had gotten involved with her cousin, Emily.

Jake's sunny ways had melted the ice around Leah's heart and they were now expecting their first child.

Bella was happy for them.

Meanwhile, her own relationship blossomed. After a year, they moved in. The following year, he proposed. Soon after, Bella was pregnant and they postponed the wedding as she hadn't wanted a shot-gun marriage. They named the baby Charlene 'Charley' Swan Lahote. A year later, on the anniversary of their daughter's birth, Paul Lahote and Isabella Marie Swan became one with their daughter taking the place of the bridal bouquet.

The family was soon blessed with two more bundles of joy – Harry William and Skye Marie.

Bella often found herself thinking what might have happened if she had decided not to go to Forks that summer. But the man's words repeated in her head, "There are some things its better not knowing."

She decided that he was right and it was with that that Bella Swan Lahote, breathed her last breath, surrounded by her family and friends.

At ninety, she was ready to bow out of this world and rejoin Paul, who had succumb to cancer after a lengthy battle, five years previous.

Her children, Charley, Harry and Skye bid a teary farewell to their loving mother.

Their own children, Paul Charles, Marie and Belle-Skye were teary eyed.

Their own children, despite their youth understood that their beloved Great Grandmother was returning to Great Grandfather Paul.

As Bella closed her eyes and sank into oblivion, she sensed a presence of someone she hadn't seen for years.

She briefed a quiet "Thank-you."

Her children would take it as gratitude for being there.

The man replied, "You're welcome" before returning to his books to seek out the next worthy cause...

When Bella woke up, she knew that something was different. He was standing over her, a wide smile on his face.

He sighed and reached out his hand. Pulling her close, he whispered "Welcome Home!"