A/N: Alright guys. I was messing around with Fanfiction the other night at an ungodly hour, and long story short, I accidentally deleted chapter 2.

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH FOR A QUICK SUMMARY OF WHAT HAPPENS IN CHAPTER 2. Unfortunately, I can't find it in my files, so I think its safe to say its gone. I'm not going to try to redo the whole chapter, so here's a quick summary of it, and then you can go on to Chapter 3 below:

Summary of Ch. 2 - Alice:

Alice is at home, in New York State, where the Cullens have moved. Esme and Rose have gone into the city shopping, and the boys are off hunting. She's resting her mind and reminiscing on the past, when suddenly she gets a vision of Bella, on the phone with her mom, planning a trip to NYC. She hasn't been able to 'see' her for a couple of years, so she's really surprised. The vision plays out and she gets Bella's travel information. She then breaks into the airline database and gets all her flight information, and after a short deliberation where she weighs the pros and cons of going against her brother Edward's wishes, she decides to go meet Bella in NYC. In her mind, she justifies it as just going to make sure that things worked out well for Bella; that she's happy and was able to move on. She needs to know that Edward's sacrifice was worth it, because he's not doing well at all. He's a zombie, and Alice wants to make sure it was all worth it on Bella's end, at least. Alice then decides it's best to keep the information that she's going to meet up with Bella in NYC away from Edward and the rest of her family, at least until she returns, so that they can't try to stop her.

Okay, so that's a basic summary of what happened in Chapter 2.

Here's chapter 3, from Bella's POV. The next chapter will be from Alice's POV again, and we will continue alternating until HE comes into the story (Chapter 6). We'll soon be finding out some good stuff that'll keep the Cullens on their toes!

Please, please, please review and let me know what you think.

All Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, that lucky chick.

Chapter 3 – So what do you propose?

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we're now starting our final decent into John F. Kennedy International Airport. Please return to your seats and fasten you seatbelts. The current temperature in New York is 75 degrees Fahrenheit under overcast skies. The forecast for the next few days calls for mid-seventies and more overcast skies, although the rain should hopefully hold off for the weekend. We thank you for flying….."

Typical, that the rain and clouds would follow me from Forks all the way down to New York City. Well, at least the weather would be warm. The pilot's speech droned on, welcoming us to JFK after a long, but thankfully peaceful flight. I'd been afraid that with my regular bad luck, we'd find ourselves spiraling into a death fall at some point, but thankfully that had not been the case. Truthfully, my knack for accidents had declined in the past few years, and I found myself falling or getting hurt much less often than I used to; only about 2 or 3 times a week now.

Charlie had taken me to the airport, since Jacob had to work that day. I told him I would've been fine catching a cab down there, but I think he just wanted to make sure I actually made it to the airport. He seemed to be under the impression that I was planning on chickening out and hiding out somewhere in Seattle for the weekend, pretending to have made the journey east to NYC. He hadn't been too way off base. Although I was excited about meeting my mom and Phil in NYC, I wasn't looking forward to the long flight. I was glad that part of my trip was almost over.

As the plane started to descend towards the airport, I tried to ignore the butterflies in my stomach, and instead closed my eyes and tried to focus on my last visit with Jake to calm my nerves. Unfortunately, the end of that night's conversation just served to make me feel even more nauseated, and I had to close my mouth shut tightly and physically fight the urge to toss the peanut butter and jelly sandwich I'd been served only a couple of hours ago.

The night before my flight, Jake and I had been holed up in his garage. Jake had turned his garage into a sort of off-the-books business in the past couple of years. He was the unofficial La Push, and Forks for the most part, mechanic, and did pretty well actually. I often bugged him about going to college at some point, but he'd just tell me he wasn't the "paper and pencil" type, and as much as I tried to convince him otherwise, I had to admit he was a lot better with his hands than with books.

I guess to be fair to Jake, it wouldn't be easy for him to fit college into his lifestyle. What with running patrols almost every night with the rest of the wolfpack. He was Sam's second in command, although by birthright, Jacob was the Alpha. He always claimed he didn't want that honor though, so he'd gratefully relinquished the title to Sam, and was happy to just be one of the wolves. On top of that, he also had Billy to take care of. It was tiring, I knew. It wasn't the most quiet life, although thankfully, it had never gotten to the point where it had been 2 years ago. That nightmare was finally behind us. We rarely spoke about it, as if not speaking about it would make it less real, would keep it in the realm of fiction. We ignored the fact that Jacob's very existence was proof that there was a very fine line between fiction and non-fiction, and that the events of a couple of years ago had most certainly transpired.

So there we sat in the garage, on a little bench he'd brought in for us, so we could keep using his business place as our little hideout. We talked and joked around. Only focusing on pleasantries, as usual, for which I was always grateful.

"So Bells, off to NYC tomorrow. Excited huh?" he said, a bit sarcastically. His face suddenly took on a more serious look somehow, although his words seemed light enough.

"Yeah, thrilled. You know how I love the big city", I answered in the same sarcastic tone.

"So, I kind of wanted to ask you something before you left for the big city and was so overtaken by it that you wouldn't want to return to us po' country folk" he teased, with that serious edge to his face still there.

"Yeah?," I asked, wondering what was on his mind.

"It's just that now that you're about to graduate from College, and become this big entrepreneur-"

"Like you!", I interrupted.

"Yeah, sure, sure, like me", he responded, both embarrassed and proud at the same time. He didn't like to admit it, but he was proud of himself for having gotten his garage off the ground, and so was I. "Well", he continued, "where exactly do you see us fitting into that picture?" He looked a bit nervous as he looked into my eyes.

"What do you mean?" I questioned, a bit confused, not following him too well.

"Well, I mean, you'll be done with school. You'll be opening up your little shop, and me, I've got the garage business here. I'm not gonna be getting rich here or anything, but I do pretty well. And If I ever had to- he looked at me shyly – I guess I could pick something else up, or go back to school if necessary". He grimaced at that last part.

"Okay, and?" I questioned, still not seeing where he was going with this. I tried to meet his gaze, but he kept his eyes low, not wanting to meet mine yet.

"Well, what about us, as in you and me? What's gonna happen with us?" he gestured with his thumb from me to him, now looking me in the eyes.

I stared at him blankly, my mind starting to warn me where this conversation was going, and not sure I wanted it to head in that direction. Now it was my turn to look away.

"Well", I gulped, "you and me will still be the same, so why does anything have to change"? I asked him, trying to keep my voice even, so he couldn't hear the wariness starting to creep into it.

"Bells, you and I have been together for 3 years now. I love you and I know you love me too. I just think maybe it's time to take this to the next level", I could hear the nervousness in his voice as he said this, and I wished to God I'd broken an ankle or something earlier today so I could've stayed home.

"Jake, just because I'm graduating doesn't mean WE have to do anything differently", I answered him as gently as possible, meeting his eyes again.

"Okay, but what if we WANT to do things differently?" he stared at me anxiously, waiting for me to have some reaction to his words. I could only stare back at him dumbly.

"Bella, you know what I'm trying to say here, you're not dumb, so why are you making this so hard for me?" he asked, the confusion evident in his voice.

I didn't know what to say. What was the correct answer to this question? Where had this come from? One minute we were gossiping like two old ladies on a Sunday morning, joking about Seth and his new girlfriend, and the next I was trying to keep him from saying something we both might regret, because I knew I wasn't ready to hear it.

"Jake, after the way things ended between Charlie and my mom, she'd have my head if I –"

He didn't let me finish that sentence.

"Bella, you're not Renee and I'm not Charlie" he cut me off.

"I know that Jake, but we are pretty young. I mean you're even younger than I am!" True his wolfy nature made him appear mid 20's at least, but biologically, he was two years younger than me.

"Bella, what difference does that make? I know how I feel about you, and I know that won't change, it doesn't matter whether I'm 20 or 120. Don't you feel the same?"

Why was this happening now? Of course I loved Jake. He'd been my best friend for four years now. He'd been there for me whenever I needed him. He'd saved me, in so many ways. I'd be dead right now if it wasn't for him, and I meant that in the literal and figurative terms. I owed Jake my life, in every way. But I couldn't even think of what he was proposing right now, if that's what he was doing. It wasn't the commitment that scared me, because I was sure I was as committed to Jake as anyone could be, but… I didn't know, it just scared me like hell to even think of it.

"Jake of course I love you, you know that", I answered him honestly, ignoring the rest of his implied question.

"Then what's the problem Bells?, You know what I want to ask you, but the look on your face, that look like you're ready to throw up, I'm scared to even continue". His voice sounded so small, especially coming from his huge body. It broke my heart.

When I didn't answer after a couple of minutes, he spoke again. I was grateful for that because if I would've been forced to open my mouth at that moment, he would've been proven right, and would've known exactly what I ate for dinner that night.

"Bella, we don't have to talk about it now. I just wanted you to know what I was thinking about. I think about us always together Bella, and it just seemed natural to me that this is the direction we'd go in next. I know you've got all these hangups about marriage, but I…-". He didn't know how to end the sentence.

"Just think about it okay? That's all I'm asking. You and I are different from everyone else out there Bella. I can take care of you-"

"I know you can Jake, and I'm so grateful for you in my life", I finally spoke, my voice cracking a bit. Tears were starting to form in my eyes". His words calmed me though, and my body, which had gotten tense as stone, relaxed at the knowledge that I didn't have to provide an answer now.

"Well I just want you to know that I want to take care of you for the rest of our lives, I know I can", he said, with as much conviction as he could.

"I know you're going to be busy for the next few months; between finals, and graduation, and the preparations to get the bookstore up and running. I'm not going to add to your stress with this, but eventually, I wanna return to the subject, and I just want you to know what direction I'm heading in, okay?", he lifted my head by my chin to meet his eyes, since mine had drifted down to my lap.

"Okay, I'll think about it", I promised, knowing that no matter what, this was definitely going to add to my stress level.

We'd changed the subject then. The conversation had been a bit strained for a while after that, but eventually we'd gotten back most of the light mood from before that particular subject had been touched on. Pretty soon, it had been time for me to go home, I had an early flight the next day, and Jake had walked me to my car.

"I love you Bella. Have fun in NYC, and relax," he's said, but I could tell he was still a bit upset at the way I'd received his semi-proposal.

"Love you too Jake", I said, but for some reason, I couldn't get myself to meet his gaze as I said it, and so I hugged him tightly to me instead, to hide my eyes. "I'll call you tomorrow night, after I've settled in".

I'd hopped into my car and sped away much faster than my normal 55 mph limit, like someone running from the scene of a crime. I probably made some sight, rushing off with tires screeching, leaving big old tire tracks in my wake.

What the hell was my problem?, I asked myself now, as I clung to my chair on the airplane, my fingernails digging into the pleather seats as the plane continued its jerky trip down. Jake and I had been together for so long. I knew how he felt about me, and I knew I loved him too. He'd always been there for me. I owed him so much. So what was the problem? I knew all my excuses, I could recite them backwards. I was too young. He was too young. My mom would kill me. My dad would kill him. We weren't financially ready. He did OKAY at the garage, but not enough to support a family; and my little bookstore would take years to turn a profit, that is assuming it ever did and wasn't a complete failure, which still remained to be seen.

These were all good reasons. They were all true reasons to be worried before marriage. But if I was being truthful with myself, I had to admit I couldn't have cared less about any of them. Our ages didn't matter if we were sure of what we wanted. My parents would get over it, if I decided to get married now. We'd find a way to make it work financially.

So what was the real problem?

Was it that marriage to Jake, to anyone for that matter, would make it all final? There would be no going back after that. I would have to really and truly accept it this time.

Well, hadn't I already accepted it? Had it really been this long, four long years, and I was still harboring some misplaced hope somewhere deep inside?

Oh God.

The realization of that fact hit me hard and fast, and I was taken off guard as I found myself hyperventilating in my seat, my eyes flying open and my fingernails digging ever-deeper holes into my armrests. The little old lady next to me looked at me with pity, assuming, I was sure, that I was terrified of the descent into the airport. She gave me an encouraging smile, meant to calm me. I couldn't even get myself to give her a weak smile back.

How stupid could I be? I asked myself. How masochistic could I possibly be? I couldn't believe it myself! IT'S OVER! IT'S BEEN OVER FOR YEARS! GET ON WITH YOUR LIFE, HE HAS!, I tried to reason with myself. Be happy, be satisfied, stop wishing for more than what you were meant for!

Was HE the real reason I couldn't let myself move on with Jake?

So what were my options?, I pondered trying to breathe in and out steadily, trying to calm myself. Say yes. The thought of marriage put me on a path towards hyperventilating again, so quickly I went to my other option. Say no. And if I said no to Jake, would I lose him forever too? I couldn't bear the thought of that either. Okay, so how about just not now. Could Jake accept that now just wasn't the right time? Maybe in a few years. Maybe in 2 or 3 years, we could revisit the subject again. I could try to convince Jake that we were just too young, that we did need to be more financially secure, that my father wouldn't throw him over a fishing boat (not that it would be that easy to drown a werewolf) in a few years. But what would be the point of that, if I was just lying to myself about my reasons?

Time, I said to myself. I just needed some more time. Time for what, I wasn't sure, but I was convinced that with just a little more time, I'd finally be able to give Jacob the answer he'd been hoping for. I wasn't sure how much time, maybe weeks, months, years…No, not years. I couldn't do that to him. I just needed to think about this more calmly, and with everything that was going on in my life right now, CALM was definitely not my middle name.

I closed my eyes again as I felt the plane make contact with the ground, holding on to my seat for dear life. In an effort to calm myself from both the plane ride and my previous thoughts, my mind, without my permission, took me to the most peaceful place it could imagine…a meadow. A meadow so beautiful it rivaled Eden. Wildflowers grew everywhere, throwing shades of blue, green, violet across the field. Everything else was a rich green hue, signaling that life flourished here. Everything grew happily here.

But no, my mind was not content to stop there at the meadow. I'd already been on the verge of a nervous breakdown a few minutes ago, why stop now?

So in the meadow, my spiteful mind found me sitting cross-legged, wearing jeans and a white t-shirt. I was very comfy. I had a ring of beautiful purple wildflowers in my hair, and somebody was picking at them and laughing, a laugh so melodious it sounded like church bells chiming. I caught the glistening light out of the corner of my eye, catching the rays from the sun that shined uncharacteristically from the Forks sky, and causing a prismatic glitter that took my breath away.

HE sat across from me, in jeans and a white t-shirt, just like myself. I could see his pale arms peaking out from his sleeves, his muscles bending and flexing as he moved. He picked one of the wildflowers out of my hair, and handed it to me, and as I reached out to take it from him, he grabbed my hand and softly pushed me to the ground. We both laughed as he carefully lay on top of me, supporting his weight with his arms, and looked deep into my eyes, with his beautiful golden ones that looked like melted ore.

"Bella" he whispered, and my heart stopped from just the picture in my mind. "I love you Bella. I'll love you forever, every day of forever. Say you'll be my wife. Say you'll be mine for eternity".

And in this imaginary proposal, there were no acceptable reasons to say no. There was no part of me that could say no. Age didn't matter, money didn't matter, no one and nothing else mattered. It didn't even matter that I'd have to give up my life to spend an eternity with him.

"Of course, I'll marry you. Of course I'm yours forever" I said, the tone in my voice letting him know how unnecessary the question even was. "All you had to do was ask".

I opened my eyes then, tears ran down my face, and the little old lady next to me said "Don't cry honey, the plane's stopped, we're safe and the doors will be opening soon". I hadn't even noticed we'd come to a stop.

"Thanks" I responded, my voice barely a whisper. I couldn't say anything else. I couldn't move. The hole in my middle had opened up again, and I was grateful I had the excuse of airplane jitters for all the staring passengers.