A/N: Welcome back. I hope you enjoy the story still. This is a follow up of what happened in the last chapter. It's the same night.

*My Beta RB Simon is busy, really busy, so this chapter is currently unedited. I apologize, all errors are mine! Once she has time to help me fix up this chapter, I'll replace the this for the edited one. I'm sorry, hope you still enjoy...*

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.


(Bella POV)

I was frozen, completely and utterly frozen. What was I to do? I know I shouldn't just sit here in shock, but I don't even know what to think. It takes me another three or four minutes before I can pull my head up from my hands. I look around the shop; it's the exact same as it were this morning. It looks the same apart from an old sewing machine, which was sold this afternoon. That used to be here.

But I wasn't robbed.

I wasn't held against my will under gunpoint.

I wasn't hit. I wasn't enough touched.

The men came in when the store was open and left shortly after.

Yet, here I am, scared shitless. I'm almost rocking back and forth in hysteria. I don't even know what to think or do. I reach into my pocket after a moment's thought and pull out my small cell. I speed dial Ang and pray she answers.

She does. "Bella?" She asks after I count the four seconds of silence.

I use both my shaky hands to grip the phone to my left ear. "Ang," I blubber. "Ang, you have to get here. Please. Hurry."

Maybe I am hysterical. Maybe I am going crazy. Maybe all I'm doing is going crazy. I'm overreacting. Or am I? All I know is that I'm going insane sitting here alone.

"I'll be there in five." She sounds worried, probably from my shaky tone and demand. We both hang up and I set my phone on the carpet floor. I pull my knees to my chest and look around the room again.

What happened?

I tried to remember everything, but now my mind is too jumbled to even think coherently. I do remember Jazz, Em, and Anthony. I remember Em's big, deep blue eyes that were like a salty ocean just before nightfall.

I suck in a breath and try to recall everything that happened. Every time I go through the events my mind remembers a bit more and before I know it the front door chimes and Angela runs into the store, towing Ben behind her.

"Bella!" She gasps out when she sees me. She runs over and pulls me into her arms. She's nearly six foot herself so I easily rest into her lap. Her long, straight black hair goes straight down her back apart from the section that fell over her shoulder. "What happened?"

Ben slowly approaches me and bends down, "Should I call an ambulance?"

"No!" I shake my head. "Angela, Angela. There was someone here. No three. There were three."

"Who?" She asks.

"I don't know." My voice cracks. "I was so scared, Ang."

"It's okay honey. I'm here now." She waits the several minutes it takes me to gain composure and I slowly retell what happened in the shop.

"I don't even know what they wanted." I finish and look over to Ben. His eyebrows are furrowed in deep concentration. "I don't know who they were."

"It's okay." Ben tells me and places a hand on my shoulder. He uses his other hand to push his square glasses up further on his nose. His glasses remind of Angela's old ones, except hers were wired with purple, not black. She got frustrated with them and finally got contacts.

"I didn't do anything." I blubber on and on.

"Bella, what could you have done. There were three of them and they threatened you." She averts her gaze to Ben, "Babe, please call the police."

"No!" I sit up and Ang and I almost bonk heads. "No, really. What can I say?"

"Tell them what happened?" Angela suggests sarcastically. "Bella, what happened isn't right. They could have hurt you."

Ugh, I've been through this mantra in my mind already. "It was during store hours. They didn't break in and they didn't break anything or take anything. I wasn't hurt. They didn't hold me down at gunpoint-"

"But you said you saw a gun." Ben interjects.

I nod. "Well yes, but it's not illegal to own a gun."

"You felt intimidated." Angela adds in.

"Of course I did!"

"At least file a police report in case something like this happens again." Ben looks into my eyes. His soft brown ones are caring. "What if they went somewhere else? What if they actually hurt someone else? Maybe the police are already looking for them."

"Okay." I eventually agree.

"I think it's a good idea you called in," Officer Black says to me. He's a year younger than I, but he looks older. By the time he was a teenager, he was already six foot one and now he's almost six foot five.

Forks is a decent sized place, almost a city. It has a population of nearly 40,000 and many sturdy businesses throughout. Still, I met Jacob Black when we were young; we both went to the same daycare and elementary school. My dad and his were good friends so Jacob and I became good friends. After my dad passed away when I was fifteen from a brutal car accident, Jacob and I drifted. He reminded me too much of the past, of the memories.

I haven't seen Jacob since the funeral… until now. He looks different yet completely the same if that's possible. He looks the same, just much, much larger. His arms grew and his biceps are bugling. He still has that friendly smile and bushy eyebrows, but he's still attractive. I read in the paper a month ago that he recently became a cop, just graduating from college. I remember reading that our town only needs two college years and a GED to become a cop, so I'm sure Jacob attained that easily. He's a smart boy. Or man now.

"But nothing happened." I retort stubbornly. "I'm tired and it's late and we're talking for nothing."

"Bella," Jacob sighs and shakes his head. "You see what happened put you in an uncomfortable position. You know if those men had to harm you or break in, they would've. The weirdest thing is you said they used names, that often doesn't happen. I'll look those names up into my database...You even told me it was their intention to break in."

"They just weren't expecting the shop to be open. They were in a rush though, so they still came in."

"You were all but held hostage. There were weapons. The men were dressed in black. They went into the staff room, which is against policy. You do not allow that. But you did. Because you felt threatened. You were actually threatened in many cases."

I sigh, "Thanks for coming Jacob. Thanks for helping me fill out the report."

I watch him put his hands in his black pant pockets. "That's Officer Black to you." He winks at me and when I gap at him he assures me that he's joking.

I find myself smiling at him. "Really, thanks."

"It's my job." He shrugs like it's nothing. "I want everyone safe. Speaking of which, I suggest you don't stay open this late anymore. It's Friday Bee, go out and do something, don't wait for other do-goers to come to you."

"I don't like staying open this late anyways." I rub my arms for warmth. I should have brought a sweater in this weather, even the inside –which is heated- has a chill. Maybe it's because of the earlier events. A chill was left in the air from those men.

"Well let's get you home." Jacob says when he notices that I'm cold. "It was a long night." He takes my elbow softly and leads me to the door.

"I have to close up!" I insist, until I hear Angela call from the back room that she's got everything under control. I sigh and follow Jacob outside. I do have a coat, but I left it in my car. When I see Jacob is leading me to his police cruiser, I stop.

"I can drive myself home." I use my thumb to point at my small Mercedes.

"At least let me follow you home, just in case." He pleads softly. "You never know…"

"Okay." I agree mostly because outside it's even colder and I don't want to be in this weather arguing.

"Where's your coat?" He asks when he walks me over to my car.

"In the passenger seat." I look down at my thin long-sleeved shirt. "Maybe I should've taken it out with me."

"That's a good idea. It's supposed to snow tonight."

"Ugh, it's only November." I frown and open up my car door.

"You don't lock your car."

"Maybe I should start to do that too." I huff showing that I'm almost irritated with his authorities. Before I am able to close the door, he leans against the frame and looks down at me.

"Are you okay?" He asks softly.

"Just stressed." I reply stiffly and look up at him. "And cold."

"If you ever need anything, give me a call. I still live with my dad." He closes the door for me. Does he expect me to still have Billy's number? Does he expect me to call him? I roll my eyes to myself. This night is making me really moody.

I start my car and drive home, making sure I obey every traffic law since 'Officer Black' is on my bumper the entire time. I really do appreciate him helping me with the issue tonight seeing that it wasn't anything you can do much about. I filed a police report and am shortening the store's hours. I also gave a description so the police will keep an eye out. There has been known that some mafia crime is acting out and the descriptions (from what I had to say) matched up. Of course they did though, I think to myself. Do you expect some skinny, polite men to run the mafia?

When I get to my apartment complex and pull into the lot, Jacob parks beside me. I have the urge to roll my eyes again. I get of the car silently and grab all my belongings before locking the door and closing it. I always lock the car doors at home, but I made sure that Jacob knows I lock them.

"Thanks again," I tell him when he gets of his cruiser and walks over to me.

"Anytime. I'll tell the force to keep an eye out." I nod and start to walk away, but he stops me with calling my name. "Bella! Will you do something for me?"

I turn to face him. I want nothing more than to get in my house and run a hot ass bath and melt into it, hoping the memories drain along with the water afterwards.

"Stay safe." He looks directly at me. "And hopefully we meet again… under better circumstances. It's been a long time."

"It has." I agree. "Maybe we will. And congrats on the new job, you're good at it." I walk away and this time he lets me. I keep a fast pace the whole walk inside and up the stairs to my room. I don't know if it's because I'm scared from earlier still or because I want to distance myself from Jacob. Alone, he brings back memories of my dad and my childhood, memories that I've tried to push down for the longest time.

I instantly run a hot bath and pour in some soft smelling salts before undressing and climbing in. The heat stings against my cold skin, but I easily adjust to the warmth as it radiates through my body. I sit back and let my limbs soften in the water. My nose fills with the scent of freesia and I let my eyes fall closed.

Instead of sweet serenity, I find myself thinking of dark blue eyes and Italian accents.

Then I remember the Elizabethan brass tin that's in my car trunk.


A/N: Uh-oh, this is just beginning folks...

How do you like the story so far?