Thank you for the reviews people! It's been quite long since the Prologue, Net problems..!

Chapter 1

25 December, 2012

Dear Diary,

It's Christmas today. I went for shopping the day before; a small treat for myself. Mom and Dad sent me a beautiful card telling that they love me. There was a wrapped package also. I haven't opened it yet. I'll open it in a few days I guess.

Jasper and Alice did ask me to come join them for Christmas, but I politely refused. They were my friends, yes, but I didn't want to intrude on them at Christmas time. They are trying for a baby, you see. When I came home, I cried. I couldn't help it. It's been ages since I last spent Christmas with Mom and Dad.

Emmet and Rosalie Hale live in the house beside mine. There is only a small fence that divides us. I saw Emmet hanging on a ladder trying to put on lights outside their house yesterday morning. Rosalie was standing in the glaring sun shouting at him how he will hurt himself and at the same time giving out instructions where to put the lights on. It was funny to watch, really. Rosalie had noticed me then. I was embarrassed at being caught in a family moment. But she only grinned and waved. I waved back and ran back inside the house.

I've decorated the house, if you can believe it. I've put on streamers and lights and even a small, real tiny Christmas tree in the living room. It's cute and sufficient. I bought some clothes and a very cute purple sweater which I plan on wearing soon enough. I had some yummy dinner with hot chocolate and watched Christmas programs later on the television. So that was my celebration. I'm content in it.

The following morning was very cold. I rejoiced in the fact that I had ten days of holidays still in my hands. I decided to lie in bed and go for a walking tour late afternoon. It was always good as a distraction for me. Taking the comforter over my head, I peacefully dozed off again.

When I finally got out of bed, I stepped into my lawn with a cup of coffee, warm in my numb hands. Everything was beautiful. It had snowed in the night. Every surface was covered with a thick layer of pure white snow. I smiled at the sight.

'Beautiful, isn't it?' Rosalie called from the other side of the fence.

'Hey, Rosalie. Yes, it's beautiful. I wish it was this way for the whole year,' I walked over to her.

She laughed. 'Me, too. But it's just the way life is.'

I tilted my head to one curiously, 'What do you mean?'

Rosalie looked around us. I followed her and took in the sight again. 'You see,' she said turning to look at me again, 'life is beautiful at times. But you don't realize that or appreciate it unless it wasn't bad at one point.'

I thought over it and knew she was right.

'Now, I need to wake up my man and get him to clean up all the snow in the driveway. I love him with all my heart but sometimes he does sleep like a monster,' she winked at me and walked off to her house.

I walked over to my small gate and tried prying it open. I sighed.

'Guess I wouldn't have any "my man" to clean this up,' I muttered to myself and walked back to my house.

Later that afternoon after I had huffed and panted through clearing up all the snow, I took a shower to wash off all the sweat. Jasper had come from across the street once and told me to go make a cup of tea and he'll take over for a while. I had my shoulders sagged in relief and thanked him. He had dismissed it with a wave of hand and smile on his face.

I grabbed a pair of jeans and a cotton shirt before donning on my cute purple sweater. When I was closing my gate behind me, Alice jogged over to me.

'Bella!'

'Alice!'

She chuckled at my mocking. 'You have to come to our house today!' she chirped, 'and no excuses,' she added when I opened my mouth.

'I'll try,'

She pouted. 'But Bella!'

'Yes, Alice?'

'It's Jasper's birthday today!'

'What?' I gaped. 'Shit! Why didn't you tell me earlier? He came to help me clear up my lawn and I didn't even wish him! ALICE!' I swatted at her arm.

'Ow,' she rubbed her arm and glared at me, 'It's not like you came to live here yesterday. You've been here since three years!'

She was right.

'Sorry,' I mumbled. 'Okay, I'll be there and I'll buy him a gift now. I'm going out anyways. What will he like?'

Alice rolled her eyes, 'Bring yourself, he'll like that.'

'Alice, you're not helping.'

'I'm serious,'

'Be funny, then?'

'He'll like a watch. He's pinning one for ages and I haven't allowed him. He has a nice one already, but I guess a gift won't harm.'

'Thanks.'

'Later,'

'Yep, bye.'

I walked into the only accessories shop in the town. It was still busy after Christmas. I pushed my way through the crowd. I met some people I knew and chatted for some while. They asked me if I was coming over at Jasper's later. Was I the only one who had forgotten? Seemed like it.

With a wrapped box of a beautiful watch for Jasper in my hand, I walked along the pavements still taking my time. It wasn't before seven that I had to be at Jasper's house. I had my tour walking and sat for a while in the frozen park on a frozen bench. Alone. I took out my Diary and wrote in it for a while.

'Hey,'

I looked up into the soft brown eyes of Emmet.

'Hey,' I greeted and closed my Diary before keeping it back in my small bag.

Emmet sat down beside me.

'What are you doing here?' I asked him.

He was sitting with his elbows on his knees and staring straight ahead. When he didn't answer, I frowned.

'What's up, Emmet? Something on your mind?'

He sighed. 'I don't want to have a baby right now.'

I stared at him.

He continued, 'Rose is trying to convince me otherwise, and I don't know how to say no to her again. I've already rejected so many times. I think she wants it because Alice and Jasper are trying. And it excites her. I'm not ready yet, you know? I want to wait for a few years before everything is settled.'

I understood what he meant. Rosalie and Emmet owned a garage in the town. Some thugs had robbed the place. Now, they didn't have all the tools they needed; and some money was also stolen. The thugs never got caught. They were still trying to get justice from the government. It was their only income. The landlords weren't going easy on them, either. They didn't have enough money to go on with their day-to-day life properly. A baby in the picture would only make the matters worse.

'Is that why you came to sit in the park? To make yourself accustomed to the idea of a baby?'

He smiled weakly at my attempt of humor. 'I guess,'

We were silent for a while, lost in our own thoughts.

I spoke first, 'Maybe it isn't because of Alice and Jasper are trying it.'

Emmet frowned, but kept silent and I continued.

'She may be thinking in a different way. You want everything settled; it could be that she thinks baby is what exactly you need to do that.'

'I just…don't know.' He sighed.

I rubbed his back soothingly. Emmet had huge physique and it hurt to look at him so defeated. He was always the strong one.

'Everything will work out fine, okay? It'll be all fine.'

Emmet smiled at me, 'I hope so, Bella. I hope so.'

Alice and Jasper's house was packed. Everyone was there. People were milling about in each and every corner of their house. I was mingling with everyone with a glass of wine in my hand and a smile on my face. Jasper was getting all the attention and even though he smiled and thanked everyone, there was little discomfort in his voice. He was alas a reserved person. And it was evident that he went through this party only for his wife, who was currently bouncing excitedly beside him.

When Alice announced it was time for cake, we all went into their backyard where a table was set up with candles and balloons under a gazebo. Everyone 'ooh'd and 'aah'd when Alice revealed the cake. It was huge and she had a picture of them made on the cake. In the photograph, Alice was beaming at the camera and Jasper was looking at her. The look he gave said it all. It was tender and full of love.

As we fed the cake to Jasper, Mike was taking the photographs. It was fun. We ended up coloring Jasper's face with the chocolate frosting. Even though he growled and whined and moaned about it, there was a smile on his face which clearly betrayed his verbal use of words.

Emmet was having the most fun. He picked up Jasper, literally, and threw him in the air before catching him again. The other guys got encouraged by it and followed the suit. Jasper looked like a bouncing stick; a very pissed off bouncing stick. But Alice had laughed which calmed down Jasper before he could kill everyone with bare hands. Jasper had joined in the laughing soon.

Then Emmet thought that it wasn't enough and had Mike take photographs of him pretending to "kiss" Jasper. Alice stood beside them in the camera frame with her eyes wide and hands on her mouth, pretending to be shocked at the revelation of her husband. Rosalie stood beside Alice and pretended to be disgusted and showed it by shielding her eyes. I participated along with everyone else and we took photographs with different scenes. One had Riley picking up Alice in bridal style and giving a smug look to Jasper. Alice was laughing her head off while Jasper looked like he was ready to strike like a snake. And I knew it was not "pretend-pretend". Riley had already once proposed to Alice but she had said no. Jasper wasn't in the picture that time, but he still got jealous of him.

Everyone trickled out of house by eleven. It was Jasper, Alice, Emmet, Rosalie and me still sitting in their living room and replaying the party between us.

'I don't like Riley near you,' Jasper said to Alice after we had calmed down from laughing at Emmet pretending to be gay and trying his moves on Jasper.

Alice put her tiny hands around his torso and smiled, 'You don't need to worry, babe. I love you,'

'I know,' Jasper sighed. 'But he loves you,'

She shook her head. 'You love me, not him. And I don't care what he does and says as long as you are here.'

'Does this mean that when I go for some business trip, you'll have a hot and heavy affa-'

'Don't even finish that line,' Alice growled suddenly.

Jasper held up his hands in surrender before pulling her into him and kissing her head. 'I was just kidding, Ali.'

'Not like this,'

'Sorry,'

I caught Rosalie's gaze before quickly looking away.

Nine days to go…

Yesterday when everyone went home, the five of us had some drinks. It wasn't much later that we were all drunk senseless and I can remember at least that because right now it felt like there was a woodpecker inside my head mistaking my brain for wood.

The phone rang.

'Hello?'

'Bella?' Alice's voice was groggy.

'Yeah?' My own wasn't that great.

'My head's gonna split,' she groaned loudly.

Ouch.

'You're making my head split,' I whined back.

'Shut up.' she moaned, 'Don't talk so loud.'

'It's you, not me.'

'You do realize that sounds contradictory to the breakup sentence "it's me, not you", right?'

'Where the hell did that come from?'

'You.'

'Whatever, Ali,'

'Whatever, Bells. Talk to you later. I can't remember a single thing!'

'Me, too. Bye.'

Hours later when I got out of bed, it was already late afternoon. I snorted and decided to start over dinner. When I was done by it in an hour, I kept it in the fridge and sat down at my study table.

I was in a Fashion Designing company with Alice. There was an upcoming fashion show and we wanted to do something different, as everyone wished. But we were coming up with no ideas. I had gone through numerous books and Internet research to search for something that would catch my eye. After an hour or so, I had found this beautiful dress that I fell in love with at first sight. Alice had suggested that I make some alterations and add a "Bella" look to it. I had nodded enthusiastically and since then working on the dress.

It was a red dress that came till just above my knees. The back was low and it had a halter-neck. It was simple, yes, but I loved it and found many ideas as to how I can improve it.

'Alice?' I opened their door and stuck my head inside. I couldn't see anyone. Opening the door completely, I stepped over the threshold and heard some voices drifting through the back deck. I hesitated but decided that it was probably Rosalie. I started towards the back as I called out again,

'Alice, I want to know what fabric do I use for that-'

I stopped.

It wasn't Rosalie.

Alice was beaming at me.

But my eyes were fixed on that person sitting on the chair on their back deck.

The bronze hair styled in the same messy look, skin pale and clear, and those same eyes reflecting my own shock: Emerald green eyes.

I whirled around.

'Bella?' His voice was the same: velvety and honey-like.

I stopped.

'Isabella Swan?' He called out again.

I slowly turned around and he flinched seeing the hatred written all over my face and eyes.

'Fancy seeing you here,' I snarled.

He was silent. There was nothing on his face except for curiosity which fueled my anger beyond reason-ability I thought there should have been that same laughing, sinister face.

'I moved into the next house,' he finally said.

'Wh-what?' I spluttered.

I all but ran through that house. I could hear Alice calling me back but I didn't stop. I couldn't stop.

So yeah, he's back after seven years! We'll see in the next chapter how Bella reacts to the suddenness of the situation!

I'll try posting it as soon as I can! xD