A/N: I actually couldn't resist putting up the next chapter. Well, I'm sure some of you will be happy! Thank you, all of you who have reviewed so far!


Wednesday came far too soon for my liking. My alarm clock woke me up at three, and I steadfastly hit the snooze button every time the shrill beeping roused me from sleep. I'm not sure how many times I punched the button, but Charlie finally knocked on my door and told me to get ready.

I had everything packed away in the grey duffle bag Charlie had provided me. My brand new jacket was shoved at the bottom, along with some heavier winter clothes and an envelope of spending money. The initial cost, which Charlie still wouldn't tell me, covered the plane ticket, tour buses, park fees, lodgings, and meals, but he wanted me to have extra money for souvenirs.

I wasn't so sure that I'd be interested in souvenirs. I wasn't even interested in going on this stupid trip in the first place. I was only going to make Charlie and Renee happy.

I hadn't checked to see how much money Charlie had put in the envelope yet. More than likely, the envelope would remain unopened the entire trip. If he insisted I keep it afterwards, then it would go into my pitifully small college fund.

Charlie drove me to the airport in the cruiser. I always hated being chauffeured around in the thing, but since the airport was in Seattle and we were running late, Charlie used his policeman status to speed on the highway. I guess it had its uses, but I didn't like going fast in cars. Too many memories.

We made it to the airport without much fanfare. Charlie helped me check my duffle, and then we made the long walk to the security check point.

When we reached security, passengers were the only people allowed through. Seeing this, Charlie gave me an awkward hug.

"I hope you have a good time, Bella," he said, handing me my ticket.

"I'm sure I will, Dad," I responded, failing to sound excited. I knew I should probably thank him for the trip, but I couldn't find it in myself to push the words out. I was being selfish, but all the same, I really didn't want to go.

Instead, I settled on a happy, or what I hoped was happy, smile. Charlie smiled back, patting me on the shoulder. It seemed a smile was just as good as a thanks to him.

"I'll be waiting for you at the baggage claims when you get back," he reminded me.

"I'll remember. Bye, Dad," I said, turning to the security check point.

"Bye, Bells!" he called after me.

I shuffled through the security line, removing my shoes and putting my carry on bag into a plastic container that was to be X-rayed. After I had gotten my shoes back on and I was though the line, I turned back to see if my father was still there, hoping I could give him a final wave.

He had already left. I felt very alone at that moment.

I trudged my way through the crowds, cursing the fact that my gate was at 32 C. That was quite a hike from where the security check point was.

After a good twenty minutes, I finally found my gate and the rest of the students, along with Coach Clapp and my Biology teacher, who were chaperoning the trip.

"I didn't know you were coming, Bella!" exclaimed Jessica upon seeing me.

I gave her a weak smile and sat myself in a hard plastic seat. Jessica seemed not to mind my lack of verbal response. She turned back to her conversation with Lauren, not once looking back at me.

"So, did your dad give you all your stuff?" asked Mike, sitting next to me.

"Yeah, he did," I replied, not meeting his eyes. I didn't feel like getting in a conversation.

Mike, on the other hand, obviously did.

"So, have you ever been on a plane before? This is my first time. I'm a little nervous."

I nodded, but seeing as he was waiting for something more, I sighed and gave in.

"No, I've been on one before. It's not that scary," I assured him.

"Well, if you can fly on a plane, then I'm sure I'll be able to stomach it," he grinned.

I tried to smile back, but it came out a grimace more than anything.

"Hey Mike! Come take a look at this chair! I think there's something growing on it," called a boy I didn't know.

Mike looked hesitant to leave me, but I shooed him on. I was thankful for the reprieve. I didn't want to imagine spending the next week dodging him.

Contrary to what I had earlier assumed, the whole senior class wasn't going. There was only fourteen of us, including Mike, Jessica, Lauren, and Tyler. I didn't see Eric, nor did I see Angela, which I was a little upset about. I really did like Angela.

We were on the plane by nine, but we were grounded for another twenty minutes. I was hating this trip already.

There were three seats to a row, and I was lucky to get the window seat. Mike looked like he wanted to sit next to me, but Lauren and Jess corralled him into a seat between them. Tyler, on the other hand, sat next to me, and Coach Clapp sat on the other side of him.

Tyler smiled at me, and I hesitantly smile back. He blinked, obviously surprised that I had even noticed him. I decided to let him think I was still Zombie Bella, turning away from him. I didn't feel like talking. I laid my head against the plastic airplane window, the cool surface comforting me as I listened absently to the intercom.

". . . sorry, folks, for the delay. We'll be taking off shortly."

An ear grating laugh, reminiscent of a hyena, assaulted my hearing. I found the source coming from the seat two rows down from where I was. Lauren was laughing at something Jessica had told her. I tilted my head in confusion. When had she gotten a hair cut? I hadn't noticed.

I felt a thrill deep in my stomach when the plane lifted. I liked the feeling, but I didn't like when my ears started hurting. I worked my jaw and yawned, but they no matter what I did, they weren't popping.

"Need some gum?" asked Tyler.

My eyes flew to his, surprised. I hadn't expected him to acknowledge me again, let alone offer me gum. But I accepted a piece nonetheless. The feeling in my ears were going to drive me crazy otherwise.

"Thanks," I said, taking the offered stick of gum. I was glad it was spearmint. I preferred the original flavors to the ones manufacturers were coming up with these days.

He smiled at me again, a surer smile than before. Uh oh. Looked like I might have to suffer through small talk after all. I should have just ignored him.

"You're welcome, Bella. Are you excited about the trip?" he asked.

And that was the million dollar question. I was sick of hearing it.

I nodded in answer, but didn't elaborate. Unlike Mike, he didn't mind my silence. The fact that I was responding at all seemed to spur him on, to my despair.

"I don't know what I'm looking forward to the most, the helicopter ride over Denali or the boat ride to see the glaciers," he said conversationally.

I froze.

"D - Denali?" I asked, my voice quivering.

Tyler gave me a weird look. "Yeah, you know, the mountain?"

I shook my head. "I thought we were flying over Mt. McKinley?"

"Yeah we are, but it was called Denali by the locals long before it was renamed Mt. McKinley. Seriously, the whole area is called Denali, the only reason the mountain was named Mt. McKinley was because of some president or something."

"Oh," I responded, once again laying my head against the cool window.

Tyler seemed to take the hint, and left me alone. Although, I could tell he wanted to continue with the conversation. I refused to look at him, and he thankfully gave up.

Denali. It was where Tanya and her family of vegetarian vampires lived. Surely they didn't live on a mountain? No, Tyler said the whole area was called Denali. That meant I was going to be in the same area as the vampires. I wondered if he was there? Or his family?

Every molecule in my body burned for his touch, at one more chance to gaze into his topaz eyes, but I wouldn't do that to myself. If, by some fated chance, I did run across him, how could I survive being rejected a second time? The answer was easy. I wouldn't survive it - plain and simple.

In the interest of self preservation, I would not go looking for any vampires. I repeated this to myself over and over. Closing my eyes, head firmly against the window, I continued my silent mantra.

I will not go looking for vampires. I will not go looking for vampires.

Of course, I didn't take into account that vampires could be looking for me.


"Argh! Hey Bella! Could you grab that pink duffle?" yelled Lauren. She had been chasing it around the conveyor belt, and it had made it to me before she could snag it.

I grabbed the hideously pink duffle bag and handed it to her.

"Thanks," she gasped, juggling her three other suitcases of varying sizes. She looked like a pack mule.

"No problem," I muttered as she stumbled away. She hadn't heard me. She must not have expected me to answer.

I grabbed my single grey duffle bag. It was large and heavy, but manageable when compared to Lauren's baggage. I really don't know why the girl needs so many suitcases. We were only going to be staying for a week, albeit a long long week.

"Alright kids! Everybody got your stuff?" bellowed Coach Clapp.

One boy, who I knew by face but not by name, still couldn't find his suitcase. We waited another ten minutes before it showed up, and missed the first bus that ran from the hotel to the airport. So we waited outside for the next bus, shivering in the cold Anchorage air.

I was right about my old jacket. It sure didn't cut it when it came to the Alaskan weather. It wasn't long before I had my new winter coat out.

I was unbelievably happy when the bus showed up. If this day was anything like the rest of the week, then I would sooner stay in my hotel room the whole time. Turned out, I was rooming with Jessica, Lauren, and a girl I didn't know named Emma.

The room wasn't very large for four girls, but it would do for a week, I supposed. There was only two double beds, but there was also a pull out bed that doubled as a sofa. Someone was going to sleep on the floor.

"Well, how about paper, rock, scissors to decide?" suggested Emma.

Lauren snorted. It wasn't very becoming. "What are we? In the fifth grade?"

Emma looked hurt by Lauren's callous comments. I felt sorry for her.

"I think it's a good idea," I said quietly. Lauren and Jessica's heads whipped towards me, their eyes wide and mouth's open. I was getting tired of this reaction.

"Well! If you both insist, I guess we can indulge you!" spluttered Lauren, trying to save face and cover up her shock.

She got the floor.

Jessica ended up on the pull out and Emma and I took the beds. Maybe I wouldn't have such a bad time after all. Things were looking up already.


"Eww! What is that awful stench?" asked Jessica.

Someone in the back of the bus giggled. "It's Tyler's feet! He's taken his shoes off!"

"Hey! I can't help it! I've got a blister!" yelled Tyler.

The bus ride to Kenai Fjords was, to put it mildly, hell. Now that Jessica was aware that I wasn't Zombie Bella anymore, she had taken to talking my ear off like she had Pre Zombie Bella.

I found that well placed nods, yeses, and hmms, seemed to do the trick. Conversing with Jessica only meant that you agree with her. Responding verbally wasn't needed.

The weather was cold. No surprises there. Today we were going to see Exit Glacier and Harding's Ice Field, which was in Kanai Fjords National Park.

Unfortunately, the boat that was supposed to take our group to tour the glaciers was having engine trouble. To my utter despair, it was decided that we would hike up to Exit Glacier, as it was the only glacier available on foot, and that in turn would lead us to Harding's Ice Field.

I didn't know what Charlie and Renee were thinking. This trip was turning out just about as fun as orthopedic surgery. And it was only the first day!

True to form, I ended up with more bruises than anyone else. My foot seemed to catch every patch of hidden, icy rock there was. By the time we had finally made it to the famous glacier, I was cold, bruised, and ready to get back on the bus. I tried not to think about the trip back down to the bus. I would have bruises on bruises for sure.

I gazed up at the forbidding glacier stretching towards the sky. What was the big deal, anyway? When it came down to it, the glacier was just a big chunk of dirty ice.

I sighed, folding my arms around me. Being so cold and bruised was making me miserable, and my hole was acting up again. It didn't help that tomorrow we would be visiting Denali. I felt the void give a painful twinge. I held myself tighter and focused on the present.

Despite the warning signs all around the glacier, people walked right up to it. Some of the boys even picked up small chunks of ice and tossed it to one another. I could tell Coach Clapp wanted to yell, but in the interest of avoiding falling ice, he calmly called them away from the glacier.

Walking around Harding Ice Field wasn't as impressive as I thought it would be. Of course, I doubted anything would be impressive to me in my current state.

Suddenly, something cold and hard hit me in the back of the head.

"Oh!" I exclaimed, startled.

"Sorry, Bella!" yelled Mike.

"It's fine," I grumbled, shaking the snow from my hair. It seemed that in my brooding a snowball fight had broken out.

I wasn't so sure that Charlie and Renee's plan was working. If anything, this trip was reminding me how nice it was to be Zombie Bella. At least as Zombie Bella I wasn't running around in the snow, cold and bruised.

After a painful journey, we were finally back in the parking lot. I had never been so thankful to be on a bus. I made myself comfortable, resting my head against the cool window. I loved leaning my head against a cold window. It was just as comforting.

I must have fallen asleep, because I awoke to Jessica's prodding.

"Come on, Bella. We're here."

Four girls sharing one bathroom proved to be just as horrible as I thought it would. Everyone wanted a hot shower. Sticking to our earlier way of deciding, we played rock, paper, scissors. Lauren got it first, but I got it second, so I couldn't complain too much.

After everyone had showered and dressed, we went downstairs to dinner in the hotel restaurant with the rest of our group. The food wasn't too bad. I kept conversation to a minimum, and the group seemed to accept the new, not so zombie, Bella. I was on the verge of admitting to myself that this trip wasn't really as bad as I thought it would be.

That is, until we got back to our room.

"But we're not supposed to leave our rooms! It's after curfew!" exclaimed Emma.

"Oh, don't be a stick in the mud, Emma," complained Jessica.

"There's a club right down the street. I saw it when we pulled in. It's not like it's very far," said Lauren.

I was with Emma on this one. Just because there weren't any dance clubs around Forks didn't mean I wanted to jump at the first chance to go to one.

"Well . . ." she stalled. It seemed as if Jessica and Lauren were winning.

"We'll just stay out for an hour. No one will miss us," added Jessica.

Emma sighed, defeated. "Fine."

"I'll just stay here," I offered. Jessica gave me an incredulous look.

"Oh no you don't, Bella! If we're all going, then you are too. We're not going to leave you here alone!"

"But -" I tried. I wanted to be alone!

"You need to loosen up. The whole point of this trip is to have fun," glared Lauren.

I hesitated. Fun? I highly doubted that. On the other hand, if the only thing I got out of the experience was a story to tell Charlie, then maybe I would go. The way Charlie had been lately, he would probably be ecstatic that I broke the rules in the name of 'fun.'

"Alright, fine. I'll go," I said, giving in. There's peer pressure for you.

The next half hour was a whirl of flying clothes and make up. I was relieved that no one came at me with a mascara stick. I may have been more awake than in the previous months, but there was quite a bit of Zombie Bella left for me to deal with. Zombie Bella could care less about how she looked.

I was expecting some sneaky maneuvers on our part, but it was ridiculously easy to leave the hotel. It wasn't as if Coach Clapp was guarding the rooms or anything.

I pulled my new coat tighter around me. It was freezing and the streets were very crowded for this time of night. The hotel must have been situated on a street with popular nightlife destinations.

Four blocks later, Jessica started complaining.

"I thought you said it was down the street," she whined.

"It is! It must just be a little farther down," promised Lauren.

"It better be," muttered Emma under her breath.

I didn't say anything, and if my attention hadn't been caught by the man hovering at the entrance of a dark alley way, I probably would have.

I stopped, staring. The girls continued on, oblivious to the fact that I was not with them.

He was a beautiful man, almost statuesque, and for the life of me I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. I knew his skin, which if I could touch, would be hard and cold, like marble. I could only see him in profile, but I knew that if I could see his eyes, their color would be inhuman.

Vampire! Something seemed to shout this knowledge to me. Some part of me instinctually knew what I was seeing, and I wasn't about to disagree.

Slowly, almost painfully slow, the vampire turned his head, his eyes catching mine.

His burgundy eyes.

I froze. I knew this vampire. I had seen him before many months ago. It was Laurent.

Run!

I jerked. That voice! It was him! I tore my eyes away from Laurent, searching the crowd, but he did not appear.

Run away now! Bella! Remember your promise!

I almost spoke his name, and I would have if I hadn't looked back towards the alley way and seen that Laurent had disappeared. It was as if a bucket of cold ice water had dropped down my spine.

Run!

This time, I paid attention to the voice, and I ran, pushing through the crowd, all the way back to my hotel.

Gasping, I slid the card to open my hotel door and threw myself onto the bed. I lay there, after turning on the bedside light, willing my heart to slow. My gaze flitted restlessly around the small room. With my luck, Laurent would be hiding in the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, and I was somewhat calm. The only guess I had as to what Laurent was doing in Anchorage, Alaska was that Tanya's coven was nearby. Besides, he hadn't been the one that was after me before. That had been James.

My imagination got the better of me though, and I had visions of Laurent attacking me, in revenge for James' death.

I tried not to think on it. The only thing I could do was be vigilant about my surrounding. If he were to attack, surely he wouldn't attack when I was with other people? I shook the disturbing thoughts away. I had more important things to think about anyhow - much more important than a brush with a vampire, possibly out for my blood.

Instead I turned my mind to an equally painful subject. The voice. It had been his velvet honey voice, but he wasn't here, was he? No, that wasn't possible. He could never project his thoughts to anyone, and besides, it had never worked on me.

So then, what was it? I was afraid of the answer. However, I couldn't think of any other reason. I had finally lost it. This blasted trip had thrown me over the edge! I was hallucinating. I was hearing his voice, but it wasn't real.

I wrapped my arms around my middle, and promised myself I wouldn't cry.


Alice Cullen gasped.

She hadn't meant to look for her future, but there it was, all the same.

"J - Jasper!" she yelled. If she was human, she would be hyperventilating.

She embraced the wave of calmness her love sent to her, and fell into his arms. His hold tightened, and she shivered involuntarily. Was she too late? Could she still save her? It was evening, and her vision was obviously during the daytime.

"What ever is the matter, dear heart?" whispered Jasper.

She immediately began to translate Don Quixote into French. Edward was out hunting with Emmett and Rosalie, but if he heard her thoughts . . .

"Not here! I can't take the chance that Edward will hear my thoughts. I have to tell Carlisle, in case something goes wrong."

Jasper nodded, accepting Alice's explanation.

"I'll get the car. We can drive to the hospital."

Alice nodded jerkily, despite Jaspers constant waves of soothing calm.

When Alice was far enough away from where Edward could hear her, she flipped open her cell phone and punched in a number.

"Hi, Charlie? I'm sorry to call so late -"

"Yes, It's Alice Cullen. Listen, is Bella there? I'm afraid there's been an emergency."

"A school trip? Where did she go?"

"Anchorage? Oh, well, what hotel is she staying at? I might give her a call -"

"Alright. And the room number? Gotcha. Thanks, Char -"

"The emergency? Erm, oh, well, we - we just found out that, that Esme has breast cancer."

Jasper's eyebrows rose in amusement. Alice gave him a nasty look.

"Yes, thank you. Alright. Yes, goodbye!"

"Breast cancer?"

Alice huffed. "Well! It was the best I could come up with on short notice!"

"So, what's the real emergency?" asked Jasper.

Alice seemed to deflate. "I saw Bella . . . die."

"What!?" exclaimed Jasper, eyes wide.

Alice bit her lip and nodded. "That's why I couldn't let Edward know. God only knows what he'd do to himself. I wouldn't put it past him to run to the Volturi. That's why we're telling Carlisle. He's the only one that can safely hide his thoughts. That way, if Edward does find out, Carlisle will be able to stop him from doing anything . . . anything drastic."

"Is it definite?" Jasper asked quietly, eyes never leaving the road.

"I'm not sure. There's a chance it could change - there always is. I'll call Carlisle instead. That will save us time. We need to get to the airport immediately. I'm not sure what time it happens, but the sooner we get there the better."

"Can you try calling her? At the hotel room?"

Alice nodded, flipping open her phone.

"And then I'm calling Tanya."


What was that shrill noise? I blinked awake, trying to figure out where I was. In rush it all came back to me. I was in Anchorage, and the shrill ringing noise was the telephone.

I noticed that the light was still on and the other girls hadn't returned. So much for just staying out for an hour. I picked up the phone.

"Hello?" I rasped, voice thick with sleep.

"Bella!"

I blinked.

"Al - Alice?" I asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Yes, Bella! It's Alice! Oh, I'm so glad you're alright!"

"I'm fine," I answered. Was I dreaming? How did Alice Cullen know I was in Alaska, let alone my hotel phone number? I blinked away the sudden tears. Was this really Alice?

"Listen, Bella! I've seen something horrible! Please, what ever you do, don't go -"

The line went dead.


A/N: Well, there you have it. I'd love to get some more reviews! (hint, hint)