Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any characters associated within. Only the plot, OC's, and reimagined history/species of Bella are my own creation.

Warning: There are allusions to rape, and a slight discription of a gutted corpse/disembowelment.

Chapter 2

Mmmm, bliss. This is beyond awesome.

I haven't tasted cooked food in years, and by god, it is heavenly.

Esme was kind enough to cook me a grand breakfast, something that's been absent from my life for some time. I can't comprehend how a vampire can know how to cook, but right this moment, I couldn't care less - this food is fucking awesome! Of course, my wanting to marry Esme's food could just be due to the fact that I've subsisted off of animals and the land for the past several years. Or even how I have no real memory of what it tastes like. Either way, this shit is fabulous.

I ended up falling asleep last night still curled up with Alice. Apparently I have a death grip in my sleep, even with just one arm. Poor little vampire had to put up with being my personal pillow for a straight twelve hours. By the time I woke up, she was caught between being amused and relieved; amused at my sleeping habits, relieved that I'd finally awoken. I did apologize for monopolizing her time, though. Must have been terribly boring to lie still all night. What I don't understand is how she could have been okay with it and not even hit me in punishment. That is the customary thing to do..isn't it? Alice had insisted I bathe and eat something, too - something else I don't get. Maybe they want me to be in prime shape for when the tribe gets here so I won't die so fast? I think I'll ask Esme later, after I finish this delectable meal. The clothes Alice had given me to wear were simple and elegant: comfortable jeans and a plain black shirt - an improvement over my tatters from before. The other two vampires had introduced themselves as Jasper and Emmett as soon as I had finished with my shower. They didn't have a problem with me yet, as far as I could tell. We didn't get much of a chance to chat because that was when Esme had taken me into the kitchen to eat.

She's currently watching me with utter fascination from across the bar. Alice is beside me, happy and bubbly like she was last night. All the other vampires are off doing whatever it is vampires do - sulking, maybe? What do they do? Shovelling another forkful of pancake into my mouth, I turn to face Alice. The tiny vampire bursts into giggles when she spots my full mouth and vigorously chewing jaw. I would scowl, but she's been much nicer than people generally are to me, and I want to keep it that way for as long as possible. Before I can swallow enough to question her, however, she raises a hand to stop me.

"You're going to ask me what vampires do, right?" she queries, a wide smile on her face. I tilt my head to the side, puzzled as to how she knew that. Is she psychic? She giggles again and pats my hand. "As a matter of fact, I am psychic. You were about to ask me about that too." Blinking is the only response I can give, so she continues, "I can see the future! Well, the decisions people make and the results of those decisions. The future is not set in stone so my visions are subjective; like, if someone were to make a decision and I get a vision of it, but they end up changing their mind, I might not get a vision of that. Does that make sense?"

I nod and turn back to my food. Eating and thinking go great together - eating requires no attention whatsoever, so I ponder over what Alice just told me as I continue to enjoy this luscious gift of a meal. Does she know I'm planning to ask Esme a few things? Can she see the tribe's decisions? Had she known I was going to show up last night? Was that why I saw them all waiting outside? Alice lays a hand on my arm."Is it alright if I ask you some more things about your tribe, Bella?" she gently asks. I nod and finish chewing my food, gesturing slightly with my bad arm to continue. "Why are they hunting you?" Oh no. I freeze, tearing my gaze away from her. She can't possibly know... Alice covers my still hand with her own, frowning when I flinch at the contact. "I'm not going to hurt you, Bella. I just need to know why they're so intent on getting you."

The fluffy pancakes I had just been stuffing into my mouth now taste like ash, my appetite gone. I should have known the comfort and hospitality I am being shown would come to an end much sooner than anticipated. Alice is looking at me with this expression of such..understanding that I don't know if I can bear to shatter it. As soon as I tell her the truth, I'll be just as I was before: worth less than the dirt under her feet. Still, I cannot lie to her and nor can I lead her astray. I stand and head toward the living room, needing an easier atmosphere for this..surrender of myself. Alice stays behind in the kitchen for a few minutes, doing something that elicits a low growl from her. I know it has nothing to do with myself, so I wait patiently for her arrive. She twirls in not moments later, that charming smile of hers adorning her beautiful face. That scent so entirely Alice reaches my nose before the vampire herself does, flooding my senses completely as she softly sits next to me on the couch. It helps relax me into a state of almost uncaring - almost, because I still feel nervous about this. Whether they'll kill me for it remains to be seen. I'd hate to leave a giant mess in their nice home from my bloodied corpse.

Alice smiles kindly and asks, "What makes you so different that your own tribe would hunt you all over the world?"

I swallow and fidget with my hands, unsure of how I want to begin. She waits with that same caring look on her face, obviously giving me the time I need to get my thoughts in order. If I didn't know how badly things will end up after this conversation I would be pouring my soul out to her. "A great number of things, actually," I finally begin, refusing to look at her. My anxiety rises to new heights for several minutes, and I wait for it pass before speaking again. "To start, I'm not the same colour as the others of my tribe, eyes included. Um, I'm stronger and slightly faster than them as well. Because of my heritage, I possess great control over my natural ability and possess a few..uncontrollable ones. I, ah.." I pause, unwilling to continue.

Thankfully, Alice is thoroughly confused by what I just said. Her face is adorably screwed up with bewilderment. "Your ability?" she repeats, blinking a few times then tilts her head to the side. "Is it, by chance, the same as that one guy's from last night? The electricity?"

I nod the affirmative and her eyes light up with wonder. "I'm unsure about others of my species, but most everyone in my tribe possesses the ability to manipulate their natural electricity from within our bodies. The bloodlines determine to what degree they can control it - meaning, those who have the most ties with The Great Ones are abundantly gifted. The less you have in touch with them, the less you will be able to do with it. We chose our tribe leader from the one member thousand of years ago who had the greatest connection with The Great Ones, and their children have ruled ever since. It is tradition that the most capable child of the tribe leader take over when the tribe leader either dies or passes on the leadership. This way, the tribe will always be led by the one who is most powerful and most in tune with our ancestors."

"Did your ancestors have this same ability?"

"Not quite. Like our human extensions it was something that very few were able to pull off, and the ones who did became the tribe's deadliest warriors. It was something that required an innate ability to know your own body better than your body knew itself. That may seem like an impossibility, but there were select few who could sense the potential of their own bodies. With several years of training and study these individuals led our warriors and taught them in the art of warfare, as is still the tradition. Our tribe's leader is also the leading general because of this ability being the strongest in him or her. I guess we evolved in more than just one way over the years, because now it is very rare for a tribe member to be born without some modicum of this ability. Any warrior must be proficient in hand-to-hand comabt not just as their human self, but also as a beast; they have to have a decent control over their ability and be able to use it easily, especially under duress; and any physical deformities, such as scars, must not impede on any performance."

Alice suddenly begins examining my body with great interest. I force myself to not shift around under the scrutiny, though the knowing look in her eyes makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. "You definitely have the physique of a warrior, along with the scars to prove it though how many of those are from your hunted years are hard to tell. I am, however, quite sure from what you said about your heritage giving you great control over your natural ability that you are either of the royal bloodline or really close to it. Am I wrong?"

Damn, she's good. "Uh..no, you are actually almost entirely correct," I mumble, rubbing my palm on the top of my forehead. "I was born to the current tribe leader, my mother, with her husband as their only child. From the time of infancy, I displayed grat promise with my ability and many of my lessons growing up were focused on that aspect alone. As I began to grow strong and wild, lessons on combat were added next, and when I reached the age of thirteen, my mother began to school me in the art of warfare. Most of my childhood and adolescence were spent learning all I would need to know as a strong and confident leader of my people, alongside everything else I would need to be a proficient member of the tribe alone." The proud and happy smile that spreads across my face is unstoppable, even if I no longer possess the actual memories themselves. My heart still remembers the feelings of immense competence in myself, the confidence I would wear around myself like a snug cloak, the endless joy and honour I felt at making my parents - my mother especially - so proud of me. "My mother groomed me from a young age to take over after her, filling my head with how I would lead our people to greatness and unite the other tribes. She always had time for me, no matter what she was doing or how late it was. I realize I may have made it sound like the tribe has very little time for love, but that is so off the mark.

"We help each other, like the big family we are. Even if you do not know the person in need, you help and guide them the best you can. Familial affection is present in everything we do, especially among the tribe leader's own family. I got along great with my father, not just my mother, and he taught me many valuable things that I treasure even now." I don't realize I'm crying until Alice touches my arm with a pained smile. The look she's giving me is full of so much yearning, of such longing, that I reach out to comfort her without even thinking about it. My long arm encircles her tiny shoulders and I pull her against me, giving no regard to the fire in my ribs at the movement. She leans against me slightly and presses her head into my shoulder. I take a deep breath to bury my own distress - my own needs must always come last. Always last. Never first. Her next question, however, throws me for a loop.

"Do you miss them?" That voice of heaven is soft and delicate, as if fearful I will crumble at anything louder. I open my mouth to disagree, to say that it's no longer right for me to miss them, but the words never make it past my lips. Tears roll down my cheeks and I release a shaky breath. Keep it together, damn it. You don't matter anymore, nothing about you matters at all. "I don't know my parents," she whispers so low I almost don't hear it. "I have no memory of my human life, not even the slightest glimpse. Sometimes I like to imagine them as kind and loving people, similar to how you've described your own parents. Of course it's just a fantasy of mine - at least you know yours."

I almost choke at that last bit, unsure if I should finally tell her about how utterly wrong I am. "I don't think I'm so lucky," I counter, voice hoarse. "I'm no longer loved by any of my tribe, and the fact that they did and now no longer is sometimes worse than just the fact that they hate me. My father disowned me on the day I Morphed, which is..the day I killed my mother."

Alice whips her head up to look at me, eyes wide. Best get this over with. "She had taken me out to the woods alone, minutes before I was supposed to Morph. It's tradition for the tribe leader to take his or her child to the woods and begin the hunt. The act is meant to seal the bond of leadership between the two and solidify the new leader's place in the tribe. Our Morphing happens on the exact same time of day that we are first born. I was born at the exact moment of dusk, so my mother took me away from the tribe's village to the woods at midday to prepare me. We went into the middle of the woods and she had me setup a camp that was on par with her standards. It was complete with everything a person would need to live for a few days. When I had finished this task, she sat me down and ran me through what would happen when the Morph came, and reminded me to not freak out when she morphed and we began the hunt.

"The last few hours of her life were spent sitting with me in this camp, so at peace with herself and the world. It was during this time that she told me this was the second happiest day of her life - the first being the day she gave birth to me." I stop speaking to suppress the sobs threatening to burst from my chest. Alice leans back into me and offers comfort I don't deserve, her voice whispering sweet nothings into my neck. I force myself to take a deep breath and continue. "By the time dusk rolled around, I was more than ready to Morph and finally join my mother in the hunt as a full adult. We weren't counting on things to go to all hell when I did, however.

"I felt tingles sweep over my body when dusk began, the signs of the Morph. But what shouldn't have been part of the Morph was the colossal pain that hit me like a train. My mother kept a cool head as the tribe's leader through the whole thing, calmly talking me through it despite how unusual it was. As my mother, she comforted me and held me close as I sobbed and writhed in her arms. The largest wave of pain hit me when the Morph completed and I..blacked out. When I came to, her mangled body was lying in front of the firepit, her guts and innards lying strewn across the ground. There was so much blood.." In my mind's eye I'm reliving the moment all over again - that dreadful, most hated moment of my entire life. Waking up from unconsciousness and finding your beloved mother's horribly mutilated body in front of you, her blood everywhere and her intestines still lying partially inside of her... Being coated in that blood yourself. It's so hard to continue - unbelievably hard - but I know I must. "I was...covered head to toe in her blood, and she was barely alive. The sheer amount of panic that crashed through me at this realization brought me to my knees by her side, too grief-stricken to utter anything. She looked into my eyes with so much love-" I pause again, tears streaming down my face. Alice squeezes my hand. "So, so much love, even on the brink of death, that I started sobbing all over again. I wasn't ready for her to die, to leave me all alone with this frightening new part of myself. She slowly cupped my cheek in one hand, smiled, and whispered the last words she ever said: 'I love you, sweetie. Don't..ever forget..that.' And then she was gone. I never had a chance to..to say I l-loved her back, or even goodbye!"

By now I can no longer keep the sobs at bay and they crash through me with the force of a tidal wave. Alice cradles my head to her chest and runs her fingers slowly through my hair. I don't understand it - she should be rejecting me, pushing me away. I'm a monster...a demon - I killed my own mother. But Alice never relinquishes her hold on me, never pushes me away or calls me unnatural. My confusions grows with each second until I can't take it anymore. "I don't understand, Alice," the words are broken, empty, "you shouldn't be holding me like this. I just told you I killed my mother in cold blood - you should be trying to end my life because of it."

Alice's movements freeze, the sweet breath of her voice halting mid-flow. Have I finally gotten through to her? I curl into a ball, awaiting the inevitable punishment. It's only right, for murder of your own blood, to face eternal damnation. Her question is so quiet, it's barely whispered. "Is that what..your father and the tribe did? Try to end your life because of it?"

I nod into her chest and emotionlessly begin to explain, "It's the law. Anyone who murders another, especially a family member, is sentenced to immediate death. I never moved away from my mother's corpse, and so when they reached the camp hours later to see what was taking so long, their first sight was of my bloodied body lying unmoving by my mother's. They thought we were both dead until my father arrived and searched the surrounding area for entering and leaving animal tracks, but there were none. He approached me, then, and rolled me onto my back. The evidence on my hands, mouth, and arms caused him to survey the camp with new eyes. I was catatonic at this point and could offer no differing conclusions than the one he came to, further damning my situation. The disbelief and vast amount of hurt in his eyes as he announced me as the murderer will forever be seared into my memory, never to be forgotten. No trial was held - the evidence at the scene was enough to convict me. I was taken back and sentenced to die at sunrise, the estimated time it would take to rid me of all ties to my father.

"It is tradition to strike the name of any and all murderers from the records on point of their conviction, as well as severing all familial bonds. I was tied like a dog to the pole in the center of our village and stripped of all decency. The men used my body however they saw fit, another tradition. As a murderer, I was no longer worthy of respect or common civility - in short, I was, and am, worthless. I was still unresponsive at this time, unfeeling, and it is continually used against me whenever my tribe catches me. When my father came out to carry out the sentence himself, my body morphed on it's own accord and this caused great fear among the other tribe members. Just the sight of my differing self halted him in his steps, eyes wide. Instead of being white with black stripes and yellow eyes, I was black with white stripes and eyes of the palest blue. In the tribe's power structure, there is a shaman who holds tremendous sway with the tribe leader. If ever there is a time when the tribe leader dies before the leadership can be properly passed on to a successor, the position remains filled by the dead tribal leader until a child of his or her blood comes forth. Until that point, the spouse of the tribe leader and shaman lead the people until such a time. If there is no spouse, the shaman rules until the child is old enough to take over; if there are no children, either, the shaman would be forced to find the closest relative of the tribe leader and fulfill that position. My mother remains the default tribe leader even now since she and my father never had another child.

"The shaman and my father debated many long hours as to what my would be, and when my father attempted to kill me in frustration, the shaman sensed something in my soul and stopped him. It was quite the show, really - my natural ability reacted to my father's justice, but it was the others I cannot control that signified something extra within myself. The shaman subjected me to many long hours of intense meditation and observation after that, resulting in a brief meeting between her and the old soul that had possessed me. Before you ask, I was not witness to this confrontation - I woke up tied back to the pole the next day. Not much good came of it, though - I was declared extremely dangerous and sentenced to wander the earth for the rest of my days as tribeless. A stranger. My father felt this was not punishment enough, and so decided he would hunt me into the ground in payment for the life I took. For three years after that, I was chased and hounded around Siberia until my father decided it was time to move to the states. Another year was spent trying to get across the Pacific Ocean - I actually swam a large portion of it. These last two years have been spent running around the states, and..here I am."

Alice is silent. The quiet continues so thoroughly throughout the house that I can convince myself we are the only two in here. Of course, you know it to be otherwise. No one actually left, and if they did, you would have heard them. I soak in the peace and calmly await the coming wrath, all self-pitying tears dried. No one wants anything to do with a murderer; I just have to wait until Alice and the rest of the vampires realize it. Until then.. The silence continues for a long time, the passing time noted with each breath I take. Alice does not stir until I have passed a hundred breaths. She gently pushes me up into a sitting position next to her and guides my chin to look at her. I blink at the pained and tear-filled expression on her face, the quivering of her lips. "Bella," she says, clasping my hand tightly, "I can't express how much-"

The rest of her sentence is cutoff by a piercing howl. Alice snaps her jaw shut and growls, a sound that is echoed by at least three other vampires. Rosalie, Emmett, and Edward stride into the room looking pissed to high heaven. For a second I'm sure it's because of me, but a second howl that elicits a few snarls squashes that thought. Carlisle, Esme, and Jasper appear in the room next, looking far more composed than the others. Enemies of theirs, perhaps? I look to Alice to clear my confusion, but she only shakes her head at me. "It's nothing to worry about, Bella - they're just a bunch of werewolves that think too high of themselves, " she says, turning to Carlisle without waiting for a response. "I have no idea what they want, Carlisle, but my guess is they are chasing the path that Bella and those two men left last night. They probably won't believe us, and it's highly possible the treaty will remain broken this time."

Carlisle nods gravely, looking troubled. Treaty? So they are enemies? Rosalie growls menacingly, the glower on her face anything but benevolent. "Stupid mutts! It will take hours to get the stench out of my hair," she complains, pacing restlessly by Emmett. Hmm, definitely some heavy dislike here. But werewolves? I think not. I decide to chime in, "Those aren't werewolves if they're in wolf form without a full moon." Everyone looks at me strangely, Rosalie halting in her steps. "Werewolves can only become wolves at the full moon - at any other time, they are just regular humans," I explain. Carlisle's eyebrows shoot into his hairline, no doubt wondering why he hasn't realized it before now. Alice pats my hand I turn to look at her.

"Thank you, Bella. Would you rather stay inside while we deal with the intruders? There's likely to be an ugly fight." The concern in her voice makes me blink in confusion, yet again. Instead of addressing it this time, I decide to repay her for her kindness.

"No," I respond, standing swiftly, "if there is to be a fight, it's my duty to defend you in repayment for all your kindness, undeserved as it was." The air becomes heavy the second I finish speaking, and all seven vampires look highly sad and hesitant - except Edward who stiffens and glares at me almost immediately, but for different reasons than my sins. Another howl, much closer than the ones before, signals the arrival of the shapeshifters and prevents further discussion. Carlisle nods reluctantly and gestures towards the front door. I head towards it confidently and quickly test my shoulder's range of movement. There's only a minor feeling of soreness so I ditch the sling and rotate it, pleased with the results. Next, as I open the door, I feel my ribs and detect they aren't quite healed yet - I'll have to take it easy on them and hope I don't pierce a lung.

The porch is still caved in and destroyed from where I landed last night, my blood still staining it's pristine whiteness. Farther out in the clearing, I can see where I had been lying after being attacked by Ivan. On the other side of the clearing a tall, muscular man in nothing but shorts is emerging, flanked on either side by larger-than-normal wolves. Definitely shapeshifters. The wolves are crouched low and on guard, snarling and snapping aggressively. One is a russet brown and the other a light grey, both deferring to the man in between them. He must be their leader. I gather the man to be of Native American descent, his dark skin a great indicator. As they get closer, I notice he is almost as tall as myself and he is staring at me with open suspicion. I raise an eyebrow and cross my arms, not liking that one bit. All of the vampires are spread out around me, stiff and irritated.

When the man is within polite speaking range, Carlisle steps forward slightly to greet him. "Good afternoon, Sam. What brings you here?"

The wolves snap and snarl, but Sam quiets them with a gesture. "Cullens," he quips, not bothering to return the pleasant greeting. Cullens? I glance at Alice standing on my immediate right, and she nods her head minutely. Hm, I guess that's their last name. Sam goes on, "We've been following a strange trail all night. It has differed between human and animal at several different points, leading us to believe that they are shapeshifters like us. It ends here at your house, and we were hoping you could..shine some light on this matter."

Rosalie snorts from my immediate left, Emmett placing a restraining hand on her shoulder from her left. Edward and Jasper are rigid on Emmett's left, Edward more so than Jasper. Esme, next to Alice, looks as worried as any mother is when the safety of her children is called into question. Carilsle is calm and collected as usual at his place by Esme, and he wraps a reassuring arm around her shoulders. Looking at the shapeshifters, however, I can tell that anything he says will be disregarded almost instantly. So, to begin my repayment I step forth and address Sam before Carlisle.

I nod at Sam. "I believe I can help you."

He narrows his eyes at me and the wolves snort beside him. This irritates me greatly - how dare they look at me like that. Show some respect, dog. "And how can you do that?" Sam queries, his tone reflecting his doubts.

"I can do that by telling you that I was chased here by two members of my fellow species, and was taken in by the Cullens here after the two ran off. They have been nothing but kind to me, and I do not appreciate your rude behavior."

Sam coughs and clears his throat, obviously trying to cover up a laugh as the wolves snicker. My irritation grows. "Really? You don't even know what they are, let alone how they're thirsting for your blood even as you so righteously and wrongly defend them," he responds once he's gotten control of himself.

Arrogant, much? Time to take his ego down a few pegs. "I know exactly what they are: generous vampires who do not feed on humans who have taken me in during my time of need. I also know my blood affects them little because I am not human, and that you are shapeshifters and not werewolves. You are also way too pompous and full of yourself for your own good."

This causes him to openly roar with laughter and the wolves roll around on the ground, the russet wolf shifting back into human form. His hair is closely cropped to his head, like Sam's, and he cares little for how naked he is. I narrow my eyes as he says I have obviously hit my head too hard, and that they should just 'end the Cullens already.' Oh hell no. That's enough disrepect out of you. Sam is nodding his go ahead when I snarl at them, halting their laughter. Shifters and vampires both turn to regard me with wonder as my natural self fights to defend my honour. Just a little bit longer. "I have not, as you say, 'obviously hit my head too hard.' Any shapeshifter worth their salt would know the difference between a human and an animal, and judging by your actions, I can say with certainty that you are pathetic."

The unnamed shifter begins shaking at my words. "What did you just say?"

I let a sneer crawl onto my face. "You heard me. You. Are. Pathetic! Now I suggest you leave before I make you. I will not stand around while you insult these vampires who have done nothing but offer their hospitality."

A growl rumbles through him before he explodes into his wolf form, snarling and snapping. Sam attempts to restrain him, but the russet wolf ignores him. Mmm, fresh meat. I laugh condescendingly as my natural self sings to tear him limb for limb. He crouches low, preparing to attack as I take a deep breath to morph. The transformation is seamless and almost painful by how pleasurable it is. The Cullens, previously standing ready to defend themselves, now stare openly at me as I emerge into my beast form. Taller than russet boy, he leaps right as the morph is complete. Snarling in return, I pounce immediately, dark fur crackling with electricity.

This is going to be fun.

A/N: Another long author's note here. First, I'd just like to say thank you to all of you who have favourited, added to alerts, reviewed and read the previous chapter. It makes me really happy to know so many of you thoroughly enjoy this :D Second, I hope I managed to clear some of your questions about how Bella is different. I am keeping exact details under wraps for awhile, so just be patient for that. I realize I made it seem like there's a discrepancy in Bella's character last chapter in how I made it clear she can't read or write yet knows the difference between a capital and lowercase 'M'. My apologies, I know I did not give any clearance on that in this chapter but that's because this chapter was about exposing more of Bella's personality in how she grew up, how the tribe works, and so forth. To address that now, you know how when learning to read and write you start by learning the alphabet? Well, Bella knows the alphabet from beginning to read and write but her lessons never reached that far before she Morphed and her life went to hell. As you could tell, the tribe doesn't place much importance in that particular type of education, and it is continued after the more important lessons are covered (i.e., after Morphing). Next, I hope I did not make it seem like Bella or her species are all-powerful and unbeatable. The spettrali tigri would be outmatched and overpowered by humanity's technology if it ever came to that. They have avoided exposure because of their reclusive nature, and also because they do not openly reveal themselves or attack others who do not know of them. The tribe teaches their leaders about warfare because in some cases in the past, they were discovered and had to fight, and also it is really useful and (when you think about) necessary for a leader to know. More of the tribe's history will be revealed in later chapters, and anything I choose not to go into depth upon I may decide to include in a separate fic dedicated solely to the tribe's past (depends mostly on how you, the readers, feel about that). If ever you feel I have left something out, not explained something properly, or are just downright confused, please do not hesitate to point it out and I will rectify it to the best of my ability.

Moving on, I might have missed a few past tense verbs where they do not belong xD; sometimes I start writing in past tense without realizing it, and sometimes I don't catch them in my proofreads. I actually wrote a few paragraphs of this chapter in past tense before I switched back to present unknowingly. This chapter was also going to be from Alice's point of view and the chapters from there would have alternated between her and Bella. I wrote a great portion before it hit me that that was all wrong - all wrong! This is Bella's story, her journey, and to have it told from another's view, even if it is Alice's, would not be right. So, if I choose to ever have an Alice-centered chapter it will be for a special reason. Well I think that covers everything. I hope you enjoyed it and I will most likely have the next installment soon.