Author's Note- I know there are a lot of stories like this, but I have tried very hard to make this my own version and there will be bits from Edward's POV. Please review or add to faves if you like it- you have NO idea how much this is appreciated.

Disclaimer- Twilight and all characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. Unfortunately.

Note for my friend Hannah if she's reading- Firstly, if you are not Hannah (Hannah whose surname begins with M.) then you don't have to read this. Hannah, if you are reading, just because Jacob is a kinda major part in this story, it does NOT mean that I like him. I still hate his guts but Bella needed a reason to live in the first place, okay? Please, please, please shut up about that, yeah? :) Thanks (sorry to all members of team Jacob that might have read that even though they are not Hannah)

FOR THE BASIC SUMMARY AND STUFF SEE PREVIOUS CHAPTER! (note- it might help you to understand some bits)

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I watched Jake sleep peacefully and sighed. How much I wished that I could sleep. How much I wished that I could eat. How much I wished that I could die.

I sighed again. Death would be peaceful after this infuriating half-life full of unfulfilled dreams and wishes. I had barely any reason to live any more, and there were only two reasons as to why I had not been to Italy and begged for death.

1) Jake. I couldn't leave him, not after everything that he has done for me- not after that. He saved my life. Though, if I could live that moment again, I would have probably begged him not to. If I had known that this was the life that would follow, I would've told him to let Laurent escape, I would've told him that t wasn't worth it- I would've begged mercilessly for death.

2) My gift. My ability to shield others' minds was unique and a very powerful gift, not to mention the extra strength I had, that numerous ordeals I had gone through had built. I knew that if I went to the Volturi, I would not get my wish- I would be too valuable to dispose of, and would be forced to serve them for the rest of eternity.

How ironic it was that I now had what I had wished for all those years ago. But I didn't want it anymore- not now that the reason for my living was gone. I didn't think of him and his family, I couldn't, but they were always there in my huge contemplative mind.

Before my thoughts could run away with me, I stood and checked the carefully labelled boxes again, going over the story in my head. Jake and I were going back to Forks. Now that every last person that would recognise me was dead or gone, I could return. Both of us were going to attend Forks High School. We would move into a house in the countryside near Forks, and attend the high school under the names of Jake and Annabelle Black (the reason for our new names was because of the records that the school kept; I would still be there). We would be brother and sister and we lived alone.

Why were we going back? I asked myself. It must be something to do with the boredom of being alone, but a niggling thought was telling me that there was something more than that. Forks used to be their home. I knew that, deep down, I was hoping that they had returned; although I knew that they hadn't, I still hoped.

The morning came quicker than I had thought possible as I sat there brooding and it wasn't long before Jake sat up, his eyes half-closed with sleep.

"Morning." I muttered, knowing he would hear- his own hearing was nearly as good as mine.

"Morning Annabelle," he winked at me and I rolled my eyes.

"We have to leave soon." I told him and he nodded, serious now.

"How soon?" he asked.

"Soon, I guess. We have to unpack when we get there."

"Bells." Jake raised an eyebrow at me, "It won't take us long to unpack, especially considering that we packed up all of this stuff in an hour."

"The major advantage of super-human speed." I said sarcastically.

"What's up with you this morning?" Jacob asked, sensing my annoyance.

"Nothing." I replied.

"When did you last hunt?"

I shrugged.

"Oh, Bells!" Jake cried, "Just go already! You should've gone last night."

"I didn't want to."

"You never want to." Jake narrowed his eyes.

"Fine. I'm going. Just get off my back, okay?"

"I can't believe you still have a ridiculous aversion to this, Bells," he sighed and I glared at him, before turning and leaping lithely through the window.

As I darted off into the trees, I heard him mutter to himself, "It's been sixty bloody years."

I snarled under my breath. I knew that he knew why I had this "aversion" to hunting and he knew that I knew that he knew it. Every time I hunted it reminded me of them. And I hated it. I had tried starving myself, but it just didn't work. So this was my only choice.

It was a quick hunting trip and I was back at the house within half-an-hour. Two hours after that, we were gone and the house was empty.

The first night at our new home was a long one. I spent it familiarising myself with the huge, spacious rooms, making a mental note to re-decorate as I saw the peeling cream paint and the mould on the leaky windows. I had no idea how long this house had been here but it must have been here for some time. It was a sturdy house and the building and foundations were in good condition, even if the interior decor was a bit shoddy. And there was a big garage, which would naturally be required for Jake. It was also right slap-bang in the middle of nowhere, which was pretty necessary for our frequent hunting trips.

After hours of wandering through the now familiar rooms, I discovered that the kitchen was my favourite room of them all. It was the most spacious and it had a kind of welcoming feeling about it. I liked the way that its huge patio doors opened right into the forest and that most of the same wall was made of glass. I liked the woods now. The greenness felt like home to me now, as it had for many, many years. And I liked the gigantic oak dining table that looked like an antique. It had come with us from our old home, but it had never fit in there the way it did here. I hoped that it would be the same way for me.

I was sat there gazing through the patio doors at the unfamiliar landscape as I watched the sun come up. I heard Jake get up and shower before coming down and grinning at me. I smiled timidly back. I doubted I would have to admit to Jake that I was incredibly scared of returning. He always found me easy to read. In fact, most people did…

"Nervous." He stated, smiling slightly.

"Entertained?" I shot back, but then sighed, "Yes." I admitted quietly.

"Don't be- you'll be fine." Jake assured me, "You're well in control now and it'll be fun."

"Fun." I repeated morosely and Jake laughed.

"Right." He said, offering me his arm, like a gentleman, "Shall we?"

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Thank you so much for reading! Please review! (Note- it WILL get better- this had to be a kind of filler chapter to tell you all that's happened since the Cullens left)

Steph