Hey, sorry about the wait, but you know, *whispers* writers block!

Special shout out to Elmo-.'BiteMe'.-Cullen who really does write brill reviews! Thanks!

So yeah, here's the second chapter – hope you like, and don't forget to review (:

Soundtrack: In The End - Linkin Park

"Oh, Edward, do you remember when we were chased by those rogue vampires? That was so scary!"

Do not slap the crap out of her.

"Oh, but it was alright, because Edward was there with me." Tanya said to the others. She gripped Edward's other arm, the one that wasn't around my waist, and squeezed it tightly. Her eyes were all molten and gooey, and she was staring at Edward like a predator that's spotted dessert.

Do not slap the crap out of her.

"You know, we were so close to getting together, but it was a mutual decision that we wouldn't. I mean, it would be a little weird, because we're like family, right? Oh well, we didn't care – at least I didn't! In fact, I'd still have him..." she teased, not joking in the slightest.

And...that's my limit.

We'd been there only three days, and already I'd reached the end of my patience. Edward and I spent the whole day out of the house in order to avoid her, yet whenever we get back in, she starts trying to wind me up! She'd ordered a sit down, so all the family (she'd made it pretty clear that that didn't involve me) could talk, and reminisce.

That bitch was going down.

"Tanya! Shut. The. Fuck. Up!" I yelled, jumping up from the sofa at the same time that she did and staring her down. She was at least 4 inches taller than me, and much, much stronger, but I didn't care. That ho was not going to talk to me like shit any longer.

"I'm sorry, is there a problem?" she sneered, staring right back. Everyone else was stood up now, too, ready to stop her if she got angry.

No-one would even think to stop me.

"Yes there is, actually. I want you to stop flirting with my boyfriend – scratch that – my fiancée, and find your own damn man. You're absolutely pathetic; I'm surprised no-one has told you that yet. Oh, and one other thing – your nose is kind of bent."

"What the hell are you talking about?" she laughed, turning to the rest of the room for emphasis. They were all looking at me like I was crazy – except Caleb and Emmett. They both knew exactly what I was going to do.

"This." I said simply. I swung my right hand back, and then launched it into her smug little face, feeling as well as hearing the bones in her nose snap cleanly and feel the blood start welling under my hand.

She screeched and pulled away from me, staring in disbelief as I did. It had never occurred to me how I had been able to punch a vampire in the face if they were meant to be indestructible. But I didn't dwell on it. I just hightailed it out of the front room to the cheers I was getting from the boys – Jasper and Carlisle included – before I did something else that I would regret – not that I would regret punching her in the face one little bit. She deserved it.

I could hear Tanya's shouts even when I was out of the house and out into the woods at the front of the house. I couldn't help but laugh. She was pathetic, and that punch wasn't even half of what I felt like doing to her. I mean come on, who says shit like that?

There was no one coming after me, which I was kinda...weirded out about. Did that mean that they would rather comfort Tanya than come and find me? I didn't know – I didn't want to find out.

So instead of heading back to the house and finding that everyone was pissed with me about punching their "charming" hostess in the face, I walked briskly into the woods, deciding that a bit of exercise would be best. Cathy would just do her nut if I didn't do at least a little bit of training whilst I was on leave; she had already gone beserk when I told her I was going away for the Summer, and that only if I was needed, I mean really needed, would she be able to call me back in.

I thought it was about time I got away for a while.

The leaves crunched underneath my sneakers as I made my way further in, not caring that it was getting darker and darker. This forest wasn't like the ones back home, as strange as it sounds. For one it wasn't raining here, and the leaves underneath me were soft instead of soggy and splattered with mud. The trees were the same, but this forest wasn't as mystical and magickal as they were back home – though I supposed Forks did have a few more mythical creatures than this part of Alaska did.

I couldn't have been walking for more than ten minutes when I came across the tracks.

At first I ignored them, seeing them to be just normal black bear prints – though I was keeping my eyes out for any signs of black bears, I really didn't need to get in a fight with any more animals after the last time – when suddenly I stopped dead, seeing something I really didn't want to see.

The prints suddenly became human.

One moment I was walking by bear prints, and the next second I stopped, seeing a human footprint where the next paw mark should've been. I tried to brush it off as someone maybe attacking the bear? But there was no way. The prints were that of a shapeshifter, the one subject that I had been trying to ignore completely for the last few weeks.

I backed away completely until my back hit a tree, my eyes not straying from the changing prints. It was as though they were painted red – my eyes just wouldn't look away, even though that's all I wanted to do.

And then as soon as I had found them, I was running.

I seriously ran as fast as I fucking could, just wanting to get the hell away from those damn prints that were so clear. It was like they were mocking me, telling me things I already knew: I had things to talk about, and nothing, not even nature, was going to let me get away with it.

I broke through the trees in about two minutes, not even breathing heavily. The house was just as I left it, but I didn't quite know how it could. It was as though now something bad had happened to me, how could the world still be the same?

I burst through the front door, skidding past Carmen and Eleazar who were peering anxiously through the front door, probably waiting for me to get back unless Tanya had done another disappearing act. They looked at me quizzically, and scanned the front porch in case there was anyone chasing me, but I didn't stop. I just wanted to find Carlisle, and hope that he was either alone, or at the very least Tanya wasn't with him.

But apparently that was just too much to fucking ask for.

She was stood there in the middle of the room totally living it up as everyone paid attention to her. Carlisle had her face in his palm, inspecting the damage my fist had done (yes I was very smug at this point); Esme was talking to her earnestly; Alice and Rosalie were nowhere to be seen; but what did make me laugh were Edward, Emmett, Jasper and Caleb stood in a corner snickering.

But everyone stopped immediately when I came crashing into the room.

"Bella, what is it?" Edward asked seriously, eyeing my white face and defensive stance carefully. He strode across the room and put his hands on my shoulders, staring into my face earnestly. "Did something happen whilst you were outside?"

"I saw something that reminded me – of everything." I murmured. He instantly understood, and pulled me into his arms, wrapping them around my back tightly and kissing the top of my head. "Carlisle?" I asked over Edward's shoulder (which I could only just see over the top of).

"Yes, Bella?" he asked, surprised, but happy that I was actually talking to him again.

"We need to talk." I said simply.

I felt Edward stiffen around me, but I pulled back, stroking his face gently. "I'll be fine, honestly."

"Call me if you need me." he said in a low voice, looking hard at Carlisle before turning back to me. "I mean it."

I nodded before leaving the room with Carlisle close behind me. I went back out of the front door, passing a curious Irina and Kate, but ignoring them. I headed straight for the woods, not looking back at Carlisle once.

I simply pointed at the prints when we reached them, not saying a word or even looking up. He leant down to examine them, whilst I just leant against a tree opposite, watching the darkening sky with sadness. My happiness had lasted two months – two months, that's it. Was that all I was entitled to? Two months without having any major problems?

"Shapeshifter?" I already knew the answer, it didn't take a genius.

"Looks like it." he sighed. "I think there are quite a few around here – Eleazar was telling me about them the last time we came up. They aren't a threat though, if that's why you're worried."

"No, that's not why I wanted to talk to you." I sighed, slumping down to the floor. "Firstly, I want to apologize for not speaking to you since what happened with Aiden and the werewolves. You wanted to talk, but I didn't want to."

"Why?" he asked, confused. He came and sat by me on the ground, the prints forgotten.

"Because the wolves made me realize how...weak I actually I am. They made me realize that I'm only human, and that someday, something is going to kill me. I guess I just didn't really want to be reminded of that fact."

"I'm so sorry." He said, horrified. "I had no idea that was how you felt! Honestly, if I had known I would have never-"

"It doesn't matter." I sighed. "We need to talk sometime. What did you want to tell me?"

Carlisle took a deep breath before he spoke again, which I took to mean he was about to say something important. "He told me that you aren't...completely human. He said that in your blood is the blood of shapeshifters."

"Wouldn't that mean I had to inherit it?" my heartbeat go faster and faster.

"Yes. There has always something...extraordinary about you, but I've never detected anything like that from Charlie, so I'm thinking that..."

"I got it from my mother." I said simply. "Yet, I think I'd know if she was a shapeshifter." I laughed. "Aiden told me that she was a shapeshifter, but I can't believe that, I just can't."

"Like you knew she was a spy?" that wiped the smile of my face. "Sorry, that was harsh."

"No, you're right. If I didn't know she was a spy, then she could've been a-. Shit, what am I going to do?" I shouted, leaping up from the floor and pacing. "I mean, I can't be a shapeshifter, just can't be!"

"Look, just hold on a moment." He said softly, stopping me by the shoulders. "Let's just calm down and talk about this."

I breathed out, not even realizing I had been holding my breath. Carlisle was right, but I couldn't get to grips with it. It seemed like all I had been doing lately was finding out secrets that my mother had been keeping from me.

"What's there to talk about?" I scoffed. "There's nothing more to say! My mother was a lying bitch; the people who were meant to take care of me were threatened with blackmail; my boyfriend has no idea what I am; and the rest of my family are going to be pretty pissed that I kept yet another secret from them. But no, there's absolutely nothing wrong, and we should just talk." Alright, I was going pretty overboard with the sarcasm, but I didn't care! As soon as I had thought that my life was back on track, everything comes back to bite me on the ass.

Don't I ever get a break?

"Bella, calm down!" he said sharply. "We can work through this, I'll help you, you know that."

"Edward's going to be pissed." I moaned.

"I know, I know." He crooned. He pulled me into his arms for a fatherly hug, and I felt a little better instantly. Maybe just knowing there was someone right there who cared about what happened to me helped. "They'll understand why you kept this a secret – they're your family, and nothing you can say or do is going to change that, understand?"

"Yeah." I sighed, pulling away. "Thanks, Carlisle." I went and knelt by the prints, looking in awe at them. It was just so surreal... "How is Emmett going to take this?"

"He'll handle it." he smiled, sitting by me. "He's your brother, and he loves you more than you will ever know...I should know, after watching him when we thought you were..."

I looked at him sharply. His face was lined with grief and horror at the suppressed memory. "Tell me, please. What was he...like?"

He inhaled deeply before speaking. "He was...a mess, simply put. When we found the place they were holding you – the final place – he went mental. The boys ran up to the room where you were being held whilst the girls and I stood outside in case anyone escaped. Jasper and Emmett came down with those wolves that had been torturing you, and honestly Bella, I have never seen Emmett as angry as he was then. And all he had to do was tell Rose and they were both ripping into them, Jasper and Alice included." He shuddered at the memory. "They had just finished when we heard Alice scream. Jasper ran over to her, but she was sobbing too much for him to get any words of explanation out of her. And then Caleb and Edward came down with you..." he turned away from me and exhaled shakily, like he should've been sobbing. I put a comforting hand on his shoulder, and he continued.

"Edward was in denial, and he wouldn't take his eyes off you in case you woke up; Caleb was just...dead, he never spoke a word. But when Emmett saw you...it was absolutely awful, Bella. He fell to his knees and looked more vulnerable than I have ever seen anyone like us look. He probably would've stayed there for eternity if Aiden hadn't chosen that moment to show his smug little face, right beside me so that he could whisper to me what you were." His face grew darker. "There was such a change in Emmett. He just leapt up, and he and Rose finished him off – and I let them, believing his words to be nonsense, and just a blaspheme of a dead girl. But when you woke up later... I thought that his words must have some truth – how else could you have survived?"

I just shrugged and stood, looking back towards the house, even though I couldn't see it. There was still something I had to do.

"Carlisle?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"I think it's about time I came clean."

"So let me get this straight, you're part shapeshifter?"

"Yes."

"And so was mom?"

"Yes."

"And somehow, Aiden knew?"

"Yes."

"...And now you've found prints indicating that there are other shapeshifters in this area, and you want to talk to them? Correct me if I'm missing anything here."

"No, that's about it. Isn't it enough?" I asked sarcastically. "I'm just so sick of everything! Can't I ever get a break?" I fumed, pacing the living room.

It hadn't been as hard as I thought to break the news to everyone, what with Carlisle doing his father role and standing supportingly by my side whilst I explained. They'd...understood for the most part. Esme had been shocked, but she had been quick to be the perfect mother and stick by me; Alice and Jasper, ditto; Rose didn't know what to say, and Emmett was confused. I'd seen Edward's eyes go hard when he'd found out, but I hadn't had a chance to speak with him yet; and the Denali's and Caleb had been totally cool with it.

So I wasn't completely screwed.

"Are you going to see the shapeshifters that are around here?" Kate asked in her serene way. If she got any more laid back I swear she'd fall over.

"I don't know." I sighed. "I haven't thought this through completely. Technically, I don't have to do anything, but I suppose it would help to talk to somebody..."

"Of course it will, sweetheart." Esme said quickly. But the way she said it made me feel as though she wasn't being honest. Carlisle seemed to notice too, and gave her a strange look, but she ignored it. "Now, don't you think you should be getting to bed, Bella?"

"Uhhhm, sure." I said uneasily. "Goodnight." I began walking out the room, making my footsteps extra light so they wouldn't know when I stopped.

The hallway leading to the stairs was around another corner and out of a door, so I was able to listen and watch them. Something wasn't right, and I needed to know what.

"Well, that was unexpected." Alice said slowly.

"How are we supposed to help her?" Edward groaned, putting his head in his hands. "I just don't know what to say to her! The poor girl has too much of the supernatural in her life – it isn't fair on her."

"What I want to know is why she kept this a secret." Emmett scowled.

"Em, come on, you've both kept secrets." Rose chided gently. This conversation was just making me feel sicker and sicker.

"I know, but something like this." Esme shook her head, I could see her well from where I was stood. She looked, for want of a better word, horrified.

"She keeps a lot of secrets." Jasper whispered. I was surprised they couldn't hear my heartbeat.

"Can we trust her?" Irina asked softly, not wanting an answer. There was a long time in which nobody spoke, before Edward and Alice spoke three words that made me feel worse than I had ever felt in my entire life, and threw all my self-belief out of the window.

"We don't know." They both whispered at the same time.

At that moment I didn't care if they found out I was listening. I just sprinted up the stairs, trying not to sob as I heard them all run out of the living room, obviously having not realized I was there. I just slammed the bedroom door and threw myself on the bed, crying softly onto the pillow.

I couldn't remember the last time I cried.

After a while, I heard the softest of footprints which stopped outside the door, and a low voice which whispered: "I'm sorry, Bella." Edward. I never answered, and sometime in the night, I cried myself to sleep.

Damn, only the second chapter and things are going wrong!

Let me know what you think, because I really do want this story to get more reviews than My Vampire Romance! Come on, lets try for more than 100, okay? (:

Charlie