Chapter 2 – Destiny's Course

APOV

"Rose, I'm telling you, she recognized me! I know she was completely inebriated, but she called my name."

Rose sat with her arms crossed staring at me quizzically.

"Okay… so…. What do you want me to say? Alice it's been over three years. Don't you think it's a little presumptuous to assume that she wants any of us back in her life?"

As much as I hated to admit it she had a point.

"You haven't seen anything about her in your visions in a very long time… maybe you should just leave her be," Rose continued.

"But it's not supposed to be like this. She's supposed to be with us. She's supposed to be with Edward! I've seen it!" I argued.

"Alice, that was like three years ago! You said she left Eclipse with some guy right? If that doesn't clear it up for you, I don't know what will…" Rose rolled her eyes. "I think you're dealing with this worse than Edward is. Have you even told him that you saw her?"

I couldn't even look her in the eyes, so I gazed mindlessly at the floor.

"Not exactly… I don't want him to freak out and run off again. I need for him to see her for himself… not through my thoughts. I'm telling you she's different… but I don't think he'd be able to walk away from her again if he saw her for himself… and as for that other guy… Jasper says he's in love with her, but he also says that he's been pursuing her unrequitedly. So he may love her, but she doesn't love him back and that makes all the difference."

Jasper looked between me and Rosalie, shaking his head in agreement with me.

I knew Edward didn't take leaving Bella lightly. He had been torturing himself with thoughts of her ever since that day and he was more miserable and alone than I had ever seen him before. He was never going to get over her and I couldn't stand by and watch him dwell in his sorrow any longer. He and Bella were meant to be… if only he could see her again, he'd realize his mistake and go win her back.

"Oh and she has a tattoo now… A big one!" I added.

"Really? I never quite pictured her as the type to do that… what is it?" Rose seemed pleasantly shocked, almost seeming to admire Bella's new found rebelliousness.

"What is what?" Emmett boomed out as he entered the room.

"Alice saw Bella tonight," Rose answered casually. "She's different… Alice was just telling me about it."

"You saw Bella?" Emmett asked, clearly taken aback.

"What? Where? What did she say? What did you say? Are you serious, or is Rose bull shitting me?" Emmett nearly tripped on his own feet as he paced back and forth in excitement.

So much for keeping it a secret…

"Rose… Damn! … It's hard enough for me to keep my own thoughts private from Edward, now you're practically waving a red flag in the air!"

"You haven't told Edward yet?" Emmett asked, shocked and appalled.

"No, I was just telling Rose, he needs to see her for himself. I think if he ran into her himself, he wouldn't be able to walk away from her again."

"So what is it?" Rose asked impatiently.

"She has a large tattoo now Em." She raised her eyebrows, turning to face Emmett.

"It's sad actually… it's this really pretty writing that says "Vanished is Love… as if it never existed."

Am I the only one who cares that she's in so much pain…? I don't understand how it doesn't bother them everyday…

"She's broken inside… I'm not sure she's fixable," Jasper finally spoke.

"I could feel her despair… she still loves Edward, but his lies about not loving her may have damaged her irreparably. She has no self confidence and she fears love. It's very disheartening. It was excruciating, even from across the room, to feel so lost. She's trying to drown her pain with the alcohol, but it's not working. It's only a temporary fix," he said, looking down at his feet and shaking his head sadly.

"Bella was a shell of the person she once was. Edward was her life… she was ready to give up her mortality, even her soul if that's what it took to be with him forever… to love him forever, and he threw it all away," Jasper added before walking over to my side.

"Edward needs to see her! He'll never believe his eyes. She's changed physically… her hair is a little shorter and more tousled, and she's more mature… but inside she's the same… she misses him. It doesn't take a mind reader or a psychic to see it and I bet he wouldn't be able to contain himself for 5 minutes in her presence now," I said looking between Rose, Emmett, and Jasper.

"Where is he by the way?" Rose asked.

"He, Carlisle and Esme went to hunt," Emmett answered with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Okay… we all need to be thinking of something completely unrelated to Bella or he's going to get very suspicious, and we're all going to be in for it," I reminded them.

We all agreed that when Edward got back we would keep this to ourselves for now.

"Jasper and I are going out for a while… we'll be back later… there's something I need to know."

313 Whispering Winds Apt. # 920 – Whispering Winds Apartments…. Yep that's what her friend said…. Let's go see what's going on with Bella these days…

"Don't get in any deeper Alice… let her be," Rose scolded. I wasn't having any of it. Bella belongs with us. It's the way it should have turned out 3 years ago before Edward decided to pull his disappearing act and I was not going to sit back and let this opportunity pass them by. It's time destiny took its proper course.

"Let's go Jasper… I want to see where she lives. She'll never even know we were there, it's such and odd hour for humans, she'll still be sleeping."

It wasn't far to where Bella's apartment complex was located. It was hard to believe that we had been this close all along and never knew she was right there. Jasper and I snuck into her apartment with the extra key I smuggled from the front desk. I was sure that she would never notice our presence. I just wanted to get a peek at her, and get a feel for where she was in her life now, hoping my visions of her future would pick back up.

I wandered throughout the spacious apartment admiring her new found taste. She wasn't near as innocent and shy as she used to be. I made my way toward the door I suspected to be her room and was shocked to find that she was not alone. Why can't I see her in my visions any more? If I had seen this, I could have acted, and changed things… What could possibly be blocking her from me?

Bella was curled up with the guy I saw from Eclipse. Jasper looked at me in shock, and both our hearts sank at the prospect that maybe just maybe Bella had actually forgotten about us and moved on.

Jasper seemed sad to confirm to me that she was comfortable and full of peace in this moment with her friend. We left there feeling defeated. From the look of things it was going to be difficult to reinitiate our friendship, much less make her believe that Edward never stopped loving her.

I just kept telling myself that what Jasper had felt earlier at the club had to be true, she didn't love him, it was unrequited… she was drunk and didn't know what she was doing… she can't have moved on… not now that she was so close to us again…

It was time for Edward to see her… It was time for him to come clean and reclaim her heart before he completely loses her to another man's affections.

BPOV

The sun rose, shining through the curtains where the moonlight had filtered through the night before. Still lying in my arms, Rob slept peacefully, breathing slow deep breaths. It was strange to me, that this didn't feel unnatural.

I still love Edward, shouldn't this be weird…. Why am I allowing this? Because he didn't want you… how could you ever forget…?

I thought for sure today the blinders would come off… today I would realize that this was nothing and I could go back to my normal life, but nothing about my life had ever really been normal. So why should this be any different?

I kissed him last night….. Now what? Is he going to expect something of me?

I moved slowly to get out of the bed unnoticed and run to the restroom. I quickly took care of business and brushed my teeth to rid myself of the residual alcohol and morning breath. As I walked back into my bedroom, Rob turned in his sleep and reached his arm over to where I should have been. I sat back down on the edge of the bed and froze there for a minute with my back to him, dazed and unsure of what to do.

"Bella," he called my name softly.

"Yeah?" I asked, turning slowly to face him.

"Do you remember anything from last night?" he asked as he shifted to his side and propped his head on his hand.

"If I'm being honest… a lot of things are cloudy, but I remember you." I blushed.

"Well that's good to know… I know this must be weird for you. I mean we haven't actually had a date even, and I wind up staying the night and sleeping in your bed." He looked scared of his own recollection of our relationship and stopped talking, but grinned sheepishly in my direction.

"Look, Rob… about last night…" I started.

"No, Bella… really it isn't necessary… I get it… I know you were feeling vulnerable last night, and I should have stopped you from kissing me… but the truth is… I've been dreaming of what it would be like to kiss you for a really long time, so I just didn't. I'm really sorry…"

Rob seemed very nervous. He suddenly removed himself from the bed and began getting his shoes on so he could prepare to leave.

"Please don't apologize… It was unexpected, but I'm not sorry it happened… I've been a total bitch to you, and you've been nothing but sweet to me. I kissed you because I wanted to, not just because I was drunk, although that made it easier on my nerves." I managed a smile at him.

"As a matter of fact, I'd like to try it again, not drunk, and see how it feels… I'd like to kiss you again right now, if that's okay." Now I was going too far… He's going to think you're a total freak Bella!

"He's absolutely crazy you know…" Rob replied with the most loving smile.

"Who? What are you talking about?" Oh shit, what had I been saying in my sleep?

"The guy who broke your heart… he was probably the luckiest bastard on earth to get you in the first place, and he's a damn fool for having let you go." Rob's gaze was penetrating.

I moved closer to where he now sat at the foot of my bed and looked down into his beautiful green eyes. Edward told me that my memories would fade and that it would be as if he never existed… that I would move on and forget him… but I never did… I knew I never could. Yet, in this instant, I also knew that I could be satisfied with a life that included this amazing man.

I stepped in front of him and put my hands on either side of his face. Leaning down slowly, I watched the pleasant and tender reaction in his eyes as I moved in to kiss him again… and then before I knew what I was doing, I closed my eyes and pressed forward to deepen the kiss.

His arms wound around me, one hand on my waist, the other in the small of my back, as he pulled me toward him. He held to me gently, but with a fevered passion I hadn't felt in a very long time. I was helpless. My soul didn't really exist as a whole, but I was surprised to find that pieces of it still remained intact. Those pieces sprung to life before my eyes and I didn't resist.

It was nice to feel again… to actually really be wanted. I'd forgotten how this felt. It was beautiful, but tragic. I wanted this, I missed this… but I wanted it with Edward.

Time to move on Bella… he didn't love you… he didn't want you… Rob does… why not him?

He leaned back slowly until he was lying on my bed and I was almost directly on top of him. His lips never parted from mine except to catch our breath. His hands slid slowly up my waist and around my back, leaving a jet stream of chills where they had caressed.

"Bella… you are so beautiful… so perfect… I thought you'd never give me a chance. I nearly gave up." He gazed directly in my eyes and kissed me once more. "I'll do everything I can to make you happy if you'll only let me."

I didn't know what to say or do. So I nodded to agree. "I'm warning you… I'm in no position to be in a committed relationship… I'm broken… I can't let myself go that easy… there's no perfect reason… I just don't trust anymore, and it's not your fault, but I'm not ready to let myself be vulnerable to that hurt again. I can't guarantee you anything other than I'll try… and I understand if that's not enough for you… you deserve someone who will trust you completely and not have these hang ups, so if she comes along, I expect you to run to her and let me go, because I can't guarantee I'll ever be able to be that girl for you."

Way to scare him off Bella… Oh well it was fun while it lasted…

"I'll take my chances," he replied simply, rolling me over onto the bed under his muscular frame. I laughed, a little relieved that he didn't bolt out of my apartment. But mostly I laid in awe, shocked that he stayed after everything I just told him.

Rob stayed just a little while longer to make breakfast while I jumped in the shower to get ready for work. He dropped me off at the shop on the way to his apartment, insisting that I not ride my bike… At least not right away after having had such an inebriated evening.

That's one thing he and Edward would have in common. Neither of them would care for me riding a motorcycle. They would both claim the risk just too dangerous. Unlucky for them, or anyone else, I didn't care what people thought. I'm a grown woman, and I will make my own decisions, especially when I'm not putting anyone at risk other than myself.

When I walked in the building, everyone stopped and stared at me like I had a third eye or something.

"WHAT? Why are you all looking at me like that?" I asked.

Lala was the first to speak up "Oh girl, you got you some didn't you? It's written all over your face…"

"Oh my God… no… I did not get me some… Geez Lala, give me a little credit… he drove me home because I was trashed, that's all."

"Mm hmm," she replied, eyeing me skeptically.

"Well you are looking a little smug this morning Bells… what did happen?" Jess asked.

"You nosy bitches aren't going to let this go are you?" I laughed, shaking my head.

"Hell no! First of all, you totally bailed on us at Eclipse, but I heard you did it with Patron, so I ain't mad atcha, but the least you can do is dish a little," Lala replied, followed by Jess's "Spill it already, Shit!"

I had everyone's attention at that moment, and so I shared a little… "Okay, so I might have kissed him last night and then again this morning, and then I might have told him that I would try to be something with him, but I told him that I did not guarantee anything committed because of my past. I warned him that I have trust issues, and that if he found someone less complicated than me he should go after her."

"Holy Shit Bella… why the fuck would you say all that?" Lala gouged.

"Because… I don't want to set him up for disappointment, and I'm still not 100% sure this is going to work. I don't want to give him a guarantee on how I feel, because I'm not even sure what it is that I'm feeling. I can't lie, I'm still in love with Edward, and I don't know that I'll ever get over losing him. He was my whole world and then he just left me. I can't just forget that, I can't forget the years of numbness I've felt where his love used to be… where it should be now."

My voice got quiet and I found myself no longer looking them in the eye. I had grown very used to looking at the floor when I talked to people, especially about my past.

What have I gotten myself into?

"Well… look at it this way… you've got yourself a fine piece on the side while you wait for Edward to come to his senses," Nessie joked.

"Yeah you do…," Lala laughed. "I'd tap that."

"Ha! Ha! Ha! You guys…," I replied in mock humor. "Okay…so enough about my fucked up love life… where the hell is Ana?"

"Oh, she called in and said she'd be late. She met up with an old friend at the club last night. I guess they hit it off again and she decided to go home with him."

"Wow… it sounds like it was a crazy night for both you hookers," Lauren replied.

"Yeah… well I plan on having me a crazy night full of mayhem. Mr. Jason Mayhem Miller, that is…" Lala said laughing. "He's so fucking hot; I can't even believe I'm really going to meet him for dinner."

"He doesn't know it yet, but I just might be inviting him back to my place after dinner for a little dessert." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Well go on with your bad self then." I smiled, shaking my head. She never ceased to entertain me with her wit and charm. She was a great friend. One of those "life of the party" kind of girls.

"Yeah, now that you are practically dating Rob, you can thoroughly thank him for introducing me to him… Oh and you could like, give him a piece or something so he'll get you some tickets to the next fight. That's not too much to ask…you know… you could be like, friends with benefits." She laughed, only half joking. She really did want those tickets.

"Oh my God, Lala did you just propose that I have sex with him to get you MMA tickets?" I laughed at her.

"No… I simply suggested that if you gave him a piece, he might feel so grateful for your kind gesture that he would return it with a kind gesture of his own in the form of front row tickets…" she tried to keep a serious face, but it was hopeless.

"Oh so now it's front row, huh?" God I love her… she's hilarious.

"Hey… only the best for my friend's cute little ass!" She laughed.

"Thanks… that makes it so much better," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"You're welcome… let me know what time the fight starts. I've got to have time to get ready for my man," she smiled.

"So how did Rob end up introducing you two?" I was serious now…

"You know… he works with the fight club's and fighter's right? Well he knows Jason from there and told him that I was a fan and that I had a huge crush on him. So he asked him if he'd like to have dinner with me, and Jason actually said yes," she replied.

"Oh yeah, duh…" I replied as I trailed into thought.

Before this conversation had a chance to get any further, Ana came strolling in the door with a huge smile on her face.

"Oh Lord, girl… what have you been up to?" I asked, looking her over. She was glowing, completely happy, smiling from ear to ear, like a kid in a candy store.

"Awww Shit! She's done gone and got some too!" Lala yelled out.

"Damn, I need to start hanging out with you girls. I need a good man that'll have me walking in here all on cloud 9," Lauren said.

"Okay Ana, so what's up… why so cheery?" I pried.

"Bobby Foster…" Was all she said.

"NO WAY!!!" I yelled out, wide eyed in mocked surprise, earning a round of strange looks from the rest of the crew, including Ana. "Who the fuck is Bobby Foster?" I asked apparently what we all were thinking

"An old friend… well more than an old friend… an old boyfriend really. I never thought I'd see him again, and then last night after Rob took you home, I was dancing and waiting for these bums to show up," she said waving her hand toward Lala, Nessie, Jess and Lauren. "Anyway… he recognized me after all this time and asked me to dance. I never thought in a million years I'd ever see him again. I broke his heart horribly a long time ago, but I guess he let bygones be bygones because we spent an amazing night together last night."

"Speaking of amazing nights… you haven't told Ana about your night with Roooob!" Lala spewed it out like a teeny bopper talking about their high school crush. I almost expected her to follow with the 'Bella and Rob, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g'…. song, but before she could, Ana turned smirking with her eyes squinted nearly to slits to interrogate me.

"Okay bitch, spill…." She smiled and climbed into the seat across the desk from me, propping her petite face in her hands to show proper attention to detail.

"There's nothing really to tell… he's nice… a gentleman really… he took me home as you already know… and I guess he was worried about me, so he stayed… I got up to go the kitchen, and tripped over him lying on a pallet in my floor next to my bed. I didn't expect him to be there… anyway, my tripping over him didn't even make him budge. I don't know what came over me, but I knelt down and touched his face… anyway, that woke him and the next thing I knew I was kissing him. He was prepared to leave but I asked him to stay… I was still buzzing hard and I didn't want to be alone. So he stayed… but nothing happened. We just slept. And then this morning he panicked like he had taken advantage of the situation last night, and he jumped up and started apologizing and throwing his shoes on… so I stopped him and kissed him again."

The room was silent and everyone was looking at me like I'd lost my mind. I think they half expected that I would be angry with him, but the realization that I initiated it seemed to floor them.

"Wow!" Was all Ana could muster. "I honestly wasn't expecting that." She had a smirking smile on her face and one eyebrow cocked.

"Rob told me that there was a small girl walking away from you when he saw you crying, before you jumped up to leave. Who was she? And more importantly, what did the bitch do that had you so upset?" Ana was suddenly very protective.

"It was just a girl I knew from back home… she didn't really do anything, I just wasn't expecting to see her here of all places that's all."

"A girl from back home? What did she want?" Ana wanted details.

"I'm not sure actually, I didn't really give her a chance to talk," I replied with a hint of suggestion, but no one seemed to catch the drift that it would have been a very awkward conversation.

Of course they wouldn't catch it, they don't know that she's my ex-best friend, who also happened to be a vampire like her brother who I'm still hopelessly in love with even though he declared his lack of feelings for me so blatantly… thus leaving a black hole right through the middle of me… duh Bella… get with it… they aren't privy to the sensitive details… well not most of them anyway…

"OKAY! Geez, she's my ex's sister… there are you happy now?" I started to get defensive and blushed profusely.

"Hold on…. that girl is the sister of the asshole that left you?" Ana was pissed.

"Settle down… she was cool… I have actually missed her a lot. She used to be a very good friend. It wasn't her fault that Edwa- I mean he was such a prick. It just brought up a lot of old feelings that I've been working very hard to rid myself of over the last few years. I honestly wonder if the whole family is here, or if it's just her? They usually always travel together… it's a little un-nerving to think he could be here too…" I replied anxiously.

I silently pondered on Alice's purpose for being here, and wondered if she had seen something in my future that would have brought her to Vegas to find me… Nah! Who are you kidding, it's been years… total coincidence… has to be… I bet I won't even see her again…

"If you say so… but they better not come around here starting shit with you, or we'll have to handle that," Lala said in my defense.

Everyone nodded in agreement, but I knew that they would never be able to match up to the Cullen's abilities. Even if I was the purpose of their arrival, I just needed to forget that I had seen her and move on.

"Nobody better jack with my girl or I'll have to bring out the Nazi in Jess's German ass, and it'll be on like Donkey Kong!" Lala joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Damn Straight!" Jess answered laughing.

Jess's heritage is primarily German and Lala loves giving her grief over it, always jokingly calling her Hitler, or making a reference to her being a Nazi… Jess never takes offense to it. It's kind of a private joke between friends as none of us really harbored any true prejudices.

"You all are very sweet, but please don't worry about this… it was a fluke… I'll likely not even see her again," I offered, but in a strange way I hoped differently.

"Well let's hope she doesn't frequent Eclipse, because we're going back on Friday night… Bobby is going to meet me there. I told him that I want him to meet all of you," Ana shared.

"Oh, I don't know," I began, "last night was so…" I didn't finish the thought before she cut me off.

"Oh yes, that means you too… you can invite Rob, but chances are he would already be there anyway, so you don't have to worry about having another night like last night happen again… unless… you want him to rescue you again… we could totally plan it out... it could lead up to the perfect night, with him feeling all masculine and in control, and you being his little damsel in distress. I bet I could even get a couple guys to hit on you right in front of him to light a fire under his ass…" Ana laughed, but didn't seem to be kidding.

"I love it… it's like your Romeo and Juliet moment, Bells…" Lala laughed and then continued in her lovably smart ass way, "Rob-O, Rob-O, where for art thou Rob-O?" She had tears in her eyes she was laughing so hard, as was everyone at that point… including me.

"Wow… uh… no… that won't be necessary… I'll just ask him if he can go… oh and thanks for the vote of confidence, like I can't get hit on by myself… I know I'm plain, but I'm not completely unfortunate looking," I answered smirking.

"Suit yourself… as long as you're there I don't care… I can see where Bobby might become an important part of my life again and I want you to get to know him too, you know…since we live together and all. He'll probably be staying with us from time to time."

I nodded in agreement despite my aversion to going there again.

"Alright bitches let's get to work… we got some ink to push and money to make… the parties don't afford themselves ya know..." Ana joked and we resumed our workstations, knocking out some rockin' pieces.

The rest of the day was rather uneventful. When our day was through, I grabbed a ride back home with Ana and we settled in with the Pizza we ordered for dinner and watched a movie before heading off to bed.