A/N: So at long last we resume Black or Noir it's been a while since the first chapter, have fun xx Alexis


Bella was officially starting work for the Whitlock's on Saturday but dropped in several times with purchases and receipts. It became apparent she was not wasteful, quite often she bought things for function rather than style. Her office space was now fully operational, she loved the furniture. It was solid and heavy, but light in colour. She had the only PC; the guys had laptops, so they could work from anywhere.

Everything was linked to office PC and she was surprised at how much they trusted her, a relative stranger. Not that she'd dream of ripping them off. It was Friday after Uni when she popped in, to drop off more stuff that she remembered something Charlie had told her,

"Jasper? Did you know the girl that went missing from Forks? She'd have been in your year when you were there" Bella asked as she made coffee for the two of them, Peter was off somewhere Jasper had said.

"Eh, I heard darlin' but I'm not sure who it was?" he hedged, he really didn't know and he felt bad that at the time he didn't care.

"Ashley ..., Ashley Dowling! Her father owns the Auto Repair place, really overpriced, Charlie says" Bella told him handing over his coffee.

"Oh! Yeah, I had a couple of classes with her. She was sporty and outgoin' if I remember rightly. But I didn't really know her or anyone else, the family kinda kept to themselves. It was frowned upon to make friend's outwith our group, one of the reasons I left to find my brother!" he said trying to make a back story for her.

"That's sad. Why do people do that, become so insular like that?" she mused, not really to him so he let it slide.

"Big day tomorrow then. We don't have any clients yet, but you'll have a lot to do orderin' stationery and such like. I've put ads in the paper and we'll do a mailshot too, okay?" Jasper said changing the subject quickly.

"Yes, I'd better get going, need to get my beauty sleep. Can have my bosses saying I look tired," she quipped and after tidying away their mugs she left, wishing she'd seen Peter, but he'd be there tomorrow.

IIBOIIN

Peter was upstairs in the flat making it liveable for Bella, it was more than just a mess it was totally uninhabitable. He had repaired the walls, fixed the plumbing and was at present sorting out the electrics. He heard Bella arrive and was going to join them when his spidey senses stopped him. So listening in he stayed where he was and finished his task.

He felt the wave of, was that pain? Jasper had projected it too quickly for him to be sure. Did he know more about that girl than he'd said before? Strange, it's not like his brother, to lie to him about anything. Or had he been unaware of the connection to her until now, hearing her name triggering a response? Alice had kept him on such a tight leash, tight enough to strangle a human.

Whilst he had been working Peter had found some original fixtures and had refitted them knowing Bella would love them. The whole place had that forties feel she loved so much and it suited her well. Finally, he painted the walls and using his vampire speed, buffed up the wooden floor and fit sliding panels to allow her to block off the bed and kitchen areas if she wanted. He checked everything twice, to be sure she couldn't resist tomorrow. He wanted his mate here, nearby where she'd be safe.

Sitting down in the middle of the room, Peter heard Bella preparing to leave,

'I watched the dame walk out of my door, eyes glued to the sway of her hips. The loud sound of her stilettos faded into the distance, as my heart clenched at the loss. Tippin' my hat back, I stared out the window into the dark. The night was as black as my soul!'

"Pete, Stop it! Awe shit, can we talk?" Japer said barely raising his voice.

"Yeah bro, what's up?" Peter asked entering the office below,

"I don't know! I feel weird, off somehow. It don't make sense" Jasper answered slowly, shaking his head.

"You projected pain at the mention of that girl's name. Did you know her more than you said?" Peter quizzed,

"No, I liked her. Her emotions were great, upbeat, you know? Actually, they were calmin' and warm to me. Odd I haven't thought about her in years, well that's not true, she pops into my mind occasionally. Always makes me feel better!" Jasper said distractedly and Peter smiled.

"You need to reconnect with Emmett dude; I think you need to see her again. Now she's a vampire!" Peter says strolling over to the new coffee machine.

Peter loved the office now, everything smelled of Bella. Her scent was on just about everything in the two offices and it made him so happy. If he'd been a dog he'd have been rolling over everything, to get it on himself. As it was he couldn't help sniffing random things and stroking anything she'd touched. He knew this was what Jasper needed too, he needed his mate and Peter had a feeling that was Ashley.

In the back of his mind, it occurred to Peter that Alice had known and made sure they never got together. As vampires, they could be drawn to someone for a million reasons, but the first touch always sealed the deal for mates. Just as Peter had shaken Bella's hand the day they interviewed her and had know she was his forever.

Had the Cullens knowingly kept them apart? Was it just Alice? He doubted it, Edward would have known too. But what about the Dr and his wife? He doubted that Rose and Em knew they were often kept out of the loop in that weird family set up. Well, time would tell when Jasper got in touch with them. He turned to his brother saying,

"We need advice on security stuff and a secure program for our more interestin' customers when we get some! Call Emmett ask him to come to visit and to bring the girls".

IIBOIIN

Bella arrived early for her first day, hoping to see the flat before she started. This would be perfect for her and so near to Peter, although she was pretending otherwise. She smiled when she saw her desk, a rattan trug basket with a beautiful bouquet of Lilac, Narcissus, Ornithogalum, Tulip and Viburnum lay there.All in white's and cream's, much nicer than the usual red roses. Next to it was a bunch of keys, all varying shapes and sizes.

"Good-mornin' Bella," the guys said in unison,

"Good morning to you both, thanks for the flowers they are beautiful" Bella answered giving them a huge smile.

"You ready to see the flat?" Peter quizzed,

"Yes please, I'm so excited" she gushed and they both laughed.

Peter grabbed up the bunch of keys and head out of her office through the door to the break room and toilet area. Bella knew there was another door there as she'd seen it often. Peter retrieved a key from the pile on the ring and opened the door to a stairwell.

"Down is to the rear exit and another door to the basement garage, I'll show you later. Up to the flat, there's another floor above yours, that's not been touched and the roof access. So no noisy neighbour's at present, we can't agree on what to make it, guest accommodation or place to crash in town for us" Peter said as he guided Bella up the stairs.

It was everything she'd ever wanted and to see all of the little restored touches made her so happy. This was the first place she'd ever seen that screamed home to her. Although it was all open plan, there were sliding panels that could use to block off the bed area and the kitchen if wanted. It was absolutely perfect and for some reason felt like Peter, did he do all this, just for her?

"Peter, did you? You did this just for me didn't you?" she said in a rush and he ducked his head as if embarrassed.

"Yes" was his quiet reply,

Bella was stunned for a moment, then rushed to him and hugged him tightly before lifting up on her toes and gently kissing Peter's cheek. He returned the hug and breathed her scent in deeply.

"I want you to be happy; I want you to be comfortable. But most of all I want you to be safe. I think you're amazin', and one day I hope you'll want to be my girl" Peter said in a rush, his emotions all over the place,

"I think I'd like that Peter, and yes I'll take the flat. Being near you seems to be important to me somehow?" Bella told him honestly,

She didn't hold with half-truths and prevarication. Life seemed to damn short for that.

"Do you drive Bella? Cause if you do you'll love the cars downstairs, come meet my baby" Peter said grabbing her hand as they trotted down the spiral stairwell.

"Wow! Hot damn Peter, that's a 1941 Plymouth Convertible! It's in the original burgundy with the sand coloured soft top and white-walled tyres. Man alive it's to die for!" Bella enthused over Peter's car and he was so pleased.

" It's too noticeable to use on the job, so I was hopin' once the cases start comin' in if you'd keep her tickin' over for me. You could use her to go see your dad that would give her a workout now and then. What do you say?" Peter asked, knowing she would never accept it as a gift,

"Are you real? Is this all gonna be a wonderful dream? Am I going to wake up soon and find this was all my imagination?" Bella whispered with a little fear in her voice.

He was going too fast, swapping her with love and kindness. Something that had been in short supply during her life so far. Peter turned her around to face him and said laughingly,

"I'm real, this is real and to prove it I'm goin' to let you get to work. Once you wade through the mountain of paperwork, Jasper has for you; you'll know this is no dream!"

IIBOIIN

The next couple of weeks flew by. Bella got herself moved into the flat with Peter and Jasper's help. Her 1940's Waterfall bedroom set looked fantastic, for once she was able to space things out and it looked so much better. Work was good as well she'd done a mailshot for businesses all over the Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia area. Now the just had to wait, to see if that or the newspaper ad's bore fruit.

During this time Bella started to catalogue some differences with her bosses and other males she knew. She'd seen them guzzle coffee like it was going out of fashion, but never any food. Their eyes changed colour constantly, Jasper's from gold to ochre and black, Peter's from burgundy to black and occasionally red. They only felt warm after drinking said coffee, well their hands did.

Unlike her, other people seemed nervous around them. What did this all mean? During a quiet moment, when she should have been studying. Bella Googled these facts and was stunned for a moment. The results were Quileute Legends, the very tribe that she had known on and off her whole life. Did they know how easy it was to work out what they all were?

After classes the following day she headed for the library and found just the confirmation she was looking for. Well damn, she thought, having now definitely worked out what the boys were. It didn't scare her or even upset her, even though Peter's eyes were mainly some shade of red. Jasper's confused her for a while and then she thought she might have solved that too, animals, not humans! But now that she thought hard about it, his eyes changed much quicker than Peter's.

Did that mean it was less fulfilling? These would be questions she asked them one day. So if Vampires were real, did that mean so were the tribe's shapeshifters? Not werewolves like the books said that she assumed was something different, but equally as real now too! The world around her had taken on a different hue, who'd have guessed the supernatural was really alive and living in Washington State.

She remembered the sudden growth spurt her dad had said some of the boys on the Rez had a couple of years back. Was that relevant, did that have to do with the Cullens, when they lived there? Most worrying was did Ashley's disappearance also have something to do with the Cullens? She knew Jasper had left before then and Peter had never lived there. But the others had, hmmm!

So if two vampires open a business, will some of the clients also be like them? Was that the need for so much security? Bella was beginning to feel like she'd fallen down the rabbit hole! But beyond all that, she was no less drawn to Peter and no less sure he was her future! What was it the book said, vampire's had mates, was that what was happening here?

Were she and Peter, destined to be? It was now apparent questions would need to be raised, sooner rather than later.

IIBOIIN

Jasper decided Peter was right and reached out to Emmett and Rose. He made the proposal that Emmett might like to have a look at their security. Offering them all to stay at the house, intending to keep them away from Bella if possible. God only knows what Rose would have to say about Peter and Bella being mates. She could occasionally be very narrow-minded, especially for a vampire who had found her mate as a human.

Then had Carlisle change him so they could be together. If she really didn't think humans should have this life forced on them, then she should have let him die, but of course, she didn't. Rose was blind to her double standards and Peter would not put up with her crap at all, he was no Cullen.

"You'll be bringin' Ashley, yes? I think I remember her from Forks High" he said as nonchalantly as he could,

"Yup, she's still with us. Rose tried a few of Esme's moves on her and was told point blank to 'Suck It'! She's no shrinking violet this one. The only reason the rents got to her was, her being a newborn back then. She doesn't care for the Cullen way of life at all and it's a bone of contention between her and Rosie" Emmett said wearily.

"What's she feedin' on?" Jasper asked curiously,

"Depends if and when Rose pisses her off. She'll rebel and kill a criminal just to annoy her, the rest of the time animal. But she won't touch deer; say's it tastes like piss!" Emmett told him laughing.

"A woman after my own heart, damn but it does, it's foul!" Jasper answered laughing too.

So it was decided they would be there by next weekend, giving him and Peter a week to sort out the house. Arranged rooms for them, putting Rose an Em as far away as possible from the rest of them. They weren't shy about their sexual activities or quiet. It was often just to full on for Jasper's empathy. Plus he'd want Ashley as near to him as possible if he and Peter were right. The idea of finally finding his mate was scary, wonderfully scary.

They would need to ensure they keep Bella from meeting her that would set the cat amongst the pigeons for sure. Because as far as Jasper was concerned, it wouldn't be long until Bella knew, she was too smart and too observant not to see something was amiss with them all. It was more when than how!

IIBOIIN

It was the end of another day and Bella had gone up to her flat to make herself dinner, the guys were just shooting the breeze before shutting up shop for the night. Jasper was just saying he hoped the ads and mail shot would yield some work soon. Peter's mind had wandered, not really listening to Jasper as he stared into space.

'It was a night like any other. The wind and rain lashin' the streets clean for the new day. I watched as the stranger crossed the road outside the window. This dude wasn't lookin' for trouble but he'd found it in the shape of me. He was hopin' for an easy target and I'd painted one on her, the size of a house!'

"Peter!" Jasper hissed,

"I can't leave her here alone. She's a sittin' duck bro; I just put her in the line of fire. What happens when a vampire passes by here and smells us? They'll check out the place and find what? Bella that's what! How could I have been so stupid?" Peter said back awed by his own idiocy.

Realising in one of his film noir moments that Bella would be defenceless here until the security was up and running and even then it would be no match for a vampire. He needed to be here too and permanently. Tonight the stairwell, tomorrow he starts on the second flat, his new home. His first priority was to his mate, then the business. But this way it would kill two birds with one stone.

"Okay, Peter. You're right! Bella's safety comes first. Do you need to hunt; I'll stay till you return?" Jasper answered, he too realising this was a large oversight on their part.

"No man, I'm good for another couple of weeks! Sorry to leave you with the stuff at the house, but I'll be movin' in above her as soon as I fix it up" Peter said whilst tilting his head, he was listening to everything around them at one time.

Bella had no idea what was happening below her, but that night for the first time she felt calm and relaxed all evening. Usually, after the guys leave she feels a little out of sorts, lonely, unprotected. Not tonight though and she smiles to herself, wondering just where Peter was? The office, the garage or outside her door, but she knew he was nearby.

They really needed to talk soon, for some reason the guys wanted to keep up the pretence they were human. Bella wondered once again, was it dangerous for her to know about? Yes, it most likely was, the tribe were secretive but most people knew something about their legends. But nobody was aware vampires walked among them on a daily basis.

Peter spent most of the night laying down a boundary, his scent was so thick around Bella's flat no vampire could mistake it for anything other than ownership. He felt a little guilty about that, but if it saved her life then he didn't care. They really needed to talk, but how do you tell your girlfriend you're a vampire?

Everything was about to come to a head unbeknownst to the Whitlock's and Bella. The supernatural world was about to converge on them from all sides. Peter insisted Bella take the car and go see her dad that weekend, he wanted to do some serious work on his flat and it would be noisy. The McCarty's were also about to arrive and a vampire client with no personal boundaries was going to show up at the office too.

IIBOIIN

Bella's first indication that all was not well was at Charlie's house. She was in the kitchen rustling up something for them both to eat. When Jacob and Sam arrived to collect the fish from Billy, Harry and Charlie's last outing. Since Peter had done everything but pee on her, Bella unknowingly reeked of vampires and the wolves smelt it and got a little too pushy and overzealous for her liking.

Jacob had been ordered to go with Charlie to the shed out back, and Sam Uley the packs Alpha demanded immediate answers from Bella. So much for keeping this, all a secret Bella thought, but she ignored him and said nothing while he ranted on and on. That was until he grabbed her arm and then found himself on the floor, his head ringing from where she'd hit him with a cast iron skillet!

"Don't ever touch me again! I don't answer to you; I'm not a member of your tribe or your pack Sam Uley!" Bella spat at him livid and less than impressed with the bruise forming on her arm,

"How do you know about the pack?" he demanded, not realising he'd just told her in a less than subtle roundabout way.

"Don't forget who I am Sam Uley, you just told me yourself that the stories were true when you demanded to know how I knew some Cold Ones! You can't even keep your own secrets, how the hell haven't they wiped you off the face of the earth for telling theirs?" Bella demanded and he hung his head in embarrassment,

The elders had warned him to think before he spoke. They had only ever had to deal with the Cullens and they were tame vampires, compared to the odd red eye they'd chased away lately. The youth and arrogance of the pack did them no favours, he forgot who he was talking to, and Bella had a mind like no other and saw things others did not.

"I tell you this and only this, the world does not end at the La Push borders! Seattle has Cold Ones just like every other place in the world, but they are not your concern. But they will be if they find out you can't keep your mouths shut! Do your tribe a favour and go home, protect them and mind your own business" Bella told him firmly.

Not long after that, the two wolves scuttled off with their metaphoric tails between their legs having learned nothing from Bella. Leaving her and Charlie to themselves for the rest of her visit. Although before she climbed back into Peter's car on Sunday evening, Jake appeared and handed Bella a spray canister.

"What's this?" she asked sniffing it gingerly, but smelling nothing untoward from the tube,

"Its sacred water infused with the fur of werewolves and will protect you from the Cold Ones," he said more than a little cockily,

"You mean shapeshifters I presume? Your pack are not werewolves, you all just take the shape of the wolf!" Bella corrected him,

Once again he thought she would be impressed or overawed by him being a werewolf, he never saw Bella as she really was. Just the fantasy he had invented in his mind, for the girl he had a crush on. But it was time he outgrew his childish dream, he was too old and had other responsibilities now. Jake needed to put away such things, but he refused to accept she would never be his.

"So how will it work? It's not strong enough to kill them I assume, so temporary paralysis or blindness? What?" Bella asked in her no nonsense voice,

"Old Quill says when sprayed in the face it will be inhaled and cause temporary paralysis. Giving you time to get away. He is not interfering, just helping a friend's daughter protect herself!" he said in a more subdued voice.

"Thank him for me, will you Jacob? So its pepper spray 2.0! Well bye, I'm off now" she said getting into the car and driving away.

Bella hated being cruel to him. But Jake didn't take hints or subtlety, you had to be plain and forthright or he twisted everything to suit himself, she knew this of old. A kind word and friendly wave had him telling people they were a couple in the past and she wasn't going through that again.

The most important lesson Bella learned on this trip was she needed to shower more! Shower before she left Seattle and when she arrived in Forks, to get the vampire scent off. Then before she left Forks and when she got to Seattle to get the wolf scent off, oh joy! Maybe a hazmat suit would be a better idea; she thought to herself and burst out laughing. Wow, her life just got even more strange!