Bella POV

What did I do? Screw that, how did I-

I looked down at myself to discover that I was covered in dirt and fur. Not to mention that I had blood smeared all down my front and all over my skin. I felt sick…no I was going to be sick. I keeled over and started to dry heave but I knew it wouldn't make any difference. It wasn't like I had actually eaten anything. I might have just binged but there was definitely nothing to purge. Why was I reacting like this? It's not like I didn't know that this would happen eventually. Hadn't I been in the company of several vampires?

Get a grip on yourself Bella. They were only bears. At least they weren't human.

That last thought comforted me. I didn't know what I would have done had I massacred a group of innocent humans. But I guess the presence of bears should have assured me that no sane human would be around. Looks like for now I was alone with the mess I had created. Then I heard them. Had I said alone? Well, now I could plainly hear voices but I didn't smell blood so they obviously weren't human. All I could hear was whispering. They weren't close enough for me to distinguish anything and then I saw them across the lake.

Oh dear God, no. Not them, anybody but them.

I looked down at myself ashamed of my appearance and then I looked around at what I had done.

Did they see what I did? No, I don't want them to see me like this!

I looked, horrified, as they jumped into the lake swimming towards me.

No! What are they doing? They can't see me like this!

Fear started to grip me as I saw them swim closer. In a matter of minutes they will have crossed and I'm going to have to face them barely dressed and covered in blood.

What am I going to do? Edward will out run me. They're probably mad that I was hunting here. What if I accidentally exposed them?

Sure enough Edward was making his way up the bank. He would see me in couple of seconds. I backed into a tree and held my breath. Everyone else had made it up as well.

"Hey, where did she go?" Emmett barked.

I looked down and saw the ground again.

Carlisle spoke, "Alice can you see her?"

"No, I can't see her anywhere."

I stood there stunned.

Alice can't see me?

I looked at all of them standing a few yards away from me none of them seeming to sense me anywhere in the vicinity.

I'm invisible…

I suddenly caught the air I had let out as the realization hit me and I saw Carlisle look in my direction.

"She must have seen us coming and took off. She needs some time. Hopefully she knows that she can come to us if she needs help."

I could've sworn for a moment that he had been talking straight to me but he didn't seem to know that I was there as he turned toward Edward.

Edward…

I couldn't read the expression on his face as he stared at the three bears. Maybe he was disgusted with what he had seen. Alice and Esme seemed to be really sad at the fact that I had disappeared and even Rosalie seemed a bit under the weather. Emmett on the other hand seemed to be on another wavelength all together.

"Did you see how she took those bears down? It was freakn' amazing! I've never seen anything like that!

I almost smiled at his enthusiasm and I felt a pang of pain in my chest. I missed them so much and it hurt me that I couldn't be with them. But how could I be when Edward didn't want me anywhere near him?

Carlisle finished laughing and said, "We need to clean this up and then we should head back to the house. There isn't much that we can do until Bella is ready to see us."

I watched as they cleared my mess and headed back to their house. I wanted to follow them but I knew I couldn't. I was a mess and had no idea what I would say to them anyway. As soon as I was sure they were gone I jumped into the lake and washed away the past hour. It was amazing! I was gliding through the water effortlessly as I cleaned myself and floated on my back staring at the setting sun. It was twilight again. I sighed.

I'm going to need clothes, but from where?

I didn't trust myself around humans because I didn't know how I would react and I didn't care to try. What I needed was Alice but how could I get her alone? I didn't even know where they lived. It was getting late and I was alone.

What am I going to do? It shouldn't be too hard to find them and I could always wait until she's alone.

But I was afraid because I still couldn't call my powers at will and there was no guarantee that I would be able to hide myself.

"Ahhh, this is soo frustrating!"

Whoa, was that my voice?!

It sounded like my voice but smoother, like silk in verbal form. I was excited that I had my voice back and even more pleasantly surprised to find it improved. The transformation seemed to have been physically completed with my first feed. My voice box was restored and when I looked at my reflection my eyes were now a pale gold. I wasn't sure if that was normal or not but I didn't have time to think about it. I needed clothes. I closed my eyes and started to think.

Alice.

I opened my eyes and gasped. I was standing outside of a huge, log cabin in the middle of the woods soaking wet. I looked around and sitting in the back yard away from the house was Alice with Jasper.

How did I do that?

I knew I had to hide. I didn't want Jasper to see me. Almost in response I looked down to see that I was invisible again. It seemed that now that I knew I could do it, it was becoming easier to do.

Now all I have to do is wait…

Alice POV

This is soo frustrating!

I growled and Jasper tried to soothe me. She had been right there! And we had lost her again!

Damn Edward he was too rash!

If he had just waited we could have given her some warning instead of taking her by surprise like that.

No wonder she ran away.

But I couldn't stay mad at Edward. I knew he was hurting more than any of us. He was inside right now talking to Carlisle and Esme. I had been so happy to see her. Staying away from her had been really hard for me and if it hadn't been for Jasper I would've been really depressed. Now knowing what she had gone through I was really depressed. I sighed and Jasper leaned over to brush a stray strand of hair from my face.

"You're taking this really hard Alice but it's not your fault. You can't blame yourself for not seeing this earlier. We all thought it was for the best when we left Forks. None of us ever thought it was your responsibility to watch out for her."

I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around my knees.

"I know but I just can't help but feel that as her friend, I should have." And I turned my face.

"We'll find her Alice. I think she knows deep down that we care for her or else she wouldn't have chosen to come here."

I looked into his eyes seeing all of the love reflected there. I knew that he was taking my pain as his own and I leaned in to kiss him gently on the lips.

"I know Love. I just need some time to think that's all."

He kissed my forehead and stood up. "I'll be inside if you need me."

Then he turned around and walked inside. I sat there thinking about what I should do. I had been trying to locate Bella ever since we had reached the house but I couldn't make out anything I had seen. I had seen her jump into the lake. It seemed like she had been deciding something about clothes and then whether or not to come find me and then she had disappeared. Now I couldn't find her anywhere.

Where are you Bella?

Then I went rigid as some unseen force, suddenly, embraced me. I was about to scream for Jasper when I heard sobbing.

"Oh Alice, I've missed you!"

"Bella, is that you?"

For all I knew I was talking to the night. Just as quickly, I was released and I was looking into Bella's wide golden eyes. I was ecstatic to see her and I quickly embraced her.

"Where have you been? I was looking all over for you!"

"Shhh, I don't want anyone to know that I'm here!" she hissed as she looked fearfully up at the house.

I thought I knew who she was referring to.

"Don't be silly, Bella. They all really want to see you espec-

She put her finger on my lips. "Look we'll talk in a minute. Right now I was actually wondering if you could help me out with some clothes."

I looked down finally realizing that she was soaking wet and only in her underwear. I noticed her discomfort and laughed.

Oh Bella. Always the modest one…

"Sure. I can sneak you out some of mine but they might be a little small on you seeing as how you're 'a little taller' than I am."

"Anything is better than nothing. I feel naked."

I laughed again. "Okay, wait here. I'll be back in a couple of seconds." She grabbed my arm. "I promise I won't tell anyone, geez." I rolled my eyes and she let me go.

I sneaked back into the house. Everyone seemed to be preoccupied so I snuck into my bedroom and ran into Jasper.

"Hey, what are you up to?"

"Oh, I'm just grabbing a change of clothes. I think I'll go on a run and clear my head a bit."

I hated lying to him but I had promised Bella. He'd understand.

"I'll come with you."

"No, it's fine really. I won't be out long."

He gave me a puzzled look and then conceded. "Okay, I'll see you when you get back then."

I flashed him a smile and made my way back out to the yard.

"Bella, are you there?"

"Boo!" She whispered into my ear as she suddenly reappeared next to me.

"Don't do that!" I hissed as I clutched at my chest.

Had I had a working heart I'm sure it would have stopped.

She had burst into a fit of silent giggles when I saw her stiffen.

Oh, crap.

Jasper must have felt my brief spasm of fear and was now making his way out of the house.

"It's okay Bella it's only Jasper. Hold on."

I was getting ready to go stop Jasper when I heard Bella gasp. I looked around and saw that Jasper wasn't the only one making his way towards us.

Edward.

They would see us in less than a second. I turned around to warn Bella but the next thing I knew something had grabbed my arm and I gasped in surprise as everything went black.

Edward POV

I didn't know what to do with myself so I decided to go home with the rest of my family. I kept thinking that if I hadn't of been there Bella wouldn't have run away.

She hates me I know it.

The thought crushed me and I didn't know how it would ever get any better.

It is me. I'm the reason that she isn't here now. My family loves her and it's obvious that she loves them but she won't go anywhere near them until I leave.

I slumped into the living room sofa. Torn between the need to be near her and the desire to make her happy…I had technically already left her so it shouldn't be so hard for me to walk away now. But after seeing her, standing there, I didn't think that I could ever willingly walk away from her again without her sending me away first. Carlisle seemed to know what I was thinking.

"You aren't going anywhere Edward."

Esme gasped. "Of course he isn't going anywhere! Why would you say that?" and she turned to look at me.

"She just needs time Edward. She still loves you."

"How can you possibly know that after everything I've put her through?"

"You can't blame yourself for what happened and trust me, I know."

I looked into his eyes willing myself to believe what he was saying.

"Running away won't help Bella so stay put. We'll give you some time to think"

Then with one last hug from Esme they walked out of the room. I sat there thinking about what Carlisle had just told me.

How can he be so sure?

I knew Carlisle didn't say things lightly so if he said it, it was because he truly believed it but I still couldn't make myself hope. It was just too much and I didn't know if I would be able to take it if Bella turned me away. I vaguely noticed Alice walking back into the house and up the stairs only to come back down and out the door again. A bit odd but I was too absorbed to really think about it. Next thing I knew Jasper was tearing down the stairs his mind filled with panic.

"Jasper, what's wrong?"

"I don't know. Alice came up the stairs and was acting a bit strange. I could tell that she was kinda excited about something. She got a change of clothes and told me that she was going to go for a run but just now I sensed a sudden burst of fear. Something scared her."

I tried reading her thoughts but found nothing. She was blocking me again.

"I'm sure it's nothing Jasper. I'll go look with you."

We made our way around the back and started walking to where he had left her. We were nearing the edge of the forest when I sensed her but then I stopped as I became aware of another presence.

"Hey Edward, it's okay I can feel her just beyond the trees." And he started bounding toward the forest when he stopped abruptly and howled with rage.

I ran towards him and was immediately followed by the rest of the family.

"Jasper, what happened? Where's Alice?" Carlisle was the first to question.

"I don't know where she is!" he gasped as his despair started to overwhelm him. "She was just here! Wasn't she Edward? You felt her didn't you? Then I felt her surprise and then she faded into nothingness! I can't feel her anywhere."

"I don't think she was alone." I whispered.

Everyone turned to me then and they were all thinking the same thing.

What do you mean?

"Bella was with her wasn't she?" Carlisle asked.

"Bella?" Jasper asked. "But I didn't feel anyone with her."

"I don't know how to explain it but I felt her and I think she felt me, which is why she disappeared."

"Well, that makes sense then." Carlisle commented. "Calm down Jasper. It seems that Bella can take anyone that she touching along with her. I don't think she realized what she had done in her haste to get away."

He looked at me then with a look of consolation.

"Either way, I'm sure that Bella would never hurt her and I'm also sure that Alice will get to you as soon as she can, Jasper."

Jasper did seem to have calmed down more now that he was assured that Alice wasn't in any mortal danger. The rest of the family started to make their way inside with Esme holding Jasper.

"She'll come back when she's ready Edward."

Carlisle squeezed my shoulder as he turned to follow the others.

But when will that be?

Thanks to those who have marked my story and to the one person who actually reviewed. It really helps to know what you guys think of the story…but since technically nobody is complaining I'll just assume I'm on the right track until someone says otherwise. At least I know for sure that one person likes it :) Please Review!