I was distantly aware of strong arms tying themselves around my waist, and my body being flung violently against the side of something very hard. I felt my head fly backwards from the force, and crack sickeningly to the ground. Now everything was going black, sense and mind and voice were losing their hold on my consciousness. I tried to cry out for help, to understand what was happening to me, but nothing was working, and I let the blackness win out.

I dreamt of nothing, for the first time in a long time, and instead was insanely infuriated by the lack of presence in the midst of the black fog. Pushing out my hands, I searched for anything to hold, anything which I could curl about my fingers and grasp, pulling and tearing a way free of the monotonous density.

'Hello?' I called, greeting the silence, 'hello is anyone there?' my own panic frightened me into running, but the floor was sticky, reaching up with black arms to tie around my feet so that I couldn't run, I couldn't move, not for anything - the pain was hideous, burning and searing into my bones. And I cried. 'Please, someone! Help me.. Please!' Now I was falling, but falling through nothing, through an endless void, a vacuum perhaps, there was no air, no light, and no sound. There wasn't even me. With no point of reference, everything ceased to exist, and I disappeared.

Sunlight hit me like a blow to the head, stunning my eyes so fiercely that I covered them with my arm. 'Ugghh' everything hurt all over.

'Are you awake?' Someone was asking me.

'Are you blind?' They laughed freely at my sarcasm- clearly I wasn't dead. Slowly, cautiously, I began to remove my arm from around my face, and squinted a way into reality. My head was pumping like a bull trapped in a budgie cage, causing my eyesight to swim and my stomach to lurch uneasily.

'How do you feel?' A humungous form flickered in and out of sight in front of me, looking more like a grizzly bear than a human being. Was it possible? Could bears speak? Had I managed to hit my head so hard that I now found myself in weird world where animals could talk?

'What? Who are you?' I closed my aching eyes in order to clear them, reopening them to find the warm familiar eyes of Jacob Black peering directly into my own. I flinched back in surprise 'Jeez Jake! Have you lost something in my pupil?' He laughed.

'Really Bella, how are you feeling?' I thought about this for a moment, trying to receive and analyse reports from the rest of my body.

'Not too good actually. What happened?'

'You blacked out, but I managed to save you before you fell to your death' He looked smug when I glanced up into his face. 'You're welcome' Shuffling forwards onto the edge of the couch, I cradled my throbbing head in my hands.

'I'm a strong swimmer you know'

'Bella I don't think there's anything about you which is remotely strong' He laughed. I scowled.

'Well it's your own fault for making me lean over the edge of a cliff'

'Well it's not my fault that you were too wimpy to handle it' Something caught me off guard here, as I tried to envision the scene directly before I blacked out. There was nothing. I could think of nothing. Was I seriously becoming senile? Why could I remember nothing?

'Arg' I sighed in frustration.

'What's up with you now?' I shot a furious glare his way. 'Jeez' he muttered under his breath. Deciding to ignore that remark, I carried on with my frivolous complaints of old age.

'I just can't remember anything these days' He looked up, surprisingly sympathetic for someone who had just been teasing me about my almost dying a moment earlier.

'I'm sorry about that Bells' He muttered, before laughing loudly and commenting on the fact that I would soon be receiving old age pensions.

Despite the fact that I had hit my head when Jacob had thrown me swiftly deeper into the mountain side, there was thankfully no incriminating mark anywhere visibly accessible to Charlie. And so Jacob drove me home just before dusk, complaining the whole way about how he had once sold my truck so that he would never have to drive it again. It began to rain softly as we turned into the drive, drifting casually down like mist and settling into our hair like a fine layering of spider's web.

'Bella? That you?' Charlie called to me from within the recesses of our house.

'No' I called back, glad to notice my dad's voice was lively and unblemished by chokes for air. We emerged into the living room, to find him splayed over the couch like a rug, the remote hanging lazily from his hand, as the TV flickered its light into the darkening room. 'Couldn't have turned a light on old man?' I smiled, flipping on the overhead lamp.

'You're funny Bella' he commented without mirth, 'oh hey Jacob'

'Hey Charlie, how are you feeling?' Jacob came in behind me, settling himself easily into the armchair opposite.

'Better, thanks, just a bit tiered still. How's you father?'

'Good, he says hi' I left the two to make small-talk, and turned into the kitchen to find the remains of what looked like toast and cereal scattered over the worktops. Again, I felt a sharp kick of guilt in my stomach, having taken much longer than I'd planned.

'Are you hungry?' I called into the living room.

'Yeah' came the synchronised reply from Jacob and Charlie. Reaching into the freezer, I retrieved some old spag- bowl, and set it to heat in the microwave. After the ping ended the airy noise, I heard Jacob remark to Charlie in the sudden silence;

'Me and Bella went cliff diving'

'Jake!' I cried, bulldozing my way into the room, 'We did not!' Jacob was lounged in the armchair, a mischievous grin etching its way from one eye to the next, filling me with immediate warmth. I loved that smile, for some reason I was under the impression I had seen it many times before- or that perhaps I would. I had a feeling me and Jacob Black had potential to be very good friends.

Jacob left after the game, drawing his motorbike from the back of my truck and leaving with such a roar Charlie emerged from his room, mumbled something about 'hooligans' and returned to sleep. It had been a while since I was really alone to gather my thoughts, and I did that now, sitting on the couch and staring into space. And then, I began to cry. Softly at first, but gradually the tears grew until they fell from my cheeks in rivers, and I had to grasp onto the couch arm in order to stay upright. I didn't, and ended up curled into a ball on the carpet, retching and sobbing so hard I thought my eyes would fall out. What on earth? Questioning myself made me feel like some sort of patient. Why are you crying? I didn't know the answer to that one either. Stop it! You have nothing to be upset about Bella. Deciding that using my name in a context such as third person was as far as this game went, I sat up to dry my eyes on my sleeves. It was inexplicable, that I was so crippled by an unreasonable grief such as this. It felt as though there was a demon in my chest, and it ached and tore and ripped a way through me, threatening to break the surface. I remembered painfully back to when I had gone through a bad time about 8 months ago. I had been incapable of anything. It was horrible. Closing my eyes, I turned to lean my head against the side of the couch, letting my face reach the cool air. Why now? Again? Was it Charlie? Stress? Yet just like last time, I had absolutely no explanation for my sadness, which only made it worse.

'Emotionally unstable huh-' I muttered out loud, remembering dully back to what Google had given me about my dreams. Sleep that night came on easily, but as soon as I had shut my eyes, I knew I would regret that decision.

'Bella, I want to tell you something' That boy. I hated him, why was he plaguing my dreams? I just needed to rest, to sleep a dreamless sleep. No nightmares, no pain, no longing or confusion.

'What do you want from me?' I sat up on the brown grass, scraping my knees against the rough shrubs. It was cold, yet I felt warm next to this man, as his dark topaz eyes beckoned mine. 'Tell me what you want' He gazed into my face, a mixture of despair and happiness battling for residence across his beautiful features.

'I love you Bella' Simple. It was so simple. His voice was soft and quiet, the wind played with his hair, and his skin was smooth with clarity in the blue-grey light of the clouds.

'Why did you say that?' It was so quiet now, everything was silenced. He didn't answer.

'I'm sorry that I hurt you. I'm sorry that I left you, please Bella, believe me when I tell you it isn't easy. I need you to understand that I love you' I stared at him; he was exquisite in his desperate anguish, like an angel, a heartbroken angel.

'I understand' did I understand? Something tugged at my mind, something painfully sharp and noticeably prominent. He looked down, gripping his hands into fists around the grass beneath us.

'But you can't. You can't understand- not yet.' He looked up now, straight and honestly into my eyes. 'Do you remember me?' He asked. I searched his face, his bronze hair, his white skin and his warm yet vibrant eyes. I knew I did.

'No' He became unmoving, like a statue, or a portrait captured in time, of a man on the edge of a darkening abyss. 'Leave me alone. Let me sleep. Please.'

I was awake now. My eyes were open, staring blindly at the dark ceiling of my room, it was hard to tell, but I knew someone was here. Frozen to the bed sheets, I stopped breathing, and listened intently to the silence of the house. That's when I heard it, a thud against the wall. Tearing myself from the bed, I sprinted across the room and out into the corridor. Thudding noisily down the step way into Charlie's room, I burst in to find him sound asleep, the image of an elderly resting man, quiet and exhausted into unconsciousness. I stood stock still, daring to make a sound in case I woke him. Then, I closed the door, and slid down to cry silently on the floor. What's happening? I begged, placing a hand over my own mouth in order to stifle the sobs. Why am I such a wreck tonight? It was impossible to answer, and I thought of the boy from my dreams. I had told him clearly to leave me alone, but now all I wanted in the world was to be back in the safety of my dreams- safe in the knowledge that I was with someone who loved me. But who isn't real.

The tears dried themselves out on my cheeks, and I began to rise from my cramped position on the floorboards, when I saw it. The colour, so quickly had it been there, and now it was gone. A colour so vividly toned with red and orange and scarlet it could have been fire. Now it was gone, and there was nothing to meet my eyes but the darkness of the hallway, and the eerie glow of night.

Now what Bella? I didn't know. My head was a mess. Where are you going?

'I don't know!' I shouted into the silence of my truck cab. Well you had better stop, it's four am! Just turn around and go home. 'No! I need to do this' what is it exactly that you are doing? The silence now was as deep as ever, cut occasionally when I woke from my daydream to hear the roar of the truck engine, and the crunch of tires along the road. I had no idea where I was really going, yet I let auto- pilot drive me down the dark forest roads, surprising myself when I turned the wheel so casually onto another unfamiliar road. Every now and then I would pass under a street lamp and catch my own reflection in the rear-view mirror. It was especially frightening to me this night because of the fact that I looked like I had literally just died and come back to life. But I pressed on, and made a point of ignoring all the mirrors on my car- just in case. Seemingly hours passed, but when I pulled the truck along down a gravel road flanked on either side by thick columns of pine trees, my watch told me it had been precisely 36 minutes since I had left home. I arrived and watched - transfixed as a large solid house emerged from the trees, coming closer towards me. Eventually, I had enough sense to grind the truck to a stop, and cut the engine, but the silence of the forest frightened me, and I flipped it back on. There, are you happy? Has this proved a point?

'Yes' I breathed to myself, yes, yes it had proved a point. Somewhere, deep within me something was not right. I had forgotten this place- had never known it? Yet knew off by heart the track down here, all the windy bends and hidden roads. What is going on? I stepped down out of the cab, and walked cautiously, fearful it would disappear, up to the looming object, black against the star spread sky.

'Bella?' I turned, frightened and trembling to the source of the noise. 'Is that you?' It was a man, his skin was as white as snow, and his hair as black as coal. He was dazzling, his eyes dark and bright with curiosity.

'W- who are you?' I cursed myself that my voice was so shaky, and now visibly regretted not brining with me my rape alarm Charlie had so awkwardly handed over to me on my 18th birthday. That's ridiculous Bella, who's going to hear it? I wished with all my might that I was wrong.

'What? Bella it's me, Laurent-' Stab. Stab again, that searing pain tore through my brain, and I clutched at it with agony. 'You don't remember?' He stepped a little closer, and the pain vanished. I stepped back in response, trying with all my might to remember some self defence tactics. Two fingers, I displayed at my side, to gauge into his eyes - this would give me time enough to return to my truck and get away. He bent his head slightly, looking deeply into my eyes. 'You really don't remember?' I shook my head, incapable of speaking. 'Where are they then?' He continued, looking around in wonder, 'The house is all but empty, and has been so for years by the look of things. He turned back to me, 'But they can't have gone very far, unless they left you behind? But that seems unlikely compared to all the trouble they went to in order to protect you' He was searching my face, looking for something I didn't know I had. Was it possible that I could have met this man, this exquisite, sharp and dangerous looking man- and forgotten him?

'I think you have me confused with someone else' I was proud to notice my voice had stopped shaking, perhaps all those stage classes with Mike Newton had paid off in the end. He was silent, looking, disbelievingly into my eyes. The silence continued for a moment.

'What, what has happened?' He questioned me. Seemingly as confused as I, his voice low and soft like silk.

'I don't know' I took a step back. Stupid! Stupid! He now registered my fear, like an animal, the predator smelling out the prey.

'So, they left you?' It was painful to talk of something I knew nothing about, but which hurt me so deeply. He took a step towards me, and I mimicked his movement backwards towards the truck. He was dangerous; his eyes were black with excitement, the tension in the air moved between us like electricity. It was impossible that I could escape, I knew he wasn't human. Not an ordinary human, he was something else entirely, and as he advanced again towards me, I broke and I ran. Immediately there was a loud crash from behind me, like the sound of thunder clouds crashing together, and I jumped into my truck, breathing hard and slamming it into reverse all the way along the road, until I hit the open freeway and spun out onto it. I didn't think until I pulled in to our home drive and ran inside, locking and bolting the door behind me. Then I sobbed tearless, half hysterical sobs of shocked relief, until the sun broke through the curtains, and I knew I was safe.

With day came a sense of perspective. Perhaps I had dreamt it all last night? I suggested, only to be overruled by the muddy stains found all over my sweats. He wasn't anything out of the ordinary then, just a standard pervert that's all. But he knew your name. Charlie woke early to leave for work, and seeing me slumped at the kitchen table, came towards me and put a hand uncharacteristically onto my shoulder,

'Bad dreams?' He asked, unaware that last night had been a seasoned mixture of both conscious and subconscious nightmares.

'Yeah Dad, sorry, did I wake you?' I asked, my voice throaty with exhaustion.

'No kid, don't worry. Slept sound as a baby' He removed his hand from my shoulder and went to make the coffee. 'Not that babies actually sleep much -when normal people sleep that is.' After Charlie left, I phoned in to work, planning to take the day off, and ended up being fired instead.

'Great, thanks Clair' I muttered down the receiver.

'Bella you haven't been well for days, just, get some rest okay. Then we can think about you coming back in.' Meaning, Bella, you've been nothing but the best staff I've ever had- hardly any sick days at all. Which is why I don't like having you around. Maybe if I can't find anyone pitiful enough to take my jabs I'll ring you back. Placing the receiver sourly back into its cradle, I turned to the stairs to take a much needed shower. The water was soothing, scorching even. But the melodic thud of the pump, and the sound of water pattering against my naked skin was calming to my frayed nerves. Stepping out into the steamed room, I grabbed the towel and patted it over my hair and body, before wrapping it around me, and slouching grouchily over to the mirror. I began to wipe a whole in the misted mirror, enough for my face to appear like a framed picture of a zombie, and instantly moved to the left, where the glass was still gratefully covered. After brushing my teeth, and throwing on some clean pyjamas, I took the quilts from my bed, and dragged them downstairs onto the couch. Today I planned on being the best couch potato in the world. Yet, the moment I felt myself drifting into a doze in front of the TV, the panic rose once more, and I found myself holding the phone, dialing a number I did not recognise. I let it ring twice, before I hung up, confused, and re-dialed.

'Hello?'

'Jacob?' my stomach eased a little at the sound of his voice, at the sound of someone.

'Bella, how are things? Is everything ok?' I resisted the instinct to tell him everything was fine, that I was ringing on behalf of Charlie for Billy. And pursued my intent, for the sake of my health.

'No, actually Jacob, can you come round now? I really don't want to be alone today.' There was a stunned pause, perhaps this was too soon, too soon of me to be asking him something like this. But he replied like he would never have replied with anything different;

'Yeah, yes of course, are you ok Bella?'

'I'll explain everything to you if you make it over here in less than 20 minutes' I suggested, pleased to find a smile on my lips.

'I'll make it there in 10 if you make me lunch'

'Done' I put the phone down, and busied myself about in the kitchen, turning the volume up on the TV so that I wouldn't listen to the creepy sounds the house was making. When Jacob arrived I nearly ran to let him in, and threw myself into vice like hug around his waist. He was so huge!

'Hey! Everything alright speedy gonzalez? Jeez Bella I literally just stepped onto the porch!' I laughed, letting go and stepping aside to let him in. We ate lunch in front of the TV, Jacob settling down once again into the arm chair, almost half over its size, while I tucked myself into the blankets on the couch.

'So' he started, setting aside the plate which was once carrying three cheese sandwiches. 'What happened?' It was hard to speak about, especially to Jacob. To explain in detail, out loud how stupid and irrationally I had acted. He listened intently, every now and then pausing me to ask a question. He looked worried by the time I had finished, a small frown shaping itself like a y into his forehead, as he sat for a long time in contemplative silence.

'Is there something wrong with me?' I half expected, half hoped that he would laugh, and crack some joke about how I was definitely unstable and dangerous, but Jacob glanced up, then down, and finally slumped his head into his hands. 'Jacob?'

'No' he said at last, his voice almost inaudibly quiet. 'There isn't anything wrong with you' he looked up into my eyes, a small smile developing on his lips 'Of course the meds at the hospital might say differently, I don't know Bella, you are a little crazy' He grinned at me, then coaxed me into laying down, and going to sleep. It was fine, everything was alright, with Jacob's promise to not leave until Charlie came home, I fell instantly into a dreamless sleep.

That night I slept well, though I had already napped for half the day, Although I left the desk side lamp on. Just in case. The boy was gone, not occurring once in my dreams, and I now sorely regretted the decision to make him leave. Not only had he been a welcome distraction to my sleep, but he had just been so, so beautiful, achingly so. Yes, I sighed, it was a shame to see him go. It made me laugh a little, that the only people who seemed to visit my dreams these days were incredibly beautiful. I then began to wonder about James, having not heard from him in a while, I began to think depressingly about how he had taken off sometime during the other night and had not made contact since. Perhaps he had been scared off by the sight of frightened, sleep deprived Bella. My heart ached a little in response, yet with a new found sense of feminism, came to the conclusion that if he hadn't made any effort in contacting me by Sunday, then he was a completely useless, good for nothing jerk. Well… Monday, I allowed.

I awoke the next day to find the house empty yet again, Charlie today had decided to leave a note on the table for me; Jake rang. Says hi- I laughed a little at my father's incapability to reproduce a message in any kind of literal sense, before retrieving the phone, and dialling the Black's number. It was Billy who answered, and I waited for several minutes while Jake came to the phone.

'Hey! Sorry, I was in the tub' I laughed at the absurdity of such a suggestion. 'Hey, you don't think I wash?' He accused.

'No, it's just I can't ever see you fitting in that thing!'

'Oh right'

'Anyway, Charlie said you called earlier'

'Yeah, do you feel like doing something exciting today Bella?' I could hear the grin on his face.

'Exciting as in, yeah this is really fun and exhilarating… Or exciting as in, oh my God I'm about to die?'

'Just wait a minute Bella, in what situation can you ever imagine me putting you in danger?' There was a pause, before we started laughing.

'Listen I'll be round in a half hour as long as you can reassure me this has nothing to do with your motorbike or cliff diving.'

'Bella you're ruining any kind of surprise element here, trust me on this one, it will be fun. See you in 30 minutes' I hung up the receiver, and turned to grab my car keys. Deep in the pit of my stomach, I felt the excitement stirring. I believed Jacob, whatever it was, it was going to be good, and it sure as hell better take my mind off the past 48 hours, I warned, because I never wanted to go through such turmoil again.

A/N- sorry if it was a little rusty, I haven't worked on this story for ages! Apologies for the unforgivable amount of time it took me to upload this chapter, I think I'll have to make them a lot shorter from now on! Thanks for reading, feel free to leave a review.