Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in Twilight. They all belong to Stephanie Meyers.

Author Notes: This chapter deals with a subject that people may criticize, but please remember that this is Fiction. Bear with me as I try to get my thoughts out correctly and with the POV's that are needed. Please enjoy and review.

Chapter 4: Hell on Earth

8 years later...

BPOV

Here I am in this sandy, sticky, sweltering hot armpit of the world. Me and Bubba with all of our gear smell horrific after this week long mission overlooking the target zone. Missing the basic comforts like a shower was common for us now. Visual confirmation of enemy targets are radioed in to our base camp by Sgt. Kessler, whom I called Bubba. Bubba has been my scout on missions most of the time while our unit has been here. He knew his job well. Missions were one thing that kept my mind focused. All things that had to be calculated in a split second without hesitation is what kept people alive.

Base camp comes back with orders to hold and take no action at this time. Evaluating the targets, I count 15 personnel carriers and 9 armored vehicles with 50 cals on top. Enemy targets estimated at 175, was the report radioed back. Our mission was simple. Assist our own ground troops against hostile enemies determined to hold this area of the country. My mission – learn how to do the most damage possible. My current job in the military – Sniper. Entering the military was easy. Choosing my first job was hard – EOD. But playing with explosives ended up being fun for me due to me being a "freak" and not having to worrying about getting hurt by them.

No one would have ever believed that I would have taken this path in my life. Honestly, my senior year of high school changed everything. I was too naive, weak, and sensitive back then. My parents were worried about my emotional state when he left. When I came home from the signing up for the military they really began to panic. Now, they still worry a lot but have accepted my choice. I couldn't tell them that I really didn't have a choice in this path when I joined.

First, my "new" abilities kept me alive during the time I have served so fear never was a deciding factor. Second, I knew after Victoria had attacked and tried to kill me twice in my last year of High School and that no one I loved was safe with me around. And third, I needed to learn how to fight back against Victoria instead of just waiting in fear for the next attack. One of us had to die to end this and so far she was the only one who knew they could be killed. So here I am, a solider. I had to join one war to learn what I needed to know to fight the other war.

Focus, I told myself. Bubba awaited the ordered to commence. I started getting my bearings and conditions around me in order. Wind, trajectory, distance, angles. I adjusted my "baby" - my XM105 sniper rifle – for the new targets that came into range and sizing up whom was the greatest threat. Focused and prepared for the order to be given. Once the fire fight started, nothing could distract me. Emotions were not an option as a sniper.

The order was given and with deadly precision I executed my orders and my targets. Locating our position was almost impossible due to my ability to hit targets from over a mile away multiple times. Bubba called each target in a whisper he knew I could hear. The only sound that could be heard was the echo of each round being fired. My breathing was steady, my heart rate was normal, and my trigger finger softly and slowly squeezed away while one by one enemies were dropped.

Just like today, my mind would reassure me that by doing my job, that other soldiers lives were saved. I added my newest count from this mission into my "kill log" after returning to base. Walking into the briefing later on was the routine. Except today after my mission brief, my commander wanted to speak to me. I stood at ease in his office when he handed me a message from the Red Cross. This is what I was afraid of all these years. I didn't want to open it to see who's name and what happened. My commander knew we all hated seeing these messages but it was part of our life over here. Taking a deep breath, I opened the messaged to read:

Dated Jan. 31, 2014

To: Sgt Swan, Isabella M.

We regret to inform you that on January 29th your mother Renee Dwyer and Phillip Dwyer perished in a house fire. Please accept our condolences and we request for your command to approve leave for you to return to the United States immediately for arrangements to be made for them.

Message was send after being contacted by your father, Charles Swan.

Nothing can truly hurt more than having someone you love ripped away before their time on this earth is over. The hole in my chest that has been there since they left over 8 years ago burned and torn away at me with this news. Being who I was now and understanding that this was most likely inevitable, by stopping my tears until I was alone. My father was my only family left but even then I knew that time will take him too, one day. This is life and I know it isn't fair; never is.

Packing to leave and having to think how to handle the funeral of my mother and stepfather, I tried to keep calm but tear left my eyes, against my will. No one in my unit had to say anything or ask any questions when they saw me. They all knew that it had to be bad new due to the fact I don't show emotions around them a lot, especially over here. Hell on earth.

While on the flight back to Texas before going to Florida for the funeral, I thought about all that has happened in the last 8 years and I have know for a long time that my other family had left me all those years ago, I still loved to this day. I missed them more than ever. But, I must have been just a boring distraction. If Alice had seen the multiple times my life should have ended and still not cared to help, I knew they never really did. Taking care of my battles was my personal mission. He had meant what he said that day in the forest; "It will be as if I'd never existed"

Alice POV

"8 YEARS!!! and all I can see is muddy water...Ugh!!!" I was getting irritated that my visions of Bella's future which were just that - muddy water. I can see movement and figures but can't make anything else out.

"Alice, you can't keep doing this to yourself. Please just try and relax. We know if there is something there that Bella is still alive and probably happy." Jasper whispered in my ear.

We had the house to ourselves currently. That was the only time I would dare to check on Bella's future. "Jasper, what if she is not safe or happy. What if she is in danger and I can't see it to help stop her from being killed." I was getting more and more worried the longer we stayed away from her. Edward had forbid me to look into her future and I held out for almost 3 years before breaking down. He hasn't stayed with our family expect a month since we left Forks, but he checked in with us every few months.

About a year after we left, Esme insisted we find him and bring him home because she was so worried about him. He stayed in our house in Canada for about a month before finding some excuse to leave again. After that, Carlisle just told him to let us know where he was incase we needed to contact him for any reason.

After Jasper calmed me down, I wanted to do some busy work so I got up and headed towards the family room with Jasper following. Halfway down the stair a vision hit on it's own. It was a horrid sight. I instantly knew who I saw, Renee and Phil in their house being attacked by a Vampire. Looking at the back of the Vampire I knew by the red hair that it was Victoria. She attacked and killed Bell's Mom right in front of me. I screamed and fell to my knees at the bottom of the stairs. I held onto the vision just long enough to see Victoria setting the house on fire to cover her attack.

Knowing we would be to late to save Bella's family because I guessed it would happen in less than a few minutes. I started to cry with dry sobs at the fact that my best friend will lose her Mom and stepfather and I couldn't do anything about it. The pain and grief she would be going through once she found out would be crippling.

"What did you see, Alice? Please tell me." Jasper begged as he wrapped is arms around me to comfort me. "Bella's Mom and Phil have been killed by Victoria in their house!" I was chocking on the vision as it replayed in my head.

"Can we get there in time to help them? Alice we need to help if we can. When is this happening?" Jasper already had his phone to his ear calling Carlisle. "We can't stop it! There is nothing we can do...it's going to happen any minute!" I knew Carlisle heard what I had just said but Jasper gave him what was happening.

"Are you sure that we can't stop this? Look again and make sure, please Alice" Jasper loved Bella as much as any of us. He never forgave himself for what happened at her birthday party.

Concentrating on Renee all I got was pitch black. Again I tried to see Phil's future...pitch black. That feeling was my guarantee that nothing can be done. "They are dead Jasper" His face twisted in agony and he felt as much pain for Bella's loss as I did. With all my strength I worked on seeing Victoria's future and she was standing in the woods somewhere, LAUGHING!!!

"Times up, it's time to play Bella" she smiled and kept laughing.

I snapped my head to look at Jasper. "Victoria is going after Bella next. We have to save Bella" I was instantly on my feet and calling Edward's cell. Every time it went to Voice mail. "Why isn't he answering?"

By this point the rest of the family was home and Jasper was explaining the visions. Carlisle tried Edward and he didn't get an answer either. Pacing the living room, thinking about what was needed to be done I said "We need to go to the funeral and see Bella, warn her about Victoria."

Esme asked "What do you see in Bella's future?" She always worried about her children and Bella was her daughter.

"I haven't been able to see anything but faint images and figures. Nothing is clear in any of them. It's like looking into muddy water or a really thick fog" I was starting to dial Edward again as my worrying about Bella's life increased. "Dammit Edward PICK UP!!!" Still no answer.

"She is still alive is all that means, but I don't understand what has changed that is causing Alice's visions to have that affect" Jasper informed them.

"If Victoria wasn't after Bella, we need to be at the funeral anyways for Bella. Everyone pack quickly and I will call the airlines. Alice keep trying Edward until you talk to him, DON'T leave a message. You need to find out where he is and make sure he gets home to us before we can tell him about what is going on." Carlisle was instigating the plan. "All of us here will go to Florida and try to talk to Bella. She will be in a lot of pain from her loss but she doesn't know Victoria actually murdered them. We need to be prepared for the worst. Bella may not respond to us very well considering all that has happened. We need to get going now."

Even Rosalie was eager to go to Florida to see Bella. She has shown more compassion then I have ever seen towards Bella after we left her. Typical Rose, she care about someone as long as they don't know ,so she can keep her reputation in tacked. She is so self-centered but she loved Bella even if she would never shown it in front of her.

And with that, we all took off in different directions. Seeing Bella for the first time in years had me excited. I knew Carlisle was right, we all left Bella without so much as a goodbye. And now we are going to step back in her life in one of the worst times for her. We all needed to remember this and not overreact once we saw her again.

EPOV

Darkness was all around all the time. My pain had caused my mind to shut out everything but Bella and all I could do was curl up in a ball. I can't remember where I was or how long I have been here. Time is lost to me and my memories are my only company. After 8 years I still couldn't function. I think it has gotten worse slowly over the years. My Bella. I had to hope she was happy right now. Breaking the promise I made to her the last time I saw her was the only time stopping me from finding her. That promise - "I promise this will be the last time you will ever see me." - was surrounded by the most horrifying lies my lips have every spoken.

My ears were deaf to any sounds that surrounded me. All I heard was he sweet voice as she whispered "...I love you, Edward" with her beautiful brown eyes full of love in the front of my mind.

Soon I knew I would have to hunt. I always waited until I nearly lost control to hunt. I was trying to not be the monster I was. More than anything else I wished for this. Then the pain I caused Bella would have never happened and we could still be together. The monster held me hostage away from the one thing I wanted more than anything, my Bella.

I vaguely remember something changing around me but didn't acknowledge the change. Whatever it was it wasn't important in my state of mind. I knew I would have to function soon. Hunting and calling home to check in so, I could curl back up and feel the pain and darkness continue.