Author note: Don't worry readers, I haven't forgotten about you, I've just been way over my head with revising for my very important exams, I still am actually, I bring you this chapter from the strange vortex in-between just finishing my first exam and the start of revision for my next. Basically I've rewarded myself for completing an exam with a chapter for you. I hope you enjoy it

Chapter four

After a few hours 'training', which basically just involved me lobbing my werewolf knife across a clearing and sending it sinking into the trees, over and over again as I thought about my brilliant plan to get into the Order (because honestly, I don't need to retrain), I found myself wandering through the eerie green abyss of the forest that surrounded Charlie's home. And I found some peace there, strangely enough. Having fallen into a angry expel of emotion whilst training I was still full of adrenalin as I set of exploring but I soon felt it seep from me under the cool shade of the trees. Forests didn't bother me, lord knows I've trudged through enough of them whilst helping the Holy Order and my family on hunts, and those memories meant that I felt oddly at home under the emerald canopy, in my element, which I had been so far out of earlier in the day whilst at school. It was calm here, unlike in the bustling corridors of the crowded school, I was calm here despite how I craved adventure and forests like these tended to give me just that in the form of a werewolf, witch or vampire.

Stepping awkwardly over a fallen log, that reminded me that I wasn't entirely comfortable in the woods thanks to my clumsiness, I marvelled at how much this forest looked like every other one I had ever been in, it didn't matter that I was on another continent entirely to most of them, I could have been anywhere in the world. I paused where I was, hand resting against the damp bark of a tree and closed my eyes. I could be in Transylvania with my ancestors, living up to the family name, I could be in Germany where my one chance to get into the Order had been snatched away from me, I could have been in another forest like this somewhere else in the US, hunting down Vlad with my dad and Nick, as they would be soon. My eyes flew open and I frowned, I still could be there, I thought as I carried on, if everything here went to plan then I WOULD be with them. All I had to do was trick one coven into letting me take them to the Order, oh who was I kidding? I thought, my shoulders slumping and pulling an agitated face, the task was impossible, I'd set myself an impossible job, not even a fully trained hunter could take on seven vampires alone. I'm not going to be alone, the more determined part of me said, I'll have Aaron, he's all I need to get though this. And besides, I don't have a choice, I have to do this, I will not miss out on this mission.

Confidence restored I pressed on, deciding as I went that this forest would have to become my sanctuary, it was so quiet, but for the noises of the animals who called this place their home, and beautiful when what little sun light the skies above Forks had to offer, broke though the leaves above and shot individual beams of light into the woods. And it reminded me of my family and the life I should have right now. I was almost content, for the first time since Germany. I may be living in Forks but at least I had my Uncle Charlie around me, I may have to go to school but it's only for a few hours a day and I can observe the Cullen's whilst there, and I may be trying to achieve the impossible but I just had to succeed, it was the only thing I had wanted for as long as I could remember, I had never asked for anything else surely I should get this. However my pondering and rare calm state was cut off short by the sound of rustling in the trees behind me, a sound so loud and heavy that it couldn't possibly be any local animal.

The Cullens? I considered almost hopefully.

I froze, night was falling now and it was almost pitch black beneath the dense leaves, anything could be hiding in the darkness here, undetected. I went ridged and my hand twitched towards my blade buried deep in my jeans pocket, it was the only weapon I had on me but I could defend myself with it. The rustling grew louder, accompanied by the slight grown of tree branches telling me that whatever was in the trees was getting closer. My heart thundered in my chest from adrenalin and my blood pounded in my ears, but all of this was familiar to me and meant nothing, hand slipping into my pocket I bit my lip and waited a second longer, if they were close enough to me then I wouldn't miss them when I attacked. My every instinct screamed at me to flee, to fight, to do something as I sensed whatever was behind me in the trees draw nearer, fear filled me up but I ignored all of that, I remembered my training and tried to lull my soon to be opponent into a false sense of security. They were right behind me now, I could feel it, even though they were hidden high up, I knew that they were there. My fear and adrenalin reached almost painful levels and I felt as though my heart might explode out of my chest but again I ignored it, let them think that I was terrified and defenceless, if they were a vampire and could hear my heart, they'd be surprised when I bested them and they were being carted off to the Vatigan.

It was time to act, I decided now that my emotions were almost overflowing in their intensity and I could practically feel my opponent's breath on my neck even though they were so high up. However, I had no sooner pulled my blade from my pocket and span to face whatever threat was behind me than three white flashes, blurred with red, yellow and black, shot from the tree behind me and disappeared from sight. Vampires, I thought, new generation ones. I gripped my blade ever tighter I slowly began to rotate on the balls of my feet, scanning the surrounding trees for any further signs of Vamparic presence, there was none. I straightened up but didn't relax, they could be hiding and waiting to ambush me, eyes narrowed I gave the surrounding area one last look over before promptly starting back the way I had come. However not before the now grey sun light, spilling in through the gaps in the leafy canopy, was eclipsed by a large shadow flying over head, I would have said it was a cloud were they not ever present in the skies of Forks and the reason the light was grey in the first place. The shadow passed over and a horrific screech echoed down through woods, so loud and painful that I winced and had to cover one ear with my free hand. The noise stopped too and the forest fell into an ominous silence, not even the animal sounds remained as they all had fled from the sound. They know best, I thought before carrying on walking, this time at a much faster pace.

What was that? I wondered as I waded through the thick undergrowth as fast as I could, knife still in hand just pressed up into the palm of my hand so no one could see it. It had sounded like a bird, but I couldn't think what kind and at the same time I felt that I ought to know what it was. However my instincts where shrieking at me to get myself out of the forest and this time I was obeying them, suddenly I didn't want to be here any more. As I made my way back to the house I couldn't shake the unnerving feeling that someone was watching me, this had me all but sprinting out of the forest though it seemed whatever was watching me ment me no harm since it never attacked, it just watched and for that reason I decided that it wasn't the vampires (since there was obviously more than one there) I had seen minutes before, they had clearly been about to attack me. However, I still didn't feel safe and it was uncomfortable being watched like that, so when I emerged panting and glistening with sweat from the forest I felt immensely relieved.

I went back inside Charlie's house and lost the feeling of being watched, shoulders slumping I smiled in relief and carried on into the house, trying to act normal and deciding that maybe I ought to not go wondering in the woods again, at least not for a while anyway. I didn't tell Charlie anything about what had just happened and I was fairly surprised that he didn't question me any further about why I was inviting Aaron over and why I didn't want him to tell the Order about the Cullens, but I supposed from the way our conversation ended earlier that he was going to leave me to it. That was odd, since Charlie is very protective of his family, but definitely a good thing, because this whole operation would run smoother if Uncle Charlie was cooperative. Besides that, I could really do with his help. He didn't know what I was up to exactly, but I didn't think it would take him very long to figure it out since he was right, pretty much everything I did, outside helping my family and friends, was to get me into the Order and onto that mission. And I wasn't ashamed of that fact, not even in the slightest because something has to drive you through life and what drives me just so happens to be revenge. However Charlie said nothing more on the topic of vampire hunting or my questionable motives, he only bid me good night as I turned in for the evening; emotionally spent from taking my anger at Vlad and the situation I was in out on the trees. Which I regretted a bit now since it was hardly the tree's fault I wasn't hunting the monster down right now. And also the adrenalin rush from almost being attacked in the forest and whatever that bird thing was that had flown over the top of the forest after the vampires had ran away.

Upstairs I logged onto my ancient computer, a task which took a good fifteen minutes to fully complete, and since I wasn't ready to go to sleep just yet I answered an email from Aunt Renee asking how I was finding Forks and if I had gone mad with boredom yet (since she hated the town with a burning passion). I told her that no, I hadn't gone mad yet, and that while I wasn't enjoying school all that much things definitely weren't as dull in Forks as she might have thought. Renee knew everything about our family, and it was a testament to her character that after her divorce from Charlie she hadn't gone blabbing to the world (or worse our enemies) about our secret and had remained in contact with us all. She didn't even particularly dislike Charlie; it just simply hadn't worked out. So after sending an email to our good family friend and doing a spot of fruitless research on Forks and various bird sounds, which turned up nothing even remotely interesting or vampire related, a fact that wasn't surprising since Forks was such a small town, I called it quits and got ready for bed. Wondering again what the odd bird like creature had been in the forest earlier and if the three vampires I had seen had been part of the Cullen coven, I washed and got ready for bed. The rain was beating heavily against the windows as I climbed under the sheets, putting me off of sleep, however fortunately I had been forced to sleep under much worse conditions while out on a hunt and so I soon fell into a troubled sleep, troubled because of the horror that awaited me behind my closed eyelids.

I was running, flat out running, running for my life, running. It was dark and I could scarcely see my hand in front of my face but I had to keep moving, the twigs and branches of the forest I sprinted through caught my hair and ripped my clothes as I forced my way through the tight blockade of trees that kept me away from my destination. Even as they scratched at my face and bare arms, drawing blood by the action, I didn't stop. There wasn't any time and despite what I had thought before it wasn't my life I was running for but something far more important. One particularly sharp branch scraped a long and bloody mark down my arm but I didn't so much as gasp at it, I hadn't the time to look at it or even contemplate that it had hurt, there wasn't time, she needed my help.

I took a running jump over a fallen tree trunk with nettles growing on either side of it, I stumbled a little when I hit the floor on the other side but didn't stop, I just carried on pushing myself forward into the swirl of emerald, brown and black that lay before me.

"Is it, Amelia?" A cold, charismatic, masculine voice asked from up ahead, and I paused, fear gripping tightly at my heart at the sound of HIS voice, my eyes widened before sense returned to me along with anger and even more fear. I had to get to her, I was almost there, I told myself as I started running again, pushing my way through the thickening forestry. "I expected more from you, perhaps its better this way, perhaps you wouldn't have the strength for what I am proposing."

"Get. Off. Me." A furious female voice replied and I ran all the faster, there wasn't time, she needed me and I wasn't there yet.

The cold voice laughed, it was a sickening sound filled with danger and cruel humour "I will not," he said sounding like he was enjoying inflicting this misery "I will give you a choice, you know what I am asking so tell me your answer, will it be a yes or a no?"

I was almost there, the voices were so loud now, they were just on the other side of those trees and bushes, I knew it. I was going to help her. I tried to run faster but my top caught on another branch and I was pulled sharply backwards, disorientation hit me briefly before I remembered and yanked hard on my top to pull it free, the fabric ripped but I couldn't have cared less, I just carried on running, I was almost there, I was going to save here.

"Go to Hell," the woman's voice spat in disgust and obvious loathing just as I pushed my way though the last of the bushes and ran into the clearing, I froze at the sight that awaited me there.

Standing tall and deadly in the centre of the clearing was a man, decked entirely in the most expensive and fashionable (in the 90's) black clothing, which fitted him perfectly and accentuated his impeccable body. His silvery blond hair was cropped artfully about his head and was so fine that it moved enchantingly in the almost none existent breeze, his pale complexion was flawless and he had eyes of the darkest brown, so deep that they were almost black. He was beautiful, in all traditional senses of the word, but to me he was the most hideous creature on the planet, his perfectly sculpted face twisted in something between regret, sick amusement and self importance as he regarded his prisoner. Suspended diagonally with her feet resting on the floor and her body hanging in the air was a woman, only kept from falling to the floor by the man's strength and grip around her neck and waist. She too was beautiful, with long mahogany hair that normally rested about halfway down her back but now dangled behind her head from where she was held. She was slender and of medium height, and had a natural beauty about her, even though her face was contorted in furious rage and deep disgust as she looked at the blond man holding her, her brown eyes burning with the hatred she felt for him. He appeared younger than she but that was just a trick, the blond boy was an old creature and appearances can be deceiving.

"What a pity," man said absentmindedly "that is what you all say." and then in no more than the time it took for me to blink, he moved one sharp fingernail from the hand he had around her neck and drew a swift deep line across her neck. Blood oozed from the gash, so much that it was obvious that this was no light scratch, the woman gasped and spluttered as she tired and failed to draw breath, he had punctured her windpipe. Pain was etched across the woman's face but she did not scream as she died, her brown eyes only shone with tears which soon began to cascade down her attractive face, but still she didn't make a sound. I couldn't speak or move either, I was frozen where I stood in shock, fear and grief, I was too late, I couldn't save her, I wanted to try but my body wouldn't let me, it wouldn't move no matter how much I willed it to.

The blond carelessly dropped the woman to the ground, whipped his hands together as though cleaning them before quick as a flash dropping to the ground beside her on his hands and knees, as her wide eyes rolled about in their sockets and her chest heaved. A sick smile twisted its way onto his face before he opened his mouth in a toothy grin and I watched as his canines grew rapidly and lent in towards her neck. At that I shrieked. My limbs melted and I was free once more to move, to try and stop him and to save her, however no sooner had my scream left my mouth than the demonic blond looked towards me, annoyance but also hunger contorting his once pretty features into those of a monster. He sprang to his feet and my heart hammered against my chest as he sent me one cruel grin before raising his arms and starting to transform, his pale complexion greyed and he grew both taller and wider, bat like wings sprouted from his back, in fact his entire appearance shifted similar to that animal. I was horrified as his black eyes turned on me again, once again I found that I could not move, my feet stayed rooted firmly to the spot even as I tried to run. The vampire tilted his head in consideration for a moment before shooting towards me, his inhuman face getting ever closer to me and causing me to do the only thing my body would let me do then. Scream.

I woke up with a gasp and sprang upright in bed, my breathing was heavy and I was covered from head to toe in a cold sweat brought on by my nightmare. Taking gasping breaths I looked around me, I was in my bedroom at Uncle Charlie's house, it was dark in here but I could still make out everything and I was safe, well, at least as safe as I ever could be. Trying to slow my breathing and calm down a little I sat there, marvelling at how I could even still have this reaction to this nightmare, it had been plaguing me for years now and I couldn't go a week without having it. Slightly calmer I ran a hand through my damp and knotted hair before looking to see what time it was, the glowing red numbers on the digital clock at my bedside read 02:30 and I cringed at the thought of trying to get back to sleep again.

Too warm wrapped up in my bed sheets and feeling as though I really had just been running though a forest (though in fact I had only a few hours ago) I threw back the covers and climbed out of bed before heading for my window and opening it. The cold night air hit me and instantly I felt better, the breeze blowing around the house toyed with my hair and cleared my thoughts, separating my nightmare from reality. Something that had always been a hard task. Opening the eyes I had let slide shut in wake of the cold air I looked out onto the darkened and empty street and the forest I had clambered though earlier, I would have blamed my nightmare on that trek if I hadn't know better. No, my nightmare had nothing to do with today, I'd been subjected to it for years now and I knew exactly what had brought it about. My mother's death.

Sombre and feeling my grief a new thanks to the nightmare I shut my window (for security reasons) and made my way back to bed, sitting atop the sheets I didn't miss a beat as I pulled a photo frame from my bedside table and stared down at it hard. There were four people in this photograph, me, my brother Nick and my Mom and Dad, we were somewhere in the Vatigan and it was just before my mom and dad were due to go out on another hunt, I knew that because it was the reason the photo was taken in the first place, so that we could look at it if we missed them since we were young and could hardly go with them. One of the monks took it, I was sat on my dad's knee while Nick was sat on my mom's, I am about eight and he's ten. Ignoring the rest of us in the photo I focused all my attention on my mom, her long brown hair, her chocolate eyes, and her porcelain skin, everything that I was supposed to have gotten from her, and I missed her terribly.

Wiping away the tears that had formed in my eyes I set the photo back down before I could get any more emotional, the photo and the nightmare served as a reminder, as if I needed one, of why I was willing to forget my vow of never killing my mark, the reason why I was so desperate to get on the mission, to get Vlad and make him pay. Vladimir, the blond old generation vampire from my nightmares, killed my mother and for that I'd do the same to him. I wasn't a killer, not normally, like I've already said I preferred to hand my marks over to the Order than to kill them as some hunters did, but for Vlad I would make an exception. The former apprentice to the most infamous old generation vampire in history, Count Dracula, Vladimir had been bitten and turned by the Count and was to be his heir if none of his biological children could be brought to life, he had been like a son to him. So when my family killed Dracula hundreds of years ago Vlad swore revenge upon our family, for us killing his mentor Vladimir vowed to destroy our family and has been picking us off ever since. My mother, even though she had only married into the family, had had enough and organised a hunt for him, but she was separated from my father and the others and he killed her too. I didn't for a second believe that my nightmare was exactly how it happened, I wasn't a seer, but I didn't doubt that it had been something similar, Vladimir was like that. I was young at the time, but not too young to understand what this meant and distraught at the loss of my mom I had sworn revenge right back at Vlad along with the rest of my family.

This was why I HAD to get onto this mission, this was the first hunt for Vladimir that had been organised since my mothers death and if my family had anything to say about it, the last. If I didn't get into the Order then I wouldn't be able to avenge my mother's death and I might wind up feeling this hurt, angry and lost at random intervals for the rest of my life. I needed this, I needed to see Vlad pay for what he did to my family, to my mother, to all of us who loved her, he was an evil monster that took delight from what had previously been his own revenge for the loss of a parent figure, now he just enjoyed seeing us all miserable and ruining our lives. I had to get a shot at him, even if it was only to help my father and brother, and the only way that I could do that in this dingy town was to capture the Cullens, it was risky and probably more than a little careless, but I had no choice, he killed my mom and I wasn't about to let him just get away with that. So think of me what you want, generally I'm a fair easy going girl, I don't like killing and death, I don't like that I can be an angry person sometimes, but that's the way Vladimir has made me.

Emotional yet again, I lay back down and pulled up my bedcovers, thinking that I had ought to try and get back to sleep since I had to be up for school again in the morning and the last thing I needed to complete this mission was to be sleep deprived, I might miss something important about the Cullens. They confused me enough as it was, golden eyed vampires? What was that all about? I couldn't make sense of them, not their eyes, not their ability to go to human school and not kill everyone, not their motives for wanting to restrain in the first place. However what I did know was that they were vampires, and that Charlie said that the number of strange deaths involving bloodless bodies had been on the increase lately, meaning that the Cullen's weren't so different from normal vampires after all. Thinking about it I realised that since it probably was them in the forest earlier they had been planning on making me into their next meal, I fought back a shiver at the thought, but still managed to scoff internally, ha, I would have liked to have seen them try though. Rolling over onto my side I did my best to push all thoughts of vampires, revenge, strange birds and nightmares from my mind as I closed my eyes and tried to achieve my next impossible task, getting back to sleep.

Author note: Ta da. I know it wasn't brilliant, but I had to update today, times tight at the minute and this is the first chance I've had to finish this all week. This was just sort of a filler/information chapter, where you learn (hopefully if I have any ability to write) a little more about my version of Bella, mainly about her mum and why she is so hell bent on getting revenge on this Vlad fellow, and even who Vlad is. Hopefully I showed you all this. So what do you think, any good? And what do you think all that was in the woods with the vamps and the bird? I'd love to hear your thoughts, so if you get a minute could you please review?

Oh and also, I've made a trailer for this fic and uploaded it onto Youtube, I had a lot of fun with it and I would appreciate it if you checked it out, the link is on my profile page, thanks.