A/N: Oh funny, funny guest reviewer. You make me smile so much. Yes, you are correct: there is no way I am going to be able to please both the Nessie and Bella fans. I'm not even going to try. What I do hope I do is create meaningful characters that people CARE about. Looks like I've done that. I hate my Bella. I really do, especially in this part of my story. But hating her means there is emotion there. Hopefully my story will be worth the emotional roller coaster I'm hoping to take you on. I'm obviously taking you on one...you care enough to comment and to get upset with other reviewers. They're entitled to their opinion just as you are entitled to yours.

I'll say it again without giving away my plot and end couples: This will be a HEA because I am American and we like our HEAs. It may not be the HEA YOU the reader hopes for (depending on whether you're team Ness or team Bella), but lessons will be learned and all will be at peace. The feedback I need is whether or not I was successful in creating enough love and sympathy for the different players. You may not think so until the end, and the last few chapters are when I'll need the most feedback. I am currently writing Chapter 16 and very nearly finished. (I got that hint, Marina. She's my beta, btw.)

Oh, and for some reason (I hope that it was clear for most of you) there seems to be some confusion about the Ness/Carli thing. She is indeed the same person. One reviewer commented that she thought that might be the case. I thought it was obvious. Should I go back and make it more clear?

One question I have for you writers/readers out there: how is my use of third person? Can you tell that each chapter has a POV, but it's still third person? I'm not sure I like using it this way. I feel like I'm slipping into first person sometimes...I don't know. I'd love to hear what you have to say about that.

Anyway, here we go: (Bella POV)


The buses pulled into the venue in Dallas, Texas around 9:00 a.m. and she knew she'd have the rest of the morning and afternoon to spend researching. She listened to their songs while reading along with the lyrics. She got to some songs that were particularly painful because she knew they were about her. Drag Me to Hell was quite possibly the hardest.

Get it through your head
Our love is dead
I don't think about you
No, I don't think about you anymore

She needed air, so Bella stepped off the bus in the most casual ensemble she'd brought with her. It was still a pair of linen slacks paired with a silk blouse. She wondered if maybe she could go for a quick shopping trip.

The air was still hot in Dallas, but not nearly as humid as Houston. Bella was careful to take note of the bus she exited and where it was parked. She didn't want to have to be walked back to her bus tonight. Unless it was with Jake alone. She was going to get him alone to talk to him. She thought that Carli was supposed to sleep on that bus with her, but she must be up early because Bella hadn't seen her that morning.

She walked around the bus to the most beautiful scene she'd seen in a long, long time. Jake was in the lot behind the venue turning a tractor tire over end to end. The big guy with him must have been his trainer. Bella was at a complete loss for words. She'd thought his tight shirt last night left nothing to the imagination, but she was wrong. She could not have imagined him ever looking like the tanned Hercules in a Dallas parking lot. It took her breath away and she leaned against the bus for support.

Bella had to get him back. Eric had mentioned that someone had helped him through rehab. She didn't even know he'd been to rehab. That made the song mean more to her. She'd memorized the most painful part.

'cause God can't save you from all your sins
When you threw your life away you let the devil in
No, I can't save you, I know you too well
Like everyone and everything you drag me, you drag me to hell

He really had been through hell. She had to make it up to him. She could do that now that she knew her own heart. She knew who she wanted and Edward was no longer a threat to them being together.

She saw both the men look over at her. She'd been caught staring and decided to stay put. She wanted Jake to know she wanted him. She had no need to hide that.

She thought about her first exchange with Jake while the warm water ran down her body. The little bathroom on the bus was well stocked, but she knew she shouldn't use all the water. Her mind kept running over the exchange. He was so cold—almost robotic. She needed to find out who that 'Ness' was. That was the only thing that worried her. When she asked he didn't answer. He just smiled.

But he called her Bells.

His cold surface had cracked. And it didn't matter who Ness was and it didn't matter how many songs spoke about the pain he'd endured. She was here and he'd called her Bells.

She shut the water off and toweled dried her body. She had no idea what she wanted to wear because all the clothes she brought were completely inappropriate for where she was and what she was doing. It was yet another glaring indication on how much she'd changed herself to become a Cullen. Bella wrapped a large fluffy towel around herself and stepped out of the bathroom right as someone rapped on the door.

"Bella? It's Embry." Bella looked down at herself. She didn't have time to get totally dressed. But the towel was huge and covered more than many of her dresses. She shrugged her shoulders at herself and went to answer the door.

"Hey, Embry!" she said as she cracked the door.

"Can I come in? I come bearing gifts," he held up a box addressed to her.

"Ah, yeah," Bella stammered and backed up revealing her predicament. "I just got out of the shower and I couldn't decide what to wear. But come on in and I'll get changed."

"You don't have to go changing for me," Embry grinned as he stepped up into the bus. Bella smiled. Embry was always saying goofy things like that. It made her blush and feel good about herself all at the same time.

"Here," Embry brought her attention back to the box in this hands, "Carli said this was delivered today and asked me to bring it to you. Who sent you a gift?"

"I don't know," Bella replied just as curious as Embry. She took the box from him, temporarily forgetting she was clad only in a towel. She set the box on the table and tried pry the flaps of the box open. After a few attempts, she grunted in frustration.

"Here," Embry said, standing next to her. His arm brushed hers as he pulled the tape back in one swift movement.

"Thanks!" Bella said, her voice bubbled with excitement. She picked up the note on top of the tissue paper.

"What's it say?" Embry asked as she unfolded the paper.

"Even Hillary would wear jeans to a rock concert. Hope these fit so that you're a better fit," Bella read aloud and smiled.

"Who's Eric?" Embry read over her shoulder.

"He's the blogger who sat next to me at the concert last night." Bella smiled at the memory of how helpful Eric had been. She pulled out two pair of jeans, a pair of purple converse, and a worn old Theory of a Wolfman concert tee.

"Yeah, I remember that guy. He's pretty good. Wow," Embry said, "That's a vintage shirt. That brings back some memories."

"Well," Bella said, pulling her lip between her teeth, "let me go try them on and then you can tell me all about it." Bella literally skipped back to her little compartment to try on her gifts.

She'd never liked gifts and surprises. She didn't like the expectation of gratitude with each surprise and the gifts she'd received over the last decade had all been laced with expectations. She never lived up to them and she always disappointed the giver. She'd always felt it was best just not to receive gifts and it became another point of contention.

But this gift from Eric was wholly unexpected. And she didn't feel any expectations associated with it other than for her to feel comfortable and to fit in. She'd have to see if Carli would give her Eric's information so she could thank him.

The jeans fit like a glove. She'd slid on a pair of boy shorts and a matching bra she bought in a fit of rebellion when Edward expressed his dislike for new women's lingerie. She pulled the t-shirt over her head and loved that it was too big. For the first time in a very long time she felt…normal.

"Look at you!" Embry called, when she finally emerged, pulling her damp hair on top her head in a messy bun. "That's the Swan I remember. Come 'ere." Embry opened his arms. Bella walked right into them and hugged him back.

"Thank you, Embry," she said after a few moments.

"For what? I didn't give you anything," Embry chuckled.

"You're being nice to me," she hiccuped to cover a small sob.

"Have people been rude?" Embry asked, pulling away. His voice was terse and defensive. It warmed her heart that he was that concerned.

"No, Embry. Not rude." Bella took a seat at the table and Embry followed her lead. "Just distant. I can't expect anything different. I've hurt some feelings over the years." She peeked up at him from under her lashes to see him looking at her, his face full of concern.

"Well, people change, Bella. I believe that. I've seen it with my own eyes traveling with these guys. They need to be a bit more forgiving, because none of us are angels."

"Again, thanks," Bella said. "Do you want something to eat or drink? This place is totally stocked."

"Naw, I just had lunch. I see you've been researching," Embry said pointing to her phone and headphones. Her laptop screen was covered with lyrics of songs in different windows.

"So you don't do many interviews I heard," Bella said, grabbing herself a ready-made salad from the fridge and a diet coke.

"No, most reporters ask the same damn boring questions. 'What process do you use to write your music?' 'What's your inspiration?' It's the same god damn shit every time. Carli allows that Eric guy," he pointed to her clothes, "access every now and then. He's now my favorite blogger seeing how he made you so happy." Bella grinned and almost blushed.

"So you don't like those questions?" Bella smiled, mixing the salad dressing through her greens.

"They're just so boring. No one really wants to know that shit. And the shit people do want to know is none of their fucking business," Embry finished.

"Ah, there's the crux. You're celebrities, what did you expect?" Bella asked, before sticking a fork full of lettuce in her mouth.

"Well, I don't think we ever set out to be celebrities. We were just a couple of guys playing songs in Jake's garage. We caught on in Port Angeles and then Seattle. We never planned this or expected it. Besides, our songs tell our stories. I hate the questions because if people just listen to what we're saying they'd know the answers to their inane questions."

Bella looked down at her new shoes. She'd been guilty of everything Embry had just explained because those were the exact questions she was going to ask and she hadn't listened to most of their songs.

"Yeah. I confess I didn't do much research before getting here. But your songs are just, well, they're a lot deeper than I originally thought."

"Really? How so?" Embry smiled, picking a tomato out of her salad and popping it in his mouth.

"You know why I'm here. Alice told me you all knew." Bella shooed him away from her salad with her fork.

"Yeah, but I want to hear you say it," Embry said, showing her the tomato between his teeth before biting down on it. Bella smiled at Embry's goading. This was the real-ist conversation she'd had in as long as she could remember. Even Alice never really listened to her like she had anything important to say.

"Okay, I thought you only wrote shallow misogynistic lyrics set to harsh tunes so you could make tons of money and get laid," Bella admitted.

"Well we do write shallow songs and the money is nice, though we like to spread it around a little. And the women, well some of us are permanently attached, but some of us are still open to some fun with willing and available ladies." Embry winked at her.

"Wow, did you just wink at me?" Bella asked. Bella had learned how to flirt and get what she needed. But flirting with Embry was different. It made her feel good.

"I've always had a soft spot for you, you know that," Embry said, throwing on the charm. Bella never knew whether or not to take him seriously.

"And you think I'm willing and available?" she smiled back at him.

"I know you're available. I'm just hoping you're willing." His grin revealed his sexy dimple and he waggled his eyebrows at her.

Bella giggled feeling the lightest she had in years. New clothes, new shoes, and flirty Embry made her feel sixteen again. She looked down at the salad she was eating and let her fork drop.

"Do you guys really eat this kind of stuff?" Bella asked pointing her half eaten greens. "Or was this just bought for me?"

"Well, Paul and Jake have this mean ass trainer and they eat heavy protein, but they eat burgers and shit, too. Do you want something more substantial?" Embry asked.

"Yeah. You got something in mind?" Bella grinned.

"Sure. There's all these food trucks out behind the venue. They're fuckin' fantastic! Come on, I'll show you." Bella suddenly got excited. She followed Embry out of the bus and out the back of the lot. He was right, there were at least seven or eight food trucks lined up, all serving different foods.

"What are you in the mood for?" Embry asked. "The BBQ is amazing, and we are in Texas. So it'd be a good idea to try it. But the taco truck is amazing, too."

"What about the pizza?" Bella asked eyeing the truck in the middle boldly painted like the Italian flag and a clock that looked like a pizza. Itza timea for soma pizza! was emblazoned across the back half.

"Shit, I haven't tried that one. But Jake loves it. He's already told Emmett to go to hell because he's eating a whole one before the show." Bella's heart lurched at the mention of Jake's name. Now she really wanted some of the pizza. It made her think of late Saturday afternoons in his garage, fixing motorcycles.

"Let's try it. Oh, wait," Bella remembered, "you just ate lunch." She pouted a little.

"You order what you want and I'll finish what you don't eat. How about that?" Embry offered.

"Deal," Bella agreed. They went to three trucks and she ordered the signature item from each. They found a picnic table and Bella asked her questions. Every once and a while she wrote something down that she didn't want to forget, but for the most part, she was just having a conversation with an old friend and catching up on life.

It was the most carefree she'd been in years. She was eating good food from places that weren't listed in the Zagat. It was casual and fun and good. Embry was true to his word and finished anything Bella couldn't. Bella's belly was full and her sides hurt from laughing. She'd actually uncovered a lot of information that she hadn't even thought to ask. It led her mind in many different directions. There were so many ways she could write this article now.

"What's up?" Bella asked when she saw Embry look down at his phone and frown.

"I gotta go to sound check. I can't blow this off. But I can come back in about an hour," he said.

"No, Embry, go take care of your stuff. You've helped me so much today. I've got a ton of new ideas just from talking to you. You go and do what you normally do before a show. And thank you so much for this afternoon." She captured his gaze and she could see his pleasure and sincerity. How had she giving up all this warm good humor for the cold and calculating Cullen family?

"I'll check on you after the show, okay? I don't want you running off like you did last night," he said. He reached across the table towards her.

"Oh, I wasn't feeling well. But I'm better prepared tonight."

"I know why you weren't feeling well. I've had a talk with him about that," Embry breathed out. She looked at his outstretched hand and longed to reach for it, but she just couldn't. But she didn't want Embry to be upset with Jake, either.

"Oh, Embry. It's alright. I know the songs now and won't be caught off guard even if he does look at me." Bella's hands twisted in her lap. She was sure that she could handle it tonight. She was going to show Jacob that she could take his anger. She deserved it. She could let him get rid of all of it and then they could start over. It'd be like, lancing a wound, she thought. They just needed to get all the infection out, and things would be sore while they healed. But eventually, they be as good as new. Better even.

"Okay. Well, let's get back past security and then I'll take you where you want to go," Embry offered.

"Can I talk to the roadies?" Bella asked, sounding a little excited. "I won't bother them or keep them from their work."

"I don't see a problem with that," Embry answered. "I'll tell N…er Carli where you'll be so you aren't late for the show."

"Great," Bella said, not noticing Embry's almost-slip. Then, before she knew what she was doing, she reached out and squeezed Embry's hand. "Thank you for this afternoon. I had more fun than I thought possible." She thought she saw a blush creep up Embry's neck. It was hard to see under his caramel skin.

"No problem, Bella. See you soon," he promised.


A/N: So? Use of 3rd person this chapter and the previous? Guest reviewer, thoughts? Any others?