Disclaimer: Me no own

Disclaimer: I do not have the privilege nor honor of owning this lil' story that is Twilight. Nor it's sequels, which is quite unfortunate. Of course I do own this plotline.

Chapter 6: Chunky Peanut Butter Means Fate

November 4, 2006

Bella laid her head against the cold windowpane as she watched the images past by in the early mist of the morning. They were blurred and distorted, but Bella still had the urge to stare at them.

An old woman in the seat in front of her snored loudly, disturbing the peace. Bella kicked the seat and the woman's snoring stopped.

The bus hit a pothole and Bella's head bounced off the window and hit the back of her seat with a low thud, amplifying her headache.

Through out the various switching of buses and long rides Bella hadn't gotten a wink of sleep.

A sigh escaped her lips as the bus came to a halt at yet another bus station. It was her final stop.

Slowly, Bella stood up and grabbed her bags. There weight made her shoulders sag and hands clench.

The bus driver waved goodbye and Bella nodded politely in return.

The few people at the bus stop didn't notice Bella as she pulled out a cigarette and walked into a phone booth. She rummaged through her pockets wishing she hadn't forgotten her cell phone back in her dorm room on her nightstand.

She inserted three quarters and dialed the phone number of her old house in Forks. It rang only once before it was picked up.

"Bella?" A panicked voice asked.

"Yes dad it's me." Bella groaned and took a puff of her cigarette. The smoke escaped her lips and slowly drifted up until it was trapped by the roof of the phone booth.

"Thank goodness Bella. You know how worried Renee and I have been? I get a call from your college telling me that you've been kicked out because they found 'illegal drugs' in your dorm room. I try to call your cell phone and nobody answers. You could have been dead for all I knew!" Charlie's voice was alarmed and Bella could just picture his face, red with worry and anger.

"Dad they weren't mine!" Bella pleaded telling the truth.

"I'm a cop Bella; I've heard that excuse a thousand times."

"Dad they really aren't-"

"I don't want to hear it Bella. First the cigarettes then this? What's next Bella?" Before Bella could answer his question Charlie continued his rant. "You know what happened when I told Renee that they found drugs in your room? She started crying and shouting at me for not raising you right. Phil couldn't even get her to stop crying. Where are you? I'm coming to pick you up and-"

"Charlie!" Bella shouted then added on softly. "Dad, please listen. I don't care if you believe me or not. The only drug I've ever done in my entire life is tobacco. Those drugs weren't mine. I'm not telling you where I am because last time you had any control over me you sent me to college. I have a good amount of money on me and I'm capable of holding down a job. I'm going to do what I planned to do before you sent me to college. I love ya dad. Don't worry about me. I'll call you when I can."

"Bella-" The receiver made a soft clicking noise as Bella hung it up and put out her cigarette.


November 6, 2006

Bella stood outside a large building where her third interview of the day was to be held. The last interview she had had been cut short. When they found out she didn't have a college degree they told her she wasn't qualified, so she was early to her next interview.

Bella straightened her shirt and checked her watch. She still had a good ten minutes before she even needed to be in the building.

The side door of the building opened and a tall old woman came out with an unlit cigarette in her hand. She stood beside Bella and reapplied her lipstick.

"You got a light?" The woman's raspy voice asked. Bella pulled out her lighter wordlessly and lit the cigarette. "So what are you a prostitute or something?"

"No," Bella said calmly. "I am waiting. I have an interview in this building in ten minutes." The smell of the woman's side smoke made Bella's nicotine addiction go wild. She pulled out her own cigarette and lit it up.

"This place? Why would you want to work at this place?" Bella shrugged.

"I need the money, I'm a hard worker, and this job pays well." The woman nodded in understanding.

"Do you have a resume on you?" Bella handed the woman a copy. The woman fingered through it.

"No college degree? You'll never get a job here." The woman scolded her and Bella snorted.

"I have to try at least." Bella said stubbornly.

The woman sighed. "Well I guess you got the job."

"What?"

"You got the job. Must I say more?" Bella's mouth was slightly agape.

"Uh, thank you so much. I don't know what to say."

"It's fine. I'm Clair Dewberg. I'm the head of human resources. I expect you to be here Wednesday morning at 7:00. Don't be late." Mrs. Dewberg said with a smile.

"Thank you." Bella murmured again still stunned.

Mrs. Dewberg laughed and went back into the building.

Bella turned around and walked to her small apartment a block and a half away. She had rented it the day before.


August 8, 2007

"Please hold." Bella said into the receiver and covered it with her hand. Bella had been a secretary for a little less then a year now and had all the routines down. "Mr. Wayne your ex-wife is on the phone."

"Which one?" Bella's boss asked. He was an unconventional man in his late twenties who loved to flirt with any woman who crossed his path.

"The second. You know the first is too nice to call at the office. You should have stayed with her." Mr. Wayne agreed. His first wife was more pleasurable then his second.

"Tell her I'm not working today." Bella relayed the message.

"She's at your house right now. She knows your not there." Mr. Wayne sighed loudly and pulled on his coat.

"Tell her I took an early lunch." Bella passed on what he said and hung up the phone.

"You know she doesn't believe you at all and is probable heading over as we speak?" Bella said in a monotone voice.

"Yup, that's why I'm going to lunch. Want to join me?" Bella nodded mutely and followed him to the nearest diner that was across from her apartment. She ordered a sandwich and he ordered a late breakfast. "I'm going to a conference in New York on the tenth and I need someone to takes notes for me. Want to go with me? All expenses paid by the company of course." Bella thought about it for a moment.

"For how long?" Bella asked.

"Two weeks. We'll only be working for the first week so the second will pretty much be a paid vacation." Mr. Wayne said while twirling a spoon in his hand.

"Sure, why not. It's not like I had anything else planned." They finished their food and split the bill.


August 10, 2007

"You got to be freakin' kidding me." Bella dropped her luggage loudly half an inch away from Mr. Wayne's shoes. "I swear to god if you planned this I'm going to beat the living shit out of you."

"For once I didn't. The company is just cheap. It's not my fault we have to share a room."

"And I suppose that it's also not your fault that there is only one bed?" Bella said sarcastically and Mr. Wayne grinned like the cat that caught the canary. Bella's lips pursed in annoyance and she refrained from cussing him out. "We'll discuss this later. We need to go to the first meeting."

They took a taxi to a skyscraper on the edge of central park.

The first half of the meeting lasted an hour before everyone decided it was time for a break.

"Lazy corporate types, can't even work a whole hour without taking a break." Bella mumbled to herself as she clenched and unclenched her hands.

"I know!" A tall woman Bella hadn't noticed said dramatically. "They take at least five breaks a day. I have no idea how they can be so accomplished." Bella gave the stranger an odd look. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Aaren, I work down the hall." They shook hands and Bella noticed the ring Aaren was wearing. It looked familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen it before.

They continued to talk till Mr. Wayne interrupted them.

"Bella the meeting starts up again in five minutes." He said out of no where.

"Sure whatever." Bella said brushing him off, but at the same time checking her watch.

"Is he your 'roomie'?" Aaren asked referring back to there previous conversation.

"Yeah. He's an idiot. Real ladies man though."

"So you two. . ." Aaren trailed off suggestively.

"What? No, never! God forbid!" Bella shuttered in discuss and Aaren laughed.

"If he really bothers you that much you can stay over at my place. I have loft." Bella thought about it for a minute, wondering if she could trust this woman who was just shy of being a stranger. She came to the conclusion that she could.

"Really? You're a lifesaver. Thank you so much." Bella said with a smile then composed herself. "Well I don't want to impose. . ."

"Don't worry about it." Aaren said with a smile.


"Do you have any peanut butter?" Bella asked as she searched through the cabinets in Aaren's kitchen. "I'm having a craving for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich."

"Left of the sink middle shelf. I only have chunky peanut butter. I hope that's fine with you." Aaren shouted from another room.

"That's fine. I actually prefer chunky to smooth." Bella walked over to the cabinet and stood on her tip-toes trying to reach up. She grabbed the first thing that was the shape of a peanut butter jar. Bella pulled it down, but something else came down with it.

A clear jam jar that looked like it was filled with water came hurling down and smashed on the ground.

Aaren came running in the room to see what the noise was.

"I'm sorry I must have knocked it over when I was reaching for the peanut butter." Bella said softly as she leaned over to help Aaren pick up the bigger pieces of glass. "Shoot." Bella dropped the piece of glass she was holding and looked down at her cut finger. A single bead of blood rolled down her finger and landed in the water.

"Here let me get you a band aid-" A low hissing noise interrupted Aaren.

The two women in the room looked to where the noise was coming from, the floor. More specifically to where Bella's blood had landed in the water.

The blood seemed to spread and turn the water into liquid silver before their eyes.

"Holy shit." Aaren whispered.

Finally! I had to re-write this chapter three different times! Another mystery has appeared! Review and check out the story I picked out at the top of my profile. Once again review!

Edited (12-28-09)