"Dreams die hard and you hold them in your hand long after they've turned to dust." – From the movie 'Dragon Heart'.


Chapter 7: Angela.

Her home had that homey feel. It was small, and crowded. The furniture looked old, but well kept. I was surprised to see all the picture frames flipped down. There wasn't a speck of dust on anything, so I couldn't tell if she had flipped them down recently or not. I hoped that they had somehow fallen over—irrational, but—I hated to think she wanted to hide from the memories clipped inside the frames.

Angela gestured to me to sit down. Courteously, I took a seat across from her. I wasn't sure where to start. I didn't want to get right into the difficult request—that might seem rude. Maybe I could start up with something positive?

"Angela Cheney. So you married Ben?" I asked. I was happy to hear that their relationship had worked out; they had seemed perfect for each other, from what I could remember.

"Yes," she grumbled. "I married him. But ignore the last name—it will be officially changed soon enough."

"Divorce?" I tried to suppress my gasp. I was more than a little surprised.

She nodded her head. "He's still crazy over me, and some days I still love him more than anything," she admitted. "But I can't deal with his accusations and his problems—and he can't deal with mine."

I looked around the room. I couldn't hear any other heartbeat—besides hers, which was unusually fast. It sounded different than any heartbeat I had ever heard.

"Where is he now?"

"He moved to Colorado, with Suzie," Angela answered grouchily. "The custody deal is out of whack. He gets her for the whole summer. I don't see why I have to have her through the school year. Am I not allowed vacation time with my daughter? He gets every other Christmas. That cuts my time considerably."

I nodded my head along. How had Angela's life gotten so off-track? Had she expected this outcome? I doubted it. A girl's dreams never consisted of divorce and custody plans for their child.

"I'm sorry," Angela sighed. "I should keep my worries to myself."

"No, Angela, please," I pleaded. "We're friends, you can..." No, that was wrong. I used the wrong pretence.

"Bella, we were friends," Angela amended. "You died though. And then, you didn't feel the need to tell me you resurrected?"

"I'm sorry." And I was. I knew it probably hurt her. Angela was my only true human friend, one of the only people to see me through my own personal dark ages. "I wanted to tell you—but I also didn't. I wanted to keep you out of the mythological mess of my existence."

She laughed—more like cackled. Her long hair moved over her shoulders. She tucked a strand behind her ear. Suddenly, her shyness returned, and—besides the laugh lines, the wrinkles in the corners of her eyes—she looked like the Angela I remembered.

She stood up. She walked over to the closest flipped picture frame. She lifted it up, and there was another frame beneath it. She examined it for a minute. I glimpsed the photo, recognizing it as a picture from graduation.

"To be honest, Bella," she said quietly. "You were my only real friend in high school."

I was shocked by this news. Had she not been friends with Jessica, Lauren, Mike, Ben? Weren't there others before me, and after me? She had hung around with them before I had showed up in Forks.

"I sort of clung to Jessica's group...but I don't know if you could call us 'friends'," she explained. "She invited me in." She shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't want to be alone, so, I stuck with her. Every once in a while someone out of Jessica's group would forget to include me in an outing. That's when I knew for sure. I thought I was too different to be part of the normal high school crowd." She laughed, rolled her eyes. "I only found out later—after you died, actually—that I am too different."

Angela put the picture frame down and turned to face me.

"So it's true," I realized. "Alice sent me...she said you're a...witch."

Her eyes sparkled. "You could say that."

"What do you mean?" I pulled my eyebrows together in confusion. Were straight answers that difficult to give?

"Have you ever met my parents, Bella?" Angela asked. I shook my head. "My dad remarried. My mother died in child-birth. I didn't found out for a while that it was entirely my fault."

I frowned. "I don't understand."

"My father, he left her before the Cullens came back, so there was no way they could know," Angela continued, ignoring my question. "Mom remarried. I was never the wiser. I thought my parents were my real parents for years. It was only a couple years after you died that my real father came back. He told me everything—everything I didn't want to know."

Angela hung her head. Slowly, she lowered herself into the chair behind her. Her eyes shot up to meet mine; there was a deep, horrified sadness there. I gently took her hand, leaning forward slightly. I was glad that this motion didn't feel out of place at all. It was natural. She thanked me with a tentative smile.

"My father is a vampire," she whispered hoarsely.

"That isn't possible," I muttered under my breath—quiet enough that she wouldn't hear. I stroked her hand, hoping she couldn't feel the hesitance in my touch.

"Giving birth to a half-vampire baby was too much for my real mother. She died." Angela closed her eyes tightly, fighting back tears. "I saw a picture of her. She looked exactly like me."

"I'm sorry," I consoled.

"Daddy dearest explained everything to me," Angela spat, bitterness, and hate as tangible as venom in her voice. "I learned about the Volturi, about the rules, about what I am, and about what you are now." Her eyes settled downward, staring at my hand. "The reason you came back from the dead, I still don't know. But I saw Stephanie, and I could sense something was up. And then, not so long after that, I saw you again, and Edward's car." She giggled. "Okay, a new version. But, nonetheless, I knew it had to be you too."

"Good guess," I complimented dryly. I knew coming into town had been a bad idea, but I needed some familiarity after Charlie's funeral.

"I don't guess, I know."

"What does that mean?" I knew there had to be something more; the certainty in her eyes was proof of it.

She sighed. "It's a...gift. I always had it—but I've perfected it recently." She drew her eyes up slowly. "Trite human things are harder, but if I want to, I can know. I can know when Ben's plane will land. I can know the exact time Suzie falls asleep, before it's the time."

"Are you psychic?"

"No, I just can know things. It's hard to explain."

"Yes," I smirked. "And it's difficult to understand."

She smiled back at me. "I know why you're here, Bella. But, still, even though you come to ask a favour, I'm glad you came. I've missed you."

"I missed you too," I realized. I folded both of my hands around hers.

"Jared is going to meet up with four vampires in less than one hour," she recited. "The phone is going to ring—now." The phone rang. "It's Alice."

I snapped the phone to my ear. "Alice? Jared is going to meet up with the others in less than one hour."

I heard her whisper something, she was talking to Jasper. I heard her growl, and then her voice came back.

"How did you know it was me?" she wondered.

"Angela knows things," I said. I shrugged and Angela giggled.

"I told you to trust me," Alice bragged.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Alice. You're always right."

Angela gasped suddenly. "Jane."

I dropped the phone.

Angela darted to the phone, pressing it to her ear. She spoke quickly, but I was barely paying attention.

"It's a vampire named Jane, and two others are facing the werewolf, Stephanie, and Rosalie right now."

"Are there others?" I heard Alice ask.

"There will be one more coming very shortly. Emmett will arrive shortly. I don't understand how, but—they're all in pain right now. But Jane is...a little short handed, thanks to Rosalie."

Angela's grin snapped me back into reality. Short-handed? That had to be a good sign. But, if it was Jane, then they needed my help. I was the only one Jane's talent didn't work on. I needed to get to them—soon. Rosalie and Emmett wouldn't be able to fight back. Maybe Stephanie would have inherited some resistance, so she might be okay. But Jared wouldn't be able to handle the pain. I could still remember Edward's face, the pain Jane had inflicted.

"Angela, I have to go," I said, snapping up from the chair.

"Wait," Angela pleaded. "Let me come with you. I might be able to help."

I thought about it. "No. You could get hurt. This Jane, she's dangerous. And I don't know about these other three."

"I can protect myself," she assured me. "I told you. I'm half of what you are. I'm not so fragile."

"No," I insisted, shaking my head. "I don't want to put anyone in more danger than they need to be."

Which reminded me...How was I going to convince Edward to stay away? He wouldn't let me go alone—but I couldn't protect him from Jane.

"I'm coming," Angela insisted.

"Angela—"

"Bella, friends help friends," Angela argued. "I know it's stupid, but I have nothing better to do, and I'm going to go insane, staying in this house all alone. With Suzie and Ben gone...I need to get out of here. I need to work out my problems, and ripping off someone's head sounds good right now."

I flinched at that. I really didn't want to have to decapitate anyone. Would I have to do that to stop Jane?

"Let's go," Angela said. I was surprised by her speed. She was by the door in an instant. My eyes could follow her, but her speed was inhuman. Maybe she could help?

"I don't think this is a good idea," I grumbled.

"I think it is," Angela grinned. "Trust me, Bella. You're doing me a favour—not the other way around."

I puzzled over this strange meeting. Angela had been mad at me—and now she was going to risk her life to help me save the lives of my family? I felt that Angela and I were good friends—but did she really feel so strongly? I didn't want to risk her life—but I didn't want to risk the lives of my family—and Edward's life. With Jane there, I was terrified. If I had a little more support—a psychic (more or less) who wasn't blocked by a werewolf being present might be helpful. Would that give us enough edge?

"Are you sure, Angela?" I was hoping she would change her mind—but also hoping she wouldn't. I wanted her help—but I didn't want her to be put in danger needlessly.

She nodded. "I'm sure."

"Then, let's go," I sighed.

Angela's grin widened. Why it was every vampire— or half-vampire— I met was so found of fighting? It seemed all the members of the supernatural world except me had this pull to battle.

Edward eyed me, and then Angela. For a split second he seemed confused, but he must have read Angela's mind because the confusion left his expression. He was out of the Volvo in a second, standing beside me.

"Where to, Angela?" I asked.

"Hm, Jared was headed south...but I think he re-routed..." Angela closed her eyes. "He's 20 miles north of where we are." Her eyes snapped open. "Jane's angry. We should hurry."

I turned to Edward. "You should go tell Alice," I suggested, hoping to keep him away from Jane as long as possible.

"Alice already knows," Angela assured me.

Secretly, I really wanted to glare at Angela. She was great and all, but she had rendered my excuse useless.

Edward could see what I was doing. I wasn't that sneaky. He took my hand.

"You could warn Alice," he said softly.

I rolled my eyes. "Let's go," I groaned. "Bring on the fancy fighting. I'll take on Jane—since I can actually stand up to her without being tortured." I winced. How could I allow Angela to be brought closer to a vampire who would pain her? And could I really allow Edward to experience that pain again?

Before another second of thought could be put into how to excuse Edward from facing Jane, we were off. There was no time to waste. If Rosalie, Stephanie, and Jared were in pain, we had to help them.

I could only hope we could make it in time. But doubt was in my mind. Alice's vision—had it changed at all? Would this really be the death of Jared Black? And, after that, how would Stephanie survive? And—Rosalie's guilt...She was so attached to Stephanie...This could crumble us permanently.


Why could Jane leave us alone? Why was it that I attracted so much devastation? Was it so impossible to find a happily ever after? Somehow, for some reason, I was a danger magnet even after I had died. I put everyone around me in danger. This time, if we didn't win, if we didn't get rid of Jane for good, there would be no chance of recovering. A tad bit dramatic, maybe, but it was true. Jane would ruin what little paradise I had again.

I could feel my insides splitting apart—even though I knew that was impossible. Jane was across from me, nowhere near close enough to be attacking me physically. I knew it was all in my head, but it didn't feel that way.

Why the heck had Jared run away? Why couldn't he have stayed put? Why did he have to be so irrational? I had to protect him from me. Why was he such an idiot? If he had gone back to La Push, I would have moved away and come back to him later...or never. It didn't really matter. He wouldn't be in half as much pain as he was now.

But no, he couldn't make things easy. He had to put on a hissy fit, make me feel guilty, and draw in Jane and her lackeys.

I tried to push the guilt from my mind—blame Jared—but it didn't work. I knew it was my fault. I was selfish and worthless and stupid and undeserving and perpetually inconsolable. If Jared knew those things about me, maybe he would give up on me. I was so damn unwinnable, and he liked the challenge. He was nuts.

I was going to lose him, all because I had made another mistake. Why was I so prone to stupidity? I had no luck at all. It was so typically me that I would fall in love with a werewolf whose stinking blood smelled like sweet ambrosia, and then I would force him into running away to meet up with the little menace vampire Jane who despised my half-sister.

Was anyone else's life this messed up? I didn't think so.

"Ah, shit, fuck," muttered Demetri. "That firkin werewolf took off my arms!"

"Get over it," Selena growled, just a little short of breath. "That bitch just put a serious dent in my throat. Personally, I like being able to breathe and holding my head up."

I opened my eyes—realizing I had closed them—and looked at the woman I had attacked. I had taken a good chunk out of her neck. She was trying to reattach it now. I had to laugh, being proud of myself, when I watched her struggle. Her head flopped all over the place on its own. She had to hold it up with her hand.

Rosalie was on the ground, but she was still cackling away. Jane was furious. Her missing arm dragged itself forward, crawling toward her.

I wanted to do something. But I was helpless. My fingers dug into the ground. I could feel the earth beneath my fingernails—feel my grip slipping. I was almost doubled-over. I couldn't take much more. I half wanted to dismantle myself, as if that would help take the sting out of the suffering. It was so much—I could barely concentrate long enough to plan what to do.

I knew I had to try and take out Jane. If I could get her out of the picture, the others would be easy to handle. I was the only one here that could do anything. I was just slightly resistant and that would be enough—just as soon as I got up enough will to move an inch forward. I needed to move. Once I could to that, I could save Jared and Rosalie.

I tried to shift my ankle, but I felt myself teeter forward, and my face hit the cold leaves. I was on the ground. My eyes shifted over to Jared. He was quivering, releasing furious tremors of agony. His fur stood on end. His paws were clawing at the ground, trying to get a grip, same as me—but there was nothing to hold onto. It was impossible to maintain a single thought of sanity.

I looked to Rosalie. Her laughing had stopped. It must have been too much for her. Panic stretched over her flawless features. Even contorted in malaise, she was an exquisite beauty.

Seeing them in pain—people I loved more than my life—doubled the pain. Their pain, my pain; it was all the same. Only it was magnified.

"I wonder if the mind-reader is close by," Selena wondered aloud. "It could save us a trip."

"Sounds wonderful," Jane agreed. She sounded perturbed still. Her arm wasn't reattached yet.

"Let me kill this wolf first," Demetri growled. I couldn't seem him from where I was, but he sounded really pissed off.

I was afraid for Jared. I couldn't allow him to be killed. I couldn't let Demetri so much as lay a finger on him. Even the threats were offensive. It was as if he had already hurt him, although I knew Jared had done more damage to him.

I was also scared for Rosalie. If Jane would let up she could easily win, but Jane wasn't about to play fair. Jane was going to kill Rosalie. There was no doubt in my mind that Jane was vengeful. Why else would she have killed Bella all those years ago?

"I call killing the blonde," Selena laughed.

"No!" Jane snapped, her eyes reeling toward Rosalie. "She's mine. And so is the other one."

Selena flinched away from Jane, but began muttering under her breath when Jane turned away.

"I'll let you do whatever you want to the rest of them," Jane promised her. "They'll come after us, to avenge the death of the blonde."

"That is at least a little exciting," Selena allowed.

"As long as the werewolf is mine—" And then Demetri's voice cut off, and he was growling and rasping.

The pain let up, just fractionally. I got up on one knee, and lunged myself forward. I grabbed the first enemy I could find. I tried to injure Selena, but she was stronger than me. I bit her, knowing that was the best damage I could inflict. She snarled at me, but shoved me back. The agony increased, and I knew I was stuck on the ground again. I tried to find what could have caused the distraction.

He was hard to miss. Seeing him brought me relief—and then more agony. Of course Emmett would come to Rosalie's rescue—of course he'd want in on the action. But it wasn't fair. Another person I loved had to endure a vexatious affliction.

"I wasn't told there was a brawny one," Selena rasped. "How many of them are there, exactly?"

"Seven—but eight, if you count that look-a-like," Demetri answered. "Is she part of them?"

His question was directed at Jane. She had no answer for him though. I could see her neck, slowly reattaching. Emmett had left a small incision. Impressive, but not enough.

"I wonder if the others are on their way," Selena considered. "How many more surprise attacks are to be expected?"

Selena suddenly perked up. Her smile turned soft, and her head pivoted to the east. She was eagerly stepping toward that direction. She stopped and sighed.

"I was wondering when you'd come," she whispered.

"I picked up the wolf's scent, and these others," a new, deep voice said. "I wanted to make sure you were safe."

"I am," she said. "Now."

I stared up at the new figure. He was big, tall, with long dark hair. He had the pale skin, the purplish bruises, and the sweet scent, so I knew he was definitely one of them. His dark cloak was the final clue. He was part of their group, and he looked tough. I don't mean bad guy tough, but I mean dark, brooding and powerful tough.

Even with Jane's influence over me, I found I could use my power. I searched through this newcomer's memories. I was horrified by the end, but I kept peering, trying to find any weaknesses.

Selena was his mate, and so he would defend her. He might take revenge against me for hurting him. I didn't care about the pain he would inflict on me, I just cared what he might do to the others. So I looked for some reason that the Volturi would want him. I knew Selena had ability to control birds, and small animals, nothing particularly dangerous. But he had to have something about him.

I was right. I was terrified, knowing that he was the perfect weapon against his own kind. I could see all the many times he had used his power for similar situations. Jane could stop torturing us, Demetri could put himself together without interruption, and Selena wouldn't have to lift a finger. This man would burn us alive.

"Which one of them hurt you," the man asked, his deep voice, rich and seductive. His words, though simple, were smooth as poetry. The way his stood, somehow, also was poetic—poetry in motion.

"Her," Selena declared confidently, nodding her head toward me. "Vicious little creature."

His eyes, brilliant red, and fuming, peered at me. He was the most frightening vampire I had ever seen. Even in from Bella's memories, from the time she faced James, from the time she watched Victoria battle Edward, it wasn't nearly close to the fear I felt. This vampire was like Dracula—he held some regal claim to power. His skin was chalky. He was an old vampire, from what I could tell. His mate was very young compared to him.

"Andrei, don't kill her quickly," Selena suggested. "I think all of them should suffer a little more. Jane has it under control."

Her mate nodded. The threat was gone from his eyes momentarily. I heard a growl beside me. Jared obviously was upset that this new vampire has his eyes set on me.

"The big one startled us, but he's no trouble now," Selena continued. "As long as we don't get surprised again, this should be fun." Her lips thinned over her white teeth. Her smile was awful. She looked like a menace—and she wasn't pretty enough to really hold the same seduction as her mate. She just looked like a monster.

"We should kill them though," Jane said, sounding tired. Was it possible for her powers to wear out?

"But how?" Demetri pondered. "They caused us a bit of trouble...so not something quick."

"Let me take over, Jane," Andrei suggested, his lips spreading into a grin.

Jane shrugged. "Fine. Don't drag it out too much. The others could—"

Jane's voice was cut off by a loud chorus of howls. I closed my eyes, and had never been so thankful that I had fallen in love with a werewolf. Because werewolves have friends.


Review, please! Oh, and yeah, I know, vampires are friends too. But, hey. Not all vampires are guaranteed packs.