Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight related…

Chapter 9: Another fork in the road…

January 31, 1968

My new electric typewriter didn't make the groaning sounds that my old manual did. The keys also didn't stick together when I was on a role, typing faster and faster. It was a pure joy to use and the correction ribbon was a godsend. I was in my last semester at the University of San Francisco and I was hellbent to maintain my 4.0 GPA.

That's right, me, Isabella Swan, disowned debutante and former child bride, was graduating this summer with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology. Next fall I would be starting my master's degree in counseling. All my self-doubt when I first moved to San Francisco had eroded away and I was the confident young woman I hoped to be when I first stepped off that bus years ago.

San Francisco was the epicenter of changes on all fronts. The anti-war protests, feminism, civil rights, the hippie movement; you name it, we had it in San Francisco. I was heavily involved with the feminist movement. There was too much Park Avenue in me to a full-blown feminist radical, but I fought for equal rights for all women and better protection under the law in divorce and domestic violence.

My experience with James had shown me the inequality for women under the law. For a brief time during my junior year, I had a flirtation with law school, but it wasn't my passion. Tanya had been disappointed when I decided that I was better working with women one on one, helping them rebuild their lives after divorce or escaping abusive relationships.

The last three years had not changed on the home front. I hadn't heard from my parents since my father's last visit with James and Mr. Hunter and I haven't seen them or Mary since Jake's wedding.

Mary hadn't contacted me either, my letters to her came back unopened and marked "return to sender". All I knew about her came from Jake and Vanessa. Mary had recently gotten engaged to Felix Whiteman, some underling in James' firm. That didn't bode well in my opinion, but I bought her a congratulations gift anyway. Of course, it was returned a week later.

Jake had been in Vietnam for the last three years. His enlistment was extended last year when more men were needed, but he was coming home in two weeks and would be out of the military soon. I was so thankful the relief was palpable.

From the time he got there, he kept telling me how different it was from what people back home were saying. He said he and the guys in his platoon had no real idea as to why they were there. Most of the time they were seen at the enemy instead of being there to help.

I had seen Jake once since he left. We met on a scheduled leave he had in Hawaii. He looked gaunt, not the light hearted brother who had said goodbye to me in San Francisco.

Jake was barely keeping it together. He wanted to come home, decompress, spend time with his wife and start a family. He nearly had a breakdown when he was notified he had to serve another year. I suggested that he apply for a hardship discharge but he refused.

"But Jake, you were only supposed to be here for 18 months and you did your time!" I exclaimed. "You don't look well. Maybe you can see a doctor and he can give you a Section 8 or a hardship from your captain?"

Jake chuckled darkly. "Bella I can't leave my men. We are in this together and I can't turn my back on them because I want to be home. They do to! We all do, but I won't do it at the expense of my integrity," he said and then with finality, "I'm a man of honor."

Vanessa was just as desperate to get him home. They had been trying to get pregnant every time Jake had leave, but that was infrequent so those chances were slim. Given Jacob's mental state, I didn't think Jake was in the best place to be a father. I thought he was going to need time to readjust to society and get comfortable with the idea of a baby in the house, but it wasn't my call.

My plan was to drive back East and see them in the Spring. I had gotten my driver's license two years ago and bought a car last summer, a VW bug. I even knew how to do something Rose couldn't; drive a manual transmission. Poor Emmett almost turned grey teaching me to drive my car, but both of us survived.

Hitting return on the typewriter, my attention was drawn to television set. It was small and I found on the curb out front in the trash. I brought it home and had the kid downstairs fix it up for me.

The news anchor was running a story on the Tet Offensive. I remained neutral on the Vietnam War because of Jake. Personal feelings aside, I couldn't bring myself to condemn the GI's over there like some of the protestors did. My brother was just trying to survive and I wanted him home in one piece.

These thoughts were coursing through my head as I watched the story on television. Everyone had been caught by surprise by this attack; the most celebrated holiday in Vietnam. The Viet Cong had just come out of nowhere and it terrified me what could be happening.

I checked in with Vanessa earlier and she hadn't heard from Jake, but it wasn't the first time that he had been out of touch during a battle. There would be times that he would be out of contact for weeks after a major offensive but this time I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

Both Vanessa and I were his emergency contacts so either one of us would be notified if something went wrong. Looking back to my paper, I tried to concentrate on my topic of choice: the lack of laws protecting the property of women for my business law class. I was pretty sure that my professor would hate it.

I had taken this class as a favor for Tanya who was trying to revive my interest in the legal system. She thought I would be fabulous lawyer but I still didn't have the desire for law. My heart was in counseling, my true calling. I had done an internship the previous summer at women's shelter and I loved every minute of it.

I was proofreading my paper when the phone rang. My stomach turned, but I was hoping it was Jake. I knew it was roughly 6:00 am where Jake was so there was a good possibility it could be him. On the first ring, I put down my pencil and paper on my desk that faced one of the lavender walls I painted with Rose years ago. It was twilight, not quite night and no longer the afternoon. The moon wasn't out yet, but it was getting dark.

On the second ring, I got up and slowly walked the phone. The phone was a black rotary model, not one of the fancy push button ones. I had one of those in New York and preferred the rotary.

On the third ring, I picked up the receiver and sat on the stool next to it. It was made of out of bamboo with an avocado green vinyl covering, one of the first pieces of furniture I had bought. It was as ugly as hell but for some reason I couldn't part with it even though I can afford better furniture.

Putting the receiver up to my ear, I could see the TV set; black and white, flickering, showing slightly wavy images of Vietnam and the American GIs fighting the Viet Cong. Outside my window, I could see the Golden Gate Bridge starting to light up.

"Hello?"

"B-B- Bella" I could heard Vanessa's disembodied voice over the static.

"Vanessa," I replied, my heart pounding, praying she heard from Jake.

"They came to my door," she cried.

"They?" I asked, realizing what she meant. They usually meant the chaplain and a commanding officer. For a brief moment, I hoped she meant they as in Jake and some of his buddies coming in early to surprise her.

"That fucking chaplain came here," she screamed. "And-and…"

"No, no, no, no, no….," I said like a mantra. Like if I said it enough times it would make her next sentence not true.

"And… and… th-th-they told me...me Jake is d-d-d-dead," Vanessa cried hysterically.

I dropped the phone, feeling like my world imploded. There was screaming. Bloodcurdling screaming.

I dropped the phone so why would I still hear Vanessa screaming?

Then I realized, it wasn't Vanessa screaming, it was me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~AMW~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

New AN: Special thanks to LSU15 for the beta!

AN: The author realizes that people probably really hate her at the moment. She asks for forgiveness and to bear with her as this story continues.

The pushbutton phone was introduced commercially 1963 by Ma Bell. At least that is what my research found. James was the kind of guy that bought anything that was en vogue.

Next chapter Bella returns to New York. Show of hands what do you think her family is going to do?