Disclaimer: Sadly, I only own the plot…SM owns everything else!!

Author's Note: Thanks for all the hits, favs and reviews! You guys are the best!! This chapter is a continuation of the last one; I need to get a few more details with Bella out of the way before I bring back Edward's story. Fueled by some lovely wine and a fabulous bagel from Panera..may I present the next chapter:

Chapter 11: Finally, some answers

Where we left off…Bella met Tiffany at the bookstore with a "book emergency." They were just sitting down to sticky buns and coffee and Tiffany was about to grill Bella about what was going on with her.

BPOV

"Well, remember that day over the summer when you made me reshelve all the books that customers had left out randomly in the store? There was that book about Indian legends that I never found the place for. I was wondering if you still had it." Bella chewed on her bottom lip nervously, still unsure how much she was willing to divulge.

Tiffany pondered her course of action for a moment. She reached down beneath the counter and rested her hand on the book in question. She had never gotten around to replacing it either; it wasn't that popular a book, so no one missed it. Quickly, she withdrew her empty hand and placed it on Bella's arm. "Yes, I know which book you are talking about and I know exactly where it is. But you are not getting it until you tell me exactly what is going on young lady! I know something is up with you, so you better be honest with me or you will never get the book." She had decided to use it as leverage to try and see what was going on in Bella's life. It hadn't seemed that worrisome in the past, but something about the way she looked this morning had Tiffany rather concerned.

Bella quickly realized that Tiffany was not going to let her out of this very easily. She weighed her options carefully. It would be nice to have someone to really talk to about this. Tiff will probably be the one person who might actually believe me. And I'm sure I'll need an objective person to talk to about Josh, when he makes good on his threats. I might as well get this over with. At least it will be practice for what I need to tell Renee and the girls.

Bella took a deep breath and began to tell her story. She started with the first dream and detailed every meeting leading up to last night. Then she told Tiffany about the events of the previous night, not looking up until she finished the entire story of what led her to the bookstore that morning. When she got to the letter part, she pulled it out of her pocket to show to Tiffany. When she was done, she took another deep breath and a sip of coffee; then she steeled herself for whatever Tiffany's reaction was going to be and looked up to meet her eyes.

Bella wasn't sure how Tiffany would react, but the look of pure happiness in her eyes was definitely unexpected. "Did you hear everything I just told you? Why on earth do you look so happy?" Bella broke off, thoroughly confused; her thoughts were wandering down dangerous paths, including the possibility that Tiffany was somehow involved in the whole Josh fiasco and this was part of his evil plan of total humiliation and devastation. She sucked in a ragged breath and was on the verge of another crying jag when Tiffany broke the silence.

"My dear Bella, you have found the love of your life. And that love seems to deny intervention by time, death and humanity as it exists as an iron clad bond between you and this Edward. Despite the awful things you have gone through, how could I not be ecstatic at this news? You've heard me speak of Zach enough to know that I understand the rareness of a love like that. It is the one thing I have hoped most fervently for you to experience. Zach and I only had 2 years together before he was taken from me, but they were the best years of my life; it appears that nothing can keep you and Edward apart, so I look past the unhappiness that is going on now knowing that you will experience happiness that you can't even imagine." As she was speaking, she walked around the counter and swept Bella up in a bear hug. "Wow, what is that fantastic smell?"

"Mmf maket." Bella struggled to pull herself away from the ferocious hug Tiffany had wrapped her in. "I mean, the jacket! That's Edward's scent, isn't it wonderful?" She snuggled deeper into the jacket and took a long, deep breath; she was visibly calmer as she slowly released the air from her lungs.

"Yes, it is thoroughly intoxicating! I could definitely enjoy a life surrounded by a man who smelled like that all the time! Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't give up a moment with my Zach, but damn, I'd think twice about this guy!" Tiffany laughed, happy to see Bella in a better mood. "Okay, now that you are smiling, let's keep talking about Edward. But we will get back to Josh before we are done…I'm just warning you."

"Warning received; I'd rather talk with you about that anyway before I have to try to tell Renee." Bella grimaced as she spoke about the Josh situation, but she couldn't contain her smile as she segued to Edward. "So, you really don't think I'm crazy? I've given up on trying to pretend it isn't real, but I didn't expect anyone else to believe me!"

"I can tell by the way you spoke about him; pure, unadulterated love came shining through with every word. There is no questioning the connection that the two of you have. No matter what you did, he always found you; or rather, you always found him. It is only a matter of time before you find each other forever; it is obviously your destiny."

"Forever, yeah, I think I could deal with that. It feels as though it must be fate…I've noticed that the visits usually happen at particularly critical points in my life. And whenever I tried to force myself to live in 'reality' I'd always have a dream; reminding me just what I was trying to ignore and how much I couldn't ignore it no matter how hard I tried." Although she was absolutely sure everything she was experiencing was real and that she was actually in Edward's presence during these visits, Bella wasn't sure what how to refer to them. She tried to use "visit," since that seemed to encompass a little more reality. However, she'd been referring to them as dreams for so long, she'd slip occasionally and still call them that. No matter what she called them, they were the most real part of her life. "I don't feel whole without him; I never noticed how true that was until I finally acknowledged that our love was real. The minute I did, I felt like an entirely new person; a hole in my heart that I never knew existed filled, finally making me complete."

Bella stood up and started pacing around the store, while Tiff continued to sit by the counter and quietly sip her coffee. The mood in the room shifted slightly as she changed the direction of the conversation around to a more challenging topic. "But what do you think he is? I mean, he obviously isn't human. His eyes change color – and to colors that are never seen on humans! Our meetings have taken place at obviously very different times than now." Bella counted off her reasons one finger at a time, trying to force Tiffany to see the utterly bizarre situation for what it really was. "The night when we danced, I know that wasn't a theme party; it was actually a send off party for troops going to fight in the first World War! And last night, both he and my attacker were dressed in a way I've never seen except in pictures and old movies; I mean, look at this jacket! The way he handled that guy who tried to attack me was unbelievable! He does keep implying he's dangerous; there is obviously a very bizarre explanation. I just wish something made sense in all this!"

Bella had worked herself up into a bit of a frenzy and the weight of all that had transpired in the last 24 hours came crashing down on her. She dropped her coffee cup and flopped down into one of the overstuffed armchairs that were scattered around the shop for customers. She leaned back in the chair, her eyes wide and searching, her breathing ragged. She was beyond crying, and if she had any coherent thoughts on the matter she would have doubted she had any tears left to shed. She sat as still as a statue, staring into space, gripping the chair arms as if it was all that was keeping her from being ripped from the Earth into the vortex of space.

Tiffany, long expecting Bella to break down, took everything in stride. She calmly stood up and cleaned up the spilled coffee, watching Bella briefly to make sure she wasn't hyperventilating. Once that was taken care of, she filled a small cup with very cold water and walked over to Bella's chair. She knelt down so that she was level with Bella and stroked her hair, trying to soothe her back into reality. "Bella, honey, everything is going to be fine. We'll figure it all out. Focus on the good stuff; forget everything but your love right now. You are not alone now, I am going to help you whether you want me to or not!"

Bella blinked a few times and turned to look at her friend. "O-o-o-o-k-k-k-k-a-a-a-a.." was all she got out before Tiffany started shaking her head and patting Bella's hand.

"Relax sweetie. We've got all the time in the world; why don't you try sipping this water and try to calm your breathing a little. I'm going to get that book you wanted and we can start flipping through it and see if anything jumps out at us that explains your Edward." She handed Bella the cup of water, who obediently raised it to her mouth and took a small, reluctant sip.

Tiffany wandered over to the counter and brought out the Indian legends book and a pad of paper. She wrote a note, explaining that due to a private party the book store was closed for the day; she would have said a family emergency, but people might have noticed the lights on and people inside and been a little obnoxious about trying to get in. Saturday's were usually her busiest days; she couldn't care less about closing the store, but she didn't want Bella's attention to be brought to that fact since she'd feel terribly guilty over it. Once she was back to her old self, Tiff knew she'd be able to make her see that it wasn't a big deal to close the store that day. She glanced over at Bella, please by what she saw; Bella had finished the water, what little color she normally had restored to her face, and her breathing was steady and even. She had no doubt that there was something supernatural going on here; it certainly didn't freak her out, but Bella might need a little more strength before she found out the truth about her boyfriend. Tiffany's fascination with the occult and supernatural were the only reason that book was even in the store; she had a small section devoted to alien theories and Native American legends that drew a surprisingly large number of people to the store. This particular book was specific to one particular area of Washington state, so it wasn't as popular as the more diverse books.

Tiffany grabbed the book, notepad and pen from the counter and pulled a stool up next to Bella's chair. "Let's get this fact finding mission started! Do you want to look through the book or take notes?" Tiffany figured the sooner she got Bella involved in actually doing something, the sooner the shock would wear off.

"I guess I'll look through the book, in case there are pictures or descriptions that jog my memory about things I might have forgotten to tell you. Hand it over." Once the book was in her hands, she started to look at it eagerly and all signs of shock slowly disappeared. "Hm, so far I see things about wolves and people shape shifting, but that doesn't seem to fit. Here's a section about enemies, but that doesn't seem like it would be right, so I'll just jump to the next one. Okay, this chapter is about a thunderbird; there was a bird in the clearing that one time, but I don't think it had anything to do with Edward. Geez, this book is useless! I might as well randomly flip through it and pick a page to determine what Edward is; actually reading it isn't helping at all."

Tiffany just laughed as Bella flipped the pages of the book quickly through her hands and randomly grabbed a page somewhere in the middle to try and prove her point. Her laughter was cut short as Bella gasped and dropped the book as soon as she looked at the page.

She leaned over and picked up the book, staring at the gorgeous people on the page before handing it back to Bella. "What's wrong? Did you find something in your 'random' search?"

"Y-yes, in the enemies section." Bella's voice was barely a whisper, but there was not a hint of fear in it. "This isn't just about Edward's kind, it's about Edward! This is him, there is no mistaking it. I don't know who those other people are, but I think I've caught glimpses of a couple of them on different visits. I've seen his eyes this golden color the most frequent."

Tiffany leaned over and pulled the book out of her hands. She read the passage aloud, trying to figure out just what Bella had found. "The natural enemies of the wolves, vampires are normally not to be trusted. But this peculiar coven has committed to a life of human protection that complements the wolves' purpose. They choose to sustain themselves solely on animal blood and their leader has worked for centuries to save as many human lives as he and his coven could. For this reason, a treaty of sorts was struck between the coven and the local tribe of wolves, the Quileutes. They would both stick to their own land and the vampire coven would be allowed in the Forks area as long as they never bit a human."

"Forks? As in Washington? As in where Charlie lives? Do you think that he's there now? It may be easier than I ever thought for us to be together!" A huge grin broke out on Bella's face as she processed the information Tiffany relayed to her.

"You do realize that I just confirmed that the love of your life is an immortal vampire, right? Bella, only you (and maybe me since we're being totally honest here) would skip right over that tiny detail! But yes, this particular book is specific to Washington state, and I've only heard of a Quileute tribe in the Forks where your father lives. The book says they are allowed in the area, not that they are always living in the area. So don't get your hopes up too high that a simple visit to Charlie will solve all your romantic problems. On the other hand, no amount of space or time has kept you apart yet, so it is only a matter of time before you are together. Whether they are in Forks now or not, I think Charlie living there will give you two the ability to be together finally." Tiffany's grin matched Bella's; she was so happy for her friend she could barely contain her joy. She knew that whatever this Edward truly was, friendly vampire or alien from the planet Zork, he could never intentionally hurt Bella.

"Hey, I heard the part about him being a vampire; I was paying very close attention. I also heard the part about not drinking human's blood and a commitment to protecting humans. That's better than most human men I know; so if that's the case I'll take a vampire any day! I'm sure we can find a way to deal with the immortality issue…who knows, maybe one day I'll get to be a vampire!" Bella chuckled at this last thought. She then whipped her head around and narrowed her eyes at Tiffany. "My 'romantic problems,' eh? Is that what you think this is? You, of all people, should understand what it is like to be apart from your other half, your true love. This is more than a simple teenage romance drama, Tiffany! This is a true life crisis; every moment I am without him it gets harder and harder to bear." Anger at the idea of minimizing her troubles flashed in Bella's eyes.

Tiffany just laughed. "Of course I understand my dear. Every day that I wake up without Zach is just as agonizing as it was the first day after the accident; it gets better quicker as time passes, but the ache in my heart will never heal. I just threw that in to make sure you were actually paying attention to everything we were talking about and not still in shock! It was either that or throw a cup of water at you; I'm guessing I chose right!"

Bella got up and wrapped her arms around her friend. "Oh Tiff, I'm so sorry to bring up all these memories for you. I had no idea what you've been going through until now. And I just haven't found Edward yet, I haven't lost him. I can't imagine what that would be like and how I would even be able to go on with my life. You are such an amazingly strong person Tiff. Thank you so much for being here for me now. I can't tell you how much this means to me." A few tears escaped Bella's eyes, but Tiffany wiped them away quickly.

"Now, now Bells, stop this carrying on! The memories that are coming back are wonderful, loving memories. It never hurts me to think of the love and I can never escape thinking of the loss. You weren't very old those first couple of years after the accident; you're mom really helped me get through that time. I'm glad I can be here for you to return the favor. You know I always think of you as my little sister."

"I know, Big Sis!" Bella flashed Tiffany a quick smile and a wink, reminding her of the times when she was little and used to tell everyone that Tiffany was her big sister. The fact that Tiffany and Renee were less than 10 years apart made it a little hard for people to believe, but Bella was quite convincing as a little kid. "One day someone will come along and take the pain away Tiff, your time will come."

"Thanks Bells, I hope so too. But I'm just glad I had the time that I did with my Zach. Now, enough about me; let's get a plan to find your Edward." Tiffany had healed remarkably over the past 10 years, but she still couldn't get rid of the sharp stabbing pain in her chest whenever she thought too long about Zach. She was well past the limit now, so she tried to change the conversation quickly.

"Well, the note in the jacket kind of gave me an idea." Bella grabbed her purse and took out Wuthering Heights.

"What, you're going to get yourself lost on a moor? You know, we don't exactly have the same kind of weather here in Phoenix Bella."

"No, stupid! I'm going to carry this book with me everywhere and hold onto it whenever I fall asleep. Then, when I visit him again, I will leave the book for him. It doesn't seem right to try to find him any other way. I will put a note in the book with a way for him to find me; I've already made my decision, but I want him to have his opportunity to choose what he wants." Bella place a lot of emphasis on the "when;" she knew that she'd have an opportunity to give him the book, there was no other option she could even consider.

"That's a great idea! Since you look like you are about to keel over any minute, why don't you write your letter now. Just in case, you know!" Tiff shoved the notepad and pen at Bella, and then walked over to get herself another cup of coffee.

"Yeah, I guess I am feeling a little drained. I'll just write the letter now; I think I know what I want to say." Bella didn't have to try very hard, the words flowing from her pen as easy as the ink did.

Dearest Edward,

I'm sure you will find this strange; I certainly did when I figured it out. But maybe you too will feel the same sense of relief and completeness I do once all the pieces are put together. My name is Bella Swan and I live in Phoenix, Arizona. It is October 14, 2006 where I am.

In my life, I have been visiting you for the past 7 months. In your life, I think I have been visiting you for close to 90 years. I'm certain you've recognized me at my different visits, but perhaps they don't mean the same to you as they do to me. Every moment that I spend with you, I fall deeper and deeper in love. We are meant to be together; I can't help but feel it is our destiny. I need you to know that I have made my decision with my eyes wide open. I know that you are a vampire and are immortal; none of that means anything to me. The only thing that I want now is to spend the rest of my time with you.

But I want to give you an opportunity to make the same informed choice. I know that you must feel the unusual bond we have; but perhaps it is not the same for you. I am but a silly, clumsy human girl; hardly worthy of your love. But I am yours for eternity; all you have to do is come for me.

I can't know exactly when you will get this, but I will be waiting for you.

With more love than I thought was possible,

Bella

Bella folded her note and laid it down on the table. "Can you hand me my book please, I want to put my note in it?"

Tiffany picked up the book from the chair she had left it. "What the heck do you have in here? There must be 15 different pieces of paper! You better clean this out or he will have no idea what to make of it. He might try to finish your," she paused as she took out one of the papers and read it, "trig homework and never even read the letter!"

"Just give it to me! I'll take care of it!" Bella dumped all the papers out on the table, making sure the book was completely empty, aside from her bookmarks. She grabbed her note and shoved it in the middle of the book; she then threw the book into her purse and started to gather up the papers on the table. "I know I promised you that I would tell you about what happened with Josh, but I am so exhausted right now I don't think I can handle it. How about if you come over after the store closes and I'll cook us both dinner? I'll be able to get a nice long nap in since it is only noon now. Wait, it's noon? Where the heck are the customers? Saturday is normally the busiest day! What's that note on the door, why is it locked?" As she realized that Tiffany had closed the store, Bella started shaking her head angrily.

Tiffany took the papers from Bella and started shoving her toward the door. "Bella – STOP! Yes, I closed the store for a few hours. No big deal. I wanted to talk to you and that was much more important than making sure that a couple of middle school kids had the latest Harry Potter novel or something like that. You know it was completely my decision, so you are not allowed to get mad about it. You've seen enough people come in to work who were certainly not in working condition to know how I normally deal with that. I could have put you on the couch in the back just as easily as I do with the hangover twins, but it was more important to me that we talk. You are not allowed to feel guilty…just make me your famous lasagna for dinner and then we will be even!" Tiffany smiled her mischievous smile, and Bella knew that she was never going to be allowed to even voice a single protest.

"Fine, but you are getting homemade garlic bread too!" That was about all the ammunition she had.

"Ooh, you keep threatening me with delicious Italian food and I might never let you leave! Now, get your butt out of here and go get a nap! I'll be at your house around 7, is that alright?"

"Yup, that gives me plenty of time for a nice nap and to slave over a hot stove for you. Who knows, maybe I'll have another visit by then and I can tell you about it!"

"Well, good luck and don't let go of the book! Can you flip the sign to 'OPEN' as you leave?"

"Sure thing! See you later Tiff! Thanks again for everything." Bella pulled off Tiffany's note and threw it into the trash, then flipped the sign over as she walked out the door.

Bella went home and got the initial work done to prepare dinner for Tiffany and herself. Once everything was ready to go in the oven, she set an alarm for 5:30, giving her enough time to cook, and settled into the couch for a nap. She lay down and covered herself with the quilt, clutching her book in both her hands. She thought about strapping it to her body so she couldn't leave it, but she figured that might be extreme. She never knew what situation she'd find herself when she arrived at a visit, but it was always in whatever state she was in when she fell asleep. It was risky to chance showing up in a room full of people in sweats with a book strapped to her chest. She'd try holding onto it this time, but if it didn't work she would rethink a way to secure it to her body.

If she hadn't been so exhausted by the day's events and the cooking prep she would have never been able to fall asleep for her excitement. It took her back to when she was 5 years old and waiting to hear the sounds of Santa Claus and his reindeer on the roof of her house! But the day had taken its toll and she quickly fell into a sound sleep and found herself in the midst of another visit.

She was in a clearing in a forest, not one she'd been in before. She looked down and her heart leapt with joy when she found she had managed to bring the book with her. Finally, things are starting to go my way! Now, where is Edward? Bella scanned the clearing and the tree line, squinting into the sudden burst of sunlight, but couldn't find him. She looked down in disappointment, trying to decide if she should leave the book or take it back with her if she didn't find him. Just as she was about to give up hope, she heard his velvety voice call out to greet her.

"Hello!" He sounded tentative, and slightly awestruck. Bella marveled at the idea that she could stun him; her heart jumped at the thought that he was as thrilled by her visit as she was. She couldn't help but smile widely as she looked up to meet his gaze.

"Hello. I'm so glad to see you again." I have to be careful with what I say; I can't scare him. I can't believe how much it hurts to be apart from him, even though it has only been a few hours this time. "I've missed these dreams." As they dominated her thoughts, those words escaped from her lips quite without her permission; Bella hoped Edward hadn't heard her.

"Dreams? I thought you were my dream." Edward answered her mutinous words in a wistful tone. Damn, of course he heard me. Okay, I won't explain that to him because it will take way too much time.

"Never mind that. I'm sure we don't have much time, I don't want to waste it." Bella briefly struggled with what to do with the book. The trees were starting to fade in and out, so she didn't think there was much time left in the visit. She had wanted to give it to him, but she was afraid if she tried to carry it to him she might return home still holding it. Instead, she slowly bent down and laid it carefully on the ground, trying to make sure Edward saw her putting it down. Again, luck seemed to be with her, as the trees continued to stay solid once she stood up again. Bella felt the love pulse between the two of them as she threw her arms wide open and slowly made her way across the clearing to him. It was all she could to not to run and jump into his embrace; she didn't want to take him by surprise and wanted to be sure he returned her feelings.

She had barely closed the gap by 10 feet when his posture completely changed. He stiffened and started backing away from her in equal measure to her forward progress. Oh no, I've scared him. I should have just talked to him, now I've ruined everything! "What's wrong? Did I frighten you?" Bella searched his deep onyx eyes, fighting to hold the tears back from hers.

"No, you didn't frighten me. I'm afraid I'll frighten you. I'm different than I was when I last saw you. I can't begin to explain how pleased I am to see you, but I can't be that selfish. It isn't safe for you here." Bella relaxed once she realized he was simply afraid for her, not of her. She smiled at the word "pleased;" and quickly realized that his talk of selfishness could only mean that he wanted her to be with him. She registered that his warnings for her usually came when his eyes were black, so she also took that to heart. She knew he'd never hurt her, but she didn't want him to be uncomfortable. From his tone, this visit was probably early on in his life; he was probably unsure of what to expect from her.

As the trees started to fade in earnest this time, she knew she only had a few more moments. She tried to convey as much as she could in her parting words; anxious to let him know she wasn't afraid of him. "You say that, yet I don't believe you. I always feel safest when I am with you, no matter how unreal it is. Sadly, this visit has come to its end too quickly, as usual. See you in my dreams!"

Bella woke with a start and glanced at the clock; it was only 4, so she couldn't blame the alarm for the short duration of the visit. Still, regardless of the length of time, she was thrilled she had seen Edward again. And most importantly, she'd left the book and her letter for him in the clearing. He had seemed quite eager to know her and speak to her, so she felt confident that he would pick up the book and read her letter. How he would react to it, she had no way to truly know; her heart told her that it was just a matter of time before he showed up like a knight in shining armor to rescue from the suburban nightmare that her life was about to become. She shivered as she thought about the upcoming conversation she and Tiffany were going to have. She rolled off the couch and retrieved Edward's jacket from the chair she had left it and put it on for comfort. Since she had some extra time, she began to make some brownies for dessert and spent the rest of the afternoon in the kitchen preparing the evening's meal.

Tiffany was closing up the register for the night when she saw the pile of papers she had taken from Bella sitting on the counter. Better see what these are in case she needs them. The first couple things were just silly flyers about school dances and pep rally's that were probably trash, one was a homework assignment and one was an English test on which Bella has scored a perfect 100. But when Tiffany unfolded the last piece, she just gasped as she started reading…"Dearest Edward…"

Author's Note: Hmm…so what WAS the paper in the book? Hmmm?? Any guesses? I promise the next chapter will be Edward and Alice, then we'll be back to the drama unfolding with Josh and Bella.

I'm taking a page from of my favorite author's and am going to have a Featured Author in all my new chapters! This way I can bring some attention to some of the fantastic stories I've found out there and you faithful reviewers!

Drumroll please….The first one is A Cullen Wannabee, who I stole this idea from and has graciously made me one of her featured authors! She is an awesome writer who has written 4 stories for Twilight – the first on is called "In the Shadow of the Day" which is set post BD and features Bella's orphaned little sister Angelina and her life as a human with the Cullens and the werewolves. Next up is "Chasing Away the Shadows", which is the sequel to "In the Shadow of the Day", and an awesome extras companion story to the sequel with some different POVs than the original. I can't tell you more about these stories without giving stuff away, but believe me they are riveting!! She also has a very moving one-shot songfic called The Red that is truly outstanding! Check out her stories…you won't be sorry :) You can find her profile link on my favorite authors tab, and her stories on my favorite stories.