Its Murder Sequel

Chapter 1

BPOV

The inside of the clinic was no more appealing than the outside, but then, nobody came here to critique it's architecture or decor.

I was glad we'd come here on one of the few days pro-life protestors had family holiday commitments and weren't out there screaming at us and waving their placards as we walked inside. I'd probably have turned and run.

And this was where I had to be, today of all days.

Rose sat on a chair madly sending soppy text messages to her new love, Emmett.

I paced the floor and tried not to vomit.

Was vomiting even possible when I hadn't eaten for days? The thought of it had made me ill.

I guess I'd never expected to walk through a door such as this one, and sit in a waiting area like this one, waiting for some life hardened nurse to call the name of the next patient, who would only be here for the short space of time it took to do what had to be done.

Recovery time was just a few hours, then the newly unpregnant patient got to return home to spend a few days in her bed.

I dearly wished this had never become necessary.

Offers of lifelong emotional support and free babysitting any time hadn't changed anything.

Rose had been determined to end this tragedy today.

"Bella, I know you hate me for doing this but it is completely necessary, believe me. I'm grateful you came with me, but calm down, please, or you'll have me climbing the walls right along with you."

I sat down and crossed my legs but the upper one still jiggled.

"I don't hate you, Rose. I could never hate you. I hate that you have to do this, and I can't say I'd ever choose it for myself, but then, I've never been in a position to have to decide, Thank God. Are you absolutely sure this is the only option?" I asked again, for the twentieth time.

"Yes, I'm sure."

"I guess not knowing who the father is might be a common reason some women end up here," I theorized.

"Sometimes not knowing is better than knowing with absolute certainty. I wish it was that simple. If I had any hope that this wasn't put inside me by that...that.. man I'd take a chance and just hope somebody else knocked me up first before he got his hands on me."

That just confused me.

The whole time I'd been in Italy, Rose had apparently worked as Dungeon Mistress and thus had no sexual contact with any of the clients there. And because Aro only let her leave for a few hours once a week, to go lure new girls into his den, she had hardly found time to fool around one would assume.

Then next thing she's being 'trialled' by Emmett and since then, he's been her only lover.

It doesn't add up. How can she be just a few weeks pregnant if it's not Emmett's and she is completely sure it isn't?

Of course she's really angry that this ever happened. Rose has always used a ton of contraceptive measures to make sure she never ended up in a clinic like this, so what the Hell happened?

She won't explain and I've stopped asking. I decided it would be better to concentrate on trying to convince her to keep the baby, for the length of the pregnancy at least, even if she didn't choose to raise it.

She'd barely even pretended to listen and consider what I was saying anyway, and then finally she'd completely lost her temper and screamed at me, saying it was all my fault and I should shut the fuck up before she forgot how long we'd been friends and stabbed me to death.

So I'd shut up.

"Rosalie Hale," the nurse said and Rose stood shakily and handed me her cell phone.

"Ignore any calls or texts, I'll deal with them later. Emmett thinks I'm in a debriefing, by the way."

I watched sadly as she walked away inside the inner hallway, and sat down to wait and pray she got through this, physically and mentally intact.

How long did it take to end a potential life?

The only silver lining was that this true tragedy had put my own drama into perspective.

I'd stuffed up; Edward had left.

Nobody died.

We'd get over ourselves and move on, or reconcile.

Every minute of every day I hoped and prayed it would be the latter, but today all I could think about was Rose.

I slipped outside and hid at the back of the building and lit up a cigarette. My last ever.

I wished I wasn't so weak but I had to do something with my hands and this seemed like a convenient solution.

I finished my last cigarette and lit my last plus one.

Truly, once this pack is empty, I will never buy another.

I started reciting all the Kings and Queens of England backwards in my head. Then counting in German, by fives.

My head was threatening to explode. I needed a better distraction.

My cell vibrated and I hit Accept Call before it registered in my brain that this was Edward calling.

"Bella Swan," I stated, exhaling.

"Are you smoking?" Edward asked.

"Don't go there. Please. It's about the worst day of my life, so just don't push it.".

"What's happened?" he asked in alarm.

"Nothing to do with us," I answered. "I'm just with a friend and I'm totally torn about being here. I want to offer my support and not burden her with my opposing beliefs to what she is doing, but it's more than that. She said it's all my fault and I don't know how, because I sure didn't...create the obvious result."

"What are you talking about, Bella?"

"I can't explain. If you called to rehash what I did, what you did, all that, can we give it a miss today? I'm on my last nerve here."

"You do sound stressed. Can I help?"

"Nobody can help, Edward. It's too late for that. I offered my friend financial assistance even though I had no way of fulfilling that promise without coming to beg you and your family for money but apparently money can't solve every problem after all. We know that. "

"Do you want to keep talking or do you have something you need to do?"

"Nope, I'm just filling in time and trying to distract myself from what's happening inside this building. Talk to me about something ordinary and common place. Pretend I'm someone who didn't fuck up your life."

"Okay, we aren't going there so I'll ignore that. I've still been looking into what I have to do to get back on track with my medical degree. It's a little daunting. There have been advances in many areas since I quit, so there's a lot to learn."

"You can do it," I replied confidently. My cigarette burned down, untouched.

"I hope so. I don't want to let Carlisle down now he's making all these plans for us to work together here in Forks. He loves this little hospital and he thinks this is an ideal place to raise kids and all that. I don't think he and Mom would ever be able to forgive me if I raised my future family anywhere else."

"Forks is a great place to grow up, I guess, compared to a lot of other places," I replied, stubbing out my cigarette. It held no appeal now.

"I miss you," Edward said, and I felt my throat catch.

"I miss you too."

"We should end this call now while we are both being reasonable," he joked.

Okay, some of our early calls had ended in screaming matches but I think we are both past that now. What happened can't be changed, only accepted, and regretted.

"Thanks for calling," I said, just as the back door opened and the nurse beckoned me.

"Your friend is in recovery if you want to sit with her."

"Thanks," I called back.

"Bella, did she say recovery? Is someone in trouble?" Edward asked worriedly.

"Not any more, Edward. I have to go. Goodbye."

xxxx

The past few weeks had been awful.

Talking on the phone to Edward didn't seem to be resolving anything, and he was staying in Forks until he had his medical stuff sorted.

We'd seen one another just once; at Alice and Jasper's wedding.

While we hadn't gone as partners, neither had either of us taken a 'plus one'. Riley had offered but there was no way I was allowing anyone to get the wrong idea about him being back in my life.

Normal services had in no way resumed.

I was not about to play stupid games to make Edward jealous. Why would he be anyway? He knew he held my heart in the palm of his hand just as I held his.

Normally a wedding would hardly be the place for two estranged people to face one another for the first time, and we had both still held some residual anger at one another, but all in all, we'd behaved ourselves, and not disrupted the nuptials.

At that point, neither of us had been ready to attempt a reconciliation but we had snuck away from the reception and talked.

There was no question of us being over; we both agreed about that one thing, it was just a matter of talking things through and sorting ourselves out.

We had both been incredibly angry at one another but that seemed a reasonable response in the circumstances so we'd agreed to a cooling off period for now.

Rose was staying here in Boston for a little while, until she tied up a few things. She acted as my sounding board but that did not mean by any stretch of the imagination that she was on my side or that she thought I was right. And she wasn't afraid to spell my wrongdoings out to me.

"I don't understand, Rose," I repeated. I guess maybe back then I was still in shock.

"Edward wanted you to see Riley but only if it was safe to do so. If he didn't actually spell it out, it was inferred. Marcus had briefed you fully about how dangerous it was to go into that castle. He'd told you to avoid it, and to simply inform him if you found out some way that Riley was in there.

You had clear lines, Bella. You were told not to cross them.

I told you Riley was safe and just in no position to keep up contact. Like I wasn't, most days, because the whole damned castle is bugged and there are cctv cameras everywhere, even where you can't see them.

Instead of following explicit orders, you placed yourself in danger.

If Riley had been sitting in the middle of the free way, Edward would have expected you to walk away and not go risking your life to cross over to Riley and chat to him while trucks roared past you on both sides. That would be plain stupid.

You going into Aro's was stupid. I should never have agreed to take you but you told me you had Marcus' okay to do so. You faked a phone call, Bella, so I would take you in. And to top it off you put yourself in the incredibly perilous position of expecting Marcus to somehow know what you'd done and authenticate your background story when he didn't even know you were in the castle. He could have blown your cover wide open, and God only knows what Aro would have done to you if he'd twigged. You are so lucky Marcus realized what was happening so quickly. Jesus, Bella, cold calling the Boss for an alibi...fuck you have balls, I'll give you that."

"Okay, fine, I was wrong. I made a professional mistake and I'm paying for it at work. But Edward walked away from me, Rose. Surely I didn't deserve that."

"That mistake could have devastated your personal life. You scared the crap out of him. I'd wager he's never been in love before and he was shocked at how much he needs you, and how desolate he would have been if...

It's harder for men, to know some little one hundred pound woman could wreak havoc in their carefully planned lives. He likes calling the shots and making the decisions, I'm sure you have noticed by now. Okay, what you did was reckless but you rattled his cage and he needed that. He'll be back. Just give him some time to calm down."

"He knows I have issues with being abandoned," I whined.

"Yeah, and he has issues with loving someone who didn't think to keep herself safe for him. You truly didn't consider what could have happened to you. Aro's a vicious bastard and it took me years to get permission to go in and work for him.

Marcus only agreed when it seemed Aro's main interest in hiring me was to use me to lure other women and girls into working there as well. Everyone I've recruited has been an undercover agent. I honestly thought that's why you'd been sent in. So I could get another gold star for another successful recruitment.

I didn't realize I should have checked up on you and made sure Marcus had agreed. I trusted you, like Edward trusted you, and you broke that trust. You put us both in a very dangerous position and as well as that, you being there could have wrecked Riley's whole operation to bring the place down. He postponed everything until we were safely out."

"You could have left at any time," I retorted. "Aro had no problem with letting you go in and out at will."

"Bella, he refused to let you leave again once you went in, because he didn't trust you yet. I was hardly going to walk out of there while he kept you inside. At least while I was there with you, he didn't get to test your 'training'."

I remember her face blanched as she said that , and she looked ill.

"It was inevitable that one day he would, no matter who did what to try and stop him. I could only postpone the inevitable. How do you think Edward would have felt if that had happened to you?"

"Did Aro do something to you?" I had asked. I know I would have freaked out if that man had touched me, and probably got both Rose and myself killed.

" When I first met Aro, Rose King had a reputation in place long beforehand and as far as he could determine, I'd climbed up through the ranks already in Marcus' enterprise, which was supposedly similar to his, so he took me on as a Dungeon Mistress who had already done her time as a Sub, then every other step up the ladder until I got to that position.

I gained his trust over time, in various ways.

I actually managed to stay out of his bed in all that time," she said proudly but she still looked defeated." Anyway, I don't talk about what happens on the job to friends. I've been in a lot of situations that very few people have ever been in, and what I've done to survive those situations is really nobody's business but my own."

"Well, what do I do now?" I asked her. I had no idea.

"Maybe take some time to consider your future, and who knows? Just because you two are madly in love doesn't mean you'll be good together. Some couples are toxic and bring out the worst in one another. Think about it. Are you good for him? Is he good for you? Would you be better as friends? Look at you and Jacob. Great as friends, but rubbish as a couple. Anyway, enjoy this time apart, whatever happens in the future. Think of it as breathing space. Seriously, you know he will be back.

Emmett said he was going crazy while you were gone, and then when you stopped contacting him, he was completely insane. The poor bastard loves you too much."

"I've fucked up everything, haven't I?"

"You have both made mistakes, that's true. Who hasn't? Now he needs some time to think things through, so how about you prove to us all that you've learned your lesson and can look after yourself by getting back to work."

"Marcus really didn't want to keep me on the payroll, you know."

"Of course he didn't. You became a liability, instead of an asset. He sent you in as a trusted agent and you behaved like a bratty child. If it wasn't for the Big Boss being so pleased about how everything ended up with Aro being taken down, and his whole enterprise being destroyed, and all those women saved...face it, you only got that commendation because you were part of the team; not for anything you actually achieved.

It was a blanket award. We all got them just for being there, not for how much or how little we each individually actually contributed to the end result.

It was enough to get you reinstated in the squad, but Marcus won't send you out in the field for years, I expect. You may as well take a transfer to Accounting, because I predict you have a few years of paper pushing regardless of which squad you are on."

She was right about that.

So far my Boss had simmered while begrudgingly taking me back and I'd copped every job that involved paperwork. A paper cut was the biggest threat to my person. I didn't even get to go fetch his coffee. Nope, these days it was mainly sitting on dusty floors in dusty sub basements, searching through ancient records for files I was pretty sure he didn't even need.

It was like being sent to the Time Out corner.

But it was a job.

I had my job, and I had my apartment and I had my friends, but I didn't have Edward, the main thing I wanted in my life.

Naturally, things got worse before they got better.

Alice and Jasper had decided to stay in Forks, so I never saw them or Tommy.

Emmett had to go back to work, so he had gone as well. And where Emmett went, Rose would soon follow.

Before Emmett left, they'd been living together in Edward's apartment, which was for sale, so I was rattling around my apartment alone every night, just living with regrets.

Just as I figured nothing could be worse, Riley turned up on my doorstep.

Naturally my first thought was that he thought we could just take up again where we'd left off and halfway through my tirade, he silenced me and pointed out as I'd used his money as well as my own to buy the apartment, legally he was entitled to live here. He took the largest bedroom on the lower floor; Alice's room, and painted it again and refurbished it to his taste.

Then he took Tommy's nursery and made it into his study.

He's quiet and considerate and we get along, but it's still weird, sharing a house with an ex.

I don't recommend it.

He is however, a sounding board for my problems so I do take advantage of that. I reciprocate by listening when he needs to talk.

His main concern is, having lived the lifestyle the last job demanded of him, that he's lost his self respect and feels he has nothing to offer a 'decent' woman.

It makes me wonder how much 'sharing' of one's past is a good thing. Maybe Rose's attitude is better than holding your hand up to your mistakes.

"You need a woman who only cares about the way you treat her, not whatever crap your job forced you to do. You are not Jeremiah Riley, Dungeon Master. It was just a role. You are Riley Biers and he's a great guy. Don't forget that," I told him.

It's horrible but probably inevitable that he feels sullied by what he had to do. In the grand scheme of things, he did so much good for the world that surely the sins he had forced on him were forgivable. He didn't kill anyone; just helped dispose of their bodies.

The clients he whipped were paying for the experience.

Obviously there were grey areas I didn't know about, but like Rose said, you do what you have to to survive and get the job done.

As he couldn't actually be telling any girlfriend he may meet about his cases, why not keep all the details to himself, and not tell her anything?

It's not a question many girls ask men when they begin dating.'how are you with a whip'?

Anyway, he's currently on extended leave, and may never go back.

With all the wages that accumulated in his bank account while he was gone, he's planning on buying a nightclub. To get some experience running one, he's got a job as bar manager in a place in a nearby town.

Spending this much time face to face has shown us both that there's not even a single ember left between us. We are long done, and nothing could revive any former passion. But maybe, like Jake and me, we can be friends.

xxxx

Rose followed Emmett home this week, after spending the last six days recuperating in my apartment.

She's announced whatever happened is now in the past and never to be talked about, so I guess I'll never know the facts. Of course it bothers me that she said what she did and I know I'm being cowardly not just saying out loud the only conclusion I can come to.

She sacrificed herself to save me, and let Aro do things to her that night when he came into the dungeon and invited me to go 'get to know him better'.

Rose had jumped forward and complained that she'd been there longer and he'd never asked her to his chambers, so he'd taken her instead, telling me there was always tomorrow night.

Only tomorrow night had never come, Thank God.

Edward had arrived and bought our freedom.

There was no way I could ever adequately thank Rose and Edward for saving me from that horror, but if either of them ever asked, I would try without hesitation.

xxxx

Days might be monotonous and I come home from work covered in dust and probably spider webs, but at least by day I'm around other people and a few of my squad mates have lunch when I do, so I do get some general conversation.

Nights I stay in my bedroom and television has become my friend.

I email Alice, and she answers but she although she talks about Jasper, and Tommy, and the other Cullen's, she never mentions Edward.

I don't ask.

I take some comfort from thinking about the first time he called me as I lay in the dark and tried to sleep.

I guess most of the anger we'd felt towards one another had dimmed, temporarily, by then, because all I felt was happiness to hear his voice and he sounded much the same.

I had my iPod buds rammed in my ears because Riley was playing some depressing guitar music in his room, and I felt my cell vibrate.

I didn't care who it was, but I assumed it was Charlie. Anyone willing to talk to me would do. He has seen Edward in Forks Hospital, maybe doing something to arrange his residency thing, so he knows we are apart, and he also knows Riley is living here. Of course he jumped to the same conclusion I had, and despite my assurances that Riley had zero interest in me now, he still calls to check that is still the case.

"Hello Charlie" I said, waiting for the familiar throat clearing followed by his enquiry about how the weather was here before he asked the usual question.

"So, Riley. Are you two still not dating?"

Instead I heard Edward inhale, a sound I would recognize anywhere.

"Edward?"

"Hello Bella. You were expecting it to be Charlie."

"He is about the only male who calls me these days," I replied. "How are you?"

"Busy. Tired. I'd forgotten how full on studying Medicine was. I have to go back and attend some formal classes."

"Are you enjoying it?"

God, we were like mere acquaintances. Jacob and I talked in a more personal manner, even.

"Sure. It's different but I'm getting used to it now. I'm just reading and refreshing my memory at the moment."

"That's great. How's the family? Is Bree settling in okay?"

"She's doing better. It was hard at first. She's mentally and physically damaged but her health is improving. She had to have surgery but she's recovering now."

I didn't want to delve too deeply into that. Maybe she just had a ruptured appendix; nothing associated to her incarceration at the castle.

"Did you call for any particular reason?" I prompted him.

"Just to hear your voice. I miss you."

"I miss you too, Edward."

"I'm sorry for leaving like that. It was unfair of me. I should have stayed and at least spent some time talking everything through."

"I think you did the right thing. We were pretty messed up before that happened in Italy, even."

"We had some problems, but I thought we were working them out," he replied, a little surprised.

"Maybe we were, but as much as I miss you, I do think you were right. We need time to really think about what's the best thing for both of us."

I wasn't being deliberately cruel, but everybody and his dog who felt they needed to give me advice had seen cracks in our relationship that we had closed our eyes to. Maybe love wasn't enough.

"Okay," he agreed hesitantly. " I know I did a terrible thing, breaking my promise to never leave you. Just please tell me there is hope that someday we will try again, and next time we will do things the right way."

"I want that as well, Edward."

"I'll see you at the wedding, then. We'll find a way to talk."

"Good idea. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Bella."

Neither of us said anything more, but we both waited for the other to hang up. I liked listening to him breathe. In many ways I wished we could turn the clock back to our days in the little apartment downstairs, when he slept on my sofa bed. We were so close then, and if only we'd waited just a little longer and started dating like normal people instead of all the other stuff we'd probably have stood a good chance of being together, maybe married by now, if we had done it right.

Finally, he cut the connection, so I hung up as well.

I replayed the conversation over again and again in my mind, as I lay there in the dark, but the happiness his call had brought me dissipated when I realized he'd not said he still loved me, and Edward always liked saying that.

The world is a big scary place when nobody loves you.

I fell asleep on a pillow dampened by my tears.

xxxx

Things were improving between us gradually since then and things are looking up at work as well.

Marcus needed someone to go undercover as a college student, and I was the only one who looked young enough to pull it off. It was a pretty bland assignment, but the thought of escaping for a while and living someone else's life excited me.

"Apparently the latest initiative is the 'keep drugs out of our schools' push. Or get them out, if they are already there. It's just a straightforward surveillance from the inside. You will be living in a share house off campus and getting to know your housemates. We've chosen them because they smoke dope but don't use anything else. A bit of drinking, inevitably, but no hard drugs. We want to know who is supplying what around the campus, so maybe in time, someone will talk in front of you, and you will tell me.

You won't be tempted to date the supplier in order to get into the center of things, right?"

"I shall follow orders to the letter," I promised. "I won't date anyone."

Marcus and the rest of the squad now knew the truth and of course I'd been the focus of endless ribbing for our 'pathetically weak and unbelievable' deception.

They'd all seen through our ruse, according to them.

"Good. At least I know you won't get 'romantically involved' with any of these students. That's always a concern, normally. Living together, sharing chores, chatting together at night, I'm sure it's easy to forget the lines but at least these will be some lines I can count on you staying on the right side of. We know you only have eyes for one man, so these leaders of the future will be quite safe."

"Not a single chance of any personal relationships developing between me and any house mate," I agreed.

"I talked to Edward last week."

"You did?" I replied. I wasn't aware they kept in touch but what would I know?

"He knows you are going in."

I shrugged. It wasn't a secret. If he'd called this week since it got decided, I'd have told him myself.

"He's busy. Doing doctor training," I replied.

"He'll be a good doctor. Lots of studying to get through first, though."

"No doubt Edward can handle it," I answered

"He thinks this assignment is just what you need. To move forward."

"Would I be right in suspecting it's just a way to get me out of the office until you decide I can handle a proper assignment again? I know I have to regain your trust."

He shrugged but his eyes said I was bang on. This was the soft option until I earned my way back into his good books.

"So, speaking of classes. You are enrolled in Drama and Creative Writing, and English Lit seeing you like reading, plus the basic core subjects. Nothing too taxing."

"Great." Been there, done them all before.

"Oh, Riley has agreed to be our go between if you need him. I know contacting me here can often be tricky but we were thinking, he works in a bar; students tend to like visiting bars, so if you need to pass on a message and can't find the privacy to do that, go and tell him.

He's going to arrange for you to do the odd shift there some nights so you can keep him updated while you earn your pot money."

"Cool. So, how old am I?"

"Twenty two. Makes you legal for anything but still young enough to be a student."

"They do have mature aged students, you know."

"But that might be weird for some twenty six year old to be sharing a house with kids. Your housemates are all twenty one or twenty two."

"Great. I hope they aren't into techno music. Or rap. Or German industrial bands."

"I'm sure their favourite tune is Claire de Lune by Debussy," he replied sarcastically.

"Let's hope. What's my name?"

"Your name is Bella Swan. You'll be too close to home to use anything else. People you know may well see you and say 'hi Bella' in the street so best you remain Bella."

Oh well, this Bella Swan has a different life, that will be enough.

"So, go home, get changed, pack a bag. Nothing fancy. Students tend to all dress the same in my opinion. Hoodies. Skinny jeans. Chucks. Am I describing the main contents of your wardrobe?"

"I have skirts and dresses as well," I retorted. Out of the office I did tend to wear jeans and hoodies, though. He was right.

That did mean I didn't have to buy anything new , so that was good.

"Oh. They are interviewing for the last bedroom in the house today so be there at two. Your 'Mom' has already called ahead and made the appointment for you. Basically, the other house mates just want to meet you and look you over before offering you the room. She let slip you can cook like a tv chef, and that you love housework so they are pretty keen to meet you. I'm guessing none of them do either of those things so you'll be up to your armpits cleaning grotty bathrooms and peeling potatoes after class. Enjoy."

Packing was indeed easy, seeing all I left out of my suitcase were my more formal work outfits.

I packed my floral maxi length gathered skirts and embroidered blouses in case I wanted to do boho sometimes, and piled them in with the denim. Then I washed my face and brushed my hair out free around my shoulders. Charlie always said I looked like a teenager when I wore no make up and left my hair out.

My car from the pool was more a junk heap but I was a struggling student, so I tossed my case inside and headed off.

The house was surprisingly large and a little more remote than I expected. It would be a bit of a hike if I walked to the campus, but I could see why the others thought the distance worth it.

The house was beautiful.

It was old and a bit shabby but it was also large and had sun porches on all sides, and was painted white. The yard was expansive and there was room for six cars on the driveway, though no undercover parking.

The house had been built before it became common to incorporate a garage in the house design, so it looked like my car would just get some more rust.

I left my bag in the car and walked inside for my 'interview'. The front door was wide open and I could hear voices so I knocked and obeyed when told to 'come on in'.

"So, Bella, hi. I'm Jade, this is Siobhan, Alex, and Benjamin. We have two other guys but they are at class or something. You can help us even up the gender thing. We girls vetoed getting yet another male in, so welcome."

"Can you really cook like a tv chef?" Benjamin asked.

"I guess. I've cooked for years so if I have a recipe, I can pretty much make anything," I replied.

"And you like to clean," Alex said happily.

"Slight exaggeration. I like a clean house and am willing to do my share of the cleaning."

"Can we vote yet? I have a date. I vote yes, anyone who cooks and cleans gets my vote," Benjamin stated.

"Not yet. Anyone else have any questions for Bella?"

Nobody did.

Alex was clearly the household flirt, and he raised an eyebrow and mouthed that I had his vote, as well.

"What about the others? Do they get a say?" Benjamin asked.

Siobhan moved in her chair, trying to get comfortable and I realized my initial impression that she was somewhat overweight was wrong. She rested her hand on her abdomen like pregnant women tend to do, and I saw it bounce a little.

She laughed.

"I hope you don't mind babies. This one feels like a bit of a terror already."

"Babies are great," I replied. "My best friend has a little boy but she recently moved away and I miss him."

"Babies are not 'great' if they scream all night," Alex growled.

"Babies all cry some of the time, Alex. You might want to look for somewhere else to live if Siobhan's baby is going to be a problem for you," Jade said, rolling her eyes at him. " I've told you before. The rule is, if you are not here you don't get to vote."

"So let us who are here vote already," Benjamin urged.

"Bella, would you mind leaving the room for this?" she requested.

I left the room and went outside to sit on the wide wooden front stairs. The voting was done in minutes and I was invited back inside.

"Bella, I'd like to formally invite you to come live with us. You don't have to say yes or no until you see the rest of the house, and your bedroom, of course. If you will follow me."

The lower floor had the small tv room we had been sitting in, then a larger lounge room, and an enormous kitchen with a magnificent stove and an old silky oak dining table with ten chairs around it. The dinner plates and bowls and cups were housed on open shelves on three old wooden dressers that were probably too heavy to ever move.

"We each have a colour. Your dishes are pink. That way when some lazy people who shall remain nameless leave their utensils around the house unwashed, we know who the culprit is." There was an open fireplace in the corner, and a tattered sofa with a grey cat sprawled on it, asleep.

"That's the household cat. She belonged to our last sharer, Lucy, who had your bedroom. She couldn't take the cat with her so she's ours now. You aren't allergic?"

"No, not at all," I assured her. "Where did Lucy go?"

Jade looked uncomfortable.

"She ran off with one of our other tenants. He had the other attic bedroom but we got a new guy to take it over last week, so we have a full complement of tenants again."

Last along the hallway were a large and a small bedroom, and a downstairs bathroom.

"Siobhan sleeps in that bedroom and the smaller room will be the baby's. We will be holding a weekend decorating blitz to get the nursery ready."

"When is the baby due?" I asked.

"Six weeks so the room has to be finished soon. Are you willing to help?"

"I can paint," I replied.

Up a flight of stairs and there were five more rooms off a wide landing. Someone had put an old sofa and a bookcase out here and it looked like a quiet area to escape to.

"My bedroom, Benjamin's bedroom, Alex's, and Laurent's. Our bathroom. The last two bedrooms, as I said, are in the attic."

"Cool," I murmured.

The staircase to the attic was a small spiral type made of metal and painted bright pink. It stood out against all the white walls.

It led us to a rather small landing with three doors. She opened one and we stepped inside large attic space that had been divided down the middle, into my bedroom and the other tenant's. His room faced the front of the house and overlooked the driveway, I calculated.

"This is your room, looking out over the backyard. Is it okay?"

"It's lovely," I said in response. "It's so big. I'm surprised this room was left until last."

The room was all white but needed repainting and had two small dormer windows, one on each side and a triangular window that fitted in with the angle of the roof line in the back wall.

It was flooded with sunlight and contained an old cast iron bed , a white wooden rocker and a table. Someone had attached a lot of hooks to one wall so that was apparently my closet.

"Basically we are all too lazy to climb two staircases. Feel free to bring in any furniture of your own. You may want some drawers and stuff. You have a little shared shower room on the landing."

It was indeed small, and had a shower, toilet and basin arranged in close proximity to one another crammed inside but it was clearly quite a new addition and was very clean.

"So, what do you think?" Jane asked.

"It's perfect. I'd love to live here."

"We pay our rent on Thursdays. Siobhan collects it from everyone but lately we all take it down to her so she doesn't have to climb up stairs. She issues receipts, so there is never any hassle about who has or hasn't paid.

We have a chores list in the kitchen and all take turns at everything. We keep our own bedrooms and the bathroom we use clean, and whoever is last off to bed at night tidies the lounge room.

We buy our own snack food and put a set amount of money in the kitty for meal ingredients and coffee and tea. Everyone takes turns cooking dinner at night, so although you don't have to stay in to eat dinner if you don't want to any night, you do have to be here if it's your turn to cook. Whether or not you regularly eat dinner here is your choice but there is always a hot meal ready for all of us every night.

Breakfast, lunch and snacks are completely your own; you buy them, you alone eat them, in theory, but some people do 'borrow', sometimes without asking, when they run out of cereal or whatever. Mainly a male thing. "

"So, I'll go get my case," I stated.

I paused on the small landing, wondering if I could manipulate the suitcase up the narrow spiral staircase or if I'd have to unpack down there on the middle floor and carry bundles of clothing up in my arms.

"Oh, are you wondering about your neighbour?" Jade said, misinterpreting my pausing outside his door. "He's a mature aged medical student. Very dishy. Seems nice. I'm hoping he's single. He hasn't brought home any 'friends' this week anyway."

"What would his name be?" I queried, wondering. Surely not.

"Edward. Edward Cullen."