I AM SO SORRY.

You probably all hate me with a fiery passion.
There's no real way to apologise for this.
I've had a terrible bout of 'Writer's Block'
despite not believing in the thing.
Let's just say the words weren't flowing.
Oh well.
Here's the chapter, that's the main thing.
Plus, there's not long to go before the end…

We are waiting on a telegram to give us news of the fall,
I am sorry to report dear Paris is burning after all.
We have taken to the streets in open rejoice revolting,
We are dancing a black waltz, fair Paris is burning after all.

The ride to the playing field was generally quiet as we ran. Everyone understood that I wasn't really in the mood for talking, but really it was the baseball. I had never been too good at games and had only become good at running because I was pushing more vampire without knowing it. Esme, Edward and I stopped at the edge of the field while the others ran off. Carlisle started marking out bases as Alice and Jasper threw the ball – a blur – back and forth. The clouds above were tinting themselves a darker shade of grey and a chorus of thunder surrounded us.

"So, the thunder is for the noise?" I asked.

Esme nodded and smiled. "We can only play when another loud sound can match the pitches we swing."

"It's… clever. How are the teams set up?"

"Usually it's Alice, Jasper and I on one, and Rosalie, Emmett and Carlisle on another. Esme keeps us all in order."

"So does that mean we have uneven teams, if Esme is refereeing?"

"Not at all, Bella. I'm happy to play," she reassured me.

I frowned, unsure but regardless, the game began.

Alice held the ball in her tiny hands and stood on what looked like the pitcher's mound. Emmett was swinging a silver, metal bat with a smirk on his face. Jasper stood a fair few ten or twelve feet behind him, catching for the other team. Alice stood up straight, piercing her eyes into Emmett's. The ball was at her waist in her hands and in a flash, she flicked her hand.

The ball flew straight into Jasper's; a strike.

He threw it gently back but with the force to knock a horse to the ground. She flicked her hand once more, and this time the bat hit the blur. The noise made me jump. I expected to hear Edward's light chuckle but realised he was missing. My eyes flew to Esme's but hers were intent on the direction the ball went. A little while late, he returned looking triumphant; ball in hand.

"Wow," I murmured, forgetting they could all hear me.

"Good, isn't it?" Rosalie called from home base. "Emmett hits the hardest, but Edward runs the fastest."

"Always gets me out, too," Emmett put in, faking a glare.

One by one, Emmett's team batted and I even caught the ball, sending and fell only once. Before I knew it, I was up. Really, I shouldn't have been scared but when playing in my human years, I had a tendency to let go of the bat, mid-swing and frequently injuring someone. Not that it would hurt them now, but I'd prefer not to become a laughing stock.

"You can do it," Edward said, planting a kiss behind my ear.

I wasn't so sure.

Maybe it was paranoia that made my swing strong or maybe it was something else but whatever it was, I hit the ball. Emmett looked startled that I'd actually swung the bat. The ball flew over in the vague direction of Alice and I ran to first base, then second…

As she caught the ball that sent me out she gasped and froze.

It was at that point where the game stopped being a game.

Her legs gave way just as Jasper caught her and he laid her gently on the grass, stroking her face as if willing her out of the trance. I had seen Alice have a vision before, it wasn't an epic one but it was one, nonetheless. Over the years, Edward told me, she had learnt to hold her upper body still but at times her legs would weaken if she was standing. She had been under for around two or three minutes; much longer than normal.

Slowly, her eyes flickered open and she sat up incredibly quickly. "Bella! You– and that– and Charlie– and," she gasped. "They're so close!"

"Who, Alice, who?" Jasper asked frantically.

"There was a woman and two –," she shook her head. "There!" she pointed towards the trees and we all turned. Her red hair was the first thing I saw, followed by the cat-like body. Afterwards her mate and a man I didn't recognise. Their dark crimson eyes took us in and I couldn't help it.

I ran.

Looking back on it, it was probably best not to; perhaps I could have got a clearer description of why they were here. I ran before my mind could catch up and the light footfalls in the sodden grass and bark were all I could hear. There was a fallen tree in an opening I came to and it didn't surprise me when I heard more footfalls close behind.

"Bella?" the voice timidly asked. I turned and I didn't realise the tears that had leaked out of my eyes. I wiped them away with the back of my hand.

"I'm fine."

"No you're not."

"I am, Edward. Really," I snapped, instantly regretting it.

He sighed. "I want to help you, but I can't if you won't open up to me." He was right, as always. I could pour my soul out to him and he'd still want to hear whatever else I had left to say. His body was centimetres from me as he stood behind me and I leant back; his arms immediately wrapped around me.

"Remember how I was changed?" he nodded behind me, knowing that it was hard for me to bring it up again. "The woman and her mate… are those two vampires." He seemed to freeze; I felt his jaw tighten and arms grip me tighter. "Edward?"

"Are you sure?" his voice was strained.

"Yes." I could practically feel his range burn me. He was fuming and his temper was winning him over.

He wanted to kill them.

"Don't, please." I gasped. "If they hadn't I'd never have met you and I couldn't bare it if someone got hurt because…" I trailed off.

"Of my anger," he finished, tensing again.

"No, of your love," I turned in his arms. "That can sometimes blind you from seeing the facts."

"You're right as usual," he sighed. "Carlisle is asking them not to hunt as we spe–" He stopped mid-sentence.

"What?"

"James just thought 'too late'."

"You mean they've already attacked someone in Forks?"

"I… don't... know?"

"But, Edward, there's only been one death in Forks recently," I squeaked. He said nothing to that and took my hand. "Edward."

"We don't know it was them for sure, Bella. Do not jump to conclusions," he growled, looking darkly into the trees.

The door creaked like a cliché as we entered the house. There was muffled conversation coming from the living room; a light, lilting voice along with a deeper one. Edward's hand hadn't stopped rubbing circles in mine since we left the woods and I was glad for it; I felt like I could break down at any moment. My heart, if it could beat, would be pounding a mile a minute. Why did the walls suddenly seem so dark and gloomy? I snuck a glance at Edward who was looking straight forward, concentrating on what I assumed were their minds. He knocked calmly but I could feel the worry he was hiding. There was a pause, and then a simple "come in."

They were just the same as I remembered; Victoria's cat-like movements and James's calculating looks. Their hands were laced together and Victoria let her head rest on his shoulder. My eyes widened and Edward gave my hand a squeeze. Both their eyebrows rose as they saw me. Meanwhile, the other man was watching our entrance.

"Bella?" Victoria half whispered. My throat had closed up but she went on. "Didn't I tell you she would be good," she slapped James's arm. "And look at that hair; such a lovely shade!"

I tried to gulp down the lump while Jasper sent serene waves around the room.

"And you have a mate! Isn't that lovely, James. I feel like we've done something worthwhile now!"

Another glance at Edward showed he was concentrating intently on the pair; his jaw was clenched. I turned my head into his shoulder. How do you speak to the couple that killed your mother and step father and turned you into a vampire?

"How long have you been a coven?" Carlisle picked the perfect time to interrupt.

"Oh, quite some time," James said. "But sometimes we'll split up for a while and go where we wish. See what we can of the world even if it is occasionally in darkness," I stiffened again.

"It's not all the time though," Victoria added. "We've just come back from one actually. Bella, when we saw you it was on our way back to meet up with Laurent, here." How could she speak so freely of my death without feeling any remorse?

There was a long silence; the two's eyes darted from mine to Edward's to Carlisle's. Laurent seemed rather laid back compared to the rest of us. "I'm intrigued actually," he began, changing the subject. "How hard is it for you to stick to this lifestyle?"

"At first, it is rather hard. I changed Edward when he was dying, and tried to stick him to the animal diet, rather than human. I hoped after the first year, he could see that it was possible to abstain from attacking humans." Carlisle was being very careful not to insult the three, just in case Jasper's gift wasn't enough. "Bella is the newest member to our family," I cringed mentally as their attention was directed back to me.

"Family?"

"We act as a family to fit in with the humans and find it seems to describe us well, too. An adoptive family," Esme said.

"Are you the only coven like this?" Victoria asked.

"No, there is another; the Denali Clan in Alaska. They live primarily alone, only showing their faces when they deem it necessary in the town."

"Are they much like you? All mates, I mean." Laurent questioned. He seemed actually interested in our way of life.

"Their location doesn't require many stories because of the small population. Tanya, Kate, Irina, Carmen and Eleazar. Only Carmen and Eleazar are together." Laurent's eyes appeared to brighten with that prospect.

There was another small pause and Edward's arms tensed, and then started to shake from the strained force. "Bella," he said without looking at me. "I need to speak with you privately," and he pulled me out of the room. He didn't speak until we were safely at the top of the house in our room, and that was only after he had sunk down onto the bed and put his head in his hands. He blew out a heaving sigh, lay back on the bed, pulled his neck up a little and beckoned me over. We could still hear downstairs but they wouldn't be able to hear us if we whispered. He wrapped his hand in mine.

"What is it?"

"All three of them. Laurent seems to be quite honest, Victoria is only pretending to be interested but James is something else entirely. He keeps thinking about your scent and what it reminds him of..."

"Does he know yet?"

He shook his head. "His subconscious might have done so but I don't hear those thoughts."

"Do you think they might have…" I trailed off and his hands came to my cheeks.

"Don't assume anything," he gave me a light peck on the lips. "Not until we're sure."His head drifted to the side, a thing he only did when he was listening. "Carlisle wants me downstairs. Do you want to stay here or –" I was nodding before he was finished. It felt a lot safer up here than downstairs. "I'll be as quick as I can." Another chaste kiss on the lips and he was gone.

I lay back on the bed and listened to the gentle murmurs from below. They seemed to be a world away and at the same time so close. After briefly shutting my eyes, I went to Edward's vast music collection, suddenly disliking the noise. My eyes skimmed the artists and that was saying something. His music taste ranged far and wide but eventually I settled for a generic punk-rock band that wouldn't make me think too hard. Songs in the key of angst.

The music was too loud for me to hear the door open and close. Renee always told me that I'd be deaf by the time I was twenty if I let the volume get that high – not that she could talk back then, blasting ABBA out of the house when she was feeling reckless (more so than usual) – that was the only time she scolded me for something repeatedly. The loud guitar riffs and bass vibrated through the room and the sounds were all I could hear.

But the shock I got when the voice spoke…

"Bella."

So, I'm an epic phail. More so than in the last chapter.

I found it hard writing the baseball scene because we don't play it here. We play rounders which is basically like baseball but you don't run to home; just to fourth and you're done. Plus, rounders came first (along with cricket) and I'm British which means I'm allowed to be picky.

Baseball is weird. :P

There will be more typing because I'm finally on my holiday!

Actually, that annoys me. I think we're the only country that gets 6 weeks for their summer holiday. Europe generally gets 10. :(

Emma

PS: Paris is Burning by St. Vincent.

PPS: I keep writing the wrong stories. I'm bad.