A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow." -William Shakespeare

Bad news isn't wine. It doesn't improve with age. -Colin Powell

Bella's POV

"Alice said that you dreamed of Preese," Edward said, I sighed. "How much is Alice telling you?" I asked. "I told her to tell me eveything that goes on while we were away." I frowned, but let it go, "It wasn't just a dream, it was a memory," I told him. "A memory?" Edward repeated, I nodded. "Tell me what happened."

"It took place in his office, it when he gave me my first assignment-my first killing," I glanced up quickly at his face and looked back down, "I didn't want to hurt them, so I shot them in the heads while they slept, he kept telling me how I did a good job," I laughed without humor, "he told me that I had to do it different ways though, I couldn't do the same thing over and over again because-"

"It'll create a pattern," Edward finished, I nodded. "I don't like remembering, and for me I felt like I was getting somewhere away from my past, I keep getting a wake up call."

"I know how you feel, Bella you know that you can still live your life right? You can't take it back, but you can move on," he told me. "It doesn't feel like it," I said quietly to myself.

"Bella, listen to me you can move on," he told me firmly, I nodded. "I don't want to talk about this anymore, can we please talk about something else?" I asked. "Sure. Tell me about your week in Florida, how's Renee and Phil?"

I smiled, "They're great." "Renee teached third graders now, she has a small group of trouble makers in her class, Phil still plays baseball, and I managed not to get sunburned when we went to the beach."

"I still can't believe it you know," Edward said as he played with a strand of my hair, "Can't believe what?" I asked. "You let Alice take you shopping, you actually went to her so she could take you shopping, and you let her buy you a gift too."

I frowned, "I was bored." He twirled the strand around his finger, "So when you are bored, you'll let me buy you things?" he asked. I shook my head, "It was a one time thing." He nodded, smiling. "What are you thinking?" I asked.

"Don't I ask you that?" "Edward.." "Nothing, love, nothing." I didn't believe him, I narrowed my eyes, "Very well, I was thinking how beautiful you are." More disbelief, but before I could say anything he pressed his lips against mine, he pulled away and I blinked forgetting what I was about to say.

"That's not fair, you used your dazzling powers on me!" He laughed. "I don't know what you're talking about," he told me, as he got up to play some music, "You know exactly what you did," I said. "I didn't do anything, besides kiss you."

I frowned, "Fine be that way," I told him, as I got a pillow and put it over my face. "What are you doing?" he asked, amused I felt the couch dip as he sat down. I didn't say anything, "Fine, be that way," he said, using my own words against me, "You could just tell me what you were thinking," I told him, the pillow making my voice muffled.

"I already told you, I was thinking how beautiful you are." I threw the pillow across the room, "Fine, fine I'll accept that answer," I told him, and got up from the couch, he smiled. "Where are you going?" he asked. "I have to go to La Push," I told him, he frowned. "Are you mad at me?"

I shook my head, "Of course not, but I just remembered that I have to go and-" Emmet opened the door and came in, "Bella phone!" he threw it at me, I instinctively put my hands up in front of my face. I waited for the impact, but none came I slowly put down my arms and saw Edward holding out my cellphone to me, I picked it up.

He raised his finger up, in a 'I'll be back' sign before running vampire speed out of the room, the phone was still ringing, "Hello?" "Hello, Bella," a voice said, it didn't sound like someone I knew. "Who is this?" I asked. "You don't know me? Surely, you've heard of me since you killed my brother!"

I flinched, "I didn't kill him, he did try to kill me though." "You didn't? Then who did?" he asked, I stayed silent what was I supposed to say? A werewolf? "I thought so, he tried to kill you so you killed him." "You're crazy if you really think you're helping the world by killing," I told him. "Mark my words Bella I'll get you, I don't tolerate traitors."

There was a dial tone, I hung up and sighed. "Bella?" I turned to see Alice standing in the doorway, "Who was on the phone?" "It was Henry," I said, "he's mad about Lenny's death."

"What did he say?" she asked, hesitantly. "He said that he would get me," I answered, "Don't worry Bella he can't hurt you, he's human there's no way he can get through us, vampires."

I smiled, I had such a great family, "Thanks Alice." "No problem," she said before giving me a quick hug and leaving the room and despite what Alice said I couldn't help but worry. "I heard what happened, are you alright?" Edward asked, walking towards me. I nodded, and sat down on the couch, "Alice is right Bella, he won't touch you not if I can do anything about it."

He paused as if he was hearing something, "Not if we can do anything about it," he corrected. I stared at him and I thought about what Alice said, what he said, he was determined and I knew they meant every word they said. "But, it's my problem not yours," I told him.

"Silly Bella, you are part of the family, you've always have been if someone threatens you we've all been threatened, we love you and we'll protect you, why is that so hard to believe?" he asked.

I looked down, thinking about it, "Okay," I lifted my head up, "I believe you."

I spent the rest of the day with Edward, at night he hummed my lullaby for me until I fell asleep and I was happy and whole now that he was back, the next day I knew that I still had to tell the pack my past. I wasn't sure how they would take it, how would Jake take it? I've lied to him, to everybody and I've done horrible things.

I drove to La Push to Billy's house and parked, I took a deep breath as I got out of my car and walked up to the door. I raised my hand to knock when the door swung open, "Jacob," I said.

"Bella? What are you doing here?" he asked. "I have to talk to you, it's important," I told him. "Umm, okay come in then," he said, he stepped aside and gestured lamely for me to come in. I walked inside, "Is Billy here?" I asked. "Na, he's over at Old Quil's house," he answered. "Did you want to talk to him?"

I shook my head, "No. I was just wondering," I told him. "So, what did you want to talk about?" he asked, I walked into the living room and sat down on the couch, and Jake sat on a old recliner.

"I sort of dodged a question Jared's question when I woke up in your room," I told him. "Yeah, only the bloodsucker knew right?" Jake asked, bitterness in his tone when he spoke of Edward. "His name is Edward, and the rest of the Cullens know too, I'm here to tell you actually," I told him.

"I lied to you," I said abruptly, "when I told you I was held hostage after a man kidnapped me and I didn't know him, I lied." He frowned, "You lied? Why? Bella you have to tell me the truth right now."

I nodded, "His name was Jeff he was told by his boss Preese to kidnapp me," I told him, "and as strange as this sounds I swear to you Jacob I'm telling the truth."

"He took me to an underground facility, think of it like a secret goverment funded hospital where they make new vaccines and other things, the nurses and doctors there willingly gave up their lives to work there and they didn't know that there was another floor that Preese-the man in charge of this facility made."

"The upper floor used the money that the goverment gave to the facility for their research to buy weapons and other things, he took people like me, and had them work for him or else he would have them killled."

"Why did he do that? Why did he take you?" Jake asked, he was angry and disgusted I could tell. "Preese had a wife and two daugther who were murdered, the police had no leads but Preese was pretty sure he knew who did it, but there was enough evidence to convict him his name was Mal, he was the ex-fiancee of Preese's wife he beat her and was mentally ill, he stalked her often until one day it all stopped, everything seemed ok Preese thought it made sense that he would kill his family."

"Somewhere along the lines, Preese decided to get people who had someone they loved killed and he would take them away from their lives and make them kill criminals, supposedly preventing crimes."

"And he hired you because Charlie was killed," Jacob breathed in realization, I nodded. "He made you kill people Bella? Is that what you meant when you said you've done horrible things?" Jacob asked.

"Yes, that's what I meant," I told him, he shook his head, "Bella he forced you. He threatened to kill you, you had no choice I don't blame you." I cracked a smiled, "Thanks Jake."

"But, how did you get away?" he asked. "One day after a year and a half since Preese hired me, he gave us a personal mission, basically letting us kill whoever we wanted and, he gave me a file containing information about Charlie's killer."

"Us?" Jake repeated. "Jeff and I," I clarified, "Jeff was hired because his fiancee was raped and murdered five years ago, again they weren't caught and his parents were murdered by a vampire when he was only six years old, these were the people he was going to kill, Jack and his accomplinces and Tanya."

"Tanya is the bloodsucker, right?" Jake asked, I sighed, "Yes, Tanya is the vampire." "Preese gave us another file, it was his personal mission." Jake opened his mouth to say something but then shut it close, I continued."Anyway we got on a plane to Port Angeles which is where Sam Pickett lives."

"Sam Pickett?" Jake repeated, confused. "He's Charlie's killer," I explained. "We checked into out hotel room in the Red Lion Hotel and-"
"Red Lion? That's fancy, Bells."

I sighed, "Sorry," Jake said. "Like I said we checked in, by the way I had to wear a disguise in case I ran into anybody in Port Angeles that would recongnize me, Jeff convinced me to go kill Sam but when I parked in front of his house, I thought of Charlie and I knew that he wouldn't want me to kill him, I had a choice for the first time, I didn't have to kill him if I didn't want to."

"So, I didn't, I drove back to the hotel and took a nap when I woke up I changed and got in my car, I drove around aimlessly until I got a flat tire, I didn't have a spare I went inside a bar asked the bartender for any nearby open auto shops, I was walking when I heard a muffled scream-" I took a deep breath.

"There was a young woman she was being held back against a wall, there were two man int he alley I walked over them to help her, I punched and kicked the man a few times, his name was Sammy his friend Rob ran away sometime during the fight I helped the woman get to her car, her name was Emily, I told her my name was Drew."

Jacob's mouth fell open, "You were the one who saved Emily?" he asked, shocked. I smiled, "Yeah. Jeff called me after I took a shower at her house, he picked me up I wasn't supposed to go see her again like I did but after I got back from Alaska.." I trailed off.

I shook my head, "The next morning we got on a plane to Alaska, I saw the files that Jeff had when he was gone, and saw Tanya's picture, I knew she was a vampire and so I knew when Jeff tried to kill her he would wind up dead, I told him I'd help him so i could be there when he tried to kill her to stop him."

"He didn't listen, I saw them carrying his body and they saw me, I panicked and drove the car back to the motel I packed and got on a plane to Port Angeles, to complete Preese's personal mission, his name was Mal and he was the one who killed Preese's family."

"Before that I went to Emily's house, I don't know why I just did she was nice to me the next night I drove up to Mal's house but he wasn't there, I found his car and walked around, I found him talking to Sammy I managed to get in a couple of punched before Mal held me from the back and Sammy was punching me in the gut..anyway someone interverned I shot Mal in the chest before I could shoot again a hand held my wrist stopping me."

I took a deep breath, "It turned out to be Edward who saved me, I still killed Mal though he recongnized my scent and started to ask questions, why was I killing the man and all that, I told him the truth what would it matter? I was never seeing him again, I got in my car and drove away from him and the next morning I got on a plane to Ohio."

"Preese didn't care that Jeff was killed, we got in an arguement and he tried to kill me, I ended up killing him I got a speakerphone and told everyone that everyone could go, they didn't have to work for Preese anymore, than I left and came back to Port Angeles."

"Unfortunately, some people agreed with Preese, and those peole were Lenny, Henry, and Melissa they got some guns from the Artillery Room and left, Teri a nurse was the last to leave she called me, wanted answers we met each other at a diner, she told me everything that happend after I left, I also went to go visit Brenda another assassin-she was Jeff's partner and she told me about Lenny and his brothers."

I went on to tell him, that Brenda works at La Bella Italia and goes by the name Cheri, and that Lenny tried offered me to help them before trying to kill me, I told him how I ran into Alice-or she came and found me really. I also told him about Henry's call yesterday, he took in all of this quietly, asking questions every now and then.

"Bella, there's one more thing you should know," Jake said, I stared at him. "What?" I asked. "Do you know a bloodsucker by the name of Victoria?"

Notice that I used two qoutes, I used two because I couldn't make up my mind. I'm sorry for not updating as soon as I usually do, or as soon as you would have liked me to. (Tht rhymes!) But..I just didn't know what to write.