A/N: Well here, my dears, is where my story comes to its bitter ending. The sequel will be called The Golden Eyes and chapter one should be up by tomorrow.

Happy New Years!

Disclaimer: All characters in this story are trademark of Stephenie Meyer and the Twilight series. I own nothing but the plot.

PART III: MEETING

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR:

SILHOUETTES

Recently:

I just knew that she would bring our family even closer together: the missing piece to the puzzle.

ISABELLA'S POV

As I hung up the phone with Esme I looked at the shop around me. It was all I had in this world. The rows of books reached high to the ceiling. I had bought it with my inheritance money from my father. That, and the money I found in the book bag of the person that changed me.

It was all I had to my name. The profits were fine, enough to buy more books and to pay for my first-edition copy… not much more though. It was times such as these that I was very happy I was a vampire with out human needs such as food.

"Miss?" The only customer in my store asked me.

"Yes?" I was anxious to get the elderly woman out of the store so I could close up and shut the story for a while.

"I was wondering were the romance novels were? Could you point them out to me?" She wore a fur hat and a long purple coat. She looked kind, but she reminded me of the Red Hat Club ladies.

"Of course," I then lead her down the isle, pointing at the selection and telling her which I had heard were recommended.

I thought nothing, but of going to see Esme. When finally the woman left with ten new novels I ran to the door. Flipping the sign from "open" to "closed". Under the word "closed" I hand wrote in "until further notice" in a tidy print. I could just imagine some fragile older gentleman with a cane standing outside the door inspecting closely the hour's chart.

After locking up, I walked down the streets of Augusta. It was a fine day and I felt free. Here I was going across the country, only bringing my wallet and the clothes on my back.

As I reached the outskirts of the city I broke of in a run, all the while heading due west; laughing at the wind and skipping in circles with my arms spread wide as I rejoiced in the relieving feeling of the wind caressing me. I was happy, so happy. As happy as I had been since fall, 1918.

I wonder… is Forks near Seattle? I was lost, admittedly. I had grabbed a map from Westlake and was currently turning it around and around, just trying to find Forks on it.

Really, did Esme have to move to such a little town? I then decided to just sit on a park bench and look over every little dot.

I was extremely glad I started at the peninsula, because it turned out that Forks was a small little city on the Pacific Coast.

Well thank goodness I found it! I sang praise in my head, acclaiming the gods that I did find Forks and did not need to call Esme saying I was pitifully lost.

I then, resumed my run and soon found myself outside a lovely Victorian house in the deep wilderness of the Olympic rainforest.

I slowed to a walk as it came into sight. It loomed over the sun and the sky. A white and glass jewel in an otherwise green world. I had stopped in Seattle and by now I had doubts of why it was ever referred to as the Emerald City, for this was a place so otherworldly that it far more deserved the name of fairy tales.

My awe-like appraisal stayed evident on my face until I had jaunted straight up the little stone path to the front door. Wrapping my hands on the delicately crafted wood I felt out of place. Here I was, a poor excuse for even a human let alone a vampire… and I was knocking on the door to a home straight from Mount Olympus. I might have well been… the Olympic Mountains stood proud behind the house, their blue silhouette a shocking contrast to the forest. It was all so beautiful that when Esme answered the door I was nearly blubbering at the brilliance of it all.

She opened the door with a grin the size of a watermelon. Then as she saw my eyes she instantly tried to comfort. "What ever is the matter, dear?" she said, pulling me into a warm embrace.

"Nothing." I shook my head as I rightened myself. I grinned, "Your house, the land… it is all so beautiful!"

"Thank you," she took my arm and walked me in to a bright room. All was white save for a few couches and a gorgeous piano. A blonde sat on one of the couches, her legs crossed and a smile planted on her face.

"Hi," she whispered kindly.

I made my way to reply but was quickly cut of by something in my peripheral vision. Right below me was a little pixie-like girl jumping up and down. When she saw my eyes finally look down she flashed a grin.

"Welcome!" She screamed to me. "We're going to have so much fun together shopping. We are going to be best friends! I can see it!"

"Hello…" I took a step back, cautious. She seemed a bit hyperactive. I turned my gaze to Esme for comfort.

Laughing she came up behind the little girl and placed her hands on her shoulders restraining. "This is my daughter, Alice. She's a physic. Over there," she waved a hand to the blonde. "Is my Rosalie."

"Hello, Rosalie." I waved to her. Then I looked down. "Hello, Alice!" I tried to sound just as excited as she had. "So I'll be your best friend?"

She nodded vigorously. "Yes! Isabella, we're going to have so much fun!"

I smiled as I looked up to Esme. "Isn't there more to your family? I though you mentioned a husband and sons?"

"Ah," she sighed. "I have not been in contact with them for several days. They are due home today from a hunting trip."

At that my head grew dizzy, a sensation I had not felt since being human, and all their talking was replaced by a flat tone. The scenery changed before my eyes. It was a doorway; light flew through it around the silhouetted grace of three male forms. I knew them to be male, according to their bulk and the curve of the jaw lines. There was nothing outstanding about these figures.

Then, though, they fled in different directions and there behind them all was another male figure. Not quite as large, black though, against the blinding light. The edge between in some places glittered. It was so beautiful… just the outline of him.

It seemed so familiar… the build of this mystery man. All was then consumed in a consistent ringing. Reality dripped through the image until all I saw was two incredulous women hovering near me, and then there was Esme, who just seemed to understand everything.

"Wow! Bella you look as though you just had a vision!" Alice looked so excited. "What if you did?! Then we would be even more like sisters!"

"I did."

"Oh!" She looked all around her. As though searching for someone as excited as she was. "What was it?"

"Three men," I recollected. "Then one, beautiful. No faces, only the silhouettes against the sun.

"Well those must have been our guys!" She drifted off to space, and then grinned! They will arrive in less time than you could say Jackson, Mississi-"

She was cut off as the door opened. Two blonds and a muscle builder rushed through the door. I saw one of the blonds run to Esme. One came to Alice and the huge man engulfed Rosalie in a hug and kiss.

Their mates, I presumed. The door then opened to one more man. His hair shone copper, and though his eyes were topaz in place of emerald, there was no mistaking this boy with downcast eyes was my Edward.

I had no idea how, but that did not stop me from running to him and wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Edward! Oh, Edward you are here!" I sobbed into his neck.

The large man chuckled. " I see she's met Edward."

My reunion did not last long with him. The next thing I knew after his outburst was the sound of my body being thrown to the ground.

"Get off of me! Who are you?" He glared at me. Those eyes, once so lost in love, mad at me.

"Edward? It's me, Bella?" I felt close to tears. I knew this was Edward. Never could anyone else be quite so beautiful.

He threw his hands in the air. He must be exasperated. "I have never met a Bella in my life!" With that he stormed out. I wanted to follow him, but I let him.

"He hasn't." The blonde male with Alice said. When I seemed confused he offered an explanation. "I'm an empath."

I was near tears. "He knows me… we were going to get married. He's the fiancé I lost in the epidemic. He told me he loved me every day. He has to know me."

I set my head between my knees and I remembered one of my very last times with him.

We were in the hospital. I just sat there as my love started to die.

"I love you," he murmured, his voice marred by the pain. "I am beginning to-to," he coughed; it was a harsh sound that shook my body. "To forget, I-I am so confused." He kissed me lightly. "I do not want you to be afraid if I forget our, our meeting today."

"I would never be scared of you. Not in a million years." I looked at him and it hurt to see him this weak, for my sweet protector to need my protection. "Will you forget me?" For as is he was confused, I wondered if he would not know who I was anymore.

He fell into another coughing fit. "I-I do not think I can. You mean more to me than anybody ever has. Than anyone ever can." He coughed for a while longer. "I love you much to much. More than my own life, Isabella."

He had forgotten me, though. He no longer knew who I was. I finally met my love. My broken heart in that moment had sewn up, only for it now, to rip again. I sobbed.

A/N:

So the sequel should be up by tomorrow. It'll be called The Golden Eyes.

I will try to make my chapters longer and I'll update once a week. Sorry, but blame school. Now that the story had Edward in it again I cannot stop typing!