I can't believe it's been three years since I last updated this story! I revisited it today and fell in love with the characters all over again. This story was always meant to be finished and I hope you enjoy this chapter. More to come, please read and review! xTeamJacobx

Chapter 25- Expect the Unexpected

A month had passed since my birthday and, thankfully, it was a very uneventful month. I settled in at college, enjoying the lectures with Scott and the other friends that I had made in my class. My passion for books and writing had developed even more which I had never thought possible. Any time that wasn't spent with Jacob or completing college assignments I spent writing, either a journal or a short story. I was happy, happier than I'd ever been in my life. I finally seemed to fit in! I still felt awkward at parties and sometimes the social life of college would become a bit too much, but I always knew that I could escape to La Push and Forks, into the arms of my Jacob. Jacob was still run ragged by his alpha duties and college work, but he was enjoying it and his teachers all gushed about his potential for running his own garage someday.

The Cullen's still lingered around Port Angeles in case the mysterious vampire returned but, as I frequently heard from my catch ups with Alice and Rosalie, they had not caught his or her scent since they had first arrived, a couple of days after Sarah's death. The month of peace had been a blessing, but still I was on edge. Being in an almost permanent state of danger for the past two years had made me very cautious and Victoria still haunted some of my dreams, even though I knew she was dead now, properly dead. The Cullen's told me not to worry, even the threat of Bree seemed to be under control now. I hadn't seen her since the day she was turned but Jasper informed me that she had stopped using her power for evil and her eyes were slowly starting to turn golden. He tried to spare me the details of her relationship with Edward but Alice gushed that they were a very happy couple. I smiled at the news, there was no jealousy there at all, I had never wanted to hurt Edward and it comforted me that his heart was healed.

However, troubled thoughts bothered me all the same, and I was reminded of that fateful night that occurred over a month ago whenever I looked out of my window. Flowers and candles had been laid at the spot where Sarah's body had been, trying but failing to cover the blood stain that still remained on the concrete. The air had an unnatural chill tonight, though it was late in October it suddenly felt like winter. As I closed the window I peeked out at the candles that were stuttering in the cold breeze and was revisited by the sight of the dead girl lying with a halo of her blood around her head. I closed the curtains on the moonlit night and turned my back to the window, sitting at my desk and continuing my essay on the Great Gatsby. I couldn't help but shiver, not from cold but from a tingle of fear that wound its way up my spine whenever I was alone in the room. Jacob was patrolling in La Push, Angela was out with Ben and, though the Cullen's were doubtless around somewhere, they were unseen and unheard.

My cell phone vibrated loudly on the desk, the sound echoing through the quiet of the room and making me jump violently. I didn't recognise the number and my stomach clenched unpleasantly. Why was I so jumpy about a phone call?!

"Hello" I answered nervously.

"Hey Bella," a familiar and cheerful voice rang out at the other end of the line. "You sound odd, sorry did I wake you?"

"Oh Scott!" I breathed a sigh of relief. "Sorry I was just studying, how come you're not calling from your own phone?"

"Apparently cell phones don't survive 40 degree spin cycles," he said mournfully. "I'm just struggling with this Gatsby essay, I've only just finished reading the book and it's due in a few days! Mum's in hospital again so I've been distracted. Are you busy? Do you think you could come over and help me study?"

I jumped at the excuse to leave the silence of the room. "Yes of course! I'll be there in 15."

"You're a life saver Bella, see you soon." Scott hung up.

I quickly text Jacob to tell him where I was going and smiled as I thought of him. Even though it had been months since I'd been with Edward, I sometimes pictured us still together, not in a longing way, but imagining what his ridiculous reaction would be to situations that Jacob took in his stride. If I had text Edward to say that I was hanging out with a male friend he would have been at my door in a flash, trying to give me reasons not to go or else sulking when I went anyway and following me in secret. Whereas Jacob trusted me completely and was so happy that I'd made friends. I finished the text, telling him I loved him, grabbed my coat, keys and laptop and made my way outside into the night.

I hugged my arms around my laptop and ran over to the car, desperate to escape the cold night and escape to the comfort of my truck. Regular services by Jacob ensured that it remained in good working order and I only had to try twice to get the engine to start. I turned on the ancient tape player and hummed tunelessly to the music as I pulled away from the college. My eyes glimpsed the flickering light of the candles in my rear view mirror as I drove and I slammed the brakes on hard, my heart beating fast.

For a split second I thought I had seen a shape, a dark figure standing before the memorial flowers and lights. But as soon as I blinked it had gone. I took a deep breath and looked again but there was no one there. "You imagined it," I muttered to myself. "Stop being ridiculous."

I sped out of the car park and headed towards Scott's house on the outskirts of Port Angeles, turning up the music to block out any thoughts of dark figures and blood spattered pavements. The drive calmed me and by the time I reached the small detached cottage that belonged to Scott and his Mother, I was determined that I had imagined the dark figure. I strode up the garden path, guided by the moonlight. It was darker than usual, the streetlamps around the house were unlit.

As I approached the house, I noticed that the oak front door was slightly ajar and the hairs on the back of my neck prickled with unease. On a cold night like this, why would you keep the door open? I knocked tentatively and said "Scott?" My voice seemed to boom out in the silence as I entered the house. "Scott?"

"Bella..." a weak, frightened voice answered. My heart sank and I ran into the living room, my blood pounding in my ears.

Scott was kneeling on the floor in front of a man. I saw that his arms bore several deep cuts and he was trembling, but that was all I saw of him, the tall figure in front of me drew all of my attention. He was young, slender and beautiful, the light seemed to shimmer off his pale, flawless skin. He had hair so blonde it was almost white, his body dressed all in black, his straight teeth leering behind blue lips and red eyes piercing within his skull.

"Ah Bella," he crooned, his voice so silky I could practically feel the words slipping over my skin, reaching every part of me, snaking into my soul. "So glad you could join us. My little friend and I here were just having a little chat about you."

I was frozen, my mind was spinning, my breath held in my chest, trapped. The vampire walked slowly around Scott and bent down beside him, his long tongue reaching out to lick the blood that was trickling down Scott's arm. "I don't understand why vampires bite and finish of their pray all in one go," he spoke slowly and lapped another drop of blood. Scott let out a shaking sob. "It's so much better to drink it slowly, make it last longer. As long as I don't lick the wound, my venom will not enter his body and he will not turn. Meaning I can enjoy him for hours before his body is finally dry." He sniffed the blood and his body trembled, his eyes glaring at me as he licked again.

It was happening again, I was being forced to watch as someone was hurt, all because of me. The panic when I thought that Renee was being held captive by James, the crushing desperation I had felt when Edward fought him, my voice screaming when Jane had tortured Edward, Bree's evil red eyes staring at me; it all rushed back to me. And now Scott, my friend who had never done anything wrong. His eyes were dark and tortured, his body shuddering as he looked up at me, the emotions behind his stare incomprehensible.

"Why are you doing this?" my voice trembled. "Who are you?"

The man stood up again, his lips parted in a terrifying grin. "Oh Bella, you do smell so good. Victoria did warn me but..." He disappeared from the spot that he was standing in and snapped into being right in front of me, his face inches from mine. I staggered backwards, dropping my laptop to the floor in shock.

"How clumsy," he made a tutting noise with his tongue, put his face to my neck and inhaled. As he exhaled again, his freezing breath creeping against my skin, his eyes seemed to glow, if possible, even more red. "Oh I will enjoy drinking you."

My thoughts were suddenly razor sharp. I was going to die. I had only told one person where I was and he was on patrol, far away from his phone. He would not see my message until morning. Jacob... I let out a sob. I would never see him again. His face swam in front of me, and suddenly he was dead too, trying to avenge me. "No!" my thoughts screamed out. "Not Jacob. Only me. Please, only me."

"Oh darling Bella," the vampire spoke softly. "I'm so sorry I must have scared you. Well let me introduce myself, my name is Riley. I am a... friend... of Victoria's."

My mouth was dry, my heart pounding, my breathing ragged. It wasn't over, Victoria still wanted me. "No..." I whispered hoarsely.

"But yes," he sighed. "Victoria created me and sent me for you. I know that she is dead. I know that your Edward killed her." He sneered Edward's name in disgust. "You think she ever gave up on you? You were the reason her friend was dead. I loved her and wanted to help her avenge her friend so that we could live a happy life together and forget the past. You took care to make sure that that could never happen for us."

He snapped out of existence suddenly and reappeared at Scott's side, another drop of blood falling onto his lips. "I discovered that this disappearing talent of mine can be very useful, you know? Makes me very difficult to trace. Even your Cullen's will have trouble finding me. And by the time they do, you'll be dead."

I closed my eyes to the horror in front of me and felt a cold tear run slowly down my cheek.