It was an hour after midday when Edward decided to wake Bella.

"No," She mumbled and turned away from him

"Bella, your mother leaves in two hours. Did you want to say goodbye?" He asked.

She didn't respond. "Love?" he tried again before leaving her to sleep.

With only half an hour left, he woke her again. Her body wouldn't obey her. Edward carried her to the bathroom and bathed with her. Renee had called twice before they left to see her and Phil. Still feeling the effects from the day before, Bella dressed in blue jeans, a sweater and flat boots. She didn't feel like dressing up and wearing heels that day. Edward wore black jeans and a long sleeve grey t-shirt with sneakers. Renee was surprised to see them look so 'normal' even though they drove the Vanquish.

"Oh baby it was good to see you and we had fun," She gushed turning around in the room to make sure they didn't leave anything behind.

"Thanks for visiting mom. Did you speak to dad?"

"Yes, he came earlier. I think things are serious with him and Sue. She's good for him." Renee commented

"About me and Edward?" Bella clarified

"Honey there's nothing we can say except that you be careful. Don't lose focus of what's important and have fun. We have seen you with him. The two of you practically orbit around each other."

"I got you something," Bella gave her mother an envelope with all the details of their trip to Europe. Renee squealed when she saw the contents.

"Oh Bella! Oh honey you didn't have to"

"Yes, I did" Bella smiled seeing the happiness the gift brought her mother.

They left the room to find Phil and Edward outside. Edward had paid the balance of the bill for their stay at the Inn. Phil was protesting. The men stopped talking about it when the women appeared. They passed awkward hugs and said goodbye as they followed Bella's parents out the driveway of the Inn.

"I heard what you did for them, thank you." Bella told Edward making him turn sharply to face her in question.

"You settled their bill at the Inn" she continued unsure why he was looking at her that way

"You can hear clearly from longer distances" He observed

"Is that bad?" She asked

"No, just surprising it happened so soon." He smiled

They found Esme in the kitchen at the Cullen home. She greeted Bella and looked her over.

"You don't do well with late nights and alcohol, do you dear?" She teased, deciding to let her dress down with the way she was feeling.

"No, I could still sleep for a week." Bella drank the glass of water Edward gave her.

"Well then its good school closes in a week. You can stay up in your room today. You don't have to come down for meals if you don't want to. I'll bring them up." Esme offered

"Thank you mother, I need to go see Charlie and get some things from my room. Can I take the car?" She asked Edward suddenly, making it clear he wasn't to accompany her.

He pulled out the keys to the Volvo and gave them to her without a word. Bella was grateful he hadn't asked any questions. She felt like being alone while she did what she planned to do.

"Has Alice had any more visions?" She asked before she left. She did not want to be careless and possibly put Edward in danger.

"Nothing new love," Edward confirmed and opened the car door for her. He waited until she had disappeared before going back inside the house.

'She'll be back son,' Esme comforted with her thoughts.

Edward smiled and nodded. He knew he was sulking. He asked Jasper to join him for a hunt and they trained together afterwards. Edward was hard on him but Jasper proved a good student. His focus was on Bella, the Volturi guard and all possible reasons they may have for visiting Forks. Even when Jasper used his gift to try to counter his concentration he fought well against it.

Bella arrived unannounced at the Swan house to find Charlie with Sue. He was upstairs cleaning up while Sue cooked in the kitchen. They shared an awkward greeting and Bella started on the task that brought her there. She checked the fridge and kitchen cupboards to make sure her father had food. Satisfied, she climbed the stairs to her room.

"Bella," Sue whispered low, half hoping she wouldn't hear her. Bella stopped immediately and tuned to face her.

"How are you?" The question sounded different and incomplete coming from her.

"I'm fine" She answered and waited for Sue to say what was on her mind.

Sue only gave a false smile and looked away. Bella didn't move. She kept staring at the woman. When Sue noticed her again a few minutes later a chill ran down her back as the hairs on her body stood up. Bella didn't look frightening but the effect of her stare froze Sue in place.

"You wanted to say something else" She prompted

Sue opened her lips and closed them without a response. Bella cocked her head to the side wondering what could make her act that way. Sue was seeing the 'other worldliness' in Bella with her trained eye.

"I'm not staying for dinner," Bella stated after a minute and continued up the stairs.

Sue's mind whirled with the strange event that had happened. She wondered what Bella meant by her comment and concluded that she must be drinking blood already. The thought made her want to hurl and run.

"Bella?" Charlie was surprised to see her at home. He hadn't seen her in a while.

"Hi dad, I need to get some things." Charlie stood by the door to her room.

"What things?"

"Uhm, my passport and-"

"Where are you going?" Charlie asked

"Nowhere yet, I just want my personal things close."

"Close to where?" He pressed

"Dad, I practically live with the Cullens. I want my things there."

Bella wanted to break ties with her father immediately. She wanted no traces of her at his house when the Volturi visited Forks.

"Bella, your home is here. No one asked you to leave. Why don't you stay here until you finish school then move wherever with Edmund?"

"Edward!" She corrected. "You are hardly here dad and it's taxing to travel back and forth when I need my things. I'll be fine there. Don't worry about the town gossip, no one will know or care to check where I'm staying."

"I'm not worried about the gossip Bella."

Charlie last heard the town's gossip about Bella when she started dating Edward. It had died down as suddenly as it started. He had no doubt she was being ignored and shunned like the Cullens.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

Charlie chose not to fight her on moving out. She was right. He was hardly home and had dinner at Sue's every day lately. He felt too guilty to ask whether she had been by herself at night when he was as the reservation.

"Yes, it is. Mom agreed,"

Bella added knowing Renee would take her side if Charlie asked. He huffed. Nothing that Renee or Bella did made sense to him. They were both a different and flighty breed of woman.

"Well, come see your old man you hear," He gave in.

"Sure, I love you dad"

"I love you Bella"

He pulled the door closed behind him and left her to pack. Bella threw her clothes in the single large suitcase she had and others on the bed. When she dragged it downstairs Charlie hurried to help. She rushed back to clear her drawers and bookshelf into a box. Charlie returned to carry the box and she took the rest of her dresses in her hands to lay them on the back seat of the Volvo.

"Bella-" Charlie called while they were loading the car but she ran back into the house.

There was nothing of hers left there. She just stood and stared at the small space that had been hers since she was born. There were no feelings of loss or sadness as she gave it a once over and closed the door behind her.

"Bella" Sue stopped her as she passed the kitchen on her way out.

"I-You shouldn't have to leave your home," She braved, thinking she was the reason

"I know, but you and I know the danger Charlie could be in if exposed to certain kinds of people," Bella explained. The lines on Sue's forehead creased in a frown. She was immediately hostile.

"Yes, I know first-hand. Do you Bella?" She asked in a harsh tone. Bella calmly observed her for a long moment before she spoke.

"There it is again. What do you really want to say?" Bella demanded

Sue turned to look out the window to make sure Charlie wouldn't hear. Her heart was pounding in her chest in fear and anger.

"I hate them. I hate them for what my husband had to become. I hate them for killing him and you chose them! Such a stupid and selfish thing to do to Charlie," Her eyes flashed to Bella and she quieted. A cold chill ran down her back.

Bella stared furious and unblinking at her. Her chest laboured in tune with a deep angry growl. She held her hands tightly in fists at her sides and stalked slowly into the kitchen like an animal cornering its prey.

"They were attacked," her words carried a frightening tone though too quiet for Charlie to hear.

"Your husband attacked my Edward from the back after another fight like a coward! If Carlisle hadn't killed him I would have done it myself for that reason." Sue was pressed against the counters with Bella a foot away from her face.

"Don't think I don't know that you have intentionally kept Charlie away from me." Bella warned. "Don't call me selfish when all I do is for his safety and NEVER ever call me STUPID!" she growled the word in distaste.

Suddenly the angry mask fell from her face. She was normal and cheerful when she added; "Edward wouldn't like that,"

Charlie walked around the wall into the kitchen at that moment. He didn't understand what had happened as Sue looked shaken while Bella was without a care in the world.

"I'm ready to go dad, promise I'll call often."

"Uh yea, come around anytime you want." Charlie invited and watched her leave.

He wanted to call her back but something held him back. Nothing made sense to him about what was happening with his daughter. He tried desperately to find the right emotion to feel – anger, hurt or sadness – there was just acceptance.

Bella left the car cluttered and went straight to her room when she arrived at the Cullen home. She climbed under the covers and let her thoughts fade to a black void. She felt sad from the significance of the day's events. There was nothing and no-one out there for her anymore. She now only had the vampire family she had grown to love. A sense of time, her thoughts and feelings disappeared into the void. She just existed as something too dark to make out in the black void. She was without mass or dimensions, feeling or thought there. She sank in deeper and floated into nothingness to escape reality.