Author's Note: I'm so sorry that I've taken a long time to update this story. I haven't forgotten it nor will this be abandoned. I'll try to update this story a lot more often. I also used some dialogue from the book. Hope you enjoy this chapter and please review! :)

Bella's POV

Renee had visited me in the hospital and was fretting over me. It's why I didn't want her to come. She'd make a big, exaggerated scene over me. Renee kept saying she knew she shouldn't have brought me back here. But no one could've predicted this would happen. Not even someone like Alice maybe. I was still alive and that's all that should matter, but Renee was so worked up over me and wanted me to live back with her again.

But I refused. As much as I love my mother, I couldn't live with her again. I couldn't leave Charlie. I found myself that I couldn't really leave Paul. He was my imprint. I tried to fight that, but there was something in me that made me not able to. I knew and felt that he needed me.

But could I say the same for him?

Paul only visited me once at the hospital. Never bothered to check up on me. I didn't know what to think of that. It didn't sound like something an imprint would do, according to how Jacob described it. There was something that I missed and not understanding. I surprised myself when I wondered if Paul was okay and that I even wanted him back with me. It was like I'm craving for him.

Jacob visited me more frequently when he was allowed to by Billy and Sam. He explained that Paul was given an Alpha Order to leave me alone so I could figure things out without him in the way. Jacob told me if I was ready, I'm able to go to Paul.

While I thought it over if I should, weeks passed by and I was discharged from the hospital after being healed. I still had to take some of my medicine if I had any aches or pain. I got stitches on my arms and across my forehead and eyebrows. I won the battle between Renee and I that I didn't have to live with her and Phil again. I wanted to live with Charlie.

And I just couldn't leave Paul behind.

Charlie took me home and had taken care of me. Made me realize how great of a father he really was to me all this time.

Charlie called Billy to give him updates about me and I'm sure Billy would report that to Jacob. I thought about going to Paul's house, but I didn't know where he lived. I could go drive to Jacob's house and ask for the directions. But before I could get inside my truck, there was a vampire outside of my house that made me stop dead in my tracks. The familiar Mercedes that was Carlisle's is parked in my driveway.

I never thought I would see this vampire ever again.

"Alice?" I gasped in shock.

Maybe she was just a mirage. Until I heard her musical voice.

"Bella?!" Alice was astounded at the sight of me, staring as if I had miraculously resurrected. "I-I thought you - you - you were - I mean - you're alive?!" She stammered incredulously.

Somehow, I had caused even Alice to be stumped that she couldn't see what happened to me in her visions.

"Yes, Alice, I am alive as you can see." I spread my arms out wide that I'm very much living.

I wore a long sleeved shirt so no one couldn't see my scars. Not that I was embarrassed or thought they were hideous. I didn't need anyone to ask me questions about them and I hated being the center of attention.

In a blink of an eye, Alice had run in her vampire speed to give me a bone crushing hug. I wanted to hug her back so much because I missed her and her family, but couldn't. Her strength disabled me to and her arms wrapped around mine feeling like a snake coiling around me. The pain was too much and I just had to get her off of me.

"You're hurting me, Alice..." I winced, trying not to whimper.

Alice had immediately released me looking apologetic.

"Oh, sorry, Bella."

I noticed how her eyes were black. She was thirsty.

"Alice, when was the last time you hunted?" I asked with concern.

"Too long. It's my own fault. I shouldn't let myself get so thirsty, but I was in a hurry today. I flew here from Denali to visit Tanya's family."

"Is Jasper here with you?" I was eager to see more of the family and maybe Edward.

"She shook her head. "He didn't approve of my interfering. We promised..." She trailed off and then her tone changed.

She returned to being surprised. "I thought you were dead. In my vision, I saw you, but it was a little fuzzy. I could make out that something large had went after you and then it all went black. I haven't seen you in my visions for days, Bella. All of us thought you were dead! It's why I'm here because I was going to give my condolences to Charlie about you, but it looks like you're still alive somehow. What happened to you? And why do you have ugly looking scars on your head!"

I didn't take that as an insult because I knew I looked like I did get attacked by a crazed beast. I saw myself what my body looked like from my mirror. I didn't realize how battered I look.

"First of all, Charlie's not here. And I went out hiking with some friends and then I got attacked by a bear," I lied, using the cover up story from the guys. "Forks was having bear sightings recently-"

"A bear, Bella? Seriously? I should be able to see you getting mauled by a bear and not have my vision get blurred!" It seemed like she was more angry at her fallible foresight. "And you thought you'd go out aimlessly in the woods while there's bears around?" Alice disapproved with her arms crossed. "How could you be so thoughtless and not have any self-preservation, Bella?"

"I'm a danger magnet," I shrugged and asked sarcastically. "What can I say?"

"You're really lucky that the bear didn't actually kill you!" She didn't found my sarcasm so humorous and was seriously angry. "Real, real lucky!"

"What do you mean?" I asked. It was like there's more to her anger than just me and my near death experience.

Alice sighed. "Let's just go talk about this inside, please?"

"Maybe you should go hunt first." I suggested, looking at her black eyes.

"You're right I should. I'll be quick." Alice zoomed to the woods and I went back inside my house to wait for her.

It was a few hours later that I decided to cook dinner. Charlie was at Harry Clearwater's funeral today so I'd make some casserole left over for him. After I've eaten and washed the dishes, I expected Alice to return when she rang the doorbell. But I knew that couldn't have been her because she wouldn't need to ring the bell. It was someone else so I had to open the door for the stranger myself.

It wasn't a stranger when the door revealed it's Jacob Black.

"Jacob?" I was surprised to see his unannounced arrival. "What are you doing here?"

"I smelled a leech on my way here, Bella," His large tan hand was gently yet urgently pushing me back inside the house. He closed the door behind him. His body was slightly trembling. "You should stay inside and I'll-"

"It's Alice, Jacob." I told him so she wouldn't be a threat.

"Alice...?" He trailed off, needing to know her full name.

"Alice Cullen-"

The second I said the word 'Cullen', he vehemently interrupted me with his dark eyes flashing in anger. "The Cullens? They're back?!"

"No. It's only Alice. She's the only one who came here."

"Why?" He demanded with a growl.

"Why should that be any of your business, dog?" Alice asked, opening the door to enter my house and then closed it.

Her eyes were a bright topaz and she had a satiated look.

"Feel better now that you've hunted?" I asked.

"Much better." She answered, glaring at Jacob.

I still couldn't believe or fathom that Alice Cullen was in my life again. I wanted to ask her so many things and I wondered about her family. And name didn't cause me the pain and heartache that it had used to. I felt nothing from Edward.

My heart didn't belong to him anymore.

It belonged to someone else.

Jacob and Alice looked like they could kill each other at any moment. With her vampire senses, Alice could smell who Jacob really was and the same for Jacob with her. She could hear what we talked about from a distance.

"You wouldn't want to drink Bella dry, would you, leech?" Jacob sneered.

"You may want to keep your temper in check, mutt." Alice scowled, making Jacob's trembling stop when he looked at me with an unreadable face, but I saw there was pity in his eyes. I knew why.

He knew about my injuries and what truly had caused them.

"Bella, who is this?" Alice asked being irritated.

"This is my friend, Jacob Black. Jacob, this is Alice-"

"Cullen. Got it," He snapped. "That's all I need to know."

"Good. So, you can leave now."

"You first." He snarled.

"Stop!" I shouted at the both of them and they looked at me, startled at my outburst.

The ring of the phone interrupted the tension and it made me jump. Before I could even get it myself, Jacob was the one who picked it up. I was too in shock and speechless that he answered my own house phone.

"Swan residence," Jacob said in a low and intense husky voice.

Someone answered, and Jacob gone stiff and serious. His eyes went flat and had a blank face.

I recovered myself and hand out my hand for the phone. Jacob ignored me.

"He's not here." Jacob said menacingly.

"He's at the funeral." He added unwillingly next after what seemed like a short reply for more information.

Then Jacob hung up the phone. "Filthy bloodsucker." He muttered under his breath, looking bitter.

"Who did you just hang up on using my phone in my house?" I demanded, infuriated.

"Easy! He hung up on me!"

"'He' who?"

He sneered the title. "Dr. Carlisle Cullen."

"Why didn't you let me talk to him?!"

"He didn't ask for you," Jacob said coldly. His face was smooth, expressionless, but his hands shook. "He asked where Charlie was and I told him. I don't think I broke any rules here."

"You listen to me, Jacob Black - "

But he obviously wasn't listening.

"Edward said you've promised to him that you won't do anything stupid or reckless," I felt like I was a petulant child getting scolded. "Fraternizing with wolves is stupid and reckless."

"Jacob is my friend, Alice-"

"What about Edward?" She demanded and I ignored the growl from Jacob at his name. "Do you have any idea what Edward went through when I couldn't see you anymore for weeks?"

"See you?" Jacob asked confusedly.

"Alice can see the future by her visions," I hastily explained so I could ask about Edward.

"They come to pass," Then she added with a grumble. "Most of the time. It still frustrates me I couldn't see you," Suddenly, it was like she had an epiphany and I never saw Alice had so much hatred on her. It was directed to Jacob. "It's because of you!"

"Don't get me upset." Jacob warned because it'd bring up bad memories of what Paul did to me.

"I saw something attack Bella, but I couldn't see what it exactly was. Now, I know. It was you or one of your filthy mutts!" She looked disgusted at him and horrified for me.

Jacob started to shake, but I went to him and to calm him down. I touched his arm and he slowly relaxed.

"Calm down, Jacob. Please?" I begged him.

He looked at me, his dark eyes looking at the scars on my forehead and at my arms where my sleeves covered the rest of my injuries. His face had softened and he stopped shaking.

"Bella, you really shouldn't be hanging around with them anymore. They're dangerous!"

"I believe I should decide who gets to stay or leave in my life!" I argued, losing my temper.

Paul immediately came to mind and I wanted my imprint here with me. I actually wished he was here instead of Jacob.

"Just please tell me happened to Edward?" Although I may not feel in love with Edward like before, that didn't mean I don't care for him.

"Bella," Alice said my name in a doleful voice. "When I couldn't see you anymore and my vision went black about you for weeks, Edward believed that's because you were dead. He read my mind so he saw what was going on too and came to that conclusion. Me and the rest of the family wanted to believe otherwise, but Edward was so certain that you did die. But we had to keep checking in on Charlie to give us updates about you. We knew you got in a horrible accident and that you got sent to the hospital. Now, that he heard Charlie was at the funeral, he's going to believe that's yours because that wasn't Carlisle on the phone, it was Edward. So, he planned to go to Italy and I know he's on his way there now."

It felt like everything around me had stopped. That was where the Volturi resided. You don't irritate them unless you have a death wish.

I realized that Edward wanted to die.

"What?!" I exclaimed in denial. "How can he do that? He can't!"

"Do what?" Jacob asked, feeling out of the loop.

"He's going to kill himself because he thought I died, but I'm still alive. It'll be my fault if he did."

I remembered the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet, but the difference was, Edward and I weren't lovers. Not anymore. But I couldn't live with myself if he died because of me. If I would compare who's death would affect me the most, Edward or Paul, I realized Edward's wouldn't be so devastatingly earth shattering. But I'd still feel responsible and at a fault. If Paul had died, that would affect me a lot more and it's a scenario I couldn't even bare to imagine.

"Alice, we have to go save him!" I begged desperately to her.

"Bella, you can't just go to a place filled with bloodsuckers!" Jacob stopped me. "It'll be like Alice serving you to them on a silver platter!"

"Don't you think I can protect her better than you can, mutt? Looks like you and your kind have done enough damage." Alice sneered.

"I can say the same thing for you." He retorted.

I was growing irritated with their bickering especially when there was something more important at hand.

"Enough! The both of you!" I ordered and impatiently looked at Alice. "What do we do? Can't we call him or Carlisle?"

She shook her head. "That was the first thing I tried. He left his phone in a trash can in Rio - someone answered it..." She whispered.

She put her hands on my shoulders, her fingers flexing sporadically to emphasize her words. "We may already be too late. I saw him going to the Volturi...and asking to die." We both cringed. "It all depends on what they choose. I can't see that till they make a decision. But if they say no, and they might - Aro is fond of Carlisle, and wouldn't want to offend him - Edward has a backup plan. They're very protective of their city. If Edward does something to upset the peace, he thinks they'll act to stop him. And he's right. They will."

"So if they agree to grant his favor, we're too late. If they say no, and he comes up with a plan to offend them quickly enough, we're too late. If he gives into his more theatrical tendencies... we might have time."

"Let's go!"

"Listen, Bella! Whether we are in time or not, we will be in the heart of the Volturi city. I will be considered his accomplice if he is successful. You will be a human who not only knows too much, but also smells too good. There's a very good chance that they will eliminate us all - though in your case it won't be punishment so much as dinnertime."

"This is what's keeping us here?" I asked in disbelief. Part of me wanted to go alone, but if I risked the possibility of my death, I couldn't do that to Paul.

"I'm only afraid of getting you killed."

I snorted in disgust. "I almost get myself killed on a daily basis! Tell me what I need to do!"

"You write a note to Charlie. I'll call the airlines."

"Charlie," I gasped.

I'd leave him here alone while I go to Volterra with Alice. He's done so much for me to get me back to functioning properly like a normal human again. I'd leave Paul behind, too.

I felt conflicted at what to do. But this was a life and death situation. Hopefully, the both of them can understand that.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to Charlie," Jacob promised. "Paul wouldn't either. Remember him?"

"What does this 'Paul' mean to you, Bella?" Alice asked curiously.

"Paul is her imprint," Jacob answered for me. "It's a mate for life kind of a thing. So, if Bella dies because of this, the pack, and especially, Paul, will be out for your blood. I can guarantee you that." He deathly vowed towards the end at the pack and Paul killing Alice for revenge. Even I could feel the weight of how serious and lethal he was.

"Vampires mate for life, too, so I know how that works," Alice's topaz eyes looked at me. "You really are together with a mutt, Bella?"

"Not officially, but in imprinting terms, yes." I answered.

"But you want to, right?" Jacob pressed. "Risking your life for a bloodsucker isn't worth it, Bella. Not for you and not for Paul. It'll kill him if you'll go through this and end up dead. He'll take his own life, too, because without a wolf's mate, there would be no point to live. I know Paul can be an ass and what he did to you, but please, don't do that to him. The two of you can work everything out. Give him a chance, Bella."

I knew I should be here for him. Every part and bone of my body screamed at me to be here for Paul, for my imprint.

I could've easily gone ahead with Alice right at the second she told me Edward's at Italy and what he planned to do, but I didn't. Paul was made me stay here. But I have to go to Edward or else his death would be on my conscience.

It'll be my fault and I wouldn't forgive myself for it.

"I have to go, Jacob. If not, Edward will die because of me for a lie and that would be my fault. I have to save him before it's too late." I explained, hoping he'll understand.

"So, you choose him." Jacob said bitterly.

"No, I'm not choosing Edward. I'm not leaving Paul," The words flew so easily out of my mouth. "All of this is my fault, and maybe if I can get to Edward in time, I can actually fix something for once. After all of this is over, I'll go to Paul. Maybe he can find a better imprint than me. He deserves someone else-"

"He wouldn't want anyone, Bella, he'll want you. You're the only girl for him as much as I hate to admit. If anything, you deserve better than him. You two are imprinted to each other for a reason. Please, don't go."

"But I have to, Jacob. Please, let Paul understand."

I ran to the kitchen, yanking a drawer open and rummage through it to find a note pad and a pen.

I tore off the top sheet and wrote on the counter.

Dad, I wrote. I'm with Alice. Edward's in trouble. You can ground me when I get back. I know it's a bad time. So sorry. Love you so much. Bella.

"Please, take care of Charlie for me," I requested to Jacob. "And Paul, too. Tell him that I-"

"Hurry, Bella," Alice interrupted urgently. "Get your wallet - you'll need ID. Please tell me you have a passport. I don't have time to forge one."

I nodded and then raced up the stairs for my bedroom to pack like I was on a mission. I stuffed my old wallet, a clean T-shirt, and sweatpants into my backpack, and then threw my toothbrush on top. I flew back downstairs to go outside where Alice was revving Carlisle's Mercedes impatiently.

I was so close to be at the car until I felt a large hand grabbing my own to pull me around to him.

"Please, don't go."

"Jacob, please, let me go." I whispered, unable to look at the sadness in his eyes.

Then I finally felt his hand release mine. I went into Carlisle's Mercedes with Alice and we drove off.

Author's Note: This was the chapter of what it was like before Bella left for Italy. Next chapter will be saving Edward and the Volturi confrontation. Don't forget to review, please! :)