Chapter 1:

One More Time

Bella was jostled out of her mind when a loud thud sounded somewhere near. The cutlery ratted on the table and a jug fell down spilling the water and the hollow sound of metal rang into her ears.

"This is enough Bella." Charlie said angrily, in a loud voice. He never raised his voice in front of her.

"I am sorry, what?" Bella asked in a dull voice, her attention on the fallen jug.

"I said this is enough. I am sending you back to your mother." Charlie said in a deep voice and that suddenly made Bella aware of what was going on.

"No! Why would you do that?" She asked in a confused tone.

"Because you are not living Bella. You are not even alive, you are lifeless. You are dull and you are not acting like yourself. It's been four months Bella. Four months." Charlie said in an irritated tone, but there was concern evident in his voice.

"But my home is here. I like Forks." Bella protested in a feeble voice.

"Phoenix is also your home, Bella. You should go live with your mom and get a change of surrounding. It would help you heal." Charlie said in a soft voice.

"But I like it here. I will not go." Bella said in a moody voice.

"Then what will you do here?" Charlie's voice had once again hardened. "You just sit here, moping and you do things lifelessly. All you do is go to school and that is it. You don't do anything."

Charlie took a moment to calm down and when he did, he said in a soft voice, "It's been four months Bella. He's not coming back." Those words hit Bella harder than they should have. "You have to let it go now. You should get away from here. Change of surrounding would help you get over him."

That was what Bella was afraid of. If she got away from Forks, then there was a chance that she would one day forget everything that had happened here. She did not want that. He might not be here anymore, but she loved him. He might not have loved her back enough to be with her, but she loved him. It was pathetic, she agreed, pining over and being depressed for someone who did not care enough, but she loved him.

Bella knew that once she was out of here, she would slowly start to forget all that happened at Forks. She did not want that. This small town in the middle of nowhere was worth more than anything else. She did not want to lose all the supernatural memories it held, no matter how sad in the end they were.

"No, I will not go." Bella said determinedly. "I am fine. I have a plan tonight with Jessica and Angela. We are going for a movie."

"It's not just about going out with a couple of girls Bella. It's about living like a normal person." Charlie stressed, "You are not doing anything. You barely talk, you barely eat. You cry and yell for him every night. You always keep staring at the door like he is gonna come any moment. He is not coming back Bells. He is gone. He left you." Charlie said stressing the word and it hit Bella like a sucker punch. Her eyes moistened, but she vowed she would not cry anymore over him. She was past that.

Bella closed her eyes tightly to erase the tears that had formed in them and then opened them again, once more. This time she nodded determined, "I am fine. I will go with my friends tonight." She said in a toneless voice and Charlie just looked at her weirdly but did not say anything.

ooo

It took a lot convincing Angela and Jessica to go out for a movie and some shopping, the latter more than the former. They were both hurt and agitated over the fact that Bella had barely acknowledged them in the last few months. They both had tried to reach out to Bella to help her, but after Bella rejected their help many times, they both had let the girl wallow in her own pain.

Both of them looked at her strangely when she said that she wanted to go out for a girl's night. They had had a private talk between them and even then, it took both of them some time to decide whether or not she was serious enough. However, finally, Angela agreed to it and made Jessica agree too.

The ride to Port Angeles was a little awkward. Bella did not know what to say. So much had changed in the last four months that she did not know what she would talk about. During the ride to the city, Jessica and Angela talked and Bella sat in the backseat looking out of the window.

The movie itself was not something very entertaining. There was some story about a werewolf girl who had fallen in love with a vampire, which ended in a heartbreak- the boy dying in the arms of his lover. Bella scoffed cynically. It was like the story of her life, but only that she was more of a zombie than a werewolf and her lover had left her, not died.

Bella was glad that the movie ended in just over an hour. If she was honest, she was regretting making them agree for this trip.

The shopping was bit more of a better affair than the movie- she really needed some new clothes and other things, the supply of which was dwindling rapidly and she could not ask Charlie to get her some.

A hour of shopping and an early dinner later, they were ready to heed back to home. Bella could not say that she enjoyed the trip. She felt alone and isolated most of the trip, she did not talk much with either Angela or Jessica and they had even parted ways for some time when they needed different things.

Both of her companions were walking in front of her laughing at some joke between them and Bella felt left out of the group. Honestly, she could not blame them- they were her own actions that had led her to being an outcast once more.

Bella turned her head to the right and saw something that made her stop walking. There was a dingy, small building at the corner of the road with a green neon sign that read Classics. A few people were sitting outside of the building near the sidewalk. They were a group of about ten-twelve people with about six motorcycles and they were laughing boisterously.

Some thought struck Bella and she started walking towards them slowly when suddenly and quite unexpectedly, there was a voice in her ears that she wanted to hear so desperately.

"Stop Bella." The voice said, "Turn back. Don't go there."

Bella looked to her right. He was there. He was standing just beside her and he looked just like she saw him the last time, pale and beautiful with messed up bronze hair. He was frowning at her. "Don't go there Bella." He said in a whispery but irritated voice.

"You are not real. Don't tell me what to do." Bella said to him and started walking towards the men just as a challenge for him to stop her.

His misty form disappeared from his original position and formed just beside her and said in the same voice, "You said that you will take care of yourself."

"You are not here." Bella told him and continued walking.

Suddenly a hand gripped Bella's arm and pulled her back. She came face to face with Jessica who was scowling at her angrily.

"What are you doing?" Jessica hissed at her looking towards the men who were now glancing in their direction.

"I thought, I knew some of them." Bella muttered confusedly and looked back. He was not there. She sighed.

Jessica dragged Bella back to her car and the whole ride back to Forks went in silence.

ooo

Bella stayed awake most of the night pondering over what had happened that day. She had imagined him, no she had seen him. Clearly. Down right to every single detail. Every single smooth, pale texture of his skin. It was too real not to be true. But she knew it was not real, he was not real. It was like he was projecting his image from somewhere far off. Surely that was not possible.

Bella did not know what it was or whether it was real or not. The one thing that she knew was that she liked it. The feeling of seeing him once again in real life, even though it was just through her imagination was too overwhelming. The feeling of adrenaline coursing through her body might have been what triggered her subconscious mind into visualizing him.

However, Bella also knew that she wanted to see him again. She did not think that she could live without seeing him, not after that she had had a taste of seeing him like that. She just had to find a way to feel the thrill surrounded by the danger to let adrenaline work its course. However, she was not senseless enough to harm herself for that.

Bella decided that the next day she would go back to his home. His house, where the memories of him were strongest. She hoped that if she was surrounded by his very essence, she would be catapulted into seeing him once again.

Bella fell asleep making plans of what she would do the next day.

Her dreams were a jumble of multitude of things, most of which she could not comprehend.

There was a werewolf who was running towards some place deep into the forest and Bella found out that she could run at the wolf's pace, chasing it.

The wolf stopped beside a tree and turned into a girl. She was the same girl Bella saw in the movie. The girl looked at the tree smiling and a tall black man jumped out of the tree. The werewolf girl wasted no time in hugging him.

"Oh, Adrian." The girl said lovingly, "You have no idea how much I missed you. It was painful being away from you."

The vampire said nothing and kissed her. They were talking and kissing and Bella was watching with fascination when suddenly the vampire changed into him.

He looked at Bella with anger in his eyes, "I told you to stay away from them. Why did you not listen to me?"

"You are not here. You left me. You cannot tell me what not to do." Bella said in an accusing voice.

"You broke your promise." He said looking at her with disgust.

"Well, you did too. You said that we would stay together forever." Bella spat in anger.

He looked at her eyes full of rage, "You know what- it doesn't matter now. I have someone better." He looked at the girl in his arms and kissed her softly on the lips. "I love you Emma. You are my only love."

Bella could feel her heart breaking in her chest. It was shattering into pieces. He had said that he was in love with her and now he was disgusted by her? Bella could feel the pain from that statement. She was not sure that she would survive that.

He held the girl's hand and went into the forest, not turning back a single time. Bella kept looking at them in case he decided to come back and take her. He didn't.

Bella felt tears moistening her eyes and just as she was about to sink down on her knees, a pair of strong arms caught her and held her up.

"Stop." A sultry, feminine voice spoke in her ears, "You don't need him. You've got me."

The very next moment, two slender but strong, extremely pale hands encircled her waist and a kiss was dropped on her neck, sucking lightly. A mane of red hair landed on her shoulder. The lips kept kissing her neck and Bella was slowly turned back.

The moment she turned back, she came face to face with the brightest pair of scarlet eyes she had ever seen. There were unimaginable depths to them.

The most beautiful face she had ever seen spoke, "You don't need him Bella. I am all you need. I will love you. I will want you, in each and every way possible."

"You..." Bella croaked, her throat parched. She could not remember the name of the vampire but knew that she was the one who was hunting her along with James. Was it something like Rachel or Katrina? Suddenly, she remembered, it was Victoria.

Bella could not believe that she was standing so close to the feral beauty. "Victoria." Her lips spoke the words as if in a silent prayer.

"Yes, my love. Say my name. Let me have you." Victoria said and opened her mouth. Two long fangs protruded out of her mouth and she lowered her mouth to Bella's neck.

Bella's heart started beating furiously in her chest. She was terrified. She was afraid that Victoria was going to kill her and she could not control her heart that was fluttering like a bird in cage. However, amidst all that terror, she was sure that she was excited.

Victoria lowered her mouth a couple of more inches and Bella woke up with a gasp.

Her heart was beating furiously and her clothes were drenched in sweat. Bella removed the thick blanket covering her body and after a few minutes, once again fell asleep, this time without any dream.

When she woke up in the morning, she could not recall the dream she had.

ooo

Bella mustered up all the courage she had to take the tour to that place. One place that she so fervently wanted to go but was unable to acquire the courage after he left her. That place was a strange mixture of both happy and sad memories for her.

Bella said to her father that she was going out for some time to meet her new friends. Charlie would have been suspicious but seeing that she had been holing away her life in her bedroom, he did not say much, only to take care and come home not too late.

Bella slowly drove her truck around to the edge of the forest where she knew the road led to the house. It was four months ago that she had last come to this place, but that day was clear in her mind. She could recall each and every thing with vivid clarity.

Bella parked her truck far away from the house, however not too far away that she could not reach the place. She wanted to build up more of her courage to actually go through with the plan. She also wanted to calm her nerves by taking the long walk before she did anything.

What on the off chance if somebody was actually there? Would they allow her inside or send her away? What if he was there? What would he do? Tell her that he was sorry for braking her heart and take her back or tell that he did the right thing and she should stay away from him at all cost?

Bella was not sure that she would be able to take the rejection once again.

"Calm down Bella. You are overreacting." Bella gave herself a pep talk to move away from her truck and towards the direction where the house stood bleak and tall.

She slowly walked over towards the direction of the house, her nerves fraying. She knew that it was less likely that anyone would have stayed but she could not bring herself to think what she would do if somebody was there!

Bella sighed loudly. She decided that she would cross that bridge when the time came. However, it soon became clear that the house had not been resided by anybody in the last few months.

The lawn was full of grass that came up to her knees and weeds of all kinds were growing all around the house. The flower beds lay uncared and almost all of the flowers had died in the harsh weather. Esme did not like to keep her lawn uncared.

Just thinking of that name brought Bella more pain than it should have been possible. She tried not to focus on the hurt and walked towards the porch. However, the moment she walked on the porch, all of her nerves gave way and she was having trouble standing. She clutched the pillar tightly as a means of support to stay standing upright.

Bella was almost hyperventilating. She could not continue with this anymore. She had no idea that her heart would start behaving like this when she was so near to the place he lived in. She could feel the crushing weight of sadness and pain on her heart and wanted nothing more than to get away.

Bella stepped down the porch and walked back to where her truck was. Why did she park the truck so far away?

Suddenly something caught Bella's eyes and she looked towards her left, far left where she could swear that she saw something shining, like a vampire in the sunlight. But the moment she looked, it was gone, in a blur of red.

Bella could feel dread wash over her body. It meant only one thing- Victoria. The feral vampire had found her and would do everything to ensure that she was dead.

Bella started running. She did not want to die. She could not afford to die. She had not seen him. She could not die. It did not occur to her for a moment that no matter how fast she ran, Victoria would catch up with her in moments.

Bella kept on running, not looking back. It was a miracle that she managed to reach her vehicle without falling once. She quickly revved the engine up and started driving her truck at the maximum speed it could reach.

Just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, a voice sounded beside her and she shrieked loudly.

"You should not have done that, Bella." He was siting just beside her.

Bella screamed loudly and the truck swerved violently, almost going off the road. At the nick of the time, Bella tuned the steering wheel in the opposite direction as far as it go while gunning the brake with all her might. The truck swerved right and left for a moment, making loud noises until it stopped in the middle of the road. Bella had somehow managed to save herself and her truck from an untimely death.

Bella took a minute to speak until her heart had calmed down. She looked at him properly. He was the same as ever, but this time, his expression was marred by disappointment.

"Why did you do that Bella?" He asked frowning.

"I did it for you." Bella said calmly. "I did it so that I could see you."

"That was irresponsible Bella. You could have gotten hurt." He was still frowning.

"Well, you left me alone. Why did you leave if you wanted me to be safe?" Bella asked hurt.

"I did it to keep you safe from us." He said in an irritated voice.

"Yes. Like the woman who is chasing me." Bella muttered cynically and he turned away, having no answer for her.

"Still, you should not be reckless Bella." He told her in a soft voice.

"That is the only way I get to see you. I am not going to change that." Bella said disinterested in the conversation.

"Think about it Bella." He said in a stern voice. "What would it do to Charlie if you were to lose your life being reckless?"

"You lost the right to tell me anything when you left me. Do not play that card on me." Bella said irritated and he just looked away, his lips tight.

They both sat in the truck in silence the whole way back home and the moment Bella parked, he swirled like a mist and disappeared. Bella cursed loudly remembering the near-death experience she had.

She could not sleep that night. She was afraid that Victoria would come to her chasing her trail and there was nothing that she could do to prevent that.

However, she was not worried for herself. She was doomed anyway. She was worried for her father. Her father who had nothing to do with this and should not get caught up in between. Bella knew that the best she could do was to offer herself up so that her father was left unharmed. She had no idea though if Victoria would truly take on that offer.

She slept with a baseball bat and a can of pepper spray with her beside her pillow. She was aware that they would do nothing against someone as formidable as a vampire but having them with her kept her mind a little relaxed. She slept fitfully that night.

In the next morning, when she woke up and saw that both she and her father were not only alive and unscathed, there was no sign of Victoria, she could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Every night, she would go to sleep thinking that night might be her last and every morning when she woke up alive, she started believing that Victoria might have left for good.

After seven nights in a row of nothing going wrong, Bella finally ditched the baseball bat and the can of pepper spray.

ooo

Bella decided to go back to the Cullen residence three weeks after she had convinced herself that Victoria was gone for good and would not be coming back.

This time Bella marched to the house with determination etched on her face. This time, she was ready. She knew that the last time she was here, she had a sense of foreboding. She was wondering what would happen if somebody was there. This time, she was prepared. She knew that the house was abandoned, desolate and empty. She would not find anyone here.

She stopped the truck in the driveway and got up without wasting any time and stomped over to the porch, before she lost her nerves. The last time, she knew that she was trying to be quiet and sneaky and that was the reason she had a panic attack. So, this time, she was trying to be as loud as possible.

Suddenly, something swirled in front of her and he was there- just as gorgeous as ever. His lips were set in an ever-present frown and he was looking at her with disappointment. That's what he always looked- disappointed. He never looked happy or cheery or even smiling.

Bella knew that when even her imagination was disappointed with her, she really was screwed.

"Why are you doing this Bella?" he asked in a gloomy voice.

"I don't know. You tell me." Bella said casually.

"Don't do this Bella. Please." He pleaded.

"Oh, why not?" Bella asked in a far too oblivious voice.

"You know this is dangerous." He said giving her a strange look.

"I know this is dangerous. That is why I am doing this." Bella said sighing.

"Why do you have to do this Bella?" He asked in a whispery voice. While talking to him, Bella had not realized that she had come very closer to him and they were practically sharing their breaths. If she wanted, she could lean just a little and kiss him, if he was real, that is.

"I have to do this." Bella closed her eyes. She could feel the tears threatening to spill out.

"You don't have to do this Bella." He said looking at her intensely.

"I have to do this. This is the only way I can feel closer to you." Bella said in a sad whisper.

"You don't have to make yourself feel threatened to be closer to me Bella." He said in a pained whisper.

"I have to. This is the only way I get to see you. I know you are not real, but I will take everything you can give me." Bella pleaded.

"You have to let me go." He said seriously.

"I won't." Bella fired back instantly.

"You have to. I am gone. Go find somebody else. Live your life." He said in a soft whisper.

"I can't. You are my life." Bella felt like crying.

"No. You have to forget me. I was too dangerous for you. I had to keep you safe from me and my family." He said displeased. "I don't understand why you have to risk your life for that."

"Because that is the only way I can see you one more time Edward." Bella screamed and then suddenly, it became real. He was not 'he' anymore, he was Edward. It all became real. What he was, what he did and the last four months became real.

All those times, she was trying not the let the past affect her, but now it was real. Edward, his love had left her.

"I need the danger to see you again. I need to feel like I am being hunted to know that you are with me. I know it's wrong but I cannot think of anything else. I can't live without you." Bella muttered brokenly. Edward just shook his head ruefully and disappeared in a swirl.

Bella took a few moments to calm her heart down and then she looked up. What she saw almost made her knees give away.

A very pale and beautiful, feminine face was looking at her through the window on the second story of the house. A mane of flaming red hair accentuated the wilderness of the woman and her lips were set in a thin frown.

Bella knew that there was no way Victoria was oblivious of what might have happened. She must have seen her altercation with her imagination, if she had not heard her coming from a mile away.

Bella knew that no matter what she did now, it would lead to her untimely demise. She only hoped that Victoria would leave her father unharmed. With a determined expression on her face, Bella marched up the porch and pushed open the door which opened easily.

She went into the house ready to meet her doom.

ooo

Victoria was gliding down the stairs in all her feral beauty. In that moment, Bella could not help but think that Victoria surely was acting like an honorable host. Bella laughed internally. It could not be further from the truth.

The moment Victoria reached the end of the stairs, Bella smiled sheepishly and looked down.

"Hi." She muttered casually. "I am sorry for shouting. I had something to clear with my conscience first." Her heart was thudding in her chest and Bella was sure that Victoria was aware of this fact too, but she tried to play it cool, trying to delay the inevitable as long as possible.

"Why are you here?" Victoria asked emotionlessly.

"I just thought that I should come back here you know, to remind myself of the old days. I had no idea that you would be here." Bella said casually as if she was chatting with an old friend.

"You should not have come here. You are a fool." Victoria said darkly without any compassion in her voice.

"That's what he said." Bella muttered to herself cynically.

"Tell me, Miss Swan, why are you so casual and uncaring even though you are in my company? Are you suicidal or plain insane?" Victoria asked with a sneer. "You must be well aware that I am someone who does not indulge into pitiful activities like drinking from animals. Yet you are unconcerned."

"Tell me about it." Bella muttered cynically. It was not meant for Victoria's ears but regardless the vampire heard her.

"I don't know." Bella muttered loudly when she saw Victoria looking at her with her eyebrows raised high.

"You should have heed to the warning I gave you the last time you were here." Victoria said darkly.

"Well, I am not so bright then, am I?" Bella asked rhetorically, "For I stand here in front of you without a single thought?"

Victoria laughed mirthlessly. "It looks like you have grown a spine since the Cullen family decided to sever all ties with you. Well you certainly did not talk that much then."

Bella's heart lurched in her chest when Victoria reminded of her sad and gloomy life, "Can you be a little more sensible about that? I know that I have lost everything, but you don't have to throw that in my face." Bella snapped in a rough voice.

That was obviously a very wrong thing to say because the very next moment, Victoria was in front of Bella holding her neck in her grip. She was not squeezing it, but the sudden movement caused Bella to make a strange choking noise.

"Well, well, well, you are a fool after all, so blatantly flirting with danger without any regard for your life." Victoria chuckled. "Tell me, how should we do this? A mate for a mate?"

Bella's eyes were almost bugging out of her sockets. She had no idea that Victoria would really go on to kill her. Up until that moment it was a possibility, but now it became the reality.

Bella's throat went dry and she could feel clammy and suffocating. She tried to loosen Victoria's grip off her throat, but she could not even make the vampire's fingers move away.

"No please, no." Bella pleaded trying to push the vampire away.

"Not so brave now after all." Victoria gave a single heartless laugh and slammed Bella on the opposite wall dangling her by her throat. However, she was still not squeezing her hard enough to choke.

The harsh reality of the situation sunk in and Bella felt tears threatening to spill. She realized that any moment she could die and found out that she was not ready to die. However, in the back of her mind, she also knew that there was no Edward in this dangerous situation. Was it all a fluke then?

"Finally, I get to avenge my mate." Victoria laughed like a madwoman with a manic glint in her eyes. "Any last words?" she asked Bella cocking her head to one side.

Bella was not above begging, "No please. Don't do this. Let me go." She said sobbing.

"Why? Did they let James go? Did they even pause to think that it would hurt me?" Victoria asked, her voice full of hate and anger and started to choke Bella.

"No… please…don't do…this." Bella tried to say but the words were not coming out of her mouth.

Victoria loosened her grip slightly. "What possibly could you have to offer me to spare you?" She asked raising a lone eyebrow.

"Please…let me go. I won't tell anyone about this." Bella sobbed, "Let me go."

"Can you bring James back?" Victoria asked with a fire in her eyes.

Bella did not say anything and Victoria squeezed harder, "Answer me." She shouted and Bella shook her head wildly. She was also trying to release herself from Victoria's grip by trying to dog her nails in her wrist but to no avail.

"Then, it is settled. I will kill you first and then will kill that family. But don't worry, I will save that boy for the last. I will show him your broken body." Victoria spoke with fire in her voice.

Bella squeezed her eyes tight and when she opened them, there was acceptance in them, "Can you at-least make it quick?" she asked in a resigned voice.

"I am afraid it doesn't work that way. Your heart won't pump blood unless it is working furiously. And it's a hassle to suck blood out of a dead person." Victoria said casually.

Bella's eyes were shining with terror. "Please." She muttered brokenly.

A few moments later Victoria said, "I'll make you a deal. I will kill you as painlessly as possible. I don't have to drink from you. You will only feel a momentary pain and then it'll be over."

Bella tried to gulp, but due the pressure on her throat, she could not. Finally, she just nodded defeated.

Victoria started choking her and Bella tried to submit but she could not. Her legs were dangling and she was flailing but could not move. She started having trouble breathing and there was a deep pain in her throat. Victoria squeezed harder and it felt like she would break her neck.

"Victo…ria…do…it." Bella said her eyes rolling in her head. Just a couple seconds later, Victoria growled loudly and threw Bella away who landed with a loud thud. Bella gulped down air as much as she could. After being deprived of it for so long, even the burning of her throat when she tried to breathe was a welcome feeling.

After a long time, Bella mustered all of her strength and got up. "Victoria." She croaked.

"Get out of here, Miss Swan." Victoria growled furiously.

When Bella did not heed to her warning, the vampire took a single step towards her, "Get out." She yelled and Bella needed no more telling. She picked herself up as gracefully as she could and got out of the house, into her truck and drove away. She kept looking in her rearview mirror the whole ride, but Victoria never followed her.

Bella was confused why did the vampire let her go and why was she not here chasing her to kill her. Nevertheless, she was glad that she was alive and decided not to ponder over what had happened.

She got into her room and quickly jumped into the shower, stripping all of her clothes. She felt disgusted with her body. When she looked at the mirror, she knew that she would have to try extremely hard to keep the strangulation marks hidden from Charlie.

One thing that she could not understand was why Victoria decided to leave her alive instead of killing her and avenging her mate?

Bella was not sure she wanted to know the answer.

ooooooo