A/N: Hey readers. I know I've said I'll take a while to post it but it's ironically early. But I know no one is complaining. ;) So without much delay I'm leaving you to it. This is really one hell of a long chapter. See me at the bottom.

As always, big THANKS to EdwardsFirstKiss for pointing out and correcting my mistakes, and also for doing this so fast. I've learned a lot from her. :)

And all twilight characters belong to SM but this plot and the mistakes are all mine.

CHAPTER 9

BELLA

December 26, 2016

"Renee Isabella Swan," Mrs. Black whispered.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Black but should I know who we are talking about?" I asked, pulling my eyebrows together in confusion. She stared at me again and a lone tear finally fell from her eye. She stepped forward and came to stand in front of me. Wiping the escaped tear, she suddenly enveloped me in a hug. I stiffened for a second. I was never one who's considered to be a hugger or cuddler. My hugs and kisses were only limited to my friends- Ali, Rose, Jazz and Em, and also Esme, Carlisle and to some extent, Jake. When I was a child, Mrs. Marie, my muma, used to kiss me good night and gave occasional hugs. There's no doubt that she loved me like her own daughter but it wasn't in her nature to show her affection through hugs. The most physical affection I had experienced, was with Edward but that was a totally different scenario. So being hugged by someone who I'd just met was really surprising.

I regained my senses and awkwardly returned her hug. She released me after a few seconds but continued holding my hands, still staring at me with the same unfathomable emotion.

"You don't know anything, do you?" her question was rhetorical as she shook her head and stepped back.

"What the hell are you talking about, Mom?" Jake exclaimed raising his hands up in exaggeration.

"Jacob Black, watch your words." Mrs. Black glared at him.

"Mrs. Black, I think there are some things that I'm not aware of but you clearly are. Please explain as I'm getting very confused," I said not rudely but straight away. She turned towards me and smiled.

"It's Sarah for you, Isa." That caught me off-guard. No one except my muma, or sometimes the then owner of the Forks orphanage, Mrs. Cope,has called me Isa.

"How do you... You... you knew Mrs. Marie?" I asked speechless.

She again shook her head and her smile disappeared. "Yes, I knew Aunt Marie and I know people who are important for you to know but you don't. However, it's almost midnight and this is not the right time for carrying on a conversation like this. We'll talk about it tomorrow," she came forward and caressed my face with her hands. "Jacob, show Isa to her room. Goodnight sweetheart." She hastily left the kitchen after that. I stood motionless until Jake tapped me on my shoulder.

"Look, I want to say sorr..."

"It's alright. Don't do that again... So, what do know about this?" I cut-off his apology.

"What?" he gaped at me.

"About who'll be the next President! Of course, I'm asking about what your Mom was saying. And who is Renee Isabella Swan?" I mumbled frustrated, raking a hand through my hair.

"I... I don't know from where that came from," he said scratching the back of his head. "She was or she is probably a friend of hers. She had your name, you know."

"But how does she know Mrs. Marie? She even called her Aunt Marie!" I held out my hands in exasperation. "And as you so rightly pointed out, this Renee girl or woman is a Swan. And Mrs. Marie's last name was also Swan. That's where mine came from."

"Wait, wait, wait. Who is Mrs. Marie exactly?" he asked. It was then that I realized he didn't know about my life in Forks or about the orphanage.

"I realize I haven't told you about my life in Forks," I told him looking away and folding my arms. "I was left in the Forks orphanage by my birth parents, right after I was born. Mrs. Marie Swan was one of the care-takers there and we shared a special bond. I called her muma and she treated me like her own daughter. She died when I was twelve and then I was adopted by a foster care family. After my high school graduation, Alice and I left for Rochester to further our studies and yes, Alice is also from Forks," I completed, seeing he was about to ask something. He pondered on that for a moment and nodded.

"Ok. So... yeah, I get where you are coming from. I think you should rest now," he ends abruptly.

"Is everything alright?" I questioned his hasty behavior.

"Yeah... I...," he sighed and shook his head. I tapped his forearm and he looked at me. "Bella I... You said you were adopted and left by your birth parents. I... My dad...," he gripped the chair near the counter and sat down with his head in his hands. "My dad... my real dad died in an accident when I was five. My mother and I were left alone as Dad had no immediate family. My paternal grandparents died before my birth; so I hadn't met them. My mom started teaching primary school so we could survive. Those were a tough six years for us. But one day mom met a friend. His name was Billy and she said he was her childhood friend. There was some chemistry between them which couldn't be ignored. Finally, when I turned twelve, they approached me. Mom confessed her feelings but said she wouldn't do anything if I didn't agree. I rebelled at first stating that it was so easy for her to get over Dad," he sighed rubbing his hand on his face.

"However, after a week my brain started functioning right. I realized it was her life and I couldn't behave like a fucking insolent kid. So I apologized and said I had no problem with their marriage. They married the following month and I swear, I hadn't seen her happier than she was that day," he chuckled shaking his head. I sat on the chair beside him and laid my head on his shoulder. "That's when our life with Billy Black started. He is a good man but he is very... formal? I don't know what word we have for his kind. I know he cared for my mom. Hell! He even cared for me like his own son. He is not one to openly express his feelings but like I said, he has a heart of gold. That's why it took me only two years to start calling him Dad. But there are times when I had a suspicion that they were hiding something from me and you know what? I think you are one of those things." I raised my head and looked up at him.

"So you think there might be something big that is being kept hidden from us?" I asked.

"I'm sure there is. My step-dad has a mysterious personality. The one thing that disturbs me the most is that he never allowed mom or me to come anywhere near Forks nor was he willing to come here. If I wasn't so stubborn in bringing mom here, he wouldn't have allowed us to come. I mean, it's not like I hadn't been to Forks, ever. I just don't remember it. Mom said we used to come here on alternate years with my real Dad but I don't remember those details. Even my memories of my Dad are fuzzy," He seemed sad in talking about his father. I can't tell you, how he must be feeling because I don't know what it's like to lose a father. Hell! I don't even know what it feels like to have a father. The closest father-figure in my life was Carlisle.

I hugged him lightly and whispered, "I'm sorry for your loss Jake." He smiled tearfully at me.

"Anyways, what's odd is why my step-dad was so adamant about not going to Forks. Maybe these things are somewhat related?" he mused.

"It's a waste to think about it now. We'll get our answers tomorrow," I looked at the clock on the wall which said fifty minutes past twelve, "or rather today." He chuckled at my correction and we both stood up.

"So, I think…Goodnight Swan," he quirked an eyebrow.

"Mmmhmm. Goodnight Black," I stood on my toes and kissed his cheek. I left as he stood frozen with his hand on his cheek.

Later in my room, I thought about that action and can't seem to realize why I had done it.

December 27, 2016

The sunlight coming in from the small window woke me up. I stretched a little and checked the time on my phone. It was nine in the morning and the day seemed clear, which was unusual for a late December morning in Forks. I yawned and stepped out of the bed. After freshening up and taking a shower, I walked into the kitchen. Jake and Mrs. Bla... umm, Sarah were both sitting by the counter.

"Good morning Sarah, Jake." I greeted entering the kitchen.

"Very Good morning, sweetie. Hope you slept well," said Sarah while Jake just mumbled out mudd mommin Mmwaam due to the sandwich in his mouth.

"I had a good night, Sarah. Thank you so much for letting me stay here." She brushed off my comment with a wave of her hand and offered me a sandwich. I took it and sat down on one of the chairs.

"Here, have some juice," she offered me the jug and glass.

"Thanks," I smiled and poured a glass. We ate our breakfast in silence; no one was ready to initiate any conversation. Although, the not-so-stealthy glances Sarah was shooting my way didn't go unnoticed by me. After we finished, I insisted helping with the dishes despite Sarah's disapproval while Jake went to take a shower.

"So, how long have you been living in Rochester?" Sarah asked as we finished drying the dishes.

"Eleven years. I left Forks after High School graduation to continue my studies at the University of Rochester," I explained. She was quiet for a moment and then with a streak of determination, she took a deep breath.

"I know you want to talk about yesterday. You can ask anything. Let's sit down," she proceeded to sit down on the chair at the table and I followed suit.

"Ahem! So, how do you know Mrs. Marie?" I asked. She smiled and shook her head.

"I thought you would ask about Renee first. Let's start from the beginning, dear," she chuckled humorlessly, gazing into some other world. "Aunt Marie was my mother's good friend. So, when their children were born only a month apart from each other, their bond strengthened. Renee, Aunt Marie's daughter, thus became a fast friend of mine. We played together as toddlers and attended school with each other. Almost everything we did was shared with each other. There were never any secrets between us. Renee's father died when she was only six which had made her very sad. Aunt Marie was so devastated that she lost control of her senses. She failed to care for Renee's feelings. That was the time when Renee and I grew closer. She basically had started living at our house. We talked a lot and for six-year olds, her conversations were very mature. She'd become careless towards life but her spirit never died. Her relationship with Aunt Marie deteriorated after her father's death. She never shared anything with her. Her decisions were always her own and no one was allowed to interfere; except for me. We were like sisters and an important part of each other's life. Renee was bold and outspoken but there wasn't a time when she'd let Aunt Marie down. But as always there came an exception which changed their lives," she huffed out a breath and stared at me. "You're very beautiful, you know."

"What?" I said, startled by her sudden change in conversation. "I mean... umm… Thanks?" That came out more like a question and I blushed lowering my head. She chuckled and pulled a loose strand of her dark hair behind her ear.

"I'm sorry but you remind me... anyways; so, one day we met two brothers who were just spectacular. The four of us formed a friendship and hung out together. Renee had the hots for the elder brother while I fell for the younger one. We were never the ones to be influenced by guys but they both had something that attracted us. I was serious in my relationship but Renee said that she was just toying around for fun. One evening she came to my house, practically dishevelled. Anger was rolling out of her and she looked horrendous. My parents weren't home. I let her in and asked her what had happened. That was when she told me that she was pregnant. She was over the top angry and was cursing like a sailor. She wanted to abort the baby and didn't want her mom to know anything. But it didn't go down like that. Aunt Marie unexpectedly heard us talking and took her home. I didn't see Renee for a long time after that. My mother told me that Aunt Marie was taking Renee to Florida. That was the last I heard from her. I wen... Bella? Are you alright?" she stopped her story and asked.

Am I alright? I didn't know myself. Tears were involuntarily flowing from my eyes. The only thing revolving in my mind was that I wasn't meant to be alive. I wasn't wanted. That's why I always felt as if I wasn't good enough for anyone. It wasn't hard to guess who the child Renee Swan had borne was.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't be this callous in telling you all this. I should've known that you'd figure it out. Hush... It's ok. Sshhh...," Sarah stood and engulfed me in a hug, gently patting my head. But my sobs couldn't be controlled. The pain was unbearable. Now, I knew why Mrs. Marie was so affectionate to me. She was trying to make up for her daughter's mistakes. But I, who wasn't good for anyone, didn't deserve to have knowledge of my own grandma. I wasn't good enough for her to tell me about our true relationship.

"This is fucking bullshit," Jake shouted from the doorway.

We both turned towards him with a start. His face was red in anger as he came into the kitchen. "Your friend did what? She was... It's... I'm fucking speechless."

"Jacob, stop cussing like this. I know Renee's thoughts were wrong..."

"Wrong? You say they were wrong? She was going to commit the deadliest sin. Killing her unborn child? That's the solution she devised to cover for herself after having pleasure wi..."

"SHUT UP JACOB," I shouted. "Just shut the hell up." I stood up and walked over to him, wiping my tears angrily. "She may be wrong but... she is still my mother." I mumbled the last part, not feeling the words.

"She was," Sarah whispered. I turned back astonished.

"What do you mean by she was?" I asked cautiously. She closed her eyes and took a breath.

"Bella. Please sit down. You figured out about your mother but you still don't know the whole story," she said calmly.

"Yeah... whole story...," Jake mumbled.

"Jacob, you don't have a say in this matter so please leave." Sarah demanded. Jake tried to protest but one glare from Sarah shut him up and he left frustrated.

"Come on sweetie, sit down." We sat down on our respective seats and Sarah offered me a glass of water which I gulped down. Once my nerves had calmed down enough, I motioned for her to continue.

"Ok. When Aunt Marie left with Renee, she didn't plan to come back. We didn't hear from them for two years. We just knew that Aunt Marie had convinced Renee to keep the child; I mean you," she said gently. "She didn't want your father's involvement in your life and..."

"Why was that?" I interrupted. She smiled sadly and sighed.

"Your father, Charles Black belonged to one of the most notorious family in the Pacific West...,"

"Charles Black? Black? Are you fucking kidding me!" Jake interrupted Sarah, yet again from the doorway. We looked at him as he came to sit on the chair across mine. "And you were saying, this issue doesn't concern me?" he fumed.

Sarah shook her head and said, "If you both keep on interrupting me, then how will I explain? Jacob, you can sit here as you are eavesdropping anyways, but don't interrupt. Bella," she said a little more softly, "You too need to listen to me first and then I'll answer all of your questions." I nodded my head in affirmation and Jake huffed.

"Alright. Let me start again. Jacob, just so you don't interrupt later, I want to clarify that Charles Black is Billy's brother. Yes, you haven't met him and the reason why, you'll know later," she spoke, seeing that Jake was on the verge of asking something. "So as I was saying that we didn't hear from Renee for two years. It was probably because we went to New York, four months after Aunt Marie left, because of Dad's business. I hadn't heard from Billy after they left and I was sad because of the loss of two dearest people of my life. That's when I met Phil, Jacob's father and we fell in love. After a couple of years in New York, Dad's business finished and they were ready to leave for Forks. But I insisted on settling in New York and continuing my studies. They'd always been very supportive and so they allowed me to stay there. And they also loved Phil, so there wasn't a problem. A week later, I received a call from my Mom and she told me that Aunt Marie was staying at the Forks orphanage. She told her that Renee had run away with Charlie and she didn't know anything about the baby. Saying, that I was shocked was an understatement. I had known Renee for such a long time and loved her dearly like my own sister. I wouldn't have expected that from her. Aunt Marie didn't speak to my mother much after that. Mom said that she'd isolated herself and was just devoting the rest of her life to care for the children in the orphanage. Another care-taker who worked there and was a friend of mom's, told her that Aunt Marie loved all the children like her own but had an infatuation with a little girl Isa. That news had sown seeds of doubt in my mind and I'd always wondered if this girl was Renee's child. My doubt cleared up when I met you. You are like Renee's twin with Charlie's eyes. She had hazel eyes but yours are a beautiful deep brown like your father's," she said smiling my way. "That was all I knew until I met Billy again. Now Jacob, there are some things that you won't like to hear, so..."

"I would rather hear those said things instead of being kept in the dark," Jake said quietly. I wasn't the only one who was affected by this conversation. Jake too, had to know the events that led him to Billy, his step-dad.

"Ok. Jacob, you wanted to know why Billy was adamant about not coming to Forks. I'm going to explain the whole thing; at least what I know," she shifted in her seat nervously and continued. "When I met Billy again, he had changed drastically. Earlier, he had this bad boy aura around him- cigarettes, beer, even drugs. But the new Billy was calm and collected. He didn't open up to me for quite sometime but then one day he told me the thing that resulted in his change. And that was something I... I never wanted to hear in my life," a tear dropped from her eye as she stammered. "He told me that he had never stopped loving me but their family was about to be prosecuted for something; so they had to leave hastily and he had to break all contact with me. He told me that Renee had actually ran away with Charlie," she whispered the last part. "I'm sorry to say this but Bella, Renee was never meant to be a care-taker, let alone a mother," she emphasized. I nodded at her. Inside, I was numb. No feelings. Nothing. "Charlie convinced Renee to run away with him, telling her that he loved her. But that wasn't true. I'm going to tell you something that you won't believe. Even I found it unbelievable. I don't know what your reaction will be like but keep in mind one thing- you are not allowed to tell this to anyone. Not a soul except the people in this room can know what I am about to tell you," she spoke loud and clear. Her face was solemn which told us the seriousness of the situation.

"You're scaring us, mom. Like you're about to tell us that vampires and werewolves are real or anything else like that," Jake rolled his eyes.

"Son, what I'm going to tell you, is much more dangerous than a vampire-werewolf fight. Promise me you are not going to utter a word to anyone about it. And Bella, I know it's difficult but please try to control your emotions," we again nodded at her.

"Ok. So I've told you that the Blacks were considered the most notorious family in Washington because of their illegal dealings. But that's a half- truth. They were involved in illegal businesses but there was also something beyond this world that's unknown to people; or people try to remain unknown about. They knew there's something otherworldly but they deny it as superstition. But it isn't a superstition," she took a deep breath and tilted her head, looking at the flowers kept on the counter in a vase. They were freshly plucked, beautiful red roses. Maybe she'd got them in the morning, earlier. She started again and I continued to listen intently.

"Joham Black, the great, great, great-grandfather of Billy Black, learned the art of Black Magic. His wife, who he loved dearly, died at a very young age which moved him greatly. He lost his sanity and isolated himself. He researched on things like immortality and the afterlife. His sister, Huilen, was his only confidante and he told her that he wanted to bring his wife back. He neglected his three-year old son, Nahuel, and devoted all his time to his research. Huilen took care of all of Nahuel's needs and raised him like her own. Joham immersed himself completely in his research. He contacted hermits, monks, priests, and studied the legends of Africa, India, and China. He explored everything. Then one day he received something which Billy calls a master formula. At that time, Nahuel was nineteen and the formula required Nahuel's help. Joham explained the procedure to Huilen and Nahuel but Huilen protested. She could see the dangers involved and tried to convince her brother to stop. But Joham didn't listen. He hit Huilen on the head with a pot which injured her badly and she was admitted to a local medical care institution to see a medicine man by a fuming Nahuel. Nahuel refused to help his father which angered Joham all the more. He forcibly tied him up in his lab and beat him until he was black and blue. Then, he continued with his experiment. But something went wrong and Joham mysteriously died. Nahuel, on the other hand, was left unharmed. When Huilen recovered, Nahuel told her the whole thing and they decided that it was time to talk to the elders. No one understood what had happened and the matter was dismissed. Joham was buried by his wife. Nahuel married when he turned 21 and had his first son. That's when this whole thing started. Just after his birth, Nahuel's child jumped out of his mother's arms and emitted a deafening growl. The family was scared to death over the incident but Nahuel convinced them not to worry. Nothing unusual happened after that and Nahuel had two other, perfectly normal children. But the first child wasn't normal. His behavior was strange. He didn't play with anyone, didn't study, and never participated in any conversation; he remained solemn and never smiled. One day, his younger brother urged him to play with him. He was ten years old at that time and didn't respond as usual but the younger one was stubborn. He picked up a stick and threw it at him. The first child glared at the stick and then his brother and both burned into ashes within seconds. Their mother witnessed the scene and wailed in desperation, dropping to her knees. The first child remained seated with a blank expression. When Nahuel came to know about this, he angrily questioned his son. When he didn't answer, Nahuel slapped him. Immediately, the child glared at him and Nahuel met his end."

"The whole family was terrified. Huilen was the one to figure out everything. She told her theory to the elders that there had probably been a change in Nahuel which occurred during Joham's experiment which resulted in him passing some unusual traits to the first child. The elders then concluded to kill every first born in the family. They left the place and moved elsewhere, leaving the first child by himself. He was never heard of after that. When the youngest and Nahuel's only surviving son had his first child, it was meant to be killed. But the child turned out to be a girl. It was decided not to kill her because they thought that the magic passed only to sons. So the rule changed from killing the firstborn child to killing the firstborn son. The girl was named Swasean and she had an angelic beauty. The second child was a boy and was killed immediately. The third child was also a boy and he was allowed to survive..."

"Bullshit! They weren't humans; they were animals! Damnit! Even animals are better. Allowed to survive? What the fuck is that!"

"Jacob, I've asked you not to interrupt. Just shut up," Sarah scolded. I was so involved in the story that I'd forgotten Jake's presence. "So where was I...? Yeah... Swasean. She was super intelligent, kind, polite and soft- spoken. People called her goddess. Then, there was a turn of events. Her younger brother was married before her and had his first child; a son. When Swasean heard about the tradition, she protested. She fought the elders and reasoned with them. Finally, they gave in when Swasean pledged to take full responsibility of the child. Swasean was married a year later and had a beautiful daughter, the following year. However, when her daughter was five, she died of influenza. Swasean was devastated. She refused to eat or drink. On the day of the girl's funeral, Swasean's younger brother's nine-year old first son came to her. The child loved her deeply and Swasean doted on him. He asked her what would make her happy. Swasean took him in her lap and told him that only her daughter could make her happy again. The child nodded solemnly and asked her to come with him. She half-heartedly followed him and he took her to the girl's designated grave. The family and friends were gathered there for the funeral. The child pushed past everyone, holding Swasean's hand and reached the coffin. He opened it and everybody gasped at his action. He said to Swasean to put their joined hands on the girl's pale, lifeless forehead. Swasean stared at him knowingly and smiled. And just as they did that, a blinding white light emerged and there was the girl, sitting in her coffin with pink cheeks. The incident spread like fire. It was concluded that the hazards of magic could be controlled with love. Swasean's love saved her brother's child from meeting the same fate as Nahuel's son," Sarah sat straighter and looked at us.

"The following generations, thus lived happily until the birth of Charles Black. He is the second son of Ephraim Black. Unfortunately, the first son died in his mother's womb. Ephraim Black had a lot of magic buried inside which he used to develop his business. Ephraim had killed his own father when he stood in his way to acquire the supreme power. Ephraim is evil but Charlie is devil incarnate. Neither Charlie nor Billy has any magic in their veins. But the legends are meant to be told to everyone in the family. So, when it was told to Charlie and Billy, Charlie started his own research. He was hungry for power, just like his father, and wanted to find his own Swasean. But he didn't find anyone. Then an idea came to his mind. He thought that if he could have a son, then he could control his powers. That's why he started his games with Renee and she conceived," she put her index finger between her eyebrows as if she was concentrating hard.

"Though, Charlie doesn't have any supernatural powers but he does have the ability to brainwash anyone. He contacted Renee when she was near to deliver the child and convinced her to run away with him. Renee was already trying to find an escape; so she agreed. But when the child turned out to be a girl, his frustration reached new heights. Still, he took Renee away with him to Port Angeles. For one year he kept her involved in his love games. I was shocked when Billy told me this because Renee wasn't one to bind herself with only one person. Ultimately, she became pregnant but both Renee and the child died under mysterious circumstances. Charlie then approached Billy and asked him to help him in his conquest. But Renee's tragic end had opened Billy's eyes. He fought with Charlie and told him he was leaving Port Angeles. Charlie didn't like this but he let him go. The day when Billy was supposed to leave, Ephraim came to him and tried to bewitch him. Charlie held him prisoner in his own room. They were trying to hold Billy captive and entrance him. One week passed. Billy doesn't remember much about that week but he said he could never forget the last day," she folded her hands in her lap and looked pointedly at me.

"Billy had not gotten enough food and water in that week. It was like Charlie and Ephraim were deliberately starving him for their evil purposes. He still doesn't know what they wanted to do and that was why he didn't want to come anywhere near Port Angeles which explains his stubbornness in not allowing us to come to Forks..."

"Shit! Why didn't you tell me this before? Dad was right; we shouldn't have come here. We're leaving, mom. Pack up," Jake started to stand but Sarah reached cross the table and grabbed his hand.

"Don't make hasty decisions, Jacob. I know what I'm doing. Charlie isn't anywhere near Forks at this time," she concluded.

"Oh and how can you be so sure? Are you friends with him or does he sends you his whereabouts regularly?" Jake raised an eyebrow in challenge. Sarah sighed and raked a hand through her hair.

"Jacob. Will you at least listen to me?" Sarah whispered.

"No, I... Mom, I won't. You're bringing danger into our lives. Tell me, has that swine Charlie brainwashed you, too?" Jake shouted.

"Stop it Jake!" I exclaimed throwing my hands in air. "I know this matter concerns you because you are a part of the family now, but think about me. I'm the daughter of that god-damn monster. I don't know what bizarre traits I have inherited from him as I was his first child..."

"Gracious! I hadn't even thought about that!" Sarah slapped her hand over her mouth.

"About what?" I asked slowly. She put both her hands in her hair as if trying to pull it out by its roots. She looked at me bewildered and her face paled.

"Haven't you figured it out, Bella? I was so shocked and happy to see you alive that I forgot about the consequences. You are the first child," she practically shouted and started muttering something under her breath. Jake flew from his chair and knelt down on the floor in front of her. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

"Hey, Hey, Mom. It's alright. Everything will be fine. Swan," he turned to face me. "Get her a glass of water, fast. She is having a panic attack." I rushed to fill a glass and gave it to her.

"Sarah, its fine; I've never experienced any supernatural things in my whole 29 years. Besides I'm a girl and that's why he didn't take me with drink some water," I urged, bringing the glass to her lips. She held it with shaking hands and gulped it down thirstily. She relaxed a bit and took a much needed breath.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I panicked a little. I'm so..."

"It's alright, Sarah. We can continue this later. You should rest." She tried to protest but we convinced her to take a power nap in her room.

"So, that was one heck of a conversation." Jake said with his hands in his pocket. We were standing on the first floor balcony. It had been an hour since Sarah had left for her room and we were just killing time, wandering around.

"Yeah, it was. Who would have thought that you'd turn out to be my brother," I joked.

"Hey! I'm so not you're fucking brother. I was adopted, if you'd forgotten that shit. We're friends, that's all," he said defensively and I snickered. Sharing these light words after such an angsty conversation felt good. I have learned so much today but I don't want to ponder on it. Well, what should you do when you belong to a family in which the first child is cursed? Oh, and not to forget that your mother is dead and your father is a monster and you don't know what evils he's currently planning. I sighed and looked around towards the trees. There was so much greenery here, and it called to me.

"So, now that you know about your parentage, would you still like to be called Swan?" Jake asked suddenly. I looked up at him and thought about what he'd said.

"I think I'll always like to be called Swan. I don't want to associate myself with the Black family. You know, it's hard to believe because I don't have the same powers which others had, being the first child," I mused.

"Maybe your powers are dormant and will rise when the need comes? Or it's just because you are a girl, as you'd said earlier," Jake wondered.

"I don't want to think about that, Jake," I said and turned to go back downstairs.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you," Jake apologized, catching me on my way downstairs.

"It's okay, I'm not upset. It's not your fault. I was just thinking over things." I said honestly.

"Bella," Sarah whispered from the doorway. We turned to face her. "I would like to resume our conversation." I started to go to her and Jake followed. "Jacob. Son, I know you care about Bella and would like to know more but don't you think Bella deserves some privacy?" Jake looked at me, thoughtfully and nodded. I smiled at him and he left, telling me he's there if I needed him.

I sat down on the bed beside Sarah and she looked at the closed door.

"He likes you, you know," she said quietly. The remark caught me off guard but I maintained my expression.

"We're just friends. We care about each other," I told her, wringing my fingers nervously together in my lap.

She tilted her head towards me and looked at me curiously. "I know you're friends but he wants more." I was shocked by her straight forward comment and looked at her wide-eyed. "Oh please. Don't tell me he didn't tell you." She rolled her eyes playfully.

I shifted uncomfortably and shook my head in denial. She stiffened at that. "Are you... are you serious? I'm so sorry, I didn't..."

"No, it's alright. It's just... I like Jake but... I... I love someone else, Sarah," I confessed.

"Really! That's fantastic. He must be a lucky one," she said delighted. I smiled sadly.

"I was the lucky one, believe me," she looked at me confused. "He... he died two years ago," I explained looking away.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry," she shifted towards me and wrapped her arm around my shoulder.

"It's fine. It has been so long...," I sighed.

"I understand that dear. I've experienced losing my love, twice. You'll find someone special; just like I had found mine." I said nothing and asked her to tell me what she wanted to say earlier. She released me from her arms and looked at the closed door again.

"There isn't much left to tell. I was telling you about the last day of the week in which Billy was captured. That day around midnight, Billy experienced a feeling like he was floating in the air. He thought he had died but when he opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by white lights. The same blinding lights that appeared when Swasean's daughter had come to life again," she turned her head to look at me.

"But you know what; this wasn't the strangest thing. Billy experienced a banging headache and the next thing he remembered was that he had woken up in a... I don't remember the word he said to describe that but... it was all… weird? He said the place has a royal touch inside but the walls were broken in some places. It was huge... like the place was both haunting and magical at the same time. At first, he thought that Charlie and his father had brought him there as a part of their plan. But soon he realized that wasn't the case." She stopped at that leaving me wondering what made him realize that. A question randomly popped up in my mind and I asked it out of curiosity.

"Do you know the place where Mr. Black landed?" She thought for a moment and then said she didn't remember the name. I said it was alright and thanked her for telling me the details. I left her room after few minutes and met Jake outside, standing with his legs crossed at the ankles and hands in his pocket, leaning against the wall. He quirked an eyebrow at me.

"What?" I asked as I walked past him on my way to kitchen. I filled a glass of water and he came to stand beside me.

"You alright?" He asked taking my hand in his, rubbing circles on the back of it.

"Yeah, I'm all good," I smiled at him, putting the empty glass back.

"Great. Come on! We've had too much gloominess today. The day is still young and the weather looks good," he smirked. "Let's go to the beach. I'll introduce you to my silly ole cousins. You know there is one guy..."

"Bella," Sarah's voice interrupted Jake. She came to stand by us in the kitchen. "There you are. I was searching for you...," she stopped and smiled curiously when she noticed my hand in Jake's. I quickly withdrew my hand as to not send her any wrong signals. My action broke her gaze and she cleared her throat.

"Oh, yeah. I wanted to tell you that I remembered the name of the place," she motioned with her hand to ask if I understood what she was talking about.. When I nodded, she said the one name that I couldn't have imagined in my life, ever.

"The place was a manor on Seventh Street, located on the outskirts of Rochester."

Another cliffie? Well it's not exactly a cliffie. Anyways, I want to SHARE something with you all. When I started writing this story, I'd no plans to involve Jacob in this. But then there was a change and Ta Da, we have Jacob. Actually I was listening to some old songs and came across Treat You Better by Shawn Mendes. I swear it shook my neurons and bombarded me with ideas. The chapters are not exactly related to the song but still it gave me some good ideas. *shrugs* The song is wonderful and the guy is cuuuuteeee! Well not exactly as cute as Rob. Rob is just hot and dashing and sexy and handsome and beautiful... ok I think you get the idea. *coughs* So anyone else like this song or any other by Shawn Mendes?

Now, about the chapter. I know I'd said that the words from the prologue will be in this chapter but that didn't work out. I've shifted them in next chapter which I've started writing. There are some drastic revelations in this chapter. Oh, who am I kidding; the whole chapter is full of secrets and hence the title. I guess now you've a fair idea about the plot of this story. There is a lot to be revealed, yet. Stay tuned. So, what do you think about evil Charlie? It hurt to make him evil but the story demanded that. Don't know what he is upto *shudders*

The traffic stats are still increasing rapidly but the responses? Nada. It depends on you guys but I still want to know how are you feeling about the story. It's like Ok, I'm writing and you are reading. I should know the strong and weak points, shouldn't I? And it's you all who can judge. :) So please take few minutes and leave your REVIEWS. You are free to ask me any questions and PM me any time.

Thank you for reading, following and favoriting this story. To the guest reviewer: You'll know soon, very soon about what happened to our dear Edward and who the green-eyed one was in the prologue. He could be Edward or... there could be some other magic... Hints, Hints... hmmm... I do blabber... LOL.

See you soon.

-K