Hello everyone! Another chapter for you!

I just want to clarify that perhaps it is a bit annoying having so many references to the Cullens in the chapters, but Bella is coming to terms with her past and her future one step at a time. She doesn't have all that much space in her head to compartmentalize as vampires do, so she deals with it in her own time.

Also, there are no hard feelings between Bella and the Cullens. She loves them very much, and they played an important part in shaping Bella's personality. Also, I have some plans for the Cullens in the future.

Thank you a million times for your kind reviews. I have been very busy with Uni as the semester is ending, and I will be busy for the next few weeks so I'm not sure when I'll have the time to give you another chapter. But in the meantime, enjoy!


The Butterfly Effect.


Chapter 9: Friendship.

Felix left alongside Demetri, Alec, and Jane early in the morning the next day. Like last time he left a small note asking her to be safe. She smiled softly when she saw it, and as last time she put the note in the first drawer of her night table. She sighed wondering what could she do this week. On the bright side, Heidi was home, which meant they could spend some time together, she would love to get to know her more. So far, she knew with astounding detail Demetri's transformation story, and Felix had briefly filled her in with his last night. She knew he had given her the very short, edited version of the events, but she wasn't worried about it. She had come to realize that Felix tended to share things in pieces. Every piece coming together when he felt ready to share them.

She had a quick shower and dressed with a pair of jeans and one of Felix's shirts knotted at the hip. She felt silly, but she wasn't feeling girly that day and his shirt was certainly far more comfortable at the moment. She put on some shoes and wandered to the kitchen to get some food. To her surprise, Heidi was in the kitchen waiting for her.

"Good morning." Heidi greeted with a smile.

"Good morning, Heidi." She greeted back. "What are you doing here?"

"Do I need a reason?"

"Well, considering that neither of you ever come in here, and considering the boys are not home…" She left the sentence open trying to get her point made.

Heidi chuckled. "Fine. I'm here to spend the day with you if you don't mind."

"Not at all." She smiled happy that Heidi seemed interested in being friends. Bella had never been good at making friends, specially girl-friends.

After eating her breakfast, Heidi proposed a road trip to somewhere. Bella agreed happily. They drove without a specific destination in mind, talking about everything and nothing, laughing and getting to know each other. At some point, they found themselves in a small town and decided to walk around enjoying the warmth and the clouds.

"May ask you a question?" Heidi pondered out loud. Bella nodded. "I hope you don't get mad. Dem told me about your story and I just wanted to make sure that you were happy here."

Bella smiled. "I'm not mad. It surprises me that you didn't approach me sooner. I never expected my life story to be kept a secret. I would never ask him to keep a secret from you." She responded sincerely.

Heidi linked her left arm with Bella's right arm, and they continued to walk around the little village.

"To answer your question. I am happy. Felix drives me crazy, but he also makes me happier than I've ever been."

"He tends to drive a lot of people around him crazy. But his heart is in the right place." Bella laughed.

"The first week, before I fully admitted that I was attracted to him, I observed your interaction with him. And I didn't understand it, because it was clear that you were with Demetri, but at the same time you were so familiar with Felix, and yet, neither of you seemed to have romantic feelings for the other."

Heidi nodded understanding what Bella was saying. "Felix was my first friend in this new life. I remember almost nothing from my human life. I only know enough to know that it wasn't pleasant. I arrived at the castle shortly after Felix did. So, around 1875. I don't remember what led to my transformation, or how long I had been a vampire. I was a nomad, traveling around all the time. The Vulturi are well known around the world. I don't know how much the Cullens told you, but we are respected and feared equally. I had met a few vampires along the way, and they spoke of the Vulturi. I was curious, so I came. I realized I was desperate for a home. I was sick of traveling all the time and not having a place to stay or to have a shower. You know, the essentials. So I came here, and Aro accepted immediately. I have been here ever since."

Bella had stopped her walk and stared at her friend shocked. She had never expected a trip down memory lane. She had thought she would never hear her story. She strongly believed she had known the stories of the Cullens only because they were to become her family. The same with Demetri and Felix. She silently hugged Heidi thanking her in her way. Heidi pulled apart with a smile on her own and they both resumed their walk. They walked in silence for a few minutes. Bella kept thinking about Felix and Heidi and their friendship. She had always made it clear to Jacob that she only desired friendship from him. Although there was that time before the battle began where she lost sight of that and kissed him. She didn't exactly regret her decisions, she only regretted having hurt Edward and led Jacob on in the process. Her life had been so chaotic. It wasn't her who had the steering wheel. It was always Jacob or Edward pulling to one side or the other. It is somewhat unfair to put everything on them. She had made her own decisions at certain times. But she also felt as if they had made the most important ones from her to protect her.

And now, having another point of view of the situation, having seen friends interact with each other without any ulterior motives other than to tease, she could see how blind she had been. And how happier she was each day that passed with her decision of coming here. Not only because it led her to Felix. She admitted he was a strong part of her happiness. But simply being, enjoying, living, gave her a new perspective.

"Have you been with Demetri ever since?" she wondered out loud. Putting her musings aside.

Heidi laughed. "No. He thought for ten years that I was in love with Felix."

Bella looked at her gaping. "Ten years? How? Why?" She laughed.

"Felix is very demonstrative of his affections." Bella nodded, he was, and she loved it. She needed that kind of affection-showing. "He is loud, and he can be a royal pain in the ass a lot of times. But he is one of the most loyal people you would ever find. You could say that he took me under his wing. He showed me around. Trained me. And during that time he taught me how to be in control of my emotions, of my strength. How to interact with the world outside the walls of the Castle. How to mingle and mix with humans. Without knowing it he became my best friend. Demetri was also very close to Felix. So by extension, I got to meet him. He was, still is, very loud. He makes jokes, very bad ones." They both laughed. "But he also treated me with kindness. A kindness that I had never known. At first, I thought that my feelings for him were just because of Chelsea." Bella frowned. She vaguely remembered that name. There was something that tickled in her brain. As if she must have known immediately who she was. Heidi noticed her confusion. "Chelsea can manipulate bonds. She tricks you under a sense of familiarity and comfort. As if you were meant to be there." Bella nodded. Still, she couldn't remember why she knew that information. She didn't remember Felix having ever mentioned her. Perhaps Edward or one of the Cullens must have said her name. "Anyway. Felix was my only friend, so I treated him like a personal journal. I don't have much patience with writing." She smiled fondly. " So, I told him about my doubts, and he said that Chelsea's gift didn't work that way and that my feelings were my own. We left it at that. Demetri never made a move, so I thought it was only one-sided."

"And that continued for ten years?" Bella was incredulous. "How did you end up together then?"

"I kicked Felix's ass in a fight, called him a presumptuous asshole and didn't speak to him for a few days. Demetri came to find me two days after the fight. He was ready to plead his friend's case or something. I love the guy, but he is very obtuse at times." Bella laughed. She should defend him, but this story did not paint him in a good light and didn't give her much to plead his case.

Bella's phone rang with an incoming text. She read it and smiled. "It's Felix. He says they just landed." Heidi smiled and nodded.

Bella typed a quick response asking him to be safe. His answer came immediately making her eyes roll and put her phone away. Always. He had typed. Asshole.

"So. Demetri came like a knight in shining armor ready to defend his friend. What did he do?" This was better than watching a movie or a tv series. This had everything: friendship, humor, drama, love, some level of stupidity, and girl power.

"He came to my room and started defending him. Like literally listing all his good qualities and why I should forgive whatever it was he had done. I just stared at him wondering what the hell was he talking about. When I asked, he said that if I loved Felix, I should talk to him and we could figure everything out together. Bella, I swear to you, he is not that oblivious." Heidi laughed. Bella felt a bit bad for her uncle. It seemed unfair to laugh at his expense, but it was so hard not to. Deciding that probably he would do the same, she put aside any guilt and joined in the laughter. "I told him then that Felix and I weren't together. And that if he thought he was so great, that maybe he should go and be with him, himself."

Bella roared with laughter at that. She would have never said anything like that. "I can't believe you pushed him into a gay relationship. That is hilarious!"

Heidi liked seeing Bella laughed like that. It was the first time she had seen the girl free herself from her past and truly embrace herself freely without caring for what others might say. She knew Bella didn't blame the Cullens for her self-esteem level. But Heidi held a bit of resentment towards them for taking for granted such a sweet person. She had blossomed in the few weeks that she had been at the castle. And she was sure she would truly shine once she was transformed.

"I was so angry with him. I wanted him to make a move desperately. I don't know why I didn't do it in the first place. So hearing him praise Felix, to whom I was mad too as well, made me furious. So I blurted the first thing that came into my mind." She shrugged. " Of course he just stood there watching me and then suddenly I had him in front of me. The rest is history." She winked at her letting her know what 'history' was.

Bella shook her head amused. She thought about it once more. And decided to be open with Heidi the way she was being open with her. "When I first arrived at Forks, the few guys that talked to me, just wanted more than friendship. I could certainly say they wanted to get into my pants. Then Edward came and we didn't start with the right foot. But being with him was exhilarating, dangerous. It was…I don't know. It was fun, you could say. I fell hard and fast for him. But there was always some restraint. Either because my blood called for him, or because he believed I was so fragile that I would break. There was also danger hanging over our heads. The nomads and then you guys. Well, Aro more specifically. Then he left after my birthday. His family left with him. He took my choice away, my chance at closure. You know what happened next. But Jacob was…amazing. I had known him since I was little. I used to make mud pies with him, instead of playing with his older sisters." She smiled softly. She missed Jacob. "It was fun hanging out with him. I started feeling more alive, more like myself. But with time came feelings, and things got complicated. Jake changed into a wolf and he was angry a lot of the time. He was mad at the Cullens for existing. He was very vocal about his feelings for me and how it would be better for me to be with him than Edward. In a sense, I lost my unconditional best-friend. If I was mad at Edward, I couldn't talk about it with him, or vice versa. It all became a mess. Edward became very possessive and controller. Bossing me around. I rebelled of course. But it was hard."

At that moment they had reached a park, and they both sat on the grass. They had briefly stopped at a coffee shop so Bella could buy something to eat. She bit her sandwich and once her mouth was empty, she started speaking again.

"When I arrive at the castle and noticed your friendship with Felix, I admit I was jealous. But now I know it wasn't because I thought you had any feelings for each other. I was jealous at how simple it was for the two of you to have that closeness and still not develop feelings for the other. The reason I was so reluctant to admit that I liked Felix was not only because I was thinking that I had only ended one relationship and how bad it must have looked to have moved on so fast. It was also because I was angry at how I had handled my life. I feel in control right now. As if I had been navigating through a storm for the last year and only reached a safe port now."

Heidi hugged her. "I don't know if Felix told you this. And if he didn't, well… sorry, not sorry. When you came to save Edward, he observed you. Your behavior, your body language. He saw you. He was so… enchanted by you. Your bravery, your love for those you care about. He was also impressed at how little you valued your own life, and how willing you were to sacrifice yourself. He saw you, Bella. And he was bewitched. He couldn't stop talking about you. He was incredibly disappointed when you left with Edward. So, of course, the rest of the guard played a little that day in the field, have you come here and all. It was to subtly give you a different choice. Or well, that's what Demetri says." She winked again, trying to add some humor to the seriousness.

Bella felt more guilty now about her stupid joke about joining the mission. If he felt that way before having spoken to her, now that he had fallen in love, she could only imagine the amount of patience he must have gathered to not smother her with her pillow.

"So. This heart to heart was more intense than I expected." Heidi joked, gently and carefully nudging Bella a little making her lost her balance and fall to one of her sides. She laughed and recovered her balance. "I take it as a conclusion that you are happy now."

"Very much so. Thank you for your concern…Aunt Heidi." She laughed at Heidi's groan.

"I'm regretting this already." Bella laughed.

They decided to stay in town longer and get back late at night to the castle. Heidi assured her she was not missing out on her duties and that they weren't working 24/7 contrary to popular belief.

Bella's phone rang with an incoming call. She had changed her phone number and phone, so she didn't have the number saved. But she recognized the call coming from the US.

"Hello?" She answered dubiously. It couldn't be either of her parents because she had those numbers saved.

"Bella." She froze. She would recognize that voice anywhere.

Heidi noticed her sudden stiffness and questioned her with a look. She grabbed Heidi's arm as if holding to her.

"Alice." Heidi's eyes widened in shock. Speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear.

"Are you alright?" the petite vampire questioned with worry in her voice.

Bella frowned confused. "I am. Why?" She never admitted it, but Alice's visions spooked her a little. Although they were her allies in her fight against Edward's stubbornness and she never bet against them.

"Your future disappeared. I can't see you anymore." Alice's voice was filled with worried and in the brink of hysteria. Heidi's eyes were about to pop out of her head if she opened them more. Heidi had a worried look in her face, she started looking around frantically trying to identify the nature of the threat. Bella sighed. Instead of panicking like both vampires were doing, a sense of peace installed inside of her. As if she knew the reason why. Well, she suspected it.

"Don't fret Alice. I am in perfect condition and perfect company. Nothing is going to happen to me that I do not want to happen."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Alice's hysteria was lowering but it was still there.

"I swear I have never been better." She promised. An uncomfortable silence filled the line and Bella felt it was appropriate to thank her for her warning. "Thank you for your worry."

"Always Bella. You're still my sister and I love you." Bella let go of a few tears and gathered herself before replying.

"I love you too, Alice. Bye" She hung up the call after a soft good-bye from Alice. Something told her it was not going to be the last time she heard from her.


I was very tempted to ending the chapter after Bella answered her phone and she hears Alice's voice. But I couldn't do it.

Thanks for all your reviews...And Happy Thanksgiving in advance to all of you who celebrate it (I don't) :)