Wednesday 4th September

"Edward, I have to go," Bella said, extricating her husband's arms from around her.

"Be careful, love."

Picking up her bag, Bella said, "I always am. Now, I'll see you in a few days. It won't be long."

"Goodbye, Bella. I love you," Edward called after her.

"I love you too, Edward," Bella replied, watching as Edward got back into his car and drove off, leaving her standing alone outside the airport. She turned to go in, when she felt an unexplainable, illogical worry that someone was watching her. But looking around, she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Brushing her unease off as paranoia, she entered the airport, passing luggage drop-off, since all she had was a small carry-on suitcase. She quickly went through security and made her way to her gate. Glancing at her watch and seeing that she still had quite a bit of time before boarding, she settled in a seat, watching the planes outside.

Half an hour later, there came an announcement that her flight was about to board, and all families with children would go on first. When it was finally announced that everyone else could board, she got up and handed her boarding pass and passport to a gate security member; her passport had been forged a year ago. The lady handed her passport back along with the boarding pass, and waved her on. Bella walked along the bridge to the plane, listening to the loud rumble of the plane's engine. She reached the plane and handed her passport and boarding pass to a smiling flight attendant, who handed them back a minute later, saying, "Take the far aisle. Enjoy your flight!"

Bella walked down the far aisle until she spotted her seat. She pushed her suitcase under the seat in front of her, and leaned back, gazing out of the window. A few minutes later, a large, middle-aged, balding man sat down beside her.

After a while, the safety video began playing and the plane started moving backwards. Bella watch as the flaps opened on the wings as they moved forwards, gaining momentum, and then suddenly, they were in the air. As she watched the buildings down below become smaller and smaller, she grew more and more nervous.

Being on a plane flight was no big deal, of course, but bad luck did tend to follow her around.

Five hours passed when Bella began to feel the plane shaking. At first, she assumed it was just turbulence, and thought nothing of it. But the shaking persisted, and Bella began to grow worried, wondering if her bad luck had doomed her and all the others on the flight.

Then there came an announcement that increased Bella's fears tenfold.

"Due to unforeseen circumstances, we shall be making an emergency landing at the London international in Canada. We shall begin our descent shortly."

Bella's eyes widened as she wondered what these 'unforeseen circumstances' were. A few people were demanding explanations from flight attendants who were moving around the cabin, ensuring everyone had seatbelts on. Then Bella heard an alarmed cry from someone.

"Why is there smoke coming from there?!"

There were screams and shouts of fear and distress. Bella looked out of the window and she knew that if she were still alive, her heart would have skipped a beat. Hot, angry flames were appearing on the wing. Another announcement came and everybody froze, silent, listening carefully.

"Due to a fire that has spread to the right wing of our plane, we shall be hastening our descent as much as is safe. We ask that you remain seated."

With her vampire hearing, Bella was able to make out the murmurs of the flight attendants to one another.

"Both pilots unconscious."

"Seems like poison."

"Someone sabotaged the flight?"

Suddenly, Bella was reminded of discussion she and Edward had on a note in an English lesson in Forks Highschool. She was questioning Edward about what he'd do if the pilots on a plane passed out drunk. He said he would fly the plane himself.

But there was no Edward to fly the plane.

She'd then asked what would happen if both engines exploded and they were spiralling towards the earth. Edward replied that he would wait until they were close enough to the ground before jumping out with me, and then run back to the scene so they could stumble around like the luckiest survivors in history.

That would be the plan if the flight became non-survivable.

Which Bella found it was soon becoming.

The fire was spreading in the cabin, filling it with smoke. The crew were unable to do anything to prevent it, or contain the fire, and it was clear the pilot was losing control of the plane. It suddenly began to drop, not directly downwards, but at a slight angle. As they got further and further down, Bella noticed that they were going to end up landing in a city. For now, though, they were still above water.

Knowing no one would notice her, due to the smoke and screams, Bella unbuckled her seatbelt, and slipped past the balding man, into the aisle, feeling a twinge of regret as she did so. It was not fair that she would be able to save herself, when all these other passengers would undoubtedly perish. But it was a choice between staying and dying, or jumping out and surviving. There was nothing she could do to save anyone else, so she made her way to the nearest emergency exit and kicked it open. Without another thought, Bella jumped.

She plummeted downwards, getting faster and faster, until she hit the water with a huge splash, sinking quite deep before she kicked her way to the surface again. In the distance, she could see a plane spiralling towards land. Realising that it must be Canada, she began swimming towards it.

Once she finally reached land, she tried to keep away from humans, running through woods and forests. It took a while, but she began to see familiar sights, and realised she'd made it to Washington, and then she reached Forks. Breathing a sigh of relief, she continued on to La Push, and went to Sam's place, hoping Jacob would be there.

He was there, waiting outside anxiously, sat with his legs pulled up close to him and his arms around them.

"Bella!" he cried, seeing her walking towards him. "Oh, thank God! You're okay!"

He jumped up and encased her in his arms, and she let herself relax.

"Bella, what happened? I heard it on the news. Your plane crashing in Canada! Edward has been calling every five minutes, asking if you've arrived here."

"Mum!"

Bella looked past Jacob to see Renesmee running towards her, throwing her arms around her mother. Bella released Jacob to hug her daughter back.

"What happened to you?"

"Well," Bella sighed, wearily. "There was a fire somewhere on board that spread around the cabin. The plane was falling, so I jumped out and landed in the water. Then I swam to Canada and ran here." She gave Jacob a discreet pointed look, indicating she had more to tell him in private. "I should call, Edward."

She reached into the back pocket of her jeans, before remembering she'd put her phone in the outside pocket of her suitcase after she boarded the plane that would now be in pieces. Even if she had her phone with her, it wouldn't work after being drenched as she swam.

"Ah, if I could borrow yours…"

Jacob nodded, leading her inside where her old wolf friends greeted her, happy and relieved to see her.

Later that evening, Jacob and Bella were walking along the beach together.

"What did you want to tell me?" he asked.

Bella bit her lip. "Well, I heard some of the flight attendants discussing something somewhat… disturbing."

"Disturbing?"

"Yes. They said the pilots were unconscious, and it seemed like poison."

"So they were thinking someone sabotaged the flight," Jacob said, slowly.

Bella nodded. "I can't understand why someone would try to sabotage that flight, though."

"No… well, we can't know for sure whether it was sabotage or simply an unfortunate accident. Now come on. Renesmee's probably waiting for us. And we have a funeral to attend tomorrow."

Bella let Jacob lead her back to Sam's place, where they were staying, her mind still on the unusual events that had occurred that day.


Thursday 5th September

After Billy's funeral, Bella, Jacob and Renesmee went to visit Charlie. Bella knelt by his gravestone, while her best friend and daughter stood back, watching.

"Hey Charlie. I'm sorry I couldn't visit you sooner," she murmured. "I bet you're with Billy right now, talking and laughing like in the old days, watching baseball. I'd say to help him through this, but I already know you will.

"Charlie, I'm happy. Granted, I almost died in a plane crash yesterday. But I've still got that job at the school in England. I haven't had to leave all my friends yet. I am happy, but- oh Dad! Weird things have been happening and I can't understand it. I felt like someone was watching me, yesterday, when I arrived at the airport. And then there was talk about the flight I was on being sabotaged. I know it's probably nothing but I still feel uneasy about it all. You always told me to follow my instincts, and my instincts are telling me something bad is going to happen. I'm scared, Charlie.

"But for now, I'm glad you're with Billy again. I love you, Dad. I'm not sure when I'll be able to visit you again, but it'll be as soon as possible. Goodbye Charlie."

Bella stood up, took a long look at her father's grave, then turned to join Jacob and Renesmee.


"There's no other explanation for it. The Cullens aren't human."

Everyone turned to look at the man. His hair was brown and straggly, his beard long and tangled, his eyes cunning and calculating. In one hand was a cigarette, and in another was a file stuffed full with papers.

"That's quite a weighty claim to make."

The man slammed the file down on the overturned box they were using as a table.

"Don't you ever question me again, Blakewell! Or do you want to wake up one morning and find your family dead?" he thundered.

"N-no sir. I was not questioning you. Merely wondering if, perhaps-"

"Yes?"

"Well, the evidence against them, sir. What do we have?"

Impatiently, the man grasped the files and shoved them in Blakewell's face.

"This! This is what we have! Records of the Cullens that just so happen to date back over one hundred years. Tell me, how could a man live for a hundred years and still be in his thirties if he was human? And then, there's what Manson discovered. Isabella Cullen boarded a plane from London to Seattle yesterday. That plane crashed in Canada, and yet we saw her today, in a cemetery with two others. The poison did its job perfectly, drawing Isabella out. Those pilots must have died, and the plane lost control. The fire was just a lucky bonus."

"The measures we took to draw her out were rather severe, though, weren't they? I mean, we sacrificed a plane-full of innocent humans…" Manson's voice trailed off under the man's menacing glare.

"Okay, okay," Blakewell said, pushing the file away from his face. "We've established the Cullen's aren't human. But then what are they?"

"Aha, that's where Sarah comes in. She's already in England, staying in the same town as the Cullens. She will befriend them and gain their trust. If she can't get them to tell her what they are, we'll have to do a bit of investigating elsewhere. Starting with that Jacob boy who's been following the Cullens everywhere they move for the past fifteen years."


Friday 6th September

A plane ticket back to London had been book Wednesday night. Thankfully, Bella still had her passport, which she'd put into her pocket when boarding the plane to Seattle.

"Goodbye, Renesmee," she said, embracing her daughter. "Sam, Emily! Thank you for your hospitality."

Sam nodded in acknowledgment. "No problem, Bella."

Bella opened the car door and slid into the passenger seat, as Jacob turned the engine on and they drove to the airport. Once they got there, Jacob pleaded, "Bella, please try not to get into any more plane crashes."

Rolling her eyes, Bella replied, "As if that was my fault."

Jacob grinned, but his expression soon grew serious again. "Honestly, Bella. Have a safe journey home."

"Thanks, Jake. I'll see you in a few days." She waved goodbye and headed into the airport. Fortunately, the flight to London went by without any hitches. Edward was waiting for her and the airport, and held her as if he'd never let go.

"Bella, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, Edward," Bella cried, starting to get exasperated. "Yes, I'm okay. I'm a vampire, remember?"

Edward nodded, sheepishly. "I know. It's just habit, I guess. You were a rather accident-prone human…"

"No need to remind me."

"Yes, well, I'm just glad you're okay. So is everyone else."

"Hmm. Yes, well. I don't think my safety should be our biggest concern right now."

Edward frowned. "Bella, what do you mean?"

"I mean that there's been moments where I've felt like I'm being watched. At first, I thought I was being irrationally paranoid, but I heard some flight attendants on the plane that crashed saying that the pilots were unconscious and it seemed like poison… sabotage. I know it's probably nothing, but my instincts are telling me something bad is going to happen…"

"Something bad? Like what?" Edward queried.

"I'm not sure. Just something bad involving the whole family. Maybe some others too, like the Denalis."

"Bella, love, don't worry about it. We'll cross any bridges when we come to them."

"But what if, once we reach those bridges, they've collapsed? What if they're beyond repair, and we can't cross them? Then what happens?"