Previously:

Time suddenly stood still as my mind took a moment to process what it just heard - the name of my dear departed friend - and I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

That just happened.

Bella. The name echoed through my skull and I felt an enormous wave of emotion sweep through me. It was so strong, I felt my vision getting spotty, and my knees felt suddenly weak. Tears sprang to my eyes, already falling down my cheeks. Dizzy, I felt myself going down, and I groped out with my hands blindly, trying to ease my way as I sat down hard on my butt, right there in the middle of the Black's driveway.

As I took several deep breaths, trying to will away the faintness that had almost overcome me, I tried to concentrate over the thundering in my ears, focusing on the one important fact that I'd just heard.

Bella.

Charlie Swan had just used Bella's name.

In the present tense.

I knew it. Deep down, I knew it.

Bella Swan was still alive.

Chapter 2

I sat stunned, ignoring the water soaking my butt, in the middle of that little muddy driveway. My head was spinning with the bombshell that just dropped on it and I couldn't focus on anything else.

I just can't believe it! I was right!

When I wrote my email to Bella those many years ago, I hoped, wished, and prayed that Bella was still alive despite her reported 'death.' And when I wrote it, I did faithfully believe that.

However, as the years passed and I thought of my dear friend less and less, a sort of disconnected acceptance must have taken root within me, and I doubted my reasoning less and less.

In a word, I slowly lost my faith.

Eventually, at some point, I think I finally, grudgingly accepted that Bella was probably dead after all; and I realized then that - deep down - I must have expected her to somehow get in contact with me to confirm she was in fact still alive. There would be so many ways she could do it anonymously, without risking her secret; but as time passed and I never heard from her, my faith finally must have fractured.

But now...now...

She was alive!

And the wonder and mystery and joy that I always attributed to her and Edward's relationship - the 'fairy tale', as I'd referred to it - was back in full force.

I wasn't sure how long I sat there - probably with a dopey expression on my face - but my daughter eventually came up to me, the excited puppy trailing in her wake.

"Mommy?" Are you okay mommy?" Her big brown eyes were open wide with concern, and my care for my daughter temporarily overrode all other concerns, no matter how earth-shattering they were.

I reached a shaky hand out to reassure her - and myself as well, if I was honest - that we were, indeed, still on solid ground. "Yes, yes baby, I'm...I'm fine. Just..I just heard some unexpected and wonderful news."

And then, the disbelief faded, and a slowly building smile began tugging at my lips, until my lips were stretched so wide I thought they would crack.

Bella was alive!

Audrey, after watching my face transform into what was most likely the widest smile I'd worn in years - was satisfied I was okay and let herself get distracted again by the dog. Meanwhile, I still sat there, smiling like a loon, turning my face up at the sky, the misty rain soaking my face as I began to laugh and cry. I was so happy - right down deep in my core where my soul lived - that I sent a prayer of thanks up to God or whatever Higher Power existed that would make this one particular wish come true.

I might have sat there for quite a while if I hadn't been startled by the slowly increasing sound of a low, thrumming engine that came steadily closer. The noise was similar to what you would hear on a powerful sports car, and it was definitely close now, perhaps a block away.

Even as I somehow lurched unsteadily to my feet, brushing-off my now dirty pants, a fancy looking, sleek red car with a soft-shell black convertible top suddenly turned onto the street. It slowed as it pulled-up to the muddy driveway I was standing on, idling perhaps twenty feet away. Moving more slowly, it finally came to a halt with its front tires about ten feet from me. I squinted against the dark tinted windows, but I could not see inside.

I did, however, recognize the yellow embossed emblem that sat front and center on the front of the car; it was a rearing silver horse, the logo of Ferrari, one of the most famous and expensive sports car brands in the world. I knew this only because Ben was a car enthusiast, and his Road and Track magazines that littered our bathroom cabinets often showcased these powerful cars on their covers.

Embarrassed at being caught basically trespassing on private property, and feeling frazzled both mentally and at my muddy condition, I called for Audrey, who ran back to my side, shyly pressing herself against my hip. Her faithful four legged companion started to bark happily, his tail wagging furiously as he regarded the newcomers, before he took off scampering towards the driver-side door.

The engine to the car shutoff a moment later, and both front doors opened at the same time. An enormous man - clearly a Quileute with his tanned skin, dark hair, and native features - rose to his full height, which was probably closer to seven feet than six. He looked at me with a friendly but confused expression on his handsome face, ignoring for a moment the friendly dog that was trying to get his attention and climb his leg.

The man looked at me and my daughter curiously. "Hello? Can I help you?"

Despite not having seen him in more than fifteen years, I was pretty sure I recognized the man, and was almost certain it was Jacob Black. Despite the intervening years, he had the same high cheekbones, the same deep set eyes, the strong jaw...he had grown from an attractive youth to a ridiculously handsome man, with an amazingly sculpted body that could have featured on Saturday night wrestling.

As I opened my mouth to answer, a woman emerged from the passenger seat, and I blinked several times at the vision of loveliness she presented as she turned assessing eyes on me.

She had a head of long, curly copper-colored hair that hung to almost her waist; her figure was narrow and trim, and she was tall, perhaps an inch or two below my five foot nine. A pair of faded jeans hugged her long legs, topped by an emerald green, form fitting sweater that looked incredible next to her pale skin and bronze hair. A pair of large, deep brown eyes sat wide-set in her heart shaped face and her cheeks were flushed, looking like rose petals against her almost pearly white skin. I estimated her age about twenty, and as she walked closer - her steps graceful and poised - I decided she was without a doubt one of the most beautiful young women I'd ever seen.

Realizing I'd been staring and had ignored Jacob's question, I tore my eyes back to him just as the woman spoke.

"Hello?" she said, her voice rich and melodic, inexorably drawing my gaze back to her. "Are you lost?" I saw amusement in her eyes as they flitted to my daughter, who was now standing close to me, pressed against my leg.

Finding my voice, I tried to gather my composure. "N..no, no, my daughter was playing with the little dog and sort of chased him here. I'm so sorry to intrude and block your driveway like this."

A tinkling, delightful laugh answered me. "That's okay. Little Davey likes to bring home strangers, he does it all the time." A wide, beautiful white smile graced her face, and I couldn't help but quietly grin back.

This girl was just too much. If an Angel was made flesh, I'm not sure she would have anything on this girl.

Still, I was unable to curb my curiosity, and my eyes cut back to the man. "Are you Jacob Black?"

His dark eyes widened in surprise. "Yes," he said, an eyebrow quirking as he walked forward, the redhead's hand finding his like it belonged there. "Do I know you?"

Wringing my hands, still shocked by the revelations of the afternoon, I tried to smile, though I wasn't sure I completely succeeded. "I'm Angela Cheney. I went to school with Bella, my maiden name was Weber. We were good friends."

As I said my name, I wasn't surprised to see Jacob's eyes widen a bit - I knew how close he had been to Bella and I remember her talking about him with me, so I suspected she had probably mentioned my name to him.

However, I was definitely not expecting for the woman to react even more strongly than Jacob. She gasped, her hand rising up to her mouth in susprise, her eyes widening in shock. Her friendly inquisitive gaze from a moment ago sharpened, a keen interest suddenly shining in her eyes. She seemed to be looking at me much more closely, her eyes roving my face and form; she did this for several seconds, before doing the same with my daughter before finally returning her excited look to me.

I found it a bit disconcerting: for someone who I knew for sure I had never met before, this woman clearly had some interest in me.

When she lowered her hand from covering her mouth, her entire face looked radiant; she was smiling at me with an expression I could not quite describe, almost like she was delighted I was here. In fact, I would have bet she was completely overjoyed to meet me, and I could not really understand why.

A second or two later I was proven correct, when she moved - almost glided, I'd say - right up to me and offered a friendly hand to shake, her teeth almost blinding white, her smile was just so big. "It's so very, very nice to meet you, Angela!"

Raising my own hand to shake hers, I was a little surprised by her firm grip and very warm skin.

Still beaming at me, she didn't release me hand for several seconds. "I'm Ness, Jacob's wife. It's really a pleasure to meet you!"

As our hands finally lowered, I was trying to figure out why this girl was acting like she knew me; I mean, Jacob and I were never friends, I don't think I'd ever even spoken with him before.

How could she know me? Why would he ever talk to her about me?

Even as Audrey - again at ease given the overly friendly greeting from Ness - raised her own hand for a shake as she boldly introduced herself, my eyes roamed over Ness's face, trying to temper a sudden suspicion that rose unbidden somewhere deep in my mind.

What was causing my alertness? I tilted my head, closeley looking at Ness, certain I'd never met her. And yet, there was something there...the color of the hair, maybe? The shape and color of the eyes?

I realized they were familiar to me.

Was I sure I'd never met this girl before? Maybe when she was younger? Is that why I felt such a sense of familiarity?

I again dismissed that possibility; this girl was so striking, there was no possible way I would have forgotten someone who looked like this, unless maybe when she was just a baby, and even then...

No, this was something else...

Even as the cogs in my still frazzled brain began to slowly turn, my daughter squealed, catching my attention. Blinking as I focused on Audrey, I saw her giggling again as the dog was licking her face.

Jacob leaned down and picked up the puppy. "I think Davey likes you," he said, laughing when the dog licked his nose.

"Is he yours?" I asked him, mind still fuzzy with shock and nagging suspicions. I was trying to remain calm while desperately wanting to confront Jacob - and Chief Swan - on the subject of my long lost friend who apparently was still alive!

"No, he belongs to my sister," Jacob answered, completely unware of my inner turmoil. "She's married to my friend Paul, they built that house right there," - he gestured with his head to the small tan house that stood next to the red one, " - so they can be close to my dad to help out. He's in a wheelchair and can't get around very well."

Even as Jacob mentioned his father, I heard voices coming from the side of the red house, followed by the sound of a door opening with a loud creak. I turned my head, and saw Charlie Swan pushing an older Quileute man who was indeed in a wheelchair, out onto a small, covered front-porch, where a small ramp led to the driveway we stood in.

Chief Swan - I'd always known him as that, even though he was retired now - looked over at us, his eyes widening in surprise. "Angela? Angela Web..I mean Cheney? Is that you?"

Not surprised at the small gaffe - I had only seen him once or twice after we graduated from high school, so he would probably remember me best as Angela Weber - I turned fully to face him. "Chief Swan" I said, smiling politely. "It's nice to see you again."

As they moved closer to us, I saw that the Chief looked considerably older - with deep set lines around the corner of his eyes and hair more grey than brown - since the last time I had seen him, which was at the Lodge perhaps six or seven years ago. As I thought back, I was surprised that I had a good recollection of that night; the Chief had been there with his new wife - I didn't remember her name - and one of his step kids, a giant of a young man with close cropped hair and a friendly face. I'd been eating with my parents while Ben babysat our infant daughter, and I remember my family had walked over to the Chief's table to say hello and give quiet condolences about Bella's death.

As the memory became more focused, I suddenly recalled additional details; the step-son - again, I didn't remember his name - turned his head down when my father said that Bella was in his prayers and that she was sure to be happy with God, resting in Heaven.

The boy had a strange expression on his face, and when he turned his face away, I almost thought his shoulders were shaking; my father might have thought he was crying, but to me, it looked like he was shaking in laughter. Chief Swan's wife gave the boy a very pointed glare - and perhaps a kick under the table - and the Chief blushed, before thanking my dad for his kind prayers. However, I remembered thinking that none of the Swan's looked particularly sad or grieving. In fact, the boy had an expression like he knew of an inside joke of some sort.

More memories came to me, the night coming back to me with startling clarity. I remembered now, it was right around this time that I had sent my email to Bella. I wasn't sure if it was before or after this dinner, but it was right about that time. Maybe this dinner had been the final clue I needed to believe she was still alive? I wasn't sure.

"You too," the Chief said, breaking me from my woolgathering. "But please - it's just Charlie now. I haven't been 'Chief Swan' in quite some time."

"Okay, Charlie," I said, smiling. I stared into his deep brown eyes, that strange feeling tingling my brain, like I was on the edge of an epiphany.

Deciding to test the waters a bit, I asked "How have you been? How's the family?" My attention was now closely focused on him, my emphasis on the word 'family' causing a small twitch in his left eye, and a tightening of his mouth.

A soft surge of delight ran through me when I saw his lips twitch - small as it was, this was really all I needed to confirm that what I heard was real, that I wasn't imagining things; and I was thinking ways to maybe get the chief alone, and plead with him to tell me that Bella was doing okay.

That's all I wanted, really. Just to know she was safe and happy.

Charlie rubbed the back of his head, breaking eye contact. Maybe he was as bad a liar as Bella always claimed to be and couldn't face me? "Well," he said, "you know, pretty much the same. Enjoying my retirement, fishing when I can." He gestured to the wheelchair-bound man. "Just visiting my friend Billy here. I live down the road a ways with my wife, Sue Clearwater."

Charlie then turned to look at Audrey. "Is this your daughter?"

I smiled and gently nudged my daughter away from Davey the Dog. She turned to Charlie and gave him a big, tooth-gapped grin. "I'm Audrey!"

Laughing softly at my impish little girl, Charlie crouched down on his haunches, and gave her a warm smile as he shook her little hand. "Well hello Audrey, what are you doing out here in the rain?"

"I chased the the Puppy!" she gushed. "I followed him from the beach all the way here! He's fun and he's fast!" She giggled at that, and the puppy squirmed in Jacobs's arms, eager to play again.

When Charlie stood back up, nodded at me before his eyes looked carefully at Ness and Jacob. "You two heading out?"

Realizing that was my not-so-subtle hint that it was time to go, I suddenly felt panicky. I wanted to know that Bella was fine, but had no idea who was 'in' on the secret. I knew that Chief Swan obviously was, but was Jacob? Was Ness?

When I glanced back at her, my intuition was once-again trying to kick me in the butt, trying to tell me something. Something obvious. But I couldn't figure out what.

I had missed the last few exchanges, as Jacob was laughing at something, and the dog was back on the ground.

"No, it looks like Davey picked up a friend," he was saying, gesturing at my daughter.

Turning back to me, Jacob waved his hand at the man in the chair. "Angela, this is my father, Billy Black." And without pausing, added "Angela went to school with Bella. They were good friends."

Had I not heard Bella's name mentioned earlier, I would not have picked up the warning tone in his remark. But I did hear it, and I felt like Jacob was warning the other two to be careful.

"It's nice to meet you," I replied, smiling at the older looking man. "I'm really sorry to trespass like this."

"That's okay," he answered, his voice a deep rumble. "We don't get enough visitors around here." And then he looked at Audrey. "And your daughter is beautiful. I'm always happy to see the young ones getting into a spot of mischief."

"Thank you," I said, laughing. "She's quite a handful."

Ness looked at Audrey, her eyes soft. "Do you live in town?"

"No, my husband and I live in Seattle. We are here visiting my parents, they've lived in Forks forever. I was born here, I went to Forks high."

Ness nodded, her curious eyes once again roaming my face. "Do you come to La Push often? I've not seen you here before."

I sighed. "No, unfortunately not. I haven't been here in quite some time. We try to come to Forks a few times a year, usually for the holidays, but not as often as I'd like." She looked at her daughter, squealing as the puppy chewed on her shoe. "But Audrey seems to love it. We'll definitely be back."

Just then a text alert beeped and Ness made a face. She opened her phone, typed a quick reply - her fingers moving very fast. She glanced at Jacob, before turning back to me. "Sorry, but we need to hit the road. We've got a plane to catch tonight, we are heading out of town for a wedding."

"That's ok," I answered. "We need to get going anyway, we have a long drive back to Seattle..." She looked at her daughter. "Are you ready Audrey?"

"Aw momma, do we have to? I want to play more with the puppy!"

All the adults laughed. "I'm afraid so, sweetie. Grandpa is waiting for us, and these nice people have to go too."

Audrey petted the puppy one more time, and gave it a kiss on the nose. "Bye bye, Davey! I'll come see you soon!" The puppy barked, and again the adults all laughed at the sheer delight that kids could elicit.

Turning her big brown eyes to me, she skipped up to me, mud splashing around her boots. "Ok momma, I'm ready!" And she snaked her hand into mine.

My eyes drifted back up and locked with Ness's. For a long, timeless I stared deep into Ness's wide, chocolate brown eyes, the color, shape, and depth seeming so familiar; and then, suddenly, like the turning on of a light bulb, everything suddenly became clear in my mind.

I knew, now, why this girl seemed so familiar.

Of course she looked familiar. Of course she did.

Maybe the fact she was married to Jacob Black slowed down my cognitive process, but now that I understood, there was no denying it. In fact, it was so obvious to me now, the veil that had somehow hidden the obvious truth torn away.

Looking again, it was all so clear.

The hair - the color of copper pennies.

The jaw and nose - patrician straight, perfect, flawless.

The pale white skin - with a rosy hued blush at the center of her cheeks.

The lips - slightly out of balance.

And finally, the eyes - deep, dark, multi-hued, the color of melted chocolate, set wide in her face, doe eyed and irresistible.

I was looking at the child of Edward and Bella Cullen.

A/N - hope you enjoyed!

As the first story, this one will be short. Probably 2 more chapters.

For those who confused about Renesmee's strong reaction and interest in Angela - well, obviously she immediately recognized Angela's name, and has seen her mom's scrapbook. She Ness was several years old when Bella went to Angela's wedding, and would remember how happy Bella was both before and after, and would naturally be curious. After all, Bella doesn't have any human friends from when she went to Forks HS, and meeting Angela would be a goldmine for a curious Renesmee.