AN: So I made the chapter a little longer than usual this time, to make up for the delay with the last one. Hope you all enjoy!

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Deadly Affection – Reimagined

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of it's characters. I just play around with them.

Chapter 11: Deliberation

Bella PoV

The beating of my own heart was the first sound to come back to me. Then slowly but surely, so did the rest of the world. The screaming had abated to a multitude of voice talking simultaneously, which effectively drowned everything else out. Not as loud, but just as deafening.

I was just about to ask Alice if we should go inside when I noticed a figure walking up to us from behind. I could tell who it was, and I already knew this was just going to make my day worse. Perhaps we should have left with Rosalie.

''Ms. Swan? Ms. Cullen? Are you okay?'' Coach Clapp asked, standing just a few steps behind me. I stepped forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with Alice, then turned around to face him. To my surprise, the man looked like he was on edge. Like this whole thing had actually scared him. His pupils were dilated and a bead of sweat had started forming on his forehead. Then again, it was nice to see that he genuinely cared. Even though it was about to make my day so tedious.

''Yeah coach, we're good.'' Alice offered for confirmation next to me. ''I wasn't near them when it happened, but I didn't find a scratch on either of them. Emmett did take Rosalie home though, she was quite shook up by the whole thing.'' An innocent smile graces her features, before she throws a look my way. What is this little imp up to?

''Like she said, not a scratch. Is Tyler okay?'' I asked him, trying to switch the subject away from myself. I see Alice's smile turn devious for a brief second, as if I was playing into her hand somehow.

''I'm going to take Mr. Crowley to the ER to get stitched up and check for any internal injuries. The police have been alerted and will probably have questions about what happened. You should probably come too.'' And there it was, my nice quiet day at school ruined.

It was bad enough that I had ditched after lunch on monday, but somehow the Cullen's had made that just go away. Charlie hadn't heard a thing about it, but there was no way to put this cat back in the bag. Perhaps vamps can mind-control people? Doubtful, but that would be about the only way to fix this mess. In any case, I seem to have become some sort of magnet for trouble along with these powers of mine.

I really wanted to ask if that was strictly necessary, but I knew that would gain me nothing more than to look like a petulant teenager. And I didn't know the coach well enough yet to be able to weasel out of it. I had no doubt Alice would be able to get me out of this, if she wanted to. The positively diabolical smirk she didn't even pretend to hide anymore crushed that hope.

''Sure thing coach.'' I answered, trying my best not to let the irritation bleed into my voice. With a nod, he turned around and started walking to his car. In it I could see Tyler already seated, with a towel filled with ice held to his forehead.

My knuckles popped with the force I was clenching them as I started following him. Looking over my shoulder back to Alice, I saw her grinning like a loon. ''I'm so going to get you back for this, you imp!'' I whispered, and the little rascal literally blew a kiss to me in response. The fucking nerve!

Feeling the range of my vision extend, I recalled the fact that I didn't have my glasses anymore, and quickly shut down the anger.

''Tell my dad I said hi!'' Alice called after me with laugh, before she turned and entered the school. We were going to the hospital. Where people went when they were injured. And her dad worked there? Isn't that just a little dangerous to a vampire prone to literal bloodlust?

''I'm just going to pick up my glasses first, if that's okay?'' I made sure to phrase it as a question, even though it wasn't. I didn't wait for a response before I diverted from the course and headed straight for them. Most of the other kids had already went to class by this time, so there were no eyes on me as I went straight to them in the grass. They were undamaged thanks to the soft landing. Finally one thing that is going my way.

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''This is really not necessary.'' The nurse wasn't having any of it, as I had already guessed, but I really didn't want to have her notice any peculiar details that I may not have seen for myself yet. I didn't bother trying to hide my huff of annoyance as she pumped up the armband to test my blood pressure. The idea of surging my power into my bicep to rip the Velcro loose briefly passed my mind.

Outside the door I heard a familiar gruff voice, and my hopes of not bothering Charlie were thoroughly crushed. A few seconds later the door opened, revealing my dad in full cop uniform striding in with a clear purpose. I wonder what they told him, for him to seem so on edge.

''Hi dad.'' I announce, waving to him with my unencumbered hand to catch his attention. The response is immediate, and he locks onto me and more or less power-walk towards me.

''Isabella! Are you okay?'' Charlie asks as he almost bumping into the nurse, trying to get to me. First giving me a quick once-over, he gives the nurse a look for an indication for something being wrong.

''I'm fine, I wasn't even close to getting hit. Everyone is just overreacting, is all.'' I say a tad loudly in frustration, and just after I see Tyler turn his face in my direction again. ''I swear to God Tyler, if you try to apologize to me again, I'm going to throttle you! It was a victimless accident! Get over it!'' He flinches in response and turn towards the nurse patching him up.

The power surging through me from the anger increases my range enough for me to catch a silvery outline moving towards us. Time to meet the head of their coven, I guess. Not wanting to seem hostile, or to have another witness to what sets me apart, I close my eyes and take a deep breath. The warmth recedes quickly, and I open my eyes and exhale just as the nurse nervously takes the pressure pad off of my arm, jotting down some numbers on her sheet. I wonder if this power of mine would affect my blood pressure in some way. In any event, I believe the temper tantrum would skew the conclusion she would draw.

Switching my focus to Charlie, I gave him a deadpan expression to convey just how annoyed I was about this whole situation. A curt nod told me I had gotten the point across, before he straightened up and relaxed his shoulders.

''Good. And when it comes to you-'' Charlie suddenly started talking louder, before he turned sideways and pointed to Tyler, still with his back to us. ''- we're going to have a little chat regarding your license!'' The poor guy shrank in on himself, and despite my dissatisfaction with Tyler, I felt bad for him. It wasn't just his fault this happened.

''Dad, take it easy on him. He was trying to avoid a collision with a guy reversing into his path, when he lost control due to the ice.'' Not that he shouldn't have slowed down earlier with how much ice there were on the road. Charlie harrumphed as if not convinced, before turning back towards me.

The crack of a door opening drew our attention, before a deathly pale, blond man in his mid-thirties stepped forwards with a smile. Golden eyes and all. ''I heard the chief's daughter was here.'' His voice was soft and melodious, another thing he shared with his coven. Probably even their species. I could also tell from the inflection that he was on friendly terms with my dad, which had me on edge briefly, before recalling Alice's words.

''Hey there Carlisle.'' My dad greeted him, as the vampire moved around him and stood facing me. A pulse of power tickled down my spine as we stared at each other. Sizing each other up. I certainly was not backing down. There was some tingling in the back of my eyes followed by the slight tilt of his head. He looked fascinated for a second, before blinking and catching Charlie's eye.

I blinked myself, forcing it to recede again. Thanks to the close proximity, I could still see him even with my powers shut down. His form seemed different from the other Cullen's. Not by much, but the shade of silver was somewhat darker. Like it had lost some of it's luster. Maybe that's just what happens when vampires get older.

''I'll take it from here, Jackie.'' He said softly, holding his hand forward to receive the clipboard from her. She acquiesced and left without a word. He did mutter a quiet thank-you after her, which caused her to speed up her exit. Weird.

Then out came the small flashlight. Time check for mental damage I see.

Holding up one finger, he told me to follow it, while intermittently shining the light into my eye. Then the other. I felt somewhat humiliated, even though I understood it was literally his job forcing him to do this. That and a healthy dose of curiosity, I'd wager.

''I would say that you might experience some mild PTSD, but your vitals look good, and you hardly seem phased by it from what I heard. I think you'll be fine, Isabella.'' He stated with a warm smile, and for a brief second I could imagine him doting on his five kids with the very same one.

''Just Bella. And if you don't mind my asking, is Rosalie okay?'' His smile grew even brighter at her mention. It was Charlie who responded quickest to the new development.

''Rosalie? Your girl?'' He looked between me and Carlisle in confusion, before the vampire nodded towards him.

''My eldest. I wanted to thank you for that, Bella. Alice told me how you pushed her out of harms way.'' His choice of words were not an accident, and that told me he had a great deal of experience hiding in plain sight. It left me to wonder about their family dynamic. Was he the father, or the leader? Or both?

''Don't mention it. Just trying to make sure everyone gets to walk away.'' I reply, noticing his almost imperceptible nod.

''You pushed her out of the way? You?'' Dad piped up, sounding perturbed. The feeling of indignation quickly turned to humor, remembering how accident-prone I used to be.

''As a matter of fact I did. One would almost think I've inherited that from somewhere.'' I joked, poking him in the side gently. The signature Swan blush made his cheeks turn red as he grinned and laughed, before hugging me tightly. I truly haven't appreciated just how much I love my dad. I felt some pressure at the base of my skull from my powers, but I payed it no mind. I just hugged him harder.

Which was perhaps a bad idea as I heard Charlie grunt from the air escaping his lungs. Note to self, be extremely careful with humans when powered up.

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Charlie dropped me back off at school just before lunch, to his chagrin. It was cute and all, but being away from school meant I would have to do more homework to catch up later. And if there was one thing I hated more than being at school, it was doing homework.

Class wasn't out just yet, so after I had put my backpack away in my locker, I had the lunchroom almost to myself. The kind lady behind the counter even let me buy food early. She did frown at just how much food I had stacked on my plate though.

Trying to reflect on the paternal figure of this coven I was quickly becoming networked with, I came to the conclusion that there was a greater likelihood of them actually being 'vegetarian' than not. Charlie had bragged about how much better the hospital had gotten after the good doctor had started working there. Cases of chronic illnesses that hadn't been diagnosed before his tenure and the like. Supernatural senses must really be great when applied to medicine, which must be difficult when the subjects were the main source of sustenance for his kind.

Part of me really wanted to get to know him, if only to learn how he managed to overcome this at the same time as studying to become a doctor at his relatively young age.

After wolfing down several sandwiches, followed by a few slices of pizza and a chocolate bar, the bell rang. The sound of kids celebrating lunchtime down the hall grated on my already frizzled nerves.

I did find some joy in the smile on Alice's face as she entered my senses from behind. Not wanting this little fox to try anymore funny business, at least for today, I waved behind me to tell her I knew of her arrival. The pixie didn't act surprised at all, as she skipped her way over to my table. The positively massive form of one Emmett Cullen following quickly behind her did set off some alarms in my head. There were no subconscious flare-up this time.

I turned sideways to greet them as they sat down beside me with a tentative hello. Alice was beaming like there were no tomorrow right next to me, tapping on the table rapidly, as if waiting for a queue before speaking. Emmett however, had a look of seriousness about him, looking towards the table and fiddling with his hands. In response to the coming conversation, I took off my shades and placed them on the neck of my t-shirt.

''We haven't been properly introduced yet, so I guess I better start with that. Hello, I'm Emmett Cullen.'' His entire being seemed uncomfortable as he formulated his thoughts. From how he'd seemed the other day when I had spoken to them, it occurred to me that he very rarely put on a serious front. This guy had laughed boisterously when I had been serious, talking about my disregard for the rest of the human population.

And as such, this was probably hard for him, to an almost complete stranger no less. So I reached out my right hand towards him with only a smile. He looked down to the appendage, before looking up to me, trying to discern my intentions. A second passed, although it felt like much longer. Then he grasped my hand gingerly in his massive paw. To let him know I wasn't that fragile, I let a flare of power surge into my arm, grasping his hand tightly and taking charge of the shake.

''Hello Emmett Cullen. I'm Isabella Swan, although I prefer Bella. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance.'' The look on his face was comical as he stared down at my hand forcibly shaking his up and down. It quickly turned to a challenging smile as he put some pressure in turn. I couldn't stop the wince as he slowly crushed my hand, and he stopped as soon as he noticed.

''Sorry, I'm easily excited. Or so I'm told.'' He apologized with a genuine smile, letting go of my hand and folding his back on top of the table.

''It's okay, I started it anyway. So was there something on your mind Emmett?'' I asked him, rubbing my sore hand.

''What am I here? Yesterdays trash?'' Alice asked with a petulant whine, having crossed her arms in front of her when we had paid her no attention. The image of a small child being refused candy crossed my mind, which made the next quip impossible for me to resist.

''Quiet dear, the grown-ups are talking.'' With a pat on top of her head with my good hand for good measure. Being a vampire, with the ability to see the future no less, she could have easily stopped me, but she did not. And with how she smiled from ear to ear as Emmett roared in laughter, I think I learned something important about her as a person.

People around us in the cafeteria turned around to see what the fuss was about, which set me off into a bout of laughter as well, with Alice following soon after with polite chuckles. It took the better part of a minute for me and Emmett to stop laughing.

''Thanks. I really needed that.'' Emmett said quietly as the usual hum of the cafeteria resumed. Sitting up straight in his chair, he turned towards me, staring straight into my eyes. ''Listen, I don't know how much you know about us, but the thing is, Rosalie is my mate.'' I blinked a few times in confusion, to which he paused briefly for me to be able to catch up. Mate. What a... primal, way to put it. And it felt like there was something more to it from his inflection. Like it was a cosmological constant or something. A fact that would never change.

''Alice could properly explain it to you when you have some more time, but for now, I just wanted to thank you. She called me after she left and told me happened. What almost happened. She probably won't tell you in so many words, but you saved her from her darker impulses. And for that, you have my eternal gratitude.'' I could tell from the look in his eyes that he was dead serious. The nervous swallow was probably not missed by the two other supers at the table, but they said nothing of it.

A flashback of the look on Rosalie's face as I pushed her away from Tyler's van crossed my mind. It was nothing short of feral, yet in the moment it had barely registered. Thinking back on it now though, I was questioning how I had the nerve to be so physical in the moment. And I had nearly slapped her for gods sake. What the fuck was I thinking!?

''Hey, are you okay?'' Alice asked quietly, placing a hand on my shoulder. To which I instinctually pulled away. The surprised look on both Alice and Emmett's face gave me an inclination to what my own must be like right now. Like a dam in the back of my mind, I felt on the precipice of going full cloak right then and there in the cafeteria.

The quiet voice in the back of my mind telling me this would lead to isolation and misery was the only thing stopping the raging voice screaming to avoid the danger. The fact that Alice slowly pulled her hand back and scooted closer to Emmett helped ease the pressure slightly.

''Do you want us to leave?'' She couldn't hide the hurt in her voice as she asked the question she already knew the answer to. I closed my eyes, finally remembering how my eyes must be blazing right now, and my shades weren't hiding them. I stayed as still as I could, fearing any movement would open the floodgates. A second in silence, and Alice took charge and slowly stood up, motioning for Emmett to do the same. Being very careful to not make and sudden moves, they stepped directly away from me, and headed for the exit to the outside.

The voice urging me to flee quieted as they left the range of my senses, letting me focus on the other voice. Feeling the premise of ruining everything for myself right here and now, a defiant voice grew. I won't let them. I won't let them make me loose control.

Breathing slowly, in through my nose and out through my mouth, I counted to thirty. My raging heart slowed down considerably, as did my mind. My powers were locked away again, but they seemed raw, closer to the surface than usual. Opening my eyes again, I put my shades back on, and turned to look around in the cafeteria. No eyes were fixed in my direction, though some heads did turn as I scanned the room. Jessica waved at me as she saw me looking in her direction.

Damn, I hope she didn't see Alice and Emmett leave me like that. It didn't seem like she had any idea from the smile on her face, but I didn't trust her not to try to deceive me. Angela I was more sure of, but she probably hadn't seen anything, with her sitting with her back towards my table.

A beep in my pocket caught my interest. Getting it out and unlocking it, I could see that it was Alice that had texted me.

'Are you okay?' My mind stumbled, trying to recollect what had just happened. We had been having fun before I freaked.

'Yeah. Sorry for getting all weird.' The text went back to Alice. I would find a better way to explain, but first I had to figure it out myself.

'Can we come back in to talk about it?' She replied within seconds. She must be really anxious to solve this issue. I wonder what she's seeing in the future. Focusing on a plan of action, I tried to will myself to make it reality, so it would be easier for Alice to see.

'I think I'll need some time to settle. Calm my mind. Actually, would it be terribly selfish of me to ask if you could tell Edward to skip bio?' I didn't know if any supers would settle with me right now. I was coping with the humans still milling about in the cafeteria well enough, so maybe the routine of classes could help.

'I'm sure he would love an excuse to skip. Can I at least see you in the parking lot before you leave for the weekend?' I was torn by her request. She had told me she didn't make friends often. From my reaction to her touch, it would be somewhat logical to assume it had something to do with her. A frightened mind makes terrible conclusions.

'I think I'd need some more time than that. You know where I live, so how about you come over tomorrow?' I hit send and immediately started texting again, this time to soothe her worry. 'Please trust me when I say it wasn't because of you personally. It was just that I recalled the look on your sister's face from this morning, and realized how dangerous you really are. And I completely freaked' Hitting send again, I paused and thought about my reaction. Perhaps a kind of survival instinct, locking away part of my mind for a time to better handle a dangerous situation? Or I was just slowly going insane, which seemed equally, if not more, likely.

'I'm still having a rough time to learn about what I can do, and what it does to me in turn. Please tell Emmett I'm sorry for being so rude after just hearing his proclamation.' A third text sent without a reply from Alice, and it kind of made me nervous. Why was I nervous to hear her response.

It felt like time dragged on as I looked at my phone, placed on the table in front of me. The sounds of the cafeteria picked up volume, probably from the fact that most of the kids had finished eating. I was contemplating getting up to put my tray away when I finally heard the beep and saw the screen light up.

'Okay, But you owe me a shopping trip now, just so you know. And Emmett said not to worry.' A feeling of dread went down my spine as I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to survive that in the near future. The imp on a shopping spree was probably going to be as dangerous as Rosalie.

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Edward didn't show up for class, something I'd have to remember to thank him for later. Not that he was all that friendly, nevertheless I appreciated it. Getting to double down on some schoolwork, feeling a sense of normalcy for at least an hour, really helped my mind calm down. It felt strange as I left my bio class. I wanted more.

To be able to go back to being the same old ignorant Bella, facing life without a clue what was out there. The simplicity of it was seducing.

It actually took some effort to keep myself from fantasizing about it as I started running laps in gym. The hand was dealt, and these were my cards. To be abnormal and prone to panic attacks.

I wonder what Rosalie thought this morning. How she interpreted the shit that went down. Would she feel abhorred by her actions? From what I gathered through the words of the rest of her family, it was a rare thing to end up in a situation like that. The fact that nothing that could not be undone happened should alleviate any guilt, surely.

The more important question was nagging me though. Why did she not attack me. Every fiber of her being must have been screaming at her to rip my throat out, for denying her the price that was present.

It never left me again, for the whole gym period. That one question. Why didn't she.

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The sound of Charlie's cruiser coming to a stop outside brought a smile to my face as I just finished setting the table. Checking the timer for the casserole still in the oven, I figured there was enough time for some chitchat. Also called interrogation by some.

''Hey dad!'' I called out as I stepped out of the kitchen. He was just hanging up his belt before he turned to me with a smile.

''Hey there Bells. Have a good day at school?'' He didn't seem at all concerned with what happened this morning anymore, so I would hazard a guess that his day had gone smoothly after that.

''Yeah, it was okay.'' I didn't want to bother him about the little panic attack. It wouldn't benefit anyone. ''Dinner is just about ready, I made tuna casserole.'' Watching Charlie's upper lip twitch had me smiling again, but he seemed to accept it.

''Sounds wonderful. Just let me get changed.'' He walked over to me and pulled me in for a hug. ''I'm so glad you're okay, kid.'' He whispered, placing a kiss on top of my head. It occurred to me that he wasn't over it. But then again, what parent would be.

As he let me go, and started walking up the stairs, I called after him. ''Won't get rid of me that easily dad.''

''Better not.'' He said solemnly, before shutting his door.

I had hoped to get to ask him a few questions before dinner. Not that it mattered much, I could just ask him while we ate.

I took the casserole out of the oven and placed it on top of the stove to cool down. Then I pulled the salad I had prepared earlier out of the fridge and placed it on the table. Charlie was really taking a long time to change. That or my impatience just made it seem like it.

Tapping my fingers on the table to the rhythm of another ear-worm I'd recently started listening to. I waited. And waited. And got bored. Even more bored. Seriously, how much time does he need!? I was almost tempted to power up slightly, if only to see what he was doing, but thought better of it. I know I wouldn't like the breach of privacy if our roles were reversed.

To occupy my time I pulled up my phone and started going through my messages. There were no new ones unfortunately, but Alice's name did catch my attention. So I opened the log, reading back through the conversation we had had earlier.

I really hope Edward didn't take offense to asking him to ditch. He seemed like an okay-enough guy to hang out with. It was just bad phrasing and or timing that mucked up what could have been a great start to a friendship.

Which when I thought about it, was really common for me even back at my old school. My mind would make connections that was seemingly way off-topic for others. Thus they would end up not bothering with me. Only a few ever tried. Even fewer succeeded.

That was something that I seemed to have in common with Alice, which was something I actually found endearing about her. And she's even keeping secrets for me, even though her family were unsure of my intentions. I guess they still are, seeing as I've not even spoken with all of them present. That should probably change soon.

I started typing a text to her as Charlie started coming down the stairs, so I quickly put it back in my pocket. Then I wanted to facepalm as I reasoned that Charlie wouldn't think anything of it. Even if he did, what was he going to do, wrestle it out of my hands? That train of thought didn't go anywhere productive so I just forgot about it, and got up to get the main dish.

''Mmmh, that smells good!'' Charlie announced as he walked in, moving to sit just as I had placed the casserole on the table. ''Even looks edible. Are you sure you learned to cook from your mother?'' The teasing smirk was evident on his face even with my back turned.

I put the rags down near the sink as I turned around to him. ''Are you implying you teaching me would be any better?'' The smirk turned into a chuckle as I took a seat.

''Now that's just being cruel, Bells.'' He replied with little gusto, his focus turned to the food rather than the taunt. Big scoops of goop were tossed onto his plate without care for any spills. His new shirt got a few new stains not even 5 minutes in.

''Do remember some of the green stuff too, dad.'' I chided him, which he just ignored as he started digging in to his food. I put some on my own plate and tasted it as well, finding that the dish had indeed been a success. Then I put some salad on my plate, before pushing the bowl towards Charlie. He just moved his plate to one side to avoid it like a child would. I've never seen Charlie so... obsessed, with food. It disturbed be so much that I actually found myself checking his aura to make sure he was still all human.

There was no abnormalities, so whatever caused this was probably not related to anything supernatural. I decided to just let it go, and proceeded to appease my abnormally big appetite. There was no way to get a word out of Charlie with the way he was stuffing his face.

And then he went ahead and refilled his plate, having finished the first batch. This was actually making me nervous.

''Dad? Are you okay?'' I asked quietly, trying to make eye contact. His chocolate brown eyes met my own, with some pasta stuck to his beard. I scratched over my lip to give him a hint, which he picked up fast and plucked it out, only to stuff it in his mouth.

''Yeah, I'm good Bells. Why?'' I could tell he was anxious to return to his food.

''You're stuffing your face like you haven't seen food for a week.'' I pointed out, trying to not sound to judgmental.

''I didn't get to have lunch today. There was this chase on the 101 after a car that had been stolen. He made it all the way to New London before we could stop him.'' Charlie sounded really excited as he spoke, so I guess there wasn't usually much action in his job up here. One could almost mistake it as a form of gratitude that something had gone down for once.

''Did anyone get hurt?'' I could guess the answer, but it never hurts to play dumb. He just shook his head as he dove back into his food. I played around with my food for a few seconds, trying to figure a way to lead into the questions I actually wanted to ask, but found none. Straight forward it was.

''Dad, how well do you know the Cullen's?'' This time he put his fork down and drank some water before replying.

''What do you mean Bells? Like how familiar I am with them?'' He was eyeing me suspiciously, folding his hands together and resting his chin upon them. I just nodded for him to continue. ''Well I know they are good people. Carlisle has been a blessing at the hospital. His wife Esme does interior decorating pro bono, often for those less fortunate. And their kids never gets into trouble, and are very well behaved as far as I hear. Why do you ask?'' He studies my face as he speaks, as if trying to discern the reason for my questions.

And I don't really have a good way to explain why I'm asking. It's not like I can go; hey, well I found out they're all vampires, and I'm thinking of joining the band! Thinking about it, does the myth of vampires turning humans come from more ancient times, or is that more recent? If they could, would it work on me? Would I want it to?

I had to toss those thoughts aside for now, Charlie was still waiting for an answer.

''Well... I've sort of started to become friends with them...'' I lead on, trying to find a way to navigate this without arousing suspicion. How could I say I was concerned with their lifestyle choices without outing them as vampires? And besides, it wasn't like they wouldn't try to keep a charade up that they were good guys, if they did in fact eat people.

The futility of even asking this became clear to me. I couldn't trust the Cullen's, or anyone else, when it came to their intentions. If they were lying and deceiving everyone, there would be no way for me to tell. I would have to trust my gut. And my desperation for someone to talk to about what was happening to me would affect even that.

A leap of faith. It was the only choice I could see. The only way to move forward.

''...And you're concerned about the rumors?'' Dad added, trying to understand where my train of thought was going. Not that it was correct, but it was a lifeline to get out of this conversation without anymore suspicion from the chief of police.

''Yeah. The other kids that has opened up to me seems to have some distaste for them. And it feels like I would have to chose one group over the other.'' Charlie huffs, relaxing his pose and grabbing his fork again.

''I've heard the rumors down at the station. That some of the kids are together, right?'' I nod at his question, waiting for him to carry on. ''They are just rumors. And if your other friends can't accept that you want to get to know them because of rumors, I don't think they're worth your time.'' He spoke with an almost angry tone, before starting to shovel more food into his mouth.

As I returned to my food again, I couldn't help a smile from forming on my lips. Alice and the others had never confirmed they were together explicitly, even though I believe they are. But that was probably the most insignificant secret they had. It was also nice to see dad come to their defense for being discriminated against because of a rumor. He never could stand injustice.

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Having finished my extra homework from being gone from school this morning, I got my coat and headed downstairs. Charlie was snoring on the couch, with the TV running a string of commercials. I almost laughed, seeing his belt opened after he had been complaining earlier about eating too much.

Checking to see if I had everything, I quietly made my way out the door. It was already dark outside, the sun having set hours ago. Getting into my car, I hoped that the sound of the engine starting wouldn't wake Charlie. Would the sound of the beast roaring to life wake the man in a food-coma? It was a risk I had to take.

Backing up onto the road, I drove through town and headed north towards lake Pleasant. I seemed to have a faint recollection of a secluded swing set on the northern edge. It would be a nice place to think, if it was even there.

The ear-worm that had gotten stuck in my head started playing again, which my phone identified as Tove Lo- Stay high. I put my phone to repeat the song for the rest of the twenty minute trip.

I didn't really know where to go when I came to the lake, so I headed up a service road and parked at the end, opting to go on foot for the rest of the way. The trek through the woods was arduous, and took almost more time than the ride here, but I made it. Thankfully I didn't have to contend with the cold due to my powers.

A pair of rusty swings stood close to the water in what could barely be called a clearing. There were no roads to this place, and looking closer, I couldn't really remember ever being here. I was perplexed as to who, or even how someone had managed to get a swing set in here. But I paid it little mind.

Sitting down on one of the two swings, I started gently rocking back and forth.

It was nice to see that spring was on the horizon, with the lake already freed of ice. There was barely a ripple to it's surface, as it reflected the stars in the cloudless night.

I couldn't stop my mind from jumping through several mental simulations of what my next choice would entail. There were no way back anymore. Not really. I had already come to the conclusion that it wasn't something I could live with.

So I had to take a leap of faith. Trust that a bunch of vampires wasn't trying to trick me for some nefarious scheme. Or just for the hell of it.

Taking out my phone, I flipped through the contacts and found Alice's name. And there it was again. The anticipation. In the dead of night, it was completely deafening.

Hitting call, I put the phone up to my ear, and before the first ring, her melodious voice was filling my mind.

''Hello.'' Her voice was quiet, although in the silence I was seated, it didn't feel like it. Snapping out of my daze, I registered how quick she was to answer the phone.

''Hi.'' I started, trying to think of what to say. ''I'm sorry.'' It was a good a place to start as any. What does one say after freaking out like that.

''I understand Bella. Do you feel better now?'' The concern sounded true. If it were a lie, she was too good at it for me to tell.

''Yeah. You knew I was going to call didn't you?'' Damn imp with her visions. How could one ever really surprise that family when they had visions of the future and a mind-reader.

''You've been deciding to call, then decide not to, on and on for almost an hour. It's kind of hard not to wait with the phone in my hands after that.'' Alice sounded annoyed, yet I felt like it didn't really bother her.

''Sorry. I'm not giving you more headaches am I?'' The chime of her laughter on the other side is a brief, but welcome treat.

''Stop apologizing Bella, and get to what you want to say.'' Being bombarded with the same vision over and over again must really grate on her nerves it seems.

''Okay. So do you see where I am?'' Can't just roll over for her either, gotta give her some challenge.

''You're on a swing next to lake Pleasant. I know the place.'' Alice assured me.

''Damn. That's just... wow. So yeah, tomorrow. Could we meet here? At eight AM?'' Stumbling through my words at the shock, I prepared to drop the bombshell that I hoped she hadn't seen.

''Yeah I could meet you there. Are you sure you won't have an incident again?'' Alice asked quietly. I didn't know I wouldn't. But I knew I had to try to get up on the horse again as soon as possible.

''It'll be fine. And Alice. If she wants to, could you bring Rosalie?''

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AN: So yes, Bella is kinda fucked in the head. I hope this does not come as a surprise to anyone. Two steps forwards, one step back. I feel like I've heard that somewhere. XD

Please let me know what you think! ;)