A/N: A quick thank you to everyone who added this story in their alerts and/or added it to their favorite list. It truly means a lot to me.

I know- I know, I had said I will update over the weekend, but I could not wait. Anyway, here's chapter 3….

Chapter 3-

Bella's POV-

I shut my eyes tight, willing my brain to accept that this was all a big- fat nightmare, waking me up back in my motel room. Shit scared, but still alive.

What had I been thinking?

Why had I even ignored my instincts?

I never did that.

I never went against my instincts- this had been the very first time, and look what happened there!

More importantly, what were these people?

They were not human- I had already known that, but they were….I don't know- cannibals- savages…..whatever they were, they were dangerous indeed.

Why hadn't I done as my gut had told me to?

I had wanted to run.

I had wanted to escape.

I had known that that was the correct thing to do.

But no, I had to be a rational adult about this, worrying about my job and repercussion that running out would have on it.

Fat good that line of thinking had done for me!

I sighed. What good is it to cry over spilt milk?

The damage had been done- and my life was the price to pay for it.

They- the very mysterious they- were killing the human. I had understood that much in the few brief seconds that my eyesight had got to analyze the situation. They were biting them, near the jugular, probably tearing their flesh out….

So….maybe….they were cannibals!

Huh.

Had Charlie known that his wife was…is….a cannibal?

Did he…erm….support her in her practices?

Yuck!

I quickly erased that stray thought from my mind.

It was disgusting.

I really needed to bleach my mind.

Anyhow, this was it.

I was dying.

I had understood this reality the minute that Demetri had pounced over me.

I was food, more specifically, his food.

It had all been mere seconds since, seconds that felt like long hours.

His freezing cold hands were roaming all over me- why were they even so cold- teasing me, before he granted me the sweet relief of death.

I shuddered, my eyes refusing to open.

I did not want to see this.

I was better off not seeing this.

If this was to be my moment of death, I did not want this last memory in my mind.

I wanted to treasure the happy memories.

I didn't have many, but I did have a few.

Going out for dinner with my friends and drinking and laughing the night away…..

Listening to Renee as she attempted to tell me a bedtime story, her eyes shining with love, no matter how pathetic her storytelling skills were…..

Dinner with Charlie in the diner…before the mayhem named Tanya entered his life…..

Traveling a new city or town and experiencing the meaning of the word freedom…..

I sighed internally.

I had had so many dreams yet to fulfill.

I wanted to achieve something in life.

I did want to get married…maybe, have a family?

I wanted to travel the world- seeing every place there was out there to see.

Alas, some dreams never get fulfilled…

Oh. Why had I not listened to my instincts?

I should have known better than to ignore it.

I was briefly aware that Demetri's mouth had now toured towards my neck, his sharp teeth touching over my soft skin. I took a deep breath in, not willing to let go.

I was scared. I was nervous. I was hyperaware of everything around me.

His teeth were about to break into my skin, letting another shudder pass through me when…..

Nothing….absolutely nothing happened.

I was heavily confused here.

He was about to bite me. I was sure of that.

Why hadn't he bitten me then?

Not that I wasn't happy about that sudden development, but still, I was curious to know why the change in plans.

I touched my neck, slowly, afraid of what I would find.

There was nothing there.

My hands roamed my skin over and over again, dreading to find something, but there was absolutely nothing lying on my untarnished skin.

I gave out a sigh of relief.

He had stopped.

He had miraculously stopped.

I almost let out a laugh in my newfound relief, before concluding that it was high time I opened my eyes and checked of why such a reaction had occurred.

My eyes were still tightly shut, though I was aware that there was pin drop silence now in the room.

Eerily silent- if you ask me….

I slowly forced my eyes to co-operate, opening them slightly, surprised to see a wall standing in front of me, protecting me from anything that dared to come my way.

Oh. No wait.

This was no wall.

This was that man….Marcus, my brain reminded me.

Damn. He was certainly built huge.

So fucking muscular….

Can I touch his abs, or was it too soon for that?

Snap out of it, Bella!

I looked around me- dead bodies all around me. I was the only survivor, it seemed.

The others had been brutally murdered, as I had expected them to be.

Huh. How was I thinking about this so nonchalantly…almost as if it were no big deal?

Maybe I was still in shock.

It would make sense if I were, you know.

Why was I the only survivor?

Why had I been let go?

Why had Marcus saved me?

It was obvious. He was not letting any of the others come any close to me, growling like an angered animal at anyone who dared to take one step ahead.

Why though?

"Master Marcus," Demetri sighed. "I was not aware that you had your eyes on the human. I would never have dared to approach her, otherwise. It is just that you generally never show interest….."

Marcus growled louder at him, crouching down- ready to attack the man in front of him.

"Brother," Aro spoke up in a pacifying tone, a question evident on his face. "Is everything okay? You seem frazzled. I have never seen you like this….not since…." he trailed off, a confused glance all that was spoken ahead.

Marcus simply chose to ignore him and all the others that were now surrounding us, turning to look at me.

His eyes- pitch black that they were- were filled with warmth and surprisingly, love.

I had never seen such love shining in anyone's eyes before.

It was terrifying.

Why did it feel like he cared immensely about me?

His hands came to touch my arms, caressing them softly as he ran them up and down.

His skin was cold, too, like Demetri's, but it did not even register in my mind.

All that registered was the sudden relief that my heart felt when he touched me.

It was normal.

It was natural.

I knew his touch.

I recognized it.

I knew the feel of his hands like I knew the back of my own.

He had touched me before.

He had caressed me before.

He had loved me before.

I shuddered at that last thought.

I did not even know the man.

He was a stranger to me…and yet was so very familiar.

How was any of this possible?

His hands came to touch over my cheeks, softly assessing whether I was alright or not, before cupping them in his hands lightly….so very lightly…..so very lovingly…..

I could see the ultimate relief glowing in his eyes.

A burden had left his shoulders today.

The darkness of his life had now, finally, been replaced by light.

It had been a long wait, indeed.

A tear fell down my eyes, surprising me.

I was crying.

I didn't even know why I was crying.

The moment just felt so monumental….so correct….so perfect….so longed for….

It was scary.

My heart knew that this was what was supposed to happen.

Immense happiness and relief filled every pore of mine, leaving me puzzled.

Why was I feeling like this?

I did not even know him.

I did not know anything about him, apart from his name that was.

How could I feel so much for a relative stranger in such less amount of time?

His long fingers came to wipe my tears away, touching every inch of my face, almost as if he were registering every small curve of my face, never to forget it again.

I leaned into his touch.

It felt like home.

It felt like the relief of dreams finally coming true.

It felt like happiness.

It felt like completeness.

I did not even know this man….yet I knew him so very well.

My heart knew him.

My instincts knew him.

I was not afraid of him.

I had nothing to be afraid of.

I trusted him…with my life.

It was a scary thought.

Marcus sighed heavily, looking around us briefly, almost as if it had suddenly struck him that we were not alone.

"Not here," he finally muttered, his eyes asking for permission.

Permission for what, I don't know, but I granted it to him nonetheless.

I trusted him. I had nothing to fear when he was around.

I knew this.

I was sure of this…surer than I had been of anything before.

He quickly pulled me towards him, softly picking me up in his arms and running out of the door.

I shut my eyes- afraid that I would feel sick if I kept them open.

The speed at which he was running was inhuman- we had already concluded that fact, but still, somehow, I knew I was safe with him.

He would not hurt me- human or not.

His touch was enough to spread current filled tingles through me, a sigh leaving my lips involuntarily. I leaned into him, not willing to keep any distance between us.

A part of me felt extremely stupid, for a lack of a better word.

I was making a complete fool of myself.

I did not know him.

How could I even think of trusting him?

He was one of 'them'?

I should have been running away from him, trying to keep as much distance as possible between us. Why then did I feel complete only when he was around?

I had never felt like this before.

Why weren't my instincts shouting at me, begging me to find the closest exit?

On the contrary, it felt perfectly normal to be in his arms.

I had done this before.

I don't know how or when, but I had done this before.

I had been in his arms before.

I recognized the touch.

It was bizarre.

Marcus finally put me down, my eyes opening and noticing a barren bedroom in front of me. There was absolutely nothing in here- not even a bed, just a simple couch and a dresser in the corner.

It was almost sad.

I turned to look at Marcus, a question in my eyes.

He sighed, shaking his head. "After you, I had no will to live, il mio amore. I have just been dragging on since centuries. I wanted to join you, but Aro never let me. Of course, I am glad for that fact now." He gave out a small laugh, the sound surprising to both of our ears. I had a feeling that he didn't laugh very often.

"Oh, my Didyme," he caressed my face with his hands, his hands cold yet so tender. "How long have you kept me waiting? I have missed you so much. How could you leave me alone like this? You were my life. You are my life. I could never forget you…."

I interrupted him, tears freely flowing down my eyes now.

I don't even know why I was crying.

It was all too much for me.

Marcus was just confused.

I was not Didyme.

I would have envied her though.

It was apparent of how much Marcus loved her.

She was a lucky woman.

"I am sorry," I stated. "You are mistaking me for someone else. My name is Bella…Bella Swan…"

He shook his head instantly. "You don't remember?"

I shook my head in response.

Was I supposed to remember something?

My heart knew what it knew, but my brain was still in the dark, confused by all this that was happening around me.

He sighed. "I recognized you the minute I looked up in the throne room. I only wish I had paid more attention to my surroundings. Anyway, I could see the bond between us- as strong as it had been. I can see your soul. You are her. You are my Didyme, come back to earth for me."

I pushed him away. I needed to think.

I could not think clearly when he was this close to me, his eyes distracting me with the love they held for his partner.

I was not her.

I truly wish I was, but I was not.

He was mistaking me for someone else.

"I am not her." I repeated, softly. "I have never even met you before…."

Why did that feel like a lie?

It was the truth.

Wasn't it?

He gave me a small, sad smile. "You have; we have spent centuries with one another. I wish you would just remember."

"What are you talking about?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "Centuries….souls…bonds…."

I was just so confused.

Was he immortal?

No.

That was not possible.

No one was immortal.

Wasn't that the very cycle of life?

Birth and death…

What did he mean by 'centuries' then?

"What are you?" I finally asked, being bold enough to sit on the only couch in the room, with him leaning by the dresser.

"Don't you remember?" he shrugged.

"I wouldn't be asking you if I did!" I shouted, sighing heavily. It was not fair to him that I was losing my cool. It had been a long day indeed.

"I am sorry…" I went to add before he cut me off.

"I am yours, and will remain yours, if you let me."

I opened my mouth to tell him that that line was immensely cheesy and sort of cringe worthy…before my mouth shut on its own accord.

I had heard that line before.

I knew this.

Pictures suddenly invaded my mind, a conversation beginning to make it known.

I had witnessed all of this before.

How but?

'What are you? Why do you keep following me?' a young woman in her early twenties with waist length black hair- spoke, her attire reminding me of the millennia's gone by, her image clear in my head for me to see and take notice of.

'I am yours, and will remain yours, if you let me,' the same Marcus that was in front of me replied, looking the exact same as he did now.

It was impossible.

'Don't try to charm me with your words.' The woman warned. 'My brother is waiting for me back at home. Don't mistake me for being without a family.'

Marcus smiled at her. 'I have no family. I would gladly accept yours as mine, if you let me.'

'What do you want from me?' the woman questioned, her eyes not trusting him even a bit.

Marcus took her hand in his, softly caressing it. 'Your love- that is all I will ever want.'

.

.

.

The shaking of my shoulders brought me back to the world of reality, Marcus staring at me in puzzlement.

"What happened? You seemed to be in another world."

He looked extremely worried as he stated this, the concern for me heavy in his eyes.

I shrugged at him. "I felt like I was in another world. I remember stuff…." I trailed off, waving my hands crazily in air.

I was going insane, it seemed.

"What do you want from me?" I repeated the line of that woman from my awake- dream. It just…somehow made sense.

Marcus smiled, almost as if remembered exactly what I was referring to, taking my hand in his. "Your love- that is all I will ever want."

I roughly pulled my hand away, turning away from him. "I remember this. I don't know how, but I do. I can't explain it. I saw you and a woman- you were telling her this…."

"Shh," he silenced my rambling, cupping my cheek in his hands as he turned me slightly so that I was facing him. "That was you. That woman was you. Those were your memories. I know it sounds bizarre, but reincarnation, is what this is called. I knew it the minute I saw you. You are my Didyme, her soul reincarnated in yours."

"That is bullshit." I shouted at him.

Was it, really?

"Reincarnation? What are you even talking about? That is storybook stuff. It is not real."

Reincarnation was not real. Everyone knew that. It was just stories made by the curious mind, for the sake of pleasure and to boost imagination.

He sighed. "You would not remember any of it. For you, it would seem to be a trick of the mind, but our soul does reincarnate. It travels from body to body, searching for the one we have left behind. I have been trapped here since more than millennia. I wonder how many births your soul must have taken in order to reach to me, dying without achieving that very purpose."

"How old are you?" I blurted out. "Scratch that- What are you?" This was the second time he had spoken of centuries and millennia. He was not a 'normal' human; that much was obvious.

"You know what I am?" his eyes never strayed from mine, begging me to remember.

I shook my head at him, a headache forming to develop.

I rubbed my forehead lightly.

This was all so bizarre.

What parallel universe had I ended up in?

I just wanted to go home….possibly back to Renee's.

She was the least maternal person to exist, but still I craved for her to hold me in her arms and let me cry to my heart's content.

I truly needed it at the moment.

"Didyme…." He started to speak.

"Bella," I cut him off. "My name is Bella."

I don't care what he thought my name was - it was Bella.

I was not her.

I was not his Didyme.

He sighed. "I am sorry- of course, Bella…I…"

'What are you?' another memory invaded my mind- pulling me back to the world that existed in my own damn head, the same woman as before asking Marcus this question, nervousness and fear evident in her eyes.

'I am a creature of the night, referred more commonly to as a vampire. But you need not worry, my Didy, because I would rather walk through fire than let any harm come to you. I promise you of that.'

"Bella, are you okay?" Marcus shook me back to reality, worry and concern evident in his tone.

I shook my head.

No, I was definitely not okay.

I was going crazy.

Sane people did not hallucinate, did they?

I had never seen such flashbacks- if you could even call them that- before today.

Sure, I would get these feelings.

But this was much more serious than that.

I wish I could go back to just having feelings.

That was much simpler than this.

Anyhow, back to what we have learnt- they- Marcus included- were vampires, and not cannibals.

Huh.

Charlie had married a vampire, as was obvious when you put two and two together. Was he even aware of this?

Did she…like….drink his blood?

"Bella," Marcus questioned, his hands softly roaming over mine.

I opened my mouth to tell Marcus this- that no, I was not okay- but no voice left my mouth, blackness suddenly invading my mind, setting itself free in front of my eyes….and then…..nothing…