Part 3

Bella was now 16, going on 17 and had decided to go and live with her father to let her mother travel with her new husband. The decision hadn't been easy to make. She hated the rain and the cold weather in Forks and she was afraid that, by leaving, whoever was leaving her books and was watching over her, would stay here. She had been afraid of losing that but she decided to suck it up, be brave, and do this for her mother's happiness.

As she packed, she decided to leave behind a letter for the person who had left her all these gifts over time. It had mainly been books but she had also received, for her 9th birthday, a pendant that she had never taken off ever since that day, mainly because it was the same one as the one the man who saved her life when she was 8 had been wearing.

The books she had received were all on Viking history, culture and religion. One of them was handwritten, a journal and she grew to believe that this journal belonged to the man who gave her these gifts and had saved her life.

"Dear gardian angel, or whoever you are,

Are you the one who saved my life from the car back when I was 8 years old? I think that you are.

I'm thankful for all the gifts you've given me over the years and even though I don't know who or what you are, I trust you and you've become a friend over the years. This letter is not only to thank you for everything but also to tell you that I'm leaving. I'm moving in with my father, in Forks, to let my mother travel with Phil. I don't know when I'll come back here, but I hope that one day, you'll trust me enough to let me see you again.

I remember you as a giant, but I was very young and not very tall either. I do remember seeing the kindness in your eyes.

I wanted to write you this letter a long time ago and almost did a few dozen times but I feared that once I wrote it, your gifts and visits would stop, so I delayed it. Now that I'm leaving, I've decided it was time to leave you a letter.

Am I wrong to think you are that man who saved my life? Are you a Viking? Is this why you left me all these books? What does the pendant mean?

I feel like I have a thousand questions for you but I've read enough books to know that they won't find an answer right away, but when the time is right.

I do hope I'll see you one day,

Your friend,

Bella Swan."

Reading the letter over to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything, Bella folded it and left it in evidence on her desk, in an enveloppe addressed to her "gardian angel". She wished she could take everything he had ever given her with her to Forks but on the plane, the space was limited so she took the minimum and placed the rest in a box, hoping her mother would ship it to her eventually.

However, the next morning, when Bella woke up, the box was gone and so was the letter. Her first thought was to check around her neck and she smiled when she noticed that the pendant was still there. Where her letter had been, she found a small note:

"My dear Bella,

You'll see me soon enough, don't worry.

I'll make sure the box waits for you in Forks. I know you don't like the cold or the rain, but trust me on this, you'll get used to it, maybe even grow to love it.

You're a smart young woman, you've had a lot of right guesses already about who I am.

Some people nickname me 'the Bear'. That's how I was dressed the first time we met, when a little princess placed a plastic tiara on my head, thus fulfilling a prophecy she didn't know existed.

The pendant simply means that you're protected by my family and I. That you're one of us. Never take it off.

Stay safe, you won't be alone,

Your Bear."

Bella smiled as she read over the letter and decided to take it with her. She folded it and placed it in her wallet. She was surprised to find her wallet ticker than it was supposed to be. The previous night, she only had a 20 dollar bill in it, that she had earned by babysitting the neighbor's kids. She took it all out and counted 7 twenty dollar bills and 4 ten dollar bills. A lot more than she was supposed to have, she had never had so much money before. On the top bill, she saw a post-it:

"Bella,

You never know what will happen, you might need it. Please don't be offended, it makes me happy to give it to you, even though I know that you hate it when people spend money on you. You deserve it, you deserve it all.

Your Bear"

Bella smiled once more and placed the money back where it was supposed to be. She hated when people spent money on her but, coming from this person, she couldn't be mad, she liked that he, whoever he was, gave her things and thought about her. She couldn't wait to meet him.

.

True to herself, Bella had a book with her on the plane, one of her favorite classics and she was so engrossed in the book that she didn't notice the 5 people sitting a few rows behind her. If she had, she would have seen the man who saved her life, her elementary school librarian and her Middle school librarian sitting there. She would have understood a lot but Rollo didn't worry, she'd see him soon enough. Now, in the middle of an airplane, wasn't the right moment.

Now, their priority was to go and settle with Bjorn and Torvi in their house. Bjorn and his wife had started school there at the beginning of the year, along with the Cullen's and he had made sure that Bella would always have him or Torvi in her classes. As much as he loved Carlisle for being his old friend's descendent, he didn't trust some of his adopted children, especially Edward, who thought himself better than everyone else because of his gift, or Jasper, who had a poor control because of his gift.

.

Later, after her father picked her up and they stopped to get something to eat at a local restaurant he loved, once Bella was getting ready to finally settle in her new bedroom, she smiled when she saw a box already waiting for her between the bed and the window. It was the box her Bear had taken from her bedroom in Phoenix. Dropping her suitcases, she rushed to the box to open it and sort through this first, before she even took her clothes out. There was another journal in the box, written in the same handwriting as the first one and Bella was sure that she'd learn moreabout her bear in it. On top of it, a post-it asked her to wait a few weeks before she opened it. She didn't like having to wait but decided to do as she was told.

She looked around her bedroom and also noticed that, on her bed, a few viking runes had been engraved, meant to cast protection upon her. It made her smile as she touched them with the tip of her fingers. It was beautiful.

Thinking back on the letter he had left her, she opened the window and looked outside. It was dark, night had already fallen, and the clouds hinted that it would rain soon.

"I hope you were right about me growing to like this place." Bella whispered to no one in particular, thinking of her Bear, her gardian angel.

Once she was done sorting through everything, Bella went to wish her father a good night and she went to bed, already thinking about having to go to school the next day. Thankfully, her father had gotten her an old truck that she'd be able to use to drive herself to school. At least she didn't have to walk or go in her father's cruiser.

The next morning, Bella smiled when she saw, on her nightstand, a folded piece of paper that hadn't been there the previous evening. He had come into her bedroom while she was sleeping once more, he had traveled with her, followed her there. She could have found it creepy, and, coming from anyone else, she probably would have but coming from this one, she liked it. It made her feel safe, protected.

"Bella,

I know that you're dreading this first day, don't worry, you won't be alone. While I'm too old to join you in school, I have friends and family that will be there, watching over you. I'm sure you're smart enough to recognize them. They'll never lie to you, neither will I. If you recognize them and ask them who they are, they'll answer.

Have a good day, stay safe.

Your Bear."

Bella couldn't help the bright smile that grew on her face, already her day would be that much better. She went in the bathroom, got cleaned and dressed, ate her breakfast with her father and left for school after exchanging good day wishes and promising to call him if she needed anything.

.

As soon as she arrived in school, Bella went to get her schedule and soon realized that everyone knew about her and was excited to meet her. She was the shiny new toy and she hated it. Already she missed her old high school where it was so easy to blend in and be invisible.

At the end of her first day, she had made a few friends, gotten a boy named Edward Cullen to hate her for no reasons and she had a good guess as to who her Bear's friends were. A girl who had her locker right next to hers and was in a few of her classes named Torvi and her boyfriend, who happened to share a few classes with her as well and was named Bjorn, both had pendents similar to the one hidden under her shirt. Bjorn also wore an ancient looking bracelet, resembling the arm rings she had read about in the books.

She liked them, they were nice enough and Bjorn had saved her from Mike's overbearing attention during PE, which was always a plus.

.

"Hurgh! I hate this! Why do we have to take PE every year here, it's so unfair! I hate sport, I have zero coordination and I'm going to end up spending all my time at the nurse' office." Bella complained as she changed back into her normal clothes after her last period of the last day of her second week there.

"Don't worry, Bjorn and I will make sure you don't get hurt." Torvi told her kindly.

"Thanks, but I hate that other people have to be contently on the look out for me. I'm a walking talking danger magnet." She whispered back.

"It's not a trouble at all, trust me. And you're no such thing." The blond replied.

"Because of Him, right? The necklace you and Bjorn wear... I've seen it before..." Bella asked, deciding to be brave.

"He said you were smart." Torvi nodded as they walked out of the room and joined Bjorn outside.

"When will I meet him?" Bella asked.

"Soon." Bjorn replied with a smile.

"Who is he to you?" Bella asked them.

"He's my uncle." Bjorn replied honestly.

"Hey, I've seen you talk with Emmett Cullen, do you know their family well?" Bella asked, knowing she wouldn't hear more about her Bear right now, she decided to try and change the subject.

"Kind of. We're closer to their father, Carlisle, but we know the rest of them well enough. Emmett and Rosalie are nice enough. Why?" Bjorn asked, surprised at her question.

"Edward, he seemed to hate me when he first met me, in biology class and I don't know what I did to deserve that. I don't like not knowing, especially since I don't feel like I did anything worthy of being hated." Bella explained.

"Don't worry, it will be explained to you soon enough. He's actually the reason why you haven't met my uncle yet. He has a little temper issue and my uncle is helping him get it under control to make sure that you're safe."

"I wish I could know why your uncle cares so much about my safety. Was he the one who saved me when I was 8?" She asked them.

"You will know soon enough, don't worry." Torvi told her kindly.

"Yes, it was him. Don't worry, he hasn't gotten any older." Bjorn reassured her.

"I figured he wasn't completely human what with his ability to get into my room without breaking anything. Can you tell me what you all are?" She asked.

They had reached her truck by now.

"I can tell you that my entire family is the same as he is, that we're all very old and that the Cullen family is the same as us." Bjorn replied cryptically.

"I... I have a friend who lives on La Push. His father is my father's best friend, and last week-end we were invited there for dinner. Jacob told me a story..." Bella started.

"Jacob Black?" Torvi asked and Bella nodded.

"We know his family well." Bjorn added.

"That's what he told me, yes. He told me of one of their legends as well. A legends that concern your family and the Cullen's." Bella stopped there and looked at their faces.

"We figured you'd find out this way, yes." Torvi smiled.

"So it's true then? You're all... You're all vampires?" Bella asked in a small voice, making sure that nobody could hear what she was saying.

"Yes, we are but don't worry, we won't hurt you." Bjorn assured her.

"I know, I trust you. If you wanted me dead, you'd have done it a while back." Bella smiled.

"About that, the pendant my uncle gave you, you shouldn't hide it. If you ever cross another vampire, this necklace will save you, it will show that you belong with us, that you're a member of our coven. It could save your life. Other coven fear us and with this pendant, they'd know that hurting you would be lethal to them." Bjorn warned Bella, as he took the necklace out from under her shirt.

"I will." Bella nodded.

"Now you should go home, I'm sure you have a lot to do. We'll see you Monday." The Vikings told her and she nodded, waved goodbye and got into her truck, her head full of thoughts and questions.

So, what did you think of this one? Edward comes back next chapter. You'll learn where he's been and with whom.

Review please?

Lorelei Candice Black