Today is A Cullen Wannabe's birthday and since she's my beta for this wonderful beta for this and dear friend, I'm posting this week's chapter early for her. Thursday will see AHiNaH post as per the schedule. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 4

Isabella woke to the sound of thudding downstairs. She was momentarily confused until she remembered Argus was in his hutch. She grabbed her robe in case he made a run for the window again. When she got to his cage, he was banging around even though there was a way for him to exit on his own. As soon as she called his name, he ran down the ramp at the entrance and to the window. Instead of jumping out as he had before, he turned to her.

"What, do you want me to follow you?" Isabella asked and Argus twitched his nose and then jumped down.

Isabella grabbed her flashlight and went into her yard. Argus hopped off towards the forest, looking back every few feet to ensure Isabella was still following behind.

Isabella tripped a few times, but kept going, not sure why she was. But in the back of her mind, Alice's words and her dreams were nagging at her. Was this what it all meant?

The farther they traveled into the woods, the darker the night grew around her. Light didn't reach here, so her flashlight was the only way for her to see where she was going.

A small clearing opened up in front of her and Argus was hopping along the far edge of the clearing, but didn't move beyond it. Isabella swept the flashlight beam across the clearing, looking for something. The flashlight flickered, and the hissing and clicking of insects was at a deafening volume.

Isabella dropped the flashlight and the light went out. The sound was amplified by the dark and she began swatting at the air, trying to keep the source of the noise at bay. After a moment of this, there was a flash of light and then Isabella was knocked back.

Argus was at her side, nudging her as she slowly sat up. Her flashlight was once again lit and the beam illuminated a man in torn clothing. The healer in her moved quickly, ready to check for injuries.

As soon as her hand made contact with his bicep, the man's eyes flew open and the moss green of her dreams was staring back at her. He didn't speak, but his eyes darted everywhere. There was no acknowledgement of the fact that he was wearing shorts that more resembled underclothes and his top was cropped, showing off his pale stomach.

"Sir, where are you hurt?" Isabella asked.

His head snapped to meet her eyes and he scrambled up and jumped. He got a few feet off the ground but fell just as fast and hit his head on a rock. Isabella moved quickly, checking for any new injuries but it was hard in the dark. There weren't any gashes or bumps, so Isabella felt better about moving him.

Rolling him onto his back, she pulled him up over her right shoulder and stood. Her flashlight was tucked in her robe's pocket since she couldn't carry this man and point the flashlight, but thankfully, Argus kept her on the right path.

When they broke through the edge of the forest, Isabella managed to open the door to her home and continued to the shop before she laid the man out on her couch. She checked to see that there were no abnormalities to his pupils and a bump still hadn't formed, so she felt comfortable leaving him to sleep. Isabella covered him with a blanket and moved to the oversized chair and curled up.

Both of them slept until morning and Isabella was happy to have woken up before him. She quickly took care of her horses and Argus before she went to make breakfast. She didn't know if her patient would be awake to eat, so she made enough for one and a half people and if she ate a smaller portion, they could manage.

Isabella went out to check on her patient and was happy to find him sitting up, Argus beside him on the couch.

"Oh good, you're awake."

He looked up and a small, lopsided smile graced his face. She approached, setting the tray on the side table.

"I made us both some breakfast, I hope you're feeling hungry." Isabella gave him a bowl of porridge and a cup of tea.

She picked up her own and noticed that he waited until she'd begun to eat before he did. Once he did though, he seemed to enjoy the meal. His lack of speech still worried her, but she wasn't going to push it yet. Once they'd finished eating, Isabella took the plates and sat them on the tray so she could focus on her examination.

Isabella held up her hands in supplication and when the man nodded, she began to check him out. The obvious place to begin was his head, so Isabella looked for any sign of injury both from his fall last night, and from what transpired before she found him.

Isabella was frustrated, not with this man per se, but with his inability to communicate his injuries or ailment. As she checked over the crown of his head, wishing he could speak, she felt the slightest shock, almost like static electricity. Just then the man groaned and slumped against her.

"Shit." Isabella eased him back onto the couch and he seemed to be resting well, so after checking his pulse and breathing, she left him alone. Argus jumped up and curled up in the crook of the man's arm. "That's it, Argus, keep an eye on him."

Isabella went about her routine, checking in on the man who slept cuddling her rabbit on her sofa. A while after her patient fell asleep, there was a knock on her door. She went to open it and was shocked to see a palace servant.

"Miss Swan, the queen sent this with her compliments." Isabella took the box from the young man and thanked him.

Walking into her home with the box, she laughed at how quickly Alice had tapped into things. The box was filled with several outfits for this man as well as some sharp scissors and some manly scented soap. What she was most looking for was a note, and she wasn't disappointed.

Isabella,

You'll have time to figure out everything you need to in regards to your new patient. Don't be afraid to follow your heart and your instincts. They've guided you this far, and I have every faith in you. Marcus would not have chosen you to be his pupil if he didn't see potential in you, and by the end, he knew you would far surpass him. Be patient with this man and you'll understand soon enough why he found his way to you. I'm only a call away.

~A~

Of all the things that confounded and confused Isabella in this message, the last line was the most un-Alice like thing to say. The queen detested the phone, so she only used it when necessary. The fact that she was willing to use it to gain more information on her vision, and keep Isabella from making a trip to the palace was telling. But more than anything, it added to the headache Isabella could feel coming on.

Isabella knew she needed to get ahead of this before it became a problem, so she fixed herself a tincture and downed it. She checked on her patient one last time, leaving him a note saying to come find her if he needed anything, and then went to her room and shut out the daylight to get some sleep, and hopefully, some perspective.