I'm sorry this took so long. I finished Lamb Wolf, but I need to review it. My brain has been stuck on this story, in a "what am I DOING" kind of way. I hope this is a good interim chapter.

Alice whipped through the trees. Excitement lit up her face, twigs tore at her clothes, and small animals froze in terror. She couldn't contain herself. Edward and Carlisle were going to be so relieved. A vision came to Alice. She leapt up into a defensive position in a nearby tree and watched it unfold.

"Alice, how could you do that? You don't know the danger you're in. You don't know what you've done. I have to leave." Bella stumbled around her house, grabbing items and whistling for Charlie.

Alice stayed in the tree a moment longer, wondering what had made her vision come to be. She pulled her phone out of her pocket before it rang. When it did, she answered. "Hello?" A tense voice asked.

"Yes."

Bella exhaled heavily. "Oh, thank goodness, I caught you. I know what I just told you is," Bella paused, "exciting. I shouldn't have told you. I was so amazed, so in awe. I know you want to tell your family, but you can't. This is my secret to tell."

"Right," Alice responded, her excitement disappearing. "If I told them, what would you do?"

"Um, if you told them right now? I'd have to leave just to keep you all safe."

Alice took a deep breath. The idea of Bella leaving brought a heavy pain to Alice like she'd lost a close friend. Weird. "Okay. Will you explain why?" A long pause met Alice's ears. "Bella?"

"Yes."

"Soon?"

"No."

Alice huffed. "Fine. I won't tell them yet." Alice hung up her phone without saying goodbye. It rang again. "Yes?"

"That was rude," Alice growled quietly, but it seemed Bella heard it. She laughed. "Goodbye, Little Cullen."

"Goodbye, Swan." Bella laughed as Alice hung up again. She sat on the tree branch and swung her legs in the wind.

"Are you going to come down here, or do I need to go up there and get you?" A beautiful voice demanded impatiently.

"Hello to you too, sister."

"Don't sister me, you little pest." Rosalie leaned on the tree and shook it so Alice had to grip the branch below her. "Are you going to explain to me what happened tonight?"

"Nope." Alice jumped down and started walking toward their home.

"No?" Rosalie scoffed. "Are you serious?"

"Yep!" Alice's smile ruined her attempt at being serious. Rosalie caught Alice and hefted her little sister over her shoulder. She turned around and started marching in the opposite direction. "What are you doing?"

"We're going to talk to Bella. She likes me. She'll tell me what you talked about." Rosalie laughed, and Alice could feel the sound coming from beneath her.

"Rosalie, put me down."

Rosalie dropped Alice bodily onto the ground. "Okay." Rosalie folded her arms and stared into the distance. Alice jumped up, glaring at her sister. "So, should I go talk to Bella alone? She's cute." Rosalie cupped her chin and seemed to be thinking. "Emmett has never been bothered by sharing me, and I do like excitement."

Alice stomped away from Rosalie in the direction of the Cullen home again, a growl emanating from her chest. "Whatever makes you happy."

Rosalie rolled her eyes and chased down her sister. "What's got you so grumpy, sunshine?" Rose finally eyed her sister and caught one of her frayed sleeves. "Oh, not your Dior. That must be what has you so grumpy." Alice stopped and glared at her sister.

"I'm not grumpy. Do whatever you like." Alice continued on towards the Cullen home.

Rosalie sped up, joining Alice and hooking her arm through the smaller girls. "Okay, if I can't make her my plaything, can you at least tell me why?"

Alice looked up as the house came into view. "I just don't want you to."

"And why don't you want me to?"

Alice sighed heavily. Rosalie pulled her to a stop and waited with her arms crossed. "When I think about you with her- with her with her- I get this gross feeling right here." Alice put a fist over her stomach. "It's this gross pit."

Rosalie laughed and threw her arm around Alice, pulling her towards the house. "That's jealousy sweetie. You're jealous."

"It's gross!"

Rosalie laughed again. She pulled Alice to her and kissed her forehead. "You're adorably annoying. Come on. Let's go home. Who knows what trouble Edward and Jasper have gotten into." Rosalie threw Alice back over her shoulder and carried her into their home. She threw Alice onto the couch without ceremony before taking Emmett's hand.

"Well, I never!" Alice yelled from where Rosalie left her. Alice immediately began reciting the full text of The Bible in her head.

Edward came down the stairs slowly with Jasper behind him. "You went to see her?" He asked Alice cautiously.

"I did," Alice responded from her place on the couch.

"That is..." Edward paused before he continued, "Cool. That's cool." Jasper ran a calming hand down Edward's back. Edward leaned into Jasper's touch, accepting the calming waves coming his way. Jasper gently rubbed his husband's shoulders. "Does she seem dangerous?" Edward asked calmly, eyes closed as he controlled his emotions.

"No, brother, I don't think so." Alice continued staring at the ceiling. Edward listened as she mentally moved her way through Genesis.

"Okay, I hope you had a good day." Jasper smiled behind Edward, who seemed happy with that answer. The boys went out into the yard and Alice breathed a sigh of relief. She finally let the day replay in her mind. Bella is a goddess. No kidding, Alice's mind said back to her. She covered her face as she thought about Bella's role in her kind's history. It dominated her mind for most of the night.

Bella rolled out of bed in the morning, tentatively ready for high school. No one had shown up at her door in the night, so she assumed Alice had kept her secret. Realistically, Bella knew she should have moved away in the middle of the night. She should have taken Charlie and disappeared while no one expected it. Instead, she had exposed herself to the world and everything in it. Something about Alice told her to stay. She hoped her instincts weren't wrong. Bella slowly packed her backpack, got dressed, and let Charlie out. She propped the door open for him in case he wanted to wander back in during the day. Bella pulled her bow down from where it hung by her front door. She gave it a few test pulls before hanging it back up by the front door. If all went well today, she would go out and spend some time hunting. Bella took a deep breath, walked over to her truck, and threw her backpack into the passenger seat. Here goes nothing.

Bella hopped out of her truck in the school parking lot. "Bella!" Angela called out. "What happened last night?" When Angela got close enough Bella threw an arm over her shoulder.

"Well you see, Weber, I ran into little Cullen! We wandered around and she ended up giving me a ride home." Bella reached around Angela with her free hand and took Angela's stack of books. Angela let her with a small smile.

"I'm just glad you're safe. There was a violent crime in town!" Angela looked up at Bella. "Several grown men were murdered in cold blood. The only one left said they were attacked by some angry she-devil."

"Weber, that sounds like a bunch of nonsense."

Angela nodded as she and Bella walked to the school. "I know, but there were still dead men in the street."

Bella looked beyond Angela to the silver Volvo and the red BMW. They all seemed preoccupied with their own conversations to look over. Bella knew they were listening. "That's crazy. I have no idea what happened, but I'm really happy you are Stanley are safe."

Angela smiled as they reached the door. Bella dropped her arm from around Angela's shoulder, so she could hold the door open for them. "You're such a gentleman," Bella smirked at Angela. "You know Bella, I'm beginning to wonder if you know our first names."

"Oh, I do, I just like last names better. They tell a story."

"What story?"

Bella followed Angela to her locker, then handed over the stack of books she'd been carrying. "Last names tell a bit about who you are, and where you're from. You can usually track your last name through an interesting history. Helps see your nature versus your nurture."

Angela just looked at Bella for a moment before turning back to her locker. So what does Swan represent?"

"Purity. Dreams. Balance." Bella leaned against the lockers. "Motherhood."

Angela nodded. "You're a strange bird, Bella."

Bella laughed. "No, I'm a Swan."

The day dragged on for Bella. She listened to her classmates discussing the crime in Port Angeles.

"I hear they were chasing down a chick."

"I hear they deserved it."

"The survivor said that one woman killed all his friends."

The school buzzed with such a violent crime so close to home. The city of forks saw an occasional disappearance, but that was expected in a forest town where hikers came to vacation. This level of violence was unheard of. At the lunch table, Bella sat sideways on her chair, leaning against Angela while skimming through her Biology textbook. She hadn't done her homework, but she also didn't really need to. Her friends continued their morbid fascination with crime and murder.

"Do you think they'll tire of this soon?" Angela asked Bella quietly.

"I think it will take them a few days, but eventually." Bella more felt than saw Angela's eye roll. "Cheer up, Weber."

"How about you, Bella?" Mike asked, pulling Bella's attention to him.

"What? I wasn't listening." Bella didn't turn to look at Mike, but he knew she was listening.

"The fall dance is coming up next week. You have a date?"

Bella finally turned to face Mike. She put her elbows on the table. "Nope, didn't even know there was a dance coming up."

"Want to go with me?" Mike asked.

The entire table went silent as everyone looked at Bella and waited for her answer. Bella hesitated a moment too long, and Lauren cut in with a scoff. "Come on Mike, look at her. She looks like she'd rather go with Angela."

"Why yes, I would rather go with Weber," Bella drawled while clenching and unclenching her fist and glaring at Lauren. "Oh, dear Mallory, the tartness of thou face could sour ripe grapes." Angela laughed so hard that most of the cafeteria turned to look at their table. Lauren's mouth dropped open. Bella doubted she'd gotten the insult, but her face flared red just the same.

"Fuck you, Swan." Lauren left her tray behind and stormed out of the cafeteria. Jess tried to wipe the smile from her face, and then dutifully followed her friend from the cafeteria. Jess gave a subtle thumbs up before the door swung closed behind her.

"Sorry, Mike, but I don't think I'm going to the dance. I appreciate your invite though." Mike blushed red, nodded, then turned to hurriedly begin a conversation with Tyler.

Bella couldn't be sure, but she thought someone at the Cullen table was laughing. It sounded like Rosalie.

"So, what was that about?" Edward murmured as their Bio class began.

"Good afternoon, Masen, how are you?"

Edward looked taken aback. "I am well. How are you?"

"I am also well. The weather is nice, no bears charged me today. Things are great." Bella laughed, "I'm sorry, did you have a question?"

"Yes, Bella, why must you always make a spectacle of yourself?"

"A spectacle, whatever do you mean?"

"The Mallory girl is popular. Why go after her?" He furrowed his brow as he whispered.

"I don't know if you noticed," Bella responded, voice low, "but she went after me."

Edward nodded as he eyed Bella. "I don't understand you."

"Get in line, Masen, most people don't."

"No, I mean, I understand being mean to Lauren Mallory. She is quite rude. But Shakespeare?"

"Well," Bella shrugged, "I thought about calling her a lubberwort."

Edward laughed into his hand. He turned it into a poorly disguised cough. "Sorry," he waved a hand at the teacher that was trying to glare at him. At the end of the class, Edward paused to hold the door open for Bella. She counted that as a win.

"You'll never get anywhere I can't find you." He groaned on the ground. "It may take time. It may take until the end of the earth. But I will find you, and I will make you pay.

She shot an extra arrow into him, so deep it was pinning him to the ground. "You will look. You will look forever. I've had enough of your tyranny. Your insanity. You're off your rocker."

"Your brothers. Your sisters. They will never rest until they find you."

She laughed. "The only one crazy enough to search forever is you," She glared at him, "Dad."

Sorry for the delay, guys. More Bellice to come!

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