I'm back with another chapter!

I have finished my first year of college! Can you believe it? One whole year done! I think I've done fairly well.

Reviewers:

M - He certainly would have. He has insecurities of his own and especially a physical bond that T is not strong enough to ignore definitely grates of his nerves. (I love making him suffer, sorry!)

GraceEllingson - How are you? I know right, my zeal to make a horribly written character made me pair her with probably the most stable guy ever but he has stuff to handle of his own too. At least she got to go to college and live her life! Stay tuned for what happens to Bephen!

Varsini C P - Don't be too sad. They will still be alive and safe ;) Yes, Alec can be very...intimidating. He is just so sure of T that he will wait for her forever if he has to. I don't know if T will ever go to become Voltaire's Queen but eh! We'll see. I wanna project Alec as the dude who never lets up but by gosh he is my baby and I just...*heartbreak*He Deserves LOVE!

The wood of the stairs slapped against my bare feet as I rushed down late for breakfast.

If I could have I would've stayed in bed for a few more hours but the groaning Charlie let out sounded too suspicious for me to fully ignore.

"Charlie," I swung myself into the kitchen to see him freeze over the stove, a metal spoon held in his hand as he slowly peered at me.

"Hello," he mumbled as I quickly walked over, to inspect his steamed red face.

"What were you doing?" I asked in alarm as the smell of burning food met my nostrils and I looked into the pot to see what looked like fancy spaghetti.

I pursed my lips as I turned off the stove and removed the hot pot from the burner. Removing the mittens, I looked at my guardian, eyebrows raised.

Charlie met my gaze impishly, rubbing his neck.

"Alice and Esme dropped off some of that in case I ran out of groceries and didn't have time to make a run." He explained.

I waited.

"I didn't want to make you make breakfast after a trip so I thought I'd do It." he sighed.

I turned to look at the packet of noodles and picked it up. "You over boiled it. Do you have more, or do you want to eat something else?" I asked easily.

Charlie looked confused for a split second. "You're not going to scold me or anything? I could've burned the house down." He said.

I snorted. "You're the chief of police. I doubt you'd get into too much trouble." I held up the packets in question and he pointed to similar pasta.

Charlie grumbled under his breath, watching me take over, dip the pasta into a fresh pot and begin to stir in the taste maker while pulling out a pan to make a cheesy sauce.

"You should…read the instructions when you cook something you're not familiar with. I can't always be there to save you." I winked at him and watched him sigh.

I was keeping it light but truth be told if what I was planning came to pass Charlie would need to fend for himself for a while.

"I know. So, did you pick a college? Maybe that Italian one," he prompted but I just shrugged.

"Not happening; it's too far away and I don't want to be bothered."

"Hmm, where is your boyfriend going anyway?" He asked.

Jesus, what was with people and Edward?

"He's looking at options."

"Careful there, you don't want to be too picky and then get left behind while Edward moves to a fancy school." He warned.

I suppressed my scoff at that as I signaled for him to get plates.

He fluffed my hair as he moved past, making me smile, relishing in the homely atmosphere.

The Forks Library was one of the least busy people in the town, unsurprisingly.

It wasn't stocked all that much and the town was too small to need such a library anyway but it was a fixture nobody dared or bother touch, having been there since the town's conception.

The scarf I'd wound around my face barely did anything to hide it. I'd deliberately chosen one of the thinnest one I owned, not wanting to swelter in the humidity but the air conditioners were on and the chill provided some respite.

I glanced over the empty space, wondering if Sorenson had picked this place for the peace of his mind. He was certainly much less busy than at Forks High.

Near the back of the library, I found the circulation desk, spying him stacking a few books, scanning them slowly and placing them into piles.

My feet moved briskly in his direction, fingers tugging the scarf down when I reached him.

"Professor,"

Sorenson sighed, hands still busy and eyes downcast, not bothering to look up at me.

I waited.

"What do you want now? I have already done all I can do to help you. I have nothing else to give you."

"As far as you know that is," I mumbled.

He paused.

"Are you going to have your lover threaten me again? Because we'll just be wasting time,"

"Of course not, and I don't need my…lover, to threaten people for me."

He laughed out at that, his voice rickety, shaking a little with nerves.

"No, I don't suppose so. You do a fair job on your own."

I crossed my arms, hoping that he would let out a few more bits and pieces for me but he just shook his head.

"I am being honest, my dear. I have nothing for you. I can only wish you well for whatever plan you have brewing behind those eyes of yours. This life…this secret of the universe has ruined me. I won't let it suck me out wholly."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I frowned.

He stopped scanning, finally placing the last book in its pile.

"It means I'm leaving Forks. For good," he said.

I froze, simply looking at him.

He nodded grimly at the look on my face.

"I came here to forget a part of my life and all it has given me is a whole lot more involvement than I wanted. It also led me to the fact that the woman I married, whom I loved is a raging psychopath. I won't blame you, but you will have to do this on your own." He slid the stacks of piles into a small book trolley and gave me a parting nod.

"I wish you well, Miss Mukherjee. That is all I can offer you now." He said, slowly wheeling himself away.

Edward and his family were heading out for their latest hunting trip and if anything, that had only given me much more incentive to tie up loose threads.

To spend as much time with the people I had come to love so dearly and fiercely…

I had arrived at the Cullen estate just as they were heading out, planning to head out to the reservation and meeting Jacob and the pack.

Leaving the truck – which Bella had happily left to me, keychain and all – I jumped down to the wet grass just as I saw the family leave the door, Alice squealing as she saw me coming.

I didn't even have to leave my spot, arms wrapping themselves around me within a breath of a second.

"You're here." Edward sighed and I forced myself to not melt into him.

It would only make him late to leave and come back even later.

"We can have a go at our girl, later people! Give them some space," Emmett hollered at everyone and Esme quickly agreed, ushering her children and husband to the cars as I shot them a grateful look over Edward's shoulder.

I quickly backed away, pushing Edward away a good distance.

"I just wanted to see you before you left. Now go, have fun and come back quickly to me," I whispered with a smile.

Edward looked shell shocked for a second before smirking, grabbing my wrist to pull me closer to him.

"Not even a kiss?"

"I'm leaving that for later."

He frowned.

"What for, exactly, my love?"

I grinned.

"Incentive to come back faster,"

Edward tilted his head back to groan aloud to the heavens before dropping it back to my neck, hunching over a good bit because of our heights.

"I'll be back so fast you won't have time to miss me…just like I missed you while you were gone."

His arms tightened around me for a second more before he was hauling me into the truck, shutting the door with a slam and with a wink, he was gone.

As agreed, I was well onto my way to La Push, passing the familiar highways and trees, my eyes drifting outside to a too familiar turning in the road and my mind turned to static.

Slowly pulling over to one side, I parked, eyeing the base of the large pine.

Slashes ran into the wood, feral and deep, indicating everything Victoria had stood for…once.

I got out, making sure to lock the truck even though I was pretty sure I was alone. You could never be too sure.

Walking to the fallen tree I sat down on it, training my eyes in the direction where I'd taken off.

A few feet from there were the highest cliff in Forks, a fall high enough to kill.

Yet, I was alive.

I still remembered the numbness in my fingers from the wind, the weightlessness of falling, the shock of having nothing to hold on to before the black depths of the sea engulfed me.

I closed my eyes, trying to control my breathing.

There was no use getting anxious over a pile of dust and ash.

Edward had killed her, her and Riley, there was nothing waiting in these green foliage to want to hurt me.

There were no red eyes that haunted my dreams, no flashes of red hair in my periphery to make me whirl about in panic.

Nothing of Victoria remained…

Just like nothing of Emily would remain…

Feeling unnerved from the unprecedented thought, I stood up too fast, entering the toasty cab of the truck and driving towards Jacob's house again, pretending as if my eyes didn't seek out the fallen tree in the rearview mirror.

Billy's weather beaten face lightening up as I got off the truck was the first thing I saw when I parked.

"Tulika," he crowed as I rushed up the wooden steps to hug him around the shoulders.

"Billy, hey, it's been so long!" I giggled.

"It has, Charlie told me about you heading to Bella's. How's Renee and her new husband?" he asked.

"They are well enough; Phil is going to head out for a tour soon again. Renee's…happy. So is Bella," I smiled in reminiscence as Billy squeezed my hand.

"That's what matters in the end, doesn't it? Happiness," he said softly and I nodded, turning a sheepish grin at him.

He trained a thoughtful look on me for a while before nodding towards the garage.

"Kid's in there. I'll ready a bit something for you to eat. It's a wonder he didn't hear you come in." he said before wheeling himself inside.

Jacob had a spanner in his mouth as he laid his over six feet length under his rabbit, tinkering. The foot of his left leg bobbed every few minutes and I poked it with the toe of my shoe to grab his attention.

There was a pause before Jacob Black was crawling out from under the car, a large board on wheels supporting him.

He blinked in the light up at me before grinning broadly, pulling away his headphones.

"T!" He lumbered over, sweaty arms lifting for a hug and I eyed the bands of pure muscle, horror on my face. He paused, looking down to see his greased arms before huffing.

"Fine, get inside, I'll shower." He said.

It took a full hour for Jacob to get properly clean as I handed Billy gossip over their small square dinner table over a plate of fried fish sandwiches.

He came in pulling a fresh T-Shirt over his head before settling into his own chair, taking up a sandwich.

"So, Emily said yes, you were saying?" I prompted and Billy nodded.

"It's the first wedding we've had in a while now. Sam's parents are thrilled." He said.

"Wow, Emily Uley; that just, it's so wow." I sighed.

"Don't get too moon eyed over it. Sam said they will just head to Vegas for a quick ceremony. Emily agreed." Jacob said, sourly chewing his food.

"Oh god, don't tell me you went all decorator on them." I gasped.

"No…I was just helping the Clearwater's." Jacob said.

"Please, son, you have an inner wedding planner just bursting out of the closet." Billy teased.

Jacob's ears went red at that and he ducked his head down while I roared with laughter.

It had been so while since I'd laughed in a good while and the way Jacob mumbled "you're the worst" just made me wonder how long it would be till I would get to experience it again.

Even I slowly lost the smile and picked up another sandwich, I didn't think much of the careful look Billy had on me.

Anybody putting theories together?

I tried to give a better perspective of T's mental state in this chapter so I focused on her...emotional observation than just the way she perceives situations.

Also, hint hint, this is Charlie and the Pack's last appearance for now. Up until the climax, let's say goodbye to them.

I kept Edward's scene short because...well, spoilers!

Please Review!