Forwarded To My Future

by Foenix2phorks

Complete. Bella is resigned to living a boring and unfulfilling life until she's old enough to graduate. But that was before fate stepped in. Looking up from her lunch tray, she sees four perfectly sculpted, pale faces - plus a bronze-haired, green eyed boy known for his gentility. He's not like the other boys in Forks. Can he help make her life a little more interesting? AU.

24. Silent Running - On Dangerous Ground

Chapter 24- Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)

March 13, 2005

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I have always enjoyed looking at photographs of the outdoors. Desert canyons, snow covered mountaintops, towering forests, sandy beaches on faraway islands - they all can be breathtakingly beautiful. But I am not cut out for exploring those places. It takes stamina, coordination, and balance. And, of course, I don't have any of those qualities. I knew this about myself years before Edward led me to a picturesque meadow in the Olympic forest. So, when he checks his pocket watch and announces that we need to start hiking back to the car if we hope to get out of the woods before dark, I am more than just a little unenthusiastic. Trudging the first five miles to get here sapped nearly all of my physical energy. Now I have to do it again? In reverse?

I reluctantly extract myself from Edward's arms and allow him to pack up our picnic blanket. I take one last look around the meadow, aware that it will probably be a long time before we come back. Once he heaves the backpack over his shoulders, we leave the grassy oasis and head into the forest gloom. The weak, cloudy daylight barely penetrates through the thick tangle of limbs high above our heads. And it's weirdly quiet, too. Songbirds shun this dark area, preferring the less dense sections of the woods to make their homes. All I hear are our footsteps and the breeze rattling the leaves of the trees. This place reminds me of the Haunted Forest in the movie version of The Wizard Of Oz - all that's missing are a few flying blue monkeys.

Edward sticks close to ensure that I remain upright during our hike. My mind, however, drifts in thought to the night he was unceremoniously dropped here by that swirling vortex. As much of a headache this area of the forest is during the day, he had it much worse. Forced to trek through it at night, he dealt with absolute darkness and rain as he blindly searched for an exit. I honestly don't see how Edward even made it to a place for anyone to find him. If it had been me in his place, I would have sprained an ankle roughly ten minutes in and probably never seen the light of day again.

At least there is no rain to hinder our progress today. That's the only bright side to this journey because it appears that the forest is intentionally trying to make this hard on me. My feet roll around on acorns, trip over exposed tree roots, and fall into hidden holes animals have dug over the years. This place is my personal hell on earth. We've been walking for well over an hour and my entire body aches. And we still have a long way to go before we will get out of this place. However, judging by my throbbing legs, I am not sure if I will make it out of here alive.

The worst part about the hike has to be the dead trees that lay scattered in our path. I admit that the smaller ones aren't difficult to maneuver around, you can usually step right over them. But this is the Olympic Forest. It specializes in humongous trees that soar into the bleak, overcast sky like the skyscrapers in Seattle. When these giant trees tumble to the ground, it takes decades for the microbes to break them down. So, whenever Edward and I come across one of these fallen obstacles, we have no choice but to scale over the trunks like mountaineers attempting to conquer Mount Everest. Of course, he has no problem since he can hop over the dead trees in the manner of a mountain goat. On the other hand, I would need rope, a harness, and a few spare hours to get over them if I were on my own.

We are walking away from our last ascent when Edward glances down at me. Or, to be more precise, he strolls away from the fallen tree as though we are on a sidewalk in a city park while I try not to hobble around like a feeble, ninety year old lady. But that is nearly impossible. If truth be told, my feet are ready to detach.

"Are you tired?" he asks, a touch of concern lacing his tone.

Tired is an understatement. I am exhausted. But Edward doesn't need to know that. He gets around this place just fine. Those legs of his are so long that he can take three steps and he has already covered a quarter of a mile. I don't want him to think that I can't keep up with him. Or, that I am pitifully weak. Even though that is exactly what I am.

Feeling his eyes monitoring me, I try to keep my facial expression neutral when I answer. "No, not really."

He stares with unblinking eyes for a short time. Then he roughly exhales through pursed lips. "Bella," he breathes out. Right as his mouth opens to add something else, an electronic sound interrupts him. After shrugging off the backpack, his hand slips into his jeans pocket and pulls out the cellphone.

While he is distracted with his text message, I use the opportunity to my advantage. I stagger over to a small fallen log and plop down on top of it, using it like a chair. I'm glad I can sit for a bit without having to whine that I need to rest. My legs are in that weird place - somewhere between sore and numb - that lets me know that I will need to soak in a hot bathtub tonight if I hope to ever walk again without the need of a cane.

A couple of minutes into my break, Edward flips his phone closed and his attention wanders over to me. Soon, he zones in on my legs. His eyes remain there for a few beats before refocusing back on my face. Without explanation, his arms rise and stretch out in my direction. But, they are in a strange position. They're not in that I-want-to-hug-you kind of way that he usually does. They aren't spread open far enough.

"Come here," he requests while simultaneously utilizing a deep, burning gaze that normally has me doing what he wants first and asking questions later.

However, this time my body is put into high alert and I freeze, just now becoming aware that I have been absentmindedly rubbing the sore muscles of my leg.

"For what?" I ask, my forehead lowering warily.

"I'm carrying you," he announces.

My mouth smashes together and twists to the side. I didn't mind him helping me walk through this hellhole. But being carried is out of the question.

"You can't carry me," I huff.

"And why not?"

A gigantic sigh blows out from between my lips. Either Edward is intentionally playing dumb just to get on my nerves, or he didn't eat enough at lunch and now his brain cells are malfunctioning.

"How far away are we from the car?" I deadpan.

With his arms still held out towards me, Edward's head cocks to the side to think over my question. "Around two and a half miles, I should think," he responds lightly, as though that distance is nothing.

I laugh at the ridiculous suggestion and shake my head. "There's no way I'm letting you carry me two miles through the woods," I scoff.

Edward's mouth puckers contemplatively. "You didn't complain so much when I carried you from biology to the school office," he points out.

My eyes roll back so hard that it almost hurts. He must not remember that little incident as well as I do. Or he has selective memory syndrome.

"Umm... Yes I did. Besides, how long did that take you? Two minutes? This is completely different," I counter.

Edward's mouth dips into a small frown. He has no defense to that logic. Even he has to admit that toting me through the wilderness like I am a one hundred and fifteen pound newborn is unrealistic.

The fact that I won the argument should make me happy, but it doesn't. Night will be creeping up soon, and I doubt I can move any faster than a tortoise with a limp. Long story short, we are screwed.

While I am spiraling into a depression, Edward speaks again. "Then, how about you climb on my back? It would be less of a strain on me and we could get out of here faster."

The scowl on my face eases up a little. That idea isn't so bad. Being on his back doesn't sound nearly as ridiculous as his first suggestion. If we had only a short way to go, I would probably take him up on the offer. But more than two miles on his back? No way. I can't do that. It would kill him.

My head shakes in the negative. "I'm not going to be the cause of your back going out on you. I'll walk," I respond, folding my arms in my lap.

Silent seconds tick by. Edward says nothing, only observing me from his position ten feet away. Yet, slowly but surely, a mischievous smirk emerges. He abandons the spot he was standing and creeps over to me.

"I see that I'll need to convince you then," he purrs, his demeanor reminding me of a lion on the hunt for game.

I give him the side-eye, immediately suspicious. "What do you mean?"

Taking me by the hand, he coaxes me to stand up and enters my personal space. My eyelids immediately flutter closed to bask in the heavenly scent of his cologne. Warm breaths hit the side of my neck, sending me into a shivering mess. I helplessly lean in for more.

"I really think that you should allow me to carry you," he rasps at my ear.

My lust clouded brain clears enough to realize that this is Edward's new strategy. He is seducing me with the intent to change my mind. And damn him. It's working.

But I don't like to give up. Ever. Especially if I know I am right. So, I try to stay strong.

"And I don't," I reply in a pant, hoping that it isn't too obvious.

In direct retaliation, Edward moves in closer. Placing his mouth directly behind my ear, he trails tiny kisses to drive me crazy up and down my neck.

"But I want to," he murmurs at my throat, nipping at the skin there.

My heart does double time by the onslaught of ways he is getting to me. I never knew that Edward fights dirty.

"You'll tire yourself out. And drop me," I gulp pathetically, employing the lamest excuse my woozy brain can think up at the moment.

His mouth wanders down to my collarbone. Lightly brushing against my skin, his teasing lips feel like a mixture of pleasure and pain. My body is threatening to blackout into a swoon right here in the middle of nowhere.

"I would never," he answers in a whisper, sounding like an angel. But I don't think angels can generate this much heat. Edward has a little devil in him, too.

With my eyes still closed, I feel him back away. I must have been depending on him to support the both of us because the instant he is gone, my knees give out. I plummet straight down to the forest floor. Yet his arms snatch me around the middle before I hit the ground.

Through my hazy vision, I squint up at my rescuer. A pair of sparkling eyes grin down at me. "See? You can't walk on your own. That proves it," he jests.

My gaze sharpens into slits, piercing through the mental fog. All it took was for Edward to bring forth his smart-ass side and that swoon of mine cleared right up.

"That doesn't count, Edward. You did this to me," I emphasize with a glare.

Still smiling, he nods his head a couple of times. "Which just goes to show you that I deserve to be punished. I'm carrying you, and you can complain and taunt me into my ear the entire way, if you like."

My frown gradually relaxes as I stare at this boy. Edward is persistent. And sometimes he takes the chivalry thing a little too far. But, he really doesn't fight fair. When he isn't distracting me with his lips, he uses his charm to win me over to his side.

A laugh bubbles up from me - one that before I met Edward, I was unaware that I could even do. Since I will be riding on his back, I throw the backpack on and adjust it to fit me. He crouches enough where I can easily wrap my arms around his neck. My legs lock around his waist. His hands slip under the back of my thighs to keep me from falling. Once I have all of my limbs securely fastened around him, he rises to his full height and takes a few practice steps to test things out before setting course towards the parking lot.

Despite my reservations, my added weight is not killing him. His steps remain firm and steady, as if having me on his back is no big deal. I rest my chin on his shoulder and relax into him. He was right. Piggybacking is the best scenario after all. Not only are we moving much faster, we get two and a half miles of uninterrupted snuggle time. Could someone please tell me why I fought against this again?

Not long into the trip, I recall that he said I could punish him. But I don't think I can do it. I can't complain about anything because I am honestly enjoying this too much. Riding on his back beats trudging through miles of decomposing forest debris. And taunting him doesn't sound appropriate either. Besides, what would I even say? That he is too polite and chivalrous? That's not an insult, it's a compliment.

Gradually, I come to see that there is something else I would much rather say.

I snuggle closer to him, turning my face for access to his ear. "You're an idiot," I begin in a whisper. My mouth spreads into a smile, imagining what he must be thinking right now. "But I guess I'll have to go on loving you anyway."

Edward's throat vibrates when he chuckles, producing a rich baritone. The hands supporting my legs playfully bounce me up and down. "That is far more than I deserve. But I will gladly take it," he smoothly replies.

I plant a kiss behind his jaw as a reward, producing a nice moan from him. The walking pace he had initially set immediately increases. I hold on tight, vaguely hearing his grunts whenever he has to cross rougher terrain. We arrive at the dirt parking area in under an hour's time - and that's including the two times I had to shimmy off his back so we could climb over a tree blocking our way.

Now that we are free from the dangers of the forest, I drop off Edward's back and slide the backpack from my shoulders. The sky is beginning it's transition to night, the daylight barely seeping through the darkening clouds. In the distance, a solid wall of storm clouds moves over the land. Lightning bolts flash every so often. Seconds later, thunder shakes the ground. Thank goodness we got out of the woods when we did. It looks like there will be rain soon.

Turning away from the show in the sky, I notice Edward standing by the opened trunk, rolling his neck and shoulders on the sly. I am likely the cause of his discomfort. And he never uttered a word to indicate that he was in pain or needed a break from lugging me around. He is a big, gallant idiot. But he's my idiot now.

I march up to him, grab him by the collar of his t-shirt, and tug him down to my level. His eyes briefly enlarge, probably surprised by this bold and demanding Bella that has suddenly arisen before him. But when my mouth greedily moves over his lips, he doesn't complain. We allow the last couple of hours worth of pent-up frustration caused by the long hike to seep into the moment, spurring us on. If it wasn't for the impending storm traveling closer and closer, I have no doubt that we would have enough energy to go on like this for the remainder of the evening.

A warning clap of lightning forces us to separate and we take cover in the Volvo. Edward fires up the engine and drives onto the nearby country road. Within minutes, light rain taps against the roof. As we travel farther, it comes down harder and the wind picks up. Each time a gust blows by, it shakes the car and sends dead leaves into our path. The storm increases in strength. Tree branches land on the road. When the car headlights hit a large object sprawled from one side of the road to the other, Edward slams on the brakes.

"What is it?" I squint. Through the thick curtain of rain, all I can make out is one big blur.

He heaves out a sigh and puts the car in reverse. "A tree is blocking the road. We'll need to take a few back roads in order to get to town now." Before we take off again, he extracts his cellphone and hands it over. "You better call your father and let him know you'll be a little late. Maybe he can send someone to clear the road once the storm passes."

I nod and dial in my number. It takes several rings before anyone picks up.

"Hello?" answers Charlie's familiar gruff voice.

"Hey. It's me. I'm going to be late. The storm knocked down a huge tree and it's blocking the road. We're having to make a detour."

Charlie grunts. "Where is it?" he questions. I give him the name of the road and he scribbles down the information. He then does the usual shtick of telling me to be safe and look for shelter if the storm gets any worse.

I'm ending the call when Edward turns the car onto a dirt road which cuts through the woods. Well, I'm not sure if it can be called a "dirt" road anymore. Thanks to the rainstorm, it's more like a huge mud puddle. Edward grumbles under his breath as we enter the oozing mess. Soon, the car is splattered with hundreds of droplets of mud and muck. When splotches of it land on the windshield and the wipers smear it across the glass, his face glowers at it like he wants to stop and clean it off.

I hold in my smile, biting down on my lips. He really loves this car. It's not surprising really. Even if it's a piece of junk, I've seen some boys lavish their first car with more attention than they give their girlfriends. To be fair, it's a common teenage trait. I think something in our brains changes during puberty and that's why all we can think about is getting our driver's license once we hit our sixteenth birthday. And from what Edward said earlier about his old life in Chicago, it must have been like that for him too. He said that he loved driving back then. I kind of wish that I could see a picture of him in his family's car. Though, I wonder if they even had driver's licenses in 1918?

My face jerks away from the window to stare at Edward. Another question comes out of nowhere. I forget all about the subject of cars and the stormy weather.

"When's your birthday?" I say to him. It floors me that I know the year he was born but never thought to ask for the exact date.

Edward stops giving the windshield a dirty look. He turns his head in my direction, but a frown remains. "June 20th. Though I'm not quite sure what to make of it anymore. I'm obviously not a one hundred and three year old man, so how old should I consider myself?"

"What do you mean?"

He goes back to staring straight ahead, carefully steering around the larger puddles on the dirt road as he clarifies his statement. "Well, I turned seventeen on June 20, 1918. I went into the vortex on September 26 of that year. That would have made me approximately seventeen years and three months old. Now, keep in mind that I've lived in this time for nearly nine months. If I had stayed in my own time for those nine months, I would be turning eighteen very soon." He pauses and glances at me, his strained eyes hinting at how much this subject bothers him. "So, how old am I, Bella? Seventeen or nearly eighteen?"

My forehead furrows at the question. It's like a riddle someone at a Mensa meeting would introduce to confuse all of the other brainiacs in attendance. And I am by no means a genius. But one fact does stick out above the rest. That date sounds awfully familiar.

"I'm not sure how you should view your true age," I start off, speaking slowly. "But June 20 is your birthday either way you look at it. You were born on that day in 1901. And, since you appeared here on the twentieth of June in 2004, you can say that it's your birthday too - just in another way."

Edward glances away from the road. At the same time, his frown slides away and the worried creases around his eyes smooth back out. "A rebirth," he says in a low voice.

My lips curve upwards, pleased that he understood what I was going for. "Exactly."

His perfect posture loosens slightly, giving him a more relaxed look. "And what of you, Miss Swan? When is your birthday?" he wonders.

"September 13."

He unleashes a smile that outshines my own. "That gives me plenty of time to come up with a proper gift for you."

I sit up into attention. I'm suddenly more terrified of him than the bad weather threatening us. After his thousand dollar shopping spree yesterday, I hate to imagine what kind of "gift" he has in mind. But he has another thing coming if he thinks that I will allow him to spend all of his allowance on me.

"Oh, no you don't. No presents," I warn him.

"What?" he asks incredulously.

"I said, no presents," I reiterate, enunciating my words clearly.

His eyebrows and lips pucker out. "And why not?"

"Because I don't need them. Just having you is my gift."

His shoulders droop and he lets out a long sigh. "Bella... Being selfless is a trait that I truly love about you, but I do believe that you are taking it a bit too far. It may make you feel noble for not receiving anything, but take a moment to imagine how I would feel. Would you deprive me?"

"What would I be depriving you of just because you can't buy me anything?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.

"Joy," he replies straight-faced.

I promptly erupt in giggles. God, he's dramatic sometimes. Maybe if the piano thing doesn't very work out for him, he can go into acting. He's certainly talented enough.

"Stop exaggerating," I grin, rolling my eyes.

Edward's face shakes back and forth. "I'm not exaggerating at all. Giving you a little something would-"

A loud ringing trills from the cellphone on my lap. I glance down and see "Alice" flashing across the little screen.

Edward holds his hand out for the phone while eyeing me seriously. "We're not through discussing this," he says.

I smile smugly back when I give him the cellphone. It's cute that he thinks he can sway me to his way of thinking. Too bad that he will be disappointed.

"Hello," he greets into the phone, one hand still on the steering wheel. Only a few seconds into the conversation, he becomes oddly quiet. The carefree expression on his face dies. "But why? Bella is with me. Her father is expecting her home soon," he asks in a rush. Moments later, his face snaps to the right. He gapes at me with huge, fright-filled eyes, causing my blood pressure to rise.

Yet, just as quickly, a hardened expression takes root on his face. His jaw locks, straining the muscles of his neck. All of the playfulness from earlier is gone.

"I understand. We'll wait for him there," he says in a no nonsense tone of voice. He then flips the cellphone shut, tossing it directly on the dashboard.

I moisten my dry lips and swallow before I speak, his distressed energy palpable. "Is there something wrong?" I ask.

Instead of answering right away, the car comes to a stop and reverses. Both hands hastily rotate the steering wheel, turning the car around and pointing us back in the direction we just came from. The car's speed increases but not by much. The blinding rain and muddy road won't allow us to go very fast.

Edward coughs into a hand and peeks over at me. "There's a bit of a complication right now," he answers evasively.

My knee begins shaking from the tension. "And what would that be?"

His mouth pops open and moves hesitantly a few times. "I-um. I'm in a tiny, miniscule amount of trouble, so we need to head up to Neah Bay for a little while."

My eyes bulge in their sockets. Neah Bay is no quick drive. It's at least forty-five minutes away. He may be trying to minimize the situation, but I saw the fear on his face when Alice or whoever it was spoke with him. Something is wrong. Very wrong. Based on what little I know, only one group of people have given Edward any real trouble around here since he came to this time period. And one person in particular appeared very interested in him just last Saturday at the beach.

"What kind of trouble, Edward? Is Sam giving you problems again?" I press.

Without hesitation, he shakes his head. "No. It's nothing to do with him."

My knee stops trembling as a little bit of relief floods through me. Sam is a giant - even compared to someone as huge as Emmett. At least I don't have to worry that Sam is trying to kidnap Edward today.

"Then what is it?" I question, knitting my brow.

His head rocks from side to side again. "I don't want to worry you," he replies, eyes glued to the road once more.

My eyes rotate in their sockets. "Too late. You just told me that you are in trouble. Of course I'm going to worry," I fire back.

His eyelids slam shut for a split second, fingers clutching the steering wheel in a death grip. "I want to tell you, Bella. I really do. But, I'm not sure how to tell you right now without causing more harm than good." The green of his eyes reemerge, gazing back pleadingly. "So, could you please try to just relax for the moment and trust me? I promise to tell you soon."

I observe him, searching for signs of trickery but I see none. I think he is telling the truth when he claims that he wants to tell me what's going on. But since he can't right now, it's really irritating. I lock my arms tightly across my chest and give him a nice glare. If he can't let me in on what's going on yet, he is at least going to know that I am ticked about it.

"Fine. But you need to tell me soon, Edward. I'm at my wits end right now," I huff, pointing my nose in the air.

A sliver of sadness crosses his face, the corners of his mouth tugging downwards. His right hand scoops up mine and holds it tenderly. "I'm sorry about this, Bella. And I will tell you when I can," he promises.

My grudge wears off as rapidly as it arose. I slacken off on my glare and nod my head. Being in a relationship with a boy whose secrets would shake the world comes at a cost, I guess. And that price is receiving the information in dribbles here and there instead of getting it all at once. At least I got some of it today. I should be happy. I'm sure the scientific community would love to hear about just a tenth of what he told me so far. Heck, probably the folks down at the National Enquirer, too. They would have headlines for weeks.

Our ride doesn't get any better. As a matter of fact, it gets worse as the minutes pass. Rain comes down in sheets, appearing as if someone is spraying us down with a fire hydrant's hose. And Edward is stressed out. He drives stiff as a board, his fingers digging into the wheel. Our speed barely hits twenty-five mph. Whenever he attempts to go faster, he can't see ahead of himself. Occasionally, I watch his eyes roaming from side to side, scanning the woodland that surrounds us.

Since I don't know what's going on or what I should be concerned about, my body goes ahead and decides to worry about everything. My hands fidget in my lap, anxiously picking at my short fingernails. I have the urge to stick them into my mouth and chew them all off.

The cellphone makes a shrill sound, cutting through the tension-filled air like a knife. Edward has it snatched up and flipped open before it can finish the first ring.

"Yes?" he barks.

Not five seconds later, our world spins.

An ear-splitting noise accompanies a forceful impact. Like a diesel truck hitting the side of the Volvo, the car jolts off the road. I hear someone screaming. Then I realize it's me. My head wrenches to the side and flies forward. In a moment of awareness, I see that the dashboard is on a collision course with my face. It's hard and unyielding. And I know that this will hurt.

The airbags pop out before my head makes contact with anything, protecting me from injury. A nanosecond later, the car stops moving. Another sound punctures the air. It's loud and grinding - like metal on metal. I scream again, though the airbag muffles the sound. I brace myself for a second impact.

But nothing happens.

"Edward! Are you OK?" I screech.

He makes no reply.

A heavy dose of fear fuels me to shove my face away from the airbag. I'm terrified that I will find him laying unconscious against the steering wheel. I shimmy up straight in my seat and notice a few things right away.

It is eerily quiet. There are no vehicles around that could have crashed into us. Rain and wind are blowing into the interior of the car unhindered, drenching the leather seat and carpet. I first assume that the door popped open during the crash. But I am wrong. There is no longer a driver's side door. It is missing. There is no driver either. Edward's seat sits empty, as though he never existed. And, flapping in the wind, the seatbelt that once held him lies in shreds upon the seat.

"Edward?" I cry out.

I yank off the binding restraints of my own seatbelt and scour the car for signs of him. There is none. All I can find is his phone on the floor in the back of the car - still flipped open from his last call.

Edward is gone.

Tears threaten to fall from my eyes. How can he be here one second and gone the next? People don't just disappear into thin air after a car accident.

My heart lurches and my fingers clench my chest. A horrible realization hits me.

Maybe he was ejected from the car. He could be hurt.

I'm scrambling to climb over the center console and crawl out on his side. A bang on the glass behind my back has me screeching again. My body whips around. Through the passenger side window, I find someone standing there wearing a bright red blouse and coal black slacks. Both items of clothing are soaking wet, as though its wearer has been lounging around outside during the stormy weather instead of seeking shelter. A bright flash of lightning reveals long, golden hair that would make Rapunzel jealous and a pair of glowing yellow eyes.

"R-rosalie?" I sputter through my racing heartbeat.

A pale white hand grabs the door handle and yanks it ajar. My jaw drops confusedly. I stare at the opened door for a passing moment. Didn't Edward engage the automatic locks earlier?

"Get out, Bella," orders Rosalie, her naturally husky timbre shining through.

I rise from my seat cautiously, keeping an eye on her. The pouring rain drowns my clothes and hair almost instantly. But I ignore it. I ignore nearly everything. The screaming wind. The damaged car. Rosalie's magical appearance. The fact that this is the first time this girl has ever spoken to me. None of that matters. There is only one thing on my mind at the moment.

"Rosalie," I pant in desperation, water dripping down my face. The panic surges and my voice grows progressively higher. "I can't find Edward. We were just driving along but something hit us and knocked the car off the road. And now Edward's gone! I've looked everywhere! I think something happened-"

"We need to leave," she interrupts, her amber eyes scanning the landscape. "Right now."

My eyebrows smash together. "We can't! Don't you understand? Edward said he was in trouble! And now he is missing!" I repeat in case she didn't hear me the first time.

Her eyes turn hard and frosty when they land on my face. "I know that," she emphasizes. "And it is being dealt with as we speak. But you, on the other hand, are exposed and in danger. So, close your eyes and don't open them back up until I say. Understood?"

Rosalie is intimidating on any given day. She's supermodel gorgeous even when she should look like a drowned sewer rat (like I do right now). Also, she is kind of scary. Although a lot of the guys at school are in love with her, not a single one has the courage to say anything. Her unfriendly glares and generally hostile attitude keeps most people far away. And she currently is staring daggers at me. I should be trembling in my hiking boots. But I am not. My stubborn streak has kicked into high gear.

"No! I do not 'understand' any of this!" I shoot back, balling up my fists. "Edward said he was in trouble. A few minutes later, we're in a crash - yet I don't see any other vehicles that could have caused it. Then you show up out of the blue with no explanation. None of this makes sense! I want to know what's going on! And I am not leaving until I find him!"

I am met with nothing but the sound of the rain falling from the darkening sky. The wind picks up, blowing Rosalie's blonde hair all around. Her icy gaze turns into pure fire, resembling an angry volcano goddess readying herself to punish the residents of some tropical island.

One moment I am having a staring show-down with Rosalie. The next moment, my feet and head are dangling high above the ground. Confused and thrown off balance, my eyes squint up through the rain to find Rosalie's face less than a foot above me. She glares down, her brows furrowed and lips curled. I come to understand that she holds me in her arms like a baby - in the exact position I had vehemently opposed when Edward offered to carry me through the forest just an hour or so ago.

"Just shut up and close your eyes for a couple of minutes," she commands in a hiss.

I don't have time to ask her why. I don't even get the chance to demand that she put me back down. Because a heartbeat later, I see nothing but a blur.

My eyelids snap open, frozen in place. Air whistles past my face - as if I have stuck my head outside of a military jet while it's traveling at the speed of sound. Nothing except streaks of light fly by, my lightheadedness nearly blinding me. Now I understand why she told me to close my eyes. I wish I had listened.

Rosalie makes no sound to indicate that toting me around is a burden. With movements barely perceptible, her feet glide effortlessly across the land like a figure skater on a frozen pond. I don't even bounce around. Yet, my body shivers and shakes uncontrollably. I am unsure of the exact cause. It might be because the ice cold arms carrying me filter through my clothes, chilling me to the bone. Or, it could be from the knowledge that Rosalie runs faster than a cheetah that has me unnerved.

Unexpectedly, the rain and howling wind die out completely. I find myself standing on my own. I take a step forward. Evidently too dizzy to walk, my feet slide out from underneath me. I wince, sensing myself falling. Instead of having a face-to-face meeting with the ground, however, stone arms deposit me onto something soft and comfortable in less than a second.

Reopening my tightened eyes, I warily survey my new surroundings. I am sitting on a milk white couch. The room that I am in is decorated almost exclusively in shades of white. A few chairs and a couple of couches are bunched into a group. A fancy chandelier hangs from the ceiling, hundreds of clear crystals sparkling in its light. It dawns on me that in less time than it takes to brush and floss my teeth, Rosalie covered at least a dozen miles on foot and brought us to the Cullen residence.

Well, at least I have something new to add to my list of unusual characteristics the Cullens possess...

My head rotates in all directions in search for her but she is nowhere in sight. She vanished the instant after she set me down on the sofa. I am alone in their living room. My arms wrap around my mid-section and I try to hold myself together - though its admittedly hard to do that at the moment. I listen for signs of life within the house, hoping to hear Esme or Alice's cheerful voices telling me that I fell asleep on their couch and that Edward's disappearance was only a horrible nightmare. But the only sounds I hear are my chattering teeth and the drip-drip of water sliding down my body and onto the polished marble floor.

A blanket suddenly envelopes me. I jump with a start and it falls to my lap. I can barely believe that Rosalie stands before me again. Her face is disgruntled but her eyes have softened slightly. They look me up and down, stopping when they come upon my dripping wet shirt. Then, they harden again.

Reaching out lightning fast, she yanks the blanket back up until it covers everything except my head. She takes a step backwards and observes her handiwork. Gold eyes lock back on to my face. "Keep it around your shoulders. Don't let it fall again," she instructs, her voice almost a growl.

All I can manage to do is nod my head once. I hold on to my blanket in a vice-like grip. My rebelliousness from only a few minutes ago is nowhere in sight.

Rosalie turns and saunters away, her hips swaying as her sandaled-feet click across the floor. I notice that her wet clothes have been replaced. She now wears designer jeans and a pink, off-the-shoulder crop top. I guess I shouldn't be shocked that a girl who runs like The Flash can change clothes just as fast.

She stops at the front window and gazes outside at the evening sky. The rain only lightly sprinkles here. It's nothing compared to what came down on us before the car accident.

My breathing intensifies, choking me with a sobering thought. I'm bundled up in a wool blanket while Edward might be laying unconscious somewhere on that deserted dirt road, slowly freezing to death - just like what happened to him almost nine months ago.

But no. That can't be right. I don't believe Rosalie would have grabbed me and left Edward behind to suffer. There are obviously things going on tonight that I don't know about. But Rosalie does. How else would she know exactly where the Volvo went off the road not thirty seconds after the fact?

I gulp down some courage and address the golden-haired girl at the window. "Rosalie? Do you know where Edward is?"

Her body stands like a mannequin, studying the view out of the huge window by Edward's piano.

A few seconds go by.

"No," she answers.

Encouraged by her willingness to talk, I fire out another question. "Is he all right?"

She does not answer this question as quickly as before.

"I don't know."

My heart pounds wildly, threatening to escape the confines of my chest. I had hoped she had information to share. Something to give me a little hope. My body interprets her lack of knowledge as bad news. The room spins dizzily, making me feel as though I hopped back into Rosalie's arms for another breakneck sprint through the countryside.

"Calm down. Put your head between your legs," she orders gruffly, suddenly seizing my head and lowering it. My limp, ragdoll body doesn't fight when she positions me as she directed. "And breathe through your nose," she adds.

A short time passes.

The clouds of hazy gray and black in front of my eyes gradually fades as my breathing reverts to normal. My head lifts up. Rosalie has resumed her vigil by the window but keeps one eye on me.

"What's going on?" I ask weakly.

She monitors me for a few moments. Then, she turns her back, shutting me out. She utters not a single word.

I sit up straighter, tightening my grip on the blanket. "Please?"

The seconds drag by slowly. I'm giving up on her saying anything at all when she finally chooses to break the quiet spell.

"It's no concern of yours," she responds without looking away from the window.

"If it concerns Edward, it does," I counter.

She turns on her heel, her head held high. "It concerns this entire family - not just Edward. And what goes on among us has no bearing on the likes of you."

After her rebuttal, she pretends to suffer from hearing problems and ignores me. I try to nudge at her to give me something, but she doesn't fall for it. She remains stock still, silent as the huge cedars that line the driveway.

I want to march out of here. I'll go find Edward myself if I have to. But, after what I have seen and experienced in the last few minutes, I doubt my wobbly legs could even carry me out of this house. And judging by the hard, warning glances Rosalie keeps shooting me, I'm going to guess that she wouldn't like it very much if I try to leave and end up falling right back down.

Out of nowhere she cocks her head to the side, like a cat listening for the scurrying of a hidden mouse. Then I hear a rattling sound myself. A harsh pounding follows. Rosalie walks hurriedly from the room - although not supernaturally so. She unlatches the front door but blocks my view of the visitor. I hear her murmur something. A deeper voice mumbles back. Soon, a figure pushes inside of the house, steering around her and making a beeline for me.

I suck in a large gulp of air and breathe properly for the first time in a long while.

Edward.

His hair is disheveled and dripping wet. His clothes are soaked and muddy. But he walks and breathes, so he is perfect to me.

"Bella," he rasps, rushing across the room.

He drops to his knees at my feet, his chest heaving. Fingertips glide over my face and gently move my chin from side to side. His panicked eyes drink me in, just as I do to him. There's nothing wrong with me except for heaps of stress. But that's not the case for him. Underneath the dirt splattered on his face, there is a cut gashed across his brow ridge.

I reach for his forehead and touch his injury. It no longer bleeds but I'm sure it stings like hell.

"You're hurt," I say in a low whimper, my eyes meeting his.

"No. That's just a little cut. I'm fine," Edward insists, cupping my face. "What about you?"

My tongue glides over my dry lips and I swallow down the hollow feeling that I had for the past quarter of an hour. "I'm OK."

He takes me at my word and gathers me into a hug, his hand rubbing the back of my head. My blanket drops to the couch. I lay upon his chest and breathe him in. I smell rain, sweat, a hint of a sweet scent, and something like wet dog reeking from his dirty t-shirt. I don't care. If they bottled this scent, I would buy it. I finally relax, comforted and satiated by his presence.

I'm enjoying the feeling of having him close when I notice that my upper body is much damper than it was just a minute ago. Curious, my fingers squeeze the bottom of his shirt. Water drips out like a sponge. I thought I was a wet mess, but I have nothing on him. It looks like he jumped into a lake just before walking through the front door.

"You're soaking wet," I remark.

"As are you," he notes.

"Just a little."

Still on his knees, he backs up a few inches and tugs the blanket up to my neck again. A tiny part of me wants to tell him to stop fussing with it - I'm not frail or anything - but I keep my mouth shut. I'm too thankful right now to complain.

Five feet away, a tiny figure falls into a chair. Alice's short, usually perfect, hair is wet and lifeless. Her dress is waterlogged. Her matching pumps are caked in mud. But, somehow, she still makes this look work for herself. What's with these Cullens? Can they never have an "off day" where you look horrible and there is nothing that you can do about it - just like the rest of us?

"Rose left to join in on the...search," she announces enigmatically, her face set into a slanted grimace.

I look from Alice to Edward, waiting for one of them to elaborate. But neither does.

"Edward? What's happening?" I ask quietly.

He briefly peeks at Alice, then his eyes dart back to me. "What did Rosalie tell you?"

"Nothing," I reply.

In a flash, his mouth compresses into a thin line. His head shakes almost imperceptibly. Looking at the sliver of a girl in the armchair once more, his eyes grow large and pleading. "Alice," he breathes out.

Alice freezes, her topaz eyes staring straight ahead. Edward makes no comment to indicate that what she is doing is worrying or strange. Seconds later, she blinks.

"Tell her," she responds.

Edward swipes up my hand right away, gazing at me deeply. "Bella... Do you recall today when I told you that the Cullens were very special people?" he begins. My head nods up and down. "Well, I wasn't exaggerating when I told you that," he continues somberly. "In fact, I did not capture their uniqueness nearly enough. Each one of them possesses certain...skills that are more advanced than any human's. They are exceedingly fast - as I'm certain you learned from being with Rosalie. They each can lift objects that are hundreds, if not, thousands of pounds. Their skin is bulletproof and hard as marble." His jaw snaps shut and grinds for a moment. "Actually..." he adds in a tentative tone, "they are no longer what would be considered as human."

My face scrunches together. Edward makes the Cullens sound as though they are superheroes from a comic book. Can they scale tall buildings in a single leap too? Like Superman? He was technically an alien, just as I had speculated that the Cullens might be. But no. That can't be it. Edward said that they are "no longer" human, which must mean that they were once. So I guess the hypothesis that they are from the planet Krypton is out.

Maybe a radioactive spider bit them. Or they accidentally stepped into a puddle of radioactive ooze. Or, Dr. Cullen invented a potion and it gave them all super powers after they drank it. I remember thinking once that Emmett looked like the Hulk...

"So, what? Are you saying that they are mutants are something?" I ask.

"No, no. Nothing like that," Edward corrects. His thumb grazes my knuckles, as though he is comforting himself as much as me. "They were human - just like you or me - at one time. But, they were each changed into what they are now. They lost their mortality, but gained invincibility. They do not sleep. They no longer need to eat the way we do. They only require one thing now." He pauses to suck in a breath, his eyes never leaving my face. "They live off the blood of - um - animals."

My brows raise and snap together. They aren't aliens. Nor are they fairies, mermaids, leprechauns, or any other fairytale stock character. And I don't think Spiderman or the Incredible Hulk need to drink blood in order to survive. There is only one creature from lore that fits that description.

"Vampires," I whisper in awe.

Like a TV playing back my life, I relive the dangers I had unwittingly put myself into since I moved to Forks. Starting on my second day at school, I walked alone with Alice to the empty library so she could copy my Biology notes for Edward while he was out sick. She could have eaten me right there. Then, Edward brought me to a house full of vampires just so I could borrow a few books! It's a miracle that I made it out alive.

"Yes. But they are much more than that," Edward cuts in, shaking me loose from my stupor. "They value human life far too much to drink from us. Carlisle was the first to be changed. He abhorred the thought of taking a life. And, by accident, he found that he could live off the blood of animals.

"But he longed for a higher meaning to his existence other than what was dealt to him. Hiding in the shadows for all of eternity did not appeal to him. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, he became a doctor - to care for the sick and injured humans that crossed his path. And it helped his conscience greatly. Surely, he reasoned, saving human lives makes up for the urge to feed from them.

"He wandered the earth for centuries in this way, proud for his medical accomplishments yet not being entirely happy. Loneliness plagued him. Even though he ran into a vampire such as himself here or there over the years, none felt compelled to stay around for long. And revealing his true identity to a human in order to make a friend was out of the question. It is generally frowned upon to tell humans that vampires do, in fact, exist.

"It wasn't until Carlisle came across a young woman who had been mistakenly pronounced dead did things turn around for himself. You see, Carlisle (like every creature of his kind) has the ability to change a human into a vampire. And that is what he did that day. The dying woman was given life again - but a new one - free from her troubled past. I've questioned why out of the thousands of people he has come upon since his change to an immortal, why it was this particular woman he chose to save in this way." Edward pauses, a tiny smile lifting up one corner of his mouth. "He said that it was instinctual. Something inside took over and refused to allow her to slip away. It wasn't until Esme reawoke as a vampire did he realize that she was what he had been searching for during all of those lonely centuries. She would become his companion for eternity. His mate as they are sometimes called. But Carlisle prefers to call her his wife."

Edward's hand tightens over my own. "Esme was the first he saved. Next came Rosalie. Then Emmett. All three of them would be in their graves at this very moment if not for Carlisle. He taught them everything that they would need to know in order to survive undetected in human society, hoping that they would choose to follow his diet. And, except during their early years when they were still learning how to control their craving, that is what they all have done.

"It comes as a heavy burden, however. Feeding from animals never completely satisfies the thirst. Their throats burn, constantly tempting them to give in and take a human life. But the alternative is much worse, they found. Drinking from a human - by accident or otherwise - robs them of their humanity. They would behave like barbarians, never being able to live in a group - or family as they usually call it. And blending into human society is practically unimaginable if you are only there to hunt them. So, they long ago agreed that suppressing their natural instincts and living amongst humans was preferable."

Edward's eyes flick to the floor for a short time, appearing slightly apprehensive when they return. "But, of course, not all vampires choose to live the way the Cullens live. Most - uh - feed from us. And that's the reason why you and I were run off the road tonight. One of those vampires attacked us, but the Cullens were able to keep him from causing any harm."

"That's not exactly the reason, Edward," Alice interrupts. Her tiny, pixie face rocks back and forth between Edward and me as she speaks. "Three nomads showed up on our doorstep tonight. I saw them coming a few minutes before they showed up, but I did not know it was going to turn out the way it did." A surprisingly large sigh leaves her dainty mouth. The area around her eyes becomes visibly taut. "Esme opened the door to greet them and tried to nicely send them away. But, the blonde male noticed your scent before we could get them to leave."

Things are beginning to make sense now. The phone call was to warn Edward to leave the area...

"What happened after that?" I blurt out, my attention glued to Alice.

"Well, I saw that he had decided to go after Edward," she admits with a frown.

My brows knit together. How could Alice know that unless that vampire told her what his plan would be?

As I am pondering her strange explanation, Alice tilts her head and her eyes glaze over again. Seconds later, she blinks and stares at me. "I knew because I saw that the nomad would target Edward tonight," she clarifies.

Both my body and heart jerks, taken completely by surprise. She answered a question that I had yet to ask. Please, god. Please tell me this vampire girl can't read minds. Because if she does, she will know all my secrets. Like, how obsessed I am with Edward. Or, how that overshirt he took off in my kitchen last week and forgot about is now up in my room for me to cuddle with when I miss him.

I swing my face back to Edward, my eyes wide and fearful. "How did she know what I was going to ask?"

Before he can say anything, Alice answers my question herself. "I know because I can see the future, Bella. When someone decides to do something, I can sometimes see what will happen. You decided to ask me a question, so I saw it."

My erratic heartbeat recaptures some semblance of normalcy. I think I can handle precognition better than mind reading. A finger winds up my hair, wrapping the strands tightly around my index finger. Now I understand how she "saw" that vampire wanting to attack Edward.

"Do all of you, uh, vampires have that ability?" I wonder.

She shakes her head a couple of times. "No. Everyone is different. Some have various talents to defend themselves from attack. Others have special mental abilities, like deducing when they are being lied to or things like that. But many of us have no extra talents. My particular ability is rare. I haven't met anyone yet that can do what I can do."

My lips purse out as I evaluate what I have learned so far. Vampires are different from what folklore has passed down through the generations. Yes, they can be beautiful but deadly hunters - like a tiger stalking its prey. Yet some of them, like the Cullens, are genuinely caring beings. Now that I am calmer, I remember more clearly the day when Edward brought me to his home to explore their library. The people who greeted me were not bloodthirsty, evil beings. They did not smack their lips at the sight of my tasty neck. Instead, they smiled and treated me like a guest. Esme brought out apple pie and generally behaved as if she was throwing a small get-together. She was kind and sweet, reminding me of some loveable sitcom mom from years gone by. I can't imagine Esme wanting to hurt anyone. Or Alice for that matter. She's almost always smiling, like she is permanently hooked up to a cylinder of laughing gas.

When you get right down to it, drinking blood from animals isn't too strange either. Vampires have to eat somehow if they don't want to massacre a village or anything. And it's not like humans are much better morally. Ninety percent of Charlie's diet is animal based - does that make him a monster too?

Yet, I don't recall ever reading that vampires can do anything special besides turning into bats, or seducing humans out of a few pints of blood. Apparently, they can have special talents. Super powers. Maybe that's where superhero stories originate. But one aspect about these powers has me stumped. If Alice can see future events, how come a vampire kidnapped my boyfriend tonight?

"If you saw what he was planning to do, why couldn't you stop him before he got to Edward?" I ask her immediately.

Her lips jut out into a pout. "We tried. But the nomad kept changing his mind on how he would attack. It threw me off. It wasn't until it was too late before I saw that we were practically on top of you two."

"And then?"

"As I'm sure you saw, the nomad ripped Edward out of the car and ran with him for a few miles. Rose stopped to help you while three of us went after the nomad. We almost had him surrounded when he suddenly stopped and threatened to kill Edward."

Although I knew that the vampire who took Edward likely had unsavory plans, hearing it out loud makes it more real. With a gasp, I whip around to Edward. He remains on the floor at my feet, a hand grasping my knee. But his face scowls at Alice, brow ridge slung low and eyes hard. At first, I am confused by his anger towards her. Then, enlightenment dawns.

My own face mirrors his glare - except I aim it at Edward instead of Alice. "You weren't planning on telling me about that part, were you?" I accuse.

He glances at me and the irritated expression evaporates. "I didn't want you to worry," he frowns.

I heave a humongous sigh at this clueless male. Didn't want me to worry? That's all I have done!

"I saw you vanish in an instant tonight, Edward. There is no way that I could do anything but worry. Telling me what really happened is better than sugarcoating the truth," I snap.

His face cringes. Leaning forward a little, he tightens his grip on my knee. "You're right," he begins softly. "I was in danger. Carlisle tried to convince the nomad to release me, but he had no desire to do so. He wanted me dead. This nomad - this James, as he called himself - revealed that he had run across Alice many years ago when she was still human. You see, Alice has no memory of her human life. She only recalls waking up and finding herself what she is now. But this James character claimed that he once found her locked up inside of an insane asylum. He also claimed that her blood called to him like no other - before or since. It was his intention to capture Alice and drain her of everything she had.

"However, Alice had made a friend inside of those walls. A vampire who worked for the asylum protected her, keeping James at bay. But this unnamed vampire knew that he could not protect her indefinitely. So, he chose to free her from the asylum and change her before James could kill her.

"According to James' account of things, he came upon the vampire in the midst of her transformation. He was outraged that his 'meal' had been taken away. The nomad and Alice's unknown benefactor battled. And James won. Though, by that time, Alice was fully changed and long gone.

"I suppose his idea for taking me tonight was revenge for her escape." Edward pauses to snort, his mouth rising into a small sneer. "The nomad called it recompensation. If he couldn't feed from Alice, he would feed from someone close to her. Me."

Edward rakes a hand through his wet hair and sighs. "Even though Carlisle, Emmett, and Alice had him almost surrounded, he had the upper hand. He threatened to break my neck if they so much as moved an inch. They were powerless to do anything. If they attempted to free me, James would immediately end my life. So, we had a stalemate for quite a while.

"He was waiting for his mate to show up. Then, Carlisle noticed the scent of Sam in the air, so he distracted the nomad while Sam moved closer. Sam was able to sneak up behind the vampire and took him down," ends Edward suddenly.

I don't bother trying to hide my bewildered frown. "How could Sam have done that? I thought that vampires are stronger than us."

"They are. But Sam and a couple of other Quileute are more than just mere humans, love. They are shapeshifters, too."

My chin falls open wider than a python's. I knew there was something different about Sam and that Paul guy when I saw them at the beach last week. But shapeshifters?! What does that even mean? That they can be human one second and turn into whatever they want in the next? Like, houseflies? Or tea kettles? Should I poke everything in the bathroom at home with a stick before I shower in case the toothbrush holder is really a shapeshifting pervert?

"I don't... How? What do you-?" I ramble, unable to form an intelligible sentence.

"They can morph into wolf form," explains Edward, somehow knowing exactly what I had wanted to ask. His hand slides over my own, entwining our fingers. "They possess greater strength than an ordinary human. So, that's how he was able to take that vampire down."

I blink in shock several times, staring straight into his eyes.

"Are you telling me that I moved to the most boring town on the planet - yet it secretly has at least two types of mythical creatures roaming around plus a time-travelling boy?" I reconfirm in a low tone.

Edward's mouth twitches, one corner rising slightly. "I'm afraid so."

My back slumps into the couch, my gaze set into a daze.

Vampires, and Werewolves, and chivalric boys. Oh, my...

The few gaping holes left in the puzzle have filled in. Almost everything has an explanation. The Cullens are vampires and are no longer human. That is why their skin is milky white - like corpses at the morgue. The local tribe fears the Cullens because they know that those legendary supernatural beings live in Forks and don't trust them. And the reason why Sam and Paul are so huge is because they are teen wolves in the flesh.

A smile slides onto my face. When I moved here from Phoenix, I thought I would die from boredom. I thought Forks would slowly rot my brain until it resembled a character from The Night Of The Living Dead. Oh, boy, was I wrong. Wonderfully wrong. Ever since I crossed paths with Edward, I haven't had too many dull moments.

His face tips down, strengthening his gaze and watching me suspiciously. "And just what are you smiling about?"

My smile swells further. "Everything makes sense now. Between seeing your family's yellow eyes, you confronting a huge guy at the beach, and me thinking I was crazy for suspecting that you were not a modern boy - I can finally relax. Do you know how often I stayed up at night trying to figure out everything? It was so frustrating!"

His bronze eyebrow cocks up. "So, what? You don't mind that I live with a coven of vampires?"

My head slants to the side as I try to find a way to explain myself. "You told me yourself that they were not a threat to anyone. And that they only take animals for their food. So, why would I mind?"

Edward and Alice share a quick side glance. She's grinning from one ear to the other. His expression is more of disbelief.

Before I can guess his plans, he gathers me into his embrace again. It's almost lung-crushing, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

He holds me for a span of several seconds before he says a word. "I'm not sure if I should be thrilled by how you feel, or if I should be scolding you for your complete lack of self-preservation," he smiles at my ear.

I giggle softly. He may be technically a teenage boy but he sometimes sounds far older than his years. I'm not sure if it's a byproduct of the age he was born into, or if he would have turned out like this no matter what. Either way, he is perfect to me.

"I do have more questions," I confess.

"I'm sure that you do. Ask away," he encourages.

Backing away from his chest, I look up into his eyes. "OK. How did you wind up living with the Cullens? You can tell me now, can't you?"

His smile fades and his lips turn down. "Yes, I can. Though it may sound a bit crazy."

My eyes squint reproachfully. He was born over a hundred years ago, has vampires making him picnic lunches, and werewolves wanting to hang out with him. And now he's claiming that it's the remainder of his story that's the unbelievable part?

"How much more crazier can your life be?" I tsk.

His mouth tugs into a small smile. "Well, maybe it's not quite as exciting as admitting that I talk to supernatural creatures on a daily basis - I will admit. But it is unusual. You see, I met Carlisle a few days before I left my family, Bella. He was their doctor. When I vanished, he tried to help my mother find me, but of course, there was no possibility of that. Many years later, Alice and Jasper came along and joined Carlisle's family. Alice told Carlisle what had happened to me all those years ago and that I would be reappearing in a few decades time. Alice predicted where I would turn up and approximately when it would be."

"So they were waiting for you to come?" I surmise.

"Yes. And they spent many weeks teaching me the basics of how to live now. I had to learn how to use computers and cellphones. I found out that refrigerators no longer require an ice block to keep the compartments cool. They taught me everything."

"And that's one of the reasons why you try to protect them, because they have helped you," I speculate further.

The tip of his nose scrunches a tiny bit. "Yes and no. I appreciate what they did for me, yes. But I keep their identities secret because I have come to care for them as the kind and loving beings that they are. I wouldn't want them to suffer because I couldn't keep my mouth shut."

"But you've told me."

Sitting upon her armchair, Alice joins the conversation. "You were going to find out someday anyway. Since you're with Edward now, there's no way we could keep what we are a secret for long. Besides, it's easier this way now. We can talk to Edward about what's going on without worrying that you'll overhear and freak out."

Edward's cheeks suck in and he gives her an incredulous eye. "I suppose that's a simple way to look at it," he replies coolly.

"It's the only way," she retorts, her nose sticking up into the air.

My laugh takes me by surprise. How can two entirely different beings behave like bickering siblings?

Yet, my amusement vanishes at the thought of how difficult it must have been on him in the beginning. To go from living with your human family in 1918 to now? Staying in a mansion with perfect people who probably sleep in coffins down in the basement? That's highly unusual, to say the least. And to land in 2004 with absolutely no warning or preparation? It's unfathomable.

"It's still hard to believe that you showed up here the way that you did," I say sadly, shaking my head. "I can't imagine what it must have felt like to have left everything behind. Loved ones. Possessions. Money. I would have had a breakdown."

"Actually, it wasn't quite as bad as that. I did leave my family behind, but Carlisle had everything else waiting here for me."

"What do you mean?" I blink perplexed.

"He was my parents' executor of their will. After their deaths, he protected their estate. That piano is the same one that I first played on when I was five. He kept most of my things that I had any attachment to."

At least a pint of blood leaves my face. Alarm bells clang in my head. "You inherited an estate?"

"Well, yes," he nods serenely. "The Cullens kept their eyes on it until I could come back."

I try to remain calm. Just because he used the word estate doesn't mean anything. If I died tomorrow, the courts would probably refer to my collection of dog-eared novels and my decrepit computer as things belonging to my "estate" too. Besides, his parents died way back in 1918. Money went a long way back then. Most people lived very comfortably on only a few hundred dollars a year. So it's doubtful that Edward's parents could have squirreled away too much before they passed away.

"Just how big of an estate are we talking about here, Edward? A few thousand?" I ask warily.

"Umm," he utters, biting the inside of his cheek. "I'm not sure. I rarely keep up with it." His upper body twists to face the only other being currently in the room. "Do you know, Alice?"

Her eyes glaze over like crystal balls for a couple of seconds and then flutter wide open. "A few months back, I convinced Carlisle to invest our money in a tech company that is set to revolutionize the cellphone industry. So the stock has increased by a little bit," she announces.

"How much, Alice?" he asks with a touch of exhaustion.

"Eight hundred million, three hundred and fiffty-nine thousand, seven hundred and two dollars... And sixty-one cents," she adds with a chipper head nod and smile.

A lot has happened to me today. But I believe that this may be a bit too much to handle.

Everything spins. The room. Alice. Edward. Then they all fade away. I see nothing but blackness, my eyes rolling into the back of my head. My body and mind fall into a black pit. And that's where I drift, floating in a world of my own where my boyfriend is merely a time-traveler - NOT a multi-millionaire too. Because that is just too much to accept right now.

Off in the distance, my ears pick up faint sounds. I hear my name whispered by a desperate voice. I also detect a cool breeze caressing my face. Slowly, my senses revive - though I feel groggier the more I reawaken. And worn out. I let out a moan, kind of wishing that I can stay in that weightless place for a tiny bit longer.

My eyes crack open, peeking through their slits. I see Edward frantically moving his hand around as he fans me, his forehead puckered with concern. I don't like being the cause of his stress. He must have enough of it to deal with already. I wish that I hadn't asked him that last question. Maybe if he had waited a week or two more before telling me that he is a teenage Richie Rich, I would have been able to take the news better.

Once the room stops rotating and I feel alive again, I sit up on the couch. Edward stops fanning my face and gives a long, unblinking stare.

"In the span of one day I tell you several terrifying secrets and you don't bat an eye. Yet, the moment you discover that we have a little money in the bank, you faint on me?" he finishes in a high pitch of disbelief.

My heart leaps up to my throat. With all of the unbelievable things I had to swallow today, I forgot about one of them.

"What do you mean by 'we'?" I emphasize, eyes wide awake.

He rolls his eyes to the ceiling, as though it should be obvious. "Why, you and me, of course."

My skin turns cold, draining of blood like before. Frightening thoughts of wedding dresses and commitments that may only last a couple of years before ending in divorce storm back.

Edward observes me for a second, taking in my likely chalk-white face. "It will be yours too one day in the future," he revises with a slight pout.

My balled up fists unclench themselves.

The future.

Not tomorrow or next week. I think I can handle "the future". That could be years from now. I won't need to worry for a long time that someone will say one day that he and I are incompatible. Or that he made a giant mistake and wants to break up. Just like what once happened to my father.

A clean white towel, carried by Alice, drops into Edward's hand. I had become so lost in our discussion that I had forgotten that he is still drenched with rain water. He rises from his kneeling position and towels off his hair. As he rubs his arms dry, he drifts over to the huge window by his piano and gazes outside. The rain has ended. The storm clouds have blown away, leaving behind only an overcast sky.

He's scrubbing the front of his shirt when a strange thing happens. All in a single blink of an eye, I hear a loud crack and the front door slams shut. Esme Cullen appears out of the thin air to hug the bronze-haired boy at the window.

"Oh! I was so worried! You're not hurt, are you?" she yelps, her beautiful face contorted in grief.

"I'm fine," he responds placidly. "And Bella is fine, too."

Esme's body turns into rigid stone. At a cautious pace, her face rises. Upon making eye contact with me, her mouth parts open in horror.

I hear a tiny laugh to my right. "Don't beat yourself up, Esme," consoles Alice. "Rose had to run with her tonight, so Bella has already seen how fast we can go. Besides, we just told her everything."

The thin brows on Esme's forehead rise, opening her eyes up even more. "You told her?" she repeats in shock.

"We needed to anyway. She would have figured it out on her own eventually," shrugs Alice as though it's no big whoop. Then she gives me a small, friendly smile. "She's a smart girl," she adds cheerfully.

Esme takes a few steps forward, closing the distance between herself and me. Her fingers are clasped tightly in front. "So you know what we are?" she asks, almost guiltily.

"Yes."

Her hands drop by her sides and her head lifts higher. "What do you think about it all, Bella?" she questions in an odd, flat tone.

I cock my head, pursing my lips for a few seconds. "You want me to be honest?" I confirm.

"Yes, of course," nods Esme quickly.

I inhale a breath and hold it a moment before I explain my line of thinking. "When Edward first told me what you are, it scared me. I thought back on the time he brought me here to visit and how any of you could have attacked us both. Two humans against six vampires would be an easy meal for you all. Then, I remembered how kind you were to me that day - how nice and motherly you were. That didn't sound at all like the bloodthirsty beings that I have read about over the years. So, based on that, I think Edward was right when he said you were not a threat to anyone." I glance over at him for a split second. "I trust what he says."

When I meet Esme again, I notice that her bottom lip trembles. "Thank you," she responds in barely a whisper. She blows out her cheeks, the air exhaling slowly as she calms herself.

However, like a light switch being flicked on, her emotional turmoil promptly changes into something else entirely. She straightens her posture and smooths out her wrinkled, wet clothing. A smile as soft and sweet as a daisy sprouts on her face.

"Would you like a sandwich, dear?" she offers hopefully, her eyes now large and luminous.

I hear snickering from across the room. Alice hides her giggles behind a hand. Edward shakes his head and chuckles. I keep my answering smile small and simple. Laughing at an overly eager homemaker vampire isn't advisable until I can get to know her better.

"That sounds great, but I really should be going home now. I'm sure Charlie's wondering why I haven't showed up yet," I decline politely.

Edward tosses his towel on the back of a chair and moves closer to me. "You can't. It's not safe. The female nomad could attack you, Bella."

Female nomad? I thought the danger had passed.

My eyes shoot open as far as they can go. "What about Charlie?" I panic.

"He's fine, I'm sure," he replies gently.

"But you don't know," I retort, imagining the worst case scenarios. Charlie will hop into his car and come looking for me soon. What if he runs into that hungry vampire? I doubt his service revolver will help him much.

Edward sighs wearily and looks to his left. "Alice?"

She steps up and gazes back sympathetically. "Don't worry about it, Bella. I have an idea if it's all right with you."

"What?" I press in desperation.

"How about I go home with you tonight? We can tell your dad that we're having a sleepover. I can guard the house while you two are sleeping." Her body begins bouncing excitedly, bubbling over onto her grinning face. "Oh! And we can take those fun magazine quizzes and I can brush your hair! It will be so much fun! What do you say?"

My lips move yet no sounds come out. I've been to exactly one sleepover in my life. Back in third grade, Cindy Hyde invited ten giggly girls plus me to her house. I fell asleep in the middle of a teenage rom-com marathon and snored loud enough to wake the dead. They thought I was being a killjoy and making fun of the movie. But I was just worn out after spending half an hour hiding in the bathroom while they played Truth Or Dare. My truths were embarrassingly boring. And (even as a kid) I understood that being dared to call up a random boy and falsely telling him that he was your crush would only result in problems later on down the road.

If I couldn't make it through a human sleepover without having to call Mom to pick me up, how would I make it through one with a girl vampire that I barely know?

Edward leans down, murmuring into my ear. "You can trust her. She would never harm you. But, if you don't feel comfortable, I'll understand. I can tell her 'no' for you if that is what you want."

My teeth dig into my lip while I think things over. I can't leave Charlie home all alone and unprotected. And if Alice is anything like Rosalie, I bet she is stronger than I can possibly imagine. Edward says that I can trust her. He must be correct because he sleeps here every single night - with Vampires right down the hall. And he's fine. Fit as a fiddle. They even saved him from being another vampire's dinner. So, if Edward can do it, I can too. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?

Alice could pounce without warning and suck you drier than a starving mosquito.

Shut up, common sense. No one asked for your opinion.

I raise my head with determination and look Edward straight on. "I think it's a pretty good idea. Charlie would never suspect that Alice was there to protect us. And it's just for tonight, right?"

"It's however long it takes to catch the female. Hopefully it won't take them long to capture her."

"What will they do if they do catch her?"

His mouth presses tightly before he answers. "Destroy her."

My head rolls slowly up and down. If the Cullens have a problem, they can't call 9-1-1 and expect for the cops to throw an unruly vampire into the slammer. In their world, either you give the offending vampire a death sentence or they will inflict it upon you.

I pivot around to let Alice know that her suggestion sounds fine with me. But when I do, I notice that Esme is the only vampire in the room.

"Where'd Alice go?" I wonder aloud.

"She ran upstairs about five seconds after you and Edward began talking," Esme reveals. "She's probably gathering up a few things to take to your house."

Esme is correct. No more than a minute passes by when Alice makes a reappearance. She is walking at human speed down the grand staircase. Her wet dress is gone and has been replaced with a new, dry one. In one hand she easily totes two large suitcases. The other hand drags a trunk of the sort once used to pack all of your belongings before you made your transatlantic voyage on the Titanic. It's almost roomy enough for me to crawl inside and take a nap.

A deep growl rumbles from Edward's chest. "No, Alice. That is far too much to be taking for a one night 'sleepover'. Charlie is a smart man. He's bound to suspect that something is up if a tiny looking girl like you is carrying two hundred pound suitcases."

Her slim shoulders droop down. Alice abandons the trunk and a suitcase but keeps a firm grip on the second one. "OK. I'll just take this one. It has most of my important stuff in it anyway," she says disappointedly.

Edward takes my hand and escorts us to the garage. A beautiful, black car with tinted windows sits between Rosalie's sporty red BMW and Emmett's humongous Jeep. Alice pops open the car's trunk and tosses her suitcase inside. Apparently, this car belongs to Carlisle, but the two of them insist he won't mind Alice borrowing it. I am forced to agree with them. It's not like he needs it too badly. He probably runs faster than anything even NASCAR can come up with.

Edward draws me close to say his goodbyes. His fingers glide across my face and my neck. I allow his touch to absorb into me, hording it to last until I can see him again.

He tucks a clump of my long hair behind my ear and peers deeply into my eyes. "When you get home, please call me so I'll know you are OK. And if Alice bothers you, tell her to give you her phone and call me. I'll tell her to lay off."

I suppress my laughter to the best of my ability. He makes her sound like an annoying kid sister.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. I like her," I add with a smile. And I do like Alice. I always have. She's beautiful, smart, and spunky. But instead of her drinking cans of Red Bull (like I once suspected), she probably drinks from actual bulls. At least I was close to being right.

"We're ready to go," she proclaims from across the garage.

Edward leans in, placing a quick kiss upon my lips. I guess he has chosen to keep things chaste and respectable since we have a vampire observing us. "I'll see you tomorrow," he purrs.

My face stretches into a grin. Tomorrow. That word holds so much promise.

"I can't wait," I say softly. I back up a step, throwing in a wink. He smiles crookedly, making me wonder if he is thinking of the same thing as I am. Like, an empty kitchen after school with no fathers, vampires, or werewolves in sight.

I duck into the pricy Mercedes and wait for Alice. Meanwhile, she skips up to Edward and the two of them speak for a moment. I strain my ears to hear what they could be talking about but all I can make out are mumbles.

Edward suddenly throws his head backwards and barks a sharp laugh. Alice's normally cheery face becomes a glower, directed exclusively towards him. She stomps away and jerks open the driver's side door.

"Call you later," she grumbles over her shoulder as she slips into her seat. Approximately two nanoseconds pass by and her frown vanishes. She's back to her perky self, her eyes bright and happy. "I've got so much stuff we can do to keep ourselves busy, Bella," she chirps. "Have you ever waxed before?"

Her question catches me off guard. "N-no. I just shave," I stammer, glancing over at Edward.

"That's fine," shrugs Alice. "We don't need to experiment yet anyway. It's probably best if we build up your pain tolerance before we try that Brazilian wax method. I read that it was a real eye-opener if you know what I mean."

I almost choke on my own saliva. My face's heat setting rises to high. I silently pray that Edward did not hear her. My head whips around. I find him staring at me with furrowed brows.

Yep, he definitely heard that.

Alice is humming to herself as she backs the car out of the garage. We're on the driveway when her nose lifts slightly and sniffs the air. Her attention snaps to me and her eyes do a quick once over. "What's wrong? Your face looks like a boiled lobster," she points out.

"You just talked about pubic hair removal methods in front of Edward," I murmur in a horrified daze. I just started kissing him last Monday. I wasn't ready for him to think about my nether regions yet...

"Oh, that," giggles Alice, her shoulders shaking. "Trust me when I say that he has no earthly idea what we were talking about. Up until around six months ago, he wasn't even aware that women shave their legs."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh. Most women didn't back in 1918. After he came here, he was so confused when he found out. He couldn't understand why we would want to remove all of our body hair. I think that's partly why he has been a little frightened of our ways and regards us as mysterious creatures. He acts like we have stranger rituals than an Illuminati ceremony." She giggles again, but louder. "He probably thinks waxing is shaving your legs while surrounded in candlelight."

I release a breath and smile a little. Then my worry returns. "Do you think he'll be all right now? That female vampire won't get him, will she?"

"Edward will be fine," she responds confidently. "That nomad is currently being run ragged all over the county by four of us plus the Quileute wolf pack. She won't have time to give him any trouble. But even if that did happen, Esme is watching over him now. If that red-headed troublemaker comes within fifty feet of him, Esme's mama bear instincts will kick in. So don't worry about him. OK?"

I nod my head and loosen my stiff body.

Alice takes a brief glance at my lap. "You might want to buckle up. Since you're running late, I'm going to get you home a little bit sooner. And I like to drive fast."

I reach behind me and yank the seatbelt across my chest. "Edward does too. He seems to have a problem obeying the speed limit signs," I smirk.

She cackles a laugh and shakes her head. "No, Bella. You don't understand. To me and everyone else in our family, Edward drives like an old man operating an electric scooter. We vampires like to go a lot faster than him." Her pale lips twitch into a grimace. "He likes to poke fun and pretend that I can't drive. Like I'm a menace to the road. That's just preposterous. I've never been in a single accident. My record is squeaky clean." She adjusts the rearview mirror and ruffles her slightly damp hair, making it appear like she spent half an hour styling it instead of three seconds. "But if you have a problem with motion sickness, you might not want to look out the windows. Edward figured that out himself. And it's really hard to get the stench of vomit out of a car's interior," she adds as a side note, smashing her foot down on the accelerator.

I immediately slam my eyes together, my hands griping the leather seat for dear life. I ignored one Cullen's warning about closing my eyes and almost fainted from the aftereffects. I won't make that mistake again.

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A/N-

Next Chapter- Girl talk with Alice (that sounds like a new daytime talk show, doesn't it?). This chapter will have everything. Alice's first "slumber" party. Alice answering Bella's lingering questions. Alice giving pedicures. And, of course, Alice raiding closets (because during this frightening time, we need a little laughter, don't we?).

Thanks for reading! :-)