I was standing in the wilted garden again. I looked around at the familiar place until my eyes landed on Marcus. He sat with his back to the lifeless tree, his head tilted up as he stared with unseeing eyes at the night sky above. His dark brown hair seemed disheveled and his black robe was torn. His arms lay carelessly at his side and he had a single flower clutched in his right hand. He looked completely lifeless and that made a pang of pain course through my being.

"Marcus?"

His dark eyes snapped to her figure but he didn't move as I approached. I noted again that wherever I stepped, plants seemed to spring to life, leaving a trail of green grass and flowers in my wake. I knelt down to him and lifted my hand tentatively as he scrutinized my every move. I cupped his cold cheek in my hand and his eyelids fluttered close, leaning into my touch. He seemed to be more alive but he was still so... broken.

"What happened to you, Marcus?" I whispered. Why was he like this? What had happened to this man that left him so shattered?

He lifted the flower to his lips and I was aware now that it was a Volkamenia. He murmured in Italian, his breath stroking the petals before he opened his eyes to look at me. They swam with unshed tears and his gaze spoke volumes of his suffering as he laid his free hand over mine.

I woke up with a jolt. I rubbed my eyes tiredly as I realized that it was already morning. I dazedly reached for my sketch pad which now was more like a dream diary and I stopped for a second. This dream had been different. I had been able to move and touch him this time. I remembered that he had the flower I had given him and then sighed at the thought that Marcus was haunting my dreams. I had dreamt of him every single night ever since I laid eyes on him. I stretched, thinking that the strange longing to understand him had only intensified in the past few days and then I stilled. What time was it?

I shot up from the couch, panicking when I looked at the clock and realized it was almost 9. Shit! Marcus would be waiting in front of the shop any second now. I brushed my teeth in a rush, jumping a bit to pull on my jeans and then fell flat on my butt. I picked myself up, annoyed that I couldn't even multitask properly before spitting in the sink and rinsing my mouth out. I then hurriedly pulled on a blue v-neck shirt and slipped on a pair of black flats onto my feet.

"Dammit…" I hissed.

I untangled my hair, a bit frustrated that I hadn't woken up at dawn as usual and I grabbed an apple from the cupboard over head. I frowned thinking back at my conversation with Angela but time was ticking and this would have to do for now. I grabbed my book bag and rushed down the steps, tripping in the process and slamming my face into the door. I grimaced as pain blossomed over my face, knowing that it would form a bruise later. I finally made it out of my trailer, much to my satisfaction and then, as luck would have it, my foot somehow caught on some uneven part of asphalt and I was falling again. I flailed but before I could reach the ground, my fall was stopped by what could've been a very cold wall.

I looked up, tilting my head farther than I expected and saw Marcus looking at me with concern, his arms holding my upper arms tentatively. Was he always this tall?

"Are you alright?"

I stared at him with wide eyes, feeling the heat rise up to my cheeks as I registered our position. I was pressed against his broad, wide chest, my fingers clutching at his silky white button up shirt. I also realized that I was a disheveled mess and was probably sporting a nice red bump on my forehead due to my damn clumsiness earlier.

"Yes." I squeaked in embarrassment.

He let go of me only when he was sure I wasn't going to fall and I felt my blush furiously stuck on my face as I averted my eyes. He had seemed so slender when I first saw him but to say that would be to do him an injustice. I had felt through his clothes just how toned and muscular he really was… I shook away those thoughts.

"Thank you for catching me."

He chuckled then and her eyes snapped back to his which I finally noticed that they were a curious onyx color. They were swimming with amusement.

"You're very welcome, Isabella."

I gave him a small smile and then started to walk to the shop, wanting the earth to swallow me up. I was extra careful not to trip as I approached the entrance, unlocking the door and motioning him to follow me into a little office on the side. It was very small with a desk that divided the room in two. The desk itself was a little messy with papers which I quickly set aside. It also included an old computer that I started up and a picture frame with my mother and father in their younger days with me swaddled in a bundle of pink blankets. I felt the corner of my mouth lift as I sat down. Even if it was the only photo left of them, it made the pain of their absence a bit easier to bear.

I watched as Marcus ducked a bit as he entered, sitting down carefully in the flimsy chair. His knees grazed the desk and for a moment, I thought that the chair might collapse from under him. He gave me a knowing smile as my own lips twitched up at the sight. He looked comically big crammed into the little space but he didn't seem uncomfortable at all.

"Well, Marcus." I started, intertwining my hands over the desk. "I'm going to ask you questions about yourself while I review your job form. Is that okay?"

"Of course."

He swiftly opened a suitcase I hadn't noticed before and set the papers down in front of me. My eyes skimmed over the document and I raised an eyebrow at the address he had provided as a permanent residence.

"You're from Italy?"

"I'm from Greece," He corrected pensively, a finger on his chin. "But I've lived in Italy for many years and consider it my home."

I hummed as I considered this information. I took out my notebook and dutifully took notes about the interview. This was very interesting. The documents also stated that he went by Marcus Volturi, which weirdly rang a bell. The papers also confirmed that he was in his 30's.

"So, why are you in Forks? This must be very different from the sunny country you're used to." I asked, a bit puzzled.

Rainy Forks in the middle of nowhere. Why here of all places? And why was Marcus so pale when he was from Greece and he lived in Italy almost all his life? One would expect at least a bit of a tan but he had no such thing. He looked to the side, his shoulders slumping infinitesimally at my question and the aura of sadness that he usually had made itself known once again.

"I needed change." He said softly, almost to himself as he stared at nothing in particular. "My home holds only painful memories for me ever since the passing of my wife…"

Oh. Oh. He had lost his wife. Everything was starting to make sense. I bit my lip as a pain stabbed my heart. I had lost someone too and I knew how much it hurt and it was obvious that Marcus had loved his wife dearly. I could see how forlorn he seemed when he picked those flowers from my shop and now that he had told me. He seemed so lost, his gaze far away and it was almost as if he had aged 30 years as he uttered those words. I frowned. I wanted to comfort him and I knew exactly what I would want to hear since I had experienced loss as well.

"I understand." I replied, gently taking his hand in mine. He looked a bit startled as his eyes flickered to my features. I knew that he was not expecting my response. Maybe he was used to people pitying him.

"I know what it's like to want to get away from it all." I mused, remembering those very first days on my own. I had wanted to leave and never look back. "It's very hard sometimes, Marcus, losing someone you love dearly. These memories can be haunting and they hurt like hell but I'd rather focus on honoring their memory by not letting my grief consume me. I imagine that my parents wouldn't want me to stay stuck in mourning forever."

I blinked back the tears that had welled up in my eyes at my little speech. I had rambled a bit but Marcus seemed stunned before he schooled in his expression and nodded, an unknown emotion in his eyes. He squeezed my hand softly and I looked down, noticing just how small my hand was in his.

"You are wise beyond your years."

I felt a blush creeping up to my cheeks and I pulled away, clearing my throat. I tried to change the direction of our conversation as we were still in the process of an interview after all.

"I-I get that a lot." I murmured. "Now, um, I'd like to ask you something. Why would you like to work here? Do you have any experience with flowers?"

Now, my questions, although work oriented, were more from curiosity. Experience wasn't really necessary for the job but I wanted to see if he knew about flowers just like me. His disposition changed before my eyes, his eyes sparkled with interest and he shifted his body towards me.

"Flowers are very delicate in their beauty. My wife and I had a garden we used to tend which had a variety of exotic plants." He reminisced, a small smile on his lips. "It was a beautiful sight, hidden away by the stones walls of an old castle. We had the honor of being the gardeners at such a historic site."

"Could you describe it to me?" I inquired, feeling very curious. "The garden and some of the flowers you tended to."

"It is was a fairly large place in the shape of a semicircle." He started. "In its center, stood a Wisteria tree. Close to the Wisteria, there was a round fountain surrounded by red and white Roses, Stephanotis and Amaranth flowers as well. It always had a very peaceful atmosphere."

I couldn't help but smile. They way he talked about it made it sound like it was a place with special meaning to him and I wanted to go there as well. But for some reason I felt that somehow I had been there before but that was impossible. I redirected my thoughts to the flowers he had mentioned, taking note for research purposes. They were very different and some were delicate enough that they needed special care. It was obvious that he knew what he was doing if he took care of them.

"I would love to go there someday." I sighed, imagining strolling along the paths and reading among the greenery. Marcus shook his head sadly, looking down at his folded hands.

"The life in the garden has wilted." He uttered, in a pained voice. "I couldn't bear to take care of it after-"

He cut off suddenly and I froze, realizing why everything he had said sounded so familiar. A wilted garden hidden by castle walls… My mind was going a mile a minute as I thought back to my strange dreams. Was this the same place I had dreamt about so many nights in a row? The architecture and placement of the fountain close to a tree was unquestionably similar to his description but it couldn't possibly be. Well, unless I had somehow started having prophetic dreams. I snapped back to the present and tried to focus.

"I'm so sorry to hear that."

I cursed internally at my quivering voice and my heartbeat quickened when he leveled his inquisitive gaze at me. I shifted my attention to the papers in my hands and something told me to throw caution to the wind and trust Marcus. I wanted to give him a chance and the change he so desperately seemed to want. Besides, I was too curious for my own good. I needed to know if the garden of my dreams was the same one that Marcus had mentioned and I wanted to learn more about him. I realized with a start that I was way too intrigued by him but I couldn't deny that I gravitated towards him. I yearned for him to be close, to unlock all his secrets and free him of the shackles of grief. So I asked him the question that would change my life forever.

"So, when are you able to start?"

Author's note: Sorry for the long wait! I finally had the time to finish this and found my inspiration once more. What do you think of this chapter and the budding relationship between Bella and Marcus? Things will start to pick up after this and expect more cute/heartfelt moments in the future!

Flower meanings:

Wisteria tree - Romance

White roses - Innocence and purity / Secrecy and silence

Red roses - "I love you" / Passionate love

Stephanotis - Happiness in marriage / Desire to travel

Amaranth - Immortality / Unfading love