Surprise! So soon! Wow! I'm on a roll :D

My watch buzzing brought me back into consciousness. I lay there thinking about my dreamless night, and how surreal it had been. I was a little disoriented at first… Why was I awake so early on a Sunday? I turned off the alarm and started to get up. Charlie. I was having breakfast with him, and driving him to Billy's. I stretched and smoothed back my eyebrows and hair, I stretched my neck, and then rolled my shoulders. I was forgetting something. I started to pull off my T-shirt when I froze. Edward. I scanned the room quickly, expecting to see him laughing at my ignorance of his presence, but found only my still, empty room. He had said he would be by after baseball. But perhaps he had also taken my advice on 'asking before stalking' a little too seriously. I had assumed he was going to be here tonight, but perhaps I had not given him permission to do so, and he was playing it safe. I reached out to my phone to text him, and found it unresponsive. The hell? Last night I had managed an entire text conversation with my mother. Apparently that was my poor phone's heroic last deed. It wouldn't turn on at all.

I took it downstairs with me, once I was dressed, and began breakfast. Charlie appeared moments later with a newspaper, and started some coffee, orange juice, and toast. I cracked eggs into a frying pan, and then pried into my phone to get the cards out. If I got the same model, I'd just replace the cards into it, and still have all of my stuff. Maybe minus a picture or two.

Charlie and I ate breakfast quietly, while I mulled over where to get my new phone. Charlie had already said he'd pay for it – probably out of his retirement fund. That sucked, and I'd need to get a stronger protective case for it next time. This would not be a regular occurrence.

"Thank you for driving me into La Push today." Charlie began.

Fine. I signed, smiling. It was a very general sign for 'no worries'. It was one I knew he knew. "I get to see Jake too ya know. And it's better that you can relax on Sunday than have to worry about being sober enough to drive yourself home. You don't take much time for yourself." You work too hard.

"Yeah. I kept worrying that I would be leaving you alone too much, but you seem to be out almost more than me. I'm glad you're fitting in here Bells. As much as I don't like the boyfriend thing, I think I'm kind of relieved too."

"While also wanting to run background checks, and get out your gun?" I asked. I was his daughter after all. I saw his mouth move as he mumbled something, but since he didn't raise his eyes to meet mine, I assumed I wasn't really meant to hear it anyway.

I shook m y head with a laugh, and proceeded upstairs to brush my teeth and grab my keys. By the time I was settled in my truck, Charlie had loaded two cases of beer, and some fishing gear into the truck bed, and was sitting dejectedly in the passenger seat. He hated being dependant on people. We drove, again, in silence, but it was never uncomfortable. It was only with Edward that I really talked continuously. Even Angela and I were quiet together.

I remembered Edward's treaty, and Jacob's story about the La Push wolves. For the next little bit, he wouldn't be able to come find me anyway. I'd see him when I got back. When we pulled up to Billy's, Jacob was maneuvering his father down a ramp. I guess the truck really was that loud. People could hear me coming from a mile away.

"Hey Bella!" Jacob said boomingly. His father nodded a 'hello' too. I waved back, getting out. Charlie began unloading his crates of beer and fishing gear, resting some on Billy's lap, and handing some to Jacob. I wasn't given anything, probably a good move, since the driveway was muddy and slippery enough to warrant full attention.

"Hey Jake, do you remember the escargot incident?" I asked amicably. He stopped in his tracks.

"Ugh. Bells it's been literally years since I've thought about that. I just had breakfast." He laughed, looking slightly green.

"It came up recently, and I started to worry I'd imagined it." I confided.

I stayed in the entranceway, I wouldn't be staying for too much longer. The men-folk unloaded their things, and Jacob came back out to see why I wasn't coming in.

"you aren't staying for the game?" he asked.

"I don't even know what sport the game is." I said, rolling my eyes. Jake laughed a little.

"Fair point. You need one of those shirts that says 'yay sports, score the points'." He said, making air-quotations around the shirt phrase.

"Yeah no kidding. I also wanted to ask you something." I pointed back towards my truck. "How come that thing's louder than an aeroplane?"

He laughed. "So I can hear you coming of course. I could try and take a look at it, but to be honest – it's just old."

"Yeah I figured." I sighed and wrinkled my nose. "Well whatever. It's functional."

"Beggars can't be choosers." Jake said solemnly. He then brightened up. "I'm learning more signs you know."

Hello. I'm J.A.K.E. I know a little sign. I know slow fingerspelling. He articulated. I grinned at him.

"Well done. I'm impressed." I was flattered too.

"I've got some weird ones down. Some swearing, basic conversation, some question words, that kinda thing. Though I do only have my dad to practice on, and he's kinda useless."

"Well I would say you could video-chat me, but I busted my phone last night. It's another reason I can't stay. I have to head to Port Angeles and get one today."

Shit. He signed.

"Language Jake." I giggled, heading back to the car. "You're taking care of reverse transport right? For Charlie?"

"Yeah yeah. We'll drop him home later." He waved. I saluted him, and thanked him in sign. He lit up as he signed 'you're welcome' in return.

I got back in my truck and headed back to Forks. It had begun drizzling again. I wondered if it would be intrusive to drive to the Cullen household, uninvited, and so soon after the last time. It was also the longest I'd gone without hearing from Edward in a while, but perhaps that was due to my broken phone. Would Alice know it was broken? I made a mental note to ask her about that later. I began steering towards Port Angeles instead. It was better that I fixed the whole phone situation as soon as possible.

The sky darkened the farther into the forested areas I got, and it took on a rather creepy green tinge in the mist of the still and moist air. I saw a sudden white blur beside my truck and slammed my breaks on. That definitely looked familiar. Exactly like the Cullens had been running around yesterday. I pulled the truck to the side of the road, and looked around at the forest. Had I been imagining it?

"Edward?" I asked, nervously, into the empty truck cab. I saw a scattering of a dozen birds beside the road. He must be in there. I looked behind me and could see another car making its way down the road. Ah! He didn't want to be seen brazenly running through the woods by others. I watched he car I could see in the distance, until it seemed to be turning away. I unclipped my seatbelt, and got out of the truck. I left the door open, and the engine idling, as I planned to return very shortly. I looked away for a split second, and into the forest, then I found him.

And he was not Edward.