Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.

AN: I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've moved house and that's taken a long time and been stressful. Thank you for your patience.

Thank you for reading and reviewing.

xoxo


Dark Mater

Chapter 6


Demetri turned the computer around and showed Athena and Sully the baby pictures Bella had sent them. While Sully and Athena whispered to each other comparing this puffy baby to the Bella they knew, Felix touched his arm gently, to get his attention. Demi nodded and they both turned around and walked to the outer edges of Sully's chambers to give the ladies their privacy.

"Are you still mad at her?" Felix whispered under his breath. Behind them Athena and Sully laughed and gushed over the pictures.

"No. I was never mad." Demi flexed his arms out and straightened the color of his robe. "It's just. It's unlike her is all. They don't want her to be found. And. . . I don't think she does either." Demi balled his hands into fists. "I'm not used to being thwarted like that. It's still very unnerving for me to not know."

Felix grabbed Demitri's fist and straighten out his fingers, then slowly intertwined them around his own. "She's just a human."

Demitri sighed. "You know she was meant for more than that. I'd rather they just kill her and be done with it if they've changed their minds." He said darkly. "I don't understand this shipping her away business. What is that going to accomplish?"

"They can't exactly just kill her."

"They can. They should if they're through with her."

Felix glanced back at Sully and Athena. "You know they can't. Besides, what reason would they have? She trusts them completely and they adore her. Besides, I've never seen Aro more excited about her potential. She was literally raised with us. I heard Aro talking about creating a special force with her as the head. Who could be more loyal?"

Demetri shrugged. "That's why I don't like this business. I. . ." He looked at his feet. "I don't think she's safe, wherever she is."

"Is this about the call?"

"Yes." Demetri nodded.

"What call?" Athenadora rose to her feet. "What are you two whispering about?"

Felix and Demetri shared a glance to be interpreted as "now you've stepped in it."

Felix turned around first. "My pardon. We did not mean to interrupt."

"Demi thinks Bella is in danger because of some call." Athena stepped forward. "I want to know what this is about."

Sully rose too. "Aro prohibited anyone from reaching out." She glanced at the computer. "The guard. That is." She covered her own discretions. She will deal with Aro later. He couldn't be mad long at her.

"I didn't." Felix admitted. "But." He sighed. "She reached out to me about a month ago. She said she might be going into a dangerous situation and to call her back in five minutes with passwords. So I did. And she gave the all clear. It's nothing. The number she was using has been disconnected."

"Good girl." Sully nodded. They had set up "passwords" while she was growing up and going off into the human world where they couldn't follow in the daylight. They were not to be used lightly. If she had said that the foxes were in the hen house for instance, she could have triggered a massacre of humans depending on where she was. But they insisted for this system to keep her safe. There were so many dangers for her. It had always been the most pressing and hardest part. Keeping her safe. "She's always been a smart one."

"What kind of danger?" Athena clasped her arms, still concerned. It was so second nature now. She had just been staring at picture of her Bella wrapped in another woman's arms, and wondering if she recognized her face in the meal parade. She looked so much like Bella. And the man beside her. He too must have died that day. Anger and jealousy rose in her, but not an ounce of guilt for what they had done to her mother. Rarely had she given Bella's parentage a single thought. She was so much more than them. As soon as it was decided that Bella should live with them, Athena's only mission was to protect her and do what was best for her. She became part of the family. They had lost Diddyme. They wouldn't lose another. Her mission had always been the same.

"I'm not sure. She wouldn't tell me. She said it was just some misunderstanding and that she overreacted but she's fine."

When the decision was made that Bella, for her own safety, should be relocated to an undisclosed location, Athena had gone into a rage. Caius calmed her only by asking her if it was truly for Bella's sake she wanted to keep her here. If that's what was best for her, especially after the incident.

They're not drawn to drinking the blood of children. But Bella wasn't a child anymore. And as they are not accustomed to. . . controlling their appetites, it was getting harder on everyone. She was getting lonelier and lonelier and feeling shut out. Like a cursed princess locked away in a tower with a hungry dragon there, to protect her or in prison her? The lines were getting blurred.

"She's a tough girl." Sully commented. "For a human. She keeps her emotions in check. She's very calculating like, well, like Marcus. I don't think she would go through the trouble of communicating with you. . ." Sully was jealous that Bella had reached out to someone else and not her first. There must be a reason. "Perhaps to not raise alarm. But she must have felt threatened."

"But she called it off." Demi countered. "And obviously she is fine." He nodded at the computer.

"Or is she trying to protect someone else." Athena took the laptop again. This whole conversation would have to be concealed. "Delete all of these." She handed the laptop to Felix. "Smash it, if you have too."

"Why?" Felix furrowed his bushy eyebrows.

"Because it makes me sad." She lied. "I don't want to look at these anymore. And we should be obeying the order. It won't happen again." She said this to Sully. Sully knew this was for Aro. The next time they touched he would see all of this. And none of them knew if there would be consequences.


Bella stared at Edward's hand on hers and flickered her gaze up to his face. "Can I have my hand back?" She peeled her hand out from under his.

"Sorry." Edward apologized, and quickly returned his hand to his side. "Did I hurt you?"

Bella shook her head, but she had grown quiet.

"Are you tired?" He glanced at the ticking clock behind the couch. It was quite late. Later than her normal "awake" time.

Bella nodded and started to shuffle away all of the pictures. As she got to her feet, she groaned. Edward held out his hand for her to lean on, but she just stared at him mystified.

"Sorry." He folded his hands in his pockets. "I was just- sorry." He wasn't sure who to be right now: The vampire acting like a cordial normal human or the vampire who kept his distance. He knew he couldn't keep his distance anymore, and he and Bella both knew they were two entirely different beings. But he kept trying to find some middle ground. The space between supernatural and pretending. Or was this all just a big lie, and his real motives were to find reasons to touch her again.

Bella sighed. "Well, come on then." She looked up the narrow stairs leading to her bedroom. "Vampires first."

Edward grinned imagining that one of her rules was "never let a vampire trail behind you." It was spot on accurate actually. He avoided the squeaky stair, knowing the ins and outs of this house like a resident of it. Edward settled into his normal position in the chair in the corner of her bedroom. Bella used the restroom to wash her face. As she came in she stared at Edward for a moment. Hesitating. An uncertainty and curiosity in her face that Edward couldn't dissect.

Then Bella turned off the lamp and walked past Edward to her dresser. Slowly, she lifted the bottom of her shirt up and pulled it over her shoulders and head. Her hair fell back, grazing against her bra strap. She knew he could see her in the dark room, see every inch of her bare skin and could sense the blood rising to her checks and the places on her chest, but she felt safer in the dark regardless. She turned and bent over to push her jeans down to her ankles, then kicked them to the side of the room. When she unhooked her bra strap, Edward inhaled sharply, the sound lost as the bra fell to the floor in front of Bella. Then quickly, she pulled out one of the large long sleeve shirts in the top drawer and shimmied into it.

"Good night, Edward." Bella breathed. A little too out of breath, she climbed into her bed. Her shirt not quite long enough to cover her exposed panties underneath. She rolled into the cover and turned away from him.

"Good night, Bella." Edward said a little too professionally. His body had clenched up and he felt cemented into the chair. He didn't move for a long time. Hours after her breaths became unburdened and her jaw relaxed, Edward finally melted out from the chair. He was in a frazzled mindset and Bella too slept restlessly. It would be daylight soon and the sun would be out. It was time to go home. The only reason he was able to leave was knowing he would see her at school later on in the day. Every goodbye would be too much if not for a promise to return.

When he ran in through the garage door, Alice was waiting for him in the mudroom. She turned on the light, like a concerned parent catching her wayward teen sneaking back in.

"So." Alice folded her arms and looked Edward up and down at his now customary drenched clothes. "Going for another swim?"

"Yep." Edward nodded. "Helps me think. Helps me turn off." He added, pointing to his head.

Alice slitted her eyes and flared her nostrils. "I think you're lying."

"What?" Edward chortled. "Why would I lie about that?"

"I don't know but you've been weird. And I. . . I've been lost." She frowned and stared at her feet. "Everything is just gone."

Edward made a show of glancing around. "I'm pretty sure we're all still here, Alice." Alice did have a taste for the dramatic and she was rarely caught out and even more rarely put out. Edward wasn't sure how long he could keep this up. Bella had opened up more than she ever had and despite everything, he felt like she needed him. And perhaps more importantly, he was discovering how much he needed her. They were stars circling each other, destined to collide. Perhaps that is what Alice is seeing of the future. The future when Bella and Edward's stars circle in too fast and they end up exploding together leaving nothing behind but dark matter.


Charlie woke up with soft dim light coming in through the shutters. Small flecks floating in the sun spot. For a moment, it seemed like everything was peaceful and still. And then he heard the phone downstairs ringing. He checked his bedside cloak. The red analog letters flashed 00:00. Oh right. After a storm a few nights back, the power went out for three minutes. He overslept. He checked the light out the window again. He was usually up before the sun. As he threw on an old robe, Charlie grumbled something under his breath. "I'm coming, I'm coming." He said as he shuffled down the stairs. With his left hand he grabbed the phone and in his other he loosened up the cord. "Charlie Swan speaking."

There was silence on the other end. "Hello?" Charlie asked louder.

"Charlie. Oh hey, sorry, I thought you might be at work. It's Nancy from the high school."

"Oh. Hey Nancy." Charlie exhaled. "Is everything alright?"

"Is Bella. . . Is Bella not feeling well?"

"She's not at school?" Charlie glanced out the front window, he didn't see the red truck where it should have been. "Bella?" He called out and waited a moment. "Nancy, I'll have to call you back."

There was a sinking feeling in his stomach. Something was not right. "Bella?" He opened the door to her bedroom. There was the ghost of her presence. Some school books on the floor. A crumbled shirt on the bed. A pair of jeans the corner. Her bed was undone and the indent still sunken on her pillow. But Bella wasn't there.


Edward sat panicked in his first class. Bella didn't show up. He didn't hear her out obnoxious truck pull up. He didn't see her face in any of her normal friends visuals. As soon as the bell rang, he nearly jumped over to the administration office and asked if Bella had called in sick, though he could see immeaditley that they hadn't been notified as such. He had to double back and play it cool. Jasper eyed him warily across the hall. As he grabbed his books for the next class, Jasper grabbed his arm. He felt better.

"Edward." Jasper started. But Edward shook his head. -Edward. What's going on? Alice is worried too.-

Edward sighed. And he slammed the door to his locker.

-Eddie- Alice thought somewhere in another hallway. -Bella's gone.-


It was Frank's first day on the job by himself with no help. Terry was manning the computer next to him and was available if he had questions. After getting kicked out his girlfriends apartment last month, he had been living out of his car. Hopefully he would be able to save most of his paycheck to put down first month's rent for his own place.

The first customer walked up to the computer with a duffel bag on their back and thick black eyeglasses.

"Hello! Welcome to Delta. How may I assist you today?" Frank grinned, feeling a chill run through him.

A short pale hand thrusted a printed off boarding pass into Frank's grasp.

"Ah. Sure, did you need to check in? No problem at all." Frank clicked a few things into the computer. "Sorry, just a second, I accidentally hit the wrong button. Nope. No worries. Uh, here. Sorry about that." He printed off a new boarding ticket. "Did you need to check any luggage?"

The duffel bag was offered up.

"Sure thing. No problem. Just need to weigh it real quick." He set the duffel bag down and read the numbers. "Okay. Just have to. . . type this in." He clicked on a few more pop up guides. "So, traveling alone?"

The passenger said nothing in response.

"Right, well, here is your checked luggage ticket. Have a good flight. Enjoy L.A. I hear it's fine sunny weather." Frank watched as the pale hand grabbed up the ticket and then scurried away from the counter. He was supposed to be on alert if anything was suspicious. But he wasn't quite sure what counted as suspicious here. Her looked at the call button on his desk. And the button next to the passenger name still up on his screen. Anna Sinclair. Should he flag it? His finger hovered over his mouse.

Before he could make a decision the next customer walked up. And Frank sighed. It's probably nothing.

Anna provided her ID at the stop before customs. She waited, not looking at the officer.

"Can you take your glasses off, ma'am?"

Silently she removed them. She remembered to blink, but still didn't stare at him in the eye.

"Thank you. Have a good day." He handed back the boarding pass and her ID. She grabbed it without looking. She made it past customs. She boarded her flight. She put on a sleeping mask and pretended to be asleep the entire flight. She sat, waiting until everyone had left the cabin before she got up and made her exit.

The group that had already deplaned were scattered but walking uniformly towards baggage claim. But not her. She twisted on her heels and marched forward to another gate. At a corner table next to the in house Starbucks she pulled out a chair and sat down. "It's good to see you again, Bella." She said reservedly. Bella set down her cup of coffee.

"Yes. I'm glad you're here." Bella said dryly. "How is. . ."

"Alec?"

"Yes." Bella exhaled.

"Pining."

"I'm sorry." Bella folded her hands on her lap.

Jane twisted in her seat. "You're an awful lot of trouble for a human. I hope you know that."

"I do." Bella laughed in her throat. "I do."

"Aro wasn't pleased with the trick you pulled on Sulpicia."

"It wasn't a trick.-" Bella started and then shook her head, remembering her rules. Don't argue with vampires. "I'm sorry. I couldn't resist."

"If Aro wasn't so enchanted with you, I'd kill you right here and now." Jane said casually as if discussing the weather.

"I know." Bella said taking another sip of coffee.

"I've never been a big fan of yours."

"I know." Bella nodded, an odd smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Another one of Bella's rules. Never meet with a vampire unless you have the upper hand and are willing to risk your life for it.

"So, what do I get with this great honor."

"I had a question." Bella looked at her hands. "When you all first met me in the feeding chambers." Her breath shortened. "Alec said he saved me. What did he do?"

Jane laughed. "Alec didn't save you. Alec tried to keep you quiet, but-"

"But what." Bella leaned forward. "What did I do?" This was the part that everyone had always stopped at. There was more to that sentence but no one had ever followed it through.

Jane was feeling generous, halfway deciding she may as well kill the girl while she was here so that they could all be done with this nonsense. Why lie to her now?

"Because when everyone else including your hair-brainned stupid mother fell to the ground, you looked back at Alec and he fell limp." Jane said disgustedly. "Alec only saved you because if he hadn't used his power against you, you wouldn't have been noticed at all. And you would be dead just like your mother and father. Just like you should be."

Bella blinked and took in a shaky breath. "So then it's true." A tear fell from her eye. "Then it's all true."

"What's true?" Jane asked coldly.

Dawning realization was hitting Bella far too late. "It's why he got so distant. I thought it was just. . . because I'm human." Bella was breathing harder now. "I haven't been having nightmares." Bella stood up and without a second glance dashed off through the airport. Jane tried to follow her, but she had to walk at a human pace and by the time she caught up with Bella, Bella was standing out in the golden sun and hailing a taxi.

Jane growled and a small child to her left jumped and began to cry. Jane threw herself back inside to the comfort of the shadows where she would have to wait, but come sundown, Jane was going hunting.