Sorry for the lateness! For those who asked, I do plan on continuing the story, life just sort of really got in the way this past month, but I'll try adhering more to a consistent schedule again. The ending for this story is mapped out, so I'm fairly certain that it'll be easier this time.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyers owns Twilight and its characters. I'm just using them.

The days passed by like a blur.

There was an unspoken tension between the Cullens and I.

We all knew that I had to remain under their "guardianship," as Carlisle called it, but we also knew that I didn't have to like it.

The Cullens practiced a form of Vegetarianism, as they called it. They fed only on the blood of animals. Just like I had initially done when I'd woken up. This pleased them because they felt as though I too could acquiesce to their lifestyle.

I, however, was motivated purely by the desire to see my parents. It didn't even matter if I never saw Jessica, my roommate or Angela, my best friend, ever again. By now I realized that although it was painful, it was nothing compared to not seeing my parents.

Daily, I pleaded with Carlisle. All I needed to do was make a phone call, or even send a letter maybe.

I needed to be able to say goodbye.

But making contact was too risky he said, particularly with my father's profession. Not mention, he had added ominously, there were rules in place.

That had been when I had learned of the Volturi, the vampires' most powerful coven.

Aro, their leader, kept a large collection of vampires even more talented than the Cullens to keep the large majority of vampires worldwide inline.

They were stationed in Italy however, Alice informed me. And Aro kept his distance from Carlisle because of their separate ideologies.

However, they both agreed that vampires had to remain a secret, and Carlisle had no desire to go against Aro, the only one who truly wished to be in power.

Unspoken were the words that if Aro ever impugned or imposed upon the Cullens there would be hell to pay. Afterall, Alice would see it coming the moment they made the decision to do so.

Alice herself was tricky.

While the others had made themselves scarce, Rosalie and Emmett disappearing off on some long-awaited vacation, Alice had done the opposite.

It was clear to me that she desperately wanted to friends, from the way she easily volunteered information, helpfully provided clothes, and made herself available to me at every opportunity, but her ever-present cheerful personality grated on my nerves, working me up into an annoyance that I knew was wrong - she was only being nice- but one I couldn't help despite myself.

It was just infuriating to have someone around me so cheerful when I found myself increasingly angry.

To that end, Jasper, often sensing my frustration would come to collect her, shooting me a look of warning that if I dared harm a hair on her head, there would be extreme repercussions.

That was the other thing. In a house full of vampires, I hadn't realized that the majority of them were paired up. Each day, I was treated to the sounds of their voices and bodies as they engaged in certain physical activities.

The sex.

With no sleep required and endless hours in the day, it was inevitable that 1 out of the 3 couples would be copulating in one of the many rooms of the Cullen household.

Before they had left, Rosalie and Emmett had been some of the fiercest engagers in that activity.

I would run outside to the forest to escape the noises and their happiness.

So yeah, I was in a bad mood.

Understandable given that I was essentially a prisoner in their house and that my life was all but over.

"Bella?"

I fell out of my musings and stiffened.

Of course, I wasn't the only Cullen outside of these couples.

Edward was too.

Ever since that day in the forest, when Edward had held me as I wept, there had been an awkward stiltedness to our conversations.

How could there not, when someone who was practically a stranger had been privy to one of my most personal moments?

Not to mention - this was Edward.

Handsome, smart Edward. The guy my college self had spied on from hallways and secretly fantasized about.

But now he was also Edward, my gatekeeper. The guy who watched me and kept from wandering too far off the Cullen land, who monitored me through Jasper's senses and Alice's visions.

My prison guard.

Maybe a mutual bond should have begun to develop between us through all of this, but instead, I found myself resenting the position I had been placed with him.

I saw the looks Alice and Esme shot at each other when they saw Edward and me in any sort of proximity. They were playing matchmaker.

The way they always seemed to pair off, leaving Edward and me together, as though this was some sort of fantasy match made in the heavens.

But this wasn't some sort of movie, this was my LIFE. I wasn't going to be falling head over heels in love with Edward Cullen when my parents were sick to death over my absence, when I wasn't going to graduate college, when I wasn't going to have much of a life beyond wanting to kill people and drink their blood.

Which is why when Edward greeted me, my response was cold.

"What?"

He smiled in spite of my tone.

"It's tough being in that house all of the time, huh?"

Edward for his part always tried being kind despite my attitude. I wasn't really the nicest person to be around. I knew this all, but I could never help myself.

"It's tough knowing that your life is over, that your parents think you're dead."

God, I really sounded like a moody teenager.

I watched Edward closely as my words landed, hoping that they would have their intended effect and he would leave.

Instead, I watched as ever so minutely his brow twitched, so fast my human eyes never would have ever caught it.

As his mouth opened to reply, my hand lashed out and caught his arm.

"What was that?"

His eyebrow lifted.

"What was what?"

"That thing your eyebrow did when I mentioned my parents and my life being over. What was that for?"

A pause.

When he opened his mouth once more I interrupted again.

"Don't lie to me Edward, I know that pause. You all do it when you're preparing to lie to me."

He paused again, studying my face with a close scrutiny that made me uncomfortable the longer it lasted. This was big, I could feel it.

"Please don't lie to me," I spoke softly, staring at him with my mouth curved down and my eyes lowered. Manipulation at its finest. I may have had conflicting feelings about Edward, but I was certain he liked me or at least felt a modicum of pity for me.

He glanced away and cleared his throat, as if steeling himself, then turned and faced me once more.

"We didn't think it best to let you know this... especially since you assumed right away that your family thought you were dead. We were hoping it would help you adjust to being a vampire better, but..."

He trailed off then began again, stronger now and more secure in his decision.

"Your parents don't know you're dead yet. Of course, they will eventually, but it's only been a few weeks. We thought it best to not let them know just yet until we figure out who changed you, to have less interference - especially since your father is police officer"

My throat was dry. I cleared it.

"But what about my roommates? Don't they know I'm missing?"

He spoke more easily now, as if eased by my lack reaction.

"We cleared your things out and sent them a message from your phone that you had a family emergency and had to leave. We told them we'd continue to pay rent of course, and that seemed to leave them mostly appeased - although you have gotten some texts from a girl named Angela. We've assured her that you're fine of course. And we've been texting your parents too, so they think you're fine."

"By pretending to be me?"

There was an edge to my voice now, that Edward either didn't notice or pretended not to.

"Of course, it was simple enough by comparing similar texts you've sent before."

My body was hot and then cold, and I was filled with an icy rage.

"Fuck you"

He started.

"What?"

"Fuck you Edward Cullen," I repeated. I didn't sound like myself anymore, not my old self and not my new self. I'd never heard this type of vitriol come from my mouth.

"You make me believe that everyone I love thinks I'm dead, you keep trapped here, and worse, you violate my privacy and go through my stuff and pretend to be me, all the while keeping me from communicating with them? I'm grateful for everything you've done for me, but I had no idea that all of you were capable of being so cruel. So fuck you and fuck your family."

Logically, I knew that none of this was fair. I knew they had all done everything as best as they could have. But at the same none of it mattered. I was the girl who wanted to see her family again, who wanted to speak to them again - if only to say I love once more.

I turned and ran, and for once, Edward did not follow.

I ran to the far edge of the boundary, the furthest on the Cullen land I could go, without risking them coming after them, and wept.

Some hours later I lay there still, blessedly alone.

I couldn't keep doing this. I couldn't mope around the Cullen compound crying and sobbing about my life being over.

My tidal wave of grief had subsided, but a dim glow of rage remained.

It was time to do something about it.

Someone was responsible for what had happened to me. That someone was not the Cullens, who had done everything in their power to care for me in the aftermath.

My rage needed to be directed at whoever had done this to me.

I had to find them.

My control as a vampire was the best he'd ever seen, Jasper had told me. If I directed my focus into perfecting my control, I knew I would be ready soon to venture into the real world.

With my newborn strength and speed, I knew I could escape the Cullens if need be.

I only had Alice to worry about. But her gift was not infallible. I could do this.

I could run and find the culprit. I had all of the time in the world now.

And I knew where to begin, where the greatest source of information on all vampires in the world.

The Volturi.

Thanks for reading! All errors are mine per usual. I'm curious as to what you all think of Bella this chapter - she seems to be cycling through different stages pretty fast.

Let me know what you all think and see you all soon!