Like the first night when Carlisle and Bella found each other by chance up in the mountains, they passed the hours talking and sharing their fondest memories with one another. It filled part of the void in Bella's immortal soul.

"Thank you again for this," Carlisle said, tugging on the chain of the necklace.

"You're welcome." She gave a tight, closed-mouth smile and then accepted another hug.

As they parted, both of them lingered for a moment, holding a few seconds gaze before Carlisle sheepishly looked down and back away.

"I'll.. see ya later." Bella gave a little wave and then headed back to the reservation. Almost immediately she began packing up a suitcase, prompting Nessy to enter the room.

Her daughter smirked with her arms folded across her chest as she leaned against the doorframe. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Stop," she said.

"Where were you?"

"I spent the night talking with Carlisle," Bella explained, "You don't know what it's like not being able to sleep. I get restless. I finally have someone to pass those.. lonely hours with."

Nessy softened up a bit and nodded. "I'm sorry for teasing you. I know, I kind of have the best of both worlds thanks to you and Dad." She gave a little smile.

Bella smiled back. "It's fine."

"But.. I do think there's a little something there.. don't you?"

Bella hesitated and then went on. "Ness.. I'm just happy to have him here. I'm happy to see him. He's just a genuine, warm.. person. And we share a lot of memories from the past.." She shook her head. "I'm going to make a trip up to see everyone."

"I think you should," Nessy agreed. She approached Bella and gave her a long hug. "You deserve to be happy. I just hope you know that."

Bella closed her eyes, feeling pain and contentment and happiness all at once. Hugging her daughter was her favorite thing in the world and she sighed as they parted. "Thank you."

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too."

..

Traveling up north with Carlisle by foot was.. fun. Bella loved running full speed and letting her true self out in full effect with someone who was just like her. She missed it - being in the company of other vampires.

"I haven't felt this.. free.. in so long," Bella confessed as they stopped near the edge of a cliff. She turned and smiled at Carlisle, who flashed a grin back.

"I understand." He gave a nod and you used his pause to toss a snowball in his direction.

Carlisle dodged it and laughed before tossing one back. It was, all and all, a pleasant trip above the Canadian border. When the Cullen house came into view, Bella smiled. It was a perfect dwelling that suited them.

An oversized modern cabin tucked away in the woods practically had the Cullen name plastered all over it. It was a combination of rustic and new-age, with an abundance of windows surrounded by wooden beams. A porch wrapped around half of the estate and had been manicured perfectly with all of the expected accents - a cozy firepit near the woods, a hot tub perched on the enormous back deck and a covered swimming pool out back.

"Alice.." Bella motioned to the house and the pointed toward the hot tub, "And Rosalie."

Carlisle chuckled. "Some things haven't changed." He waved a hand, "Come on."

The two of them wandered up onto the front porch and Carlisle opened the front door, allowing Bella in ahead of him. Immediately, the scents of everyone and everything took her back down memory lane. It was Alice, it was Jasper and Emmett and Rosalie. Even the scents of the unlit candles scattered about in fitting places added to the familiar concoction that outlined the past.

The house was completely different, yet inside somehow it felt the same as the house in Forks. It felt like.. home.

"Bella." Alice's soft voice made Bella freeze. She stared ahead as one of her most important confidantes stood with her hands folded inside each other as she entered the living room by way of the kitchen. Jasper swooped in beside her and gave a little lopsided grin.

"Hey Bella." The sound of his voice was almost surreal, like it could have been part of an elaborate daydream - the kind Bella often experienced at night when she was alone with the world.

"Alice," Bella breathed her name and crashed into her with a hug so fierce it knocked bother her and Jasper back.

Everyone smiled and Bella and Alice hugged until they were both convinced that the other was actually standing there.

"It's so good to see you," Alice welcomed, "I was hoping my vision wouldn't change."

"I'm glad it didn't." Bella smiled and then shifted her eyes go Jasper, who continued to smirk.

"I almost forgot what you smelled like," he teased, pulling her in for a more controlled embrace.

"I miss you," Bella told them both. "Like.. so much. I.." She shook her head, "I've been away for too long."

"You're grieving," Rosalie appeared out of nowhere with a serious, yet sympathetic expression - one that Emmett, a step behind her, didn't mirror. Amusement clung to his features and his boyish, mischievous eyes made Bella feel warm.

"I was.. for awhile," Bella explained and let out a sigh. "For so long I thought I'd feel sad being back here.. with all of you.. without Edward." She swallowed hard and looked toward Carlisle, "And maybe ten years ago I would have. But, I don't feel that way now." Her eyes took turns studying all of them and the warmth continued to build inside of her. "I feel.. at home. I miss you.. all of you. I miss you so much."

Emmett stormed Bella faster than she had Alice a moment before. He picked her up and twirled her around before planting a brotherly kiss on her forehead.

"Well, we missed the hell out of you Bella," he gushed, winning at his mate. "Even Rosalie."

Rosalie let a smile slowly spread over her face. "Even me."

Bella sighed, almost overwhelmed by being in their company. "It feels good to be around everybody."

"I anticipated an extended stay, so I made you up your own room," Alice explained with a nod a smile. "Come on. I'll take you upstairs," she reached for Bella's hand, "And then at some point we'll go shopping because I know you only have clothes for a week.. and you'll be here for much longer than that."

Alice turned and looked over her shoulder at Carlisle, who squinted his eyes as he questioned her subtle, but not-so-subtle glance.

"Bella's back!" Emmett gushed. "I say that calls for a little party"