Caught in the Act

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. Everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

A/N: This story is taken from one of my favourite drama/comedy series from Korea and decided to take and E/B twist to it. POV's will shift from BPOV to EPOV but I might decide sometimes to take on a 3rd person Narrator POV (NPOV) to tell the scenes in a more limited and less personal manner.

Chapter 2: Enter the Heroine, Isabella Swan.

BPOV:

"Shit, shit, shit! Jake where the hell are you?!" I hiss-shouted to my phone as I

glance at one of those Sea-Tac wall clocks with big ass block numbers taunting me clearly screaming 11:45 am.

Fuck me.

Ok, maybe I can use one of those mind control telekinesis things to stop the clock's hands from moving? Ok Bella, stare at the wall clock, concentrate, deep breathing… clear your mind…will the clock to stop moving…stop moving.. stop moving… and…

11:46 am Fuccck! Yeah. That didn't work. Heh. What?! It worked in the movies. I had to try something. Shit!

"Jacob!" I shouted to my phone again. My childhood family friend Jacob Black is driving a busload of tourists from the hotel for their departure today. Their 11:15 am departure I might add.

"We're almost there! I'm driving like crazy Bells. One of the old lady decided that she needed to pee AFTER everyone has settled into the bus. And she walked like a friggin' turtle! And not like one of those ninja ones! Please please stall them Bella, we're almost there!" Jacob answered through the receiver. I can hear the car horns and I can even hear shouting and cursing in the background I almost felt how fast the bus is going. I sighed, resigned and prayed that Jacob and the old folks don't get into any accident. But damn they better get here fast!

Jacob and I got this job stint with Newton Travel and Tours, a local travel agency that regularly conducts mini tours of Forks, the nearby reservation and some parts of Seattle area to tourists. Most of them come from other states or Canada and sometimes if we are lucky, some European weirdoes who think this place is more interesting than what they have in Europe. I would really never understand why they'd think that.

But hey, to each his own. More passengers, more money.

Some of the tourists are into greens and ferns or nature, whatever. There isn't really much to see here in Washington really aside from mossy green forests and parks, and the beach, lakes and cabins in the Native American reservation. Most of the tourists are old people looking for peaceful quiet retreats. Some, on other hand are adventure bear–hunting, tree-loving junkies and on rare occasions, we get a couple of businessmen in town for business purposes and have down times in between their conferences and decide to tour the place for a while.

The tours are quite rare and are far in between since there is not much demand for them.

Mike Newton, an old high school classmate of ours and the owner of the travel agency would normally call on me and Jake for these occasional stunts. Jacob would drive the bus around. He pretty much knows the area having lived here his entire life. On the other hand, I would be the tour guide showing them the places and telling them about the stories and histories of the places we visit.

Well, if I were really being honest I am not that knowledgeable on the area. I mean I know the basic information and facts like you know, the name of the place. And .. umm…yeah. Pretty much that. Heh.

So I just end up telling personal stories and anecdotes about the places we visit like the one time we passed by Tillicum Park and shared the story of how one of our old high school buddies Eric Yorkie took a girl to make out there. He was so in the zone that he didn't notice that a baby bear was chewing on his pants because the eager horny geek that he is took off his clothes and neatly laid it on a boulder beside the shrubs. It might be his first make out sesh, probably, because really, who takes off their entire wardrobe just to make out?! The girl freaked out on him because she thought Eric deliberately brought a baby bear to watch them make out (the baby bear was quietly chewing on his trousers while watching them by the way). He had to go back to the roadside and used one of the big ass leaves as a skirt to cover up his not so private, privates. Heh.

I don't know if I wasn't supposed to tell those kinds of tales to random tourists but I think they enjoyed it seeing them laugh every time. I mean it was more entertaining than listening to how the Tillicum Park was named or which famous person it was named after. Not that I knew anyway.

The tour guide stint clearly wasn't a regular job. It was hard for me to keep a permanent one because we are constantly in and out of town. By 'we' I meant my dad, Charlie Swan and I. He has.. uh.. business dealings.. that needed for us to constantly travel to other states and towns for a while.

It's complicated.

My mom died when I was young. Charlie was devastated but he raised me as well as he could since then. He and I have been our own family since I was a kid. Although his best friend Billy Black, Jacob and Emily's dad are a close 2nd family for us, my dad and I have been all we had as long as I can remember.

Charlie's not a perfect person.

He has issues with his work… and he sometimes would get mixed up with the wrong crowd, but he loves me and I love him and has been a good father to me even though some of his "work activities" caused more danger and problems than it was supposed to put food on our table. He was clueless but he always tried and dreamed for me. He was constantly in debt and in trouble but he would never involve or drag me in his "business dealings". However, we would always be on the run or we oftentimes need to temporarily "cool it off" in another state or town.

This is why I couldn't hold a permanent job and would settle for the irregular stints that I get like being a tour-guide, catering waitress, birthday party host, summer camp assistant, or I would give short-term art classes, acting classes and music classes for kids during summer.

I can pretty much do anything, live or sleep anywhere. I had no ties anywhere and I have learned to take care of myself at a young age because even though Charlie tried his best to take care of me, he always seem to get himself in some sort of mess and he needed me to take care of him just as he was always there to take care of me. I would never leave him.

Unlike me, Jacob has a permanent job though. Aside from driving the tour bus, which frankly I think he is just doing because of me. He hated Mike Newton but he knows I needed someone to partner with to get the job. And boy do I need the job. It's a good thing Mike was always willing to give me this tour-guide stint even though he hates Jacob equally and I'm pretty sure he has an idea that I kinda make up information during the tours or sing on the microphone whenever I ran out of things to say or stories to tell.

Mike's a good guy. Ok maybe not a good guy, but he is harmless. A bit clingy, touchy and maybe tries too hard to act cool at times but he's always helped me. He also employs Jacob's sister Emily as a cashier in the Newton Travel and Tour Gift Shop slash Café and would always give me free meals when I am there.

"Last call for all passengers boarding United Airlines Flight 407J Washington to Chicago, please board now. Gates will be closing in 5 minutes"

Uh-oh.

We can't mess up this tour. We will only be paid if the tourists have been safely brought to the airport. This is one of the very few tours that we had a lot of participants that came in and Mike will get into trouble if we ruin this for him. And I don't want those tourists missing their flights because of us. They have been so nice to me, those old folks and I don't want to let them down. Plus, I don't want to let Mike down after all he's done to help me.

I press the call button again and I didn't even have the opportunity to say a word before Jacob answered from the other line "Bells we are almost there I promise, please please stall the planes, make one of your miracles, just do something and we are almost there I promise!" Jacob hit end before I could even utter one word.

Stall the planes? What the fuck Jacob? People can't just stall the planes? He should really try riding one so he understands that planes cannot be randomly stalled.

Shit. Shit. Shit. What do I do? Think Bella think! I see the last of the passengers scrambling to the doors to the gate of the Chicago flight. Panic sets in as the flight stewardess takes the "no entry" chord across the doors signifying that the boarding gates are closed. She with a guard, who looked too young to be taken too seriously are closing the entrance doors.

I look at the flight stewardess; she was tall, slim brunette, kind looking middle-aged woman. Her face is pale and her hair is tied in a very neat sleek bun. She is plain looking but she looks kind and has an air of authority about her. A senior staff perhaps? She is wearing a simple pair of pearl earrings and as she slightly bends down to tie the chord, a gold necklace with one of those half-heart pendants dangle from her neck.

Hmmm.. I wonder… Will it work? I hesitate for a brief second and composed myself.

Well Isabella Marie, here goes nothing. Do it Bella, you can't let the tourists down. I mentally cheered myself on.

I closed my eyes, internalized and took one large breath as I stalk forward to the stewardess and the little boy guard. I screamed with all the pain and agony I could muster.

"Michaaaeeeel"

NPOV:

"Michaaaeeeel"

Elena, the flight attendant heard a wailing scream and snapped her head to the direction where the scream came from. She then noticed a pale brunette fast approaching them. Elena looked tentatively at Nick, the young guard stationed to escort her back to the plane and Nick looked at her equally confused.

Nick followed the source of the scream and saw a girl dressed in dark blue skinny jeans, yellow sneakers and a black tight cotton V-neck. Nick thought the girl is so pretty. She is small but she is curvy, elegant and sinfully curvy at the same time, her skin is so pale but flawless, like one of those Hollywood actresses' skins in magazine ads. She actually looked like an actress who made an effort to look dishevelled and rugged as not to attract attention. Her hair is long, wavy with loose curls that hung until her waist, messy but in a good natural way. A style people try to pay for – "natural mess". She isn't wearing any make up that was clear but one would think she might be because of how flawless she is and how defined her features are. Her eyes were huge and brown, mesmerizing brown. If that is even a shade.

She was sobbing and crying, her hands shaking and her chin and lips are shaking as she approached Nick and Elena.

"Michael..please, you have to get me to him" Bella sobbed. She swayed a little and Nick and Elena immediately held each her arm to keep her from falling.

"Miss, what's the matter? Is there a problem? What can we do?" Elena looked at the girl and her heart broke a little looking at how sad the crying lady crumbled in front of her. She was so pretty yet looked vulnerable and she immediately wanted to help her even though she didn't know what this person is crying about.

Bella choked out words through sobs "I beg you, the love of my life, Michael, is in that plane.. I have to say goodbye to him…sniff…You have to take me to him please? You see, he is leaving for good but I haven't had the opportunity to tell him I love him, I've been so stubborn and now he is leaving. Please, I need to tell him I love him before it's too late" Bella pleaded with a small sad voice.

Nick continued to hold on to Bella's arm while Elena gently stroked Bella's back and patted her arm to keep her calm. Elena gave Nick a wary look and Nick looked confused and indecisive at the same time.

"I'm so sorry miss but the gates have been closed already. It is a strict policy and we cannot let anyone in there that is not a passenger of the flight. I'm so very sorry. Please stop crying miss, please calm down" Elena comforted her through a pained voice.

Bella glanced at the half-heart pendant for inspiration and wailed in louder sobs "Oh please? I beg you? I might never see him again. Do you know how it is to be parted from the one you love? I promise I won't be too long please just let me say goodbye to the love of my life… sniff."

And then Bella went for the kill.

She looked up through her lashes, her big sad doe eyes that literally would remind anyone of the cartoon version in Puss-in-boots, and she jutted her lower lip out, her chin slightly shivering.

"Michael might be gone and marry someone else (heave-sob) and this is the only chance I have to tell him that I love him. Please help me (sob)" Bella swayed a little, buckling her knees slightly as both Elena and Nick caught her and both of them shifted from foot to foot in confusion. Nick looked like he might begin crying any moment now.

Elena clutched her heart and fingered her pendant and at that moment, Bella knew she had them. She could buy Jacob and the tourists a little more time.

"Oh dear.. okay okay.. Miss what is your name?" Elena asked.

"Isabella" Bella answered through a soft voice, knowing from experience that using her full name brought on a more dramatic effect to people.

True enough, Nick sighed and smiled after hearing Bella's name. For some reason she looked even more beautiful after finding out her name. Isabella – "The Beautiful One"

"Ok Ms. Isabella, I will let you in and you look for your Michael. But you have to be really fast. The captain won't be happy with me but I have worked here for a long time and the staff and the guards are all my friends so they will indulge me. But please, you have to be quick okay?" Elena's words were firm but so very kind. Bella believed that this person is as kind as her face.

"Oh thank you!" Bella hugged Elena and gave a huge smile to Nick that nearly knocked him off his feet. "I promise to be fast thank you very much ma'am, your heart will be blessed". Elena patted Bella's back as she smiled to her genuinely. She cannot let this poor girl suffer and she has to let love a chance. Elena believes in romance like that.

Elena nodded to Nick and he scrambled to unlock the doors of the boarding area. Elena picked up her 2-way radio. "George, this is Elena, can you please tell Captain Sidle to wait a couple more minutes, I will be coming to the plane now for a last minute minor inspection"

"Copy ma'am" the person from the other radio responded through static and Bella felt triumphant for the briefest moment.

Now… who will play Michael, the love of her life?

Bella was led to the doors of the plane. Everyone in the first class flight was already settled in waiting for the flight to take off. A lot of the seats were still empty of course as the tourists were yet to make it to the airport. Elena asked Nick and 2 younger flight staff to escort Bella to find Michael while she talks to the Captain about itinerary and what not to distract the flight.

"Ms Isabella, you have 5 minutes ok?" Elena sternly whispered and Bella nodded to her and hoped this was enough time to create diversion.

Bella looked around, simultaneously planning her next move.

All the passengers' backs were to her so she couldn't see their faces. She saw an old bald man sitting beside an old lady in cat sweater, thinking Michael probably can't be too old and married to a grandmother. She looked past a couple of middle-aged women seeing 2 men with jet black hair in business suit. She took tentative steps forward until she realized that the 2 men were taking in Asian language, probably Japanese. The 2 men looked at her slightly confused because she was staring. However, they smiled brightly at Bella waiting for her to say something but she just gave a small smile and looked forward back to the aisle in search.

She was about to lose hope when she heard shuffling movements a few rows in front of the Japanese dudes. She looked closely but just saw a guy's leather shoe.

The shoe looked shiny and expensive. She also noticed that the guy was wearing a suit. Looking closely, the guy was rummaging inside a documents bag. He was bent forward in his seat so she can't really see his face.

She took one more step forward.

Could Michael be in business suit? Well, this guy seems to be alone. No one was sitting beside him. Bella looked briefly beside the guy's seat. His hands, Bella noticed looked pale and smooth and young. And beautiful? Bella was mesmerized by the guy's hands and stared at the long masculine but beautiful fingers.

The man sat up straight giving Bella a view of the back of his head until his broad shoulders.

Bella, took one more step forward and she was almost at the back of the guy's chair.

Still mesmerized by his hands, she kept her eyes fixed as he slowly brought it up, running to a bunch of artfully messy, unusually bronze, sexily dishevelled pile of hair.

She could see that the guy was tall even if he was sitting and she knew he was young enough in his late 20's? early 30's? even if it was just his back she could see.

His hands continued to run through the messy bronze hair, probably making more mess than fixing it. His left hand rested on his nape as he rotated his neck and moved his head up and down trying to loosen the muscles. The tendons cracked. Wow this guy has a lot of stress. Then he continued to rotate sideways turning right and then left.

As the guys head turned and strained to the left, Bella saw a profile of the guys face.

Her eyes popped seeing the most beautiful side profile ever.

Is he a model?

The nose line, to the jaw line was angular, perfect, chiselled. His eyebrow was bushy but in a manly not caveman way. His eyes were closed and his eyelashes were long. His jaw was taut and his lips were thin and smooth.

The flight attendants were getting restless behind her, making noises and she was pulled out of ogling. Bella refocused on her mission. She had to do something fast.

Bella's heart pounded. She didn't know if it was because of anticipation or nerves for what she was about to do or because the guy was so gorgeous that her heart pounded like a fan girl seeing an actor but she felt her heart beating so hard it might crack her rib cage. She flexed her fingers and balled them at her sides as she braised herself for her next act.

Well, if she can only be allowed to fall in love in her dreams and imagination, and that fictional Michael is her supposed one true love, then he should definitely look as gorgeous as the man in front of her. Bella thought this as she lunged forward and kneeled to the floor at the feet of the bronze-haired prince of a charming man.

Then it happened.

As light hazel mesmerizing brown eyes met emerald green enchanting eyes, the world stopped.

And in that one suspended moment the lines between act and truth, real and imagined, fantasy and reality, were blurred.

In that moment that their eyes met, nobody knew what exactly happened or changed but suddenly it felt like something was about to.