Disclaimer : Characters don't belong to me, although I wish Alice did. Y'all can have moody old Edward! Hooray for the awesomeness that is Stephenie Meyer!

Bella

Chief Swan's house was on the edge of town, bordering the forest. It was small, but cozy I guessed, something the silly humans seemed to enjoy. It had only two bedrooms; I assumed they were both upstairs. I could see lights on in the living room and kitchen. The yellow kitchen cupboards flashed in my mind; a single gout of blood leaving a livid scar on the sunshiny surface, Edward's baleful glare stalking the girl from the bushes. I shook my head to get rid of the horror. It's going to be fine. Get out of the past and get in the future where you belong, dammit. A little brain coaching never hurt anyone. This whole incident has gotten me all out of sorts.

I was curious though. Besides Carlisle and Rosalie, Edward was the best at controlling his thirst. It was a pride thing for him. He's still annoyed that Rose has a better record than he does. What was it about this little girl that almost drove him to ruin us? I figured I'd start with the kitchen, since the vision was still burning in my mind. I hopped up on the central air conditioner and peeked into the kitchen window, hoping my "hunch" was correct. It was, as usual. She was there, oblivious to my spying. She's just a little thing, hardly bigger than I, and pale…so pale. Her dark hair only emphasized her pallor, framing her face with chocolate contrast. I can see her in my mind now, fuzzy but definitely her, tipping her head and hiding behind the curtains of her hair. A small smile curved the edges of my mouth. I can imagine how she reacted to Edward. He should be used to their observations and crushes though. I know their inane prattle drives him insane, but attack the girl for her fantasy? Ridiculous. I had to be missing something.

She isn't incredibly beautiful, but there is a certain allure to her. Her face is open and honest, and her deep brown eyes match the chocolate hue of her hair. She has a strange combination of steel and softness that plays across her face. At first glance, she looks fragile, but deceptively so. She moved about the tiny kitchen with little grace, but there was something that followed her, some sort of charisma. Fascinated, I settled in to watch the little human make dinner. I couldn't believe the child could walk without falling; she tripped twice in 10 minutes both times over the same throw rug. I don't understand Edward, why this girl? I thought as hard as I could, hoping that perhaps he could still hear. Maybe he would call, or just make a damned decision. The undecidedness is what was making me mad. Just choose something, so I can put my mind and everyone else's at ease. I clenched my jaw in frustration. He owes me now, I'm not going to sit through this blindness and worry for nothing. I deserve Gauthier's entire spring collection for this. I made a mental note to hunt him down and settle our debts.

She came past the window to set the table, and I saw her eyes were pink and puffy from crying. For some reason, my heart went out to her. Confused, I wished Jasper would show soon. I needed a reading on the emotional tension in the air. I kept getting this strange feeling that this one needs protecting. There is something about her that screams out for refuge. Perhaps this weakness is what pushed Edward over the edge? Contempt for her frailty? Maybe his predator's instincts went into overdrive…a desire to cull the herd. I shrugged to myself. I felt no pull to end her life, and I'm the same predator he is.

"Bella! Is dinner ready? Do you need any help?"

I hear the chief call from his seat in the living room. The girl smiles and shakes her head a little, amused by something. Bella, I thought to myself, it suits her. Not a classic beauty, but there is something striking about her. Charlie Swan came into the kitchen and put a supportive hand on her shoulder. She gave him a small weak smile.

"I know it's hard, Bells. You must be so homesick, but it will get better. You'll make new friends, and if anyone doesn't treat you right let me know. I'll take care of it.

"Oh dad, it will be fine. I know I just need some time to settle in. I would appreciate it if you let me do the cooking from now on though. No offense, but your kitchen skills leave a lot to be desired. Gimme some money and I will hit the grocery tomorrow."

Boredom set in and I closed my eyes to fast forward a bit. I'm surprised that I can see ahead for this one without burning all of my focus trying. I can rarely visualize for humans, especially those with whom I've had no contact. The image is blurry, and reminded me of an old 8mm movie projector with a bad lamp. She goes upstairs, she sleeps, she goes to school, she studies, reads, cooks and cleans. The boredom of this girl's life makes me want to stop looking. I sense an accident; trouble of some kind, but the image is too vague and shaky for me to get a good look. "An accident," I muttered to myself, "like this girl isn't an accident waiting to happen." First the horror with Edward, then the inability to put one foot in front of the other. The human is a walking catastrophe. I rapped my fist against my head. Hello in there…any plain old human could have told me that. Thanks for all your help. I was grumbling to myself when suddenly a quick flash lets me know Jasper will be trying to sneak up on me. He'll never learn I thought to myself.

"Nice try Jazz, I could hear you coming from a mile away." I scolded him with mock sternness, "I can't believe you can catch anything to eat being that loud."

His dazzling smile again, his arms reached out. I jumped into them, and covered his face with kisses. I love him so much there is almost pain. I don't know what my life would have been without him. I owed him my existence; his sweet smile pulled me through the darkness. Rainy Philadelphia comes to my mind, like a vision except from the past. It seems like just yesterday: I could hardly bear the excitement; I had waited for that day for 30 years. That is just a blink of time for me now, but then it seemed like an eternity. The moment he took my hand I was whole again. We have not been separated since. He was my first memory, and I will make sure he is my last.

"It's nice to see you too, wee one. I missed your company for dinner," Jasper winked at me, "Emmett just doesn't kiss like you do."

I bit back a laugh and settled into his lap. I rested my head back against his chest, and pulled his arms around me.

"You're just trying to make me jealous. You're tired of leaning down for kisses, I knew it! I'll get a stepstool."

Now it was his turn to chuckle. He leaned his head down and rested his cool cheek against mine. Sensing my improved mood, he waited patiently for an update.

"I don't know what is going on Jasper. I've watched this little girl for hours, and I don't see what his problem is. She's not a beauty, although staring at Rosalie for decades tends to make one a bit jaded. She is good looking enough for a human. She seems smart, responsible, and mature for her age. She's been crying; from homesickness I guess. The only strange thing is I was able to scan for her, amazingly clearly for a human. There was nothing remarkable about her future."

Jasper looked as confused as I felt. I felt him draw a quick breath as he felt for the girl's feelings.

"She's angry, Lis. Angry, but hurting. I can't tell from what without Edward here."

I rolled my eyes. Well Edward wasn't here, so we weren't going to find out. I hadn't had any flashes showing me that Edward was on his way here to kill the girl, so our time here was probably wasted. I could never be too sure though. She is an interesting little thing, this Bella Swan. I'll have to keep an eye on her at school and figure out why she was marked for death.