Thanks for sticking with me for the second chapter of this story – please review at the end so I can get your thoughts! If I don't know what you're thinking, then I can't incorporate any ideas, likes or dislikes, can I? So, review away, please!

Once again, there is some stuff in here from the Twilight Books, and I don't want anyone to think I'm stealing Ms. Meyers characters, I'm just having some fun with them, and may return them unharmed (but changed), if the story ends that way...

The scents in here are from Breaking Dawn. You won't know what I mean just yet, but you will when you finish reading this chapter.

Previously:

"Stop apologising, Jake."

"Sor–"

I shot him a look and he stopped mid-word. Then he smiled again. It wasn't his new smile, or the old one I loved, but it was a strange mixture of the two. And that made me smile, too.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Bella's POV

"Could you pass me the filling?"

"Just a sec... here."

Emily and I were baking enormous apple and lemon pies for the boys, because when they got home after a long run they could literally eat a horse and then some. Even though the food they ate smelled horrible to me, I didn't complain and helped Emily whenever I could.

Emily was Sam's beautiful fiancée, who, when she wasn't religiously studying for her teaching degree, amiably cared for all the boys in the wolf pack. Those duties willingly included food preparation and cleaning, and I have to admit, if I was human I would have stayed over frequently to devour Emily's fantastic food.

At first, when Jake, Sam, Jared, Paul, Embry and I got back from the meadow and the impromptu hunting trip and to La Push, I had been in constant, controlled, 24/7 supervision; it was necessary to make sure I didn't murder any unsuspecting humans. We very quickly discovered, however, that I didn't have an appetite for any human blood, or had some regained control over my thirst. That meant that I could be around humans without having almost any temptation to kill them, and made me very relieved.

The range of humans I could be exposed to though, was limited. Only those who knew the fiercly guarded secret of the giant wolves would be allowed to see me, as they knew poor Charlie and the rest of Forks had to think I had been lost in the woods forever. After some arguing – well... shouting at each other and an undeserved hit into Jake's face – I complied with their ridiculous rule. I was however granted one night to sneak into my house – former house – and get some of my prized possessions.

Only the wolf pack, the elders on the council, and the wolves' significant others were allowed to know of my current status.

My "funeral" had been held nine days after my disappearance, because the police had called the search off after so long not finding any body. Charlie, being the Chief, had done everything possible to extend the search past three days, but hadn't been able to draw it out any longer after nine. Jake and Billy had attended for Charlie's sake. They'd told me that if I wanted to come I'd have to hide in the bushes nearby, and I wouldn't be able to talk to anyone and make sure nobody saw me. I knew, however, that I wouldn't be able to stop myself from consoling Charlie and Renee. I wouldn't be able to handle seeing them again. So I stayed in Emily's house, sobbing in her arms, and getting Sam to hold me back from running away to see Charlie and Renee and tell them what really happened.

So because all of that, the past two weeks in La Push had been difficult to say the least. I had to deal with making myself invisible whenever someone who thought I was dead was about. The boys were constantly making sarcastic jokes (though they still hurt) about my being a vampire. I had two jeans, two flimsy tops, a pair of sturdy shoes, two blue hair ties, Charlie's plaid jacket, and a picture of my parents to my name. I had to hunt every second day because of my close proximity to humans. The wolves were chasing after a red-headed vampire that had recently started invading the state – I had kindly informed them it was Victoria, who was headed for revenge on the vendetta she had over me. Oh, and I was a blood-thirsty vampire, and I had nothing to live for. Even if I had suicidal thoughts, it was now near impossible to commit.

"Smells great girls!" Embry enthused, barging in between us and eagerly grabbing the first item of food he saw – a giant blueberry muffin.

I was glad that the pack was at least treating me like I was one of their friends – not their natural mortal enemy.

"Hey Bells," Jake sighed next to me, grabbing a muffin too, "ready?"

I nodded. Every time when Jake would come back from sniffing around as a giant dog, we would go to the shore and sit in our spot, the tree about halfway down First Beach.

"Freaky, Bella," Jared commented as I cleaned up the space of the kitchen counter I had been using at my new and improved vampire speed.

I rolled my eyes at him – though he wouldn't be able to see as I had my back turned to him – and with precision threw the cloth I had been using square in his arrogant face. I heard the splat and smugly turned around, dodging the return hit easily.

"It wasn't my fault I got turned into a freaky blood-sucker!" I shouted at him sarcastically, once again speaking before I thought about what I was saying.

Everybody's smile dropped and Jake looked down at his feet, shuffling some of the dust on the floor around. I closed my eyes and shook my head to try and clear the instant guilt, something I had to do a lot these days.

"I'm sorry, Bells," Jake started the sentence he had obviously been mulling over in his head, but he stopped when he saw my shut-the-hell-up expression.

"Come on, Jake," I said, taking his warm hand in my stone cold one and leading him out of the sliding doors of Emily's cosy wooden cabin. The depressed mood lifted a bit when I heard somebody – I bet the motley collection of what I owned it was Paul – wolf-whistled at us. I really hoped that Jake's extra feelings for me had disappeared when I had become a vampire.

We took a short route through the gloomy forest to get to the secluded spot on First Beach, and once my bare feet touched the wet sand I reached back and lifted the hood of my jacket onto my head to stop anyone from instantly recognizing me.

We sat down quietly on the wet driftwood and stared out over the misty-grey waters of the Pacific.

Jake cleared his throat, "so, umm... we chased the lee– Victoria," he caught himself, not wanting to offend me, "to Calgary today. We don't know if she knows about the recent, er... events."

"I don't think she does, otherwise wouldn't she give up chasing me? Maybe if she knew I was a vampire she'd back off, or get anxious about us. I should just come with you guys, and then we can just finish her off together. I mean, a vampire and five werewolves working together should do quite well, right?"

"No, Bella, there is no way I'm letting you near that thing!" He shouted passionately, straitening his back and gazing down at me.

"Jake," I whined, "I can handle myself."

"You're not getting anywhere near her. Not if I can help it."

"We'll see about that."

Jake didn't respond, just frowned at the ground.

"Hunting?" Jake asked me when it started drizzling lightly.

I swallowed unnecessarily and nodded getting up and grabbing Jake's hand instinctively in the progress. I liked the closeness and contact with somebody, and since everyone thought I was dead, I wasn't talking to many people these days. It must have seemed odd to somebody else, but I was afraid of losing my grip with everything and everybody these days, I was constantly worried that the pack would finally realizing they were making a big mistake and wasting their time by helping and caring for me, and that they would banish me from the tribe's land.

We walked slowly back up the beach, and once we whacked our way through the dense wall of ferns hugging the coast line, I looked away as Jake transformed and we took off running together to the east into the conservation parks.

I followed Jake this time, watching his wolf form moving agilely over the moss and rock covered ground. It was a silent agreement that we ran together, but hunted separately. I was sure that Jake wouldn't want to see me sucking the life out of an animal, and I wouldn't be partial to seeing him repulsively chewing the meat of another one.

The wind wafted a little and as if on cue, he shot left and I heard him racing towards the smell of the deer. I ran a little faster and tried to catch the drift of something carnivorous.

Suddenly I could smell scent trails leading in every direction – which were definitely not an animal's – and all coming from one place to the right of me. I traded a dozen different comparisons in my mind, but none of them fit exactly. Cinnamon, hyacinth, pear, seawater, rising bread, pine, vanilla, leather, apple, moss, lavender, chocolate... so sweet and pleasant.

Vampire! My mind shouted.

Curious, I slowly followed the trail leading to my right, the scents getting stronger and fresher by the minute. I knew I should stop, this could be dangerous. It could be Victoria, attracting me like metal to a magnet. Jake would be looking for me anyway, I reasoned.

I decided I should turn back, but I did a sharp double-take when I saw what was standing in front of me.

A big, white mansion, the side facing me a huge wall of glass.

The Cullen's house.

The air whooshed out of me and I leaned back against a tree, staring wide eyed at the house. I refused to blink in the case that it would disappear.

Without thinking, I was walking towards the house, up the front steps.

I raised my trembling left hand, and making sure I didn't crush the wood, my fingertip made contact with the wall. I gasped.

It was real!

I looked at the front door, and slowly approached. I twisted the handle with enough force to snap the lock back, and waited. If my heart could still beat, it would've been pounding furiously away in my chest. After a few agonizing seconds, I pulled the door open quickly, like ripping a plaster off skin.

Alarms sounded, and I stood frozen in the doorway, terrified that someone would notice. I snapped out of my trance and pierced in the code I vaguely remembered Edward telling me all that time ago.

285536!

The alarm silenced, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Then I remembered where I was.

I marvelled upon the room I was in, taking in the raised platform with Edwards's prized grand piano standing proudly on one side, and a comfortable lounge setting on the other, facing a huge home entertainment system. The memories were eating away at my frozen heart, and I knew I shouldn't be doing this to myself. I should get out of this house I used to call home and go to find Jacob. I should ban all thoughts of them from my spacious mind.

I closed my eyes and lusciously smelled all the scents that were vaguely wafting through the room. Careful not to touch anything, I moved across the wooden floor towards Edward's piano, and bent over to smell the delicious sweet smell radiating from the handprints on the lid.

I felt a pang of love, and then sadness, affection, tenderness, passion, then disappointment, fear, loss and loneliness. Memories of the past came crashing back to me, Edward's velvet voice echoing around my mind.

I don't want you to come with us. He doesn't want me.

You're no good for me Bella. He doesn't love me.

It will be as if I'd never existed. I promise that this will be the last time you'll see me. I won't come back. He was never coming back.

Then, Jacob's words from some time ago came back to me.

He left you Bella! He didn't want you anymore.

I collapsed to the floor and hugged my knees, both Jacob's and Edward's voices booming through my head. I was crying, but it was tearless sobbing. Everything was so different in this new life.

I had always thought that Edward loved me than anything else in the universe. He always told me so, at every opportunity he got. He told me a thousand times he wouldn't leave me, that he loved me, that he would do anything for me, he would stay with me forever.

He had once said he would never want to take my soul, but that's exactly what he'd done.

Not only had he taken my soul, but he'd stomped on it, spit on it, then tore it into a million pieces and held it in front of me, so I could take it, only to take both himself and my battered soul away, forever.

I looked up at the clock placed above the phone in the corner of the room, and then was shocked to see I had been morose for over half an hour. I wiped my eyes in a human habit, forgetting there were no tears. I sniffed through my nose and stood up again, my eyes coming to rest on the spiral staircase.

I made my way up the stairs, taking the usual familiar route past all the rooms. Alice and Jasper's room. Rosalie and Emmett's room. Carlisle's study. Esme's designing room.

Edwards room.

I stopped, afraid to stare at the wood-stained door, but not wanting to go any further.

The scent emanating from the space under the door was heavenly, and before I could stop myself I had turned the handle and was staring into the room that held thousands of memories of us. On the couch I could see Edward lying down holding me as we both read and enjoyed his extensive music collection. I could see Edward pretending to sleep with me in bed. I could see him walking to his dresser to give me one of his shirts for the night. I could see him everywhere.

More of Edward's words hit me as I stared around the familiar space, everything looked the same as the last time I'd seen it at my ill-fated birthday party. One thing was different though.

Hundreds of pictures of me – some with Edward or other members of the Cullen's in them too – were strewn across the floor. Many of the close-ups of my face were crinkled and showed the most deterioration. I kneeled down to inspect the photos more closely, and realized many of these were of me sleeping. I didn't know whether to be flattered or disgusted.

Of course... I'll always love you... in a way.

Those words that wafted through my head stopped me in the tracks of picking one of the photos up.

What could that mean?

He'll always love me, in a way? What way? Like friendship, like I loved Jake? Or Alice?

My head was pounding from the happenings of today, even though it was impossible for me to get a headache.

My mind was on repeat, the words I'll always love you running over and over again through my head.

I ran out of the room and down the stairs, intending to crash through the door and forget this all ever happened, but the phone in the corner of the room caught my eye.

The left side held the cordless handset, but the right side had eight spaces with yellow lights flickering beside them, as I made my way closer to them I realized they were speed dials. The spaces held no names or details, but I guess that with great memory, vampires would be able to remember which of the speed dials rung who.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, my shaking index finger going towards the phone. I felt the light plastic with the pulsating yellow light underneath my hard skin, and pressed down.

I retracted my finger quickly and opened my eyes to see the eight light flashing red and the familiar dial tone beginning to ring.

It took all of two seconds for someone to answer.

"Alice speaking."

No pun intended for the wolf-whistling thing :)

What do you think the code stands for? I know that one of you's (*cough* Jess *cough*) reading this will definitely know, since I borrowed it from you.

And why do you think I chose for Bella to ring the eighth light? I'll give you two clues; it's got something to do with China and numbers. Did I just give it away?

This time I am recommending The Unforeseen Events Series by jmolly. So far, it comprises of six individual stories, including Unforeseen Events, Minibusted, Leashing the Victorian, Prenuptual Posturing, Toasty Warm and I Hunger for Your Touch. These six stories fill in the missing gaps of Breaking Dawn from about one month before the wedding till the honeymoon (which is currently in progress) and include much new and added detail. It includes a much happier, looser and crazier Edward who has fun and definitely laughs more.