Hey people of fanfiction! I know another quick update. I'm not sure if it will become a habit or not, (I know you hope so..) but we're already almost half-done Chapter 6!

Well on with the story!

Chapter 5
Edward had returned to some what normal, but he was doing everything properly. He seemed way too controlled, even for his usual controlled personality.

Nothing yet? I asked at lunch break.

We had been monitoring everyone's thoughts all day for any unusual stories about us that were remotely close to what we really were.

He shook his head slightly.

The bell went and we walked to our classes. I was too focused on hearing Edward to pay any attention to my chemistry class.

"Hello, Edward." I heard Bella say. She sounded so cheerful, what was that girl thinking?

"I don't know." He muttered too fast for her to hear then said hello.

A month passed with virtually the same repetitious schedule that I hated. I despised repeating everything over and over again, that's why moving somewhere new was always something I both loved and hated.

Edward stayed in his controlled state and finally, I got so tired of this that I could barely stand to be around him anymore. I began talking more and more to Esme, Alice, Jasper and Emmett, who had apologized and I'd forgiven him. I talked to Carlisle a lot more now too.

The entire situation with Bella was confusing to me - I was remembering more and more things that I wanted to keep secret, but it was hard with Edward peering into my head. She seemed to trigger more and more memories every time I saw her in school. She was unlocking me, making me more open. Bella wasn't only a good thing for Edward; she was a good thing for me too. Sort of. I still don't really want to tell everyone my story.

"Ruth, why aren't you talking to me?" Edward asked me one night. Everyone else was somewhere in the house.

"You got too annoying to be around." I replied, not looking up from my book.

"How so?"

"You're too controlled, you can't change this future. I promise, you're strong enough not to kill her, I'll make sure of that."

"What happened to you after you ran away?"

I stiffened. This wasn't a question I thought he'd ask. "I went back, remember in Maryland? It was the late 30's after you returned."

Silence fell over us.

"Show me." He said. It wasn't a question, it was a demand.

I closed my book and sighed. "Fine." Bella was changing me and we didn't even know each other yet.

I shut my eyes and tried to bring up one of my more sad memories.

I folded the letter and put it in an envelope. On the outside I wrote, Matthew Carmichael.
He had to still be alive; it was only 20 years ago since we lived in Little Heaven. I was certain he had never gone to war . . . he was too caring to kill. I put the envelope into my pocket and went downstairs to go out.

"Where are you going?" Carlisle asked.I stopped. "Do you want to know what was in the letter?"

"Hunting, far away, though. Animal supply is short around here."

He looked at me suspiciously but nodded.

"See you later." I opened the door and ran straight into the forest. I didn't stop until I got all the way to Little Heaven, Delaware.

It wasn't sunny enough for me to have to stay in the shadows, but people living here still may remember the mysterious disappearance of Carlisle and Ruth Cullen. I stuck close to the tree line, happy his house was along the forest . . . if he still lived there.

I found it eventually and even though he was older, I recognized him. He was in the back yard facing the forest with a woman and two children who looked about 6 and 12. The older was a girl with curly golden brown hair, sort of like mine. The other was a boy and a spitting image of his father. I leaned against a tree out of their sight and watched them laugh and play for a while, and then my opportunity came.

Matthew and his wife went inside the house after instructing their children to stay in the yard. I walked slowly out of the trees when I knew they weren't looking and walked over to the children.

"Hello." I said tentatively. "Do you live here?"

They looked at me and nodded.

"Daddy says we're not allowed to talk to strangers." The girl said.

I smiled. "He's right, but I'm no stranger. I used to know you're father."

"What's your name?" The boy asked.

I decided not to lie. "Ruth Cullen, what are your names?"

"I'm John Carmichael!" The boy answered.

The girl frowned for a moment, and then said, "I'm Ruth Carmichael."

My face flew into a surprised expression, then I smiled, wishing I could cry.

"Very lovely names for both of you. Can you do something for me? I was wondering if you could give this letter to your father. It's private, so no opening it!"

John nodded excitedly and I gave him the letter. "I'll go get him!"

"I think it's better if he doesn't see me. It's been great meeting you."

"Will we see you again?" Ruth asked.

I shook my head. "No, it's better if you don't. Good bye."

I walked back towards the trees and hid quickly behind one.

"Daddy, a girl gave me this to give to you! She was really pretty!" John said excitedly when his father came back out.

"Really? What was her name?" His voice was still as beautiful, even now.

"Ruth Cullen, she said."

"What did she look like?"

This time, Ruth answered. "She had long, curly brown hair, like mine. Oh, and bright golden brown eyes. She looked about 16."

Matthew gasped. "Where did she come from?"

"The trees."

I couldn't resist not looking at him anymore. I stepped out from behind the tree I was hiding behind to see him scanning the trees. He saw me.

"Ruth? RUTH?" He ran towards where I was standing with the strangest expression on his face. It was somehow ecstatic, hurt and afraid all at once. I waved sadly at him and managed to tear myself away from the scene. I ran away deep into the trees. I kept running and running. It was well into the night when I got back to Maryland.

I stayed in the forest. I found a herd of deer and singled out one. I chased it down before jumping on it. I sunk my teeth into its neck, drinking the blood. It tasted terrible, but it was better than killing someone. I took out my frustration on another one. I returned around midnight.

The house was empty. I went up to my room and pulled out the copy of the letter I had given to Matthew.

I read it to myself.

"Yes."

"Then here you are." I pulled out a fragile, yellowing paper from the front of my book and held it out to him.

"You have it?!"

"Did you think I'd get rid of it?" I rolled my eyes. "Just be careful, it's the original paper. I never copied it down anywhere else . . . I think I'll do that sometime."

He sat beside me on the couch, took the paper and carefully opened it. I muttered the words as he read them silently.

"Dear Matthew,
Edward stared at me for a few moments. "How couldn't I have known?"

"I'm terribly sorry for leaving so suddenly. Like I said, it's more complicated than you could imagine. Then, I didn't think you could take it, and now, twenty years later, I still think you can't.

"Sometimes it's hard for me to understand as well, but I can now accept what has happened. It's part of the life I must live, leaving and never coming back. There is one thing I have to tell you that I couldn't dare to say before.

"I love you, more than you could ever know. We were meant to be. Like Romeo and Juliet, one cannot go on without the other. I never forgot you and I hope you haven't forgotten me. It tore me apart to leave, but it had to be done.

"I hope you are happy and have a wonderful, long life and die a happy man with children and grandchildren to love you even when you are gone. I promise, I will love you for all eternity.

"Yours forever,

Ruth Cullen"

I smiled slightly. "I've always been good at hiding my thoughts and emotions, even before we found out you were a mind reader."

"That's so beautiful!" Alice said, suddenly coming into the room with Jasper behind her.

Jasper added. "I never thought you to be romantic, Ruth."

Esme and Carlisle must have heard us talking and came down to see what we were doing.

"I have my moments. I've changed so much over the years. When I was human, I was married, you know." Oh, damn it! At least I didn't say or think to whom.

"Really? He must have been a very lucky man." Esme said.

I smiled widely, trying to not look at Carlisle, who knew exactly who I had been married to. "I guess he was. After I was changed, he married someone else and he was very happy then, too."

"You must've been hurt to see that." Esme frowned.

I laughed. "Not really, I knew he was happy, so that made me happy as well." I may have imagined it, but I think Carlisle suddenly looked happier.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

On one Tuesday in March, Edward looked as if he was going to kill someone and I knew who that person was.

"It's Mike Newton, Edward, get over it!" I whispered quickly as we passed him to go to our table.

"But he doesn't deserve Bella. She's too good for him." I think he was actually whining.

I stared at him as we sat down. "Seriously, I bet you anything she'll say no."

"What are we betting on?" Emmett asked excitedly.

"Nothing, it's a figure of speech." Edward said, close to rude.

"Bella's going to stare at Edward in a minute. Look normal." Alice interrupted.

I began to play with my hair, twirling it around and around my finger. We were all fidgeting - stillness was a trademark of our kind.

"Stay out of it Alice," I heard Edward mutter. "It's not going to happen."

So is! I thought.

He glared at me, then replied to Alice. "It makes plenty of sense to me."

Stop being so stubborn!"It's not being stubborn, it's being rational."

Edward was tightly wound today and the only ones who could tell were Jasper and I, but Edward had been feeling like this for so long now that whenever I used Jasper's powers, I ignored it and Jasper did too.

It was no secret Mike was hoping Bella would ask him to the girls' choice dance coming up, so when Jessica Stanley asked him, he didn't say yes or no, making her very mad at Bella who was the cause for all this.

Edward was getting more and more angry.

"It's like one of those ridiculous soap operas!" I muttered to Alice.

We laughed as Edward glared.

When school ended, Edward told the others to go with Rosalie and for me to come with him. With both Eric and Mike's unsuccessful attempt to ask Bella to go to the dance, Tyler was going to take a chance.

"Edward, don't do that to the poor girl - she's been through enough." I sympathized for my future friend as I saw his plans in his thoughts.

"I just want to give him a fair chance." He replied as he pulled out, blocking Bella's truck from moving anywhere.

I looked into the mirror and saw Bella glaring at Edward and I lapsed into giggles. Her face was pricelessly funny.

"I'm sorry, Tyler." Bella said. "I'm stuck behind Cullen." The last name came out in anger.

"Oh, I know. I was just wondering if you were going to ask me to the dance."

Edward was grinning ear to ear, laughing with me.

"I'm not going to be in town." she said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, that's what Mike said."

"Then why - ?"

"I was hoping you were just letting him down easy." Tyler said innocently.

"I'm sorry, but I really am going to be out of town. I'm going to Seattle."

He shrugged. "That's cool, we still got prom." And Tyler walked back to his car.

I managed to control my laughter as Bella looked at us in our car. I couldn't say the same for Edward. He was too pleased with himself.

"Get over it so we can go home." I mumbled.

He managed to stop laughing long enough for me to keep a hold on his arm long enough to hear anything interesting in his thoughts.

He took the final hairpin turn at 90 miles an hour and stopped an inch from the garage door.

"You're going to stalk her?!" I exclaimed after I saw what he planned to do tonight.

"It's not stalking . . ." He said as we got out of the car.

"Oh, right. It's breaking and entering."

He glared at me. Alice came over to us.

"So does that mean Ruth and I can talk to her?" She asked.

Edward frowned. "No."

"Not fair! What are we waiting for?" I asked.

"I haven't decided anything yet."

"Whatever." Alice and I said at the same time. I had been keeping in touch with the future more and more, trying to see past all the fuzziness to find out what would happen.

"I'll come with you, Edward." I said. "I'm beyond thirsty anyway."

He nodded and we ran off into the forest. We drank as much as we could and Edward, even more than was necessary.

"Have fun." I said as I ran towards the direction of our home and Edward to the town. I waited until he was far away before following him. I promised him I wouldn't let him kill her.

The darkness surrounded me as I walked quietly to Bella's house. There was a tree right outside her window.

Convenient. I thought. I climbed up and looked into the window.

"What are you doing here?" Edward whispered.

I promised I would make sure you wouldn't kill her. I grinned.

He rolled his eyes. "Are you going to stay?"

I don't know. Probably not for long.I sat in the tree for a few hours. Bella wasn't a peaceful sleeper, or at least she wasn't tonight.

"Edward." She said suddenly.

I thought she had woken up, but she just turned over. She sleep talked and she was dreaming of Edward.

I'll just . . . go.I dropped down and ran back to my house. I hate feeling like a third wheel. That happens a lot in a family with three couples though, so I know when I'm not wanted,

"Where were you?" Esme asked.

"Oh, I've been around." I said as I went upstairs to my room. There was still 4 hours until we had to leave for school.

I changed into fresh clothes and grabbed my iPod. I had somehow managed to take the iPod apart so I could rewire it - stupid heat-sensitive electronics. I spent hours trying to get it to work. Edward, Carlisle and I had rewired a touch screen computer for Alice so she could use it to design clothes with.

I put the ear-buds in and listened to barely half the songs I had on it before it was time to go.

Edward returned just after everyone but I had left. Esme gave him a questioning look, but thought no more of it.

"Let's run." He said.

"Excellent."

We ran to the school and none of our family looked at us, even though they knew we were in the forest behind them.

"I'm going to go talk to Bella." Edward muttered.

"Sure. I'll meet up with the others."

I walked over to them and none questioned me.

Take it slow, Edward. You know she won't say no. I thought as he asked Bella if she wanted him to drive her to Seattle.

I desperately wanted it to work out for them. And against what Edward wished, I wanted Bella to be one of us. Hopefully, someday, she would be.

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