Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer. The original content and ideas of this story are those of TheGirlNtheYellowShoes.

Author's Note:

To all of my readers who have been ever so patient with my absence and neglect to this story. As most of you who read this story from the beginning probably know, I moved last spring to a new state and began training again - only to get injured and spend months in PT trying to recover. So most of my online extra curricula's had to take a back seat to RL. However, I'm back and I will try to continue to update this story regularly. I already have the next 4 chapters, So I hopefully I can stay ahead of the story and continue to post once a week at least.

My Beta for this story, Brooke, is expecting her first child *yay for little peanut*. So I am going to attempt to review my own chapters for the time being in order to give her a break, as she has many other things she has to take care of right now. So bare with me if there are mistakes, and just let me know. Thanks!

And with that said... enjoy! :)

A New Beginning: Leaving Wonderland

"It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end." ~ Ursula K. Le Guin

I would love to say I remember the next morning... That I remember changing back into my jeans and north face coat and saying my goodbyes. That I remember Isabella hugging my legs one last time and Edward's last stony embrace, But I didn't. I didn't remember any of it.

I woke up in the falling snow, staring upwards as the white glistening flakes danced around my face. I sat up, my body half covered in snow and stiff from the cold.

Looking overhead towards a well lit area, I could see a congregation of people standing inside the hotel lobby, not remembering so many people when I had arrived... obviously earlier, as It was dark out now.

That's when it hit me... it had all be a dream.

I was stunned. I didn't know whether to cry or feel relief that someone didn't have to wait 474 years for the person they loved to come along. If I had to wait that long for him, which technically if it were real, I guess considering I wasn't born that long I did have to wait too... but if I had been him, alive all the time, I would have been tortured daily, Alone, Just like I was in this moment.

I tried to stand, crawling out of the bushes and stumbling towards the front of the hotel, but as I stood the ground swirled upwards and everything went black again.

I woke up in the hospital to familiar voices. Elane and Callie were sitting by my bed whispering and I felt my eyes flutter open, adjusting to the light as a gush of air continuously filled my lungs.

"oh my gosh... she's awake," Callie gasped standing on my right side and leaning over me. "Hiiiiii Bella." A small and tentative smile spread across her warm face as she brushed a hand along my hair.

"Callie..." I breathed as I brought my arm up, yanking at the plastic covering my mouth.

Elane stood from the other side and hovered with her, "How are you feeling?"

I turned my head slightly to meet Elane's face and noticed she looked like she had aged slightly, like dad's had after mom and Lana died. They both looked tired.

"What happened?" I asked, confused.

"That's what we'd like to know. You'd been missing for four days when you waltz up to the front door of the hotel and collapsed." Callie shook her head in disbelief.

I just stared at them in shock. Four days? I definitely hadn't expected the three weeks, considering it all seemed a dream now, but four days? in an embankment? Very near out in the open and no one found me? Something was... off.

"What?" I choked out.

"Yeah," Elane said shaking her head, "We've been scouring that town for you for three days when you never came home on thursday." I met her eyes for a moment, the pain there was evident.

"Dad!" I croaked. I tried to sit up, suddenly panicked.

Both of their arms shot out and stopped me, forcing me back down, "Shhh, he's okay Bella." She nodded towards the corner and I looked over to see he was asleep in a chair, relief washing over me.

"What happened Annabella?" Callie said after a moment of silence. She never called me that... unless she was completely serious about something.

I looked at them both and cocked an eyebrow before shrugging, "I don't know, but I have a feeling if I told you any of what I thought happened, you'd laugh at me before working on getting a 5150 hold." I said, a slight frog in my throat. It was so sore, I felt like I'd swallowed a bunch of tortilla chips whole. I must have been lying in the snow for quite a while before I'd woken up.

They both narrowed their eyes before shaking their heads and laughing, "I've missed you Bella." Elane stood to grab her drink off the side table before moving to sit back down. "Would you like some?" She held out her sprite.

I nodded, taking two swigs of it before handing it back to her. It taste sweet and smooth going down my throat.

I took a deep breath in and winced, my side ached. exactly where I had had...

broken ribs.

I nearly dropped the sprite handing it back to Elane and I instinctively reached up to touch my forehead. There was a bandage exactly where my head had supposedly been smashed into a tree.

"They ended up putting a few stitches in, in hopes it doesn't scar. It's not that noticeable though." Callie shrugged. I smiled.

"Oh. my. gosh." I breathed.

"What?" Callie and Elane spoke in unison, looking at me and then at each other.

"It was real." I said blatantly staring at the end of my bed and into infinity.

"What was?" They were both confused.

"Jinx," We all three said at the same time before looking at each other and errupting in laughter.

Relieved that the 'jinx' acted as an ice breaker to my awkward moment of comprehension, I also took it as a chance to change the subject. Before long, the conversation had turned into three friends catching up and reminicing on old three of us sat up talking for quite a while before Elane and Callie decided it was time we all got some rest.

After they left, I lay in my hospital bed thinking about all that had happened. Wondering about Isabella and Maggie... and him. I knew Isabella and Maggie had long since been dead, but I wondered where he was right this moment and if he were thinking about me too before I heard a whispered "rest" and I felt myself slip into a dreamless state.

My first week back in the present (as I had mentally started referring to it) was foggy. It felt weird riding in a car for the two hour trip to portland after spending "three weeks" riding in a carriage.

I was pretty quiet, not having much to say and not really having anyone I could talk to about what I thought had happened during my four day disappearance. I did think I'd feel some sort of happiness at being back though, but I just felt empty.

When I finally got to portland, I had to call Anna and Josh, explaining to them what had happened (well, what I remembered of the present anyways) and that I was alive. They immediately got in touch with my publicist to issue a statement saying that I was okay and resting at home and that "they would appreciate the respect of my privacy during this difficult time", how original.

I turned off E! News and sighed.

"You always did know how to make an entrance," Dad chuckled before looking over at me, as I sat bundled up on the couch. I had apparently ended up with bronchitis from my time unknowingly kissing the embankments ass.

"The difference is I had hoped to avoid that this time," I looked at him, "I had wanted to surprise you and no one know I was coming. Some good that did." I leaned over and picked up my tea, sipping it.

"Bell's you've never been good at surprises, sorry sweetheart." He laughed.

"Well you were pretty shocked to find out I left Jake from what I here," I cocked an eyebrow at him.

He looked at me raising his eyebrows, "Yeah, okay... maybe that was a surprise... how are you doing with all of that? By the way?" He looked at me like a concerned parent was suppose to look at his only daughter who had just endured a broken heart. God bless him, he hated Jake.

I smiled and sighed again, "Dad, I couldn't be happier with that decision." With all my other 'secrets' now, I had to be honest about something.

My dad just stared at me in shock. It was the truth though, my heart break now was that of a different kind. "Jake and I" in one sentence, literately, seemed like a world away now.

Luckily, that was the end of that conversation as he was apparently content with what I said. So, not touching the subject again, dad and I spent the evening together watching our favorite movies. While I nursed my broken head and heart on the couch, giving my lungs a break from the cold.

The next morning though, Callie and Elane were eager to spend time with me. Callie had been my best friend since I could remember and Elane was my cousin (my father's brother's daughter). We had grown up our whole life 5 miles from each other and she doubled as my sister on occasion. It seemed to entertain us that we could almost always make people believe we were fraternal twins, when in all actuality the only thing similar about us was our hair and eye color... and maybe our nose.

Wednesday morning I rolled over and stared at the clock. After a long moment of contemplating getting out of bed, I finally went into my bathroom and took a shower. It felt amazing. I pampered myself while getting ready. Shaving my legs, lathering on the lotion, cleaning up my own eyebrows for the first time ever (that crap hurts by the way) and painting my finger nails.

I put on a pair of black leggings, with thick black socks that I could scrunch down around my shins to peak out of my burberry boots. I grabbed a long sleeve tan crew cut shirt and a thick red cardigan before wrapping my burberry scarf around my neck to not only hid the few bruises left but to also protect my throat from the impending cold outside. I found myself hating the bruises and how they got there, but the fact that they were there gave me hope, as sick as that sounds.

I threw my hair up on top of my head in a messy pony tail, my bangs falling to the right over my face and I tucked them behind my ear. Right then, I remembered something.

I stood up from my vanity and paused before I walked to my door and opened it.

I stood in the doorway of my room and stared at Lana's door across the hall. The pink and green letters still graced the plaque on the outside. I hadn't stepped foot in that room since I was 17. Since I'd finally decided Lana didn't want me to waste away sitting in there just staring at what was left of her.

I'd felt close to her there though and when I was 13 and she was 12, she was the best sister a girl could have. I had missed her so much I would lay on her floor for hours at a time, having been afraid of messing up her bed because she had always been so peculiar about it. It hadn't been touched since she last made it up herself.

I crossed the hall, momentarily listening to see if I could hear where my dad was. I heard the volume on the tv rise before I finally turned the knob and opened the door. I walked in and closed it behind me, standing there for a long moment taking in the room. It felt cold as I reached over to flip on the light, but I froze because all of a sudden I could hear her laughing.

"Faster, faster," She said, as I took her hands and began spinning with her in the snow. It was dark out and we'd just found out we had a snow day tomorrow, so mom had said we could go out and play. We stared at each other as the snow flakes danced around us, swirling and twirling in the air.

"I'm trying, I'm trying," I laughed in response. Finally I couldn't hang on to her anymore, the forces against us sending us both flying to the ground, dizzy, gasping for air and a foot from each other. We both busted out laughing as she crawled over to me all disoriented.

"You're my best friend, Bella" She had said. plopping down beside me looking up to the sky.

I looked at her and smiled, "You're the best sister ever, Lana." She laughed.

"Do you think when we get older we'll still be as close as we are now?" She asked looking up at the sky still.

"Of course, what makes you think any different?" I followed her gaze to watch the snowflakes dance across the black screen in front of us.

"I don't know... sometimes... I feel like you're destined for greatness and sometimes... I feel like I'm supposed to fade away into the darkness."

I furrowed my brow at her, "Never," I smiled, "Promise."

Her smile grew and she turned to look at me and stuck out her pinky finger. "Promise."

I felt myself grow dizzy and I leaned against the door, inhaling and exhaling to calm my nerves. I opened my eyes and flicked on the light finally, my eyes meeting the end of Lana's bed in the process.

I walked over and hesitated before I moved the little chest over, pushing it out of place, "Sorry Lana." I said feeling like I was destroying all her hard work. I got down on my knees and started feeling the boards, looking for a loose one.

I was about to give up when the one just under the end of the bed moved as I touched it. I pushed it around with my finger tips, it was definitely loose. I pried the end of it up with my finger nails and finally got my fingers under the edge of it, before pulling it the rest of the way out of place. A second board moved then and I also lifted it up.

When my eyes met the box in the bottom of the floor, I immediately decided my little sister was sneaky little shit. I laughed at my thoughts. Lord forgive me for saying that, I loved her, but that was pretty sneaky for a 12 year old. I shook my head and smiled.

"Lana, you are something else."

I pulled out the box and beneath it were a few papers in plastic. I pulled them out too. They were rolled up like scrolls, so I unrolled each of them. There was one of mom, dad, and me... all individual portraits she'd drawn, and then there was a self portrait of herself. I was about to open the box when something else caught my eye. I leaned down and brought out two more scrolls. I opened them, one was a family portrait obviously drawn from a photo, but the other... the other freaked me out. It was a photo of a little girl, dancing in a garden in a little peasant dress... as a beautiful woman with wispy hair knelt on the ground by her smiling at the little girl as she twirled.

It was Isabella and I.

I squinted my eyes to see something in the woods and realized Lana was peaking out from behind a tree smiling, while on the far edge of the paper was another figure... it was Edward. I dropped the scroll, staring at it for a moment as a wave of emotion tackled me from all angles.

I rolled them all back up swiftly putting them back where I had found them, not believing what I had just seen. I sat there staring at the hole in the floor for a long moment, the goose bumps evident over my entire body. Eventually, I shook off my thoughts and I opened the box in front of me. There were so many little trinkets in it, but one caught my eye.

In the corner laying on top of everything else was my antique white gold locket Grandma had given me. I had been so upset about losing it right before Mom and Lana had died. I picked it up, a little plastic baggie appearing underneath it with two heart shaped cut out photos. I picked up the baggie and squinted.

There was a photo of me and Lana in one of them, and then a photo of mom, dad and Lana in the other. She must of been planning on putting them inside the locket, but didn't have time to replace it before we had left for our trip. Little did she know, Mom was actually leaving dad and taking us with her. Something I had never had the heart to tell my father.

I opened the locket, and pulled the photos out of the baggie. I put them in the empty spots before closing it and holding it in my hands, bringing my fist to my mouth to kiss it.

So many emotions still coursed through my body. Shock, pain, hurt, love. I realized Isabella really had seen my sister and my sister had seen Isabella long before I even had.

"Bella," Sang a voice.

I jumped at the sound of my name, putting the lid back on the box before placing it back in the shallow hole in the floor. I pushed the wooden boards under the bed for the time being and pulled the treasure chest back into place. I checked to make sure you couldn't see the hole in the floor before I stood and brushed myself off.

I clasped the locket quickly around my neck. "I miss you Lana," I said as I opened the door and turned off the light in one fluid motion as I left my sister's room.

"What's up," I asked standing awkwardly in the middle of the hall as Callie rounded the banister at the top of the stairs. She eyed me curiously, briefly glancing at Lana's door before turning to walk into my room.

"Nothing, just got here. Elane is 2 minutes away, wanted me to make sure you're ready." She said plopping down on my bed.

I walked over to my vanity and slathered on some mascara and lip gloss before grabbing my boots out of my closet. "Okay, lets go then." I shrugged and smiled.

I clumsily stepped into my boots before grabbing my pea coat and my black marc Jacob's bag off the floor where all my luggage was and followed Callie down the hall.

When we reached the kitchen I almost ran smack into my dad.

"Hey dad," I said smiling.

"Felling better Bells?" He said turning to look down at me. He froze when his eyes landed on my upper chest and I froze too.

I had completely forgotten to hide my locket.

"Yeah... I know right... I um... found it." I said stuttering.

Dad narrowed his eyes at me, "Bella we took your room apart trying to find that thing, how can you just happen across it now?" He was staring at me in disbelief.

I was going to have to half lie - half tell the truth.

"I went into Lana's room," I said looking down at my hands waiting for his reaction. He didn't say anything so I continued, "Turns out, she'd had it all along." I said shaking my head and laughing lightly.

Dad just stared at me. I looked up to meet his eyes and sighed. "Sorry."

He shook his head, "No, Bells, it's fine. She always was sneaky like that." A small smile graced his own lips. I nodded.

"We should go," Callie said after an awkward silence.

"Right," I said snapping out of it. I momentarily wondered if I should have put the boards back, Talking about going in her room may have made him curious. I shook it off, "We're going shopping dad, see you in a bit?"

"Don't stay out too long Bella, you're sick." He was stern as he headed off towards his study.

"Okay," I said swiftly making my way out the back door after Callie, who's laugher made me smile and I momentarily forgot I was 22, because I actually felt 17 all over again.