Ok, so I lied :) I said 20 reviwes and I would update, but I got 14, so that will do. I could not decide whether this chapter was good or not, so please let me know! OH - and I'm running out of ideas for things to put in the story...my list is dwindling!!! AH! Suggestions are greatly appreciated and I will mention your name if you do:)
Signora Del Lupo - I freaking LOVE you! You are a greeaat help whenever I need it! Go check out her story..."Rottura Dell'Alba"
It's really good!!!!!!!!! :D

Chapter 9 – Hello, Again

No. No, no, no, no! No vampires. I was dating a werewolf. Hell, I was a werewolf.

"Bella," The critical voice rang high, and I turned to face Rosalie, the one vampire I wouldn't be glad to see. But she was still a Cullen. Part of the family I had considered my own. My tears started all over again. "What the hell are you doing?" She was surprised at my emotion.

"Rose, look what you did. I spent all this time making sure that my feelings were under control so I could go home to Charlie, and you stirred them up again!" I added a laugh for good measure.

"Bella, I'm not here to socialize. It's about Edward." A knot twisted a million times in the deepest pit of my stomach, making me want to be sick.

"W-what do you mean? I thought h-he died? I didn't go to save him!" I managed to get the words out through my gut wrenching sobs. She had the door open and her cold arms were around me before I could finish.

"No, you didn't go, and I understand that. But Alice went. He believed her when she told him you were still alive. He's back, Bella." I glanced up and looked at her eyes. They were black. He couldn't be back. What would happen to Jacob and me? He didn't want me, so why was he here?

"Why did he come back?" I twisted in her vice-like grip to face her. "He didn't want me, remember?" She sighed, even thought she didn't have to.

"He never left you because he wanted to. He felt he needed to. You almost got hurt at the birthday party, which by the way, Alice takes some responsibility for, and he wanted to prevent that from happening again." I was shocked. All this time I thought he didn't love me. I thought so very wrong. My heart welled up with emotions, but I pushed them back down. I didn't know if any of this was true. Maybe he just realized that he was a big jerk for leaving me with nothing. Rose must have noticed my face changing with my thoughts.

"Are you ok? I knew I should have let him come here first, but I thought maybe if I talked to you and apologized…"She rambled on.

"What do you mean, 'apologize'?" He instantly loosened my grip on her icy body.

"I was the one who told him that you were dead in the first place. He called and I told him. I never should have put my brother in danger like that, or caused you grief over it. Therefore, I am sorry." She wasn't looking at me, but past me, into the forest. I smiled, instantly forgiving her. It was hard not to forgive someone who had never liked you before, and was now suddenly nice, like she was pitying me.

"Rosalie, I have a funeral I need to be at." Oh, crap. How had an hour already passed since I left for home? I was late for the funeral, and no doubt Charlie had left without me.

"I think you're a bit late for that. I saw the crowd at the cemetery on my way here." Jacob was going to worry. He was going to tell Charlie I was supposed to be home. It looked like it was time to lie about vehicle troubles.

"Why would he do this? Did you tell him that I was dating Jacob?" She shook her head.

"I figured he would find out when he came to get you back and apologize." Oh. My. Goodness. He was going to try and come back to 'fix' things and make it all better again?

"He thinks that is going to work? After all the hell he put me through?"

"Language, Bella. And yes, I think he does. He still loves you, Bella." That's when I started to get dizzy. My truck swayed, and then I fell out of the truck door. Alice caught me before I could hit the ground.

"He…still…loves….me?" I said between forced breaths.

"Yes. Now, can I ask you a question?" I nodded, waiting for her to invite an answer. "Why do you smell like a reeking dog?"

That was when I got lightheaded one more time, and blacked out, with Rosalie's perfect face still fresh in my mind.

I woke up in my own bed, and sat up. The sky was still gray, so I hadn't been passed out that long. But Rosalie was gone. Had I dreamed the whole thing? Charlie walked in and interrupted my thoughts.

"You're finally awake. Are you feeling better?" He set a glass of water beside my bed.

"What do you mean, 'feeling better'?"

"You left me a note in kitchen explaining why you weren't at the funeral. You said you had car troubles on the way back, and when you finally got here, you didn't feel too hot. Then I walked upstairs and found you asleep." He sat in the rocking chair across the room.

"Oh, yeah," Rose was being quite kind, I thought. "I was lightheaded and stuff, I don't really remember much about this afternoon." I looked at the wall clock. It was almost 4:30. The funeral had been at 12:00, so I had only been sleeping for maybe three and a half hours.

"Jacob should be here soon. He's already stopped by twice, asking to see you. But I told him you were sleeping and that I preferred you not be interrupted." He played with his mustache a little. He was a good dad.

"Thanks. I think I needed the rest."

"You bet you did. You have bags under your eyes, Bells. You'd think you were a vampire." I whimpered at the thought of vampires, and Charlie took notice.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm feeling sick again." He grumbled and stood up, walking towards the door.

"Well if you need anything, let me know." I nodded. When he was gone I fell back into my pillow and pulled the blankets to my chin. Jacob was probably going to grill me about not going to the funeral, after I had told him I felt like I was intruding. He had no idea.

With this thought I stopped. Maybe he did have an idea. Maybe that's why he wanted me to come home. He knew if Edward showed up that Charlie would not let him see me. He was going to talk about it at the pack meeting. Or maybe it wasn't a pack meeting at all. Maybe they were going to tell the vamps to high tail it out of here. No.

I flipped the covers off of me and slipped on some ripped jeans, a white tee shirt and a hoodie. Jacob's clothes lay in the very bottom of my closet, probably the vamp's doing. I wondered if she had figured out that I was a werewolf yet. If not, she would. I flew down the stairs.

"Dad, I think I need some fresh air. I'll be back. I'm just going for a drive." I opened the door, ready to leave.

"I thought you said you had truck troubles?" He didn't take his gaze away from the television, yet spoke directly to me.

"Uh, I fixed it." I mentally smacked myself for not being a better liar. Everyone who's ever met me knows that I couldn't fix a truck. But I didn't get in my truck. Of course, Charlie would notice that I wasn't gone in it, but for the billionth time today, I would lie about it – badly. My truck was too slow. I needed to get to the Cullen's old place to see if anyone was there. Walking into the forest, I tried to phase, but couldn't find it. No fire was spreading through me. I couldn't do it. Like a little girl, I sat down in the dirt and started to cry.

My face was in my hands when I heard something. I whipped my head around, searching for the source of the rustling. I turned my head the back around to see him in front of me.

"Ah!" I screamed, jumping out of my skin. I stood up in an instant, and he stepped closer to me. "No, go away." He held his arms out.

"I came back, Bella." Well duh. "I was stupid, and I know Alice has already told you about why I left. Now we can be together again." He smiled the smile I knew so well, and I looked away. I was afraid to look in the eyes that had drawn me in so long ago. The golden, liquid eyes that made me fall apart in his arms.

"You think I'm just going to run to you after you leave me, Edward?" I placed my arms around myself, holding back the tremors that were beginning to take over me.

"Why are you shaking? Are you cold?" He started to take off his jacket.

"No. Edward, leave, now." He shook his head. "You are so stubborn, just leave!" He shook his head again.

"Why would you want me to leave when I just got here?" He threw his hands I the air as his voice rose. Who knew that our first real fight would be while we weren't together?

"I'm warning you, you do not want to see me right now." The shaking went up in size and power.

"I want to see you. I love you." Did I love him back? His eyes bored into me as the quaking supported me. The sensation of flames burning down my back caused me to phase. My weak body was replaced by the black wolf. His eyes grew wide, and he started to shout at me.

"What happened to you? Why are you a reeking DOG? Did that Indian do this to you? I swear I'm going to rip him limb from limb and KILL him! Do you hear me, Bella?" If wolves could cry, I would be the champ. I felt like bawling, but I was filled with rage. He was not only insulting me, but the whole pack.

Bella! Why did you phase? What's hap-" Whoever had been speaking to me through the linked minds of the pack stopped as they watched Edward though my eyes. He was thrashing around, throwing things at trees, and slamming his fists into closely located boulders.

"You're a monster, Isabella!" That did it.

Bella, come to Sam's house. Run away from him, before he does something stupid to you. The ever helpful Quil answered my silent pleas for help. Edward stopped. He took notice of the distant sound of the other wolves phasing.

I started running.

Since I wasn't a wolf by blood, I wasn't super fast. Luckily, Edward ran the opposite direction I did. He was taking the road to La Push, I was taking the woods. It felt like hours before I finally got to the trees outlying Sam and Emily's house. I had no clothes, again. There were clothes hanging from the line, drying, and I grabbed a pair of Emily's jeans and a shirt in my mouth. Then I swiftly went back in the trees and phased back before putting the clothes on. The anger still filled me up, but I had managed to control it enough to get here and change back to a human.

Somehow, I had ignored the voices in my head while running. It was like I had pressed the button that switched it all off, so I didn't have to answer any ridiculous questions. I wasn't ready to face Jacob for speaking with Edward. Both he and Jake were furious, I could feel it. Before I could finish my jog to the back door, Emily opened it.

"Oh gosh, Bella, what's happening? Sam took off out of here like there was a massacre, and wouldn't tell me anything!" She was frantically yelling, worrying for her husband.

"Shh, Em, It's okay! I think. Edward found me in the forest and-"

"Wait, Edward? He's…back?" She cursed under her breath, something I had never heard her do. Right when I was about to respond, growls and barks were streaming in from the front yard. Everything was spinning, it was happening so fast. She looked at me, then the door, and we both sprinted to the front porch. Jacob and Edward were locked in combat mode, ready to pounce and attack. Edward's teeth were barred, as were Jacob's. The pack was behind Jacob, yet Edward was alone. I couldn't let them fight. Jacob saw me and howled.

"Stop! Stop it right now!" I ran between them, holding my hands out. "You will not fight, we will be reasonable. Not ravaging beasts!" Edward was angered by my words.

"The only beasts here are you and your pack of canines!" I turned to give him the nastiest look I could force myself to make.

"You see here Edward Cullen. You leave me with no good reason in the woods to perish, and Jacob came along. I'm sorry for trying to get over a vampire that ripped me in half! I was only being happy, like you told me! And now you insult me as if I should just come back to you like you never left or did anything wrong? Think again!" I heard something that resembled a wolf laugh. Edward straightened up, and then took two strides towards me. He reached out towards me, but hesitated.

"Bella, I never stopped loving you. There was not one day where I didn't regret leaving you here. I thought I was bad for you, but I was wrong. You are the most amazing, beautiful, smart, and unique woman I have ever met, and I love you now and forever." I was at a loss for words.

"I-I-" He didn't let me try to answer. He grabbed my face in both of his hands and urgently kissed me. His cold lips were a rude awakening to the warm ones I was now used to. I cringed away from him. I watched his facial expressions change before my eyes. He was confused, then hurt, and then outraged. I stepped to my left, shocked. He had kissed me. I looked past him into the trees. Emmett, Alice, Rosalie, and Esme were standing just inside the trees. I almost smiled.

The rest of the pack noticed this as well. They were exchanging thoughts, and I suddenly wished I could hear them in my own head. Edward could read their thoughts. Whatever they were saying, he could hear.

"Jacob, you should really just accept that I had her first, and actually care enough about her to not kiss someone else." Edward knew he was pushing Jake's buttons. He knew it would set him off; what the hell was he doing?

Before I could defend Jacob, he was lunging at Edward. I thought on a whim, my emotions running freely now. I took the two steps that put me between them, and pain erupted through my face, and down to my chest. I collapsed on the ground as silence enveloped me.

"Bella!" One voice dared to shout out, right before the colors and sudden noise faded abruptly into complete nothingness.

Well, she sure does black out a lot. Ha-ha! Anyway...questions, comments, suggestions? Reviews 'em!